The Line Between Them

The York Minster Killings by Wes Markin is a powerful and compelling contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the seventh book in The Yorkshire Murders series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the books in numerical order for the continuity of stories and for character progression.

I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces that I have known from the start.

The leading detective is hard-working, loyal and able to empathise with others. The line between him and the perpetrator is blurred as their lives have similar stories but they have very different trajectories. Both are dads struggling with loss. “You are not the only one drowning in this… You’re not the only one who wakes up expecting to hear her voice.”

We witness that loss totally consumes. He “understood that loss. The kind that burned your world down.” One minute you are a dad, the next a grieving father. There is no manual. You just have to work through it however you can. Your choices will have consequences and you must own them. “Desperation and the choices people made when the world stopped listening.” A silent world propels a character to make darker and ever darker choices.

There is the need for support for the grieving, but they fell beneath the cracks. “How we treat desperate people. It matters.” The lead protagonist is invisible and ignored. His action, however, cannot be ignored.

The lead detective is loyal to his past and present working partners. He will always go the extra mile where he can. The reader recognises the relationship he has ignored for years – even though it is a revelation to him.

We see the state of the NHS. It is a broken system that needs fixing, not broken promises from the sitting MP, and cuts to local services.

I thoroughly enjoyed The York Minster Killings. It was a powerful read. It was a story that totally resonated with me. The leading detective is likable and realistic. I can highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON