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DCI Michael Yorke Thriller #3
The Silence of Severance
Your wedding day should be the most unforgettable day of your life.
And this is one wedding that will never be forgotten.
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen. As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present.
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
And this is one wedding that will never be forgotten.
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen. As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present.
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
316 pages, ebook
First published September 27, 2019
1178 people are currently reading
446 people want to read
About the author
Wes Markin
34 books243 followersBe sure to follow Wes on BookBub for the latest on sales: bit.ly/3tFWIHL
Wes Markin lives in Harrogate and is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels set in Salisbury. He is also the author of the Jake Pettman series set in New England.
Wes Markin lives in Harrogate and is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels set in Salisbury. He is also the author of the Jake Pettman series set in New England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
October 3, 2019
4.5 stars
This is the third book of what has been a fantastic series. I highly recommend starting at the very beginning as many of the same characters are woven in all three to produce a cohesive, complex story telling.
In this, the third book, DCI Yorke and his team are up against one of the most ominous, yet intelligent adversary they've ever had to face.
Yorke has a history with this particular killer, but what Yorke learns changes everything he's believed for the last few years.
An old friend returns offering to do something for Yorke that he never got the opportunity to do. Fellow cop, best friend and mother of his God-daughter is in ICU after tangling with the killer's aide, another cop is dead after having his tongue removed, an open murder investigation that has become very personal, and someone who calls himself the Conduit, leaving bodies everywhere he goes.
This is an action packed page turner that kept me riveted from the very first page to the very last.
Many thanks to the author / THE Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this psychological/crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is the third book of what has been a fantastic series. I highly recommend starting at the very beginning as many of the same characters are woven in all three to produce a cohesive, complex story telling.
In this, the third book, DCI Yorke and his team are up against one of the most ominous, yet intelligent adversary they've ever had to face.
Yorke has a history with this particular killer, but what Yorke learns changes everything he's believed for the last few years.
An old friend returns offering to do something for Yorke that he never got the opportunity to do. Fellow cop, best friend and mother of his God-daughter is in ICU after tangling with the killer's aide, another cop is dead after having his tongue removed, an open murder investigation that has become very personal, and someone who calls himself the Conduit, leaving bodies everywhere he goes.
This is an action packed page turner that kept me riveted from the very first page to the very last.
Many thanks to the author / THE Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this psychological/crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
August 21, 2025
This series has me well and truly hooked now. Three books in just two weeks, and Silence of Severance has been the best of the lot so far.
The story is absolutely brilliant, dark, twisty, and turney in all the right ways. For the first time in the series I genuinely had no idea how it was going to end, which made it impossible to put down.
I really like how Wes Markin is layering in the characters. As with the previous book, we’re getting to know more about DCI Yorke, but what stood out this time was how much more the wider team is coming to the forefront. That balance makes the story even stronger.
This is a proper page-turner! gritty, clever, and addictive. On to the next one!
The story is absolutely brilliant, dark, twisty, and turney in all the right ways. For the first time in the series I genuinely had no idea how it was going to end, which made it impossible to put down.
I really like how Wes Markin is layering in the characters. As with the previous book, we’re getting to know more about DCI Yorke, but what stood out this time was how much more the wider team is coming to the forefront. That balance makes the story even stronger.
This is a proper page-turner! gritty, clever, and addictive. On to the next one!
October 2, 2019
There was absolute silence, then a hitch followed by a woosh with intermittent
Tap
Tap
Tap
Those were the only sounds that existed when I read this book by a brilliant author Wes Markin. My breaths hitched at the various subplots when the adrenaline was at its peak, I wooshed a sigh when the scene slowed down, along with the taps on my kindle.
A cop was mutilated on his wedding day, his tongue was severed and he died of hemorrhage. DCI Michael York was pulled from his own wedding to investigate. And they come across Christian Severance, the most dangerous and intelligent perp. His tongue was severed too…
This was one of the most hair raising thriller that I have read in recent times. My pulse skyrocketed many times when the cops went through so many shocks. The author’s writing was at a high pitch where the subplots were like jigsaw puzzles, strumming in absolute tension.
