Thank you so much for this ARC.
Another in the wonderful Aector McAvoy series
This book looks to Aector’s past and as thoroughly enjoyable.
Definitely recommend

No one writes crime thrillers better than David Mark. All his books deserve five ***** star reviews. And then some.
Aector and Roisin McAvoy are once again centre stage in this new mystery which gripped me right from the very first page.
David Mark doesn't just create dark and disturbing plots. He understands the darkness which can't always be contained beyond the veil and sometimes seeps into this world with devastating consequences. He creates an evocative layer of dread and unease where the supernatural suddenly becomes all too credible.
The characterisation is stunning. I have to admit I more than once found myself with lots of empathy for one of the bad guys. The denouement was unexpected and extremely clever.

Unfortunately, I was unable to download this book before it was archived and so am leaving this as a review/explanation as I didn't know what else to do after finding a few books I had managed to miss in a section of my account entitled Not Active: Archived, Not Downloaded; so I thought it best to clear it up. I have already bought a copy and will leave a review on places like Amazon, Goodreads, Waterstones, etc, once I've completed it and formed my thoughts on it. Apologies for any inconvenience and thank you for the opportunity.

First book in this series and indeed by the author, I really enjoyed it and will definitely read more. Dark and chilling.

This is the latest book in the Detective Aector McAvoy series and is the story of a visit to Aector’s estranged family to celebrate his Mother’s birthday. This turns into a murder investigation when he gets involved looking into the suspicious death of his step brother’s wealthy friend. There was also a supernatural element which I must admit did not really seem to have much to do with the main plot and did not appeal to me.
Unfortunately this was not a book I particularly enjoyed and it very didn’t hold my attention, meaning that I skim read several sections.The first few chapters were very muddled with so many characters that I could not keep track of who they all were.
I was at the point of giving up but having read the earlier books which I thoroughly enjoyed I was loath to not finish this one. There was also a lot of unnecessary violence which I did not particularly like.
I didn’t really warm to any of characters apart from Aector and Roisin, his wife, who had a larger role than in the previous novels. The sections about Aector’s childhood were interesting as they explained some of his character traits and I liked the interaction between the two of them, demonstrating their depth of feeling for each other.
I’m not sure what it was but “The Burning Time”was not the book for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

This was a fast paced well written thriller but just not one that I really enjoyed. It may have been the touch of the supernatural which is always a turn off for me. However I do think a lot of readers will enjoy the plot and characters.

After David Mark starts his latest novel with a nod to the celebrated first three words of Herman Melville's masterpiece, the first chapter of The Burning Time made me wonder if I had slipped off the page and fallen into a visceral nightmare straight out of the Derek Raymond playbook displayed in I Was Dora Suarez - there was blood, pain, death, distortion, madness, fire - and human disintegration.
Chapter two reminds readers that we are accompanying Inspector Aector McAvoy on his latest murder investigation. Bear-like McAvoy - based in Hull -  and his beguiling gypsy wife Roisin, have been invited to an all-expenses-paid stay at a luxury hotel in Northumbria  to celebrate the seventieth birthday of McAvoy's mother. Mater and filius have become somewhat estranged over the years, mainly due to mum dispensing with Aector's dad when her son was young, and opting for a newer, richer husband - who insisted on Aector being sent away to boarding school, causing mental scars which have not healed over the years. Aector, via this arrangement, has a step brother called Felix, older than he, and a person who subjected his younger step sibling to all kinds of mental and physical bullying back in the day. It is Felix who has organised the family gathering.
Part of the carnage in chapter one involves  Ishmael Piper - a middle-aged hippy living with a twin curse, the first part being that he was the son of the late and legendary rock guitarist Moose Piper, and the second being that he is suffering from Huntington's Chorea, the degenerative disease whose most famous victim was the American musician Woody Guthrie. Ishmael inherited much of his father's wealth, guitars and memorabilia, but his life has become a protracted car crash. His life comes to an end when his remote cottage on the Northumberland moors is gutted by fire. He is found dead outside, his daughter Delilah clutching his hand, while one of his female companions, asleep in an upstairs room, is the second fatality. Delilah has been badly burned. Later, McAvoy sees her:
'He wants to look away; to jerk back - to not have to see what the flame has done on half of her face. He thinks of wormholes at low tide. He can't help himself: his imagination floods with memories; so many twisted worm-casts in the soft grainy sand.'
McAvoy is an intriguing creation. He is physically massive, but suffers from debilitating shyness and a chronic lack of social confidence. He is, however, formidably intelligent and a very, very good policeman. Crime fiction buffs will know that there is a certain trope in police novels, where the newly promoted detective becomes frustrated with paper work, and longs to be out on the street catching villains. McAvoy is more nuanced:
'It always surprises his colleagues to realise that, in a perfect world, McAvoy would never leave the safety of his little office cubicle at Clough Road Police Station.'
The Puccini aria from Tosca, Recondita Armonia, can be translated as 'strange harmony', and no harmony is stranger than that between McAvoy and his wife Roisin. They share a fierce intelligence, but David Mark portrays her as slender, captivatingly beautiful and blessed - or cursed - with an intuition and silver tongue inherited from her Irish gypsy ancestors, and a dramatic contrast to her physically imposing but socially gauche husband.
McAvoy realises that he has been invited to the family gathering, not out of any desire for reconciliation, but because Felix wants him to find out the truth behind Ishmael's death, a task at which the local police have failed. McAvoy, of course - after bouts of epic violence involving various bit-players in the drama - does find the killer, but in doing so illustrates that the birthday party was nothing other than a bitter charade. The Burning Time - a powerful and sometimes disturbing read -  is published by Severn House and is available now.

EXCERPT: 'What's that, Daddy?'
She's looking past him. Looking through the glass. Looking out past the chicken coop and the wood-store and the little lean-to outhouse where he stores his tools and his pellets and where sacks of fertilizer and cement lean against one another like drunks at a bus-stop. She leans forward, squints theatrically.
'What's what, sugarbun?'
Delilah puts a hand to her brow, the way people do in her storybooks. She can barely make out the outline of the old tower: sticking up like a mid-finger - an exclamation point visible for miles around. She's played in its dark , gloomy hollows since before she could walk. She can call its smell to mind from memory: wet stones and funky moss; dead animals and sheep-poop. She'd like to be out there now. would like to be hunkered down with her daddy and one of her mummies, cuddled up beneath an oilskin and drinking hot chocolate from a Thermos, tasting the static on the air.
'There's somebody on the moor.'

ABOUT 'THE BURNING TIME': An unexpected invite to his estranged mother's surprise birthday party at a fancy Durham hotel gives DI Aector McAvoy and his wife Roisin a chance for a well-deserved holiday. Off-duty, and still recovering from his previous injuries, McAvoy is determined to take advantage of the all-expenses-paid break, despite the old grudges and thick tension between himself and his step-family. However, what should have been a relaxing, if awkward, getaway weekend turns out to be a full-on nightmare, when McAvoy finds himself in the middle of a town drama that involves the tragic demise of Ishmael Piper, a rock star's millionaire son . . . and best friend of McAvoy's charming, bullying step-brother. With dark secrets slowly unravelling, McAvoy needs to put his personal issues aside to unmask the evil forces behind Ishmael's mysterious death before he becomes a victim of them himself . .

MY THOUGHTS: I love Aector McAvoy and his beautiful, fey Romany wife, Roisin, and I was pleased to see Roisin play an integral part in The Burning Time. This is a somewhat darker book than usual, with references to witchcraft, a touch of the paranormal, and some rather gruesome torture scenes. Roisin brings some much-needed light to the proceedings. She instinctively knows how to diffuse situations, but also when someone is lying. She is bright and clever and a breath of fresh air, but I find her health issues somewhat alarming.

Aector is off-balance, in enemy territory, so to speak, and still recovering his injuries from his last case. Roisin is protective of him, not physically perhaps although I have no doubt she would throw herself into the ring to fight for him, but emotionally. He has been rejected by his mother throughout his life, and so the invitation to her birthday from his 'brother' Felix is something of a surprise, but there's an all-expenses paid posh hotel thrown into the invite, so why not?

I loved Aector's tenderness with the grieving child Delilah, and I would have loved to have seen Roisin and Delilah together. That was an opportunity missed.

The characters are complex: Big Harry who may not entirely be trusted; Deon who has been badly treated all his life but has a pure sweet love for Petra, Aector's niece; the creepy and strange Ingle who is convinced witchcraft can save him; and, of course, the delightful Delilah.

There are numerous twists and turns, some delicious and some not-s0 delicious darkness, a mysterious death, and a dispute about a will. A very satisfying read despite some initial confusion, mostly concerning Ingle, which resolves itself as the story progresses.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheBurningTime #NetGalley

I: @davidmarkwriter @severnhouseimprint

X: @DavidMarkWriter @severnhouse

THE AUTHOR: David spent more than 15 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 internationally bestselling Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy novels.

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

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Burning Time by David Mark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Another gritty, solidy, and gripping mystery in this excellent series. Twisty, full of surprises and a unexpected solution.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you’ve visited this blog before, you may know that I’m a big fan of David Mark’s writing. So much so that I aim to read everything he writes. It is visceral, this writing, can be downright gory at times, often medieval in its violence, but mainly it makes you feel – rips your emotions apart and then pummels them around a lot while telling you his story. The Burning Time is no exception.

The Burning Time is very much a part of Aector’s personal story. He’s finally been promoted to D.I. and, against his better judgement, he has allowed Roisin – whom he can never resist – to persuade him into attending his mother, Celia’s surprise 70th birthday party at a posh Durham Hotel. It’s an all-expenses paid trip but Aector doesn’t like his family – and we are about to find out why.

David Mark pulls us into a dark, charged environment where nothing is quite as it seems and no-one is who they want the world to see them as.

Aector’s step-brother Felix is the host at this surprise birthday party and as Aector and Roisin arrive at their hotel, Aector knows he’s really not looking forward to any of it. He doesn’t like his family and the reasons for that become clear as the book progresses.

It doesn’t take too long before Aector discovers that Felix has an ulterior motive for inviting Aector to stay, but even before that comes to light Aector meets seven year old Delilah, a disfigured child who was badly burnt when her father Ishmael, died in a terrible fire.

How McAvoy deals with Delilah is heart-breaking and sincere. Here is a six and a half foot man at his most tender and it is this encounter, more than anything else that happens, that lets you understand the kind of man that Aector is.

Ishmael Piper was a close friend of Felix and the son of internationally renowned rock legend Moose Piper. He lived in a fug of drugs with Delilah and his partner, Heloise, when he and Heloise were burnt to death. Delilh escaped, but with the difigurement that now scars her face.

Big Harry, a local hotel worker, tells McAvoy how devastated Felix was and is about Ishmael’s death. Felix thinks it may have been a deliberate killing, because Ishmael had inherited his father’s money and was forever promising people that he would remember them in his will.

Against his better judgement, McAvoy is drawn into looking at this case. Meanwhile, we are made aware of other, very disturbing events. Somewhere, a man is slowly and deliberately killing a woman, believing her to be possessed of demonic spirits.

At the same time Felix’s daughter, Petra is making out with the local drug dealer, Deon and Felix is less than delighted.

A multi-faceted story line is threaded through with the personal details that show us exactly how McAvoy became the man he is today and why Roisin is exactly the right woman for him. Because when you strip this story down, what you are left with, is a strong and deeply affecting love story that you know is the kind of love that will hold against tempests, wars and any number of rampaging serial killers.

The Burning Time is a dark and often violent read and the characters portrayed are vivid and memorable. It’s a very well told story of murder, madness and greed and I enjoyed it for all those reasons. But what I take away from it is quite different; that is the abiding power of the love between Aector and Roisin; two people who belong together more than should be possible.

It’s that love that makes McAvoy fight when things are at their bleakest; it’s what keeps him alive when death is on his doorstep. I envy him.

Verdict: With excellent storytelling, great characters and a twisty, violent plot, this is another terrific read from David Mark. But that love story – just remarkable.

Families, memories and mayhem!

Strap on your seatbelt and be prepared for a wild ride. Witchcraft and murder greet DS Aector McAvoy and his wife Roisin when they roll into Weardale Village, County Durham, for an all expenses paid time for his estranged mother’s 70th birthday
McCovey is recovering from injuries dealt to him in his last case. His partner DSU Trish Pharaoh is recovering in Taormina, Sicily. They’ve been off for three months
Aector’s gypsy wife Roisin is scared for him. Not on the physical level but the emotional level. Aector’s going to be going into enemy territory. His step-brother Felix bullied and abused him as a kid, boarding school with the upper eschelons finished him off.
Twists, turns, and family challenges dog McAvoy’s steps. Steps that become more intuition and gut feeling than anything else.
Aector is a caring, listening and compassionate soul, aptly demonstrated when he lies in the dirt with the seven year old child Delilah, who had been badly burned the night her father died. He lies on the opposite side of Ishmael’s grave that night talking to her. It’s raining. Delilah has gone to talk to her father. McAvoy doesn’t chastise her or startle her but lies with her and listens.
Complex and disturbing, the story explores old, hurtful and harsh memories for McCavoy. There’s a missing policewoman DI Kate Seville, and a crazed local, Leonard Nightingale. The big question becomes whether Ishmael’s death was suicide or murder.
An almost gothic, satisfying read!

A SeVern House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

‘Call him Ishmael.’

An unexpected invitation. A horrible incident. DI Aector McAvoy receives the first and becomes caught up in the second. Aector and his wife Roísin are invited to his estranged mother’s surprise 70th birthday party. As the birthday party surprise involves an all-expenses paid stay at a fancy hotel in Durham, Aector accepts. There’s history there: Aector has never got on with his stepfamily, and there seem to be grudges held on both sides. But this trip will not be the relaxing holiday Aector and Roísin were hoping for. Not long after their arrival they become caught up in the death of Ishmael Piper, millionaire son of rockstar Moose Piper and best friend of Aector’s stepbrother Felix Darling.

Ishmael’s house burned down with him inside. Was Ishmael’s death a tragic accident or was he murdered? The town seems divided between those who think Ishmael was murdered (and plenty of opinions as to who) and those who see his death as an unfortunate but inevitable accident.

There is nothing straightforward in this case. Aector himself is in danger, there are several weird characters, a hint or two of witchcraft and several twists in the tale. At various stages I thought it unlikely that there would be a thirteenth instalment in this series (I hope there is). I should have had more confidence in both Aector and his indomitable wife, Roísin.

A terrific addition to a fine series!

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is more of a book that might have been for Halloween reading, with its darkness of family secrets, family backstabbing, family secrets: just general gothic otherness. While a police procedural it's also a look at family Dynamics and the secrets that we tell in the reasons why we don't share them. It's an interesting look at McAvoy's family and how he grew up, and why he is the way he is because of that. For those who love the series, this is a must read for those new to it. Stay with the first few chapters and you'll be into a tightly woven mystery with lots of red herrings.

3.5 Stars..
The Burning Time is number 12 in the DS Aector McAvoy series. Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the opportunity to read an early ARC. David Mark has become one of my favourite writers of thrillers since learning about his books online. I have read some early books in this series and his excellent standalone books.

The beginning is weird and confusing, but all becomes clear later in the story. This was a suspenseful, dark and grim book with an eerie touch of the paranormal. Some of the characters are adherents to the belief in black magic, spells and curses, the occult, and witchcraft. The title "The Burning Time " refers to the era when accused witches were burned.

DS Aector McAvoy is off-duty, recovering from a recent painful series of work-related injuries. He is married to a beautiful Romani woman, Roisin, who helps soothe his troubled moods. She has a touch of supernatural awareness. They receive an invitation to McAvoy's mother's upcoming birthday party, hosted by his stepbrother Felix. McAvoy dreads attending as he has been long-estranged from his mother and Felix. He resents how badly they treated him when he was young, and this has caused feelings of insecurity and McAvoy's lasting, troubled moods. Since the invitation included an all-expense stay at a luxury hotel, the couple decided to attend for the chance to relax at the upscale hotel and use the trip as a holiday while still dreading the birthday party with the family of snobs.

I found the book well-written and thrilling, as usual. It was darker than earlier books, with changes in tone and mood throughout. There are gruesome, disturbing descriptions of torture and intended torture, and a previous assumed murder. I found the chapters too long, and the descriptions were wordy but well-written.

When McAvoy and Roisin arrive at the grand, upscale hotel, they become aware of rumours that he is there to solve a murder for Felix, his stepbrother. As the rumours spread, McAvoy's life is in danger. Almost nothing is said about an upcoming birthday party. Felix is overcome with grief and obsessed that his best friend, Ishmael, was murdered and wants the killer found and punished. Ishmael was the popular millionaire son of one of the most renowned and famous rock stars. Both he and his father believed in demons. Ishmael's home was set on fire, causing his death. His young daughter survived but was badly burned. Ishmael promised to leave parts of his inheritance to many of his friends when he died. Could this be a motive for murder?

Some additional characters are Big Harry, a friendly hotel worker who loves local gossip; Petra, Felix's 14-year-old daughter, who is attracted to bad boys; Ingle, who believes a witch has cursed him, making him suffer; and Deon, a young thief and drug dealer. It is unclear whether the murder was for money or if paranormal beliefs were a factor. There are many suspects, and McAvoy is reluctantly drawn into the mystery as he learns many secrets.

Recommended for fans of mysterious crimes, intriguing characters, and a troubled, resourceful, and likeable detective. I wish McAvoy had been given a chance to recover from previous injuries before being wounded again. Publication is set for December 5.

Newly promoted DI Aector Mc Avoy is a fascinating character, I think I love him! I really enjoyed this book despite it being a bit confusing to start with. The formatting didn't really help, with too many words being crammed on to each page. That aside, the plotting was centred around the paranormal, a touch of the occult and some witchcraft. There are some graphic scenes of violence but I absolutely loved the rollercoaster ride and would recommend the read to fans of the genre. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of The Burning Time, the twelfth novel to feature newly minted DI Aector McAvoy of Humberside Police.

Roísin accepts an invitation to Aector’s estranged mother’s seventieth birthday party in County Durham. She thinks that they need a luxury break, but it doesn’t turn out that way as Aector gets involuntarily involved in the strange death of Ishmael Pope, son of a millionaire rockstar and best friend of Aector’s estranged stepbrother, Felix Darling.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Time, which has the trappings of the esoteric, but a more mundane motive. I’m not given to awarding 5 stars, as I like to save that for the special reads that I don’t want to put down and rush back to if I have to leave it. This is one of those reads. It has a bit of everything, interesting plot, twists, strange characters, annother beating and a further look at Aector and his troubled personality.

Ishmael Pope is dead and his house burned down. Accident or murder, no one is quite sure, although Felix is sure it is murder and he has the means and influence to insist on an investigation. Aector suspects Felix is behind his invitation with the aim of coercing him into investigating and he’s not happy. Events overtake him and he ends up involved. There is a real sense of nebulousness in this novel, where nothing is clear, right down to doubt that his mother will turn up for the party. What comes through is the damage done to Aector in his childhood and the love he and Roísin share,

There is a lot of talk about witchcraft and spells in this novel. Ishmael may have had an interest and one of his girlfriends definitely did, as did one of the suspects. When the author gets down to business it’s all about motive and opportunity and it’s Roísin leading the charge. I was glued to the pages, falling for the misdirection and loving the twists.

The Burning Time is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I've only read one of this long running series so this was more less a standalone for me but Mark made it feel like I was totally up to speed on everyone and everything. DS Aector McAvoy and his wife Roisin find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery when they, reluctantly, on his part, go to his mother's birthday party- a party hosted by his step brother. Turns out his stepbrother wants him to solve the murder of Ishmael, his best friend. Aector's difficult family history and childhood looms large but the mood is lightened by Roisin, a Romani with, shall we say supernatural powers. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is less gritty than twisty and it makes for a good read.

3.5 stars

In this 12th book in the Detective Inspector Aector McAvoy series, the sleuth has a busman's holiday.

*****
Detective Inspector Aector McAvoy is cajoled into attending a seventieth birthday party for his mother Cecelia, who he hasn't seen in years. For the occasion, McAvoy and his wife Roisin travel to County Durham, where they stay in the luxurious Durham Hotel. All expenses are being paid by McAvoy's stepbrother Felix, who's organizing the festivities.

The entire situation is difficult for McAvoy, who has a chilly relationship with both his mother Cecelia and his stepbrother Felix.

After McAvoy's parents divorced, Cecilia coaxed McAvoy away from his father's farm, saying she wanted to spend more time with him. Instead, Cecilia and her new husband sent young McAvoy away to a posh boarding school, where he didn't fit in. At the academy, McAvoy was mercilessly bullied by fellow students, including his stepbrother Felix. Now McAvoy has something like PTSD from the terrible experience, though he acknowledges the fine education helped his career in the police department, where his learning helped him succeed.

McAvoy would like to skip the birthday festivities and go home, though his wife Roisin - a beautiful, exotic Romani - is enjoying the hotel amenities, and entrancing the boarding school men who remind McAvoy of the bad old days.

It seems McAvoy's stepbrother Felix has an agenda for luring the detective to County Durham. Felix's best friend, wealthy hippie Ishmael Piper - son of a legendary rock star Moose Piper - recently died in suspicious circumstances.

Rumors suggest Felix wants McAvoy to investigate Ishmael's death, and the chatter causes all manner of trouble.

Ishmael, who perished in a horrible fire, was a friendly, well-liked fellow who told almost everyone in town they'd inherit a little something when he passed. Moreover, Ishmael had two 'wives' helping raise his young daughter Delilah, and he believed in spirits and demons, which attracted odd people to Ishmael's vicinity.

Many people in the area are possible suspects in Ishmael's death, and some would go to drastic lengths to keep McAvoy from looking their way. As a result, McAvoy becomes embroiled in dangerous situations that threaten his life.

A cornucopia of characters add interest to the novel: Big Harry - the affable concierge of the Durham Hotel, who's full of local gossip; Hettie - stepbrother Felix's wife, who seems cowed, unhappy, and apprehensive; Petra - Felix and Hettie's 14-year-old daughter, who's attracted to bad boys; Deon - a bad boy drug dealer who's on police radar; Ingle - a troubled man who believes a witch cast a spell on him; and more.

I enjoyed this fast-moving thriller, which has plenty of action and a touch of the occult.

Thanks to Netgalley, David Mark, and Severn House for a copy of the manuscript.

With thanks to Severn House and the author and Netgalley for this advanced readers copy. This is the first Aector McAvoy story I have read so did not have any preconceptions about the story. McAvoy travels to attend a family party when he and his wife get caught up in a murder. The first chapter made me think of Edgar Allen Poe with its tone. Subsequent chapters swoop all over the place with their tone. That said if was an engrossing story although the fact I have not read previous books made it harder for me to understand the main character McAvoy. It was an engrossing book if a bit dark for me and I prefer slightly less description of violence and bad language. I would still recommend this book to lovers of police procedural.

The Aector McAvoy series continues on. There was a time a few books ago I thought it was time for Aector to retire but alas he continues.

David Mark is a fabulously unique writer, as is Aector in character; I don’t think there any other quite like this team.

A book that adds more flesh to Aector’s past, full of mystic and black magic. It’s a book for the McAvoy purists as it’s the first book that really focuses on him but also Roision and their relationship with no Trish Pharoah to speak of.

It’s a bit weird, strange and as ever David Mark likes to use 5 words when one is sufficient but the words and he uses them are sublime and never wasted.

As a note to the publisher- Severn House - you have an author on your hands who will write you bestsellers, please stop pricing your books so prohibitively - £21 for a kindle book is simply not going to generate sales and it alienates a massive audience.