Well, Tom, Phil, Nicola, I don't know what to say. It looks like this will be the last of the Tom Thorne books and, oh, how I will miss these characters.
Mark Billingham's books are always entertaining and gripping, and this one was no exception and what a shocker.
A satisfac6ending to a great series.

A routine arrest for DI Thorne. As he leaves the building four officers are tucking into doughnuts. He's starving, it's 3am after all but there's none left for him. Apparently there were only 4 doughnuts in the box. A gift left on the police car with a note saying "thanks for all that you do."
The next day, three of those officers are dead and the fourth is fighting for her Life.

I don't say this very often, but this book is brilliant! Thorne, Tanner and Holland are a fantastic team. DI's working to find a serial cop killer, looking into possible corruption within the force. The content is so difficult and painful but Billinghams writing is somehow whimsical, yet serious. He manages to convey the horrible atrocities whilst keeping the banter.

I loved all of this. It is a police procedural and so much more. The extremes of these murders and then humour lift this novel to greatness.

Mark Billingham is up there with the greats. There's not that many authors that can get me to shed tears but he had me blubbering.

If you plan to read one book this year, you won't get many better thank this one. Yes, it's the 19th in the Tom Thorne series, but you don't need to have read the others. To date, I've only read the first Tom Thorne book, "Sleepyhead". Bear in mind there will be a couple of spoiler's in this for his previous novels.

I would like to convey my thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing the opportunity to review this novel. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for my copy of What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham
This latest addition to the Tom Thorne series (Book 19, Can you believe it?) is exactly as we’ve come to expect, full of secrets, dark corners where nasty things happen, and the dogged determination of Tom and his team to get to the truth.
This time the truth will rock his world.
A great read.

4.75 stars rounded up. Heck of a ride… this is the 19th in the Tom Thorne series, but I’ve only read the very first (a late addition prequel book) which I hadn’t been wowed by, and then this latest one which did wow me a lot! While having read previous ones might help know the characters better or feel more invested, I certainly felt as if I knew them fairly well by the end of the book.

It’s topical and timely in looking at Met Police officers having been accused of raping women and the effect for serving (good) officers trying to uphold their sworn oaths. A good plot that’s well thought out with good writing, I really liked this and it’s got a heck of an ending. I only deducted a 1/4 star because it’s not really explained why the person leaked information, and the *cough*event*event* at the end.

I will definitely be checking out the other books in the series now!

I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

How lovely to be able to spend time with Tom Thorne again, I was concerned that we had read the last book in his story, but no this is just as good as all the other books in the series with the characters you have loved (or not). Plenty of twists and turns in the plot and such great characters. This book actually made me want to start the whole series again, just to read about them all over again. Mark Billingham never lets us down with his great characters and plots.

Another excellent read in the Tom Thorne series, great character's but as always a little twist at the end. I look forward to hopefully the next in the series
As always my thanks to NetGalley and Publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere for the early read

It's so good to have the great Tom Thorne back! As good as other Mark Billingham principals Thorne is the guv'nor and this 19th instalment in the series is well worth the wait. Sparkling dialogue, superb plotting and exemplary writing are all here, making for an unmissable read.

Hadn't read the previous books in the series but it doesn't matter because the story stands on its own. The characters are strong and well defined, obviously have been honed over the previous books. I felt like I knew them from the start. The reader is there with Thorne as he tries to contain the emotions and reactions to devastating events unfolding. I'm sorry I didn't find the series earlier because I really enjoyed the characters and how the books are written.

I have read some of the authors Tom Thorne books although not any of the latest ones so began reading What the Night Brings with fairly high expectations. Wow, Mark Billingham did not disappoint in any way at all. His latest Tom Thorne book is a cracker of a read which really hit the mark with me. The writing is very good and engaging and the story flows well. I was drawn in right from the start and Mark Billingham grabbed my attention and interest and held it to the last page. It is great being back in Thorne's world as he investigates the deaths of police officers. Who is targeting them and why? The plot line is very intricate and well thought out with lots of threads that certainly had me wanting to know what would come next. The author raises the tension, suspense and thrills as the story progresses and has certainly excelled here with his writing and knows what his readers like. When I reached the end all I can say is wow, wow, wow and I know I will try to catch up on the books I've missed when I can. As far as a police procedural goes this has it all and I could imagine the characters in my mind when reading, and I'd recommend this book although would say it's best to read the series in order to know the characters and their backgrounds right from the start.

4.5 stars

Great to see Mark Billingham bring back Tom Thorne for another police procedural novel in the series.

They never disappoint though the cliff hanger at the end was just such a surprise - mind blowing in fact. I won’t provide spoilers but it seemed odd that a certain character should behave in such a way.

It would be possible to read as a stand-alone but as with all long series the context is much greater if one has read them all.

Well written and well researched - a great book like this often deserves such an ending.

Really enjoyed this book, Thorne and his team are back and I thought this is one of the best in the series. Great writing, complex storyline which keeps you guessing throughout.

