When the Bough Breaks - (Sal Delaney Mystery) by David Mark

About the Book

"North of England. Cumbria. Salome Delaney didn't have a great start in life. But her abusive childhood came to a tragic conclusion with the killing of her tyrant mother, Trina, by a jealous ex-boyfriend. At least, that's what the police say. Sal has never believed kind Wulf, who tried to protect her from her mother's dark side, could have committed such a crime, but the evidence was irrefutable . . . and who else could have done it? Now an adult, with a good job as a Collison Investigation Officer, Sal's done her best to put the past behind her. But one snowy morning she's called to an accident scene, and she recognizes the body - Barry Ford, the man her mother left Wulf for, all those years ago. It soon becomes clear this wasn't just an accident - it was murder. And Wulf, now out of prison, lives very close by . . . The question of who really killed her mother has haunted Sal her whole life, but as she launches a complex investigation, which gets darker by the hour, she starts to wonder if she really wants to know the answer after all."--

Book Synopsis

Traffic cop Sal Delaney's past is catching up with her . . .

Sunday Times best-selling author David Mark delivers a pulse-pounding new dark and gritty police procedural series set in the north of England, with a complex, intriguing female protagonist.

"Mark is a superbly gifted writer who creates a bleak, unforgiving setting, deeply damaged characters, and a plot that ramps up the violence, tension, and suspense to an almost unbearable level before an explosive ending that will leave readers utterly shattered" Booklist Starred Review

North of England. Cumbria. Salome Delaney didn't have a great start in life. But her abusive childhood came to a tragic conclusion with the killing of her tyrant mother, Trina, by a jealous ex-boyfriend. At least, that's what the police say. Sal has never believed kind Wulf, who tried to protect her from her mother's dark side, could have committed such a crime, but the evidence was irrefutable . . . and who else could have done it?

Now an adult, with a good job as a Collision Investigation Officer, Sal's done her best to put the past behind her. But one snowy morning she's called to an accident scene, and she recognizes the body - Barry Ford, the man her mother left Wulf for, all those years ago.

It soon becomes clear this wasn't just an accident - it was murder. And Wulf, now out of prison, lives very close by . . .

The question of who really killed her mother has haunted Sal her whole life, but as she launches a complex investigation, which gets darker by the hour, she starts to wonder if she really wants to know the answer after all.

This nail-biting series launch will appeal to fans of David Mark's critically acclaimed DS McAvoy series and readers of Denise Mina, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson.

Review Quotes

Masterfully plotted-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Mark is a superbly gifted writer who creates a bleak, unforgiving setting, deeply damaged characters, and a plot that ramps up the violence, tension, and suspense to an almost unbearable level before an explosive ending that will leave readers utterly shattered-- "Booklist Starred Review"

[Delivers] the kind of grisly torture and murder scenes that have rightly linked his work with that of Val McDermid-- "Booklist on Blind Justice"

[Mark is] on the level of Scottish and English contemporaries such as Denise Mina, Val McDermid, and Peter Robinson-- "Library Journal Starred Review of Cruel Mercy"

A dark, creepy, twisted mystery that will keep readers awake far into the night-- "Booklist Starred Review of The Burning Time"

A fine police procedural . . . Ian Rankin fans will be pleased-- "Publishers Weekly on Past Life"

A hair-raising procedural [that] highlights unselfish love, sacrifice, and man's inhumanity to man-- "Kirkus Reviews on Blind Justice"

An involving, nail-biting police procedural from a masterful storyteller-- "Kirkus Reviews on Flesh and Blood"

An irresistibly charming detective cracks another colorful case-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Burning Time"

Polished prose, lovable recurring characters, and a stunning revelation make this a mystery to savor-- "Kirkus Reviews Starred Review of Past Life"

Strong prose, intriguing characters, and high tension make this a standout-- "Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Dead Pretty"

To call Mark's novels police procedurals is like calling the Mona Lisa a pretty painting-- "Kirkus Reviews Starred Review of Cruel Mercy"