What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mark
‘Somewhere between Belfast and Lanzarote, a little stealing becomes a lot of murder.’
‘When troubled covers singer Vicky Stark takes a holiday to Lanzarote, dark secrets from her past unexpectedly catch up with her. Events collide, leading to betrayal, revenge and murder.’
Recent Press for Simon Maltman:
“A terrifically gritty thriller.”
Jo Spain
“Lean, mean, fast and furious.”
Gerard Brennan
“A mystery noir with a twist ending worthy of Dennis Lehane.”
The Big Thrill Magazine
“The mood is cynical, the wisecracks are plentiful, and the alcohol pours generously… an engaging and unique tale of crime and corruption.”
The High Window
‘When troubled covers singer Vicky Stark takes a holiday to Lanzarote, dark secrets from her past unexpectedly catch up with her. Events collide, leading to betrayal, revenge and murder.’
Recent Press for Simon Maltman:
“A terrifically gritty thriller.”
Jo Spain
“Lean, mean, fast and furious.”
Gerard Brennan
“A mystery noir with a twist ending worthy of Dennis Lehane.”
The Big Thrill Magazine
“The mood is cynical, the wisecracks are plentiful, and the alcohol pours generously… an engaging and unique tale of crime and corruption.”
The High Window
351 pages, Paperback
Published March 23, 2020
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 6, 2020
I soon found myself rooting for the main character, Vicky, who scrapes a living as a musician in her native Belfast. On the side she’s been dabbling in some smalltime illegal activities with her ex. Her longed for holiday in Lanzarote turns into a nightmare when her crimes come back to haunt her. She’s made of tough stuff but the series of events that follow see her brushing with a criminal underworld she surely can’t hope to contend with. Relentless.
April 16, 2020
With the country locked down in quarantine, it's only natural that cabin fever turns one's mind toward CRIME. So when I saw the Aldi shopping cart man's nametag, I shoved him into the boot of my car and sped off.
"What the hell?" he roared when I unlocked the lid. MANNERS! Well, the forestry road up the mountain was rather bumpy, so I could not blame him for feeling cross.
"Ahoy-hoy!" I offered a refreshing piece of gum, explaining, "Everyone online has been raving about The Mark. So, I decided to spend a bit of time with you myself! You know, to see if you are 'a motorway chase to Belfast's dark side- soaring as a sax solo, gritty as volcanic sand.'"
He sighed, but eventually stopped his fingers shaking long enough to accept the stick of Sangria Breakfast. "You're talking about The Mark by Simon Maltman. It's a novel. Me, I'm just the trolley bloke. My shift was supposed to end at five, Bud."
NOT FAIR! Wires crossed again! Happens more and more, the longer King Covid the 19th rules this rotten land. In my defense: "I remembered to wear a protective mask before kidnapping you. A proper hockey one! Paper masks can be ripped off by toddlers." Mark still seemed less than chuffed.
Best to change the subject. "So, THE Mark is a novel, huh? Tell me more! You seem to be an expert on it!"
"Vicky's a part-time singer, part-time caser of classy rich joints across Belfast. Her ex, Mike, follows does the actual breaking in. They split the profits, smoke some dope, and work on overcoming or avoiding personal issues that any lonely twenty-something Northern Irelander will identify with."
"OUTSTANDING!" I popped another stick of Sangria Breakfast. WOAH! Bonus flavor explosion.
"Yeah, it's a bit of alright."
"So tell me, what happens next?"
"Would you mind putting down the giant axe, first?"
It was old, an executioner's something. I had taken it home as a keepsake from a museum visit in the UK. "This is just for firewood." My intention was to cook elephant-sized portions of smores and read The Mark by the light of red flames. The buzz was that the pages would keep turning until the wee hours.
"I'll cut the firewood," Mark offered, "as I tell you what happens after Vicky targets the wrong victim."
"LUCKY DAY! Here! But sanitize your hands. Germs, those things can kill."
"They're not as dangerous as the men Vicky runs into far from her familiar territory, Bud."
Would she have a tough enough backbone to fight her way out of trouble? Would the deadly encounter set off a chain reaction in her heart? Would she choose to live- and what to live for? "Tell me more, Mark!"
"I would, Bud," he apologized. "Only, me name's not Mark. It's something completely different from Mark. I'm er... Bjorn, who grabbed Mark's uniform shell jacket by mistake."
"Well, that's a SIDEWINDER!" I howled.
"I've no notion what happens next," Erbjorn shuffled his feet, awkward up in the pines. Me, I wasn't embarrassed. We were twenty miles from where anything but foxes could hear a scream. "But, Bud, I bet Mark would know. Hey, why don't I drive back down and get him?"
"You would?"
"Sure, his shift's not off 'til nine. I know just where he'll be. Throw me the car keys."
"SWEET MUSIC TO MY EAR!" (Not a typo- have only the one.)(Damned axe!) I popped another stick of chewing gum. Fruity-palooty!
"You stay here, Bud. Build us up a nice big fire. Don't stop until it's hot as a volcano, Bud. A volcano in the Canaries."
"I sure will! Buh-bye!"
I've lost track of the days now. Evening again, I can see four bright stars above. I'm still thinking about the Mark, about Vicky and Mike and life and everything, and hoping Erbjorn will find his way back soon.
"What the hell?" he roared when I unlocked the lid. MANNERS! Well, the forestry road up the mountain was rather bumpy, so I could not blame him for feeling cross.
"Ahoy-hoy!" I offered a refreshing piece of gum, explaining, "Everyone online has been raving about The Mark. So, I decided to spend a bit of time with you myself! You know, to see if you are 'a motorway chase to Belfast's dark side- soaring as a sax solo, gritty as volcanic sand.'"
He sighed, but eventually stopped his fingers shaking long enough to accept the stick of Sangria Breakfast. "You're talking about The Mark by Simon Maltman. It's a novel. Me, I'm just the trolley bloke. My shift was supposed to end at five, Bud."
NOT FAIR! Wires crossed again! Happens more and more, the longer King Covid the 19th rules this rotten land. In my defense: "I remembered to wear a protective mask before kidnapping you. A proper hockey one! Paper masks can be ripped off by toddlers." Mark still seemed less than chuffed.
Best to change the subject. "So, THE Mark is a novel, huh? Tell me more! You seem to be an expert on it!"
"Vicky's a part-time singer, part-time caser of classy rich joints across Belfast. Her ex, Mike, follows does the actual breaking in. They split the profits, smoke some dope, and work on overcoming or avoiding personal issues that any lonely twenty-something Northern Irelander will identify with."
"OUTSTANDING!" I popped another stick of Sangria Breakfast. WOAH! Bonus flavor explosion.
"Yeah, it's a bit of alright."
"So tell me, what happens next?"
"Would you mind putting down the giant axe, first?"
It was old, an executioner's something. I had taken it home as a keepsake from a museum visit in the UK. "This is just for firewood." My intention was to cook elephant-sized portions of smores and read The Mark by the light of red flames. The buzz was that the pages would keep turning until the wee hours.
"I'll cut the firewood," Mark offered, "as I tell you what happens after Vicky targets the wrong victim."
"LUCKY DAY! Here! But sanitize your hands. Germs, those things can kill."
"They're not as dangerous as the men Vicky runs into far from her familiar territory, Bud."
Would she have a tough enough backbone to fight her way out of trouble? Would the deadly encounter set off a chain reaction in her heart? Would she choose to live- and what to live for? "Tell me more, Mark!"
"I would, Bud," he apologized. "Only, me name's not Mark. It's something completely different from Mark. I'm er... Bjorn, who grabbed Mark's uniform shell jacket by mistake."
"Well, that's a SIDEWINDER!" I howled.
"I've no notion what happens next," Erbjorn shuffled his feet, awkward up in the pines. Me, I wasn't embarrassed. We were twenty miles from where anything but foxes could hear a scream. "But, Bud, I bet Mark would know. Hey, why don't I drive back down and get him?"
"You would?"
"Sure, his shift's not off 'til nine. I know just where he'll be. Throw me the car keys."
"SWEET MUSIC TO MY EAR!" (Not a typo- have only the one.)(Damned axe!) I popped another stick of chewing gum. Fruity-palooty!
"You stay here, Bud. Build us up a nice big fire. Don't stop until it's hot as a volcano, Bud. A volcano in the Canaries."
"I sure will! Buh-bye!"
I've lost track of the days now. Evening again, I can see four bright stars above. I'm still thinking about the Mark, about Vicky and Mike and life and everything, and hoping Erbjorn will find his way back soon.
April 15, 2020
[Note: This book was given free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
What does the title of this book refer to? It is not immediately clear, but as this novel reaches its various twists and turns, it becomes clear that the title has several layers of meaning. Richard (and to a lesser extent his husband Ivan) is the mark of the main character Vicki and her partner in crime Mike and the target of a robbery from the two of them. On the other hand, Vicki is herself a mark to Richard that needs to be removed because it reminds him of his own failings and the breakup of his own marriage. And, of course, the experiences of this particular novel leave a mark on Vicki both physically and psychologically as she becomes hardened in the course of becoming a far more important figure in the Belfast crime scene than she had been before. One wonders if, given the contents of the book, if this is part of a shared universe within the author's Belfast crime world or not, because it certainly offers an interesting perspective of how a person can get caught up in things far beyond their expectation.