Nothing fitted smoothly at the beginning, everything seemed frayed. Another case of a missing woman had its links to the cop’s death. There were so many things that I had to pay close attention to, in this story. Till the pages unfurled, and the pieces fitted in almost like magic.
The author’s brain had me in awe. He had to be a brilliant strategist whereby he could get the past and connect it to the present, link 2 cases in such a way that it had the cops in a ditzy and me enthralled. Wes did not shy away at chopping off his characters, emotions were raised with each death.
The book vibrated with sheer tautness of its plot, the writing took me on a roller coaster ride, where every twist was a free fall. Wow!! Do I have to say anymore?
Tap
Tap
Tap
Those were the only sounds that existed when I read this book by a brilliant author Wes Markin. My breaths hitched at the various subplots when the adrenaline was at its peak, I wooshed a sigh when the scene slowed down, along with the taps on my kindle.
A cop was mutilated on his wedding day, his tongue was severed and he died of hemorrhage. DCI Michael York was pulled from his own wedding to investigate. And they come across Christian Severance, the most dangerous and intelligent perp. His tongue was severed too…
This was one of the most hair raising thriller that I have read in recent times. My pulse skyrocketed many times when the cops went through so many shocks. The author’s writing was at a high pitch where the subplots were like jigsaw puzzles, strumming in absolute tension.
Nothing fitted smoothly at the beginning, everything seemed frayed. Another case of a missing woman had its links to the cop’s death. There were so many things that I had to pay close attention to, in this story. Till the pages unfurled, and the pieces fitted in almost like magic.
The author’s brain had me in awe. He had to be a brilliant strategist whereby he could get the past and connect it to the present, link 2 cases in such a way that it had the cops in a ditzy and me enthralled. Wes did not shy away at chopping off his characters, emotions were raised with each death.
The book vibrated with sheer tautness of its plot, the writing took me on a roller coaster ride, where every twist was a free fall. Wow!! Do I have to say anymore?
September 18, 2019
Every time I see a new Mike Yorke book is out or in the works, I find the wait till I hold the book in my hand to be filled with so much restlessness and anxiety. After two exceptional books, I've come to expect the series to be highly gripping, dark and twisted. The Silence of Severance is one helluva ride, with so many shocking twists and turns I never saw coming! Initially, I found the title to be a bit weird, but it all makes sense now that I've completed it.
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen. As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present.
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
The prologue of the book pulls you right in and then you cannot stop reading! Somewhere in between, I thought I knew where this was going but in classic Wes Markin style, the table is turned so suddenly I can't help but be in awe of the writing! Very few books do that to me! The plot of this book is just fantastic. There were quite a few sub-plots that were tied up very neatly in the end and some sensational cliffhangers too. The characters of the book were amazing. As with the last book, I cannot fathom the amount of research that would have gone into writing and basing a story of such a complex nature. I live for the twists and murky details in thrillers and this book series is right up my alley. The body count is quite high in this one and some deaths I found to be quite sad. I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers and suspense. I found this book to be very unputdownable! Eagerly looking forward to the next!
Thank you Wes Markin for an arc!
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen. As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present.
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
The prologue of the book pulls you right in and then you cannot stop reading! Somewhere in between, I thought I knew where this was going but in classic Wes Markin style, the table is turned so suddenly I can't help but be in awe of the writing! Very few books do that to me! The plot of this book is just fantastic. There were quite a few sub-plots that were tied up very neatly in the end and some sensational cliffhangers too. The characters of the book were amazing. As with the last book, I cannot fathom the amount of research that would have gone into writing and basing a story of such a complex nature. I live for the twists and murky details in thrillers and this book series is right up my alley. The body count is quite high in this one and some deaths I found to be quite sad. I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers and suspense. I found this book to be very unputdownable! Eagerly looking forward to the next!
Thank you Wes Markin for an arc!
