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Callum Doyle #1

by David Jackson, โสภณา เชาว์วิวัฒน์กุล (Translator)

ความอื้อฉาวตามติดตำรวจสืบสวน แคลลัม ดอยล์ มาจากสถานีเก่า หนึ่งปีก่อน ดอยล์ตกอยู่ใต้คำครหาว่าจงใจปล่อยให้คู่หูถูกฆ่าตายระหว่างบุกเข้าจับกุมคนร้าย เขาย้ายมาประจำที่เขต 8 เพื่อตัดปัญหา แต่ดูเหมือนเทพแห่งความตายจะเกาะหนึบกับตัวเขา ภายในเวลาไม่ถึงหนึ่งสัปดาห์ คู่หูของดอยล์ถูกฆ่าติดๆ กันสองคน ดูเหมือนฆาตกรต่อเนื่องรายนี้จะชื่นชอบเหยื่อที่เป็นตำรวจเป็นพิเศษ แต่เท่านั้นคงไม่กระไรนัก หากไม่มีจดหมายส่งมาจากฆาตกรที่เจาะจงบอกให้ดอยล์อยู่ห่างๆ จากทุกคน ไม่อย่างนั้น คนที่เข้าใกล้เขาจะพบจุดจบ และมันไม่ใช่แค่คำขู่...

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Detective, Mystery Thriller

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

I 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.'

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the premise for this book was interesting and different. Someone is committing murders to ultimately isolate Detective Second Grade Callum Doyle from his family and friends. It starts when his partner, Joe Parlatti, is murdered while trying to help a beaten prostitute, and then a second cop who worked with Cal is also killed. This sets Cal up to be a pariah. As more people die and anonymous notes start to arrive, Cal removes himself from those he loves. He becomes very frustrated, paranoid, and violent. I sympathized with Cal as his fellow officers turned against him and he was suspended.

This was a short, quick read. A lot of action was packed into the pages, and the conclusion was a surprise. The plot was well written, concise, and suspenseful. A second book is available, and I already have it at hand.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read Cry Baby which is the fourth in this series first. I loved it that much that I had to start from the beginning.

David Jackson is without a doubt one of my new favourite authors. This is the third of his books I have read within the space of a couple of weeks and I have absolutely loved every one of them. In fact his books should come with a warning sign saying 'highly addictive' on them as believe me, when you start his books you don't want to stop.

Pariah is the first book in the Detective Callum Doyle series. Cal's (Callum) work life isn't going great but it starts to get a lot worse when cops start turning up dead and it all seems to be related to him.

I took to Cal straight away in Cry Baby even though I knew little about him. Reading Pariah, I was even more taken by him. He is put in a horrendous position where he must keep away from everyone he knows or take the risk of losing them and believe me, whoever the culprit is, is extremely serious.

There are so many jaw dropping moments in this novel. My heart was literally racing in quite a few places. As with everyone of his books, I was gripped from beginning to end.

This certainly isn't a read for the more faint hearted readers out there as there is some bits that really made me cringe, as what happens to some of the victims is pretty horrific to say the least!

Pariah is one fast paced read that takes you on one scary and exhilarating journey. Be warned though as I defy anyone to be able to stop at just one of this authors novels.

[Labijose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pues me ha gustado porque he descubierto a un nuevo autor que tiene potencial para escribir buenos thrillers, si continúa en la línea iniciada con “Pariah”.
Primera entrega de la serie del detective Callum Doyle, un personaje con un trágico pasado, y al que parece que las cosas le van a peor, cuando comienzan a asesinar a personas cercanas a él, centrando todas las sospechas en su persona. Para evitarlo, tendrá que aislarse de todo y de todos, y mientras su vida se desmorona, intentará averiguar quién está detrás de la macabra serie de asesinatos.
No es que la trama sea muy original, es la forma de desarrollarla lo que me ha decantado por ponerle una buena puntuación. Con un personaje central muy bien descrito, la novela está llena del suspense necesario para hacer de ella una lectura muy recomendable dentro del género. Y es por ello que no será la única de esta serie que lea. Espero que mantenga el nivel.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling debut novel- Two police men are murdered in New York City. The only thing that links them is that they were both partnered with Detective Callum Doyle the day before their deaths. Before long, it becomes evident the killer is targeting Cal in particular, and will kill anyone he gets close to. It's an intriguing story, as we watch people drop like flies around Callum. For the most part, I enjoyed Callum's snarky inner monologue, but I did think he was unrealistically flippant at times, in the face of great danger to him and his family.

Although Callum's actions were unrealistic at times, it was certainly an entertaining story. The cast of characters felt alive- even the minor players were fleshed out to some degree. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. .. had me on the edge of my seat. very gritty and gruesome in places and I loved Cal's sense of humour. will definitely be reading the rest of this series.

[Ana Stanciu-Dumitrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mie imi place foarte mult cum scrie David Jackson, iar romanele lui, desi brutale, cu crime si multa tensiune, se citesc repede, fiind scurte si lipsite de momente moarte. Nu cred ca te poti plictisi, au actiune, multi suspecti, multe intorsaturi de situatie si mi se pare ca autorul a gasit reteta perfecta pentru un thriller reusit. Pariah nu mi-a placut la fel de mult ca celelalte doua din serie, insa a fost ok. Imi pare rau insa ca nu am citit romanele in ordine, pentru ca lucrurile s-au cam amestecat in mintea mea. Ideal e sa fie citite in ordinea aparitiei pentru a te familiariza cu povestea detectivului Callum Doyle, a cunoaste personajele si situatia de ansamblu, chiar daca actiunea e diferita in fiecare roman.
Cred ca Pariah a fost mai dur decat celelalte doua, iar subiectul a fost original: politistul vanat si obligat sa se indeparteze de oamenii dragi care altfel mor in jurul lui. Mi s-a parut buna ideea, insa deznodamantul usor tras de par. Mi-a placut mult atmosfera si am rezonat cu personajele, fara insa a incerca neaparat sa gasesc o rezolvare a cazului. Nu au existat indicii in acest sens pe parcursul romanului. Nu e cel mai bun roman de la Jackson, insa e ok. :)

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This got off to a slow start for me, in spite of the book starting off with a murder! For a while there, I thought I might give in but towards a third of the way in, I would say, the book really took off pace wise.

Characters were good, believeable, the kind of lead detective you would expect from this genre. Though I suspect in my case Callum Doyle may grow on me as his character grows through subsequent books!!

The plot was good and I really didn't guess who the murderer was until I think I was meant to, a good thing, and cleverly done!

For me it was well written, well described, giving a good understanding of who everyone was and their roles throughout.

Altogether an enjoyable read and I will definitely be following Callum Doyle's 'journey' in the following books!! God, how I hate that word!!

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Jackson's Nathan Cody series, and couldn't believe this was written by the same author. I found it incredibly dull and boring, even dozing off to sleep on occasions. As I'd read several positive review of it, I kept pushing on, hoping that it would suddenly take off and grab my attention, but by half way through, I lost all hope of that ever happening, and abandoned it.

[Clara · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

I am very conflicted about this book. On one hand we have an interesting premise, a murder story well tied together, packed with action scenes, and a villain in disguise (okay, I had guessed the murderer because, going into this type of books, I always ask myself: which is the most unlikely killer amongst the characters? Bingo, you got the right person.)

But this book also portrays everything wrong in this kind of environment.

Doyle is an extremely unlikeable character. he uses violence to express any of his emotions, and uses his self-righteous "I'm a cop in NYC so everything I do is right and justified" as a shield for his actions. He is power-drunk and abuses of his fists and his gun to get his way. Supreme white male cop who abuses his power, just because he can... and then be called "one of the finest".

The misogyny was repulsive. Every. Single Woman. that is in this book, whether she is central to the story or not, is sexualised to a maximum. From the prostitute whose boobs want to escape her bra, to the 16-year-old in the nightclub whose "invitation is hard to refuse". he salivates on his boss' wife in front of his own wife, prefers concentrating on the hot nurse and how she reminds him of this girl 20 years ago who knew her way in the bedroom rather than think of his wife who is on the brink of death, and his kid who is missing!
But hey, Doyle is a good guy. He doesn't cheat on his wife! Best husband ever.
The only two women who are not hyper-sexualised are his wife (when that should be the one person where it would be understandable), and his ex-partner, but for her, it's a different story. She's crazy, and when she deescalate a situation where both are getting furious and ready to pounce on each other, good old Doyle " [wonders] whether he needs to call in an exorcist". Ah yes, I forgot. Women can't be mad at a guy who sexually harassed them for years. They have to be crazy. Anger is never justified, it's either the hormones, or an evil spirit that has taken hold of them.

But it's not just the misogyny. When Doyle is faced with a guy with a shotgun and goes trigger-happy to save his life, he says he understand those cops who shoot a man when they're scared for their lives. What are you saying, that killing black people at a hint of an imagined gun is okay because you're scared? When it is exactly these kind of situations cops should be trained to handle without murdering someone?
And then, better than the rest, Doyle compares his hotel room to a concentration camp. Ah no, excuse me, his hotel room doesn't have a Nazi guard to keep him company. Aushwitz must have been much better than a hotel room.

This book screams white male privilege, drunk on power, entitled, and yet to be pitied because he makes all the dumbest mistakes possible. Congrats Doyle, you're everything that is wrong in our society.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing to say about this crime debut is that you rarely get so beneath the skin of a central character in crime fiction as you do with Doyle- you really felt engaged with him as a person as well as involved in his professional life as a police officer. I think this added to the novel as you shared his confusion at the situation he found himself in and were almost getting to the bottom of everything at the same pace as him, rather than having your mind racing ahead and trying to solve the mystery ahead of him. Hence the real villain of the piece was difficult to identify and that was great because I hate guessing whodunnit! I loved the injection of humour-some cracking one-liners- and felt the mordant wit contributed much to Doyle's character and really fleshed him out as character. I found the characterisation throughout was excellent- the sinister Bartoks, Spinner, Rocca and Paulsen particularly stood out and added to the depth of the novel in their interactions with Doyle. 'Pariah' definitely deserves to get a good push behind it as it ticks all the boxes of good crime fiction and has definitely got that 'if you like you'll love...' opportunity about it as I think it would appeal to fans of Crais, Wambaugh, Child etc. All in all a great debut and a thriller that I would wholeheartedly recommend.

[Polyj · Rating 4 out of 5]

ช่วงแรกๆ เป็นช่วงเริ่มต้น อ่านได้เรื่อยๆ ไม่ค่อยตื่นเต้นนัก เหมือนเป็นการปูเรื่องพยายามทำให้ดอยล์หัวหมุน และต้อนให้เขาอับจนหนทาง พอกลางๆ เริ่มลุ้นระทึกขึ���นเรื่อยๆ บางครั้งทำเอาใจหายใจคว่ำ ครึ่งหลังนี่แทบวางไม่ลงเลยค่ะ

การดำเนินเรื่องเร็ว กระชับ แต่ก็มีรายละเอียดมากพอให้เราสัมผัสถึงชีวิตการทำงาน ชีวิตครอบครัว เพื่อนๆ คนรอบตัวดอยล์ และพอให้หมั่นไส้ ในความกวนสุดๆ ของเขา คือคาแร็กเตอร์ของดอยล์ ไม่ใช่ตำรวจผู้เคร่งขรึมพูดน้อยต่อยหนัก แต่จะเป็นแบบยียวนกวนบาทา คำพูดคำจานี่ไม่ต้องพูดถึง ... ห่ามห้าวสมกับที่ต้องคอยไล่เตะก้นพวกคนร้ายแหละ เลยดูมีมุกต่างๆ แทรกมาตลอดเวลาในบทสนทนา ในความนึกคิดของดอยล์ ออกแนวประชดประชันประมาณนั้น
เรื่องนี้บรรยายสภาพศพได้น่ากลัวดีค่ะ (แต่ให้เจอเองจริงๆ ก็ไม่เอานะ)

พล็อตดีค่ะ มีหลอกล่อกันให้เดาทางไม่ถูก ต้องอ่านแบบตามติดเลย ขนาดพอจะเดาคนร้ายได้​แต่ก็เดาแรงจูงใจไม่ถูกอยู่ดี พอมาเฉลยนี่ โอ้!! สยองปิดท้ายค่ะ

>> 8.5 / 10
พล็อต (2) = 2
การดำเนินเรื่อง (2) = 2
สำนวน ภาษา (4) = 3
ความสมบูรณ์ของหนังสือ (1) = 1
ความประทับใจพิเศษ (1) = 0.5

[Thitima KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

หลังจากที่เหนื่อยหน่ายกับนิยายสืบสวนเมกันมาพักใหญ่ ก็มีเรื่องนี้นี่แหละที่พอจะกู้หน้ามาได้บ้าง วู้! อดหลับอดนอนอ่านแบบรวดเดียวจบ ไม่ยืดยาด ไม่อ้อมค้อม ไม่เอื่อยเฉื่อย พร้อมกับการล่อหลอกให้ตัวละครและคนอ่านหลงลืมข้อมูลที่จะเป็นตัวยุติทุกอย่างได้เลยก็ใส่มาได้อย่างพอเหมาะพอควรและแนบเนียน และการทิ้งตอนจบให้ตัวละครแบบกล้ำกลืนฝืนทนนี่ก็ใช้ได้นะ (เพื่อเชื่อมโยงสู่เล่มต่อๆ ไป) เอาเป็นว่าเรื่องนี้อยู่ในระดับที่ชอบ เมื่อเทียบกับนิยายสืบสวนของฝรั่งที่ผ่านตามาในช่วงนี้ (เจอแต่แบบ...เปิดมาหน้าแรกก็แทบหลับทั้งนั้น)

[Petra Be · Rating 3 out of 5]

The middle third of the book was rather boring.

[Andreea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sfat: nu vă scrieți niciodată recenziile direct pe Goodreads pentru că riscați să le pierdeți așa cum am pățit eu acum. 🙃

Dacă mă aveți la follow pe Instagram, știți cât de mult iubesc acest autor. "Plânset de copil" și "Nu scoate un sunet" au fost absolut geniale, suspansul din ele era la cote maxime.
Ei bine, nu pot spune același lucru despre această carte. E prima lui carte din ce am înțeles și se vede. Ador faptul că a evoluat atât de mult și că l-am cunoscut datorită celor două cărți menționate mai sus.
Doyle m-a enervat teribil, înjura excesiv și era foarte nervos, devenise obositor. Vă zic sincer că abia așteptam să termin cartea. Parcă mi s-a luat o piatră de pe inimă când am terminat-o.
Recomand de la el "Plânset de copil" și "Nu scoate un sunet", alea sunt geniale!

[Guadalupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pariah me ha parecido una lectura interesante pero irregular en el ritmo; es lo que yo vengo llamando una lectura “valle”: arranca muy bien y se mantiene hasta más o menos la mitad de su extensión, entonces tiene una bajada de interés que vuelve a remontar en un par de capítulos y así llega hasta el “sprint” final.
Es la primera obra que leo de este autor, habrá que leer algo más de él.

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callum Doyle Series #1
Having thoroughly enjoyed David Jackson’s DS Nathan Cody series, I couldn’t resist dipping into his earlier work — the Callum Doyle series — and Pariah is where it all begins. True to Jackson’s style, this one grabs you by the throat from the first chapter and refuses to let go.
Pariah throws NYPD detective Callum Doyle into the ultimate nightmare. After the brutal murder of his partner, Doyle quickly realises that the danger isn't just aimed at him — it extends to anyone who gets too close. Friends, family, colleagues — their lives become bargaining chips in a chilling game Doyle never signed up to play.
The concept hooked me instantly. Forced isolation isn’t just an emotional weight here — it’s a survival tactic. Imagine the pain of cutting yourself off from everyone, not by choice, but out of necessity. Doyle’s world becomes a claustrophobic, paranoid spiral, and Jackson captures that tension beautifully.
The setting shifts from gritty New York streets to the confining walls of a bland hotel room, and you can almost feel the walls closing in. It’s atmospheric, fast-paced, and layered with moral dilemmas that elevate the story beyond your standard police procedural.
Compared to the Nathan Cody series, Pariah is a little rougher around the edges, but the core ingredients are all here: a flawed, likeable detective, relentless pacing, and a plot that mixes action, suspense, and that creeping sense of unease Jackson does so well.
Doyle, as a character, is driven, stubborn, and human — you can’t help but sympathise with his impossible situation. The stakes feel personal, the danger ever-present, and while the body count rises, you’re left wondering who Doyle can trust — if anyone.
Pariah delivers exactly what I hoped for — a gritty, gripping thriller with a unique premise and all the hallmarks of David Jackson’s addictive storytelling. If you liked the DS Nathan Cody series, this is worth your time. It’s tense, unpredictable, and paints isolation in a terrifying new light.
I’ll definitely be continuing with the series — Callum Doyle has earned his place on my bookshelf.
https://featzreviews.com/pariah-book-...

[Jess'caa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read, very gripping, very twisty but a good crime novel 😁

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

NYPD detective Callum Doyle is the star of this book set in, yes you guessed it New York! He’s in a bit of a pickle though as the other detectives are already worried about working with him following the death of his partner in the corner of a car park complete with a hooker… but it only gets worse.

This fast-paced thriller puts us in the shoes of a man who is forced to cut himself off from those closest to him when their lives appear to be in danger just by being associated with him. Unable to go to work and investigate the murder of his partner he decides to go it alone and try to track down the killer not an easy task when everyone he talks to is in danger. Who is watching Callum Doyle and what do they want from him?

With tension oozing off every page I read this with my heart in my mouth. How could the killer be found when those Callum turns to are either threatened or die a terrible death? This book is not for the faint-hearted, there is a fair amount of violence as the killer goes on the rampage, seemingly unstoppable. Fortunately Callum’s well-timed humour, just stopped this book from becoming too grim for words and he seems a genuine kind of guy although understandably confused by the situation he has found himself in. In many ways I think we learnt a lot about the man behind the badge as much from his interactions in his personal life, as those in what seems like a team with issues! I certainly don’t think this book would have worked so well without the many facets of the man’s character.

There are a wealth of other intriguing characters with as many great ones from the edges of society as well as his colleagues from the NYPD. As Callum becomes increasingly desperate he walks into lion’s dens of varying descriptions as he tracks pimps and heavies to try to find out who is behind the explosion of violence so close to home.
Although the plot itself isn’t complicated, and is told in a straightforward linear time-frame, it is well-structured and underpinned by some terrific action. If you like fast and furious then Pariah is probably a book you’d enjoy. The clues to the killer’s identity are released at a good rate although that didn’t have me any closer to guessing who was behind the mayhem until pages before the final reveal.

The writing style is confident, especially for a debut novel, and I was drawn into the storyline immediately and this is despite the fact that crime fiction involving gangsters isn’t high on my list of reading favourites. The interplay between the characters was pitch-perfect and didn’t rely on endless clichés, something that is tough to pull-off when there is danger around every corner as far as Callum is concerned.

This is also a book with a backstory, which doesn’t really fully come out in this book, so I’m going to have to keep reading the other books in the series to find out more! This really is a talented start to a new crime fiction series.

[Jazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pariah is the debut novel from David Jackson. It is written like a Hollywood movie whilst combining the overall feel and structure of hit US crime dramas like CSI, Criminal Minds or Law and Order. So, if you like a good action movie or crime drama, you'll want to give this book a try.

David Jackson has identified key elements to make a successful crime thriller, and put those ingredients together in a way that is original, yet easy and enjoyable to read. Pariah is not literary and it is not your standard commercial thriller either. It is well thought out, and it keeps you guessing, but it also flows effortlessly and with good pace.

For me the best feature is the revelation – the ‘why’ of the whole situation. It is so simple, yet unexpected, and for all the theories you have going around in your mind, this real reason probably never even occurred to you. Even when it became a bit clearer who had masterminded Doyle’s suffering, I never realised why. It was kind of funny, in a bitter way, that all of the havoc, all of the suffering, had been for a reason so primitive and far less sophisticated. Also, the role and importance of Doyle changes, as does ones perspective of the whole situation. I loved that the author was able to bring it back down to simple human base emotions and the way they lead us to act. How a man’s life could be destroyed so easily.

As a fan of crime dramas and thriller movies, as someone who loves a good detective character, especially when they have to face such major personal and moral issues, and as someone who likes action and mystery and to be kept guessing until the very end, this book ticked those boxes.

Read my full review here: http://evenbutterfliesthink.blogspot....

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

PARIAH

NOUN

An outcast.
A person who is not accepted by a social group, especially because he or she is not liked, respected, or trusted.

SYNONYMS: leper, undesirable, untouchable.

Doyle is a good cop, he's a devoted father and a happily married man, despite some shaky ground in the past. Things seem pretty darn good, until his partner is executed. Doyle is warned to stay away from everyone and anyone, or they will end up dead too. This is no idle threat. The bodies begin to pile up and Doyle finds himself cut off from his entire world, and he can only rely on himself to find and eliminate the tormentor and get his life back.

Doyle is a refreshing central character. He doesn't have divorce or maintenance issues and he's not a mean drunk or a junkie. He has a nice life with a nice family, so you really feel for the guy when he gets cut off. His forced isolation is an interesting and unusual punishment to inflict upon someone. It's not fatal, sure, but it's not quick. The pain and fear Doyle suffers are designed to last. Having his loved ones so close but just out of his grasp is as cruel as any knife twist, and it's a tailor-made weapon that's being turned.

It's an easy, well-paced and engrossing read, with enough action and depth to please most Crime fans. I will defiantly be reading the next in the series.

[Rebecca Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callum Doyle really looks as though he has no place to go. Every step he takes someone is close on his heels and with fatal consequences. It's this premise that makes the book a page turner. From the start, it grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. It's fast paced and has you thinking and wondering all the way through as you follow Doyle through a jumble of violent murders and seemingly unanswerable questions.

Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do and with a great story telling technique you can feel Doyles confusion as he makes difficult decisions for the safety of those around him.

One of my favourite characters was Paulson. I'm not sure if I was supposed to like him or not but the way he was written just made me see him leap off the page. I hope he makes it into any future Callum Doyle books.

I am eagerly awaiting the next David Jackson/Callum Doyle combo. A series I will definitely be following.

[Guttu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a surprise. It has been lying in my bookshelf for long. Bought it only because of discount.
The story is that of a cop, Cal doyel, entangled in the mysterious web of conspiracies. A detective at 8th precinct, His partners are murdered within a span of 24 hours. All the suspicion is onto the detective. That makes him a pariah. How he gets out this, That makes one hell of a story.
It starts with mystery that slows down a after few chapters. Then picks up in between till the end. The only character that evolves is the detective. Good build up for sequels. The rest of the characters die quickly. The one whom you start liking, is dead before you know. You get used to this and it doesn't make much difference later on.
Speedy read and you won't put this down till you finish.

[Paul Elias · Rating 1 out of 5]

read cry baby , and I couldn't wait to pick it up . read pariah and I couldn't wait to put it down . Cry baby was a stand alone thriller , but pariah is part of a detective series of books which didn't drag me in , I felt nothing for the main character who was rather dull . I really struggled with this book and was really disappointed after the brilliant cry baby . Give me Peter james and the detective Roy Grace any day

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to start, but gets really good at the end. Definitely a great start to a series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read, action packed, lots of suspense! can't wait to read the next in this series!!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

another excellent book from Mr Jackson

[Krimiormen Seidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Paria” er 1. bind i en krimi-serie skrevet af David Jackson. Dette bind udkom i 2016 på dansk med Kriminalassistent ved New Yorks politi Callum Doyle i hovedrollen. Lad mig sige med det samme, at ”Paria” er en voldsom, hæsblæsende, velkomponeret og skræmmende historie.

Paria er en person der er ringeagtet eller udstødt af fællesskabet og det må man sige at bogens hovedperson bliver, mere og mere som historien skrider frem. Callum Doyle var tidligere bokser i sine yngre dage. Han er gift med Rachel og de har datteren Amy.

Cal og Rachels ægteskab har et år tidligere været igennem en større ægteskabelig krise. Egentlig ikke på grund af noget de som sådan selv gjorde, men mere på grund af udefra kommende katastrofale begivenheder. 1 år før vi kommer ind i historien blev Cals makker dræbt i tjenesten.

Under de efterfølgende undersøgelser blev Cal mistænkt for handlinger som egentlig ikke havde noget med selve drabet på hans makker at gøre. Her et år efter lider Cal stadig under eftervirkningerne. ”Paria” starter med at Cal bliver kaldt ud til en byggeplads hvor hans nye makker Joe Parlatti bliver fundet sammen med en prostitueret.

Begge er blevet skudt, men noget stemmer ikke. Hvad lavede Joe på byggepladsen sammen med en prostitueret. Cal bliver straks ført tilbage til begivenhederne året før og kollegerne begynder at undgå ham. Cals og hans kollega Schneider kommer i klammeri og har i det hele taget ikke det bedste forhold.

Det skinner tydeligt igennem i resten af bogen. Cal får en ny makker, Tony Alvarez. Deres første opgave bliver at fortælle Joes kone, Maria hvad der er sket. Da Cal kommer hjem, senere på dagen har Rachel besøg af sin veninde, den 24-årige smukke Nadine.

Nadine er gift med Cals chef Morgan Franklin også kaldet Mo. Endnu en betjent dør i en eksplosion. Cal møder Paulson fra afdelingen for interne affærer. Paulson var lidt hård ved Cal året før efter hans makkers død. Han fortæller nu Cal at nogen er begyndt at under sig over at Cal nu har mistet 3 kollegaer indenfor det sidste år.

Det får Doyle til at kigge på sine kollegaer og overveje om han er blevet meldt til interne affærer. Cal begynder at modtage breve fra den formodede morder. Breve der advarer om at alle der nærmer sig Doyle, må betale med deres liv. Nu bliver Cal Doyle for alvor isoleret og han føler at han står lidt alene om at opklare hvem det er der vil have ham isoleret og hvorfor.

”Paria” er et formidabelt velskrevet 1. bind i en forhåbentlig længere serie. 2. bind ”Hjælperen” Udkom i november 2019 på dansk. Indtil videre er der udkommet 4 bind på engelsk. David Jacksons skrivestil er i samme liga som Harlan Coben og Ed McBain.

”Paria” inviterer helt bestemt til mange flere sager med Callum Doyle som frontperson. Callum Doyle bliver igennem historien isoleret fra sine venner og familie, men hvor længe kan man undvære social kontakt, det er i virkeligheden det helt store, skræmmende element i ”Paria”.

Når lige pludselig alle du kender. Enten nære relationer eller folk du kun kender perifert, simpelthen ikke tør være i nærheden af dig af hensyn til faren for deres eget liv. ”Paria” er fantastisk velskrevet og får bestemt mine varmeste anbefalinger med på vejen, hvis du er til en thriller i den lidt mere bloddryppende genre.

En thriller der fastholder læseren og indeholder et twisted plot uden at være voldsomt indviklet.

Vurdering: 4/6 Roser

Krimiormen

[Sarah Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly exciting police thriller. Detective Doyle is called to a crime scene only to discover his own partner murdered alongside a known prostitute. With an incident in his past already haunting his reputation there are murmurings that he is involved. Unfortunately when a second cop who teams up with him to investigate is also murdered it is clear that Doyle is at the centre of the crimes, but is he the target or the perpetrator? With everyone close to him in danger Doyle must go it alone to discover what is going on and solve the case. An exciting, fast-paced book which never slows down. Polices thrillers aren’t my favourite genre as there is generally too much testosterone and generally penis measuring involved but it was a worthy contender for me.

[Catherine Bilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the Nathan Cody series and all of David Jackson's stand-alone books, I thought I'd give Callum Doyle a go. I prefer books with the story centred around the UK, so I wasn't sure how I would find this series as it is set in New York. I was pleasantly surprised (although I probably shouldn't have been, given I've loved everything by David Jackson so far). 'Pariah' started a bit slow, but once it got going, I was immersed. I'm already downloading the rest of the series to my Kindle.

[Pauline Agius Farrugia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure why I did not enjoy this book more. Its was fast-paced, full of action, decent plot. But I just found myself unable to really get into it, in spite of the twists I remained unengaged for most of it. That being said, for readers who like what I've just described and are fans of gritty cop-centric crime novels, I would still suggest giving it a try