In many ways this book shows the author taking a step forward in developing his craft. There is an awareness of the shady business involving blackmail threats and the outing of closeted gay celebrities, and Vicki is credibly drawn as a narrator with the author able to get inside her perspective as a morally flexible and resilient woman trying to keep together in the face of realizing that she is not only a petty thief but also someone capable of defending her life to the utmost. The book itself also promises the potential of a series, as the lighthearted reference to herself as a private detective in light of her experiences is something that could happen, presumably, if the novel is successful enough. Given the somewhat crowded world of musically-inclined Belfast detectives/petty criminals with a taste for drinking and smoking and using weed as ways of dealing with life's stress, it seems quite possible that there will be some sort of crossover between the various characters as they inhabit a very small world. In the meantime, though, this book is a promising and entertaining book that deals with a series of mistakes that goes out of control.
As far as a story goes, this book takes a bit of time before revealing its full extent, starting with some petty theft involving a gay couple. Vicki finds herself engaged in a fling with Richard around the time of his wedding in the Canaries, and then finds that his new husband Ivan is furious and threatens rape against her, which results in his death and her understandable fears of being arrested as a murderer. While she feels a bit uncomfortable about being an accomplice to Richard, who she increasingly (and with good reasons) mistrusts, she is not prepared to find herself being targeted for removal by the shady people that Richard has found himself involved with. From there the plot escalates to a dramatic escape from those who would wish to take her life, at which point the rising tide of revenge and self-defense lead Mike to escalate matters until they reach a satisfying if somewhat abrupt conclusion. And then, after things are done, there is a question of tidiness as to how this is to not rebound back negatively on the main characters. At the end, there are at least a few questions to ponder, such as whether the two will end up as a couple given their obvious chemistry and loyalty, and whether they will have any further adventures together. Such adventures would no doubt be welcome.
What does the title of this book refer to? It is not immediately clear, but as this novel reaches its various twists and turns, it becomes clear that the title has several layers of meaning. Richard (and to a lesser extent his husband Ivan) is the mark of the main character Vicki and her partner in crime Mike and the target of a robbery from the two of them. On the other hand, Vicki is herself a mark to Richard that needs to be removed because it reminds him of his own failings and the breakup of his own marriage. And, of course, the experiences of this particular novel leave a mark on Vicki both physically and psychologically as she becomes hardened in the course of becoming a far more important figure in the Belfast crime scene than she had been before. One wonders if, given the contents of the book, if this is part of a shared universe within the author's Belfast crime world or not, because it certainly offers an interesting perspective of how a person can get caught up in things far beyond their expectation.
In many ways this book shows the author taking a step forward in developing his craft. There is an awareness of the shady business involving blackmail threats and the outing of closeted gay celebrities, and Vicki is credibly drawn as a narrator with the author able to get inside her perspective as a morally flexible and resilient woman trying to keep together in the face of realizing that she is not only a petty thief but also someone capable of defending her life to the utmost. The book itself also promises the potential of a series, as the lighthearted reference to herself as a private detective in light of her experiences is something that could happen, presumably, if the novel is successful enough. Given the somewhat crowded world of musically-inclined Belfast detectives/petty criminals with a taste for drinking and smoking and using weed as ways of dealing with life's stress, it seems quite possible that there will be some sort of crossover between the various characters as they inhabit a very small world. In the meantime, though, this book is a promising and entertaining book that deals with a series of mistakes that goes out of control.
As far as a story goes, this book takes a bit of time before revealing its full extent, starting with some petty theft involving a gay couple. Vicki finds herself engaged in a fling with Richard around the time of his wedding in the Canaries, and then finds that his new husband Ivan is furious and threatens rape against her, which results in his death and her understandable fears of being arrested as a murderer. While she feels a bit uncomfortable about being an accomplice to Richard, who she increasingly (and with good reasons) mistrusts, she is not prepared to find herself being targeted for removal by the shady people that Richard has found himself involved with. From there the plot escalates to a dramatic escape from those who would wish to take her life, at which point the rising tide of revenge and self-defense lead Mike to escalate matters until they reach a satisfying if somewhat abrupt conclusion. And then, after things are done, there is a question of tidiness as to how this is to not rebound back negatively on the main characters. At the end, there are at least a few questions to ponder, such as whether the two will end up as a couple given their obvious chemistry and loyalty, and whether they will have any further adventures together. Such adventures would no doubt be welcome.
May 28, 2020
Gripping and entertaining from the first page to the last, I enjoyed accompanying Vicky Stark on her holiday from hell and back to the streets of East Belfast. The Maltman soundtrack was there too and didn’t disappoint.
May 27, 2020
Simon Maltman's The Mark is a hardboiled neo-noir classic. Gripping, touching and violently true.
July 31, 2020
This is a book which twists and turns as it races along to climax after climax, culminating, after fantastic thrills in Lanzarote, in a stunning result in East Belfast. The two main characters are Vicky and Mike, both flawed people. Vicky at first comes across as pretty unpleasant, but as the plot develops, plunging her further and further into danger, she begins to change and to win our sympathy as we learn more and more about her, until we end up completely on her side. The settings. like the characters, are beautifully drawn, coming alive as we read. When the baddies threaten to hold Vicky over the flames of the volcano until she burns, we can hear the roar and feel the heat. Mike turns out to be a bit of a hero, in spite of his own flaws. Together, they track the main villain down to his luxurious home – and then comes the final twist. Oh, no, not the final – there's one more. And this one opens the door for a further instalment of Vicky's and Mike's adventures. Waiting for it eagerly, Mr. Maltman!
Gerry McCullough
Gerry McCullough
January 26, 2022
Wow, this was a fast-paced, thrilling read!
Victoria (Vicky) Stark earns her living playing for events usually in people's homes. She also has a side hustle that she excuses herself from actually being a part of because she just passes on information to an ex-boyfriend, Mike, who carries out the rest.
Sometimes, Vicky gets a guilty conscience, especially after realizing that the people who are being targeted are really nice. She promises herself that that's the end.
After a year of saving up, Vicky takes a much-needed vacation by herself. She will be going to Lanzarote island for a week. She is enjoying herself immensely. On a guided tour, there is a stop at the vineyard where she runs into Richard Walker and his husband, Ivan, whom she played at their wedding. There's an obvious discomfort as distant memories of Vicky's surface. Turns out that Richard & Ivan are staying at the same motel, and insist Vicky have dinner with them one evening.
The dinner is rather awkward, but Vicky congrats herself for making it through and believes she can continue on with her vacation.
In a short time, Vicki is made to realize that all is not well and her secrets aren't so secret. She is put in a tough situation and her rescuer has just added a huge complication. A complication that continues to go out of hand, and Vicki flees believing that it's the only thing to do, but Vicki is about to find out her nightmare is just beginning.
There are a lot of twists and turns that kept me glued to the story! I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited, and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
Victoria (Vicky) Stark earns her living playing for events usually in people's homes. She also has a side hustle that she excuses herself from actually being a part of because she just passes on information to an ex-boyfriend, Mike, who carries out the rest.
Sometimes, Vicky gets a guilty conscience, especially after realizing that the people who are being targeted are really nice. She promises herself that that's the end.
After a year of saving up, Vicky takes a much-needed vacation by herself. She will be going to Lanzarote island for a week. She is enjoying herself immensely. On a guided tour, there is a stop at the vineyard where she runs into Richard Walker and his husband, Ivan, whom she played at their wedding. There's an obvious discomfort as distant memories of Vicky's surface. Turns out that Richard & Ivan are staying at the same motel, and insist Vicky have dinner with them one evening.
The dinner is rather awkward, but Vicky congrats herself for making it through and believes she can continue on with her vacation.
In a short time, Vicki is made to realize that all is not well and her secrets aren't so secret. She is put in a tough situation and her rescuer has just added a huge complication. A complication that continues to go out of hand, and Vicki flees believing that it's the only thing to do, but Vicki is about to find out her nightmare is just beginning.
There are a lot of twists and turns that kept me glued to the story! I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited, and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
June 1, 2020
Absolutely loved this book - a gripping page-turner. Vicky, appears like an innocent musician but quickly it appears she isn’t quite the ‘decent’ girl she appears. However, once on holiday, it seems the consequences of her actions are about to catch up with her. As events unfold, you quickly begin rooting for this protagonist despite her shady past. A story of friendship, misjudged actions and petrifying consequences. A brilliant read by a talented author.
June 12, 2020
A Gritty, noir that clips from Northern Ireland to Lanzarote and back. Vicky Stark, a rock and blues musician paying her dues on the gig circuit around Northern Ireland becomes embroiled in a crime that spirals quickly out of control while on holiday in Spain. Maltman keeps a very tight reign on the action which is peppered with dry humour, great music and a break-neck car chase.
Brilliant & a great Ulster voice in Maltman
Brilliant & a great Ulster voice in Maltman
April 5, 2022
A good read
April 23, 2023
I really liked this book. It was gripping with lot's of plot turns. I really felt sorry for Vicky tho. She faces it all on holiday.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews