The Assassin's Mark

September 1938. Spain's Civil War has been raging for two years, the outcome still in the balance. But rebel General Franco is so confident of winning that he has opened up battlefield tourism along the country's north coast.

Jack Telford, a left-wing reporter, finds himself with an eccentric group of tourists on one of the War Route's yellow Chrysler buses. Driven by his passion for peace, Telford attempts to uncover the hidden truths beneath the conflict.

But Jack must contend first with his own gullibility, the tragic death of a fellow passenger, capture by Republican guerrilleros, a final showdown at Spain's most holy shrine and the possibility that he has been badly betrayed. Betrayed and in serious danger.

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The Assassin's Mark has been awarded an IndieBrag Medallion.

David Ebsworth is the pen name of writer, Dave McCall, a former negotiator and Regional Secretary for the Transport & General Workers' Union. He was born in Liverpool but has lived for the past thirty years in Wrexham with his wife, Ann. Since their retirement in 2008, the couple have spent about six months of each year in southern Spain. Dave began to write seriously in 2009.

davidebsworth.com

'This exciting story is flawlessly presented; most certainly there are noticeable shades of Agatha Christie, and even, I think, generous helpings of Graham Greene, but there is also the undeniable talent of an author who not only loves his craft, but whose own distinct writing skill is evident in every word.'
– Jo Barton, jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk

'This book made me want to dig a bit more into the history of the Spanish Civil War. It's hard for me to imagine what it must have been like for the Spaniards after forty years of living this way. This book, as all good historical fiction does, helps put that in perspective for me.

David Ebsworth paints such an appealing picture of Spain's northern Basque country, and Spanish cooking, that it drove my husband to start researching a trip to Spain.'
– Peggy Chittum — my-book-diary.blogspot.com.es

'This book is written to an excellent standard and won’t disappoint. It is easy to read and hard to put down, yet if you’re looking for something simple to skim this might not be for you, It is thought provoking and expansive in fact and fiction.'

– Joe McMullan — migmag.co.uk

'The characters are so incredibly vivid…there are characters you adore, others that annoy you and all of these are so expertly devised that you simply cannot help but miss them all when you finish the book, and you will finish it; this is not a novel you will be able to put down.'
– Rachel Malone — historicalnovelsociety.org

Download the Advance Information (AI) Sheet here.

Read about David's appearance at the Wrexham Carnival of Words in The Wrexham Leader here and here.

David also appeared at the Gedling Book Festival, as reported by The i here.