Category Archives: Mark Billingham

August 6, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham

Title: Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A gripping standalone thriller from the “first-rate British crime writer” and internationally bestselling author of the Tom Thorne novels (The Washington Post).

Alice Armitage is a police officer. Or she was.

Or perhaps she just imagines she was.

Whatever the truth is, following a debilitating bout of PTSD, self-medication with drink and drugs, and a psychotic breakdown, Alice is now a long-term patient in an acute psychiatric ward.

When one of her fellow patients is murdered, Alice becomes convinced that she has identified the killer and that she can catch them. Ignored by the police, she begins her own investigation. But when her prime suspect becomes the second victim, Alice’s life begins to unravel still further as she realizes that she cannot trust anyone, least of all herself.

Review:

Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham is a clever mystery with a likeable, albeit unreliable, narrator.

Alice “Al” Armitage is the narrator of this brilliant mystery which takes place in the Shackleton Unit’s Fleet Ward. Al is a former Met detective constable who began suffering from PTSD following the shocking incident on the Job. Using dubious means to cope, Al’s downward spiral culminates with her walloping her boyfriend Andy Flanagan with a bottle of wine. In the aftermath of said walloping, Al is now sectioned to Fleet Ward. She is on a cocktail of prescription drugs that are only partly helping her.

Al’s assessments of her fellow patients are witty and sarcastic. Everyone is on edge and it sometimes does not take much for any or all of them to tip over into anger.  Al can be especially volatile when she is frustrated which is why she has yet to convince her doctor she is well enough for release. Despite the different personalities and issues, everyone on Fleet Unit gets along for the most part. Which is why everyone is shocked when one of their own is murdered.

Al decides to put on her DC hat as she investigates the murder. Without the usual resources, she relies on her own observations and opinions as well as favors from a former colleague. Al quickly zeroes on a suspect and nothing she learns will shake her conviction she has found the killer. When another murder occurs, what will happen to Al and her fragile grip on reality?

With a sensitive portrayal of mental illness, Rabbit Hole is a creative mystery with a unique setting and memorable narrator. Al is suffering from a variety of PTSD symptoms and side effects from her medication. She has lucid moments but she also contends with troubling blackouts. Al is extremely irritated no one is taking her investigation seriously and her reactions are not always rational. Fearing the worst when Al learns an arrest is imminent, Mark Billingham brings this mesmerizing mystery to an unexpected, yet uplifting, conclusion.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Contemporary, Mark Billingham, Mystery, Rabbit Hole, Rated B+, Review

August 5, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Cry Baby by Mark Billingham

Title: Cry Baby by Mark Billingham
Tom Thorne Series Book 17
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Historical (90s), Mystery, Suspense
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Two boys run into the woods—but only one returns—in this new mystery from the award-winning “first-rate British crime writer” (The Washington Post).

In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on the case—which quickly spirals out of control when two people connected to the missing boy are murdered.

As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage . . .

A prequel to Mark Billingham’s acclaimed debut Sleepyhead―which the Sunday Times voted one of the 100 books that shaped the decade―this chilling, compelling novel is the latest in “a series to savor” (Booklist).

Review:

A prequel to the first novel in the Tom Thorne series, Cry Baby by Mark Billingham is a suspense-laden mystery about a missing seven year old boy.

Catrin “Cat” Coyne and Maria Ashton are with their sons at a playground when, during a moment of distraction, Cat’s son Kieron goes missing.  He and Maria’s son Josh are playing hide and seek in the wood when Josh realizes something has happened to his friend.

Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne and his boss Detective Inspector Gordon Boyle are part of the team assigned to investigate Kieron’s disappearance. After a fruitless search,  everyone fears the worst. But when eyewitness Felix Barratt provides important information, Thorne and the rest of the team now believe the young boy was abducted. But without any new leads, will they find Kieron before it is too late?

In 1996, Thorne is on his way to a divorce but he does not feel any urgency to start proceedings or put the house on the market.  Kieron’s case provide a true but handy excuse as his soon to be ex-wife Jan and her new boyfriend pressure him to follow through with his promises. Thorne instead works long hours trying to find any evidence that will assist in the search for Kieron.

After a chat with Cat, Tom crosses paths with her neighbor Grantleigh Figgis.  With their discussion about his whereabouts the morning Kieron complete, Thorne cannot shake off the feeling Figgis needs a closer look.  DI Boyle is quickly convinced Grantleigh is a viable suspect and the situation quickly escalates out of Tom’s control.  Will evidence prove DI Boyle’s certainty that Figgis is their man?

Meanwhile Cat has information that she initially held back from the police.  Despite Thorne’s assertion what she tells him will remain confidential, everyone, including her partner Billy who is in prison, knows exactly what Cat divulged. Luckily, Billy’s sister Angela is there to support her while the search for Kieron continues.

Maria still feels guilty about taking her eye off the boys that fateful day in the park. But she is soon distracted by Josh’s increasingly troubling behavior both at home and school.  Maria puts it down to her recent divorce and Kieron’s disappearance.  Will her ex-husband Ashton agree to get counseling for their son?

Cry Baby is a tension-filled mystery that is fast-paced and engaging.  The plot is refreshingly unique since the story takes place in the summer of 1996. Due to the lack of modern day technology, Thorne and the rest of the investigators rely on old fashioned detective work as they search for Kieron.  With a shocking plot twist, Mark Billingham brings this riveting mystery to an edge of the seat, dramatic conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to love this outstanding prequel (and seventeenth installment) to the Tom Thorne series.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Cry Baby, Historical, Historical (90s), Mark Billingham, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Today We Go Home, Tom Thorne Series

June 18, 2017 · 11:57 pm

Review: Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham

Title: Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham
Tom Thorne Series Book Fourteen
Publisher: Atlantic Press Monthly
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Internationally bestselling author Mark Billingham’s riveting new novel Love Like Blood marks the return of series character Tom Thorne, “the next superstar detective” (Lee Child), as he pairs up with perfectionist detective inspector Nicola Tanner of Die of Shame on an investigation that ventures into politically sensitive territory.

DI Nicola Tanner needs Tom Thorne’s help. Her partner, Susan, has been brutally murdered and Tanner is convinced that it was a case of mistaken identity—that she was the real target. The murderer’s motive might have something to do with Tanner’s recent work on a string of cold-case honor killings she believes to be related. Tanner is now on compassionate leave but insists on pursuing the case off the books and knows Thorne is just the man to jump into the fire with her. He agrees but quickly finds that working in such controversial territory is dangerous in more ways than one. And when a young couple goes missing, they have a chance to investigate a case that is anything but cold. Racing towards a twist-filled ending, Love Like Blood is another feat of masterful plotting from one of Britain’s top crime novelists.

Review:

In Love Like Blood, DI Nicola Marsh turns to Tom Thorne for help following the murder of her girlfriend Susan Best.  The investigation focuses on honour killings in this fourteenth installment of Mark Billingham’s Tom Thorne series.

Having ruffled quite a few feathers while working for the Honour Crimes Unit, Nicola is certain she, not Susan, was killer’s intended target.  Currently on compassionate leave following Susan’s death, she enlists Tom’s help in an off the books investigation that might be linked to the four year old unsolved murder of Meena Athwal. Nicola’s theory that parents in the Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh communities are hiring hitmen to kill their daughters whose behavior brings shame to their families is plausible but it has made her some powerful enemies. Eager to solve his cold case, Thorne agrees to investigate Susan’s death but will they uncover the truth before it is too late?

Tom is never afraid to step on toes, but he is uncharacteristically diplomatic as he tries to convince his boss DCI Brigstocke to let him investigate the current case of a missing young couple, Amaya Shah and Kamal Azim.  He is also surprisingly honest about the fact that he is looking into Susan’s murder but he is careful to downplay Nicola’s involvement in the investigation. Now he has Brigstocke’s blessing to look into the disappearance of Shah and Azim, Tom is deeply troubled after his interviews with the victims’ families. Fortunately CCTV footage gives Thorne and Marsh a strong lead that supports the hitman theory.  When Amaya’s body is discovered, Tom is frustrated when his boss insists he concentrate on locating her boyfriend Kamal after strong evidence leads everyone to believe he is most likely her killer.

