Darkness Falls

DS Aector McAvoy #0.5

by David Mark

The masterful prequel to the DS Aector McAvoy crime thriller series

A city united in grief. A journalist ready to kill to keep his secrets. A copper capable of darker deeds than any of the murderers he puts away. An unworldly detective ready to do whatever it takes to save an innocent man.

Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is the outsider who must confront his darkest fears while hunting a killer that nobody else believes in. In a landscape at once tender and brutal, McAvoy must tread the path between the darkness and the light, before facing an enemy who will brand him for life. Set in Hull, 2011, Darkness Falls invites readers to see where it all began for Aector McAvoy, in a dark, disturbing mystery thriller that will keep you reading late into the night.

Perfect for McAvoy fans and new readers to the addictive, internationally bestselling series.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Suspense

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2020

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCERPT: McAvoy freezes, his mind filling with pictures as his fading dream surges back to fill his vision. Suddenly the whole world is her, his nostrils clogged with the smell of spoiled meat, his vision nothing but torn silk and sticky blood. He wraps his arms around Fin. Holds his son until the moment passes.

They have been getting worse, these visions. As the court case has inched closer he has found himself thinking more and more of the dead girl he had so hoped to find alive. He found himself thinking of Shane Cadbury - the plump, slow-witted sex pest who had plunged a knife into her again and again and laid her out in his bed like a trophy. He has never truly felt clean since that day. He knows that scents are particularl, that each aroma is made of tiny fragments of a source. Each time he smells Ella Butterworth, he remembers that she drifted inside him. She has done more than climb under his skin. Her body, corrupted, defiled, is within him. She is his responsibility.

ABOUT 'DARKNESS FALLS': A city united in grief
A journalist ready to kill to keep his secrets
A copper capable of darker deeds than any of the murderers he puts away
An unworldly detective ready to do whatever it takes to save an innocent man.

Welcome to Hull.

In this masterful prequel to the Sunday Times bestseller Dark Winter, Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is the outsider who must confront his darkest fears while hunting a killer that nobody else believes in.
In a landscape at once tender and brutal, McAvoy must tread the path between the darkness and the light, before facing an enemy who will brand him for life.

MY THOUGHTS: My trio of 'go to' crime writers when I am looking for a dark gritty read complete with black humor, has just expanded to a quartet.

A prequel to the Aector McAvoy series, Darkness Falls is dark, disturbing, thrilling and addictive. David Mark has created a compelling central character in McAvoy, a man haunted by his own demons, just not ones that you would necessarily expect. He is a man who cannot lie to save himself, a good man, a kind man, a man with a conscience, a man for whom justice means getting it right, not just getting a result.

And yet it is not McAvoy, a misfit amongst his peers, who takes centre stage in Darkness Falls. That distinction is shared between Owen Lee, a Press Association correspondent who has reached the end of his tether; and Head of the Major Crimes Unit, media darling Detective Superintendent Doug Roper, a man adept at manipulating not only the media, but anyone else he is able to dig up dirt on.

Mark's vast experience as a crime reporter shines through in his graphically realistic and chilling descriptions and obvious understanding of the criminal mind.

This is my first encounter with McAvoy, and author David Mark. I am pleased to see that I have many more books in this series to look forward to.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#DarknessFalls #NetGalley

I: @davidmarkwriter @ariafiction

T: @DavidMarkWriter @Aria_Fiction

#fivestarread #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #serialkillerthriller #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: David 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 Aria and Aries, Head of Zeus, for providing a digital ARC of Darkness Falls by David Mark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Mark's prequel to his wonderful DS Aector McAvoy series lays out McAvoy's first meeting with Trish Pharaoh and explains why Roper hates him so much. This is a bleak and desolate read, with the decaying and impoverished city of Hull the central background to the action that takes place . The fragile and vulnerable Aector is a minor, if instrumental, character, we meet him in 2011 when he enters a crime scene, the home of 26 year old Shane Cadbury, and finds a scene of blood and horror in his bedroom, the body of the missing 18 year old Ella Butterworth, that is to leave him plagued with continuous nightmares. His part in the arrest of Cadbury allows him to fulfil his desire to join the Major Crime Unit headed by the media savvy, Armani suited Detective Superintendent Doug Roper, who is not happy, shunting him towards roles that keep him away from his team.

It is the despairing and desperate Owen Lee that takes centre stage in this novel, the Press Association correspondent for Hull and East Riding, a genius of a complex character, with an extremely troubled background, including a drug addicted sister, Kerry, and Jess, who has left him. We meet him, angry, miserable and intent on committing suicide, when he comes across a scene in the woods that has him changing his mind, he acquires a gun with 6 bullets, 6 chances of happiness, a packet of powder, and a wad of cash. In a city wracked with grief, Cadbury's trial begins, expected to be a slam dunk, and set to glorify the reputation of the untouchable Roper further, and covered by a group of close local media guys that included Lee. Aector is called to a crime scene in the woods where 2 dead bodies have been discovered, local dealer Darren Norton, shot dead, and gangster Alfie Prescott.

There is a rising body count, and a police force reeking of corruption and brutality that Aector is ill equipped to handle, he is a loose unwanted cannon, being honest and decent, he does things properly, deliberately, methodically, and this sets him on a collision course with the villainous Roper, a man you do not want as your enemy. However, when it comes down to it, Aector has to do what he has to do, and as he uncovers a killer, he finds himself pushed towards the edges of his sanity and in the kind of danger that could cost him his life. This is a compulsive and engaging crime read, with Mark's trademark all encompassing and unremitting darkness, but it is his stellar characterisations that make him such a great writer, and here he hits gold with his creation of the memorable Owen Lee. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This is a prequel to the DS Aector McAvoy series of crime thrillers. I had not read any f them and thought this was a good place to start. I recently earned about David Mark, a brilliant thriller writer through NetGalley and Goodreads and was impressed with several of his stand-alone books. This was a great introduction to Aector McAvoy as a young, newly promoted Detective Sergeant in 2011. Mark's characterizations are in-depth and superb. This is a complex crime/police procedural that is also a psychological thriller and character-driven.

This book is not for everyone. Its contents are grim, ghastly, gruesome with a lot of violence and descriptions of gory scenes. The genius of the writing drew me in and kept me riveted despite its brutality. There was some vulgar language in keeping with some of the personalities and a few British terms not familiar on this side of the Atlantic. The story made me wanting more of the fascinating Aector McAvoy in subsequent publications.

Set in Hull's bleak, cloudy, damp and impoverished city, this is an atmospheric study of a city in decline. Aector is present at a horrific murder scene at the home of dull and perverted Shane Cadbury.
The dead, mutilated, and sexually abused body of 18-year-old Ella has been discovered in a blood-soaked wedding dress. She has been dead for several days. This nightmare scene and odour will linger long with Aector McAvoy.

He is promoted to Detective Sergeant and finds himself working in the Major Crime Unit under publicity-hungry Doug Roper. Roper leads a corrupt police department complicit in Roper's goal of constant self-glorification. He is an imposing man, expensively dressed and groomed, never far away from the camera, press, and admiring public. He has an outstanding reputation for solving crimes, not caring that he has placed the blame on the wrong person using trumped-up charges, and ignoring other possible suspects.

Shunned and ignored by Roper, Aector is relegated to clerical jobs in the department. Dismissed by the staff as a do-gooder, odd, and a computer geek, fellow detectives dislike the fact that he is truthful, doesn't participate in their jokes and vulgar chatter, and would never join in coverups. Aector wants to fit in and be indulged in what they consider to be his idiosyncrasies because he is competent and can get good results in investigations. He does things properly, methodically and by the book but is isolated by Roper and department members. His role in the story is instrumental, but the emphasis is on Owen Lee.

Owen Lee is a journalist with a complex, troubled background. His sister, Kerry, is seriously drug-addicted, and his wife has left him. When we first encounter Owen, he is seething with anger, despair, and self-loathing. He has past secrets he wants never to be revealed. He is wandering through the woods with the intent to commit suicide. He stumbles upon a crime scene that results in the death of a small-time drug dealer and a gangster. He leaves with a gun containing six bullets, cash, and a packet of powder, feeling a restored lease on life. Along with other journalists, he is now involved in reporting the trial of Shane Cadbury for Ella's murder.

