Mark Billingham Archives

Book review: The Shadow Step by Mark Billington

July 19, 20262 min read

The Shadow Step by Mark Billington is the third in the series featuring detective Declan (Dec) Miller and (for me) this was a return to the amazing banter and snarky droll repartee which I loved about the first in the series, The Last Dance.

Here Dec and DS Sara Xiu are called when a body is found in a pond in a park. Happily for them, someone comes forward to explain he’d argued with the man, who’d then tripped over his dog and fell into the pond. Down-on-his-luck ex soldier Barry Cheshire tells them he had no idea the man didn’t pull himself out and went to the police as soon as he heard about the body. In worse news for Cheshire however, the dead man was a drug dealer, working for the Cutlers… well-known to Dec, who (wrongly) believe their territory is under attack and decide to take revenge.

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Book review: What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham

July 18, 20252 min read

What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham is the 19th in the series featuring Detective Tom Thorne (and Nicola Tanner). I was a latecomer to the series, kicking off with book #13 in 2015. I was relieved a few books ago when Tom broke up with this then girlfriend and fellow cop Helen and moved on with a new love interest. For reasons I now cannot remember I was not a fan of Helen. And wouldn’t you know it… he’s back with Helen here. A reunion I somehow did not share in my review of book #18 The Murder Book, though I didn’t bemoan the fact so maybe whatever irked me about her has dissipated a little. She’s left the police now so perhaps the career move has made her less-irksome in my eyes.

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Book review: The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham

July 23, 20242 min read

The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham is the second in the series featuring Declan Miller. I absolutely loved the first, The Last Dance, as Miller reminded me of wise-cracking gumshoes of the past. I adored Billingham (Declan’s) fairly manic thought processes, his snark and the random sharing of facts he imparts on everyone and anyone. We were introduced to a few other players in the first book, including his partner DS Sara Xiu (aka Posh because her surname sounds like jus… posh gravy) in addition to his bosses (one of whom is supportive) as well as other less-supportive colleagues, ballroom dancing friends and a couple of mobsters or may or may not have been involved in Dec’s wife murder. And then of course there’s Alex, his aforementioned wife with whom he continues to share his thoughts. Despite her being dead ‘n’ all.

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Book review: The Last Dance by Mark Billingham

May 27, 20232 min read

I’m a fan of Mark Billingham’s Tom Thorne / Nicola Tanner series but also very much enjoyed (perhaps more!) his standalone 2021 release, Rabbit Hole. His latest novel, The Last Dance, kicks off a new series featuring Detective Declan (Dec) Miller… a witty wiseass I can soooo envisage on the big or small screen. Miller’s constant (almost compulsive) commentary is hilarious and it would translate well – if done properly with someone with great (droll) comedic timing.

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Book review: The Murder Book by Mark Billingham

August 13, 20222 min read

I was a latecomer to the DI Tom Thorne (and more recently Nicola Tanner) series but mentioned in earlier reviews that I disliked Tom’s previous love interest so was glad when they split. I’d forgotten he had a new partner here… and think it’s because Billingham took a break from the series last year to write the (very brilliant) Rabbit Hole.

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Book review: Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham

August 17, 20213 min read

I tend not to buy books if I don’t get them for review because I just have too many books in my TBR pile. I’m also usually either bitterly disappointed if I’ve missed something I’ve requested; or petulant to the point I decide I’m never going to review another book again. #realmature

The blurb for Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham leapt out at me when I saw it advertised but I was very worried I’d missed it until I had it in my fat little (well, medium-sized) hands. It certainly seemed to be offering something quite new and as soon as I started reading I fell in love with the way Billingham has written this book – from the point-of-view of Alice – who’s resplendent with quirks and a smidge of ‘crazy’.*

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Book review: Cry Baby by Mark Billingham

August 13, 20202 min read

I’m a fan of Mark Billingham and Detective Tom Thorne. I read the sixteenth in the series (Their Little Secret) last year and assumed this would pick up where it left off. In fact, I didn’t read the backcover blurb at all before I started the book and found it a little strange that the series was set in the past and I didn’t remember that being the case.

I knew I disliked his partner or girlfriend and was relieved she seemed to be moving on; and here Tom’s separated from his wife. So it made sense but it didn’t. And, as it happens, there’s nothing in the book until the very end that references that this is a flashback of sorts*. It meant that I read the book amidst some puzzlement worrying that my memory was even worse than it is and that I’d just not remembered the books were set in the 1990s.

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Book review: Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham

May 1, 20193 min read

I think this is officially Tom Thorne number 16 but I only joined the Detective Inspector’s exploits four books ago and since then author Mark Billingham has introduced DI Nicola Tanner into the mix and though this mostly unfolds from Tom’s point of view, both feature strongly.

I commented in my last review that I was happy that Tom’s relationship was in trouble as I wasn’t a fan of his partner (and fellow cop) Helen and here they’ve recently separated.

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