SCORCHED EARTH: A McAVOY NOVEL

DS Aector McAvoy #7

by David Mark

The police think Crystal Heathers isn't missing.

The trainee detective assigned to the case isn't so sure.

McAvoy thinks someone was being held at the derelict building where they just found a body pinned to the wall...and that all the signs point to it being a little girl.

But why would anyone not report a kidnapping?

And how far would someone go to get revenge?

The case will test McAvoy to breaking point - as the crimes of the present lead him to a final violent confrontation with an enemy from his own past.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Procedural

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2018

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh in the DS Aector McAvoy, of the Humberside Police, series, set in the mean streets of Hull. This is a macabre, brutal and visceral addition with a enormous body count, with tentacles that stretch to the French Calais Refugee Camps, London and Mozambique, where amoral corporations abuse and exploit Africans under the umbrella of philanthropy. In a story that has McAvoy forced to revisit his desperately traumatic past with the corrupt, arrogant, supercilious and ruthless ex-cop Doug Roper who left him for dead, it begins with Aector going to Bronte Hall after a tip off from his pensioner friend, Perry. This leads to the discovery of Mahesh Kahrivardan’s dead body nailed into a recently plastered wall, and the perpetrators fleeing and running over Perry. Additionally, there is evidence which suggests to McAvoy that a young abducted girl has been kept there that has him making a tenuous connection with Crystal Heathers, a disappeared woman employed by Joel Musgrove to look after his daughter's horse and improve her riding skills. Ostensibly Crystal has gone on a impulse holiday abroad, except her mother is not convinced as she does not have a passport.

This is a story with multiple threads that all come to slowly but surely connect. Despite having no idea what he is up to, the wonderful Detective Superintendent Trish Pharaoh supports McAvoy's forays into Lincolnshire, and his nebulous suspicions of the less than truthful Joel Musgrove. A shoot out that leaves a young policewoman fighting for her life results in a headache for the police, intense media coverage, and Trish understanding that McAvoy is right in following his instincts. Sighted at the scene is a vehicle belonging to a security company run by Roper, an arm of which specialises in kidnap and hostage situations. McAvoy is not the only person whose life Roper ruined, and there is an African, Manu, who seeks revenge after being betrayed in Mozambique. The beautiful viper that is DCI Shaz Archer, a lover of Roper's, has her own past come back to haunt her. In a complex and harrowing investigation, a very human Aector struggles to face Roper, but is not short of the courage that defines him as he walks into the kind of danger that has him risking his life. Is it any wonder that he loves and is loved by Roisin, his wife, and Trish?

David Mark gives us a charismatic protagonist in DS Aector McAvoy with a compelling backstory, and unusually in crime fiction, a man that is happily married with two children. I must mention the superlative Trish Pharaoh, what a character! Mark has impressive plotting credentials and he is not afraid of complicated global storylines that resonate alongside more local threads coalescing into a dark, bleak, intense, and never less than gripping narratives. If you have yet to encounter this series, I would strongly urge you to try it. A fantastic read which I adored reading, I especially loved Mark's atmospheric descriptions. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Scorched Earth" by respected author David Mark is the seventh in the popular Hull based DS Aector McAvoy series. I'm new to this series of books and although the previous instalments also sound good, I didn't feel that I needed to read them prior, to enjoy reading this one. Since it's a fresh new case for Aector and also that you are given titbits of information along the way from his past, there's enough information to form an opinion of him and Detective Superintendent Trish Pharaoh (the main police characters) and also understand his previous interactions with former colleagues and criminals.
Starting the book off in the refugee camp outside of Calais, the author described the awful conditions as clearly as if I was there myself. I was thoroughly intrigued by the character Manu as he was introduced to the reader and I was quite surprised by the brutal actions carried out so soon in the story. This without doubt truly added to the intrigue about the plot and made me instantly keep reading. I enjoyed reading about a possible real life scenario and see it take shape into a well written and professional story that was entertaining, brutal yet realistic and thoroughly enjoyable.
The plot was multi layered with several different threads running through it and although I was a little confused in parts as to who was double crossing who etc, it did all come together in the end and in a very tense and explosive conclusion too.
If I come across any previous books in this series I would read them and I'd also happily indulge in the future any further encounters in the criminal world for DS McAvoy. He's a great character that I really liked a lot and I also liked his professional relationship with his tolerant Detective Superintendent who obviously has feelings for him.
All in all a very compelling and suspenseful thriller that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to crime readers young and old alike.