Owen and McAvoy have concluded that Cadbury was not responsible for Ella's murder but that he did abuse her body after death. They believe the murder was due to an encounter with an unknown serial killer who is still free. This contention infuriates Roper, who wants credit for placing the charges entirely on Cadbury to further his glorified reputation.
This is a dark, grim, disturbing book. Those who like this type of book should like this one a lot!!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you a story. A Goodreads friend and I were discussing how dark the recent stand alone David Mark books have been. I wanted to check a review for one of them, and found it attributed to a different David Mark. So I headed over to Amazon to make sure it was the Aector McAvoy David Mark. It was, but then I saw a new Aector book, Darkness Falls, released on 3/16! How did I miss this book?! Head back to Goodreads and search for it. It’s not there! What kind of shenanigans is this?! I ask a librarian to add the book and provide all the information they requested. When I want to mark Darkness Falls as “currently reading,” it’s still not yet been added. So I manually add it myself, and here we are.

This book is a prequel. Aector is in uniform working the streets and finds a scene of crime that gets him promoted to Detective Sergeant. I think it must be difficult to take a character that’s been developed over several books and then make him a less mature, less confident, awkward younger character. David Mark accomplishes this very well. In the very first Aector book, there was mention of some previous events and these events are now explained in this book. I loved the scene where Aector first meets Trish Pharaoh.

Aector, however, is not the predominant character in this book. The primary focus is on a journalist named Owen Lee. While my heart cried out for more Aector, my head was very happy to read about Owen. He’s a complicated man, angry, suicidal, and I needed to know what made him tick. David Mark once again indulged his darkness with this character, and balanced that darkness with Aector’s lightness. It worked for me.

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely my type of book — dark, gory, character-driven, with complex psychological twists and turns. I took one star off only because I prefer grammatically correct writing, with a restricted use of truncated sentences. I feel that such sentences should used sparingly and for emphasis only. In the chapters devoted to Owen Lee, who is the main character of this novel, nearly all the sentences are truncated, possibly to indicate his jarring thought patterns. But even in the other chapters, for instance those describing DS Aector McAvoy, there are too many non-sentences for my liking.

But otherwise, everything is perfect and I will definitely be reading more of David Mark’s books. I especially want to read more of his DS Aector McAvoy novels. This one was described as a prequel to that series when I ordered it, aware that I had never read any David Mark books, neither his stand-alones nor the McAvoy ones.

I would normally have read this book within two days. It took me longer only because I was preoccupied by other tasks. But, in actuality, it is an exciting, two-day read.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Hull. 2011. Darkness Falls invites readers to see where it all began for Aector McAvoy, in a dark disturbing mystery thriller that will keep you reading late into the night.

This is he prequel to the DS Acetor McAvoy series and the story is character driven. Aector McAvoy is not the main character in this book, that privilege is given to Owen Lee, who is a journalist. The story is descriptively written, telling the reader how Acetor McAvoy and Patricia Pharoah became aquainted, and we get the reason why Roper hates McAvoy. DS Acetor McAvoy is trying to find his feet but it looks like he's in for a tough ride. There is some disturbing scenes which some readers might not like. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AriaAries and the author #DavidMark for my ARC of #DarknessFalls in exchange for an honest review.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 5 out of 5]

That it took me all of 6 days to finish this book is not entirely because I'm swamped with work. This book is not the kind of book you can read in one sitting. From the first pages, where we meet Owen Lee on a dark night, in a dark park, in a very dark Hull (and not only literally) you know you have something special here. Something that you better read chapter by chapter.
As a big fan of Aector it was very interesting to read what happened early in his career that made him who he is. In later books we do get to see a glimpse of the past sometimes but this book explains it - almost - all.
The whole story seems to revolve around the killing of one girl, with only one suspect. It is no surprise that there is more, much more.
On the other hand, I don't think this book would be a good start for someone who wants to read the series; I noticed that some things were more understandable because I've read other books in this series.

[Tiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading all 8 books in Mark's superb Aector McAvoy series I was very eager to read this prequel and I was not disappointed. Set in 2011 Hull, Aector McAvoy is a brand new Detective Sergeant trying to learn the ropes but seems to be off to a very tough start, especially with the blatant corruption he sees within his own department and he isn't sure what to do about it. McAvoy shares the spotlight in this one with veteran journalist Owen Lee who is a dark, angry man capable of much violence to keep a secret buried deep in his past. A very taught, atmospheric thriller with some disturbing scenes, this book gives us some very important background on where McAvoy started and I loved it.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria & Aries for an advance copy of Darkness Falls, the prequel to the Aector McAvoy series, set in Hull in 2012.

McAvoy has been newly promoted to detective and he’s finding it difficult to fit in to the ethos of his new team. The team have charged Sean Cadbury in connection with the murder and mutilation of teenager Ella Butterworth and he’s about to go to trial. McAvoy isn’t so sure that they have the right man. Meanwhile journalist Owen Lee is sure of Cadbury’s guilt but has him own troubles.

I thoroughly enjoyed Darkness Falls which is a compulsive, if violent, read set to a background of urban decay. The novel is billed as an Aector McAvoy prequel and it fills in some gaps in his backstory, but really it’s the story of Owen Lee and his escapades.

This is not a complicated read, but it is jam packed with different threads. McAvoy has his struggles in the workplace and his belief that Ella’s killer is still out there. I can’t even begin to describe Owen Lee’s struggles, but they start with violence and the hint of something untoward in the disappearance of his ex fiancée and escalate from there. It probably shouldn’t be, but I found his predicament darkly comedic and absurd at points.

I love the way the author weaves his plot. Everything is connected and not always in ways you would imagine, so the twists are real surprises. All the characters, except McAvoy, have previous history in one way or another, so it is quite a claustrophobic novel in terms of relationships with McAvoy as the joker in the pack. He’s an interesting beacon of naivety, innocence or plain goodness (take your pick) in a dark pool of cynicism and corruption. It is not all darkness, however, as some of the dialogue is very funny and, as I said, some of the situations verge on the absurd.

The characterisation is particularly strong, examining motivation as well as actions, with enough introspection to avoid the black and white of good or bad. Obviously there is a bit more introspection required than most people need for some characters.

Darkness Falls is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read a new David Mark book I feel myself drawn into the world he describes. This is a world that exists, albeit beyond most of our experiences. His books are always character driven and the reader is drawn in immediately.

This book has been written as a prequel to Dark Winter, the first Aector McAvoy book. It tells us how McAvoy and Patricia Pharoah become acquainted and why Roper hates McAvoy, a theme running through the McAvoy series of books.

Ella is missing, she was last seen running from her house to her aunts in her wine stained wedding dress. McAvoy, after a tip off, visits Shane Cadbury’s flat and discovers “a mess on the bed ...... ivory limbs, swollen as if drowned. And red. So much red...”. Shane tells McAvoy it wasn’t him she was a gift.

A gripping read which fills in the details we lovers of McAvoy wanted to know.

[Caitlyn Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

DS Aector MacAvoy is apparently the protagonist of 8 books so far and counting, but don’t worry if you haven’t read any of them yet, because this is a prequel to the series. MacAvoy is newly transferred to Hull’s Major Crimes Squad after discovering the body of a young woman murdered in a particularly awful crime. The aftermath of that, the trial of the man accused of the murder, and the truth of the matter is what the book is about, as well as MacAvoy learning to navigate the deep waters he finds himself in with a boss who is far more concerned with public appearances than justice.

The book is largely told from the first-person point of view of Owen Lee, a journalist covering the murder trial, who starts out the book in a suicidal frame of mind. Things take a dark turn when Owen stumbles across a murder in progress - a drug deal gone wrong - even when trying to end his own life, and suddenly discovers when his life is threatened that he doesn’t want to die after all. It’s obvious from this point on that Owen is in a bad place mentally, and we keep delving deeper and deeper into his troubles as the story progresses.

I actually found MacAvoy and his relationship with his wife Roisin really fascinating. Roisin is from a Traveller family, and the Travellers and the police generally do not have an amicable relationship - we even find out that there is an asterisk in MacAvoy’s file and a note that his wife is a Traveller, and he comes in for some prejudicial treatment for it, as well as slurs directed at Roisin. There is a ten-year age gap between the two and it’s revealed that they got together when Roisin was just 17 (legal in the UK, FYI as the age of consent is 16) which felt uncomfortable at first, but Roisin has so much agency I actually changed my mind. She is unapologetic about who and what she is, and so is MacAvoy, who absolutely adores her for it.

The point of a prequel like this is to tempt you to want to read the rest of the series, and I definitely do, but mainly because I absolutely adored Roisin. I liked MacAvoy, but his wife’s the real star of this show. Too often Travellers are antagonists in police procedurals, and even if not actually villains, they’re frequently portrayed stereotypically (and negatively) but Roisin, her family, traditions and language are appreciated here.

This is a dark and gritty story, but as a prequel to a series, it definitely did the job of luring me in and getting me interested. Five stars.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.

[Keith Chawgo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkness Falls is an interesting crime book full of gritty characters and even grittier settings that is part of a series that has piqued by interest.

Told and narrated in a 2011 sensibility maybe a bit much for the social changes that have happened to the world since this year but it is an asset to David Mark and to carry these through to give a true sense to Hull during this time period. His characters are unique and rough around the ages and there is a Mamet feeling about this characters. They are not polite or mince words but hard as nails mentality dealing with murder and crime along the drenched streets of Hull.

Personally, this book was a bit difficult getting into to begin with as I have not read the other books in the series but with some perseverance and once I was a third of the way through, I was totally invested. Coming into a series in the middle does have its draw back from a readers perspective but this has nothing to do with the author and more to do with my lack of experience with this series.

The plot twists and dives keep the reader interested and although there is a lack of likability with any of the characters, this did nothing to keep me invested in the outcome. There is enough descriptive text to give me the lay of the land without drowning in over narrative passages. The characters were well described and kept true to their personalities.

Mark’s new book is an interesting hard edge crime novel that will appease people who are fans of this genre. It is hard hitting, edgy which some may find offensive but if you look at the world through the author’s lens, it all fits within this world. I liked the book and it has made me interested in the series. It is a five star book if you love the series but if you are coming into the series on this book it is a solid four.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a prequel to the DS Aector McAvoy series. I haven't read any of the other books so I was literally starting at the beginning. The setting. is Hull in 2011, the main character in this crime thriller is Owen Lee who works for the Press association as a correspondent, a job that leads him to the seedy and violent areas of the city. It is a dark, disturbing, gruesome book with more than a smattering of language some may find offensive. but it fits the characters like a glove and any less would damage the credibility of the story. DS Aector McAvoy knows that his superior officer Roper is a corrupt slime ball who is full of his own importance but how can he stop him without ending his own career. The book needs your full attention and I managed to put aside a few hours to read it without being disturbed. I will now have to look at starting the series, a very clever move to do a prequel.

[Alex Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge fan of the McAvoy series, I was immediately drawn and intrigued by a sequel to the Fanta series and whilst it felt very different in tone and direction It’s an absolutely superb crime thriller.

McAvoy takes a back seat to a point, but he’s there, it’s more like a 50/50 split with the main protagonist. Ring an extremely troubled journalist named Owen Lee.

For me the book reads almost like dark noir, it’s extremely brooding, very macabre, and focuses on Lee’s gradual breakdown and spiral into trouble.

There are lunches held back as the violent crimes transpire, and the writing has a slick, mesmerising feel and David Mark pulls you firmly into the cold, unfriendly embrace of the blackest side of his mind and the deepest reaches of Hull.

It’s absolutely outstanding, as an introduction to McAvoy it’s quite different from the rest, but it’s a top class crime thriller, certainly up there with any I’ve read this year, and probably even the best.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Aria and Aries for the eARC.
Everything I've read by David Mark has been fantastic, but they've all been standalones, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read the DS McAvoy prequel. Now I can start with the series!
David Mark has become my favorite male author, I love the way he puts words on paper. This story features McAvoy, but the spotlight is more on the 'bad' guy. It's an intense thriller and I have to admit that I felt empathy for the 'bad' guy and also for Aector McAvoy who is a self deprecating man with a good heart, trying to do the right thing amongst jaded coppers. He loves his wife and baby to bits and I just wanted to give him a big hug.
It's a terrific read, highly recommended!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads like poetry. The staccato sentences which are so evocative they paint a perfect picture in your mind’s eye. I have been a fan of the series for a while, but it was great to peek at Aector in his early days on the force.