Highly recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham is a gripping addition to the Tom Thorne series, delivering a tense and emotionally charged thriller. The novel follows Thorne as he investigates the targeted murders of police officers, uncovering a dark web of betrayal and vengeance. Billingham’s storytelling is sharp, suspenseful, and deeply immersive, making this one of his strongest works yet.

Given its compelling plot and masterful pacing, I’d absolutely recommend it. It’s a must-read for fans of crime fiction and those who enjoy complex, character-driven narratives.

What the Night Brings is the latest police procedural thriller from Mark Billingham and stars, after a short break, Tom Thorne and his gang of colleagues.

The storyline is very upto date and relevant but still has the usual Billingham humour and twists and turns that you expect.

Without giving away any spoilers the surprises continue until near the very end and make this book one of the best I’ve read this year.

A definite recommendation.

After a short hiatus, Mark Billingham brings back Tom Thorne and an investigation that starts with four dead officers from the Metropolitan Police. The escalation is fast, in this superior story of revenge and, never far away, are the parallels of some real life cases that Billingham is able to incorporate without ever feeling shoehorned in - indeed, it adds to the overwhelmingly disturbing and downright scary encounters that move this story along at a rollicking pace. In lesser hands it may not work but of course, this is Mr B, with a rather amazing 25 years and books under his belt, and the experience shines through. Tom Thorne's world-weariness is ever-present but engaging and bizarrely welcome,

The usual team of weird and wonderfuls are also here of course, and I always enjoy the uneasy rapport that seems to exist between some of them, and the less obvious connections between others. One in particular probably deserves his own spin-off; but the trust between them all is severely tested as the realisation soon becomes obvious - this time, the Met aren't just investigating a crime; one fateful night will test Thorne to his limits.

Brilliant new addition to this long-running series, after time off to create Declan Miller (oh so different, oh so much fun!) I do feel as if new oomph has been given to Thorne and his cohorts, even though they weren't short of it before!

The Tom Thorne series is among the best police procedurals available and this entry lives up to all those that come before. Given all the problems facing the Met in recent years, this novel felt very timely. Despite the bleak subject matter there are a few moments of humour too, mostly the workplace banter between returning characters Thorne, Holland, Tanner and Hendricks. It kept up the pace well and had a few shocks along the way. I thought it was excellent.

Been a little while since we had a new Tom Thorne as Mark Billingham has been creating a highly new enjoyable series based in Blackpool. No need to worry about quality as this is amongst the best of the Tom Thorne series. Tracking down a cop killer set against a background of police corruption, Thorne has his work cut out.
At times shocking, never dull and with Billingham's trademark humour dotted around the book, we have another winner folks!

Mark Billingham’s What the Night Brings plunges readers once again into the shadowy streets of London alongside his beloved, flawed detective, Tom Thorne. This installment captures everything fans have come to expect from the series: a tense, atmospheric crime story laced with psychological depth and social commentary.

Thorne is pulled into an investigation that forces him to confront not only London’s criminal underworld but the darker corners of the police force itself. Billingham masterfully balances a taut, twisting plot with deeply personal stakes, giving Thorne new emotional territory to navigate without ever losing sight of the hard-boiled edge that defines him.

Billingham’s prose is crisp yet evocative, painting the night-soaked city with shades of fear and doubt. Themes of betrayal, institutional corruption, and the heavy cost of justice ripple through every chapter. As always, Billingham excels at secondary characters, giving even minor players memorable moments that add texture to the narrative.

This is the 19th Tom Thorne book but can be read as a standalone (although once you read it you will want to read all the others), Billingham delivers a well-paced narrative with a riveting plot. The gruesome storyline is lightened by the repartee between the characters. The topical issue of corruption in the police force is explored. There is a vigilante taking the law into his own hands by murdering corrupt police officers. There is also a mole in the police force who is passing on confidential information. Thorne and his colleagues do not know who to trust. The shocking ending leads Thorne disullusioned and questioning his position.
A great addition to a wonderful series that just seems to be getting better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Inspector Thorne returns in 'What the Night Brings' by Mark Billingham, his 19th book in the series. In the novel, someone is targeting and killing police officers. As Thorne and Tanner start to dig, it becomes apparent that the motive is linked to crimes police officers have perpetrated using the power their uniform gives them. However, are the crimes all linked, and is there something horrifically darker going on?

Like Tony Parsons, Billingham has drawn upon the recent concerns that public has about the safety of the MET police force. He does it well, using Thorne's cynical perspective and outsider view very effectively. As always this is a high paced page turner, with a great deal of humour despite the subject matter. Billingham is very clever and creative when it comes to how the crimes are perpetrated, and how the perpetrators are caught. This is a book I would highly recommend, although it might not increase people's trust of the large number of police officers who do go to work for the right reason.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Mark Billingham is one of my favourite authors and I'm so honoured to have been granted early access to this latest Tom Thorne outing. I was gripped throughout this one and the ending took me completely by surprise. A clear five stars from me.