4 stars

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

Having not read any of the other books in the series, I was unsure whether I was going to find this book an easy ride. Would there be too much information that I had missed? However, like with a lot of crime/thriller/detective books, because the detective is dealing with a new case I didn’t have that much trouble. Yes, there were a few backstories about DS McAvoy’s life that I had missed, but nothing to stop this book being enjoyable.

To be honest, I use the word enjoyable in a loose sense of the word, because whilst the book was brilliant, engaging, and certainly had me hooked, I’m not sure a book as gruesome as this one was at times, could be called enjoyable.

The prologue, which is set in ‘The Jungle’ refugee camp in France gives you an indication as to how gruesome this book is going to be, with the graphic murder of one of the refugees, committed by someone he thought was his friend.

The plot, now in the UK, moves onto the abduction of a young girl who was having a horse riding lesson. The abductor gives the girls injured trainer a message to pass on, ‘Tell him he is going to pay’. With two opening scenes like these you know that the plot is going to be fast paced and filled to the brim with action.

Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is an absolutely amazing character. He’s a married father of two little children living in Hull. He’s very likeable and you get a sense of security radiating from him whilst reading, knowing that you can put your faith in him to solve the crimes.

There are numerous secondary plots interweaving with the main. Whilst I knew some were going to be connected, I was never quite sure how. There are also quite a lot of characters, all with their own unique personalities, so I never had trouble remembering them.

Scorched Earth was certainly suspenseful and totally exhilarating. David Mark’s writing is superb, totally addictive and very dark. I now have six other books to go back and read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh and latest book in the Aector McAvoy series. Right from the first book, I was as taken with Aector as was wife Roisin and boss Trish. This book reveals Aector to be so much more than in previous books by way of his telling of his past. What a great character!

This book also offers an intricate plot with multiple threads. Manu was a boy soldier in Mozambique who was betrayed, and he’s making his way to England for revenge. The young daughter of a businessman is kidnapped and held for ransom. Colin Ray’s status is updated here and indications are his future might be revealed in an upcoming book. Most interesting to me was the storyline involving Doug Roper, who at one time was Aector's boss. The incident that brought Roper down and almost killed Aector that has been mentioned in previous books is finally explained!

Is it always raining in Hull? The rain and mud actually forebode the dark and disturbing events that are perpetrated in this book. Some of the characters are stone cold killers.

I think it is imperative to read this series from the beginning. You’ll get a great sense of who Aector is and that will be doubled with this book. Add in some humorous conversations between Aector and Trish, and this book hit all the marks for me.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow when I round up a few Christmas reads in the New Year - but this was excellent, as ever for this series - so YAY for Aector who is endlessly entertaining.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.What a brilliant ride!

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

thought this was one of the best ones in the series and still doesn't disappoint and looking forward to the next in the series. as old foes appears in this latest plot and the topical plot of people trafficking

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was unexpected! I’ve not read any of the previous books in the series, so I’m always wary coming into an established story. I needn’t have worried as I don’t feel like I missed anything huge, or if I did it passed me by, haha!
Scorched Earth is a brilliant read. Safe to say McEvoy has a new fan and I’ll be going back to read books 1-6 as soon as I have time!
Fast-paced, great characters and a throughly engaging plot, I flew through it!
Highly recommended!

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy of Scorched Earth, the seventh novel to feature DS Aector McAvoy of the Hull Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

When Aector's friend, ex policeman Percy, reports strange goings on in the disused house next to his nursing home Aector goes to investigate and finds a dead body pinned to the wall and traces of a young girl having been kept prisoner. In the meantime Lincolnshire trainee detective, Angela Verity is investigating the possible disappearance of a groom, Crystal Heathers who posted on Facebook that she's gone on holiday, her mum says she doesn't have a passport. Aector senses a connection and goes to interview Crystal's boss Joel Musgrave. What he discovers is far worse than he could have imagined.

I thoroughly enjoyed Scorched Earth which is a multi layered, multi stranded, intelligent thriller - with its action and conspiracies it would be misleading to call it a procedural, especially as Aector is known to rip up the rule book when it suits him.

