When the Bough Breaks opens like a slowly unfolding explosion that leaves a heck of a mess to be cleared up. Characteristically for David Mark - especially if you are familiar with his DS McAvoy series - that literary detonation unfolds upon a scene of horror, blood, murder, mutilation, pain and suffering, but also incorporates the author's characteristic dark humour, littered with northern expressions, wit and cynicism. Mark can't help himself. He's not a show off, just a brilliant writer with an affection or perhaps affliction for delving into the darkest corners of the human psyche and expressing it in all its gory detail with the sensitivity and creativity of a poet. But you shouldn't let that out you off (not least because Mark can write better than I can find a way to express it), because there is a lot more to When the Bough Breaks when the dust settles and the blood coagulates.
To set the scene for what is to come, Mark describes the abstract regaining of consciousness of PC Wulfric Hagman who, it has to be said, may be a policeman, but by his own admission can be a bad man. The scene before him is one that appears to be far worse than anything he has ever done before, as he wakes up beside his former girlfriend Trina Delaney whose throat has been cut and his glasses lodged there in the gash. He has apparently tried to hang himself, but the cord has been broken by his huge bulk. I say appears and apparently, and that's because although he turned up with murder on his mind, while pleading to be taken back after the relationship ruptured, Wulf has no actual memory of what has occurred.

That scene is followed by a testimony of sorts, one of a kind that was not admitted to the court in the trial of PC Hagman. It's by the daughter of the murdered woman, describing the hell of living with her and the brief happiness she and her siblings had when Uncle Wulf was around. That’s Sal writing, short for Salome, who with the tireless help of Dagmara and the social services has ...well, survived more than thrived really, the current testimony a plea for admission or scholarship to university that exposes her state of mind. Twenty three years later, she's now a police officer herself, a Collision Investigation Officer, with Uncle Wulf now released from prison living with her and her brother. There will soon be an accident close to where she lives, one that is also close to home in other ways.

There's are a few more short fragmentary scenes to collect before you can start to put together the puzzle of what happened 23 years ago and what happened in the intervening years. So when the Hagman case is coming up for review, looking at whether there has been a potential unsafe conviction, his appeal assisted by the testimony of the dead woman's children, you can be sure that there are interested and potentially guilty parties wanting to make sure they can find enough evidence of further crimes to pin on him and put him back inside.

David Mark certainly challenges the reader with some dark and brutal fragmentary scenes, but there is enough light and shade and enough of a connection to keep you intrigued. It helps that writing itself is so enthralling, Mark finding the most effective way of putting this information out there in prose that is dazzling, human and insightful, capturing all the horror that life can throw at people and how they react, or choose to react to situations of intense mental distress. And, as the author of his own memoir of struggling with mental illness, Piece of Mind, Mark knows what he is talking about.

Mark might have no qualms about describing torture and dismemberment, the aftermath of a victim who has had acid poured down his mouth and he is fearless about confronting his own mental health problems, but When the Bough Breaks is still not a conventional thriller study of the dark side, about psychotics who commit unspeakable crimes - though of course there's a good chance you'll run across one or two here. The focus is wider than that and, as you will often find often in his works, there is an element of concern for social justice, for the victims and the innocent bystanders caught up in these horrors, for those trampled on by the authorities. Those with power in authority can cause needless deaths and inflict misery on a greater scale than the average serial killer. There are worse horrors you can inflict upon people and especially children that they have to live with for the rest of their lives.

If I have one minor criticism of When the Bough Breaks, it's that I thought the author gave too many clues too early on as to what the revelation might be at the end of the book. That's only a minor niggle really, perhaps just a personal one and it might even be intended to give the reader a sporting chance to take in those wider implications. Mark’s characterisation, writing and dramatic progress of the situation is otherwise flawless, and even if you think you know what direction it's pointing towards, you can be sure there's more to it than you think when you get there. Nothing is that simple when it comes to David Mark's thrillers because life, crime, its motivations and impact aren't that simple either. This is a powerful opening and background story for further Sal Delaney mysteries.

A bleak story, a bleak setting, a grim story heartbreaking at time. I was moved and was on the edge.
This promises to become an excellent series, this one is very tense and a bit disturbing at times.
An excellent thriller with a lot of darkness
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this. I absolutely loved the Aector McEvoy series and David set a ridiculously high bar with that. I need not have worried though, this was exceptional. David has a gift for bringing his settings to life. This was incredibly atmospheric and it was so easy to be absorbed and feel like you are there in Cumbria and in the scene with the characters. Speaking of characters it takes a brave man to write from a womans PoV and David absolutely smashed it out of the park. In Salome Delaney he has created a complex but determined character who I really enjoyed getting to know.

All in all this is a fantastic story, beautifully written and as always had me guessing all the way through. I wish David a lot of success with this.

