I love that Marcus is a bully, and dumb-as-a-bludger, but he's still the hero of the story and you had me rooting for him and concerned that he get a happy ending.

Maybe rather than dumb-as-a-bludger, it's more accurate to say that Marcus acts like a bludger, he certainly pursues his target relentlessly. And he relies on others to direct his actions...

I couldn't help thinking about your post from a few days ago about loving your characters. Your love for Marcus really shines through here.