Mark Billingham

Death Message

"This is an excellent read and a real ‘must’ for all fans and followers of Thorne."

Synopsis:

DI Tom Thorne has just received a message on his phone, a photo.

The man's face fills the small screen, pasty and distorted. A clump of dark hair across the only visible cheek. The mouth hung open, its lips flecked with white and a sliver of tongue just visible inside. Chins bulged, one above the other; each black and silver stubbled, with a thin red line delineating the two. The single eye in the shot was closed.

Thorne knew what the odds were - he knew that he was looking at a murder victim.

Purchase the book from Amazon.

Review:

The cynical, slightly morose and outwardly humourless Thorne returns for his latest (and possibly final - for quite some time) case. Having just received a text message with a photo of a victim, Thorne has the insight on a murder, but as yet no name for the victim. Whilst Thorne starts off the case within the lines, he is soon up to his old tricks, breaking and bending rules to get a result and see that justice is done. The more I read of Thorne, the more miserable, unsociable and belligerent he seems, and I have to confess… the more I like him! Death Message was a much better read than some of Billingham's previous books which may have disappointed those with such high expectations since reading his first few books. Any doubts or concerns that Thorne is to be killed off can be laid to rest, and rumour has it he even laughed in Death Message… This is an excellent read and a real 'must' for all fans and followers of Thorne.

Reviewed By:


H.A.