Four murders. Two detectives. One mystifying crime. On Christmas Eve, DCI Mackenzie Jones is called to a shooting at a remote farmhouse. Ralph Mallender believes his father lies dead inside. When three more bodies are discovered, it’s clear a festive family gathering has turned into a gruesome tragedy.At first it seems like an open and shut case: a murder suicide committed by Ralph’s volatile … committed by Ralph’s volatile brother Cameron. Then new evidence makes Mack suspect the man who reported the crime is in fact the perpetrator.
But Mack isn’t the only one with a stake in the case. Private investigator Atticus Priest has been hired to get Ralph acquitted. That means unearthing any weaknesses in Mack’s evidence.
Irascible, impatient and unpredictable, Atticus has weaknesses of his own. Mack knows all about them because they share a past – both professionally and personally. This time round, however, they aren’t on the same side. And as Atticus picks at the loose ends of the case, everything starts to unravel in a way neither of them could ever have predicted…
Praise for Mark Dawson:
“Mark Dawson’s books are sharper than a stiletto. Absolutely brilliant.” – Matt Nixson, Books Editor, Mail on Sunday
“It’s impossible not to think of Lee Child’s super-selling Jack Reacher.” – The Times
“A literary sensation.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Mark Dawson has all the skills. A great thriller writer on the top of his game.” –Sunday Times bestselling author Steve Cavanagh
“Nerve-shreddingly tense. Utterly addictive” – Bestselling author MJ Arlidge
“A terrific fast-paced read. Mark Dawson knows how to tell a great story.” – Bestselling author Scott Mariani
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While I thought the first couple of chapters were a bit ho-hum, it soon got going and was a great read. I’d read another Atticus book.
A shooting at a remote farmhouse on Christmas Eve launches DCI Mackenzie Jones and her team on a murder investigation. On the face of it, the culprit seems all too obvious—a murder/suicide by an unstable sibling leaves estranged son Ralph Mallender mourning the deaths of not only his parents, but his younger brother and sister too.
But DCI ‘Mack’ Jones isn’t so sure and soon discovers reasons to put the surviving son firmly in the frame for murder. Meanwhile, the accused man’s wife doesn’t believe her husband could be guilty and seeks help from former cop-turned-private-investigator Atticus Priest. Can Priest unearth the truth behind the murders, or is the case simply what it appears to be—a greedy son murdering his family for money?
This is the second Mark Dawson novel I’ve read (the first being The Cleaner), and it’s an interesting read. Having said that, my first impressions were not favourable. Firstly, the plot screamed similarities to the true-life White House Farm murders, and for a while it was difficult to focus on anything else. Then it was the author’s ridiculous overuse of the word ‘that’—there are whole passages where the word stands out like the proverbial sore thumb in almost every sentence.
However.
Once I got into it, I was gripped. The plot is clever and realistic and even the court scenes (which so many authors simply can’t write) are well-crafted and entertaining. The plot twists are also nicely done and don’t come over as convoluted or exaggerated but work very well within the confines of the story. The main characters of Atticus and Mack and their bit of ‘history’ are entirely believable and left me hungry for more.
Nice one, Marky.
Liked it a lot, downloaded 2nd in series.
Well written. Excellent characters.
I miss Atticus already!! Please write another book with Atticus….he leaps off the page, a fully developed character with foibles, humor and a mind that works overtime. He reminds me of Holmes only in his superb ability to analyze situations and scenes from the crime.
And there is something about a quiet Christmas Eve disturbance of murder, in a locked house, multiple victims, and the idea someone was walking around inside.
Mack, his ex boss and inspector, is another character you can picture as the author, with a few words, really developes each character.
You have a case with the last family member sitting in the car calling for help for his family only to then be accused of the crime! That was a total surprise. As more information comes out, more suspects are found and you get to see the judicial process in action.
Atticus with his dog, is a delight. He may have fallen on hard times but his skills are not rusty, and his humanity is still firmly in place. A lot of clues, insights on people’s behavior, atmosphere and a surprise conclusion. Five stars and may there be many more in this new series.
A different type story for Mark Dawson but well written, twisty and very readworthy. 4 stars for Dawson is pretty much on auto for me and maybe someday i’ll give someone 5 stars.
Love all of Dawson’s characters, keep them coming.
It is great to see Mark Dawson exploring another genre, this time a police procedural/Private Investigator tale but with a very quirky PI as the lead character.
Dawson has always excelled at creating brilliant characters, really strong plot lines and great descriptions of locations and this first book in the series delivers all those superbly, whilst the locations aren’t as as exotic as some in his other series, nevertheless the English countryside is evoked perfectly.
Using a PI and police officer who have a shared past isn’t original, but is still a great basis for an enjoyable and exciting story, and has great potential for future books.
I received an advance copy of this book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.
I am a Mark Dawson fan. This was probably my least favorite of his books. While the book was “okay”, I was not able to connect with or enjoy the characters of this book.
Good read. New character for Mr. Dawson. Enjoy all of his books