October 3, 2019
A whopping 5 stars for this completely gripping story of a vicious killer taking his revenge in the most horrific ways! Set in and around Salisbury, Wiltshire, the story starts with two weddings and a death. Whilst DCI Michael Yorke is marrying Divisional Surgeon Patricia with his team all enjoying the proceedings, the wedding arranged for DC Ryan Simmonds ends in a particularly hideous and shocking manner. DI Emma Gardner and DS Jake Pettman are already involved in the search for a missing student, leaving DI Mark Topham in charge of Ryan's death. Yorke abandons plans for his own honeymoon and vows to find the killer of one of their own as the detectives head into a bizarre and bloody chain of events that appear completely unfathomable. The only thing they know for sure is that a man called Christian Severance is at the heart of it all and he is going to test them to their limits. As if he doesn't have enough to deal with, a face from the past comes back to upset Yorke and bring back terrible memories. This book kept me engrossed from start to finish, as Yorke and his team battle to save lives and work out the true motive behind the gruesome series of events. There are few really gut-wrenching moments that made me flinch in a clever and original plot that simply does not let up on the action and suspense to the very last dramatic moments. I do hope there will be more books in this series!
September 13, 2019
Gripping from page one, I really find these books enthralling, I feel the characters are so believable I am there every step of the way going through the events with them. DCI Yorke is supposed to be going on his honeymoon but he delays it when one of his colleagues his murdered on his wedding day, alongside this an investigation is going on into a missing girl. It soon becomes apparent they are linked. Who is cutting out people's tongues and why? The closer they get to the truth people start getting hurt close to Yorke. He also gets closer to finding the man who killed his sister but will he take his revenge!!
What a rollercoaster! I read this book in a day as couldn't put it down. I think I'm a little bit in love with Yorke x
What a rollercoaster! I read this book in a day as couldn't put it down. I think I'm a little bit in love with Yorke x
March 20, 2022
DCI Michael Yorke #3
As there’s an overall story arc it’s best to read them in order.
I had the 🎧audiobook version with Aubrey Parsons narrating. I found the narrator irritating at the start, but settled down.
So there’s plenty going on, it’s fast paced,dark and gritty, although less graphic than some of his other books. It’s an unusual storyline, so it depends if you want something that’s a bit different. In essence another serial killer thriller.
The direction it went in was a bit too off piste for my taste in this one, with the hypnotherapy and altering peoples perception of what’s real with a therapy known as HASD ( Healing Acceptance Sharing Displacement) although it’s very imaginative.
It’s fast paced and has a complex plot with intertwining threads, one thread is left open.
It didn’t hit the mark for me as much as the other books.
Calling senior officer Madam seems strange.
As there’s an overall story arc it’s best to read them in order.
I had the 🎧audiobook version with Aubrey Parsons narrating. I found the narrator irritating at the start, but settled down.
So there’s plenty going on, it’s fast paced,dark and gritty, although less graphic than some of his other books. It’s an unusual storyline, so it depends if you want something that’s a bit different. In essence another serial killer thriller.
The direction it went in was a bit too off piste for my taste in this one, with the hypnotherapy and altering peoples perception of what’s real with a therapy known as HASD ( Healing Acceptance Sharing Displacement) although it’s very imaginative.
It’s fast paced and has a complex plot with intertwining threads, one thread is left open.
It didn’t hit the mark for me as much as the other books.
Calling senior officer Madam seems strange.
June 26, 2020
This is a deep psychological murder mystery with a ream of victims.
There are no safe havens for anyone in this terrific story of insanity run amok. Based on a method of dealing with PTSD that has been corrupted by a patient who uses it for his own sick perverted pleasure.
There are no safe havens for anyone in this terrific story of insanity run amok. Based on a method of dealing with PTSD that has been corrupted by a patient who uses it for his own sick perverted pleasure.
September 10, 2025
listened to this one in one day - couldn't stop.
it was really tense, twists and turns everywhere. I had tears in my eyes multiple times. Dark, twisted and a real jaw-dropping page-turner .
already added the next ones to my list
it was really tense, twists and turns everywhere. I had tears in my eyes multiple times. Dark, twisted and a real jaw-dropping page-turner .
already added the next ones to my list
January 30, 2026
Wow, finished this one in under 24 hours! It feels like a long time since I was last hooked on a series like this. I literally had no break between the end of this book and book 4 either and already a quarter the way through that one too!
January 14, 2020
Patricia Connor
Another excellent story enjoying all the books so far as my daughter married a Severance I was completely in awe . Can t wait for next one !
Brilliant
Another excellent story enjoying all the books so far as my daughter married a Severance I was completely in awe . Can t wait for next one !
