From the Dead - (Di Tom Thorne) by Mark Billingham (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In the ninth Tom Thorne novel, never before published in the United States, Thorne investigates a troubling case of conspiracy--a wife who arranges to have her husband murdered. He turns up alive... and other people begin to turn up dead.

A decade ago, Alan Langford's charred remains were discovered in his burnt-out car. His wife Donna was found guilty of conspiracy to murder her husband and sentenced to ten years in prison. But before she is released, Donna receives a nasty shock: an anonymous letter containing a photo of her husband. The man she hates with every fibre of her being--the man she paid to have murdered--seems very much alive and well. But how is it possible that her husband is still alive? Where is he? Who sent the photo, and why?

Review Quotes

"Mark Billingham is a first-rate British crime writer who is too little known in this country. . . . The police procedural is a deceptively simple genre. You need a crime, a cop, suspects, complications and finally a solution. The art, of course, lies in the ingenuity of the crime, the depth of the characterizations and the quality of the writing. Billingham excels in all regards." --Patrick Anderson, Washington Post

"Billingham's ninth Tom Thorne thriller sees our hero working on a case in which a man long dead appears to be very much alive--to the chagrin of his wife, who had paid to ensure his expiration."--Entertainment Weekly

"Once again, [Billingham] has written a deep police procedural with significant insights into the characters. . . . Written with smoothness and urbanity, the plot moves forward in unexpected ways. Recommended."--Theodore Feit, The Midwest Book Review

"[A] fine, well-plotted work . . . Billingham's dark humor, often shot through with irony, is in full play here."--Joe Hartlaub, Book Reporter

"A chillingly clever criminal boosts this intelligent procedural."--Publishers Weekly

"A nice mix of police procedure and chatty scenes, and some nice scenery."--Salem Macknee, Charlotte Observer

Praise for Mark Billingham

"With each of his books, Mark Billingham gets better and better. These are stories and characters you don't want to leave."--Michael Connelly

"Morse, Rebus, and now Thorne. The next superstar detective is already with us--don't miss him."--Lee Child

"Billingham is one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today."--Gillian Flynn

"Mark Billingham has brought a rare and welcome blend of humanity, dimension, and excitement to the genre."--George Pelecanos

"Billingham is a world-class crime writer and Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation. Rush to read these books."--Karin Slaughter

"Mark Billingham is one of my favorite new writers."--Harlan Coben

"Billingham leaps to the upper echelons of crime fiction in one bound."--John Harvey

About the Author