The plot had me glued to the pages from the start where it opens with Manu, a former Mozambiquan boy soldier, and a murder in The Jungle at Calais. His heartbreaking story gradually unfolds over the course of the novel but I'm not going to tell you how he fits into it, suffice to say it's fascinating. There are plenty of twists and turns to the novel, many of which surprised me, which make it a great read. The dead body actually gets a little lost in Aector's desire to find Crystal and his widening investigation but such is the power of the plotting that it doesn't matter.

As usual in this series Superintendent Trish Pharaoh acerbic wit provides the light relief and is contrast to Aector's more serious personality. He is obviously a smart detective with good instincts but is crippled with low self esteem and sees himself as lucky rather than good. He is a lovely man with a real sense of honour and a need to help people. Unfortunately this need often puts him in the firing line and ultimately hospital.

Scorched Earth is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

**RATING 4.5**

This book was my first encounter with the McAvoy series but that did not take away at all from this gripping, twisting, compelling story that sucked me in from the very first page.

When McAvoy gets a tip-off from an old retired police friend about suspicious activity at an abandoned house, it will throw him into the realm of a twisted criminal mind that is determined to seek revenge. With one dead body and evidence of a child being held captive there at one point, McAvoy doesn't know where to begin. And how is this linked to a mother in the countryside who is determined that her adult daughter has disappeared, even though by all appearances she has gone off on holiday with friends? As McAvoy and the team begin to pick this case apart piece by piece, the violence and deceit will span over many countries, and across many backgrounds, as lies and secrets suddenly come to the forefront. But will McAvoy be able to survive the truth?

With plenty of twists and turns, SCORCHED EARTH by David Mark is an energetic, addictive, and top-notch crime fiction novel. While it is always advisable to start a series from the beginning, this book is honestly easily read as a standalone and you never feel like you have missed out - but why have one good book when you can have more?! I really enjoyed the character of McAvoy and his co-workers who were all intriguing and dynamic in their own right.

​SCORCHED EARTH by David Mark is a cracker of a story and I highly recommend to crime fiction fans everywhere.


*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

[Astrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barely a 3, this was not quite as enjoyable as the others in the series, though still readable. I think it was too convoluted. There were like 3 groups of bad guys and the whole logic of their actions didn't always compute. I had a bit of a hard time keeping all the badies apart. McAvoy was great, as always, but it just had too much thrown into it. The whole child soldier thing seemed a bit gratuitious, I must say.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT!!!

This 7th installment of the McAvoy series was extremely complex and confusing to the degree I needed to reread sections. This time McAvoy and his team headed by Det Super Trish Pharaoh, start out investigating the gruesome death of Mahesh Kahrivaran, skewered with a sharpened bicycle spoke to the wall. It is in Bronte Hall, and McAvoy is sent there by his friend Perry Royale, former copper, who is in assisted living just down the lane. McAvoy just stopped for visit, his family in the car outside. Finding the body, McAvoy watches as Perry is run over by the car getting away. A receipt for horse supplies is found at the scene and it leads to the massive case in which many an organized crime group and individuals from earlier installments reappear.

The estate at which the account for the supplies were purchased is that of Joel Musgrave and his family. His daughter Primrose, was gaga over horses (she really wanted a unicorn) and a groom, Crystal Heathers, had been retained to teach her to ride and take care of the horses. But now as McAvoy heads for the estate he is made aware that the groom is missing, as reported by her mother. Joel Musgrave tell McAvoy that Crystal just went on holiday. In reality she is being held in the wine cellar by Joel, with a horse bit in her mouth because she had insisted the police be called when she and Primrose were attached and Primrose kidnapped. When he sees the horses are not being cared for, McAvoy becomes suspicious.

Joel Musgrave is associated with Popesco, an agro/bioscience business that he founded. It is active in Africa, and is known to have exploited the natives, promising hospitals and jobs, when only stealing their land and providing work that pays less than they were making before. Over the years there has been revolution and fighting, murder and theft. Early in the history, a young boy Manu was taken by the fighters, and converted to a boy soldier, killing his father, and watching as his mother and sisters were raped and killed. A soldier Aishita convinced Manu that killing was the way to become a man. At some point he is befriended by Joel and gets educated and employed by Popesco. Yet when there is kidnapping of Popesco employees, and there is a ransom paid and the employed are saved, Manu is left behind and just another native. He vows revenge. Throughout this narrative we are led to believe that Manu is accompanied by Aishita on his journey to the UK, and is assisting in Manu's plot. He is helped by Sebag and Vasiliy who are tied to the Serbian Mafia. In the present, Manu plots to kidnap Joel's daughter, Primrose, to punish him. The kidnapping goes wrong on the Humber Bridge above McAvoy home. While police trainee Det Constable Angela Verity who had been following the car Musgrave was in, the kidnapping group escapes from the pickup that goes off the bridge. Joel had decided to make money from the ransom policy proceeds that Popesco carried on his family. But Manu and his associates come for him, carving him up and taking him and Crystal, and the half of the ransom he kept.

Another element of the case are the individuals from an earlier story. Owen, Mahon and Colin Ray, who has been freed, are after Doug Roper and Nestor Vachnadze, the head of Headhunters the criminal organization that has terrorized citizens and other criminals alike. In the earlier stories they were ruthless and vile. Mahon had been associated with Mr. Nock, who Roper and Nestor had had killed. He was devoted to Nock. Now Nester is aligned with Roper who is in charge of a special division of blue Lightz Security, Ltd. They fold the insurance policies for Popesco and for the organization that bought out Popesco and raped Mozambique, headed by Gert van Vuuren. When Viola and Primrose Musgrave escape from their captivity, and seek out McAvoy, he believes he must on his own try to get Crystal and Musgrave. He is also after Roper who had nearly killed him, when Roper was with CID.

In a twist Roper turns on van Vuuren and as he has in the past works both sides of the aisle. He kidnaps van Vuuren, and calls himself to negotiate the ransom. However, he has come to the end of his plotting. All the factions end up at the dilapidated property where Roper and van Vuuren carry out their killings. Roper has had the executive of Popesco slain, and there is a recording of it. Owen and Mahon go in with guns blazing, and are killed by Roper even as they kill Nestor, and wound Roper. Manu in his confused state and with the voice of Aishita, (Aishita had committed suicide years before to prove what really being a man was about, and his spirit was carried by Manu) in his head he commits suicide with Crystal begging his not to hurt anyone else. As Roper thinks he has won and is trying to escape, McAvoy who had been hit by Owen to keep him safe, moves into the building and follows Roper. They struggle, and when it seems McAvoy will not survive, Roper taunts Aector with what he intends to do to his family and Trish Pharaoh, and McAvoy enraged finds new strength. As his hands encircle Doug Roper's neck they fall through the window, and are ironically caught by the Russian lethal barbed wire that had surrounded the property to protect it from vandals. Roper's face is shredded away and he falls to his death. McAvoy is pulled to safety by Helen Tremberg.

Thus the end of the horrible reign of Roper, Nestor and the others involved in the various criminal organizations of the UK and abroad. It only remains to bring DCI Shaz Archer to ground and we are left with her being confronted by an emaciated but focused Colin Ray, who she had had held, drugged and mishandled, for years. This was a gruesome and violent tale of exploitation, betrayal, criminal behavior and ultimately revenge. It is sad and scary in its implications of an underworld that controls too much of our lives. There is a very large cast of characters, many of whom are from Eastern Europe. It takes a careful and focused reading to keep all the parties and plotlines straight. I certainly have not done the retelling justice. At each element there are ethical questions and a muddling of who is good and who is bad, (with the exception of Roper, Nestor and Archer, foul individuals) as characters move from one group to another. In any case, a major theme in the story is that of betrayal, the turning on one another, whether among the criminal element or the police.

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed. 2.5 stars. I quite enjoyed the earlier book in the same series which I read a year ago, but this felt a little 'off' in comparison. Perhaps I wasn't quite in the mood - it just never really held my attention.

Big ginger maverick cop Aector McAvoy investigates a complicatedly plotted conspiracy in Hull and north Lincolnshire - a dodgy businessman, a young woman kidnapped, violent and shady gangs including Eastern Europeans and asylum seekers and bent coppers. There is a feisty young female cop and an abrasive bolshy older female cop, and there are several cliff-hangers and an ending where the hero pieces it all together and there is a big dramatic confrontation.

