Title: PARIAH
Author: David Jackson
ISBN: 9780330520263
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 321
Source: Private Copy
Imagine the pain of not being able to see your spouse and your children. You have to live apart from them. You can’t go into work. Your environment becomes a claustrophobic hotel room, with seemingly no escape. You cannot risk talking to strangers in case it is seen as an act of friendship that puts them in danger. It is the ultimate in solitary isolation.
How long could you bear to live like that?
How long would it be before you became desperate for it to end? So desperate, in fact, that you might be willing to sell your soul to anyone who offers you a way out?
NYPD detective Callum Doyle is about to learn the answers to these questions. It starts with the murder of his partner. But that’s only the beginning…
Official Summary
10 July 2025
Callum Doyle Series #1
Having thoroughly enjoyed David Jackson’s DS Nathan Cody series, I couldn’t resist dipping into his earlier work — the Callum Doyle series — and Pariah is where it all begins. True to Jackson’s style, this one grabs you by the throat from the first chapter and refuses to let go.
Pariah throws NYPD detective Callum Doyle into the ultimate nightmare. After the brutal murder of his partner, Doyle quickly realises that the danger isn’t just aimed at him — it extends to anyone who gets too close. Friends, family, colleagues — their lives become bargaining chips in a chilling game Doyle never signed up to play.
The concept hooked me instantly. Forced isolation isn’t just an emotional weight here — it’s a survival tactic. Imagine the pain of cutting yourself off from everyone, not by choice, but out of necessity. Doyle’s world becomes a claustrophobic, paranoid spiral, and Jackson captures that tension beautifully.
The setting shifts from gritty New York streets to the confining walls of a bland hotel room, and you can almost feel the walls closing in. It’s atmospheric, fast-paced, and layered with moral dilemmas that elevate the story beyond your standard police procedural.
Compared to the Nathan Cody series, Pariah is a little rougher around the edges, but the core ingredients are all here: a flawed, likeable detective, relentless pacing, and a plot that mixes action, suspense, and that creeping sense of unease Jackson does so well.
Doyle, as a character, is driven, stubborn, and human — you can’t help but sympathise with his impossible situation. The stakes feel personal, the danger ever-present, and while the body count rises, you’re left wondering who Doyle can trust — if anyone.
Pariah delivers exactly what I hoped for — a gritty, gripping thriller with a unique premise and all the hallmarks of David Jackson’s addictive storytelling. If you liked the DS Nathan Cody series, this is worth your time. It’s tense, unpredictable, and paints isolation in a terrifying new light.
I’ll definitely be continuing with the series — Callum Doyle has earned his place on my bookshelf.
Also by David Jackson
THE RULE
MY DAD SAYS BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN I BREAK IT…
Daniel is looking forward to his birthday. He wants pie and chips, a big chocolate cake, and a comic book starring his favourite superhero. And as long as he follows The Rule, nothing bad will happen.
Daniel will be twenty-three next week. And he has no idea that he’s about to kill a stranger.
Daniel’s parents know that their beloved and vulnerable son will be taken away. They know that Daniel didn’t mean to hurt anyone, he just doesn’t know his own strength. They dispose of the body. Isn’t that what any loving parent would do? But as forces on both sides of the law begin to close in on them, they realise they have no option but to finish what they started. Even if it means that others will have to die…
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
I was a latecomer to fiction writing, having spent most of my adult life producing academic papers and reports. After some limited success entering short story competitions, I submitted the first few chapters of a novel to the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Awards. To my great surprise, the book was not only short-listed but given the Highly Commended accolade, which stimulated the interest of agents and publishers and eventually led to the publication of PARIAH. Since then, I have written several more crime thrillers, including two series set in New York and my birth city of Liverpool. I still have a day job in Liverpool as a university academic, but now live on the Wirral with my wife, two daughters and a British Shorthair cat called Mr Tumnus.
Thank you for visiting the blog and reading my review. This book is more my style. I loved David Jackson’s DS Nathan Cody and had high expectations when reaching for the first book in the Callum Doyle series. Cal is not quite Cody, but I was quickly hooked and raced through this book. I am looking forward to reading book two in this series soon. Are you a Jackson fan? Which is your favourite book? I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below. Until next time… Happy Reading!
Pingback: The Helper Book Review – Featz Reviews