This complex, twisty tale is a great start to a new series featuring Sal Delaney and it left me eager to find out what is in store in the next book. I loved the Cumbrian setting and the well portrayed characters, especially Jarod, what a complex person he is. It's a dark read, featuring child abuse and mental health but it is strangely compelling and one I would recommend. thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

‘He’s no danger to anybody. He’s served his time. He should never have been locked up in the first place.’

A new novel from David Mark? The beginning of a new series? I immediately put up my hand to read this. The novel is set in Cumbria in the north of England. Meet Salome (Sal) Delaney. After an abusive childhood, which ended with her mother Trina’s murder, Sal has tried to put the past behind her. In the prologue at the beginning of the novel we learn that Wulfric (Wulf) Hagman, Trina’s former lover, was arrested for Trina’s murder. He was found guilty and gaoled. Time has passed. Sal and her siblings are now adults, Wulf has been released from gaol, and Sal is a Collision Investigation Officer.

A car accident after a snowstorm sees Sal called to the scene. She recognises the body found in the car: it is Barry Ford, the man for whom her mother left Wulf. It soon becomes clear that Ford was murdered and Wulf, who lives close by, is an obvious suspect.
Sal, who never believed that Wulf killed her mother, finds herself drawn back into the past. The memories she tried so hard to bury threaten to overwhelm her. Who murdered Barry Ford? And if Wulf did not murder Trina, who did? Can Sal, and others involved at the time, trust their memories?

Gritty. A disturbing story, told from several viewpoints which includes mental health issues, as well as partner and child abuse. And the ending? Well, I did not anticipate that.

I am keenly awaiting the second book in this 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

3.5 stars. This is a complex, dark, and gritty thriller. I have read David Mark's entertaining series featuring Aector McAvoy and enjoyed his stand-alones. I regret that this one didn't work for me as well as his previous books. There was a lot of violence and twists, and the story was intense. I found the characters were deeply damaged, had faulty memories or memories they imagined, were deceptive, and had multi-layered personalities, and it was difficult for me to engage with them. The story was atmospheric, set in North England with chilly weather and a raging snowstorm. There were many British terms, colloquialisms, and slang. I looked up some unfamilair terms or guessed from context. A social worker was involved with the unhappy family.

Sal (Salomi) Delaney came from an abusive home. Her mother terrorized her eight children until she was killed. A kind and gentle Wulf was blamed for the crime, sentenced to twenty years in prison, and suspended from the police force. He was in a relationship with their mother but acted as a protector of the children from her explosive temper and other abuse. The children could not believe that Wulf was guilty of the crime. He had been replaced in the family home and the mother's
affections by a younger married man, Barry Ford, and it was thought his jealousy resulted in the murder. This is a tale of child abuse and neglect with treachery and some gruesome violence.

Sal is an adult and became a traffic cop and she is now a collision investigator. She has managed to eliminate many of her traumatic memories. She has always wanted to see Wulf get an early release, and there is a group advocating for his freedom. On a day when most roads are closed or impassible due to a hazardous blizzard, she has been called to investigate a crash where a car e has run through a snowbank and hit a wall. A body is found near the accident. He had been injured, but someone had poured acid down his throat and killed him. The victim is identified as Barry Ford, and Wulf has completed his prison sentence and immediately becomes the chief suspect. Now, Sal's disturbing past comes rushing back to her mind. She is determined to prove Wulf innocent of this second crime. Wulf is now living with Sal's twin brother, whose mind is muddled from years of substance abuse.

She projects a kind, calm, and intelligent manner when interviewing witnesses. She learns of an alternate suspect who may have killed her mother. Who killed Barry with the acid? The ending is shocking and thrilling. I would be interested in the second book in the Sal Delaney series. I found her to be a fascinating character.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC. The publication date is set for June 4th.

Ten years ago I read David Mark's debut Dark Winter. A book I recall being big on character and setting, but let down by a slightly disappointing plot.

Ten years on and I've just read When the Bough Breaks, the first book in his new Sal Delaney series and find myself with a comparable book.

Salome 'Sal' Delaney, like Aector McAvoy before her, is a memorable and instantly likeable character who arrives fully formed on the page.

Reading Dark Winter, and being familiar with its setting, it was clear that the author had a working knowledge of Hull, its residents and their quirks and foibles. I have little experience of Cumbria and its surroundings, but got the same impression from When the Bough Breaks.

The plot is a major improvement on the first DS McAvoy title, which is to be expected of an author who's much further into their career, but is again let down by an ending that's in large parts heavily telegraphed and predictable.

All in all a promising start to a new series.

Cumbria, in North West England in the bleak midwinter - thick snow covers the landscape, as Collision Investigation Officer, Sal Delaney, is called out to a road traffic accident. What she finds shocks her to the core, and suddenly the memories of her traumatic childhood come flooding back.

Sal and her siblings had a really tough childhood, victims of domestic abuse, which culminated in the murder of their violent monster of a mother, by her ex lover Wulf. The kids never believed that Wulf had carried out the murder, he was the only good thing in their lives - the law thought differently though and Wulf served 20 years in jail.

Sal is certain that the car accident isn’t what it seems, because the victim is Barry Ford, the man her mother left Wulf for. And here’s the thing, Wulf, that kind and caring man has recently been released from prison! Coincidence? Well, we’re about to find out.

A great start to this new series, a complex, twisty multi layered novel, it delivers all the action you would expect from the work of a top rank thriller writer. David Mark manages to combine this with an exploration of family relationships, and the bleak place to which the constant search for pleasure through sensation, can take an individual. Recommended.

This is the 1st book I have read my David Mark. It was an intriging story with a lot of characters i think the characters in book worked well with each other however I didnt feel I engaged with them. There was times in book that I was really following the story then times i was not. Will look out for more of authors work.
Thankyou for advanced copy.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for the privilege of reading this ARC. Seems like the moment I am the bad apple in the cart, I do love the DS Aector McAvoy series by the same author, but I couldn't get to grips with the new series., hard to get into, not interested in the characters, 'pulse pounding' nope, thriller not very, yes a twisty turn at the end. Porridge for me, My review is mine please give it a try I hope you enjoy it.

4+

This is the first in a new series from the talented David Mark featuring Sal(ome) Delaney and has a mind blowing introduction. It can certainly be said that Sal, her twin Jarod and the other many siblings have a terrible start in life with their abusive mother from hell, Trina. They live an uncertain, neglectful lifestyle, a constant feeling of being unsafe, that is until PC Wulfric (Wulf) enters their lives. However, when their relationship inevitably ends and Trina moves on, she is murdered and Wulf convicted, but did he do it? That’s the million dollar question but Sal always finds it hard to equate the kind man she knows with such an act of brutality.

In the present day, Sal has done her level best to move on from her traumatic childhood and is a Collision Investigation Officer in Cumbria. One day, she’s sent to assess a car that has crashed in deep snow, ploughed through a dry stone wall and lodged itself in a drift. It’s not just the crashed car she discovers but a body too and not just any body. It’s Barry Ford, the young man that Trina leaves Wulf for and it’s evident it’s murder, not accidental. The spotlight will shine on Wulf once more especially now that he’s out of prison and what’s more, close by.

Wow. A bleak wintery landscape that perfectly matches a bleak story - what a chilling atmosphere the author has created here. It’s a cleverly connected, complex plot which is well written and obviously centres on the premise of whether Wulf did or didn’t kill Trina. The doubters are still out to get him while others remain steadfast in their belief in him. It’s very intriguing as the damage the past has caused, has tampered with memory and so you don’t know for a long time where the truth lies with suspicions flitting back and forth.

The story is told via several points of view and this works extremely well, part muddying waters and part allowing realisation to dawn. Well played Dark Mark and although I do guess the truth it doesn’t mar the unfolding drama one jot. It’s fast paced, contains numerous twists and turns and a few jaw droppers. It’s clearly not a pretty story and one sub plot line becomes dark and heartbreaking. The ending is so tense, it’s a hold your breath affair which reveals manipulation and treachery. As for the characters they’re all well portrayed and I really like Sal and can’t wait to see what happens to her next. Roll on number 2!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Severn House for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I was unsure as to what to expect with this book, as i had never before, read anything by this author…I was very pleasantly surprised.

This is a well written, meaty, psychological crime thriller, set in snowy winter, in the North East of England. Full of murder, mental health issues, child abuse, and neglect, this was at times, quite a bleak read. The characters, and the plot made this a gripping tale, with an ending I did not see coming.

Thanks to the author, and to NetGalley for sending me this free ARC, which I am happy to leave a honest and voluntary review.

An excellent read. Such a intriguing book. Dark in spots but still it made me want to read more. Which I did. Finished this book in a evening

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
The first in the Sal Delaney series is a dark, at times disturbing read, with child abuse, mental health issues and an unusual serial killer. That said, it was such a riveting read!
It's set in the bleak north of England during a hazardous snowstorm. Sal, a traffic cop, has to deal with a murder during the impossible winter conditions while her mind is in a bad space after her horrendous childhood and a recent heartbreak.
The writing, the atmosphere and the shocking ending make for a spellbinding and riveting read and I recommend it highly! Can't wait to read no. 2 in the series.

I have been aware of David Mark for a long time but this was the first of his books that I have ever read - and it certainly won't be the last as I will shortly be devouring his back catalogue of police procedurals.

This is a densely plotted, dark and gritty tale set in a fairly bleak North of England with an exceptional sense of time and place.

The characters are fascinating and well developed rather than cartoon cutouts and the story of murder, mental health treachery and deception grabs your attention form the first page.

This is an exceptionally well written thriller that shocks and thrills in equal doses and merits your close attention.