Matt Wesolowski's "Hydra" (Six Stories Series)

B. Robinson: I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.

Hydra is the second story in the Six Stories series by Matt Wesolowski. The Author has an unusual and refreshing way of relating his stories to us as a series of podcasts.

Scott King is an investigative journalist who started the Six Stories podcasts, which have become very popular on the internet. He speaks to people involved with certain cases and his unique way of interviewing these people form the basis of his podcasts.

In this story a family have been killed and Scott King tries to determine what it was that drove Arla Macleod, the main suspect and perpetrator of this seemingly unprovoked attack to carry out this crime. As he interviews five witnesses and Arla herself, he aims to give all the evidence necessary to prove Arla's guilt.

This is a well written story, that aims to set out everything that the reader needs to know about the crime in the podcasts. It gives the back story to the characters and helps you form your own opinions along the way.

I also enjoyed this story that little bit more, as it was set for the main part in the part of the UK that I live, so it was even more engaging when the Author was...

United Kingdom on Jan 18, 2021

Elle G.: Hydra is the second book in the Six Stories series and can be read as a complete standalone. First and foremost, I want to say that this book BLEW ME AWAY! I don’t know if it was the authors intention or not but not only was I enthralled in the savagery of the story, but I was also completely creeped out. It takes a lot to scare me and I’ve read my share of horror books throughout my lifetime but this one set me on edge. I got the chills, goosebumps, and my heart RACED. It was fantastic! Now, I don’t think this book is meant to be a horror novel, it is after all, a
“podcast” type story about a murder. However, the underlying things discussed in the podcast (the urban legends, and black-eyed children, and things like that set me on edge). So, while it may not be a traditional horror novel, it packs the punch of one of the scariest I’ve ever read. Bravo!

Okay. So, this book (and its processor; Six Stories) is written as a podcast. I don’t list to audiobooks, but I would certainly make the exception for these books because I think they would make for great listens. I may even go back and listen to this one via audio because I am so intrigued with how it would...

United States on Sep 22, 2020

Lovedreadingthis: I love the original format of this series. For those who don't know, both Six Stories and Hydra are written in the style of six part podcasts hosted by Scott King, who features historical crimes on his channel, speaking to those involved or with some knowledge and insight into the events related to the crime.
The blurb tells you everything you need to know about the storyline. All I can add is that this is a story with a gripping plot, capitalising on urban myths and 'ghost' stories, the notion of other worlds and gateways - all of which I loved and made for a mightily sinister read.
Written in six chapters - 1 for each podcast episode and dedicated to 1 interviewee per episode. The writing is in the 1st person account in the style of an interviewer / interviewee format as the subject gave their account of what they knew in relation to the Macleod Massacre. With Scott King prompting with questions and summarising, this really does work incredibly well and makes for an engaging read. The podcasts, while detailing the massacre also explored the family background, Arla's schooling and significant events, in this way providing a well rounded piece of fiction.
Scott King...

United Kingdom on Oct 01, 2018

Drew.: The idea behind the Internet sensation true-crime podcast Six Stories is that the host, the investigative journalist Scott King takes a crime and then interviews six people over six episodes over six weeks looking back on the events, the people involved and discussing the whole affair. This approach gives the podcast listener the same story told by six different people with six different perspectives allowing them the opportunity to digest all the gathered information from the various sources and come to their own conclusion.

Scott King and his Six Stories podcast where every other journalist before have failed is given the opportunity to interview the infamous Arla Macleod who as a twenty-one-year-old on a November night in 2014 murdered her mother, stepfather and sister in a brutal killing dubbed the ‘Macleod Massacre‘. Arla was subsequently found guilty and sentenced with diminished responsibility for the crime. Now residing for the rest of her life in the medium security mental-health hospital of Elmtree Manor.

Hydra isn’t a book where you are looking for the killer’s identity, we already know that Arla Macleod brutally killed her family. So, the question...

United Kingdom on Jul 11, 2018

Anne bonny book reviews: I really enjoyed the authors first novel Six Stories, it was clear to see that it was a fantastic debut novel and the author clearly had a natural talent for storytelling. I think the author brings something young and edgy to the crime fiction genre. It maybe the use of technology and crime novel surrounding a podcast. But I happen to think it is the writing style and knowledge of certain aspects of true life horror phenomenon. For example, when the lift footage of Elisa Lam was mentioned, I was instantly reminded of who creepy it is and yet it remains an unsolved case!

This podcast with Scott King revolves around Arla Macleod. A young woman who massacred her entire family one day with a hammer! Why did this meek young woman commit murder? What drove her to kill those closest to her?

‘We rake over old graves’ – Scott king

The podcaster is able to video interview Arla, from her confines of Elmtree manor. Just the very theme of Arla being detained under the mental health act, rather than serving a lengthy prison sentence is cause for mass media speculation. Did Arla getaway easily with her crimes? Was she even mentally ill? These are all themes Scott king...

United Kingdom on May 23, 2018

Kelly mom: Felt like it couldn't decide what genre of book to be. Concept of a podcast is clever, but ending feels out of left field and forced

United States on May 06, 2018

TripFictionTripFiction: Hydra is thriller – not so much a ‘who done it’, but rather more a ‘why she done it’. We know that Arla Macleod, a troubled 21 year old, bludgeoned to death her mother, father, and sister. She is committed to a psychiatric facility, the judge having determined that she was mentally unfit for conventional punishment.

There is a radio podcast, with a cult following, called Six Stories. Its presenter, Scott King, takes an old controversial mystery and explores it. Each mystery has six episodes devoted to it. Scott does not attempt to apportion guilt or blame – rather he sets out to provide his audience with the facts on which they can come to their own conclusions. He does this by focussing each episode around an interview with someone who can throw his or her perspective on the situation.

Scott is given the opportunity to interview Arla and run a series on what had become known as the Macleod Massacre. As well as Arla, he interviews five others who can shed light on her development and teenage years. These range from friends / acquaintances at school to those she had encountered on a family holiday in Cornwall. What had turned her in the undoubted fiend...

United States on Feb 02, 2018

Spicewalker: Now when I read Six Stories, I described it as a slow building book, one which gradually takes you over until you are so engrossed that you can't walk away. Many people felt it was perfect to read episodically - read one podcast a day kind of thing - and the same can very much be said of Hydra. The episodic feel that is. It is, after all, written as a series of podcasts. However, there as absolutely no way I wanted to walk away from this one. I loved it for so, so many reasons. It made me want to get creative. It made me want to be a better blogger, as I'll need some pretty handy writing to do this book justice.

But I'm going to give it a go.

I'm not going to try to emulate the pod cast. That feel has been done previously and to be fair I have neither the imagination or the talent to even compare with what is contained within this book. Instead, I'm going to break this down into the reasons, six reasons, I love this book.

My first - the pacing and tension. Whereas the last book was for me a slow burner, this one explodes from the gates like a thoroughbred race horse that has no intention of slowing down until it has crossed the finish line. Each podcast...

United Kingdom on Jan 16, 2018