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DS Aector McAvoy #14
After the Weeping
DI McAvoy must find the connection between a British family, a self-proclaimed Romanian king and an Irish crime boss before he loses the thread and possibly his life in this new instalment of David Mark's acclaimed gritty police procedural series.
The unsolved and brutal murder of beloved son, husband and local fight coach Davey Hawksmoor left Hull in a state of shock, and after ten years of mourning DI Aector McAvoy is ordered to reopen the cold case by his boss and close friend DCS Trish Pharaoh.
McAvoy isn’t sure why this case has been brought up again – after all, the previous detective’s efforts might have been hasty, but they were fairly thorough. With no new leads to pursue, and Pharaoh avoiding him, he’s sceptical about the whole situation and his role within it.
Pharaoh seems to have her sights on bigger fish, seemingly linked to Davey’s family and especially his father Rab, a highly regarded entrepreneur and charity man – and a man who won’t shy away from dirty work to achieve his version of the greater good . . .
Fans of Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and Peter Robinson will find DI McAvoy “a true original” (Mick Herron). Another dark and complex case from Sunday Times bestselling and Kindle chart-topping author David Mark.
The unsolved and brutal murder of beloved son, husband and local fight coach Davey Hawksmoor left Hull in a state of shock, and after ten years of mourning DI Aector McAvoy is ordered to reopen the cold case by his boss and close friend DCS Trish Pharaoh.
McAvoy isn’t sure why this case has been brought up again – after all, the previous detective’s efforts might have been hasty, but they were fairly thorough. With no new leads to pursue, and Pharaoh avoiding him, he’s sceptical about the whole situation and his role within it.
Pharaoh seems to have her sights on bigger fish, seemingly linked to Davey’s family and especially his father Rab, a highly regarded entrepreneur and charity man – and a man who won’t shy away from dirty work to achieve his version of the greater good . . .
Fans of Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and Peter Robinson will find DI McAvoy “a true original” (Mick Herron). Another dark and complex case from Sunday Times bestselling and Kindle chart-topping author David Mark.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 2025
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 10, 2025
This time around, Trish Pharaoh has tasked DS McAvoy with the reopening of an unsolved murder case from some 10 years ago. The case is that of Davey Hawksmoor.
This was a brutal murder of a beloved son, husband and local fight coach that left his city of Hull in a state of shock, and McAvoy needs to dig really deep for this one, desperately trying to find the connection between a British family, a self-proclaimed Romanian king and an Irish crime boss - no mean feat!
This complex, multi layered novel delivers all that you would expect from the work of a top rank thriller writer. David Mark manages to combine the criminal side with an exploration of family ties, and although there were a lot of characters to follow, I was richly rewarded with an intelligent and page turning read that takes our protagonist to some very dark and dangerous places.
*Thank you to Severn House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
This was a brutal murder of a beloved son, husband and local fight coach that left his city of Hull in a state of shock, and McAvoy needs to dig really deep for this one, desperately trying to find the connection between a British family, a self-proclaimed Romanian king and an Irish crime boss - no mean feat!
This complex, multi layered novel delivers all that you would expect from the work of a top rank thriller writer. David Mark manages to combine the criminal side with an exploration of family ties, and although there were a lot of characters to follow, I was richly rewarded with an intelligent and page turning read that takes our protagonist to some very dark and dangerous places.
*Thank you to Severn House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
December 15, 2025
3.5 Stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this much-appreciated ARC by author David Mark. This is the 14th book in the DS McAvoy series, which I would classify as a police procedural and crime thriller. I have read most of the compelling series and have also enjoyed Mark's standalone books.
The book begins with a grim, disturbing scene. Rab Hawksmoor, who has a hauling firm near Hull, is in a 'dying room' in a Romanian orphanage. The children have been abandoned and neglected, are emaciated and in poor mental and physical health. Rab has good intentions and smuggles some children out, hoping they can be adopted into good homes. This is a dark, gritty story set mostly around Hull and Bucharest.
I have always admired Detective McAvoy. Unlike many fictional detectives, who have miserable personal lives and often drink heavily. McAvoy is a devoted, loving family man. He is a large and imposing man who respects police rules. He is driven by a sense of justice and can make connections that have been overlooked or ignored by those aiming to quickly close cases. His body bears scars from past injuries, and there will probably be more before the new case is closed. He is happily married to Roisin from a Romani (traveller) family, and they have two children. His conversations with his daughter Lilah are a delight.
DCS Trish Pharoah, his friend and boss, has ordered McAvoy to reopen a ten-year-old cold case. It is the unsolved, brutal murder of a local fight coach in Hull, Davey Hawksmoor, the son of Rab. His club set wayward boys on the right path, away from delinquency, drugs, and alcohol. His mother expresses reluctance to have Davey's murder case reopened, calling the police insensitive and incompetent. Pharaoh seems to be following leads pointing to a present connection with some prominent locals and has put McAvoy's life in danger.
I found the storyline complex, convoluted and confusing, with too many characters making it challenging to follow. This has never been a problem with previous books in the series. I needed to reread and sort out some passages. The storyline was suspenseful, intense, and multilayered.
Recommended, especially to those who have a few previous books featuring DS McAvoy. Author David Mark's standalone books are outstanding.
The book begins with a grim, disturbing scene. Rab Hawksmoor, who has a hauling firm near Hull, is in a 'dying room' in a Romanian orphanage. The children have been abandoned and neglected, are emaciated and in poor mental and physical health. Rab has good intentions and smuggles some children out, hoping they can be adopted into good homes. This is a dark, gritty story set mostly around Hull and Bucharest.
I have always admired Detective McAvoy. Unlike many fictional detectives, who have miserable personal lives and often drink heavily. McAvoy is a devoted, loving family man. He is a large and imposing man who respects police rules. He is driven by a sense of justice and can make connections that have been overlooked or ignored by those aiming to quickly close cases. His body bears scars from past injuries, and there will probably be more before the new case is closed. He is happily married to Roisin from a Romani (traveller) family, and they have two children. His conversations with his daughter Lilah are a delight.
DCS Trish Pharoah, his friend and boss, has ordered McAvoy to reopen a ten-year-old cold case. It is the unsolved, brutal murder of a local fight coach in Hull, Davey Hawksmoor, the son of Rab. His club set wayward boys on the right path, away from delinquency, drugs, and alcohol. His mother expresses reluctance to have Davey's murder case reopened, calling the police insensitive and incompetent. Pharaoh seems to be following leads pointing to a present connection with some prominent locals and has put McAvoy's life in danger.
I found the storyline complex, convoluted and confusing, with too many characters making it challenging to follow. This has never been a problem with previous books in the series. I needed to reread and sort out some passages. The storyline was suspenseful, intense, and multilayered.
Recommended, especially to those who have a few previous books featuring DS McAvoy. Author David Mark's standalone books are outstanding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2026
After the first chapter I had to put this book down for a while. I could feel the cold, see and hear the children in the Romanian ‘orphanage’ and smell their fear. And then suddenly a man turns up who takes two of them and takes them with him. And as logical as it seems that he wanted to save them, it’s still illegal what he does. This ‘saving of children’ plays a big part in this book and it ties to everything else that’s happening. Although there are some moving and even funny scenes – Aector and Lilah in The Deep! – it is by far the darkest book in the series.
Too dark, maybe? The story is quite confusing at times, there are maybe as many things unsaid as there are out in the open, and Trish is definitely not well, in body and mind.
Disappointed? No, not really. It’s always great to read David Marks’ books because of the way he makes his characters come alive and how he’s able to make you want to read each of his books in one sitting. I found this one a little too dark and confusing but I’m already looking forward to the next one in this series.
Too dark, maybe? The story is quite confusing at times, there are maybe as many things unsaid as there are out in the open, and Trish is definitely not well, in body and mind.
Disappointed? No, not really. It’s always great to read David Marks’ books because of the way he makes his characters come alive and how he’s able to make you want to read each of his books in one sitting. I found this one a little too dark and confusing but I’m already looking forward to the next one in this series.
October 30, 2025
A very convoluted story facing Mcavoy. A 10 year old cold case which involves a lot of dark alleys to go down. Not my most favourite as there are a lot of characters to follow and it does get quite muddled at times. However I did enjoy returning to Aector and Roisins world.
August 31, 2025
This is my first encounter with both the author and DS McAvoy, and I can definitely say I will be starting from the very beginning. I want to get to know the characters in more detail, and I do love a good detective series, especially one with grit and sarcasm.
The author has been with this series a good while, you can feel the in-depth relationship between a well-worn detective and an author that created him. It makes a difference to have a man happy in his home life, so often, the detective is miserable drunk divorcee. I loved the relationship between father and daughter, too, a chip off the old block.
The plot is well planned, and although it isn't action-packed from the start, you are drawn into an investigation that takes you off in multiple directions. There are snippets from previous years, giving you the information from years gone by and the background into characters' history. There is an element that had me sitting on the fence, doing the illegal for the greater good.
This was a quick read for me, and I'm not a particularly quick reader. I look forward to starting from the beginning.
The author has been with this series a good while, you can feel the in-depth relationship between a well-worn detective and an author that created him. It makes a difference to have a man happy in his home life, so often, the detective is miserable drunk divorcee. I loved the relationship between father and daughter, too, a chip off the old block.
The plot is well planned, and although it isn't action-packed from the start, you are drawn into an investigation that takes you off in multiple directions. There are snippets from previous years, giving you the information from years gone by and the background into characters' history. There is an element that had me sitting on the fence, doing the illegal for the greater good.
This was a quick read for me, and I'm not a particularly quick reader. I look forward to starting from the beginning.
December 13, 2025
EXCERPT: HEARTLESS DETECTIVES SHOULD LET MY SON REST IN PEACE
Report by Lucy Bingham, Hull Daily Mail Crime Reporter Saturday, 10 January, 2026
Police have been slammed as 'incompetent' and 'heartless' by a Hull charity campaigner who believes her murdered son should be allowed to 'rest in peace'.
Humberside Police recently began a review of its own investigation into the death of popular Hull fight coach Davey Hawksmoor, who was found beaten to death at the city's Hedon Road Cemetery in March 2012. He was 43.
Mum Susie Hawksmoor, 79, told the Hull Daily Mail: 'As far as the family is concerned. we've done our grieving. We carry the weight of our loss every day. Davey was larger than life - a person who did more good than harm. He never shrank from a fight and he made some mistakes in his life but he helped a lot of people. The work he's done with kids from this area is phenomenal. He got kids of the street, off drugs, and into his gyms. A lot of people owe their lives to our Davey. Losing him hit so hard that I didn't think I would ever get up.
Of course we want to see justice for him - what kind of mother wouldn't? But as far as we can tell, the police have got absolutely nothing new. All they're doing is stirring the pot to see what bubbles to the surface, and I find that kind of manipulation pretty deplorable. It's heartless at best. I've seen nothing to suggest they'll be any less incompetent than last time around.'
ABOUT 'AFTER THE WEEPING': The unsolved and brutal murder of beloved son, husband and local fight coach Davey Hawksmoor left Hull in a state of shock, and after ten years of mourning DI Aector McAvoy is ordered to reopen the cold case by his boss and close friend DCS Trish Pharaoh.
McAvoy isn’t sure why this case has been brought up again – after all, the previous detective’s efforts might have been hasty, but they were fairly thorough. With no new leads to pursue, and Pharaoh avoiding him, he’s sceptical about the whole situation and his role within it.
Pharaoh seems to have her sights on bigger fish, seemingly linked to Davey’s family and especially his father Rab, a highly regarded entrepreneur and charity man – and a man who won’t shy away from dirty work to achieve his version of the greater good . . .
MY THOUGHTS: I love Aector McAvoy and the series that features him. And I loved the premise of this, the 14th book. But, Aector doesn't feature anywhere near as much as Trish Pharoah does in After the Weeping. That was a great disappointment. I normally never know quite what to make of Trish, but in After the Weeping I really do not like her at all.
So, not enough of Aector is a definite black mark. The time spent with him was a joy, especially when he took his daughter Lilah to the Deep Submarium in Hull. Lilah is very much like her mum Roisin, who we didn't see enough of either. We saw more of Roisin's father, whom she tasked with finding information to help Aector solve the cold case, but his interference may put Aector in even more danger.
To be quite honest, I spent much of this read feeling thoroughly confused. I feel like I should read it again - doing so might straighten out a few things I am still confused about. I have never felt like this about an Aector McAvoy book before.
With all due respect Mr Mark, can we please have the old format Aector McAvoy books back. Books that are actually about Aector and that feature Roisin and the children. I feel almost as much love for Aector's family as he does. And as for Trish Pharoah, she needs to be put firmly back in her place. I don't appreciate her hanging Aector out as bait. Perhaps you could arrange her self-inflicted death by autoerotic asphyxiation - I think she would wear that quite well.
It breaks my heart to do this - ⭐⭐.5
#AftertheWeeping #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: DAVID MARK spent more than 15 years as a journalist, including seven years as a crime reporter with The Yorkshire Post – walking the Hull streets that would later become the setting for the internationally bestselling Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy novels.
His writing is heavily influenced by the court cases he covered: the defeatist and jaded police officers; the inertia of the justice system and the sheer raw grief of those touched by savagery and tragedy.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House for providing an e-ARC of After the Weeping by David Mark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Report by Lucy Bingham, Hull Daily Mail Crime Reporter Saturday, 10 January, 2026
Police have been slammed as 'incompetent' and 'heartless' by a Hull charity campaigner who believes her murdered son should be allowed to 'rest in peace'.
Humberside Police recently began a review of its own investigation into the death of popular Hull fight coach Davey Hawksmoor, who was found beaten to death at the city's Hedon Road Cemetery in March 2012. He was 43.
Mum Susie Hawksmoor, 79, told the Hull Daily Mail: 'As far as the family is concerned. we've done our grieving. We carry the weight of our loss every day. Davey was larger than life - a person who did more good than harm. He never shrank from a fight and he made some mistakes in his life but he helped a lot of people. The work he's done with kids from this area is phenomenal. He got kids of the street, off drugs, and into his gyms. A lot of people owe their lives to our Davey. Losing him hit so hard that I didn't think I would ever get up.
Of course we want to see justice for him - what kind of mother wouldn't? But as far as we can tell, the police have got absolutely nothing new. All they're doing is stirring the pot to see what bubbles to the surface, and I find that kind of manipulation pretty deplorable. It's heartless at best. I've seen nothing to suggest they'll be any less incompetent than last time around.'
ABOUT 'AFTER THE WEEPING': The unsolved and brutal murder of beloved son, husband and local fight coach Davey Hawksmoor left Hull in a state of shock, and after ten years of mourning DI Aector McAvoy is ordered to reopen the cold case by his boss and close friend DCS Trish Pharaoh.
McAvoy isn’t sure why this case has been brought up again – after all, the previous detective’s efforts might have been hasty, but they were fairly thorough. With no new leads to pursue, and Pharaoh avoiding him, he’s sceptical about the whole situation and his role within it.
Pharaoh seems to have her sights on bigger fish, seemingly linked to Davey’s family and especially his father Rab, a highly regarded entrepreneur and charity man – and a man who won’t shy away from dirty work to achieve his version of the greater good . . .
MY THOUGHTS: I love Aector McAvoy and the series that features him. And I loved the premise of this, the 14th book. But, Aector doesn't feature anywhere near as much as Trish Pharoah does in After the Weeping. That was a great disappointment. I normally never know quite what to make of Trish, but in After the Weeping I really do not like her at all.
So, not enough of Aector is a definite black mark. The time spent with him was a joy, especially when he took his daughter Lilah to the Deep Submarium in Hull. Lilah is very much like her mum Roisin, who we didn't see enough of either. We saw more of Roisin's father, whom she tasked with finding information to help Aector solve the cold case, but his interference may put Aector in even more danger.
To be quite honest, I spent much of this read feeling thoroughly confused. I feel like I should read it again - doing so might straighten out a few things I am still confused about. I have never felt like this about an Aector McAvoy book before.
With all due respect Mr Mark, can we please have the old format Aector McAvoy books back. Books that are actually about Aector and that feature Roisin and the children. I feel almost as much love for Aector's family as he does. And as for Trish Pharoah, she needs to be put firmly back in her place. I don't appreciate her hanging Aector out as bait. Perhaps you could arrange her self-inflicted death by autoerotic asphyxiation - I think she would wear that quite well.
It breaks my heart to do this - ⭐⭐.5
#AftertheWeeping #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: DAVID MARK spent more than 15 years as a journalist, including seven years as a crime reporter with The Yorkshire Post – walking the Hull streets that would later become the setting for the internationally bestselling Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy novels.
His writing is heavily influenced by the court cases he covered: the defeatist and jaded police officers; the inertia of the justice system and the sheer raw grief of those touched by savagery and tragedy.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House for providing an e-ARC of After the Weeping by David Mark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 28, 2025
This is the fourteenth book in Mr Mark’s DS McAvoy series, and it starts with a very confronting flashback. A foreign visitor is being shown into what is known as The Dying Room in a Romanian orphanage. And those of us old enough to remember the collapse of the Ceaușescu regime in 1989 will be transported into the hell that became visible then: orphanages full of emaciated, abandoned children because of Ceaușescu’s natalist policies.
The visitor in this novel is Rab Hawksmoor, the owner of a Hull haulage firm. Hawksmoor tried to smuggle some of these children out of Romania, which resulted in contact with both Romanian authorities and criminal gangs.
Returning to the present, DI Aector McAvoy is asked by DCS Trish Pharaoh to reopen the cold case murder of Rab’s son, Davey. It is not clear to McAvoy why he is being asked to reopen the case: there are no new leads, DCS Pharaoh is proving elusive, and Davey’s mother is reluctant to see the case reopened.
DCS Pharoah is following her own leads and instincts, seemingly with little regard to the danger this presents to others (including DI McAvoy). And the danger only increases when McAvoy’s wife, Roisin seeking to help, involves her Traveller father ‘Papa’ Teague.
There’s an unsettling undercurrent of violence throughout the novel. At least some of Rab Hawksmoor ‘s well intentioned help in Romania has unintended consequences. There’s a monster on the loose with secrets to be kept at any cost. DI McAvoy is not the only person at risk.
Gritty, confronting and totally unputdownable.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The visitor in this novel is Rab Hawksmoor, the owner of a Hull haulage firm. Hawksmoor tried to smuggle some of these children out of Romania, which resulted in contact with both Romanian authorities and criminal gangs.
Returning to the present, DI Aector McAvoy is asked by DCS Trish Pharaoh to reopen the cold case murder of Rab’s son, Davey. It is not clear to McAvoy why he is being asked to reopen the case: there are no new leads, DCS Pharaoh is proving elusive, and Davey’s mother is reluctant to see the case reopened.
DCS Pharoah is following her own leads and instincts, seemingly with little regard to the danger this presents to others (including DI McAvoy). And the danger only increases when McAvoy’s wife, Roisin seeking to help, involves her Traveller father ‘Papa’ Teague.
There’s an unsettling undercurrent of violence throughout the novel. At least some of Rab Hawksmoor ‘s well intentioned help in Romania has unintended consequences. There’s a monster on the loose with secrets to be kept at any cost. DI McAvoy is not the only person at risk.
Gritty, confronting and totally unputdownable.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 29, 2025
A good book, I`ve read others involving the same team and I think that is a must for this book because the different viewpoints are confusing if you do not know their previous history. Several different viewpoints here and although they do come together, this takes some time. As the book starts, Rab is in the dying room in an orphanage in Romania. The gritty action is in and around Hull and in the underworld in Bucharest. The writing gives a good impression of the life in vboth locations but the plot is fairly fragmented until later on in the book when it starts to come together.
I enjoyd the book on the whole, the chapters are short and it is a fairly quick read . The relationships between the different characters and parts of the plot is intricate . A dark though engaging story .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
I enjoyd the book on the whole, the chapters are short and it is a fairly quick read . The relationships between the different characters and parts of the plot is intricate . A dark though engaging story .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
November 9, 2025
This series, featuring DI Mc Avoy, is one of the best on the crime fiction genre and one of my favourites. The author's work just keeps improving, in this complex, suspense filled read which has a host of interesting characters. I am in love with Mc Avoy, he is such an interesting character, as is his family life and Lilah is definitely a force to be reckoned with! If you like well thought out novels, with clever plotting then I can highly recommend the series. It's an easy 5* from me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
January 3, 2026
I missed a few books in the series and I was surprised by the turn that Trish Pharoh’s character has taken. Much of the novel makes it clear that only Pharoh seems to understand what is happening and why she is pursuing this and putting McAvoy in danger. I actually found it pretty confusing as so much information seemed to
Be in Pharoh’s head and not on the page.
Be in Pharoh’s head and not on the page.
January 11, 2026
I've read a lot of this series of books. Some very good and some good. This one, I'm afraid, I just couldn't get to grips with and abandoned it at about page 100.
April 27, 2026
Not one of my favorites. The writing was great as always, but the story was a bit too discombobulated for me. In other words, I had trouble following what was going on.
October 8, 2025
I love David Mark's Aector McAvoy series but I just wasn't able to follow this book and I see from other ratings and reviews that I am the outlier, so take my review with a grain of salt. I found there were too many characters to keep track of and a confusing plot that I could never quite grasp. Having said that I look forward to the next book in this dark, brooding series. Thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews