[DS Aector McAvoy 02] • Original Skin

Detective Aector McAvoy returns in a thrilling new case set in Yorkshire; a series of salacious murders has him on the hunt for a sadistic killer in David Mark’s critically acclaimed series.When “swinger” Simon Appleyard is found strung-up and naked in his Hull apartment, the authorities are only too happy to chalk up his death to a suicide. After all, a new gang has taken over the local drug trade, and Detective Superintendent Trish Pharaoh’s Serious and Organized Crime Unit is being run ragged by this well-connected and merciless group of criminals. With violent drug-related crime on the rise, the last thing the police need is an investigation of a depressed young man’s death.But more bodies begin to turn up, and all are somehow connected to the local underground erotic scene. Although Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy would be perfectly content to stay at home with his beloved wife and newborn baby, he begins to suspect that murder is just the tip of the iceberg. As his shrewd investigation brings him uncomfortably close to the local political elite—powerful people who would kill to keep their secrets buried, and who have the power to make or break his career—McAvoy realizes he is hunting a killer who has plenty more targets in sight, and a lust that won’t be satisfied until the River Humber runs red.

Review“Sophisticated plotting, in-depth characters, and sharp dialogue elevate British author Mark’s gritty second police procedural featuring Yorkshire Det. Sgt. Aector McAvoy. Mark expertly brings together two seemingly unrelated investigations while weaving in McAvoy’s devotion to his young family and sensitivity to the Roma background of his wife, Roison, whose extended family becomes involved in his inquiries. Fans of John Harvey and Peter James will find much to like.”—Publisher’s Weekly, Starred review

“McAvoy’s second is an excellent police procedural featuring sex, violence and complex characters who are quirky but likable.”—*Kirkus Reviews *

“Compelling … Richly satisfying and told with remarkable flair, [Original Skin] confirms Mark as one of the darkest of the new faces in British crime writing, and not one to miss.”—Daily Mail (UK)

About the AuthorDavid Mark has been a journalist for 15 years, including 7 years as crime reporter with Yorkshire Post in their Hull office.  Original Skin is the second novel in the DS Aector McAvoy series. The first, The Dark Winter, was the author’s fiction debut.