"The past is not just haunting Thorne, it’s hunting him in this read-in-one-sitting thrilling crime novel."
A satisfyingly shocking and oh-so-readable novel, make sure you’re sitting comfortably when you begin! When your home life feels settled you have the most to lose, and Tom Thorne comes to realise this in the most horrifying way when the past screams hello.
The Murder Book is the eighteenth in the addictive Tom Thorne series which began with the fabulous Sleepyhead, and Mark Billingham’s writing is as on-point as ever. These police procedurals have it all, a tight knit policing team, flawed characters that you’d still want on your side, and twisty plots alongside skilful writing. The writing is such that I do believe you could read this as a standalone even with the references to what has gone before, but of course, this being Mark Billingham, I have to recommend that you go back and start at the beginning. This is a book that fires-up and teases the accelerator, gradually building up until it hits top speed and then, well, it just doesn’t let up. I was genuinely fearful for Thorne and co, for their physical and mental welfare, as their opponent is truly terrifying. I read late into the night, not wanting to leave them, desperately needing to know the outcome. With a hoard of reading gold to discover, The Murder Book electrifies as it corkscrews through to a heart-pounding conclusion. Highly recommended, and a LoveReading Star Book.
| Primary Genre | Crime and Mystery |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
Thorne and his team are back. Tom, Nicola and Phil all share a secret that they don’t want to come out, but what is the cost of it staying hidden?
I love the Tom Thorne series and this one didn’t disappoint. DI’s Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner, with the help of pathologist Phil Hendricks are the intrepid trio that are drawn into a situation where their past may come back to haunt them! This latest adventure lures you in from the very first chapter and keeps you hooked until the very last page. The discovery of a gruesome murder, which is going to be the first of three, is only the beginning and just when they think they have the culprit in custody a name from the past is thrown into the mix which sends chills down the spines of the whole team. The chase has only just begun but who is chasing who?
This book has everything you want from a police procedural, a great character led storyline with relatable characters.... Read Full Review
Whether this is your first ’Thorne” or one of many, prepare to be swept along and genuinely concerned for the welfare of the characters within.
Firstly cards on the table this is not a unbiased review.
I have followed (and loved) the work of Mark Billingham since his first novel Sleepyhead caught my eye in my local bookshop many moons ago.
Every time I pick up a new Thorne book I worry that it will not be up to the standard of the previous books but once again I was not disappointed.
Unlike some other authors the books always feel new, fresh and not at all formulaic.
For those people who have not yet read any of this series I ask “Why not?”.... Read Full Review
“The Murder Book” is amazingly the eighteenth (!) in the series, which just goes to prove how much readers love reading, Mark’s grisly police procedurals.
I’ve been a fan of Mark Billingham’s writing for many years now and have been avidly following DI Tom Thorne since the beginning with ‘Sleepyhead’.
“The Murder Book” is amazingly the eighteenth (!) in the series, which just goes to prove how much readers love reading, Mark’s grisly police procedurals.
In this story, we see the return of a serial killer that has haunted Thorne since his last disastrous encounter with him. With the killer always seeming to be one step ahead, Thorne must chase down a woman responsible for a series of gruesome deaths, while looking over his shoulder for the man that has tormented his career for years.... Read Full Review
