It’s the coldest winter in Hull for years. When McAvoy is told by a concerned stranger that an elderly women hasn’t been seen for a few days, he goes to check on her – only to find her body encased in ice: the heating off; the windows open; the whole house frozen over. It could be a macabre accident, but when McAvoy finds a series of cryptic messages, he senses murder. Someone watched her die.
As he starts to uncover the victim’s story and her connections to a lost fishing trawler, his boss Trish is half a world away, investigating a mysterious death in Iceland. Hull and Iceland have traditionally been united by fishing – but in this case, they are united by a secret concealed for half a century, and a series of brutal killings that have never been linked. Until now – when the secrets of the dead have returned to prey on the living.
Wow. David Mark has given us a right chilly thriller this time, featuring gentle giant McAvoy and the edgy engaging Trish Pharoah.
Set against the backdrop of the old fishing community in Hull and the cold but beautiful Iceland, both are looking into recent deaths that hide age old secrets. A pact made years before comes back to haunt those who agreed it and that haunting comes with blood..
I’ve always loved this series because the mystery elements are always so clever and involving, the descriptive sense of it is often deeply disturbing and David Mark paints his landscapes in vivid, authentic colour.
This particular story has an almost horror film vibe, with darkly violent acts bringing hidden lies slowly out into the light. It is cleverly woven and hugely satisfying with a strong emotional core.
The ending is brilliant and the whole thing beautifully unpredictable.
Another winner in this already winning series.
Recommended.
You can purchase Cold Bones (Mulholland) Here.
Happy Reading!
