2/5 Not The Best.

Book 16 in the long running Tom Thorne and now Tanner series opens brightly and enjoyably and I thought that this could be a real return to the form and the earlier books.

But unfortunately one Part 1 passes it quickly goes completely downhill and is just too unbelievable and strange even for fiction. It’s just plain incomprehensible.

Tom seems to be getting boring, he’s lost his mojo, Tanner adds literary nothing, and Hendricks since Liam is again boring.

It’s sad to see a much enjoyed series slowly burning out. I think that’s me fine with the Thorne series. Too much of a goof thing? I think so

Quite an unusual plot which must have been partially inspired by the TV series Motherland. For those of us old enough to understand, "Don't drink the KoolAid", in Mark's novel it would be more appropriate to say, "Don't drink the mushroom soup!" A very enjoyable pre-pandemic thriller.

Tom Thorne - a difficult to like character, who yet I always end up feeling empathy for - this title is not an exception. A great thrill ride of a story!

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

Love Bellingham’s books
Another great one here
Kept me hooked from the start to the finish
Great read

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

cant go wrong with an author that writes like this...so whenever i see one of his books on offer i get it, warning though you wont be able to put it down

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I like to read my authors in written order which is why this one has taken a bit longer to get too. I just love DI Tom Thorne - it is a treat when the next instalment comes along. Besides the crime being investigated in London (one of my favourite subject matters and locations) there is always a strong tussle going on in Thorne's private love life. He never seems to believe in his own magnetism.
All the characters are believable and enjoyable particularly Hendricks !
Looking forward to the next one, but I do have to pace myself.

Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham. Another good read about the likeable character DI Tom Thorne and his colleagues. Following a suicide the team are searching for a heartless con man. A good thriller with twist and turns.

#16 in the Tom Thorne series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone too.

A woman dies after jumping in front of a train, it’s put down as just another suicide, but Tom Thorne thinks there’s more to it.

He finds she has been the victim of a romance scam and she has lost everything she owned.

Then a young man's body is found,he had been beaten to death. It has a link to the suicide case…...is the same person responsible ?

Can Thorne and his partner, Turner, find the killer before anyone else dies?

This is a well paced, page Turner of a police procedural, with its great characters and a twisty plot, it will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of Their Little Secret.

Wow. Just... Wow.

This series keeps getting better and better. Set aside a few hours to read this because you won't want to put it down until you do.

Sarah is just a typical single mum trying to do her best for her child. But there's more to her than meets the eye.

This is one of those books where you can't say too much or you'll spoil it, so do yourself a favour and just read it.

Thanks to Netgally for the ARC without obligation.

Another great thriller from Mark Billingham. Full of tension and very gripping, and the action comes thick and fast. Sarah is a very disturbing character but intriguingly so. Love the dynamic between the detectives. Highly recommended!

And Mark Billingham nails it again ... dragging Thorne back into the limelight with Tanner in tow. The killing never stops, buckle up for another thrilling ride. What are the chances of you meeting someone at random and they turn out to be a killer just like you ?
Thorne just gets better and better, can't wait for the next book ...

Another Thorne book! I absolutely adore this series. Mark Billingham doesn't disappoint in any way again. Thorne comes across a case that is meant to be clear cut suicide...but Thornes persistance pays off and I say no more! A great mixture of the expected and the twists and we never see coming! Thoroughly enjoyed being back in Thorne's world, one of my all time favourites!

I had never read anything by Mark Billingham before but I enjoyed this book very much and will be looking for further Thorne and Tanner books. I found this book a chilling read, with two warped individuals with secret lives. I need to read more in this series to get up to speed with the characters. A great series.

A fantastic read - highly recommended.

Wow ! Page turner alert - unbelievably good story which chills to the bone - relationships that are well developed ( Sarah & Conrad and also Thorne, Tanner and Hendricks have an interesting dynamic)

Sarah is a single mum trying to fit into the school gate crowd...... or is she ???

If I say too much it will end in spoilers as this is a complex novel with lots of twists and turns and hidden truths - suffice to say it’s a must read and I have already passed on my recommendation to chums who enjoy this genre !

The 16th book in the Tom Thorne series . Thorne is sent to an apparent suicide case where a woman has been conned and abandoned by a mysterious gentleman. His colleague Tanner is presented with a case where 2 dead bodies are found . I working through the cases the police duo find that the cases are possibly connected and there then transpires a bizarre set of circumstances leading to an intense psychological thriller.
I enjoyed this but having not read all the previous books in the series was unsure of sone of the background of the characters but this did not detract from the reading and enjoyment.

Every time I pick up a Mark Billingham novel I am blown away by his creativity.

This author combines a cracking plot which begs the reader to look deep into the psyche in a way that many other crime fiction writers in comparison skim. Plus I love Tom Thorne and I'm also fond of Nicola Tanner who is his equally combative sidekick in this novel.

Mark Billingham provides the groundwork with the detectives and of course Hendricks the pathologist with plenty of metal in his face. You simply can't fault the interplay between these protagonists and so when he introduces the other participants to the story such as one of the scariest females I think I've met in a long while, it is all too believable!

One thing is for sure this is a writer who keeps clocking up the novels in this series yet does so in a way that avoids any sniff of becoming a formulaic crime series. I can't wait for the next one.

Another very good read from one of the most consistently good series in British crime fiction. Billingham is super-reliable, and has a terrific balance of character, exciting storylines, and some texture in terms of setting and relevant issues.

I love a good serial killer novel and this is great. It starts with a suicide by a woman who has been targeted by a fraudster who etorts all her money. Tom Thorne gets the bit between his teeth on this one as he considers the unknown fraudster to beguilty of murder and is determined to find him. Now, this is where it becomes deliciously creepy. Sarah, a woman with a huge secret of her own is on the look out for thrills and when their lives collide it becomes truly explosive. The dynamics between Sarah and her new love interest are complex, appalling and yet strangely intriguing and , of course it leads to murder. This isn’t so much a ‘whodunnit’ as a ‘whydunnit’ as Billingham leads us through the investigation to bring the two to justice. Watch out for an explosive ending as the lies just keep on getting better and better.

All in all an average read. This was my first book by this author however I wouldn’t be in a great rush to read another. It was a decent enough story line and concept however I feel that it could have contained a lot more thrill and suspense.