Customer Reviews

Sorrow Bound (Ds Aector Mcavoy 3)

David Mark’s police series set in a grim and gritty Hull has become a must-read for me. In this third outing for Aector McAvoy, the over-arching story of the ongoing struggle against drug-lords continues while, in the foreground, Aector is pursuing a serial-killer with a strangely warped motive.

This is markedly more brutal and violent than the other two books, but this is offset by the central character of Aector himself and his almost religious love for his wife and family. Other characters are also becoming firm favourites: especially Trish Pharaoh with her overt sexuality and rough wit which conceals tragedy in her domestic life. And it’s this rounding of characters which makes this series so gripping.

Hull is becoming another character in its own right, and these books are shot through with a brooding, bleak and melancholy atmosphere. This is clever crime writing with a tangible sense of moral purpose – recommended.

(This review is from an ARC courtesy of the publisher)

This is the third in the Aector MacAvoy series and although I haven’t read the previous books it worked well for me as a stand-alone read. As in all the best novels in this genre there are a number of strands to the story, not least Aector’s struggles to get back to his previous self after whatever incident had injured him in his previous outing. To help him integrate back into his role he has to see the Police psychologist to get a clean bill of health. Aector isn’t really terribly enamoured with spilling his secrets to Sabine Keane and is relieved when he has a murder to investigate along with his superior Trish Pharaoh.

Aector comes across as a really likeable man who has a strong grip on what’s right and what is wrong. There is no falling out with either his superiors or the most junior members of his team but when it becomes apparent there is a sadistic serial killer menacing the good citizens of Hull, Aector is determined to find the culprit, and of course to catch him there he has to understand the motive.

A crime committed long ago, a drug dealer who wants to own the city and blackmail of another police officer are all put into the mix which meant that there was no time to sit back and relax for a moment during Aector’s race against time to stop any more murders.

This is not one for the faint hearted, this killer is brutal and David Mark doesn’t spare the reader any of the horrifying detail with more than a dash of violence in many an encounter. However, I think the subject matter is given a little lift by the observations such as walls being described as the colour of Elastoplast, the musing over whether his psychologist had been saddled with a rhyming name from birth and one action scene in a laundrette made me smile whilst simultaneously wincing, an art indeed!

Although the serial murder plot is neatly tied up with only a slight rising of my eyebrows as to motive the ongoing issue of the drugs plot that wove its way through the book is left to be continued in the next book where Aector may have to face the consequences of a long kept secret.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher’s Quercus ahead of the publication date 3 April 2014 in return for my review.

This third instalment of the Aector Mcavoy series opens more insights into Aector's private life whilst again involving you in complex, brutal crime stories.
David Marks books are getting better and better.

Before Sorrow Bound I hadn't read a David Mark book before but knew that this was part of a series. Whilst I think it's best to have read previous books first, I did really enjoy this book and I will definitely be rectifying the mistake of not having read this author before in the very near future! Just after reading the book's Prologue I knew I would love this book. In the first chapter we are introduced to Aector McEvoy. Straightaway I was intrigued. McEvoy is talking to a psychiatrist (not by choice) and immediately I wanted to know why. What's happened in the past to get him to this point? Clearly this is a man with demons and a past, I can't wait to read previous books. Aector is a very, very intriguing character. David Mark has definitely created a very unique character here. The book also has a fantastic cast of characters, especially Aector's superior Trish Pharaoh.

David Mark does not hold back with this book. Me personally I like my crime fiction to be as gruesome as possible. However I have read reviews of other books which are particularly gruesome where people say they didn't like it. That certainly isn't the case for me. The descriptions used and the ways in which characters are killed definitely isn't for the faint hearted, very, very brutal. In a crime fiction book I ask for brutal deaths, non-stop action and a storyline which makes you want to keep reading until you reach the end. I got that with this book, and then some! We learn that there is a long running drug storyline carrying on from books one and two and I can't wait to go back and read more about that. The book was definitely gripping from start to finish. Murder, blackmail, mystery, intrigue and a bit of humour thrown into the mix. What more can you want?

I also enjoyed the setting. A lot of the crime fiction I have read recently has been either set in America or London and so it was a nice change to read one set in Hull. I don't know much about Hull other than it is going to be the City of Culture and it's where this book is set. It is clear however from reading the book that the author has captured it incredibly well. I always want the place(s) that books are set to play as much a role in the book as the actual characters and Hull definitely came alive (and died) within this book's pages.

I will definitely be purchasing books 1 and 2 very soon and will be eagerly awaiting book number 4!

Left me on a cliff hanger and I want to read the next book NOW! I love these David Mark books and was hooked on the first one, they're brilliantly well plotted and give a lot of insight into the lives that each character lives out of the police force. What makes them tick etc. I like Aector and his wife and children they are such a nice family. I like helen and ben, dont like colin and shaz, but make up your own minds I'd recommend this series to anyone who asked me what did you think? Bloomin marvelous!! The first time I understood and felt sorry for a serial killer!!