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Callum Doyle #3
Marked
In New York's East Village a young girl is brutally raped, tortured and murdered. Detective Callum Doyle has seen the victim's remains. He has visited the distraught family. Now he wants justice.
Doyle is convinced he knows who the killer is. The problem is he can't prove it. And the more he pushes his prime suspect, the more he learns that the man is capable of pushing back in ways more devious and twisted than Doyle could ever have imagined.
Add to that the appearance of an old adversary who has a mission for Doyle and won't take no for an answer, and soon Doyle finds himself at risk of losing everything he holds dear. Including his life.
Doyle is convinced he knows who the killer is. The problem is he can't prove it. And the more he pushes his prime suspect, the more he learns that the man is capable of pushing back in ways more devious and twisted than Doyle could ever have imagined.
Add to that the appearance of an old adversary who has a mission for Doyle and won't take no for an answer, and soon Doyle finds himself at risk of losing everything he holds dear. Including his life.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
19 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
About the author
David Jackson
16 books515 followersI am the author of a series of crime thrillers featuring Irish-American NYPD Detective Callum Doyle. The first in the series, Pariah, was Highly Commended in the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Awards. It is published by Pan Macmillan. The follow-ups are The Helper and Marked, and I am hard at work on the fourth in the series. My writing influences include Ed McBain, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly and Harlan Coben, amongst many others. My favourite quote about my work is one from the Guardian, now carried on the front of my novels: 'Recalls Harlan Coben - though for my money Jackson is the better writer.'
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 19, 2018
Halfway through and I can’t read this any further. Callum Doyle has turned 180° and is totally despicable. He’s too angry. He’s focused on a tattooist with no evidence, just a gut feeling. And he’s working for thug Lucas Bartok. He puts on a ski mask and beats up a guy to get his gun so he can use it to kill someone. When he’s at home, his wife has to beg him to talk to his daughter. My interest has waned, and I don’t care how this book ends.
July 13, 2016
Marked is the third novel in the Detective Callum Doyle series.
Doyle actually feels like a whole different character in this book. He is so angry and going by the rules goes totally out of the window whilst working on his new case. He is determined to get justice for the parents of a murdered sixteen year old girl. That justice seems to come at a price though as the person behind the murder gets deep under Doyle's skin and threatens to lose him everything.
The villain in this novel, I don't think I could have despised even more than I did. Not only did he get under Doyle's skin, he truly got under mine as well. So much so that I was really routing for Doyle to catch him out. Problem is though, he is one devious character and I was as infuriated as Doyle was at the injustice at times.
This authors books are an absolute must read if your a a big crime fan that loves their books to be adrenaline fuelled. Every time I pick one up I am well and truly hooked. The story lines are gritty, dark and full of tension.
Marked is a fast paced read that felt at times that I was going at full throttle and left me totally wind swept by the end. It's very much a story about gut instincts and staying true to what you believe. Another great novel in the series.
Doyle actually feels like a whole different character in this book. He is so angry and going by the rules goes totally out of the window whilst working on his new case. He is determined to get justice for the parents of a murdered sixteen year old girl. That justice seems to come at a price though as the person behind the murder gets deep under Doyle's skin and threatens to lose him everything.
The villain in this novel, I don't think I could have despised even more than I did. Not only did he get under Doyle's skin, he truly got under mine as well. So much so that I was really routing for Doyle to catch him out. Problem is though, he is one devious character and I was as infuriated as Doyle was at the injustice at times.
This authors books are an absolute must read if your a a big crime fan that loves their books to be adrenaline fuelled. Every time I pick one up I am well and truly hooked. The story lines are gritty, dark and full of tension.
Marked is a fast paced read that felt at times that I was going at full throttle and left me totally wind swept by the end. It's very much a story about gut instincts and staying true to what you believe. Another great novel in the series.
August 28, 2014
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book - but can anyone believe a police officer can get away with what Doyle does? And, on the one hand he's brilliant at solving crimes but, on the other hand, he gets himself into these incredible pickles through his own stupidity and stubbornness. Yes, I was rooting for him to come through but really, he should have been suspended or dismissed. So while I rated the earlier Callum Doyle books higher, this stretched plausibility too much.
January 6, 2013
As a seasoned and somewhat cynical crime reader I always have a strange feeling of mild peril when approaching an author’s third outing in a series that has pretty much knocked my metaphorical socks off with the first two books. So here is the third of Jackson’s Detective Callum Doyle’s adventures in downtown New York and how did it do? Yeeeeeeeeees! I can push aside those unfounded feelings of doubt, because I am more than happy to report that Jackson has delivered again. With a somewhat darker feel to the previous two books, what we have here is another full-throttle, and at times violent tale, with Doyle as a modern day caped crusader, albeit with a much better reportoire of pithy one-liners and a never ending propensity to facedown the bad guys and seek justice for the wronged. Doyle is up to his little bent nose in trouble, juggling the demands of hunting down a murdering rapist, running errands for gangsters, navigating the annoyance of a new young and earnest police partner and trying not to totally tee off his long suffering wife. Oh yeah, and it looks like his daughter might be a kleptomaniac.
But seriously, this is an absolute page turner throughout, suffused with the twists and turns so firmly recognisable in Jackson’s style. Doyle goes about his business with little thought to his own physical safety and finds himself one-on-one with one of the most scheming, duplicitous and odious characters ever to grace the pages of a crime book, in the shape of Stan Proust, the demon tatooist. Doyle is convinced that this snake in the grass is responsible for the abduction, rape and murder of two girls, the latest being Megan Hamlyn, and goes all out to prove Proust guilty, setting him against his new partner Tommy LeBlanc and doing nothing to quell the genuinely held suspicion in the squadroom that Doyle is a loose cannon. This is an incredibly dark but well executed thread to the book, as we see Proust turning the screws on Doyle bit by bit, threatening all corners of Doyle’s life. As we observe Doyle’s interaction with Megan’s bereaved parents, in particular, with her mother Nicole (who has a strong presence in the book and an intriguing part to play in the overall plot), we feel the urgency of Doyle to bring this man to justice. But fate has more in store for Stan Proust than just the attentions of Doyle, and with the reappearance of shadowy figures from Doyle’s murky past (in particular the cross-eyed gangster Bartok) this all adds up to Doyle being pulled in all directions in this twisted storyline tightly weaved…
Aside from the tightly controlled plotting in both this and the previous books, Jackson once again demonstrates his gift for characterisation and dialogue, very reminiscent in style to one of his proclaimed writing influences, the late great Ed McBain. Doyle is a wiseass, pure and simple, relying on his own propensity for wit on probably some less than suitable occasions. The violence Doyle encounters is always beautifully counterbalanced with his knack for the ready quip, with more than one of his colleagues being antagonised by his smart mouth, but throughout the book this use of humour enriches the cut and thrust of the precisely drawn dialogue. Doyle’s uneasy relationship with new partner LeBlanc reminded me strongly of the Harry Callaghan school of indoctrinating partners, with probably slightly better odds at surviving, and it was nice to see the revival of Doyle’s fraught former dealings with his Internal Affairs nemesis Paulson in the course of the tale. The characterisation throughout is perfectly pitched and credible, as we bear witness to Doyle’s less than adept social skills and his skill at covering his own back, whilst always admiring his unerring determination to bring the guilty to justice, despite the determination of others to thwart him. The surrounding characters simply work well, as they are as roundly drawn as the central protagonist, and there is a good symbiosis of action and reaction played throughout them, that fleshes out Doyle’s character and his differing relationships with them.
So to conclude, fear not if you have not had the pleasure of reading ‘Pariah’ or ‘The Helper (but quite honestly why haven’t you?) as the relevant back story is seamlessly woven in to the tale so you’re not aware of playing catch-up. As with other reviewers, I would issue a slight word of caution, for the more sensitive among you that there is a fair amount of violence, but nothing that will keep you awake at night, unless your other half has a less than healthy relationship with their power tools. Joking aside, apart from a v. minor wobble on the closing page, this is a great read; earthy, compelling and unmissable. Go now out into the world and discover Doyle for yourselves…
But seriously, this is an absolute page turner throughout, suffused with the twists and turns so firmly recognisable in Jackson’s style. Doyle goes about his business with little thought to his own physical safety and finds himself one-on-one with one of the most scheming, duplicitous and odious characters ever to grace the pages of a crime book, in the shape of Stan Proust, the demon tatooist. Doyle is convinced that this snake in the grass is responsible for the abduction, rape and murder of two girls, the latest being Megan Hamlyn, and goes all out to prove Proust guilty, setting him against his new partner Tommy LeBlanc and doing nothing to quell the genuinely held suspicion in the squadroom that Doyle is a loose cannon. This is an incredibly dark but well executed thread to the book, as we see Proust turning the screws on Doyle bit by bit, threatening all corners of Doyle’s life. As we observe Doyle’s interaction with Megan’s bereaved parents, in particular, with her mother Nicole (who has a strong presence in the book and an intriguing part to play in the overall plot), we feel the urgency of Doyle to bring this man to justice. But fate has more in store for Stan Proust than just the attentions of Doyle, and with the reappearance of shadowy figures from Doyle’s murky past (in particular the cross-eyed gangster Bartok) this all adds up to Doyle being pulled in all directions in this twisted storyline tightly weaved…
Aside from the tightly controlled plotting in both this and the previous books, Jackson once again demonstrates his gift for characterisation and dialogue, very reminiscent in style to one of his proclaimed writing influences, the late great Ed McBain. Doyle is a wiseass, pure and simple, relying on his own propensity for wit on probably some less than suitable occasions. The violence Doyle encounters is always beautifully counterbalanced with his knack for the ready quip, with more than one of his colleagues being antagonised by his smart mouth, but throughout the book this use of humour enriches the cut and thrust of the precisely drawn dialogue. Doyle’s uneasy relationship with new partner LeBlanc reminded me strongly of the Harry Callaghan school of indoctrinating partners, with probably slightly better odds at surviving, and it was nice to see the revival of Doyle’s fraught former dealings with his Internal Affairs nemesis Paulson in the course of the tale. The characterisation throughout is perfectly pitched and credible, as we bear witness to Doyle’s less than adept social skills and his skill at covering his own back, whilst always admiring his unerring determination to bring the guilty to justice, despite the determination of others to thwart him. The surrounding characters simply work well, as they are as roundly drawn as the central protagonist, and there is a good symbiosis of action and reaction played throughout them, that fleshes out Doyle’s character and his differing relationships with them.
So to conclude, fear not if you have not had the pleasure of reading ‘Pariah’ or ‘The Helper (but quite honestly why haven’t you?) as the relevant back story is seamlessly woven in to the tale so you’re not aware of playing catch-up. As with other reviewers, I would issue a slight word of caution, for the more sensitive among you that there is a fair amount of violence, but nothing that will keep you awake at night, unless your other half has a less than healthy relationship with their power tools. Joking aside, apart from a v. minor wobble on the closing page, this is a great read; earthy, compelling and unmissable. Go now out into the world and discover Doyle for yourselves…
December 11, 2014
and yet another gripping and gruesome story with dashes of wit and humour. absolutely love this author
February 5, 2024
At first, I thought the author deliberately wrote about a police officer who had become malevolent and judgmental due to his exposure to evil, which I found interesting. The Doyle character was very different from previous installments in the series. In the end, Doyle is celebrated for his "intuition," which roughly translated to imperious arrogance and his "tenacity" which manifested as maliciousness. It all just creeped me out. I read on to the next book to see if Doyle's character arc continues its trajectory toward petulant nastiness, and it does not. Not sure what the author was thinking.
June 2, 2019
I hate giving low scores but this was a hot mess. I found the main character really annoying and his partner is borderline retarted or just beyond naive. The killer has no background or anything to make him exciting. It's just a very straight forward story .
June 12, 2018
Fab book
Doyle is such a character. I totally enjoyed this book so much that I couldn’t put it down until I reached the conclusion.
Doyle is such a character. I totally enjoyed this book so much that I couldn’t put it down until I reached the conclusion.
July 10, 2018
Audio version of this book 📚- another fantastic read in a great series
February 22, 2019
Audiobook
November 7, 2020
Maybe a 2.75.
April 4, 2023
Callum is friendless and up against an exceedingly cunning adversary. Still he carries on. Lots of explicit violence.
September 24, 2025
From the very first page, Marked had me hooked. This third instalment in the Callum Doyle series is gritty, dark, and unflinching, plunging the reader straight into the horrors of a brutal crime. A young girl is raped, tortured, and murdered in New York’s East Village, and Detective Callum Doyle is determined to bring her killer to justice. He believes he knows exactly who did it—but knowing and proving are two very different things.
What I loved about this book is how layered it felt. On one hand, you have Doyle’s relentless pursuit of a sadistic suspect who always seems to be two steps ahead. On the other hand, you have the reappearance of an old adversary who drags Doyle into a dangerous game with very high stakes. The tension is relentless, and the way these two plotlines intertwine keeps the pace brisk and the suspense constant.
David Jackson’s writing is sharp, cinematic, and unapologetically raw. He doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal realities of the crime, but he balances it with Doyle’s humanity and sense of justice. Doyle is flawed, stubborn, and reckless at times, yet that’s exactly what makes him such a compelling protagonist. I found myself rooting for him even as the odds stacked impossibly high.
This was easily my favourite of the series so far. The combination of a chilling villain, a twisty plot, and Doyle’s personal struggles made for a truly gripping read. I couldn’t put it down, and the ending left me both satisfied and eager for the next book.
A solid 5-star read—dark, tense, and brilliantly executed. Highly recommended for fans of gritty police procedurals and thrillers that don’t pull their punches.
https://featzreviews.com/marked-book-...
What I loved about this book is how layered it felt. On one hand, you have Doyle’s relentless pursuit of a sadistic suspect who always seems to be two steps ahead. On the other hand, you have the reappearance of an old adversary who drags Doyle into a dangerous game with very high stakes. The tension is relentless, and the way these two plotlines intertwine keeps the pace brisk and the suspense constant.
David Jackson’s writing is sharp, cinematic, and unapologetically raw. He doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal realities of the crime, but he balances it with Doyle’s humanity and sense of justice. Doyle is flawed, stubborn, and reckless at times, yet that’s exactly what makes him such a compelling protagonist. I found myself rooting for him even as the odds stacked impossibly high.
This was easily my favourite of the series so far. The combination of a chilling villain, a twisty plot, and Doyle’s personal struggles made for a truly gripping read. I couldn’t put it down, and the ending left me both satisfied and eager for the next book.
A solid 5-star read—dark, tense, and brilliantly executed. Highly recommended for fans of gritty police procedurals and thrillers that don’t pull their punches.
https://featzreviews.com/marked-book-...
January 19, 2013
Marked represents David Jackson’s third title in the Callum Doyle - Detective Second Grade – series and without a shadow of a doubt this is another impressive read. The book moves on from Doyle’s earlier exploits in Pariah and The Helper and even though we have the odd murder here and there this book is a more powerful and sombre affair concentrating on Doyle’s character and the scrapes he finds himself in. This makes for uncomfortable reading at times and Doyle’s personality doesn’t exactly shine through, more a dark and depressing day to day romp through the streets of New York.
This new approach certainly gives Doyle a multi layered persona, more depth, an edge, and as a result allows Jackson to create a Cimmerian book with only the odd light and shade to add balance and relief. This isn’t all gloom and doom for there are a few tender moments, humour too, which all help lighten the darkness a touch. Perhaps not as much dry humour as I would have liked – and come to expect from Doyle’s character - to be honest but when we do get it it makes it that more special and it still managed to give me the odd chuckle along the way.
Characterisation is once again spot on with a number of cast members adding to the story, Doyle obviously taking centre stage but this time he’s joined with a new partner in LeBlanc. The youngster struggles to find his voice and feet in the beginning but as the two clash – along with other members of the Homicide squad – he grows a set and eventually finds a voice that causes Doyle to take stock and question his actions.
I was enamoured by Doyle’s daughter – Amy – in The Helper and would have loved a few more scenes with her this time around but with Doyle fighting his fair share of demons we only get the odd exchange between father and daughter but yet again Jackson has the vocabulary spot on. It certainly made me smile!
Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2013/01/13...
This new approach certainly gives Doyle a multi layered persona, more depth, an edge, and as a result allows Jackson to create a Cimmerian book with only the odd light and shade to add balance and relief. This isn’t all gloom and doom for there are a few tender moments, humour too, which all help lighten the darkness a touch. Perhaps not as much dry humour as I would have liked – and come to expect from Doyle’s character - to be honest but when we do get it it makes it that more special and it still managed to give me the odd chuckle along the way.
Characterisation is once again spot on with a number of cast members adding to the story, Doyle obviously taking centre stage but this time he’s joined with a new partner in LeBlanc. The youngster struggles to find his voice and feet in the beginning but as the two clash – along with other members of the Homicide squad – he grows a set and eventually finds a voice that causes Doyle to take stock and question his actions.
I was enamoured by Doyle’s daughter – Amy – in The Helper and would have loved a few more scenes with her this time around but with Doyle fighting his fair share of demons we only get the odd exchange between father and daughter but yet again Jackson has the vocabulary spot on. It certainly made me smile!
Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2013/01/13...
February 19, 2017
Doyle
Great books, Cal Doyle is a troubled man, but basically an honest man. Can't wait for the latest, having read all so far. Long may he continue.
Great books, Cal Doyle is a troubled man, but basically an honest man. Can't wait for the latest, having read all so far. Long may he continue.
January 13, 2015
Marked, is David Jackson's third novel in with protagonist Detective Callum Doyle, based in New York. It has a slightly different feel about it than the previous two (which I also loved) but you can tell Jackson has found his real comfort level with the characters and his writing here. It’s sure and solid. It also has some of Doyle’s wit, but the difference is, the book is a bit darker. Doyle is not only fighting against the bad guys, he has the internal police department rumour mill to fight against, and this time he also has to face himself at a completely different level than before. The bad guy is kickass bad and this challenges Doyle to unexpected levels leaving you never sure what the resulting ending will be.