Brilliant
June 21, 2020
This was a good British police procedural with a damaged protagonist doggedly trying to unravel the complicated mystery against numerous obstacles. The plot contained plenty of gory murders and attempted murders, so the reader should be prepared for lots of unappetizing scenes. The author needs to hire a new proofreader, better than Microsoft Spellcheck, as there were several examples of the wrong word being used. (For example, using vile when he meant vial.) The plot was partly completed, but the reader is left with several hanging, incomplete threads, which stinks of "Buy my next book!" I will not be rushing to buy the next volume.
June 22, 2020
Too Long
There were too many characters tangled up in half dozen plots. I disliked almost all aspects of the book, except that the author uses language beautifully. After slogging thru endless exposition and struggling to put some order into the many DC's, I gave up after about 80%. It was good to experience good writing. It is regrettable that the author is overly generous. There are at least three novels in this one book! Maybe a stern editor is called for.
There were too many characters tangled up in half dozen plots. I disliked almost all aspects of the book, except that the author uses language beautifully. After slogging thru endless exposition and struggling to put some order into the many DC's, I gave up after about 80%. It was good to experience good writing. It is regrettable that the author is overly generous. There are at least three novels in this one book! Maybe a stern editor is called for.
October 3, 2019
HOLY WOW, this book just blew my mind and I really want everyone to go read it right now! From page one it was as if the book had arms that reached out and pulled me into the novel. This had all the heart-pumping, adrenaline rush, scenes you want in a novel like this and it is brilliantly written.
I really felt as if I was watching a movie. The scenes had me on the edge of my seat as the puzzle was unveiled and the twists just kept coming. Wes Markin’s ability to make everything seem unrelated in the beginning and brilliantly ties it all together with a bow in the end.
Tension, suspense, thrills – it doesn’t get any better than this, folks. The Silence of Severance has everything I look for in a novel like this! The writing captivated me, the twists kept me engaged, and the characters kept my emotions on a rollercoaster.
This is a book you don’t want to miss. I could keep going but then I would be taking up your reading time. Go get this book and be in awe like I am! The Silence of Severance is definitely in the running for my favorite novel of the year!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Bits About Books. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
I really felt as if I was watching a movie. The scenes had me on the edge of my seat as the puzzle was unveiled and the twists just kept coming. Wes Markin’s ability to make everything seem unrelated in the beginning and brilliantly ties it all together with a bow in the end.
Tension, suspense, thrills – it doesn’t get any better than this, folks. The Silence of Severance has everything I look for in a novel like this! The writing captivated me, the twists kept me engaged, and the characters kept my emotions on a rollercoaster.
This is a book you don’t want to miss. I could keep going but then I would be taking up your reading time. Go get this book and be in awe like I am! The Silence of Severance is definitely in the running for my favorite novel of the year!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Bits About Books. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
October 7, 2019
Having really enjoyed the first 2 books and short stories I was intrigued and excited to see what Wes had next, and its a cracker!
DCI Yorke is back and he's getting married, but when another officers own wedding day ends in bloody tragedy, Yorke has to cancel his honeymoon and come up against the most evil nemesis yet.
As ever, this isn't for the faint of heart, Wes Markin is a master of the dark word and macabre.
Chilling, Compelling, Dark and full of twists and turns, all the usual complements are richly deserved.
For me this is the best in the series so far, an author getting better and better he has a dark, devious clever way of writing, and Wes and his DCI Yorke are now at the top of my list and I eagerly await the 4th in the series, just recently announced.
I would recommend starting from the first in the series, not that you couldnt pick this one up as a standalone, but to follow the ever developing back story and the development of these intriguing characters.
Highest of Recommendations - One of my favourite books of the year.
5 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
DCI Yorke is back and he's getting married, but when another officers own wedding day ends in bloody tragedy, Yorke has to cancel his honeymoon and come up against the most evil nemesis yet.
As ever, this isn't for the faint of heart, Wes Markin is a master of the dark word and macabre.
Chilling, Compelling, Dark and full of twists and turns, all the usual complements are richly deserved.
For me this is the best in the series so far, an author getting better and better he has a dark, devious clever way of writing, and Wes and his DCI Yorke are now at the top of my list and I eagerly await the 4th in the series, just recently announced.
I would recommend starting from the first in the series, not that you couldnt pick this one up as a standalone, but to follow the ever developing back story and the development of these intriguing characters.
Highest of Recommendations - One of my favourite books of the year.
5 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
October 26, 2019
The Silence of Severence by Wes Markin.
Your wedding day should be the most unforgettable day of your life.
And this is one wedding that will never be forgotten.
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen. As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present.
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
A very enjoyable read with some great characters. Gory in places too. Lots of action. I liked Yorkes character. Wow what a twist didn't expect that. I do hope that there will be more to come. 5*
Your wedding day should be the most unforgettable day of your life.
And this is one wedding that will never be forgotten.
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen. As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present.
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
A very enjoyable read with some great characters. Gory in places too. Lots of action. I liked Yorkes character. Wow what a twist didn't expect that. I do hope that there will be more to come. 5*
September 23, 2019
DCI Yorke is getting married on the same day as another police officer, the difference is that DCI Yorke is still alive. DCI Yorke has no option but to cancel his honeymoon, he has a killer to catch. Can Yorke and the team put a stop to the horrific killings?
As soon as I started reading the prologue, my heart was in my mouth! The story is so intense and I found I could not put the book down, I finished it at 2.30am!
Be prepared for twists and turns along the way, it is a dark thriller. This is an amazing book and I highly recommend the series, definitely not for the faint hearted though. The next book in the series can’t come quick enough for me.
As soon as I started reading the prologue, my heart was in my mouth! The story is so intense and I found I could not put the book down, I finished it at 2.30am!
Be prepared for twists and turns along the way, it is a dark thriller. This is an amazing book and I highly recommend the series, definitely not for the faint hearted though. The next book in the series can’t come quick enough for me.
February 17, 2020
3.5 stars
This is the third in a series notable for their unusual plots. They can be gruesome but if you’re looking for excitement, you have it here in shedloads. One of DCI Yorke’s own officers dies in a bizarre event on his wedding day, coincidentally the same day as Yorke’s own. This leads the team to a search for a group sharing the same disfigurement. The ending is particularly exciting and very bittersweet for Yorke. I enjoyed the story and the imagination that drove it but was a bit annoyed by errors, particularly in punctuation. Judging by reviews, I suspect most readers haven’t been. A bit more tidying up before publication would have made this a corker.
This is the third in a series notable for their unusual plots. They can be gruesome but if you’re looking for excitement, you have it here in shedloads. One of DCI Yorke’s own officers dies in a bizarre event on his wedding day, coincidentally the same day as Yorke’s own. This leads the team to a search for a group sharing the same disfigurement. The ending is particularly exciting and very bittersweet for Yorke. I enjoyed the story and the imagination that drove it but was a bit annoyed by errors, particularly in punctuation. Judging by reviews, I suspect most readers haven’t been. A bit more tidying up before publication would have made this a corker.
September 10, 2019
Amazing read, dark and compelling with lots of twists and turns. You do need your wits about you as the story is complexed with lots going on. It is a great addition to the series and I can't wait for the next installment. Wes Markin is definitely a great find to add to my ever-increasing list of favorite authors.
September 6, 2019
I got this as a e book from a facebook page that I am a member of called tbc reviews. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. I look forward to the next book by this author.
July 5, 2020
Today is the most important day of Marie Holt’s life. She’s getting married to Ryan in St Agatha’s Church, Salisbury and her father would be walking her down the aisle. But something is wrong—she’s spotted the best man but she can’t see the groom at the altar. Where is he? Has she been jilted?
Just then the congregation hears a sound coming from behind the pew. Upon investigation they find they find the bridegroom, DC Ryan Simmonds, bloody with most of his tongue missing.
At the same time, DCI Michael Yorke has just gotten married to his wife Patricia. They’re expecting their first child in a couple of months. His mates, DI Mark Topham and DI Jake (his best man) are present.
At the reception, DI Mark Topham receives a phone call from DC Collette Willows about the incident at the church. Thereupon he goes to investigate. According to the eyewitnesses, they saw one of the priests—the stand-in priest— hand Marie the key to the chapel where Ryan was locked in. He finds the priest at a graveyard behind the church cradling Ryan’s missing tongue.
Why was Ryan targeted? And what was the killer's motive? What’s even weirder is that he’s not a priest as the Catholic Church is unable to identify him as one of theirs.
Meanwhile DI Jake and DI Gardener are looking into the case of Susie Long, a seventeen-year-old college student who was abducted outside from a popular public house opposite Salisbury cathedral, on her way home from work two days earlier. So far there’s been no word from her abductor.
As the police question her family, they suspect Susie’s dad, Marcus Long, who’s serving a prison sentence—knows more about his daughter’s disappearance than he’s letting on.
With the wedding finally over, DCI Yorke is looking forward to spending the next ten days honeymooning with his wife but then he learns that the assaulted officer has died. Now he’d have to forgo his honeymoon to assist in the investigation much to the consternation of his colleagues.
When evidence of an old case is brought to light, the detectives realize the two cases may be linked and have to solve the case before the killer strikes again.
Just then the congregation hears a sound coming from behind the pew. Upon investigation they find they find the bridegroom, DC Ryan Simmonds, bloody with most of his tongue missing.
At the same time, DCI Michael Yorke has just gotten married to his wife Patricia. They’re expecting their first child in a couple of months. His mates, DI Mark Topham and DI Jake (his best man) are present.
At the reception, DI Mark Topham receives a phone call from DC Collette Willows about the incident at the church. Thereupon he goes to investigate. According to the eyewitnesses, they saw one of the priests—the stand-in priest— hand Marie the key to the chapel where Ryan was locked in. He finds the priest at a graveyard behind the church cradling Ryan’s missing tongue.
Why was Ryan targeted? And what was the killer's motive? What’s even weirder is that he’s not a priest as the Catholic Church is unable to identify him as one of theirs.
Meanwhile DI Jake and DI Gardener are looking into the case of Susie Long, a seventeen-year-old college student who was abducted outside from a popular public house opposite Salisbury cathedral, on her way home from work two days earlier. So far there’s been no word from her abductor.
As the police question her family, they suspect Susie’s dad, Marcus Long, who’s serving a prison sentence—knows more about his daughter’s disappearance than he’s letting on.
With the wedding finally over, DCI Yorke is looking forward to spending the next ten days honeymooning with his wife but then he learns that the assaulted officer has died. Now he’d have to forgo his honeymoon to assist in the investigation much to the consternation of his colleagues.
When evidence of an old case is brought to light, the detectives realize the two cases may be linked and have to solve the case before the killer strikes again.
December 28, 2021
DCI Michael Yorke’s wedding celebration is interrupted when he gets called to the scene of another police officer’s wedding when the officer is brutalized by an unknown attacker masquerading as the village priest. Yorke, who is “driven for justice and with such a desire to make things right” will go to the ends of the earth to bring justice to a brother officer. The more he investigates, he realizes the “priest” has a connection to another violent serial killer, one from Yorke’s past. Concurrent with this case, the team gets another case of a college girl who has gone missing, and they turn heaven and earth to find her. Could the two cases be connected? Maybe. Yorke doesn’t know for sure, but he will turn himself inside out to bring justice to the officer and the missing girl and everyone else who gets hurt along the way.
This was a dark, gritty, disturbing story, made bearable by excellent writing and well-constructed, likeable characters. Even the secondary characters have depth. Some parts of it were hard to read due to the gore, but I just paged past them because I had to know how the story ended. I realized halfway through I had started this out of order. While I think it might have been even better in order, the author provided enough detail so I could tell things had happened, but I didn’t feel lost or left out. The ending stunning, powerful, and a complete surprise. And left me wanting more. At least I’ll have time to catch up on books 1 and 2 while I wait for a hoped-for book 4.
This was a dark, gritty, disturbing story, made bearable by excellent writing and well-constructed, likeable characters. Even the secondary characters have depth. Some parts of it were hard to read due to the gore, but I just paged past them because I had to know how the story ended. I realized halfway through I had started this out of order. While I think it might have been even better in order, the author provided enough detail so I could tell things had happened, but I didn’t feel lost or left out. The ending stunning, powerful, and a complete surprise. And left me wanting more. At least I’ll have time to catch up on books 1 and 2 while I wait for a hoped-for book 4.
January 15, 2022
The Silence of Severance is book three in the DCI Michael Yorke Thriller by Wes Markin. On his wedding day, DCI Michael Yorke and his team caught the case of the murder of following law enforcement officer DC Ryan Simmonds. At first, they could not understand the reason for the attack on DC Ryan Simmonds. However, the more DCI Michael Yorke and his team, investigate the more they realise they are looking for a dangerous and intelligent killer. The readers of The Silence of Severance will continue to follow DCI Michael Yorke to discover what happens.
Reading books in the DCI Michael Yorke series, I always forget about sleeping or doing the housework. The Silence of Severance continues the tradition. I engaged with the plot of this book from the first page. I love Wes Markin's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. The Silence of Severance is well written and researched by Wes Markin. I like Wes Markin description of the settings of The Silence of Severance that allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of The Silence of Severance will understand the consequences of misusing medical treatment. Also, the readers of The Silence of Severance will learn about the principal arteries of the tongue called lingual arteries.
I recommend this book.
Reading books in the DCI Michael Yorke series, I always forget about sleeping or doing the housework. The Silence of Severance continues the tradition. I engaged with the plot of this book from the first page. I love Wes Markin's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. The Silence of Severance is well written and researched by Wes Markin. I like Wes Markin description of the settings of The Silence of Severance that allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of The Silence of Severance will understand the consequences of misusing medical treatment. Also, the readers of The Silence of Severance will learn about the principal arteries of the tongue called lingual arteries.
I recommend this book.
March 20, 2021
The Silence of Severance - a review by Rosemary Kenny
The title could, shockingly, relate to the horrific injuries inflicted on the groom-to-be at St Agatha's Church in Salisbury one otherwise fine day.
Alternatively, it could relate to the silent, suspected killer, Christian Severance...so far, who knows?
On the other side of the city, DCI Yorke is enjoying his own, comparatively blissful wedding to his lovely bride Patricia, when his officers are called to the nightmare event, to try and catch a psychotic assailant masquerading as the officiating vicar.
Who hated the groom enough to mutilate him so badly? What is the connection between this and other ongoing cases?
17 year old Susie Long is missing without trace, since being kidnapped after finishing a bar shift. Unknown to her mother, she's been writing to her jailbird father, but it's the last, unseen (by police), letter that has the most devastating relevance to the investigation. What effect is wrought on Long?
A DCI Michael Yorke Thriller by Wes Markin, The Silence of Severance grips your imagination by the throat and compels you to engage with the dreadful parody of normal life, before following the conjoined investigations closely, right up until their riveting ends. Read it if you dare!
The title could, shockingly, relate to the horrific injuries inflicted on the groom-to-be at St Agatha's Church in Salisbury one otherwise fine day.
Alternatively, it could relate to the silent, suspected killer, Christian Severance...so far, who knows?
On the other side of the city, DCI Yorke is enjoying his own, comparatively blissful wedding to his lovely bride Patricia, when his officers are called to the nightmare event, to try and catch a psychotic assailant masquerading as the officiating vicar.
Who hated the groom enough to mutilate him so badly? What is the connection between this and other ongoing cases?
17 year old Susie Long is missing without trace, since being kidnapped after finishing a bar shift. Unknown to her mother, she's been writing to her jailbird father, but it's the last, unseen (by police), letter that has the most devastating relevance to the investigation. What effect is wrought on Long?
A DCI Michael Yorke Thriller by Wes Markin, The Silence of Severance grips your imagination by the throat and compels you to engage with the dreadful parody of normal life, before following the conjoined investigations closely, right up until their riveting ends. Read it if you dare!
January 3, 2021
Well, I only gave it three stars instead of two because my son reminded me that it was a new year and I should be generous. The book actually was good: it kept me going and thinking, and the intrigue was very appealing and well done – BUT, there were so many open questions and so much left to tell! I absolutely hate when a book leaves me hanging! This was the third book of the series, and although the first two did not totally close the door to subsequent installations, this book, well, it mentioned the overall mysterious and evil character from the first two and implied that it was going to do more with her, then it just left the reader hanging! And I know the tactic was intentional, and I truly expect that I will continue with the series much to my annoyance, but I really hate feeling manipulated like this, although I expect it's better than being murdered like various characters from the book are…
June 2, 2024
DCI Yorke and his Team are in for a very grueling and deadly case!
2 weddings, A murder, A perpetrator with a missing tongue, this is how it all started. But when another murder occurs and another perpetrator has no tongue this all gets very chilling. As the team starts to peel back this case, they close in on one man ( Christian Severence) behind it all. The team also discovers that they have this case, and the case of a missing girl, and that the case are related.
But the man they are chasing is not the only man they are after, they are also after the "Conduit" A man, or Doctor who is using a breakthrough psychiatric practice that has you project your trauma on others, and this projection is ultimately MURDER!
This book had me breathless, crying, pissed, and shocked. Definitely 5 Stars. The Silence of Severence is a non-stop page turner!
2 weddings, A murder, A perpetrator with a missing tongue, this is how it all started. But when another murder occurs and another perpetrator has no tongue this all gets very chilling. As the team starts to peel back this case, they close in on one man ( Christian Severence) behind it all. The team also discovers that they have this case, and the case of a missing girl, and that the case are related.
But the man they are chasing is not the only man they are after, they are also after the "Conduit" A man, or Doctor who is using a breakthrough psychiatric practice that has you project your trauma on others, and this projection is ultimately MURDER!
This book had me breathless, crying, pissed, and shocked. Definitely 5 Stars. The Silence of Severence is a non-stop page turner!
June 30, 2020
Pop-culture references, British acronyms, too many characters, and faulty grammar interrupted my reading of the thriller, The Silence of Severance by Wes Markin. The ending unsatisfyingly left too many open questions. For these reasons, I did not enjoy this book.
The storyline is shocking: a young woman is kidnapped and a police officer is killed in a macabre way at his wedding. Are the cases related? Mental manipulations, more shocking killings, and a race to find the killer could have made this a great novel had it been better executed.
If you enjoy shocking criminal stories, you might enjoy The Silence of Severance by Wes Markin. If you prefer cohesive stories and well-developed characters, look elsewhere.
The storyline is shocking: a young woman is kidnapped and a police officer is killed in a macabre way at his wedding. Are the cases related? Mental manipulations, more shocking killings, and a race to find the killer could have made this a great novel had it been better executed.
If you enjoy shocking criminal stories, you might enjoy The Silence of Severance by Wes Markin. If you prefer cohesive stories and well-developed characters, look elsewhere.
April 21, 2021
One star flatters it. If I could have given it a minus score, I would have done so. The graphic violence goes far beyond the requirements of the story line, to the extent that one wonders if the whole book is nothing more than the author exorcising or indulging his own adolescent sadistic sexual fantasies. It is impossible for a sane person to read to the end of this obscenity and I would suggest that anyone who does so needs to seek urgent psychiatric help.
If you like this bopk, you need treatment, it is nothing more than immature violence Porn with not a single redeeming cgaracteristic.
If you like this bopk, you need treatment, it is nothing more than immature violence Porn with not a single redeeming cgaracteristic.
July 14, 2020
The Silence of Severance begins on the day of two weddings , both of which started off so beautifully..A Stunning bride looks out of a window and sees something that leads Yorke's team into a dark place ..DCI Yorke and his wife Patricia are celebrating their wedding day , a day that will end with a cancelled honeymoon..as this is a case he can't and won't walk away from .This case however will be one that brings with it darkness, pain ..and an evil that hides in plain sight ..Wes Markin's darkest work ...Cutting Cold and Blisteringly Dark ....
August 27, 2020
Another installment of the DI Michael Yorke series. These books are compelling in a car crash, rubber necking kind of way. I always want to know how the book is going to end but at the same time I'm thinking, why would anyone want to work in his team. They drop like flies, and if it's not his fellow police officers it's their partners. I enjoyed the plot of this one but you do have to suspend belief a bit and I found the ending a bit unsatisfactory.
Nevertheless, I will carry on reading the series even though I could throttle Yorke at times.
Nevertheless, I will carry on reading the series even though I could throttle Yorke at times.
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