I dunno. It just felt a bit cocky, a bit much, a bit hard to swallow. There are similarities with Stuart MacBride in the general tone at times, but with the Logan McRae books I tend to already feel more invested, more familiar with aspects implicit not explicit - which wasn't the case here. It to me came over a bit like the author had taken an idea which wasn't necessarily his first choice for the characters, and had ran with it a bit 'seven books in the series' trusting most of the readers would get on board. I never got comfortable and didn't fully appreciate the journey.

[Jared C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit confused on the plot

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always enjoyed DS Aector McAvoy stories. However this was very blood thirsty

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

DS McAvoy returns in a haunting book 7 - this series gets better & better!

[Pat Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

McAvoy is back with a bang on the case of a murder and a missing person. This is the seventh book in the series and we are reunited with a lot of the characters from the previous books. David Mark, the author, sets this series in Hull, Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. This adds to my enjoyment as it is the area where I live and know well.
The prologue is set in France, in The Jungle refugee camp where one of the refugees is brutally murdered by a ‘friend’. The plot, wih DS McAvoy in Hull, has him investigating the abduction of a young girl. There are various spin-off investigations and lots of sub plots that all come together brilliantly. This book will have you glued to the pages and is one not to be missed. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still don't know how to pronounce the name of the main character, Aector, but he is a great character. Something between Harry Hole and Charlie Parker, but not with so much alcohol, and able to have a very stable relationship with his wife Roisin.
In the seventh book of this series he does what he does best: follow his instincts. Not to everybody's liking, except for Trish Pharaoh, his boss who is still (not so very) secretly in love with him.
This is not an 'easy read'. Scorched Earth is a book full of story lines, with lots of characters, and it takes a while to get a grip of the real story behind all that happens. It is also a bit heavy on the violence and I can see readers not liking the book for that.
On the other hand, the plot is very intruiging and it also gives a good (and very sad) insight in what happens if people try and 'help' others without asking them how they can be helped best.
You can read it without having read the others in the series, but then you will miss out on the importance of some things that happen to people who try and witheld Aector from doing his job his way.
It's a great book and not an easy one to forget.

Thanks to NetGalley for this book.

[Rick Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read all the previous MvEvoy books, it feels as though Mark is trying too hard to stretch the boundaries and plot beyond what's necessary and in the case of this novel, for me it was overly graphic, violent and the ending was too convoluted. it's better than the previous novel (where MvEvoy was bumbling around NYC) but has too many coincidences and not enough credible explanations as to how everyone ended up in the same location for the big final showdown.

it seemed as if Mark was determined to kill off a host of previous characters on the 'dark side' of the law and the end for Roper was just silly IMO. Where the novel does work, like the earlier books in the series, is in the exchanges between MvEvoy and Pharaoh which simply crackle and fizz off the page. There's an underlying chemistry and sexual tension between the two of them that they both acknowledge in their own way but Pharaoh's respect for what MvEvoy has with his wife Roisin and his own amazing bond with her, mean that this is never going to reach beyond their playful dialogue and Pharaoh's stolen moments of physical closeness with MvEvoy.

I will continue to read the series but unfortunately this book didn't leave my head screaming for me to buy the next instalment immediately.

[Sally Boocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always I really enjoyed David Marks books. However I feel a little more McAvoy would be welcomed. I appreciate the storylines but miss the rapport between him and Trish. But the story was excellent. Extremely brutal but to be expected from Mr Mark as he doesnt like to do things by halves. Looking forward to the next one which if the ending of this one is anything to go by will be equally as good.

[Christie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book, just did not get into any of the characters, I felt the story was ridiculous. Not a series I will return to

[G.J. Minett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine addition to a compelling series by a highly accomplished novelist. Love Aector, Roisin and Trish

[Mik Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A body is found pinned to a wall with a bicycle spoke in a derelict building. It looks like someone was held there against their will, evidence suggesting a young girl. A receipt found at the scene leads McAvoy to make links with another active case. Crystal Heathers isn’t missing according to her employer. The trainee Detective looking into it isn’t convinced. McAvoy has form for making leaps of faith, investigating where others don’t see any dots to join, but all roads lead back to an enemy from his past, and into a confrontation that McAvoy isn’t sure he’ll manage to walk away from intact.

In a series that started strongly, and has gotten progressively better with each book, I had high expectations, and was not disappointed. David Mark has a pace and rhythm to his writing that sucks you right in, from the way he brings Hull to life so vividly, to the nuances of each character. We’ve got several threads of plot running in parallel – kidnapping, murder, revenge, and a lust for power – all of which are brought artfully together by the end, building up to a crescendo that will leave you counting down the days to the next instalment.

[Andy Wormald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cosy crime this isn’t.

McAvoy is contacted by a retired police officer about suspicious activity at an abandoned house, in which a body is soon discovered, however, this is nothing, as what follows is a rollercoaster of a read in which McAvoy must face up to an old foe.

Not necessarily your usual police procedural. Dark yes, violent you bet, however, the violence is in place with the story, with plenty of seemingly different threads, which McAvoy must try and piece together. David Mark has crafted a wonderful plot line with plenty of twists and turns which he ties beautifully together in a rip roaring crescendo of a finale.

McAvoy is a partly flawed but hugely loveable character, and as usual with this series Hull and its surrounding landscape play an important role in bringing the pages to life.

This book does not disappoint and delivers on all the entertainment fronts, it’s another of those books in which the pages seem to turn themselves, a definite crackerjack of a read.

I’ve been a fan of the series since book one, for me this is the best in the series so far.

Highly recommend

[John Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure this is the first of this series I have read. I take whatever comes to hand at the library, but in fact it would have been better to read the series in order, as there seem to be carry-forwards only to be revealed in a later work. Still, it was no disaster.
This is a seriously violent, dark story, more so than what I prefer these days. There are some awful characters who you can love to hate. The protagonist is DS McAvoy, a likeable cop but accident prone, which is a bit of a downer for me.
Crime authors are obviously influenced by the real crime situation, and it's very obvious that crime is not as "innocent" as it was 100 years ago.
This is a complex story and readers will need to stay focused or they may get lost - a bit like me.
It's a gripping story, and I rate it 3.8. I'll try to find #1 in the series.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been quite an a while since I read any of the McAvoy series, so it was great to pick it up again. I just about managed to work out the plot! Aector is one of my favourite detectives. I do like how David Mark challenges readers with his plotting. Some of the gory detail does make me flinch (and I’m a Stephen King fan!) but the writing is a cut above most crime thrillers in my opinion. I was even inspired to do a bit of Googling to find out more about Mozambique.
I was lucky enough to attend an event he did at our local library a number of years ago, when only one or two of these books had been released, and really enjoyed the insight into his writing and characters. If you like this then please try his historical thriller The Zealot’s Bones.

[Mary Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I regret the long pause between the other books and reading this one..... I have forgotten much of the backstory from the early books and thus had a detrimental effect in my enjoyment of this one.

I would also own to the fact that my preference is for Aector to hunt for ‘ordinary’ murderers around his own town.

A complex plot, a massive backstory for many characters from different continents mixed with current crimes all winding their way into the stories of others.....

Too rich for my blood and I find myself a bit disappointed. I remain a huge fan of this author but so hope for a straightforward murder (or two) in the next book.

[Alex Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Very Good

As a fan of David Mark and the brilliant Aector McAvoy, I was pleased to be back in the UK after the adventure to New York.

This just felt like McAvoy again, with more Pharoah, and many of the cast from previous books adding to the darkly gruesome read from a very fine author.

David Mark has a unique writing style all of his own, sometimes it can be a bit literary but usually it’s sharp as a knife, and here in this complex and plot driven story, Mark is on top form.

Well paced, rich, well crafted and macabre, with lots of humour to cut through the dark and dank take, good stuff

[Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the Aector McAvoy series set in Hull, England. An 11 year old girl is kidnapped but not reported missing. A human trafficker is found impaled in an abandoned warehouse. Only McAvoy thinks they are connected. A multi layered story of corrupt big business, brutal revenge and excellent cop instincts set against the backdrop of a violent showdown with a sinister figure from McAvoy's past. Once again Aector's boss, Trish Pharaoh, and his wife Roisin are given outstanding supporting roles by the author. Very good book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
heroic, brutal and gritty; satisfying conclusion of a story arc with a particularly dastardly villian

Note: in his acknowledgements " Librarians, not enough people realise that you are the fourth emergency service. Thanks for your support. Never forget, any politician who suggests closing a library deserves to be thinly grated from the feet up." If you'll remember, 2018 saw the closing of more than 100 public libraries in Great Britain.