What do you think?
Rate this book
Division: The Crows Over Cross Hill
DARKNESS FOLLOWS WHEREVER HE GOES
John Black returns to Northern England for a family funeral, having left the woman he loves to protect her from his past.
His solace is broken as the sands shift, crows and gulls circle overhead, and children run on the beach where John used to play as a child... and where a body is found in the dunes by Cross Hill — the body of a woman John once knew.
With a set of coordinates left for him in a haunted pub, the body count grows, and the police are made fully aware of John’s connection.
As he drives the ancient coastal and rural landscapes, from Alnwick Castle, Hadrian’s Wall, Cragside to Kielder, racing to confront the killers, John wrestles the pain of bringing the evils of his past to his homelands and to all who know him.
WILL DEATH EVER LEAVE HIM?
John Black returns to Northern England for a family funeral, having left the woman he loves to protect her from his past.
His solace is broken as the sands shift, crows and gulls circle overhead, and children run on the beach where John used to play as a child... and where a body is found in the dunes by Cross Hill — the body of a woman John once knew.
With a set of coordinates left for him in a haunted pub, the body count grows, and the police are made fully aware of John’s connection.
As he drives the ancient coastal and rural landscapes, from Alnwick Castle, Hadrian’s Wall, Cragside to Kielder, racing to confront the killers, John wrestles the pain of bringing the evils of his past to his homelands and to all who know him.
WILL DEATH EVER LEAVE HIM?
229 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2021
3 people want to read
About the author
John Bowie
14 books54 followersJohn Bowie was born in Northumberland, Northern England.
He has published poems, novels and short stories. He studied in Salford, Greater Manchester in the 1990s. He lives in Bristol, U.K.
John is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bristol Noir.
He has published poems, novels and short stories. He studied in Salford, Greater Manchester in the 1990s. He lives in Bristol, U.K.
John is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bristol Noir.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2021
John Black returns for a 3rd book in the dark noir ‘The Black Viking Series’
Returning to his youth, to attend a funeral, he soon finds that the darkness that follows him comes along to Northumberland with bodies washing up ashore and cruel murders abound....
When you read a series of books that are essentially extremely dark reads you wander how much farther the authors mind can go, in ‘Division’ John Bowie shows it can become incredibly bleak.
The tale really ratchets up the grim and violently anger that encompasses John Black. It’s brutal, it’s visceral and it’s vicious with a deep seated and rage and fury burning throughout.
I have read this series in close order, they have all sat in my mind and I have had to brood on the review, as I know my words can’t do the books justice.
Callous , cold blooded writing. An author in a feral state. Outstanding yet savage. It plays on your mind, it’s roots itself into your thinking. Hard Hitting Noir at its best.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Returning to his youth, to attend a funeral, he soon finds that the darkness that follows him comes along to Northumberland with bodies washing up ashore and cruel murders abound....
When you read a series of books that are essentially extremely dark reads you wander how much farther the authors mind can go, in ‘Division’ John Bowie shows it can become incredibly bleak.
The tale really ratchets up the grim and violently anger that encompasses John Black. It’s brutal, it’s visceral and it’s vicious with a deep seated and rage and fury burning throughout.
I have read this series in close order, they have all sat in my mind and I have had to brood on the review, as I know my words can’t do the books justice.
Callous , cold blooded writing. An author in a feral state. Outstanding yet savage. It plays on your mind, it’s roots itself into your thinking. Hard Hitting Noir at its best.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
October 12, 2022
Division picks up from Transference perfectly, but what is brilliant about this series, each book holds it own as a standalone. Bowie doesn’t spend endless amounts of pages to recover the back story each time. This is a godsend to those who have followed the series, but also gives enough to anyone who finds themselves picking up a sequel.
However, the entire trilogy has been incredibly well thought out leaving no tied knots that feel forced in other book series. Each character has been carefully crafted from day one and in Division we learn how big this universe really is. If you haven’t read Weston-Super-Nightmare by this point then you will be by the end of Division.
Division is my favourite so far and I didn’t think that possible after Untethered. Bowie pushes the limits of darkness further here than before and with the great reveal blows the whole thing wide open. I’m both excited and yet slightly sad to know that the story has now reached the end but have the final chapter to Viking. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
However, the entire trilogy has been incredibly well thought out leaving no tied knots that feel forced in other book series. Each character has been carefully crafted from day one and in Division we learn how big this universe really is. If you haven’t read Weston-Super-Nightmare by this point then you will be by the end of Division.
Division is my favourite so far and I didn’t think that possible after Untethered. Bowie pushes the limits of darkness further here than before and with the great reveal blows the whole thing wide open. I’m both excited and yet slightly sad to know that the story has now reached the end but have the final chapter to Viking. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
September 7, 2023
Another very enjoyable entry in the Black Viking series. As with the previous two books in the series, I found myself feeling disorientated - in the best way possible. There's something unique and pleasing about the choppy, boozy writing; at times the prose is slick and beautiful, and I found myself reading over paragraphs just to savour it, while at other times it's blunt and terse. It all works brilliantly - along with the changes in character viewpoints - in making the reader feel unsettled and intoxicated; I often felt like I was chasing shadows, the answers always just out of sight, which is perfect for the character of John Black. I love the hints at John's past - he's a very complex character, and even after three books he still has a wonderful aura of mystery about him. Very much looking forward to reading the next in the series.
June 24, 2021
In the third Black Viking Thriller, DIVISION by John Bowie, the author and protagonist re-visit their home county and with it comes a very deep, personal and touching dark noir tale set in Northumberland.
Ancient coastal and rural landscapes, from Alnwick Castle, Hadrian’s Wall, Cragside to Kielder, form epic backdrops to a fast-paced dark noir tale surrounded in history, sweeping dunes and rolling hills.
Not for the faint-hearted this would suit lovers of LJ Ross and Ann Cleeves... but also brit-grit noirs from the likes of Ted Lewis (Get Carter), Ray Banks and Paul Heatley.
— Bristol Noir
Ancient coastal and rural landscapes, from Alnwick Castle, Hadrian’s Wall, Cragside to Kielder, form epic backdrops to a fast-paced dark noir tale surrounded in history, sweeping dunes and rolling hills.
Not for the faint-hearted this would suit lovers of LJ Ross and Ann Cleeves... but also brit-grit noirs from the likes of Ted Lewis (Get Carter), Ray Banks and Paul Heatley.
— Bristol Noir
April 7, 2023
Poetic prose that is fresh as it is brutally nihilistic in the way of all great noir writers.
John Bowie is one of the most talented crime writers working today.
John Bowie is one of the most talented crime writers working today.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews