Published by Panther Publishing on February 1, 2021
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 186
Amazon UK
Goodreads
Also by this author: The Demons Beneath, From Inside The House
Bloody remains. Multiple victims. Ritual sacrifice?
When a blood-stained effigy of body parts is found in a central London park, D.I Daniel Graves must set about trying to discover what it could mean and find the person responsible. Symbols at the crime scene suggest the occult. Who would leave a murder victim in such a way, and why?
As Graves and partner DI Charlie Palmer begin to investigate the ritual and the act of human sacrifice, they enlist the help of Charlotte Gooding, a talented professor specialising in the subject. They hope to narrow down on a motive.
Could the killer believe in the supernatural? Witchcraft even?
Then the next crime scene is found. More blood, more symbols, and out in the open. It seems the killer wants the world to pay attention, but why? How are they choosing their victims?
The pressure is on for Graves to put an end to the murders before more remains show up in brutal tableaus. One thing is for sure, this killer is out for blood and is not afraid to make it a very public display.
There's just one problem. Grave's past is still not behind him.
Someone is eager to make sure he doesn't forget, cannot move on.
And they're not playing games anymore.
There may be an occult killer out there, but now there's another out for blood, Daniel Grave's blood.
Well, Graves is back this time and it is another bender of a story. We all know by now with this series that the murders are never straight forward, there is always the dash of the supernatural. It is no different in this tale, however, this outing is far more brutal than it has been before but things are never as they seem. For once I wasn’t spooked when reading about Graves, I was instead fascinated to see what the frick was going on. Graves, Palmer both lead the forefront with the narrative, yet we have another loud voice, and well we always know things do not bode well when we have an additional one!
This is a short and snappy story but it is intense. I was flummoxed because I really had no one to suspect for a change, but then nor did Graves. I really was scratching my head, how could someone be arranging these bodies around London and not be seen! Just when we thought things were quietening down, enter side stage another element to mix it all up, the side plot. This one is continuing from the previous books and it is a climactic showdown, just as we have been expecting.
In The Devil’s Mark, the deaths and set up of said bodies are brutal, I mean some of it did make for grim reading. The ideas of the said murderer are not ones I would openly dismiss. I mean when you learn of the backstory, you can see how some people twisted the fact to work in their favour, don’t you just hate people like that! But it was an interesting theory throughout, one right out of American Horror Story so to speak!
I loved seeing Palmer back in the throes right by Graves side. Amelia was in the thick of it this time and probably not in the way she wants to be, plus a whole host of characters new and old. I really do feel like this is an end, thinking back to the book, now I am panicking! I do hope that this is not the last that we see of Graves!! Jackson-Smart has a whole team of people that we care and fret about, and although I know they will mostly be ok, I still want to hear from them now again. You know just to check in and say hi!
Until next time xxx
Thanks to Emma at Damppebbles for the tour invite and the author for a copy of the book in return for my honest and unbiased review
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
damppebbles says
Thanks for kicking off the blog tour today xx
Zoé says
You are so welcome! Thank you for having me x
likeherdingcatsblog says
I’m starting this today for my stop next week and can’t wait. I love how chilling this series is
Zoé says
This is good! It is not as freaky as the other, but it is still epic!
likeherdingcatsblog says
Good to hear.
❤