Anatomy of a Heretic

Although he is better known for writing contemporary crime thrillers in his DS McAvoy series, somehow David Mark appears to be quite at home in another century. As cold and corrupt as the modern world in the environs of Hull might seem, the dark recesses of human behaviour, corrupted flesh and descent into madness and violence are ideally suited to the dark, fetid seventeenth century prison cells, filthy alleys, backstreet brothels and foul living quarters of sailing ships of Anatomy of a Heretic. Mark doesn't need any excuse to depict such a world of horror, but given free reign to let his imagination run wild he definitely makes the most of it.In Amsterdam in the year 1628, the disturbing figure of Jeronimus Cornelisz, an apothecary who consorts with men of power and influence; is tasked by a crime lord to help transport a young woman for protection to the Indies. Cornelisz sees an opportunity that can be turned to further his own dark ambitions as the ruler of a new world of death and unimaginable cruelty. Also making their way to the Indies is Nicolaes de Pelgrom, a charge of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, an important man close to royalty. He has been engaged as an assassin to avenge the murder of Englishmen tortured and executed by deceit in a dispute between Dutch and British companies involved in the East India Company spice trade.There are a few other passengers aboard the Batavia and it would be a mistake to underestimate any of them, or the havoc they are capable of wreaking on a ship that is a container of violence, pestilence, madness and lust. There's no way of knowing how things will play out, other than the certainty that in the hands of David Mark it's going to be very bad indeed for all involved. It may be in a different period entirely and there are fewer suggestions that there is going to be any comfortable safe resolution for anyone involved, but Anatomy of a Heretic is still recognisably within the familiar themes of David Mark's superb contemporary crime fiction series. What makes the horror just that little more endurable is of course the always evocative writing from a true poet of the darkness who is not afraid to push his work into some very dark and uncomfortable places.

What a powerful book! Mark's vivid storytelling puts the reader front and centre in some of the worst places with some truly appalling people, but you absolutely want to be there to find out what happens next to his array of characters. I loved the changing scape of this story, from claustrophobic jail cells to the vastness of the high seas, and back to the stink and filth of a ship's underbelly - and he describes it all in such glorious, grotesque detail. LOVED the neat twist at the end - no spoilers! Would hugely recommend for anyone who enjoys a rollicking tale, a goodly slosh of depravity and loves language. Will there be a sequel????

David Mark is such a versatile writer. This latest historical fiction has elements of Mutiny on the Bounty, Lord of the Flies, and Pirates of the Caribbean. A cast of colourful characters and a truly chilling villain. Their is action, intrigue, black humour and a satisfying twist in the tail. A great read. Highly recommended.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Anatomy Of A Heretic, but it didn't take long for the characters and period to come to life. The author looks into the darkness of life, rarely captured, so the reader understands what life at sea in the shadows of a Dutch East India Company would have been like. Riveting!

I couldn’t put it down! Bloodthirsty but fab read!

The prologue in Anatomy of a Heretic takes the crown for the most intense, uncomfortable, and gruesome opening section of a novel that I can remember reading. It had me feeling nauseous and gripped to find out what could follow. It’s a memorable opening and sets the tone perfectly for what follows in Mark’s grim historical standalone book.The action of Anatomy of a Heretic initially takes place in London and Amsterdam, 1628. The novel is presented in the third person present tense and mainly follows the point of view perspectives of two finely crafted, albeit questionable individuals. First is Nicolaes de Pelgram, gentleman assassin, thief, spy, and vassal of George Villiers (favourite of the King of England). Second – and I am ordering them as per who I enjoyed spending the time reading about most – is Jeronimus Cornelisz, a highly intelligent, extremely scarred apothecary, who has religious ideals that are heretical and motivations that are nefarious. (I viewed him as being reminiscent of The First Law‘s Sand dan Glokta.)As fate would have it, they are both destined to be on the same ship to the Indies, yet for very different reasons. Anatomy of a Heretic wouldn’t be living up to its full potential if two characters this unalike and well-written didn’t cross paths during a voyage full of mystery, intrigue, and violence, both sharing their unique and very different viewpoints.Head of Zeus won me over with the novel’s blurb stating “two assassins go head-to-head on the open seas” and likening the novel to Stuart Turton. There are similarities between Anatomy of a Heretic and The Devil and the Dark Water, both are set during the same time period, feature crime, mystery, the happenings of the upper and the lower class on a claustrophobic vessel at the mercy of the open water, with elements of the supernatural.I think that Anatomy of the Heretic spends too much time introducing the main characters, side players, motivations, and agendas prior to the action moving to the ship (about a third of the book). I found it quite exhausting reading another chapter after chapter, adding a slight extra level of detail or intrigue, when I wanted the action to move to the open seas as the blurb suggested. This is probably down to my prejudgement rather than anything the author does wrong, yet if I can set someone else’s expectations more realistic than mine were, then hopefully they will enjoy the story slightly more.One other minor criticism I have is that, unfortunately, as I have a lot of time and respect for Head of Zeus books, there were a fair few typos and grammatical errors that even my casual reading gaze picked up which jolted me out of the unfolding events. It surprises me when I see errors in books that are this well-produced.Mark has crafted a believable, grimy, and dangerous world that his finely crafted characters inhabit. It’s bloody and violent and harsh. However, there are some genuine comedic, warmhearted moments, mainly during Otto and Pelgram’s exchanges which neatly juxtapose the many instances of tragedy. There is a heart and a moral code to some of the characters and the overall story, we have to look deeply through the darkness to find it, and just because goodness is there doesn’t mean it will win the day. Mark’s characters go through a lot in these pages, by the novel’s excellent ending, some may be unrecognisable from who they were when the journey started, if they survive that far.There are some fine supporting characters too. Stonecutter is as brutal and uncompromising as his name would suggest, Zwaantie is mischievous and manipulative yet likeable, and some well-penned epistolary chapters are present, letters written by upper-class Lucretia who is also on-board the ship. She is writing to her husband who she’ll soon be joining in the Indies. These segments are a nice break from the lion’s share of the action and she is a great character to read the thoughts of and to see how she’s viewed by others too.Anatomy of a Heretic scores a 7/10 for me yet I think it will be enjoyed by many grimdark fans. There are happenings aplenty that I believe could make hardened GdM fans squeamish. One such moment being “taking clubs and hooks to the rabble of near-tame penguins”.Seriously though, Anatomy of a Heretic is a brutal and unforgiving grim historical read that features elements of crime, mystery, and the occult.