A woman’s suicide puts a detective on the trail of a cold-hearted con artist: “Outstanding . . . a maximum of suspense” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). When DI Tom Thorne is called to the site of a suicide, he expects to be in and out in no time. But when he arrives at the Underground station where a woman named Philippa Goodwin threw herself in front of a train, he inexplicably senses … a train, he inexplicably senses something awry and feels compelled to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con man who preys on vulnerable women–and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end.
Thorne enlists DI Nicola Tanner to help him track down the swindler and bring him to justice. But the detective duo gets more than they bargained for when a young man’s bludgeoned body turns up on the shore of a nearby seaside town and the two cases come together in a way that neither of the detectives could have foreseen . . .
“A fantastic thriller . . . a gripping plot and lead characters of remarkable depth. Billingham is a multiple-award winner, and his books have sold more than six million copies. Readers who grab this one but aren’t familiar with its predecessors will be seeking them out. A series to savor.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“Billingham is a world-class writer and Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation.” ―Karin Slaughter, bestselling author of the Will Trent series
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Mark, Mark, Mark, you have done it again an the 16th in the series is a bit more twisted I must say !
So many secrets, so many lies and of course murder .
It’s not quite a little secret !! Major one I would say !!
Twists and turns as Tom , Nicola and their team are scrambling to solve the case before them.
Then there is Sara and Conrad, (cant help but think of Bonnie and Clyde), these 2 are bat shit crazy!!! Love it !!
Fasten your seat belts and hang on, you are in for a roller coaster of a ride !!
Thanks for another great read Mark Billingham !! Tom Thorne is a favourite of mine !!
Don’t miss this one !
This is the 16th procedural featuring DI Tom Thorn and his team, who are now responsible for investigating sudden suspicious deaths.
One such case is Mary Fulton, who jumped in front of a train. Most everyone assumes this was a suicide … but Thorn has other ideas. Questioning her family, he finds that Mary had been ‘ghosted’ by a new man in her life. The man, known as Patrick Jennings disappeared from her life. He quit calling and answering her phone calls and texts. He took away a lot of her money before he left … after wiping all records of his existence. Thorn believes the man needs to be charged ….
Patrick has moved on … albeit, using the name Conrad…. and meets Sarah … a woman who also has secrets. … secrets that she will kill to keep hidden. Sarah and Gordon should never have met …. their unusual union leads to calamity after calamity.
It’s a twisted plot filled with suspense from the very beginning to the very surprising end. Suspense grows and expands as the book proceeds. I really enjoy how the personal and professional life of Thorn is weaved through this well written novel.
Although 16 in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone, as are all of the books in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Atlantic Monthly Press / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this excellent police procedural / crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Thank you, Goodreads and Grove Atlantic, for my complimentary review copy.
I am so thrilled to have come across this new-to-me series! I really enjoy M.J. Arlidge’s DI Helen Grace books, my first introduction to the British police procedural genre.
Although sixteenth in Billingham’s Tom Thorne crime fiction collection, it’s the first one I’ve read. It functioned well enough as a standalone, but admittedly, as with any series, I would have preferred to read them in chronological order. It gives me a better sense of the characters as they are introduced and their interpersonal relationship dynamics.
Tom Thorne, the protagonist, is a middle-aged detective inspector living in London. He is investigating the gruesome suicide of a young woman. The victim was allegedly distraught about falling prey to a con-man. Meanwhile, Sarah is an ordinary single mom of a young son, Jaime. At least that’s the impression she wants to give to the other parents…
As expected, other cases crop up. Are they random incidents or is there some connection? That is for Tom and his team to decipher.
I was hooked from the very start. The story line was compelling, with lots of plot twists and an unpredictable ending. Also, the writing style was readable with its simple language, vivid descriptions, snappy dialogue, and short chapters. The third-person perspectives alternate amongst the principal characters. The characters, themselves, were distinct and well-developed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and plan to read the series from the beginning. I’m also really looking forward to watching the TV adaptation of Sleepyhead(Tom Thorne #1).
4 stars
Tom Thorne, Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks are back in this latest novel from Mark Billingham.
When DI Tom Thorne responds to the scene of a suicide, he suspects that not is as it seems. The video shows only the woman ruing toward and throwing herself on the subway track, but what drove her to it? He and DI Nic Tanner cajole their boss into letting Tom run with the investigation. It turns out that the woma was involved with an unscruplous “financial planner” who bilked her out of a considerable sum of money. Tom wants to nail the guy in the worst way.
Before long, there is a series of murders wihich to contend.
When the two invstigations dovetail, Nicola, Tom and the rest of the team know that they are on to something big. Nic and Tom be to bicker about the details of the case.
With stunning mindbending twists, the full story come out to the reader. I think I sat with my mouth open.
I like the way that Mr. Billingham keeps the reader apprised of Tom, Nic and Phil’s lives. It enhances the story, but does not overwhelm it. I also like the joke-y manner they sometimes take with one another. This story is written and plotted in Billingham’s usual style, that is to say brilliantly. His story ideas are fresh and contemporary. His transitions are smooth, his characters interesting and this story has a unique and interesting foundation. Some little secret, for sure!
I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.