I have to admit I hadn’t heard of David Mark’s Aector McAvoy series until Mark was on the mystery panel for the LJ Day of Dialog. Flesh and Blood is the eleventh police procedural in a series set in Hull, England. Several of the books were nominated for Barry Awards. I did feel a little lost reading this one. I felt as if I needed more background on the team. In this case, it wasn’t easy to come into the series with the eleventh book.
Detective Inspector Aector McAvoy is on holiday with his wife and family when he hears he’s been attacked and left for dead back in Hull. Actually, his boss’ lover is a police officer from Iceland, Thor Ingolffson, who resembles McAvoy, and the officers who reported to the crime scene thought it was McAvoy at first. But, it doesn’t help the investigation that DS Trish Pharaoh, McAvoy’s boss, slips out to avoid the media and the higher-ups who will limit her involvement in the case.
Pharaoh is right to worry about her bosses. George Earl, Head of CID, is trying to take her down. In fact, he’s had her under surveillance.
There’s a serial killer in the book, a man Pharaoh put in prison, and suspicion for the attack falls on him. But, it’s all part of a muddled plot with too many suspicious characters, and too many crooked cops.
As I said, I felt lost at times. If I was going to read Mark’s series, I would suggest readers start with The Dark Winter, the first in the series, and a Barry Award nominee for Best First Novel. Meet McAvoy and the team. Learn the surroundings. That’s appropriate reading behavior for a police procedural series.
David Mark’s website is http://www.davidmarkwriter.co.uk/
Flesh and Blood by David Mark. Severn House, 2023. ISBN 9781448309375 (hardcover), 256p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a .PDF to review before moderating a panel that the author was on.
As it happens, I saw something recently somewhere about A DARK WINTER and got it from the library before the ransomware attack shut down everything.
Oh, good. You’ll have to let me know what you think of The Dark Winter, Kevin.
I know I’ve already mentioned (probably more than once!) that THE DARK WINTER is on my list as something I really want to try, but as always, other, newer books keep pouring in (I have three waiting at the library right now), and series like this get pushed back again and again.
*sigh*
Isn’t that a shame, Jeff? I don’t know if I’d like the series if I started from the beginning, but I was late coming to the Bill Slider series, and I love it.
I’d read all of this series and enjoyed them.This one I thrust away in disgust,feeling Mr.Mark had swapped decent,intelligent plotting and characterisation for body horror.I’ve gone off crime fiction and books like this didn’t make me change my mind.
Patricia, Thank you for saying you enjoyed the series up until now. That helps. I’m sorry you’ve gone off crime fiction. I hope you continue to stick around for the blog, at least on Thursdays!
I read and enjoyed the first two books in the series but gave up on it after the third book. It had too much graphic violence in it for me, plus other negatives. But I know it continues to be a very popular series.
I’m sorry this series didn’t work for you, Tracy. I’m sure there are plenty of other books and series out there!