The various investigations unfold at a rather slow pace but Tom and Nicola have many intriguing leads to pursue. Nicola has uncovered a possible link to three leaders in the Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh communities who are working together to combat the hate crimes directed toward them. Arman Bannerjee is the most charismatic of the three leaders and at the urging of his son, Ravi, he previously lodged a complaint against Nicola. Needless to say, Bannerjee is less than enthused to see her and Thorne at their meetings. Tom and Nicola cannot help but wonder if Arman’s animosity is an indication he is involved in the honour killings.  When an attempt is made on Nicola’s life, Tom is certain they are the right track, but will he locate the suspected hitmen before they strike again?

Love Like Blood is a leisurely paced mystery with an refreshingly unique storyline.  Nicola and Tom are a formidable team as they tenaciously pursue numerous leads in the investigation into the honour killings and Susan’s murder.  Mark Billingham brings the novel to a jaw-dropping conclusion with a shocking plot twist that is impossible to predict.  This latest release is another brilliant addition to the Tom Thorne series that old and new fans are going to love.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Contemporary, Love Like Blood, Mark Billingham, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Tom Thorne Series

February 6, 2017 · 11:56 pm

Review: Rush of Blood by Mark Billingham

Title: Rush of Blood by Mark Billingham
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 480 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Perfect strangers. A perfect holiday. The perfect murder.

In the standalone novel Rush of Blood, internationally bestselling author Mark Billingham puts a sinister twist on a deceptively innocent topic: the beach vacation.

Three British couples meet around the pool on their Florida holiday and become fast friends. But on Easter Sunday, the last day of their vacation, tragedy strikes: the fourteen-year-old daughter of an American vacationer goes missing, and her body is later found floating in the mangroves. When the shocked couples return home to the U.K., they remain in contact, and over the course of three increasingly fraught dinner parties they come to know one another better. But they don’t always like what they find. Buried beneath these apparently normal exteriors are some unusual kinks and unpleasant vices. Then, a second girl goes missing, in Kent—not far from where any of the couples lives. Could it be that one of these six has a secret far darker than anybody can imagine?

Ambitiously plotted and laced with dark humor, Rush of Blood is a first-rate suspense novel about the danger of making new friends in seemingly sunny places.

Review:

Rush of Blood by Mark Billingham is a captivating mystery about a teenager who goes missing on vacation and the three couples who “knew” her.  Upon their return home, the couples resume their vacation friendship and eventually begin discussing the girl’s disappearance.  When local police begin questioning them and another teenage girl goes missing, suspicions begin to arise that one of the six is responsible.

British couples, Angie and Barry Finnegan, Sue and Ed Dunning, and Marina Green and Dave Cullen are all staying at the same resort while on holiday in Sarasota, FL.  They strike up a vacation friendship and they enjoy hanging out together around the pool and dining with each other at local restaurants.  On their last night in town, their idyllic vacation is marred by the disappearance of a fellow vacationer’s fourteen year old daughter.  Not letting the unfortunate incident ruin their last night in town, the couples exchange e-mail addresses and promise to keep in touch once they are back in the UK.  Back home, Angie arranges the first of three increasingly tense dinner parties.  Not long after each of the couples are re-interviewed by  Detective Constable Jenny Quinlan, another young girl goes missing in the local area.  Certain the same person is responsible for both the kidnappings, FL detective Jeff Gardner liaises with British detectives in hopes of catching the kidnapper/killer.

On the surface, each of the couples appears to be quite happy with their lives and relationships.  However, once they return to their normal lives, they begin to see the cracks beneath the surface.  Angie is a stay at home mom with plenty of time on her hands while her contractor husband Barry flies off the handle both at home and at work.  Sue and Ed are long married but Ed has a wandering eye and he is not exactly being truthful about what he does while traveling for his work.  Dave Cullen and Marina Green are the only couple who are not married but they seem to have a secure relationship even if they do appear to be a little mismatched.  Marina is a beautiful woman who works part-time while she pursues her acting career whereas Dave somewhat of a computer geek.

DC Quinlan’s interviews with the couples reveal what the reader already knows: not everyone was honest when they were questioned by the police in FL.  Some of these untruths were lies by omission while others were not so innocent efforts to conceal information.  Unable to provide solid information about some of their movements on the afternoon the teenager went missing, Detective Gardner digs a little deeper and uncovers some very surprising information.  Closer to home, DC Quinlan doggedly continues looking into each of the vacationers’ backgrounds and what she discovers definitely warrants further investigation.

Rush of Blood is a slow building whodunit where Mark Billingham  provides very intimate peeks into the private lives of three British couples who meet by happenstance while vacationing in the US.  When they return to their everyday lives, they begin to notice one another’s imperfections but does this mean one of them is a murderer?  The truth about who is responsible for the kidnappings emerges at one of the diner parties but there are still plenty of unexpected twists and turns ahead as the novel comes to a very shocking conclusion.  Another brilliant mystery that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Contemporary, Excerpt, Mark Billingham, Mystery, Review, Rush of Blood

June 8, 2016 · 11:56 pm

Review: Die of Shame by Mark Billingham

Title: Die of Shame by Mark Billingham
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 448 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From British thriller master Mark Billingham, a recent finalist for the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library, Die of Shame is a chilling story of addiction, subterfuge, and murder.

Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about shame. A respected doctor, a well-heeled housewife, a young male prostitute . . . they could not be more different. All they have in common is a history of addiction. But when one of the group is murdered, it quickly becomes apparent that someone else in that circle is responsible. The investigation is hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these individuals and their therapist together, which makes things difficult for Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner, a woman who can appreciate the desire to keep personal matters private. If she is to find the killer, she will need to use less obvious means. The question is: What could be shameful enough to cost someone their life? And how do you find the truth when secrets, lies, and denial are second nature to all of your suspects?

Review:

Die of Shame, a standalone mystery by Mark Billingham, is an intriguing whodunit that also offers a fascinating peek into the world of recovery and addiction.

Each week, five disparate, recovering addicts attend a group therapy session in the home of their therapist Tony DeSilva.  Robin Joffe, is an anesthesiologist who managed to salvage his career but not his marriage after he became addicted to drugs. Heather Finlay is both a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and she has also had a bit of trouble with a gambling addiction.  Diana Knight used alcohol to cope with her divorce and now dealing with her daughter’s enmity and her ex-husband’s impending fatherhood with his girlfriend, she has turned into a compulsive shopper.  Chris Clemence’s sobriety is tenuous as he struggles to secure housing and finds himself in financial straits due to his inability to maintain a budget.  Newcomer Caroline Armitage is battling an addiction to prescription painkillers while also trying to take control of her overeating.  Tony DeSilva is no stranger to addiction since he, too, once had a substance abuse problem but his current issues are much closer to home.  His marriage is strained and his teenage daughter Emma is battling a few demons of her own.  He is stunned to learn about the murder of one of his patients and much to Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner dismay, he is extremely protective of the remaining members of the group.  Although DeSilva refuses to divulge any information about his clients or their last session, DI Tanner tirelessly works to solve the murder.

From very different walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds, the therapy group members have forged a friendship of sorts outside of their sessions.  They gather after their weekly meetings to discuss what happened during that evening’s therapy session and they also offer one another additional support.  Some of the members have formed secondary friendships and they sometimes spend time together in purely social settings.  After Caroline joins their weekly sessions, the dynamic between the original members begins to shift as she befriends everyone and while some of the changes are positive, tempers flare and suspicions grow after a few whispered suggestions stir up conflict.

Nicola has her work cut out for her during the murder investigation.  DeSilva is not the only person who is not talking since the remaining support group attendees also adhere to the strict confidentiality guidelines for their sessions.  However, bit by bit, Nicola begins to piece together the last therapy session that the victim attended and she is convinced the murder is somehow connected to this meeting.  Although she has a viable working theory, obtaining the proof to back up her supposition is easier said than done, but  Nicola tenaciously keeps working the case.

In addition to the chapters dedicated to the investigation and the various relationships among the therapy group, there are a few chapters that feature visits between an inmate and a mystery visitor.  Their discussions are quite fascinating but it is impossible to understand how they figure into the murder and subsequent investigation.  However, the intrigue surrounding these chapters becomes crystal clear when the killer’s identity is eventually revealed.

Die of Shame is a riveting mystery with a somewhat unusual storyline. Quite different than the typical police procedural, the novel mainly focuses on the characters and their struggles with the addiction.  Mark Billingham once carefully conceals the perpetrator’s identity and motive for the crime with some brilliant misdirects and clever red herrings. Although not every thread is neatly wrapped up, readers will be satisfied with the novel’s conclusion.  All in all, it is an absolutely phenomenal whodunit that fans of the genre are sure to love.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Contemporary, Die of Shame, Mark Billingham, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

May 31, 2015 · 11:07 pm

Review: Time of Death by Mark Billingham

time deathTitle: Time of Death by Mark Billingham
Tom Thorne Series Book 13
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 448 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The astonishing thirteenth Tom Thorne novel is a story of kidnapping, the tabloid press, and a frightening case of mistaken identity.

Tom Thorne is on holiday with his girlfriend DS Helen Weeks, when two girls are abducted in Helen’s home town. When a body is discovered and a man is arrested, Helen recognizes the suspect’s wife as an old school-friend and returns home for the first time in twenty-five years to lend her support. As his partner faces up to a past she has tried desperately to forget and a media storm engulfs the town, Thorne becomes convinced that, despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt, the police have got the wrong man. There is still an extremely clever and killer on the loose and a missing girl who Thorne believes might still be alive.

Review:

Time of Death by Mark Billingham is another brilliant installment in the Tom Thorne series. It is another well-written novel with a clever mystery to solve but it is the intrigue surrounding Tom’s girlfriend Helen Weeks that makes it such a riveting read.

In this latest outing, Tom and Helen are on holiday when she learns the husband of one of her childhood friends is a suspect in the kidnapping of two teenage girls. Helen insists they cut their vacation short so she can support her friend and Tom tags along to keep her company. Of course, he cannot resist poking around the investigation and although his input is not appreciated by the DI in charge of the case, Tom continues to pursue the leads he uncovers. He is also growing increasingly concerned for Helen since she has been out of sorts since their arrival in town but she remains tight-lipped about why she is so upset.

Helen abruptly left her hometown twenty years earlier and never returned. But when Stephen Bates, the husband of her old friend Linda, is arrested for the kidnapping of Jessica Toms and is a strong suspect in the disappearance of Poppy Johnston, Helen is compelled to lend her support. Their relationship is a bit strained but this could be due to the circumstances of their reunion. However, as the story progresses, it becomes obvious that something from their childhood is responsible for the increasing tension between them.

While Helen is busy with Linda, Tom continues his off the books investigation into the girls’ disappearances. When Jessica’s remains are discovered, Tom becomes convinced that Stephen has nothing to do with the crimes despite the overwhelming physical evidence against him. Tom’s close friend, medical examiner Phil Hendricks joins his investigation and the two men begin to piece together a viable scenario for how the killer is manipulating the evidence to frame Stephen for the crimes. Once their suspicions are confirmed, it is just a matter of time before Tom uncovers the identity of the real killer, but will he be able catch him before it is too late?

Time of Death is an absolutely outstanding addition to the Tom Thorne series. The mystery is fast paced and nearly impossible to solve. Although it is easy to narrow down the suspect list, red herrings and misdirects effectively mask the perpetrator’s identity for much of the story. Mark Billingham keeps the series fresh by taking Helen and Tom out of their element but it is the addition to Helen’s story arc that really makes Time of Death stand out from the previous novels.   Her revelations are heartbreaking and learning the truth about her past gives her character added depth. It will be interesting to see what comes next for Helen and Tom in both their personal and professional lives and as always, I am eagerly awaiting the next release in the series.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Contemporary, Mark Billingham, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Time of Death, Tom Thorne Series