VALE OF TEARS

An ethical English cop with a hardscrabble past unravels a complex crime while fighting enemies from within.

Murder lies at the center of Northumberland police officer Salome Delaney’s third case, following Don’t Say a Word (2025), but the novel is less a police procedural than another shadowy episode in the righteous heroine’s ongoing quest for justice and her family’s safety. In the opening scene, a carload of Sal’s relatives makes a late-night visit to Bael Hill Farm and a ramshackle edifice known locally as the Murder House. When they find a corpse inside, they make a harried, hasty retreat and take a vow of silence. Despite their covenant, the corpse is eventually discovered and identified as that of itinerant Rollo Savage. The story rolls slowly to Sal’s conjecture that Rollo’s death involved foul play and her subsequent investigation. It also provides a MacGuffin in the larger story of Sal’s persecution by DCI Magdalene Quinn, a slick villain in Manolo Blahniks. Quinn sets her sights on arresting Jarod Delaney, Sal’s twin brother. Just as the roots of Quinn’s vendetta have been depicted in Sal’s first two cases, several supporting characters in her circle have larger backstories that underlie the dynamics of current developments. The procedural elements are informed by author Mark’s experience as a crime reporter. Dark, powerfully written, and propulsively paced, Sal’s latest outing will likely delight fans of the fledgling series while rewarding new readers who persevere, delving into Sal’s dark world.

A gripping installment in a larger story of corruption, justice, and the minutiae of detection.