Detective McAvoy investigates a murder and a missing person case in this dark and compelling thriller, for fans of Stuart MacBride and Peter May.

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.

About the Author

David spent more than fifteen 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 Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy novels.

He has written eight novels in the McAvoy series: Dark Winter, Original Skin, Sorrow Bound, Taking Pity, Dead Pretty, Cruel Mercy, and Scorched Earth as well as two McAvoy ebook short stories, A Bad Death and Fire of Lies. Dark Winter was selected for the Harrogate New Blood panel and was a Richard & Judy pick and a Sunday Times bestseller. In 2018 it was adapted for the stage at the Hull Truck Theatre and had a sellout debut run. David has also written The Zealot's Bones, a historical crime novel published under the name D.M. Mark.

He lives in the north of England with his family.

Reviews
Praise for David Mark * . *
There is a good array of villains, and Mark is impressive in his sensitive portrayals of the relationships between the principal characters at work and home. * The Times *
Aficionados of the grittiest, most trenchant fare love Mark's copper Aector McAvoy, who customarily moves in a darkly realised Hull. * Financial Times *
Mark's rich, distinctive prose style and damaged characters compel you to keep reading... shaping up to be an essential crime series * Crime Scene Magazine *
A brilliant read. * Sun *
In McAvoy, David Mark has created a big hero with a huge heart. His skill at weaving threads of light through the darkest fabric has rightly won him a legion of fans who like their crime fiction to be real and compassionate. -- Sarah Hilary
Truly exhilarating and inventive. Mark is a wonderfully descriptive writer and an exciting young talent. -- Peter James
Dark, compelling crime writing of the highest order -- Geoffrey Wansell * Daily Mail *
More twists and turns than a corkscrew through the eyeball -- Val McDermid
To call Mark's novels police procedurals is like calling the Mona Lisa a pretty painting. Beautifully crafted, filled with flashbacks, horror, angst, and chilling detail, this one is his most complex and best yet. * Kirkus starred review *
Effortlessly blends the brutal and the tender, the dark and the light. Aector McAvoy is a true original. So is David Mark. -- Mick Herron, author of Dead Lions
Highly entertaining * The Sunday Times *
Breathtaking. Mark writes bad beautifully -- Peter May
The McAvoy series pulls off the double whammy of cracking characters and cunning plots. The big detective Aector McAvoy is so real and so loveable you want to have a pint with him, and the legendary Trish Pharaoh proves that a man can create an utterly compelling female character -- Anya Lipska



Book Information
ISBN 9781473643123
Author David Mark
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Mulholland Books
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 213g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 18mm