It was breathtaking. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, though at one point I did have to look away as I was so engrossed, the imagery Jackson created freaked me out a little. It is definitely a book that will have you on the edge of your chair. If psychological, nut job bad guys, not clear-cut good guys, and edge of your seat crime fiction is what you like, then this is your cup of tea. If you want to relax and the world to look rosy, I’d advise you not to read this.
It was breathtaking. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, though at one point I did have to look away as I was so engrossed, the imagery Jackson created freaked me out a little. It is definitely a book that will have you on the edge of your chair. If psychological, nut job bad guys, not clear-cut good guys, and edge of your seat crime fiction is what you like, then this is your cup of tea. If you want to relax and the world to look rosy, I’d advise you not to read this.
May 4, 2014
This. Book. Is. Awesome. This is the third book (hopefully, third of many) in the Callum Doyle series. I recommend all three, and I recommend them in order due to very minor spoilers, but this is the best one. I couldn't wait to read to the ending, loved the ending, and then wanted more, sad that it was over and I had to wait for the next book to come out. The characters are great, the plot intriguing and quite original, the action and suspense engaging, and the writing style is just right, not too choppy but no excessive detail. It has a bit of humor, something for everyone, well almost everyone. If you are looking for a good romance, don't bother with this excellent novel, just pick up some Harlequin trash, the usual crap you idiots read, but if you want a great thrill-ride, this book...let me say it again...is awesome! I would put it up there with the likes of Harlan Coben, Linwood Barclay, Lee Child, Robert Crais, Michael Prescott, and other fantastic authors that draw the reader in and do not let go.
September 19, 2016
What a nasty, nasty book! The protagonist detective spends the entire book assaulting and torturing his only suspect solely on a "gut-feeling". No evidence. Nothing. Relying entirely on the detective's gut-feeling, another character tortures the suspect to death, in the most horrific way. In the book's final pages, the author says that the suspect admitted their guilt. I'd admit to murdering Richard III if some crazy was drilling holes into my head, too.
The book is a moral depravity. The author not only approves of but advocates torture of anyone whom his hero "has a gut-feeling about". The sooner the author stops writing books and goes back into therapy, the better for all of us.
The book is a moral depravity. The author not only approves of but advocates torture of anyone whom his hero "has a gut-feeling about". The sooner the author stops writing books and goes back into therapy, the better for all of us.
April 6, 2014
Fantastic read...has it all! Gory murder, lone and driven cop, depraved villains. Done a few times, right? But this one is ingeniously interwoven with believable snaffoos for the detective, darkly twisted and complex plot. Page-turner until the end.
Loved this book and now have to go back and read the first 2.
Loved this book and now have to go back and read the first 2.
August 8, 2019
Very gruesome murder. Maverick cop who is off the rails. Having lifted at least one idea from Dirty Harry, in this story Callum Doyle then proceeds to out-do Harry Callaghan in getting himself into hot water. It becomes very convoluted, but is an entertaining trudge through the sleazy underbelly of New York, even if somewhat totally far-fetched.
February 15, 2013
This is the Third book in the Callum Doyle series and I thoroughly loved every page! If you enjoy crime/Mystery books give this series a go you will not be disappointed! I just hope I don't have to wait too long for the next book from David Jackson.
Highly Recommended!
Highly Recommended!
July 4, 2014
So damn. This was awesome and satisfying in a few ways. I felt that this novel had more humanity behind it. More justice, too and, of course, more of that dumbfuck Lucas. Helluva awesome read, David, and I look forward to diving into the Sequel.
September 6, 2015
Starts off strange...
Starts off strange but well worth it as usual. Not as suspenseful and shocking as the previous stories, however still a great book for suspense, revenge, and mystery lovers.
Starts off strange but well worth it as usual. Not as suspenseful and shocking as the previous stories, however still a great book for suspense, revenge, and mystery lovers.
November 25, 2014
FABULOUS - fact paced unable to put down - looking for more as this is a new autor to me and what a find - BRILLIANT.
February 19, 2015
The third in the detective Doyle series, and as good a read as the previous two. Gripping, addictive, tense!
February 14, 2016
this book took a bit of getting into, but once i did it was hard to put it down really enjoyed it
September 27, 2016
this is the best book i have read so far...
February 2, 2017
Wow!
As a fan of crime fiction this book had instant appeal. I loved the ambiguity of all the characters, good and bad. Excellent and satisfying ending.
As a fan of crime fiction this book had instant appeal. I loved the ambiguity of all the characters, good and bad. Excellent and satisfying ending.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews