It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last as I thoroughly enjoyed.
The historical setting is vivid and realistic, the characters are well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me hooked.
I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne series and look forward to each installment. With this book being set in 1996 I was wondering how that might affect my enjoyment. It totally in enhanced it. The nostalgia was fantastic! Small but significant details like using phonecards and A-Z's were genius.

Great tension building and misdirection - I loved that! And getting to discovery how Tom and Phil met along with additional background information is great for the long-term invested reader like myself, but also perfect for those new to the series, albeit for totally different reasons.

Didn't want it finish, but needed to get the end!

So, surprisingly, this is my first Mark Billingham book. Not sure why I have never picked one up before, but I have already purchased the first 4 in this series and have become a firm fan.

While this is part of a series, it is a prequel and I did not have any issue with it as a standalone novel.

I loved the 1996 setting and all of the memories/nostalgia that came with that. Thorne is a great character and I thoroughly enjoyed his relationships with other characters.

The plot is simple, child goes missing from a park, but the plotting itself is anything but simple. Just when you think you have guessed what is happening, you second guess yourself, then third guess yourself! So many twists and turns and it is very very clever.

The only thing that knocked it to 4.5 stars, rather than 5, for me was that when we found out what had happened to Kieron, the missing boy, the motive was a little vague.

A thoroughly enjoyable crime novel and I am delighted that there are loads more for me still to read!

Thank you to Little Brown, Netgalley and the author for this eARC.

Cry Baby from Mark Billingham is the prequel to Sleepyhead which was first released in 2001 and introduced us to Detective Tom Thorne. In this book, we get to read about how Tom first met Phil Hendricks and disliked him from the start. Plus all things are not rosy for Thorn as he is going through a divorce and doesn’t get on with his boss, DI Boyle.

It’s Saturday, Maria and Catrin are in the park with their boys, Josh and Keiron. The boys are best friends. They drift from the park into the woods, flashing through the trees. Then Josh comes running up, Kiernon isn’t following. After searching the area, there is still no sign…..he’s disappeared. DS Thorne is involved with the case and a search party is formed as well as door to door to enquiries.

One witness reckons they saw a guy with a child get into a red car. Thorne is suspicious of a neighbour, Grantley Figgis, next door to Catrin’s flat. It turns out he has a bit of a shady past but was never charged. Forensics move in to see what they can find but it takes a while for the results to come back. Things were not so high tech in those days. Even mobile phones weren’t that common or the signal that reliable. In the line-up, the witness picks the neighbour. Although he says he’s innocent and has an alibi.

When Figgis is finally released and gets home, he knocks on Catrin’s door, she doesn’t know what to say to him. He goes home. When there is a knock at his door, he thinks Catrin has come to speak to him at last so he answers the door. It will be for the last time.

The next morning when Catrin is seeing Angie off to work, she glances round to see Figgis’ door open and realises something is wrong. They enter and find Figgis dead. They call the police. It looks like an overdose to Thorne but when he speaks to Hendricks, the new pathologist, he immediately gets his back up and it’s been a while since he’s taken an immediate dislike to someone. When the PM is done though, the pathologist actually tells Thorne it’s not an overdose but murder!

Dean Meade tells the papers that he is Keiron’s real father and has been shut out of the boy’s life without ever being able to see him. Not strictly true but he was thinking of the money he could make. He didn’t realise it would get him killed. Is this linked to Kieron’s disappearance and Figgis’ murder? Another headache for DI Boyle and DS Thorne to sort out.

Who could be behind Keiron’s disappearance? Will he be found alive? If DS Tom Thorne has anything to do with it, he will!

I think this book is absolutely fantastic. It’s old style Mark Billingham writing from twenty years ago. Very descriptive and well written, interesting plot with a good insight to Tom Thorne with his relationship with his wife and friend Phil Hendricks. Just brilliant!

Fantastic novel as always. Wasn’t too sure about a prequel but it didn’t disappoint. Was great to see some of the early character relationships.

What a refreshing read this was. Not only does this book have a very strong plot which moves with the twists and turns we expect of Mark Billingham, but this prequel holds so much pleasure. How Tom first meets Phil Hendricks, who at first he takes an instant dislike to; his early relationships with other characters who are developed over the years; the importance of music to Tom Thorne; the humour he always manages to inject into his writing. It is all there in his early career without all the advances of mobile phones and trackers and other sophisticated equipment A pleasure to read. It just makes me want to go back to Sleepyhead and read all the books all over again.
Very many thanks to Netgalley/Mark Billingham/Little, Brown Book Co for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A welcome addition to the Tom Thorne series - this one takes us back to the past when Tom was a DS. As with all Mark Billingham's books you know you are in for a cracking read. This one is no exception. I absolutely love all of his books. Mark Billingham is one of the best crime writers out there and his story telling is second to none. Gripping, detailed story telling at its best. 5 stars all the way.

I have read all of the Tom Thorne series and loved every one and this was no exception. It was good to read about a very young Tom and his first meeting with Hendricks the quirky pathologist who later becomes a close friend of Toms. It also brings back memories of a time when we wasn't so reliant on technology like we are today.
A great story line which kept me gripped and an ending i wasn't suspecting. If you haven't read this series you are missing out. i highly recommend the whole series.

One minute Kieron Coyne is happy playing hide and seek in the local woods with his best friend and then he can’t be found. Has he wandered off? Or is he missing?
DS Tom Thorne is put on the case to find the boy. Desperate to locate the boy, he can’t help but think of the case that still haunts his dreams. Tom can’t allow history to repeat itself.
Suspects soon start to pile up and the DS has to look in more than one direction, but then the suspects start dying. Tom must use his instincts to see the wood for the trees and save Kieron and maybe save himself in the process.
Mark Billingham takes us back to 1996 and a young Tom Thorne and a country dreaming of football coming home.
Twenty years since the authors first book and he is still at the top of his game.
Personally I think Mark Billingham is the best crime writer in the UK and this new novel is a perfect example of his ability to keep the reader guessing until the end.
An incredible book from a brilliant storyteller.

8/10

It’s always a pleasure to read a Mark Billingham book and this was no different with the added joy of returning to 1996 during the Euro’s which was the first football tournament I remember from growing up (it was in our backyard after all).

This is a prequel so has the difficulty of finely balancing enough for die hard fans like myself to enjoy and those new to the series who need to get a bit more information. It was nice seeing the introduction of the friendship of Thorne and Hendricks and even though it doesn’t seem like this was set a long time ago (I refuse to believe I’m old) there was enough differences to modern day policing that it made for a few interesting plot points. What are these crazy things called mobile phones???

I think this is one of the better books in the series of late but that could be down to the time period and the football atmosphere I mentioned although there was plenty of usual traits that make me enjoy the series as much as I do. I didn’t overly rate the ending but it was good enough to not spoil the book.

Well worth picking up for those new to the series or those who have enjoyed it. Because of the setting it could be picked up at any point really.

This is the first DI Thorne book I have read, and it won't be the last! I can't believe I have missed out on this great, award winning series. I enjoyed the modern history of this retrospective story; the days of smoky pubs and phone boxes. My favourite character is the spiky (in more ways than one) pathologist. He would have certainly stood out in those days. Great story telling and a fabulous sense of place and time. I loved it.

Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

I suppose I need to expand on that.

Firstly, I’m going to go off on a slight tangent and talk about Lee Child. I was an early fan of the Jack Reacher series, eagerly awaiting the release of each book but probably my favourite book has been “The Enemy” (the 8th book). A pleasant surprise with Child changing gear and reversing, taking us back to a time before Reacher arrived in Margrave, to a time when he was still in the Army, and in possession of more than the clothes on his back and a fold-up toothbrush. And it was a fun read.

And now Mark Billingham has done something similar with Tom Thorne. And it’s as welcome as that first Reacher journey down memory lane.

For this reader of a certain age, Cry Baby is one big nostalgia trip - and thankfully not always a rose tinted one. It’s set in 1996 at a time when England were hosting the UEFA Euro Cup (coinciding with my own early days as a London ‘incomer’) and, if I was an author, this would have been such fun way to spend a few months with my creation - adding a some meat to a back story, remembering London way back when, researching (to make sure you remembered correctly!), and then writing it all up.

I may have oversimplified the blood, sweat and tears involved a bit here.

The story itself is cleverly spun. A spider web that starts with a missing child - two children playing hide and seek in the woods with only one coming back - and from which a tale of redemption and retribution emerges. DS Tom Thorne is part of the investigating team and with the spectre of a previous case disturbing his sleep, he’s eager to make sure he does this one right. I loved Thorne’s interactions with his family, his colleagues, and his superiors but I especially liked his conversations with the boy’s mom - all the while focusing on what has happened to the boy and where might he be.

And for those already familiar with Thorne, there's a certain ‘getting the band back together’ vibe although actually it's more of how the band started as we are introduced to some very familiar characters at the same time Tom is.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book. It’s made extra special because we have a character that has been over 20 years in the making, going back to almost the start but it does stand well as a single book if this is a reader’s first foray into the world of Tom Thorne.

With thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC.

