Time of Death - (Di Tom Thorne) by Mark Billingham (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The stunning thirteenth Tom Thorne novel, from a writer called "one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today" by Gillian Flynn

Time of Death is the astonishing thirteenth Tom Thorne novel from British crime master Mark Billingham, whose books have sold more than four million copies worldwide. In Time of Death, he weaves a gripping story of kidnapping, the tabloid press, and a frightening case of mistaken identity.

Reeling from a particularly difficult recent case, Tom Thorne is enjoying a Valentine's Day break with his girlfriend DS Helen Weeks in the picturesque English Cotswolds. But their romantic weekend is disturbed when they hear about an arrest made in Helen's hometown of Polesford, Warwickshire. Two young girl have been abducted, and the town has been overwhelmed by a media storm, the local hotels and pubs brimming over with journalists and police. The prime suspect in the case is the husband of an old school friend of Helen's, and Helen and Tom rush to Polesford to try to find out more. It is Helen's first time back home in twenty-five years, and she finds the town much changed, but old secrets and buried memories are lingering under the surface. As Helen faces up to a past she has tried desperately to forget, Thorne becomes convinced that, despite overwhelming evidence of the man's guilt, the police have got the wrong person. There is an extremely clever killer on the loose and a missing girl who Thorne believes might still be alive.

Brilliantly plotted and intensely gripping, Time of Death is a masterly thriller from one of England's best-loved crime writers and will keep readers guessing until the final page.

Review Quotes

Praise for Time of Death:

Longlisted for the 2016 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year
A Telegraph Best Crime Fiction Book of the Year
One of Entertainment Weekly's "10 Great Summer Thrillers"
One of the Guardian's "Best Recent Crime Novels"

"Some ingenious forensic footwork. What is most impressive about the novel, however, is the astute observation of the beleaguered Bates family, who turn in on themselves as the inhabitants of the town turn on them."--Guardian (UK)

"Clever and inventive."--Financial Times

"The writing displays the virtues that have made Mark Billingham a bestseller: wit, careful plotting, attention to detail (some of it gruesome) and great characterization--not just Thorne and Helen but subsidiary figures such as the e-cigarette-puffing local police chief . . . An entertaining read. This won't disappoint Billingham's legions of fans."--Telegraph (UK)

"Billingham conjures many moods in this suspenseful thriller . . . This is a multilayered, expertly crafted look at the many moving parts of an investigation and the terror unleashed by a crafty killer."--Booklist (starred review)

"Builds to a surprising and satisfying climax."--Publishers Weekly

"DI Tom Thorne and his lover, DS Helen Weeks, return to Helen's hated hometown in Warwickshire to confront some ugly accusations and some even uglier secrets. . . . What lingers in the memory is the group portrait of the Polesford locals brutally closing ranks against a man they're certain deserves to die."--Kirkus Reviews

"Billingham has seemed to be incapable of writing any way but wonderfully since Sleepyhead, his first Tom Thorne novel . . . Billingham is always spot on, but Time of Death is pitch-perfect, evenly balanced between plot and character. You won't be able to read it without wondering why all books can't be this good."--Bookreporter

Praise for Mark Billingham:

"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

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

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

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

"Billingham is one of the best crime novelists working today."--Laura Lippman

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

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

About the Author

Mark Billingham has twice won the Theakston's Old Peculier Award for Best Crime Novel and also won the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British writer. His books have been translated into twenty-five languages, sold over four million copies, and were made into a hit TV series starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne. He lives in London.