The Dark Winter: A Novel (Detective Sergeant McAvoy Book 1)

This novel feels like it was made by cutting and pasting from other, better books. MacAvoy himself is a chimera: at once a blissfully happy family man and a man who neglects his family for the job; a man who loves his wife but contemplates an affair with his boss; a police officer who denounces wrongdoing in his department but who tortures a suspect. He's handsome and strong and a role model but he's also a screwup with anger issues. He's the "best cop on the force" but ends up waiting until the case's solution is more or less handed to him.Nothing about McAvoy makes any sense, he's completely inconsistent. Reading this novel is like holding the "channel up" button on your TV remote and watching a few seconds of every program. It all feels familiar but doesn't hold together."The Dark Winter's" story is lamentably weak. The cops don't really do an investigation, they just blunder around and stumble over the solution. There's no way to feel involved in the case because you quickly realize that all you can do is wait for the egg timer to empty. There's never anything at stake. The killer and the crimes are laughably implausible .. this book made me miss the days when a detective novel was satisfied to walk through and solve a single puzzling crime fairly.Give it a pass, even for free.

First Sentence: The old man looks up, and for a moment it feels as though he is staring through the wrong end of a telescope.An old man is telling a journalist the story of how he survived the sinking of a trawler thirty years ago. They take a break and he disappears only to be found dead later in a lifeboat off the coast of Finland. Det. Sgt. McAvoy is sitting at an outdoor café with his son when they hear panicked screaming from the church across the way. As he arrives, he barely being struck by a blade carried by a man all in black. What he does find is a young woman, hacked to death.It’s always a bit sad to be introduced to a character one likes only to have him be the first victim. We then segue to our protagonist is peacefully sitting in the town square only to have total chaos.McAvoy is an interesting character whose personality belies his physical appearance. He has a past with the force, resulting in some bitterness. He’s a wonderfully complex character. He’s a cop who really cares about his job… “…And he knows that the reason he has to catch the right man…It’s because somebody has to give a damn about the rules. Idealistic? Perhaps; but it makes him an interesting character.Mark provides some wonderfully evocative descriptions which provide a strong sense of place. “There are still proud homeowners here and there. Amid the black teeth and rotted gums of the burned-out and vandalized houses stands the occasional white-painted molar.”The story had an excellent plot. As the pieces started fitting together, the pace increased and uncovering the villain and the motive keep the pace moving forward at a fast pace, but not without some introspection.“The Dark Water” is a very credible debut book and a character interesting enough to what to know more.THE DARK WINTER (Pol Proc-Det. Sgt. Aector McAvoy-Hull, England-Contemp) – VG+Mark, David – 1st in seriesA Plume Book, 2012

David Mark writes an intriguing murder mystery novel taking place in the region of Yorkshire, an historic county of Northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Mark was a journalist for some 15 years and had accumulated several tries at novels before producing his debut "The Dark Winter". In this work Mark creates his mild mannered sleuth, one detective sergeant Aector (Hector) McAvoy, a giant, timid, humble Highlander, living and working on an elite crime squad in Hull.The underlying mystery in the novel is born from a coincidental collection of individuals who had survived an otherwise deadly encounter only to find themselves reliving the past as victims once again. The story unfolds as a seemingly unconnected series of events sewn together by a single elusive thread; with who and the why to be solved by the steadfast resolve of Aector McAvoy.Mark draws an unusual character in McAvoy, one divergent from the standard stock of detective material. This characterization seems somewhat alien to the general nature of police detectives as measured by the take most writers harbor and while seeming to make a somewhat endearing character, may have gone a bit over the top; you will have to be the judge. Otherwise, the novel is generally well written, though long on many colloquial expressions that is sure to befuddle the western reader some. The story line moves right along and keeps the reader involved through the developments. There are a couple of good twists in the plot, although an astute mystery reader will find them lurking in the background and have guessed them.All and all the novel is a pleasant read, engaging enough to keep the reader's attention and steeped in enough mystery to pique one's curiosity.If you are a detective mystery lover, I would rate this novel "pleasurable - though not memorable" and would recommend it for your reading list.

This was a good read, the only Aector MacAvoy I've tried, but not as good as David Mark's other books (not part of the series), which I absolutely loved. I'll try the 2nd in the series though, because I love this author.

The Dark Winter is a riveting, thought provoking crime detection novel with a unique protagonist. Sergeant McAvoy breathes life into a detective with an unrelenting, profound sense of “ rightness “ in a world gone wrong. This novel explores the horrors that occur when heinous crimes are committed by someone’s just or “ right “ reason.

First reading by this author. Great and interesting storyline. Have become fan of mysteries and crime stories outside of US. This one is top notch. Great characters and so much suspense. Couldn’t put the book down. Recommended to anyone who likes detective/police crime stories.

‘“Hull isn’t in the North East, sir. It’s in the East Riding of Yorkshire.”’Dark Winter is a book that has been sitting waiting on my Kindle for what seems like an eternity! This means that I am way behind everybody else with Mark’s Detective Aector McAvoy series as Dark Winter is the first in a series of six. I was initially drawn to this book because it is set in Hull and written by a Hull author.When a fifteen year old is stabbed to death in Holy Trinity Church, Detective McAvoy is first on the scene and sees the killer. When further killings occur McAvoy is the only detective to see a link between them.I really liked Aector McAvoy as a character. He is a big bear of a man who has a real gentleness about him. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his dark side – let’s face it, most detectives in crime novels do – and he can undoubtedly hold his own but he is principled and believes in honest justice which is something his colleagues are often willing to overlook. From a character point of view, Dark Winter works well as the initial novel in a series. The reader is given enough information about McAvoy’s past to be intrigued and there is clearly more to come with this character.I don’t want to talk too much about the plot for fear of giving anything away but have to mention that I really liked the reasons for the killings. It adds another layer and pulls together what seem initially to be disparate threads together nicely. The plot kept me interested and wanting to read more. Dark Winter is well paced and Mark ensures that the plot moves along at a decent speed.The setting of Hull plays a large and important part in Dark Winter. It perfectly adds to the atmosphere of the novel. Dark Winter was first published in 2012 and at that time Hull was one of those northern cities that had been decimated by the loss of industry. There was always a prevailing sense of loss and hopelessness within Hull and its many run-down streets that Mark captures well in Dark Winter. However, he also captures the sense of pride and identity that people from Hull have about their city and this is highlighted when even McAvoy, a non-Hull native, points out that Hull is in Yorkshire. I very much hope that with City of Culture status and five years on from Dark Winter that Hull is able to reach its potential and become the great city I hold so affectionately in my heart. I will be interested to see if there are any changes in the way Hull is portrayed by Mark in the following books.A great start to a detective series, I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Winter and read it in no time at all. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series now that I have started and look forward to seeing where Mark takes McAvoy. I am also interested to see if the descriptions of Hull change over time. If you are looking for a gritty, northern read check Dark Winter out.

I rather enjoyed Dark Winter the 1of McAvoy books but there is so much I want to know about his history. He is a bit of a romantic figure, a loving husband and father but also a detective determined to get to the depths of a case for justice. The book begins with him sitting with his son, waiting for his beloved wife to meet them with her Christmas shopping. Screams ring out from the nearby church and he runs towards the screams.I could continue with more but I don't want to spoil this for other readers.

Dark Winter by David MarkI've had this book for a long time before a recommendation from a book club brought it to the top of my TBR pile. How have I missed it before? Excellent.The lead character has all the angst that besets most police officers in today's books: dark backstory; at odds with superiors and colleagues alike and an unhealthy attitude in their own worth. However, for a change this is the description of a MALE officer.... And one with the ability to reflect and the emotional intelligence to learn.An intriguing start to a series with a novel and complex plot, this book held me. I had guessed who the villain was early in the story but had no idea why the disparate crimes were committed and therefore puzzled about motive. The solution unraveled at the right pace to keep my interest and my understanding. A satisfying read.If the rest of the series maintains this promise, I look forward to getting to know the gentle giant, 'Hector' and his wonderful, sexual and together female boss in more depth. Exciting to find a 'new to me' author with promise.Q

This is a dark, bleak and atmospheric police procedural with a strong sense of location in Hull. It is a rain sodden, grim and rundown city in economic decline with high unemployment. It is the first in the series and we are introduced to DS Aector McAvoy, a happily married man with a young son, Fin. He is a man with an immense physical presence, but is a gentle with an inner geek and a strong intuition. After a turbulent past as a whistleblower, which has made him few friends, he is looking to keep his head down, but that plan soon goes up in smoke.It is coming up to Christmas and there are some horrific and gruesome murders, one of which McAvoy is at the scene of and gets knocked over by the killer. The police have a suspect and are wanting to leave it at that. Trouble is McAvoy is convinced the suspect is not guilty, and being a principled man, cannot help but dig deeper. He finds connections between the apparently unrelated murders. Each victim dies in a scenario which they had previously escaped from. There turns out to be a truly twisted killer on the loose.This is a well written and plotted debut novel. The cast of characters is well developed, I particularly liked Detective Superintendant Trish Pharoah, Aector's boss and his son, Fin. The writer has utilised his background as a experienced crime reporter to deliver a gritty and gripping crime story with sufficient mileage to run as a series. Thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

I was impressed with Aector McEvoy, his innate goodness despite, you guessed it shadows in his past. Aector McEvoy had been instrumental in flushing out a corrupt boss, and his hangers-on which has made him feel like something of an outsider in his new role in the serious crime squad. Fortunately he doesn’t have a drink problem just a complete and absolute belief in justice.When the sole survivor of a trawler tragedy thirty years before is wooed by the money promised by a TV show to mark the anniversary goes missing in the middle of the ocean only to be found later dead in a lifeboat floating of the coast of Finland, cause apparent suicide, no-one pays an awful lot of attention.Aector McEvoy’s story opens in the run up to Christmas when Aector is waiting to meet his pregnant wife Roison, minding Fin, their young son in a café when he hears screaming. In a nearby church a young Somalian girl is found slashed. The crime should be easy to solve after all Aector saw him on the way out, before he got hit, but no the bodies in Hull’s morgue keep mounting up, all the victims died in different ways but Aector is determined to find the link.This is a swiftly paced book with plenty of action. It is also a book that is very much setting the scene for a series, there are links here to the ongoing story arc that would have enhanced my understanding of the relationship between Aector and his boss Trish Pharaoh. Trish Pharaoh is a great character, tough and yet with an understanding of Aector, willing to forgive his somewhat maverick tendencies when he feels necessary. Having said that, it is a fairly standard police procedural albeit with a superb plot-line. If you prefer your crime to come without too much violence, this probably isn’t one for you. The scenes while not gratuitous, give enough variations on how a man or woman can die to make the sternest of natures feel a little squeamish.David Mark gives a real sense of place in Hull, this is a town which has lost its way; definitely past its best and with some understated sentences conjures up a picture of what the realities of this are. He doesn’t go down the lazy route though of painting an entirely black picture of the town, this is a realistic portrait where some homeowners are determined not to leave the area where they grew up.The Dark Winter is an assured debut novel although perhaps if I’d read this first not quite shining enough to make me follow the series but knowing that there is better still to come means that I am now looking forward to Aector’s next outing.