I have loved Mark Billingham’s Tom Thorne series so was very excited to read this prequel set in 1996. It works brilliantly - I loved being back in Thorne’s world and as ever Billingham is a master of characterisation. The plot moves along at a good pace and the ending was a genuine surprise to me, I loved the nods to the period such as the reference to This Life and the crush many of us had on Miles! Billingham also highlights the lack of women in CID ( only one ) at this time.
I loved this and would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

Cry Baby is set in 1996 and introduces us to Tom Thorne. We learn about his first meeting with Phil Hendricks and how they discovered what would become their favourite I dina restaurant The Bengal Lancers.
As with all Mark Billingham books Cry Baby is tightly written with such believable characters and with a really unexpected ending.

After reading other Mark Billingham books previously I was excited by this new release and, as anticipated, it did not disappoint.
Good storyline with plenty of twists to keep you engrossed.
It was intriguing to be introduced to a much younger Tom Thorne and being set some 25 years ago it was a pleasant reminder of a less technologically reliant time.
4.5 stars

I have previously read some of the books by Mark Billingham, mainly the first 5/6 of the Thorne series, and this book is a prequel to the series. This was good in that it re-introduced me to the characters that I had previously read about.

The basic story is about the investigation into a missing child set during the mid 90’s. It was interesting to read some of the historical elements, as I had context for remembering some of it as well and this brought the memories of that time back. There are also some amusing nods to people around at the time, and this comedy comes out well thanks to the authors standup comedy background.

I thought this story was engaging and thoroughly enjoyed following it through the twists (that from this reviewers perspective, didn’t see coming) to the very end. Would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a detective story set in the UK, and for this novel especially, doesn’t rely on the wizardry of modern day crime solving.

This review is based on a free digital ARC copy provided by NetGalley. My views are provided based on the book content only.

Set in 1996 this is not Tom Thorne's first case but is a prequel to all the other cases Mark Billingham has written with such aplomb. Here again he proves there is no one better writing crime novels in England today.
It is nice to step back a quarter of a century to a time when crime solving wasn't quite so high tech & detectives could talk about a bit of intuition & a gut feeling or two.
A child's disappearance from a playground in Highgate is the starting point for a tense & intriguing case for Thorne. Phil Hendricks makes his first appearance & a friendship is born.
Crime writing doesn't get any better than this.

Another great read in the Tom Thorne series.
This book is a prequel to the first book in the series, Sleepyhead. It’s set in 1996 and it’s really weird remembering life back then without mobile phones and sat nav.
Tom is in the middle of a divorce and doesn’t want to sell the house, so he’s ignoring his ex wife.
We meet Hendricks in this book and Thorne’s description of his first impression made me smile. We all know Hendricks is very likeable but people tend to judge him by his looks, but I was pleased Thorne took to him straight away. (Well apart from being surprised by his manner on the phone!)
The story in this book is centred around a young boy who is snatched while playing at the park with his friend. His mum’s friend turns her back for a few minutes, and he’s gone.
His mum, Cat is distraught and her friend feels terrible about not keeping a closer eye on him.
Gradually Thorne unpicks everything and realises who who kidnapper is and then it’s a race against time to get to Kieron.
This is a great addition to the Tom Thorne series, and I look forward to the next one.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

'Cry Baby' is the 17th book in the hugely popular Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Set back in 1996, when Thorne was haunted by his previous cases, ‘Cry Baby’ is a sequel to ‘Sleepyhead’, the first book in the Thorne series. Due to the timeframe, the story provides some useful background to DS Thorne and explains how he became the troubled detective that we know and love today.

This time around, Thorne is struggling to come to terms with the breakdown of his marriage, while investigating the type of case that all officers dread – a missing child. While mums Cat and Maria are talking, their children Kieron and Josh are playing ‘hide and seek’ within the nearby trees when Kieron goes missing. As the days pass by, the tension builds and the likelihood of Kieron’s safe return diminishes. The story moves at a rapid pace with the point of view, interchanging from Thorne, Henderick, Maria and Cat. This allows us to understand the story from various viewpoints and gives the reader a better insight into each character, along with revealing some potential clues about Kieron’s disappearance.

There are many interconnecting storylines which ensure that the suspense does not break for a moment and that there is plenty happening to hold the readers interest. And, being set in 1996, I found it fun to read through all of references to the 90’s and the emergence of technology that we know today: John Major as Prime Minister, Jill Dando on Crime Watch, phone boxes, ‘portable phones’ and floppy disks, computers – and smoking indoors. Absolutely worth a read for newcomers and fans alike.

Thank you to both Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC of this book in return for a honest review.

Cry Baby - Mark Billingham
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group Uk
Publication Date 23 July 2020

4.5 stars out of 5

No Spoilers

I have to admit I’m not much of a fan of the “prequel”. However, this did give interesting insight into the character and career development of one of my favourite detectives- Tom Thorne. It also details his first meeting and subsequent friendship with Phil Hendricks. This was a slow burner but once it got going I really enjoyed it. Well researched and written as usual. Highly recommended.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.