Tuesday 2 June 2020

Book review : Sorrow Bound - David Mark


Sorrow Bound is the third book in the DS McAvoy series, but it can be read and enjoyed if you haven't read the others. I was a newcomer to the series and picked up the book in the 2 for £5 section at The Works.

The book begins with the horrifically brutal murder of a woman. We don't really know who she is, who the murderer is or why she has been chosen as a victim. She seems like a nice woman so what has provoked such a violent attack ?

We are soon introduced to the various members of the local police department. Trish Pharaoh, described as "sexy and mumsy and hard as f***ing nails", Helen Tremberg, who seems to have a hidden weakness, the hard-to-like DI Sharon Archer and DS Aector McAvoy, a man with a past as hard to unravel as his Christian name is to pronounce. He is married to a young Romany woman and it is clear that there is a large back-story here, quite possibly dealt with in one of the previous novels. Having rescued her as a teenager who had been assaulted and raped, he apparently took on her attackers. There is clearly a lot more to Aector than meets the eye and I didn't really feel that this book revealed much of his intriguing personality. Even Roisin, his wife, seems to be a feisty character who could have played a larger role in this novel.

That aside, there is a lot going on in terms of storyline. As the murders start mounting up, a link is found between them. They were all involved in saving the life of a man - a man whose extensive injuries mean that he would be incapable of undertaking a new crime spree. So who is behind them? 

As the police focus on the case, several members of the team are dragged into the problems. They each keep their issues to themselves, worrying and making choices that put themselves or their colleagues in danger.

The end of the story left me wanting more, as there are too many unanswered questions. At one point, there is a scene of major violence, but we don't know if the people concerned (fairly important, central characters) survive or lose their lives. I'm sure these characters will be followed up in the next novel, but I would have preferred to find out what happened in this book.

It's an enjoyable read, with lots going on and many intriguing, believable characters. Definitely a series worth looking into.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £8.99

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks (5 Oct. 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1473668840
ISBN-13: 978-1473668843
Product Dimensions: 14.1 x 2.4 x 20.1 cm




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