Having not read any of the other books in the series, I was unsure whether I was going to find this book an easy ride. Would there be too much information that I had missed? However, like with a lot of crime/thriller/detective books, because the detective is dealing with a new case I didn’t have that much trouble. Yes, there were a few backstories about DS McAvoy’s life that I had missed, but nothing to stop this book being enjoyable.

To be honest, I use the word enjoyable in a loose sense of the word, because whilst the book was brilliant, engaging, and certainly had me hooked, I’m not sure a book as gruesome as this one was at times, could be called enjoyable.

The prologue, which is set in ‘The Jungle’ refugee camp in France gives you an indication as to how gruesome this book is going to be, with the graphic murder of one of the refugees, committed by someone he thought was his friend.

The plot, now in the UK, moves onto the abduction of a young girl who was having a horse riding lesson. The abductor gives the girls injured trainer a message to pass on, ‘Tell him he is going to pay’. With two opening scenes like these you know that the plot is going to be fast paced and filled to the brim with action.

Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is an absolutely amazing character. He’s a married father of two little children living in Hull. He’s very likeable and you get a sense of security radiating from him whilst reading, knowing that you can put your faith in him to solve the crimes.

There are numerous secondary plots interweaving with the main. Whilst I knew some were going to be connected, I was never quite sure how. There are also quite a lot of characters, all with their own unique personalities, so I never had trouble remembering them.

Scorched Earth was certainly suspenseful and totally exhilarating. David Mark’s writing is superb, totally addictive and very dark. I now have six other books to go back and read.

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.

His writing is heavily influenced by the court cases he covered: the defeatist and jaded police officers; the competent and incompetent investigators; the inertia of the justice system and the sheer raw grief of those touched by savagery and tragedy.

He has written seven novels in the McAvoy series, as well as two McAvoy novellas. His first historical thriller, The Zealot’s Bones, is out now.

David’s Radio 4 drama, A Marriage of Inconvenience, aired last year. His first novel is currently being adapted for the stage. He has also written for the stage and has contributed articles and reviews to several national and international publications. He is a regular performer at literary festivals and is a sought-after public speaker. He also teaches creative writing.

David also starts to get all squirmy and self-conscious when he looks at stuff like this, so we’ll leave it there.