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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
This is the first in a police procedural series set just before Christmas in Hull, where I've lived for the past 15 years. It was nice to read about places I know and Mark did a great job in describing the city. The book is well written and the plot is interesting, complex and unique.
McAvoy is a likeable character. He's a gentle giant of a man with a happy, stable family life, though is going through a rough time at work because he was a whistleblower in the past. Unlike many other fictional policemen McAvoy is supported by his boss, Trish Pharoah, who is a character I'd like to know more about.
This is a great first book in a series which left me wanting to know more about Aector McAvoy.
I enjoyed the narration by Toby Longworth, though he obviously isn't a Yorkshireman as he managed to mispronounce the town of Keighley (as other narrators often do!)
McAvoy is a likeable character. He's a gentle giant of a man with a happy, stable family life, though is going through a rough time at work because he was a whistleblower in the past. Unlike many other fictional policemen McAvoy is supported by his boss, Trish Pharoah, who is a character I'd like to know more about.
This is a great first book in a series which left me wanting to know more about Aector McAvoy.
I enjoyed the narration by Toby Longworth, though he obviously isn't a Yorkshireman as he managed to mispronounce the town of Keighley (as other narrators often do!)
DS Aector McAvoy #1
Hull, UK, present day
First line: The old man looked up, and for a moment it feels as though he is staring
through the wrong end of a telescope. The reporter is forty years away.
The sole survivor of a tragedy at sea forty years ago is struck down as he travels to
the original scene for a memorial. DS McAvoy investigates whether it is a case of
perverse coincidence...or delayed "justice".
There are a few wobbly plot points, mostly having to do with jerky segues, that keep
this from being an A read. But the writing and the characterizations are top notch and
I can't wait for the second entry in this new series.
Hull, UK, present day
First line: The old man looked up, and for a moment it feels as though he is staring
through the wrong end of a telescope. The reporter is forty years away.
The sole survivor of a tragedy at sea forty years ago is struck down as he travels to
the original scene for a memorial. DS McAvoy investigates whether it is a case of
perverse coincidence...or delayed "justice".
There are a few wobbly plot points, mostly having to do with jerky segues, that keep
this from being an A read. But the writing and the characterizations are top notch and
I can't wait for the second entry in this new series.
Great book
Mark is a solid writer who has a gift for excellent prose. Good story with strong characters and a local feel. Worth your time.
Mark is a solid writer who has a gift for excellent prose. Good story with strong characters and a local feel. Worth your time.
Wow! Can't wait for another in the series! Would love to see this as a BBC pr Masterpiece Mysteries series!
I almost gave The Dark Winter 5 stars, but something bothered me about the ending of the book that I can't quite figure out-yet! It may be because I read book #4 in this series, Taking Pity, first. I regret that now! Most of the books I read are in ebook form and borrowed via the Overdrive library app. I will have to exercise more patience and put books on hold in order to read them in sequence.
I also wondered why the back story of Aector McAvoy's conflict with other detectives wasn't dealt with in more detail. Maybe this plot line will become a prequel as it certainly seemed worthy of a whole novel.
All that being said, The Dark Winter left me mulling over the many great characters like Trish Pharoah, McAvoy's boss, and wanting to read others in the series.
I also wondered why the back story of Aector McAvoy's conflict with other detectives wasn't dealt with in more detail. Maybe this plot line will become a prequel as it certainly seemed worthy of a whole novel.
All that being said, The Dark Winter left me mulling over the many great characters like Trish Pharoah, McAvoy's boss, and wanting to read others in the series.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
need a 3 1/2 option. Despite enjoying the storyline, I couldn't give this a 4 rating as there were certain aspects of the main character's personality that didn't ring true for a sergeant in the police force.
First in a series featuring a large, brooding Scottish policeman based in the economically depressed city of Hull, England. This book hit so many marks that usually drive me up a wall. It was written in the present tense, had both a prologue and an epilogue, and overall just was written in an overdramatic style. However, it was a fast read, the plot, though highly implausible, kept me turning the pages, and I found the lead character, Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy, quite different than most.
I won Sorrow Bound, book 3 in this series, last summer, and liked it. This is book 1 in the series and the debut novel for this author. I enjoyed this one also. I give it 3.5 stars(rounded up to 4).
This book revolves around a series of murders which only Detective Aector McAvoy puts together. The 1st murder takes place in Hull and McAvoy is just outside the church/murder scene. He rushes into the church upon hearing a scream, only to be attacked by the killer.
There is some character development that helps me understand book 3. McAvoy is a tortured soul and a determined policeman, who realizes that the wrong person has been arrested. The real killer is not revealed until almost the end.
This book revolves around a series of murders which only Detective Aector McAvoy puts together. The 1st murder takes place in Hull and McAvoy is just outside the church/murder scene. He rushes into the church upon hearing a scream, only to be attacked by the killer.
There is some character development that helps me understand book 3. McAvoy is a tortured soul and a determined policeman, who realizes that the wrong person has been arrested. The real killer is not revealed until almost the end.