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. A dark, creepy, twisted mystery that will keep readers awake far into the night ― Booklist Starred Review of The Burning Time An irresistibly charming detective cracks another colorful case ― Kirkus Reviews on The Burning Time An involving, nail-biting police procedural from a masterful storyteller ― Kirkus Reviews on Flesh and Blood A hair-raising procedural [that] highlights unselfish love, sacrifice, and man's inhumanity to man ― Kirkus Reviews on Blind Justice [Delivers] the kind of grisly torture and murder scenes that have rightly linked his work with that of Val McDermid ― Booklist on Blind Justice Polished prose, lovable recurring characters, and a stunning revelation make this a mystery to savor ― Kirkus Reviews Starred Review of Past Life A fine police procedural . . . Ian Rankin fans will be pleased ― Publishers Weekly on Past Life [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 To call Mark's novels police procedurals is like calling the Mona Lisa a pretty painting ― Kirkus Reviews Starred Review of Cruel Mercy Strong prose, intriguing characters, and high tension make this a standout ― Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Dead Pretty 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 Masterfully plotted ― Kirkus Reviews David Mark spent seven years as crime reporter for the Yorkshire Post and now writes full-time. The first novel in his DS McAvoy series, Dark Winter, was selected for the Harrogate New Blood panel (where he was Reader in Residence) and was a Richard & Judy pick and a Sunday Times bestseller. Dead Pretty was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger in 2016. He lives in Northumberland with his family.