After finding the mutilated body of a young girl in a suspect’s home, Aector gets his chance the detective squad. He doesn’t quite fit in. More worried about right and wrong than the clearance rate of the team. Encouraged by his new wife Roisin, he perseveres.

The story follows several characters and honestly Owen seems more like the main character at times than Aector himself. This book was very good and is a great addition to the series. Thank you to Mr Mark, the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC to read and enjoy.

[Mike Stafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I just read?! It's hard to describe Darkness Falls. I can't think of anything comparable (and I mean that in the very best of ways). There are so many characters populating this book. Some will remind you of people you've read about in news stories around the world. Some will remind you of characters from Bob Dylan songs. Some are clearly good. Some are clearly bad. And there is one major character enveloped by grey areas. There are multiple storylines which will keep the reader engrossed. David Mark does an exceptional job of bringing all of them together at the end. It's a fascinating read. I'm glad I read it. Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.

[Sally Boocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read all 8 of theMcAvoy series I did wonder how he would be portrayed in this prequel. And although McAvoy is not the main character he comes across as the same big cuddly bear he is in the series. I would have liked to see more of him but the main protagonist Owen Lee, a journalist is extremely fascinating to read about. As usual Mr Mark has described an extremely dark and wet Hull.Extremely atmospheric and plenty of blood to keep you satisfied. Absolutely loved it. David Mark is one of my favourite crime writers.

[Chris Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not always a fan of prequels but in this case the book fully justifies its place in the David Mark oeuvre. Aector McAvoy has long been one of the most interesting cops in contemporary crime fiction and here we are transported back to where it all began for him in a grim and seedy Hull. Serial killers and bent coppers are what Aector has to deal with and his inability to lie and cover up are pushed to the limit as his true character is initially subjugated. A fascinating read.

[Marc Storey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not read one of these for a while and now have another to read, some really great writing and some great observations. One of the the best lines.."..she had an hour glass figure with too much sand". There was one odd part of the book where it seemed to conclude then there was about 20 pages that seemed to be added and written by another person, the book seemed to dip then recovered and back tot eh same quality after this dip.

[Ann Lombardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Genesis of Aector McAvoy

I have read every one of David Mark's books, and while his great skills are never in doubt, they are never in greater evidence than when Aector McAvoy is his subject. This prequel was very much appreciated, and I look forward to many more installments of the McAvoy/Pharaoh saga. Well-done indeed, Mr. Mark!

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is character driven, dark and a prequel to the DS Aector McAvoy series. Set in Hull, it gripped me from the very beginning. The main character, Owen Lee is a journalist. He's absolutely fascinating, angry and disturbed. The book worked really well, it's filled with atmosphere and description and I would highly recommend the series.
Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC, a 5* read.

[Anne Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, despite the graphic crime details, which some may find a bit difficult to read. Great characters in a sordid world, great heart and most of all, great writing. Including some great descriptions and memorable one-liners. Loved it, off to seek out some more of his books. A great new find for me. Thank you David Mark.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been really looking forward to this, but have to say my enjoyment was somewhat diluted by the relentless nastiness of many of the characters which more often than not outdid the Hull weather. In truth, I should've anticipated that, knowing McEvoy's bringing down the baddies would be the thrust of the tale. Nevertheless, very good indeed to be in at the beginning.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much of Aector in this one. The MC reminds me of one of Jim Thompson's central characters in The Getaway or The Killer Inside Me. Crazy. All in all an excellent David Mark novel. The man can write.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and the characters. It was a different take on police procedurals and made me wonder just how the police operate. Not sure I "loved" the main character but will definitely read more in the series

[Chris-Cuddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark complex psychological crime thriller full of twists and surprises. A prequel to the Hull based DS Aector McAvoy series. But this tale focuses primarily on the violent and bloody exploits of journalist Owen Lee.

[David Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great novel from David Mark. Not to be missed.

[Alison J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different narrative technique

First person from Owen Lee and the dual narrative that comes together at the end makes this already great story even more dynamic.

[Shauna Whall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to fill in some of the background to the McAvoy series