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Tom Thorne #16
Their Little Secret
The sixteenth book in the Tom Thorne series, from bestselling author Mark Billingham.'Hugely intelligent and authentic' BELINDA BAUER, AUTHOR OF SNAPShe says she's an ordinary mother.He knows a liar when he sees one.Sarah thinks of herself as a normal single mum. It's what she wants others to think of her. But the truth is, she needs something new, something thrilling.Meanwhile, DI Tom Thorne is investigating a woman's suicide, convinced she was driven to do it by a man who preys on vulnerable women.A man who is about to change Sarah's life.From number one, five-million-copy bestseller Mark Billingham comes a breathless new thriller starring Thorne and Tanner that readers will devour.PRAISE FOR MARK BILLINGHAM'One of the great series of British crime fiction' THE TIMES'An unconventional literary superstar' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Billingham is a world-class writer' KARIN SLAUGHTER'A new Mark Billingham is always a treat' SUSIE STEINER'Finely paced and polished procedural, with twists and turns galore' CARA HUNTER'Perfectly executed and with a thoroughly unnerving twist' GUARDIAN'Thorne is a terrific invention' IRISH INDEPENDENT'Mark Billingham gets better and better' MICHAEL CONNELLY
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2019
391 people are currently reading
2677 people want to read
About the author
Mark Billingham
104 books2,170 followersAlso writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.
Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.
Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews
May 22, 2019
Ah, l’amour…..ain’t it grand. Well, you might want to hold that thought. While many people exchange rings as a symbol of their union, you’re about to meet a couple who are a little…uh…less traditional.
Tom Thorne is called to one of the underground stations where the body of a young woman lies across the tracks. There’s not much doubt she took her own life but in the interest of ticking all the boxes, he begins to dig into her background. It seems she was the victim of a charming scam artist who professed his love before emptying her bank account. And like her money, he’s gone.
In alternate chapters we meet Sarah, a mysterious young woman who spends her mornings bonding with other moms after dropping her son at school. It’s a quiet life but that may be about to change. She recently met a charismatic man who’s obviously interested & begins to wonder if he could be “the one”.
And that’s all I’ll say about that side of the story. Just know it took off in directions I never could have predicted with plenty of WTH moments along the way.
Meanwhile Tom & DI Nicola Tanner have more than enough to keep them busy. Another body & another woman who believed she’d found true love. Right up until the guy disappeared with her savings. Tom begins to take the cases personally. His own love life is in shambles & if he can’t fix that, maybe he can find some justice for these women whose only mistake was to trust the wrong man.
There’s a darker tone to this outing than previous books in the series. Partly due to the subject matter but also because of Tom. He’s (sort of) single again & not taking it well. Or maybe too well…he’s not sure. He’s more reflective than usual but veers away from examining himself too closely. Either way, he’s in a funk & moping has become a part time job. Thankfully, Phil Hendricks is around to verbally kick his butt in typical style.
Tanner, also, is mourning lost love. As partners go, she & Tom are chalk & cheese but have learned to accept each others tics. To be honest, I’m still warming up to her character. And with both MC’s singing the blues, I found this instalment lacking a bit of the usual sparkle (thank God for Phil).
However, it’s completely in keeping with the story lines. Love in all its forms is definitely the theme of the story. Fated, unrequited, lost or obsessive….we witness the degrees of happiness or carnage that can result when 2 lives collide. Just be warned: by the time the dust settles, you might start thinking of love as a four letter word.
Tom Thorne is called to one of the underground stations where the body of a young woman lies across the tracks. There’s not much doubt she took her own life but in the interest of ticking all the boxes, he begins to dig into her background. It seems she was the victim of a charming scam artist who professed his love before emptying her bank account. And like her money, he’s gone.
In alternate chapters we meet Sarah, a mysterious young woman who spends her mornings bonding with other moms after dropping her son at school. It’s a quiet life but that may be about to change. She recently met a charismatic man who’s obviously interested & begins to wonder if he could be “the one”.
And that’s all I’ll say about that side of the story. Just know it took off in directions I never could have predicted with plenty of WTH moments along the way.
Meanwhile Tom & DI Nicola Tanner have more than enough to keep them busy. Another body & another woman who believed she’d found true love. Right up until the guy disappeared with her savings. Tom begins to take the cases personally. His own love life is in shambles & if he can’t fix that, maybe he can find some justice for these women whose only mistake was to trust the wrong man.
There’s a darker tone to this outing than previous books in the series. Partly due to the subject matter but also because of Tom. He’s (sort of) single again & not taking it well. Or maybe too well…he’s not sure. He’s more reflective than usual but veers away from examining himself too closely. Either way, he’s in a funk & moping has become a part time job. Thankfully, Phil Hendricks is around to verbally kick his butt in typical style.
Tanner, also, is mourning lost love. As partners go, she & Tom are chalk & cheese but have learned to accept each others tics. To be honest, I’m still warming up to her character. And with both MC’s singing the blues, I found this instalment lacking a bit of the usual sparkle (thank God for Phil).
However, it’s completely in keeping with the story lines. Love in all its forms is definitely the theme of the story. Fated, unrequited, lost or obsessive….we witness the degrees of happiness or carnage that can result when 2 lives collide. Just be warned: by the time the dust settles, you might start thinking of love as a four letter word.
August 22, 2019
EXCERPT: Tom Thorne watched as the bag containing the woman's body was lifted, as gently as was possible, from the tracks. He saw the telltale sag in the middle before it was laid down on the platform, where those pieces that were unattached had slid together. Where the liquid had pooled inside the plastic.
What was left of the woman's body ...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: When DI Tom Thorne is called to conduct a routine assessment at the site of a suicide, he expects to be in and out in no time. But when he arrives at the metro station, where a woman named Philippa Goodwin threw herself in front of an underground train, Thorne inexplicably senses something awry and feels compelled to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con-man who preys on vulnerable women, and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end. Thorne enlists DI Nicola Tanner to help him track down the swindler and bring him to justice. But the detective duo gets more than they bargained for when a young man's bludgeoned body turns up on the shore of a nearby seaside town. The two cases come together in a way that neither of the detectives could have foreseen.
MY THOUGHTS: Hard to believe I know, but every book in this series just seems to get better and better, and I am always waiting breathlessly for the next to be published. The plotting in this is superb, the writing suspenseful and thrilling, the characters chilling.
Billingham is a master at balancing our need for personal information about the characters, their lives and loves, with the professional approach to solving the crime. There are plenty of twists and turns, and a few near misses......
Brilliant! A book I could not put down.
*****
THE AUTHOR: Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.
Also writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
What was left of the woman's body ...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: When DI Tom Thorne is called to conduct a routine assessment at the site of a suicide, he expects to be in and out in no time. But when he arrives at the metro station, where a woman named Philippa Goodwin threw herself in front of an underground train, Thorne inexplicably senses something awry and feels compelled to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con-man who preys on vulnerable women, and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end. Thorne enlists DI Nicola Tanner to help him track down the swindler and bring him to justice. But the detective duo gets more than they bargained for when a young man's bludgeoned body turns up on the shore of a nearby seaside town. The two cases come together in a way that neither of the detectives could have foreseen.
MY THOUGHTS: Hard to believe I know, but every book in this series just seems to get better and better, and I am always waiting breathlessly for the next to be published. The plotting in this is superb, the writing suspenseful and thrilling, the characters chilling.
Billingham is a master at balancing our need for personal information about the characters, their lives and loves, with the professional approach to solving the crime. There are plenty of twists and turns, and a few near misses......
Brilliant! A book I could not put down.
*****
THE AUTHOR: Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.
Also writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpess.com This review and others also appear on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 17, 2020
This is the 16th procedural featuring DI Tom Thorn and his team, who are now responsible for investigating sudden suspicious deaths.
One such case is Philippa Fulton, who jumped in front of a train. Most everyone assumes this was a suicide ... but Thorn has other ideas. Questioning her family, he finds that she had been 'ghosted' by a new man in her life. The man, known as Patrick Jennings disappeared from her life. He quit calling and answering her phone calls and texts. He took away a lot of her money before he left ... after wiping all records of his existence. Thorn believes the man needs to be charged ....
Patrick has moved on ... albeit, using the name Conrad.... and meets Sarah ... a woman who also has secrets. ... secrets that she will kill to keep hidden. Sarah and Gordon should never have met .... their unusual union leads to calamity after calamity.
It's a twisted plot filled with suspense from the very beginning to the very surprising end. Suspense grows and expands as the book proceeds. I really enjoy how the personal and professional life of Thorn is weaved through this well written novel.
Although 16 in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone, as are all of the books in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Atlantic Monthly Press / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this excellent police procedural / crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
One such case is Philippa Fulton, who jumped in front of a train. Most everyone assumes this was a suicide ... but Thorn has other ideas. Questioning her family, he finds that she had been 'ghosted' by a new man in her life. The man, known as Patrick Jennings disappeared from her life. He quit calling and answering her phone calls and texts. He took away a lot of her money before he left ... after wiping all records of his existence. Thorn believes the man needs to be charged ....
Patrick has moved on ... albeit, using the name Conrad.... and meets Sarah ... a woman who also has secrets. ... secrets that she will kill to keep hidden. Sarah and Gordon should never have met .... their unusual union leads to calamity after calamity.
It's a twisted plot filled with suspense from the very beginning to the very surprising end. Suspense grows and expands as the book proceeds. I really enjoy how the personal and professional life of Thorn is weaved through this well written novel.
Although 16 in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone, as are all of the books in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Atlantic Monthly Press / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this excellent police procedural / crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
May 1, 2019
Another incredibly immersive Tom Thorne novel from the indomitable Mark Billingham here, a beautifully addictive procedural with an excellent side order of psychological thriller.
Their Little Secret features a twisted boy meets girl scenario and throws Thorne and Tanner into an all consuming hunt for the truth. Around that their personal stories continue to expand and engage, creating a perfect storm of a read that is utterly gripping and often a little horrifying.
What I love about this series is the way the central protagonists are entirely authentic, living the lives we all lead, with all the ups and downs, highs and lows, but set apart by the job they do and the evil they see. It creates a realistic base that then throws the reader into all kinds of turmoil as less ordinary events overtake them.
In this particular story the “villain” is extraordinarily intriguing, the psychology of it all is fascinating and I read this in one huge gulp of a sitting staying up into the early hours in order to get to the resolution. There’s no better recommendation I can offer.
Truly excellent once more. Don’t miss it Crime fiction fans.
Their Little Secret features a twisted boy meets girl scenario and throws Thorne and Tanner into an all consuming hunt for the truth. Around that their personal stories continue to expand and engage, creating a perfect storm of a read that is utterly gripping and often a little horrifying.
What I love about this series is the way the central protagonists are entirely authentic, living the lives we all lead, with all the ups and downs, highs and lows, but set apart by the job they do and the evil they see. It creates a realistic base that then throws the reader into all kinds of turmoil as less ordinary events overtake them.
In this particular story the “villain” is extraordinarily intriguing, the psychology of it all is fascinating and I read this in one huge gulp of a sitting staying up into the early hours in order to get to the resolution. There’s no better recommendation I can offer.
Truly excellent once more. Don’t miss it Crime fiction fans.
April 29, 2019
This is the 16th book in the Detective Inspector Tom Thorne series by author Mark Billingham. I love this series and always look forward to the next book so when offered the opportunity of getting an early read, I jumped at it. Instantly hooked and read the 400 pages very quickly such was the tension built throughout.
The novel begins with DI Tom Thorne being called to the site of a routine suicide. At the scene he discovers that Philippa Goodwin apparently threw herself in front of an underground train. For no other reason than a gut feeling Thorne senses that something is not right and decides to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con-man who preys on vulnerable women, and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end. With the assistance of DI Nicola Tanner, Thorne tries to hunt down the con-man and bring him to justice. A young man's savagely killed body is found on the shore of a nearby seaside town and the detectives discover that the two cases are linked in a very surprising way.
This story is expertly plotted and the tension builds up throughout leaving you with no option but to continue reading. Mark Billingham is a very good author but with this latest addition to the series he raises the bar yet again. An excellent read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The novel begins with DI Tom Thorne being called to the site of a routine suicide. At the scene he discovers that Philippa Goodwin apparently threw herself in front of an underground train. For no other reason than a gut feeling Thorne senses that something is not right and decides to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con-man who preys on vulnerable women, and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end. With the assistance of DI Nicola Tanner, Thorne tries to hunt down the con-man and bring him to justice. A young man's savagely killed body is found on the shore of a nearby seaside town and the detectives discover that the two cases are linked in a very surprising way.
This story is expertly plotted and the tension builds up throughout leaving you with no option but to continue reading. Mark Billingham is a very good author but with this latest addition to the series he raises the bar yet again. An excellent read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2019
Having read all of Mark Billingham's thrillers and having watched him discussing police procedure and high-profile criminal cases on television, it is easy to see why his crime fiction continues to go from strength to strength; it's realistic and believable. The sixteenth book in the Detective Tom Thorne series lives up to expectation although it isn't the best instalment so far. An apparent suicide catches the dynamic duo's attention when they have a feeling there is more to it than meets the eye. Action packed with a twisty-turny plot and touches of humour to lighten the tone, this is an exciting, fast-paced police procedural and will keep you turning the pages. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
June 21, 2019
8/10
I'm not up to date with the series having read the first 10 and then not managed to read further, but I saw this on NetGalley and couldn't resist a chance to give it a try as they're pretty much standalone entries. Or so I thought, there were quite a few reveals about what happened in the previous couple of books which means I'll probably wait a while before picking those up.
The story revolves around a seemingly routine suicide case that causes something to stir within Thorne who then tumbles onto something deeper around a con man. This then coincides with numerous murders that are cropping up. How does it all link together. As usual, this is a really quick and enjoyable read. The chapters fly by and it was fun to get back with the characters (even if some were a little new to me). Thorne is a likable character, his gruff nature seems to resonate with my gruff nature. His dogged approach makes it entertaining reading as he puts his nose in places where he probably shouldn't but in order to solve the case.
The series as a whole is really good and this is a worthy entry and would be fine as a standalone too unless you were wanting to read the previous books too. I'm not going to let it put me off though and I'm going to try and read the 5 books I've not tackled yet before the next book in the series is released which is presumably a years time.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy for review
I'm not up to date with the series having read the first 10 and then not managed to read further, but I saw this on NetGalley and couldn't resist a chance to give it a try as they're pretty much standalone entries. Or so I thought, there were quite a few reveals about what happened in the previous couple of books which means I'll probably wait a while before picking those up.
The story revolves around a seemingly routine suicide case that causes something to stir within Thorne who then tumbles onto something deeper around a con man. This then coincides with numerous murders that are cropping up. How does it all link together. As usual, this is a really quick and enjoyable read. The chapters fly by and it was fun to get back with the characters (even if some were a little new to me). Thorne is a likable character, his gruff nature seems to resonate with my gruff nature. His dogged approach makes it entertaining reading as he puts his nose in places where he probably shouldn't but in order to solve the case.
The series as a whole is really good and this is a worthy entry and would be fine as a standalone too unless you were wanting to read the previous books too. I'm not going to let it put me off though and I'm going to try and read the 5 books I've not tackled yet before the next book in the series is released which is presumably a years time.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy for review
May 31, 2019
In Mark Billingham’s new book “Their Little Secret,” Tom Thorne is called to the scene of an apparent suicide - a woman who threw herself in front of a train. While it appears to be a routine case, Thorne’s instincts are telling him otherwise. Despite the recommendation of his boss that he close the case as a suicide, Thorne and DI Nicola Tanner begin an investigation. In alternating chapters, the reader meets a seemingly normal divorced woman with a young son. When she encounters a man she believes is “the one, ” they quickly become lovers and go to horrifying lengths to demonstrate their commitment to each other. Billingham deftly weaves these two threads of the book together to arrive at an unexpected and sinister conclusion.
Underlying their professional lives, Thorne and Tanner are still trying to come to terms with the shocking events in the previous book, “The Killing Habit.” While all of Billingham’s books can be read as stand-alones, I would highly recommend reading “The Killing Habit” prior to “Their Little Secret” for a deeper understanding of those events and their potential repercussions.
Billingham is one of my favorite crime fiction authors and his characters, particularly Tom Thorne, Phil Hendricks, and Nicola Tanner, are fascinating and complex characters I always appreciate spending time with. Another great book by Billingham and highly recommended.
Underlying their professional lives, Thorne and Tanner are still trying to come to terms with the shocking events in the previous book, “The Killing Habit.” While all of Billingham’s books can be read as stand-alones, I would highly recommend reading “The Killing Habit” prior to “Their Little Secret” for a deeper understanding of those events and their potential repercussions.
Billingham is one of my favorite crime fiction authors and his characters, particularly Tom Thorne, Phil Hendricks, and Nicola Tanner, are fascinating and complex characters I always appreciate spending time with. Another great book by Billingham and highly recommended.
June 9, 2019
Brilliant!!
My View:
Brilliant!
If you love a good police procedural with empathetic protagonists, twists and more twists and crime that will shock with its audacity, then this book is for you! So many secrets, so many lies…
I think what I loved most about this book (and there is a lot to love) is the reveal that I did not see coming, the secrets that are being kept on both sides of the law, the reference to Elvis Costello’s lyrics for “I Want You”:
I want you,
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark,
It scares you witless,
But in time you see thing clear and stark.
I want you,
Go on and hurt me, then we’ll let it drop,
I want you,
I’m afraid I won’t know where to stop….
Perfect pairing for this read!
And then there is Jamie… (You will have to read to learn about Jamie) this character adds a real psychological punch to the narrative and almost has you feeling sorry for his mother, almost.
And the perpetrators – just like the crimes, not what you expect, surprise and after surprise.
And if you scan the code on the inside cover flap you can hear Mark Billingham reading chapter one of “Their Little secret” audio book.
So much to love!
My View:
Brilliant!
If you love a good police procedural with empathetic protagonists, twists and more twists and crime that will shock with its audacity, then this book is for you! So many secrets, so many lies…
I think what I loved most about this book (and there is a lot to love) is the reveal that I did not see coming, the secrets that are being kept on both sides of the law, the reference to Elvis Costello’s lyrics for “I Want You”:
I want you,
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark,
It scares you witless,
But in time you see thing clear and stark.
I want you,
Go on and hurt me, then we’ll let it drop,
I want you,
I’m afraid I won’t know where to stop….
Perfect pairing for this read!
And then there is Jamie… (You will have to read to learn about Jamie) this character adds a real psychological punch to the narrative and almost has you feeling sorry for his mother, almost.
And the perpetrators – just like the crimes, not what you expect, surprise and after surprise.
And if you scan the code on the inside cover flap you can hear Mark Billingham reading chapter one of “Their Little secret” audio book.
So much to love!
July 6, 2019
This was ok but I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it.
Just felt like there were loose ends that needed to be tidied up.
There wasn’t enough background to Sarah/Michelle’s childhood for me to understand why she hated her father so much yet this seemed to resonate throughout the story?
And it never really explained the whole ‘imaginary’ child scenario? Yes, her previous partner had a baby with another woman but this didn’t seem to warrant her making up a child she didn’t have & pretending it went to school? That just didn’t make sense. Clearly she was mentally unwell but I felt I needed more backstory to make it feel real.
I would’ve liked to have known what happened to Heather? Another loose end not tied up.
And the letter to her new baby just seemed pointless.
It’s just a pass & that is based on the fact that her character in some ways was intriguing & I wanted to know what happened in the end, hoping there was a twist, but alas, no!
Just felt like there were loose ends that needed to be tidied up.
There wasn’t enough background to Sarah/Michelle’s childhood for me to understand why she hated her father so much yet this seemed to resonate throughout the story?
And it never really explained the whole ‘imaginary’ child scenario? Yes, her previous partner had a baby with another woman but this didn’t seem to warrant her making up a child she didn’t have & pretending it went to school? That just didn’t make sense. Clearly she was mentally unwell but I felt I needed more backstory to make it feel real.
I would’ve liked to have known what happened to Heather? Another loose end not tied up.
And the letter to her new baby just seemed pointless.
It’s just a pass & that is based on the fact that her character in some ways was intriguing & I wanted to know what happened in the end, hoping there was a twist, but alas, no!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
I really enjoyed the pace and plot of this book. Billingham has a way with words that draws you in and makes you feel like your watching the events unfold inside your head.
The MC is a sturdy character that’s I think is very down to earth while having an unwavering conviction in his principles. I really liked the way him and his partner Tanner work together and also his best friend Phil Hendricks who is a really strong character himself. There’s no police procedure to bog down the story just a smooth flowing sequence of disturbing events that had shivers running down my spine. Certain characters are good to read about even if they are really bad and the story got pretty creepy when reading from the criminals point of view but really good to read.
A sometimes creepy, fascinating and enjoyable read with a really good ending. Very well written as all books in the series are. Looking forward to the next.
The MC is a sturdy character that’s I think is very down to earth while having an unwavering conviction in his principles. I really liked the way him and his partner Tanner work together and also his best friend Phil Hendricks who is a really strong character himself. There’s no police procedure to bog down the story just a smooth flowing sequence of disturbing events that had shivers running down my spine. Certain characters are good to read about even if they are really bad and the story got pretty creepy when reading from the criminals point of view but really good to read.
A sometimes creepy, fascinating and enjoyable read with a really good ending. Very well written as all books in the series are. Looking forward to the next.
March 21, 2019
4 stars
Tom Thorne, Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks are back in this latest novel from Mark Billingham.
When DI Tom Thorne responds to the scene of a suicide, he suspects that not is as it seems. The video shows only the woman running toward and throwing herself on the subway track, but what drove her to it? He and DI Nic Tanner cajole their boss into letting Tom run with the investigation. It turns out that the woma was involved with an unscrupulous “financial planner” who bilked her out of a considerable sum of money. Tom wants to nail the guy in the worst way.
Before long, there is a series of murders with which to contend.
When the two investigations dovetail, Nicola, Tom and the rest of the team know that they are on to something big. Nic and Tom be to bicker about the details of the case.
With stunning mind bending twists, the full story come out to the reader. I think I sat with my mouth open.
I like the way that Mr. Billingham keeps the reader apprised of Tom, Nic and Phil's lives. It enhances the story, but does not overwhelm it. I also like the joke-y manner they sometimes take with one another. This story is written and plotted in Billingham's usual style, that is to say brilliantly. His story ideas are fresh and contemporary. His transitions are smooth, his characters interesting and this story has a unique and interesting foundation. Some little secret, for sure!
I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
Tom Thorne, Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks are back in this latest novel from Mark Billingham.
When DI Tom Thorne responds to the scene of a suicide, he suspects that not is as it seems. The video shows only the woman running toward and throwing herself on the subway track, but what drove her to it? He and DI Nic Tanner cajole their boss into letting Tom run with the investigation. It turns out that the woma was involved with an unscrupulous “financial planner” who bilked her out of a considerable sum of money. Tom wants to nail the guy in the worst way.
Before long, there is a series of murders with which to contend.
When the two investigations dovetail, Nicola, Tom and the rest of the team know that they are on to something big. Nic and Tom be to bicker about the details of the case.
With stunning mind bending twists, the full story come out to the reader. I think I sat with my mouth open.
I like the way that Mr. Billingham keeps the reader apprised of Tom, Nic and Phil's lives. It enhances the story, but does not overwhelm it. I also like the joke-y manner they sometimes take with one another. This story is written and plotted in Billingham's usual style, that is to say brilliantly. His story ideas are fresh and contemporary. His transitions are smooth, his characters interesting and this story has a unique and interesting foundation. Some little secret, for sure!
I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
May 27, 2019
I thought Their Little Secret was OK, but no more than that. It’s my first Mark Billingham so it won’t be helped by my not having read the previous books in the series, but even so I had my reservations.
Tom Thorne, an inspector in a serious crime unit, is called to an obvious suicide on London’s Underground but feels compelled to look further into the circumstances. (Really?) He is soon on the trail of a murderous couple, whose point of view we also get, intercut with the police narrative. It’s well enough done, but I found the psychologising and supposed parallels with Brady and Hindley a bit thin, as was the obligatory Personal Story of Thorne himself. Somehow, it all just clunked a bit for me so that although Billingham avoids quite a lot of the clichés of the genre and generally writes pretty well, it never quite engaged me.
Overall, I found this competent rather than great. It would make a decent beach read, but I won’t be rushing to read another in the series.
(My thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via NetGalley.)
Tom Thorne, an inspector in a serious crime unit, is called to an obvious suicide on London’s Underground but feels compelled to look further into the circumstances. (Really?) He is soon on the trail of a murderous couple, whose point of view we also get, intercut with the police narrative. It’s well enough done, but I found the psychologising and supposed parallels with Brady and Hindley a bit thin, as was the obligatory Personal Story of Thorne himself. Somehow, it all just clunked a bit for me so that although Billingham avoids quite a lot of the clichés of the genre and generally writes pretty well, it never quite engaged me.
Overall, I found this competent rather than great. It would make a decent beach read, but I won’t be rushing to read another in the series.
(My thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via NetGalley.)
January 6, 2020
Sarah is Loopy
That's an official diagnosis from the Journal of the American Psychiatric Association.
A little spoiler knowing that Sarah is a fruitcake makes this a better read. I re read some of Sarah's dialogue when i realized she was missing a couple screws.
'He will kill you if i ask him to' -Sarah
Well isn't that special
This is Tom Thorne #16, my first, so i was a little lost when it came to his relationships with his coworkers and in his personal life. A lot of time was spent on his personal life so i couldn't fully connect with Tom. A good read but it didn't have the familiarity or excitement of Harry Bosch and not enough police procedural for my taste.
That's an official diagnosis from the Journal of the American Psychiatric Association.
A little spoiler knowing that Sarah is a fruitcake makes this a better read. I re read some of Sarah's dialogue when i realized she was missing a couple screws.
'He will kill you if i ask him to' -Sarah
Well isn't that special
This is Tom Thorne #16, my first, so i was a little lost when it came to his relationships with his coworkers and in his personal life. A lot of time was spent on his personal life so i couldn't fully connect with Tom. A good read but it didn't have the familiarity or excitement of Harry Bosch and not enough police procedural for my taste.
February 20, 2020
Full review at https://wp.me/pajm6f-yM
When a woman commits suicide by falling in front of a train, it is almost ruled out as yet another suicide story. But Tom Thorne has other thoughts. As he begins to learn more about the woman, he discovers that a mystery man has befriended her and looted everything she owned and Thorne believes this is not the first time the mystery con man had done this. And he’s determined to find this man and bring him to justice. But the guy is a ghost who leaves no trace. Nobody knows his name or how he looks. And his DNA isn’t in the system to look upon. Without any of these, Tom is stuck with just his unease and nothing else.
Another crime scene where a young man is beaten to death and found naked near the shore. CCTV shows him walking with a woman moments before his death. Who is this woman? What happened next? Who killed him? How’s this death connected to the suicide? Well, well, here comes the twist – ONE of the DNA found on this crime scene matches the DNA of this con man! Et voila. SO, what’s he doing here killing people? He’s supposed to be a con artist, not a murderer.. Right? At least that’s what Thorne thought he was. Until a whole new picture is painted and Thorne and his partner Nicola Tanner are racing against time to find this man and stop whatever is happening.
This is the 16th installment in the Tom Thorne and Nicola Turner series of books but can very well be read and enjoyed as a standalone thrilled, like I did! There’s not much you need about Tom or Nicola. They’re both easy-going characters who you can connect with and follow their brilliant investigation. There’s always this race between them, as to who-gets-there-first and it’s so exciting to see this healthy competition. They find answers quickly and it definitely hooks the reader’s attention. There are also developments in Tom and Nicola’s lives that you can follow, even without their history and easily want to know what happens to both of them and the future cases they handle in future!
I’ve read several of Mark Billingham’s books and loved this one to the core. There’s action in every single page of the book, and the author leaves cliffhangers in almost every chapter and that’s a tough nut to crack! Some moments with Sara are definitely creepy and boggles with your brain so much that you’d have to re-read the passage once more just to make you’ve read it right! I can’t recommend this book more to my fellow thriller fans.
When a woman commits suicide by falling in front of a train, it is almost ruled out as yet another suicide story. But Tom Thorne has other thoughts. As he begins to learn more about the woman, he discovers that a mystery man has befriended her and looted everything she owned and Thorne believes this is not the first time the mystery con man had done this. And he’s determined to find this man and bring him to justice. But the guy is a ghost who leaves no trace. Nobody knows his name or how he looks. And his DNA isn’t in the system to look upon. Without any of these, Tom is stuck with just his unease and nothing else.
Another crime scene where a young man is beaten to death and found naked near the shore. CCTV shows him walking with a woman moments before his death. Who is this woman? What happened next? Who killed him? How’s this death connected to the suicide? Well, well, here comes the twist – ONE of the DNA found on this crime scene matches the DNA of this con man! Et voila. SO, what’s he doing here killing people? He’s supposed to be a con artist, not a murderer.. Right? At least that’s what Thorne thought he was. Until a whole new picture is painted and Thorne and his partner Nicola Tanner are racing against time to find this man and stop whatever is happening.
This is the 16th installment in the Tom Thorne and Nicola Turner series of books but can very well be read and enjoyed as a standalone thrilled, like I did! There’s not much you need about Tom or Nicola. They’re both easy-going characters who you can connect with and follow their brilliant investigation. There’s always this race between them, as to who-gets-there-first and it’s so exciting to see this healthy competition. They find answers quickly and it definitely hooks the reader’s attention. There are also developments in Tom and Nicola’s lives that you can follow, even without their history and easily want to know what happens to both of them and the future cases they handle in future!
I’ve read several of Mark Billingham’s books and loved this one to the core. There’s action in every single page of the book, and the author leaves cliffhangers in almost every chapter and that’s a tough nut to crack! Some moments with Sara are definitely creepy and boggles with your brain so much that you’d have to re-read the passage once more just to make you’ve read it right! I can’t recommend this book more to my fellow thriller fans.
May 12, 2019
Great to have Tom Thorne back on our pages.
As he gets older, Tom is mellowing and it's making him feel much more real as a character, not just staying the same old Tom across the series.
Although the reader knows the culprits very early, the reading of the parallel perspectives of the guilty and the police on their trail keep the interest all the way. And a very clever twist near the end caps off an top read. .
As he gets older, Tom is mellowing and it's making him feel much more real as a character, not just staying the same old Tom across the series.
Although the reader knows the culprits very early, the reading of the parallel perspectives of the guilty and the police on their trail keep the interest all the way. And a very clever twist near the end caps off an top read. .
September 3, 2019
For Sarah and Conrad it’s a case of love at first sight. However, Sarah and Conrad are far from the conventional romantic couple. It’s as if each immediately recognises in the other the pretenses they both present to the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, DI Tom Thorne is haunted by the suicide of Phillipa Goodwin, who was fleeced of her savings by a fraudster calling himself Patrick Jennings. With the help of Nicola Tanner he tries to discover Jenning’s true identity and they soon discover that Phillipa wasn’t his first victim and is unlikely to be his last.
With the chapters alternating between Sarah and Conrad’s “adventures” and Tom and Nicola’s investigations, the tension gradually builds with plenty of plot twists along the way.
Tom Thorne is definitely one of the most likeable fictional police detectives and, even on his 16th outing, Mark Billingham still manages to keep him interesting. In all ways, a magnificent piece of storytelling.
Meanwhile, DI Tom Thorne is haunted by the suicide of Phillipa Goodwin, who was fleeced of her savings by a fraudster calling himself Patrick Jennings. With the help of Nicola Tanner he tries to discover Jenning’s true identity and they soon discover that Phillipa wasn’t his first victim and is unlikely to be his last.
With the chapters alternating between Sarah and Conrad’s “adventures” and Tom and Nicola’s investigations, the tension gradually builds with plenty of plot twists along the way.
Tom Thorne is definitely one of the most likeable fictional police detectives and, even on his 16th outing, Mark Billingham still manages to keep him interesting. In all ways, a magnificent piece of storytelling.
May 3, 2019
Yet another brilliant book in the Tom Thorne series.
After Thorne is called to a suicide he can’t get it out of his head that someone was behind this.
Brigstocke does little to encourage him but he gets the team to gather evidence from her home.
Soon he is contacted by another Police force as there’s a match to some DNA found in the property.
Thorne and Tanner are then on a mission to find out how it all fits together.
A murder is committed and again there are links to the cases they’re looking into, so the race is on to find those responsible.
The killer is pretty disturbed with elements of their life based in a fantasy world, and we get a real insight into their mind.
This is a great read that will have you hooked throughout.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
After Thorne is called to a suicide he can’t get it out of his head that someone was behind this.
Brigstocke does little to encourage him but he gets the team to gather evidence from her home.
Soon he is contacted by another Police force as there’s a match to some DNA found in the property.
Thorne and Tanner are then on a mission to find out how it all fits together.
A murder is committed and again there are links to the cases they’re looking into, so the race is on to find those responsible.
The killer is pretty disturbed with elements of their life based in a fantasy world, and we get a real insight into their mind.
This is a great read that will have you hooked throughout.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
June 1, 2019
Their Little Secret – Mark Billingham
Picking up a Mark Billingham book is like meeting up with a friend you haven’t seen for ages. I find it so hard to believe that this is number sixteen in the DI Tom Thorne series, these really do get better and better. DI Tom Thorne is a curmudgeonly old so and so at times but I just love him, I really would like to see him settled and maybe a wee promotion.
I literally finished this today and couldn’t wait to write this review even though I don’t want to give away too much of the plot by writing a detailed synopsis of the story. I just wanted to recommend to any fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, and Stuart MacBride to give this author a chance but please start at the beginning with Sleepyhead. I have to admit to being jealous of anyone with that luxury available to them.
The whole gang are together again Hendricks, Tanner and Tom, each in their relevant slots, doing what they do best working all the hours’ god sends to catch the deviant (s) held within these pages. Taking us through their relationships with each other and others, each in a different place/space. I’m so happy that Hendricks is sorted but my heart is sore for Tanner and Tom. The relationships that the main perpetrators and victims have are a kind of 50 shades of twisted meets love story, I’ll leave that right there.
The old saying ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive’ is somewhat relevant in this story. All of the protagonists have secrets and tell lies not only to themselves but also to others. Oh and let us not forget the three amigos own little secret. When we are introduced to one particular character it’s quite a sad lie, one that at some points is quite heartbreaking. I wonder if we may revisit this character again some time in the future.
I thought that I’d heard and read it all but this book pleasantly pointed out that I hadn’t. It shows us exactly how intoxicating and powerful love and money can be for some of the more vulnerable in society. This is a complexly convoluted tale kept interesting by the authors’ use of short chapters and his insights into the more fragile part of the mind.
Read for an honest review. Little, Little Brown Book Group UK. Little Brown
Picking up a Mark Billingham book is like meeting up with a friend you haven’t seen for ages. I find it so hard to believe that this is number sixteen in the DI Tom Thorne series, these really do get better and better. DI Tom Thorne is a curmudgeonly old so and so at times but I just love him, I really would like to see him settled and maybe a wee promotion.
I literally finished this today and couldn’t wait to write this review even though I don’t want to give away too much of the plot by writing a detailed synopsis of the story. I just wanted to recommend to any fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, and Stuart MacBride to give this author a chance but please start at the beginning with Sleepyhead. I have to admit to being jealous of anyone with that luxury available to them.
The whole gang are together again Hendricks, Tanner and Tom, each in their relevant slots, doing what they do best working all the hours’ god sends to catch the deviant (s) held within these pages. Taking us through their relationships with each other and others, each in a different place/space. I’m so happy that Hendricks is sorted but my heart is sore for Tanner and Tom. The relationships that the main perpetrators and victims have are a kind of 50 shades of twisted meets love story, I’ll leave that right there.
The old saying ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive’ is somewhat relevant in this story. All of the protagonists have secrets and tell lies not only to themselves but also to others. Oh and let us not forget the three amigos own little secret. When we are introduced to one particular character it’s quite a sad lie, one that at some points is quite heartbreaking. I wonder if we may revisit this character again some time in the future.
I thought that I’d heard and read it all but this book pleasantly pointed out that I hadn’t. It shows us exactly how intoxicating and powerful love and money can be for some of the more vulnerable in society. This is a complexly convoluted tale kept interesting by the authors’ use of short chapters and his insights into the more fragile part of the mind.
Read for an honest review. Little, Little Brown Book Group UK. Little Brown
May 27, 2019
When a book opens with lines from one of my all time favourite songs, I just know I'm onto a winner! This book is the latest instalment in the excellent Tom Thorne series and is no exception. In this story DI Tom Thorne attends the routine assessment of a suicide, a woman called Philippa Goodwin who threw herself in front of an underground train, and further investigations reveal that she had been the victim of a callous con-man. Although there is no doubt that her death was suicide, Thorne convinces his boss, DCI Russell Brigstocke, to allow him and DI Nicola Tanner to dig a little deeper into this man known as Patrick Jennings who preyed on vulnerable women. DNA from the victim's home shows nothing on the police database but when it later matches to the death of a young man on a Margate beach, they are pulled into a murder investigation. This story alternates with the chapters about Sarah, a single mother working from home who meets up with other parents in the local coffee shop and falls heavily for a charming man she meets in there. Has she met the wrong man? Or has he set his sights on the wrong woman this time? With Thorne and Tanner both nursing different forms of grief in their private lives things are at times a little tense between the two of them, showing their human sides. Fortunately this only seems to make them more determined to find justice for the victims. As events take a more shocking turn, this soon becomes a very twisted tale of love, passion, devotion and sacrifice, with disturbing insights from the couple involved. It is dark and suspenseful, and full of tangled lies and lives which will keep the reader guessing for the most part. A clever mystery from a master storyteller. If you're a fan of this series you will not want to miss this!
July 25, 2024
'Their Little Secret' is a pretty straightforward whodunnit, the 16th in Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne series. A tricky plot, competent policework, likable characters, and decent writing combine to make it a pleasurable reading experience. It's always a little risky to read books in a series out of sequence but despite starting this long one at its latest issue I don't think it was problematic. I can't tell you anything about London DI Thorne's appearance or even how old he is (other than guessing based on various comments in the narrative), but that's pretty much all I'm missing.
Their Little Secret begins with what appears to be a basic suicide, a young lady throwing herself in front of a London train. Thorne, a murder detective, is assigned to look at it before passing it along to the folks that investigate suicides. He discovers the woman had been swindled prior to offing herself, becomes incensed about it, and decides to examine it in more detail. He pulls in fellow DI Nicola Tanner, making a little progress that accelerates when a body of a young man is found with DNA on his murder weapon that matched that of the swindler. The POV of the narration flips back and forth effectively between that of the detectives and of those of the criminals (hint: there's more than one involved), so we get to see the gap between the crimes being committed and where the policework is heading being reduced until they collide at the conclusion. It's not a bloody one but it closes it all up nicely.
Looks like I have some catching up to do on this series. Billingham's characters are well done but there's a lot of history (and descriptive detail) I'm missing. Their Little Secret is a nice police procedural that's well worth a look.
Their Little Secret begins with what appears to be a basic suicide, a young lady throwing herself in front of a London train. Thorne, a murder detective, is assigned to look at it before passing it along to the folks that investigate suicides. He discovers the woman had been swindled prior to offing herself, becomes incensed about it, and decides to examine it in more detail. He pulls in fellow DI Nicola Tanner, making a little progress that accelerates when a body of a young man is found with DNA on his murder weapon that matched that of the swindler. The POV of the narration flips back and forth effectively between that of the detectives and of those of the criminals (hint: there's more than one involved), so we get to see the gap between the crimes being committed and where the policework is heading being reduced until they collide at the conclusion. It's not a bloody one but it closes it all up nicely.
Looks like I have some catching up to do on this series. Billingham's characters are well done but there's a lot of history (and descriptive detail) I'm missing. Their Little Secret is a nice police procedural that's well worth a look.
May 8, 2019
I have been a massive fan of the Tom Thorne series and couldn’t wait for his latest book and it certainly didn’t disappoint. This is a very complex case for Thorne to solve. It starts with what appears to be a suicide. A woman throws herself in front of a train. But Thorne decides it needs further investigation and finds information that she had been conned out of a lot of money by Patrick, her boyfriend. His DNA was found in her apartment but he had disappeared. We are then introduced to Sarah and Conrad, a conman who had chatted her up in a coffee shop and moved in with her a few weeks later. It soon becomes apparent that there relationship
Is very frightening and that she is a psychopath. Thorne is called out to the murder of a young man on a beach and DNA found at the scene appears to be that of Patrick. He then has to discover the connection between the two deaths. This is a very gripping and fast moving plot, so many twists and turns that keeps you wanting to read more. We also get reacquainted with Thorne’s team, nice to see familiar faces and his family who he is painfully estranged from. Another brilliant read from Mark Billingham. I can’t wait to catch up with Tom Thorne again!
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Is very frightening and that she is a psychopath. Thorne is called out to the murder of a young man on a beach and DNA found at the scene appears to be that of Patrick. He then has to discover the connection between the two deaths. This is a very gripping and fast moving plot, so many twists and turns that keeps you wanting to read more. We also get reacquainted with Thorne’s team, nice to see familiar faces and his family who he is painfully estranged from. Another brilliant read from Mark Billingham. I can’t wait to catch up with Tom Thorne again!
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 18, 2020
So here's the rub...one well known crime writer is obliged to produce, not only for his adoring fans but more importantly for his publishers, one novel per year. Meet Sarah, single mum loves the school run and the early morning meet with fellow "mummies" exchanging gossip and good fellowship. But what's a girl to do with all that free time while the little one is attending to his studies? Enter Conrad gullible and loveable....Sarah and Conrad a Brady and Hindley for the 2020's.
Sorry Mr Billingham but the latest outing for Tom Thorne, and his new partner in crime, Nicola Tanner, is frankly laughable.....there is a slight spoiler to follow.....Sarah it would appear is not a mother but is pretending to accompany her imaginary son to school each morning and amazingly no one seems to notice. Entwined with this nonsense are a number of unexplained and seemingly senseless murders and the perpertrators are proving impossible to find. Open your eyes Tom even a second rate plod could solve this riddle. Well the publishers may be happy but I am very disappointed, why bring out a book if it is not a worthy edition to the series. This type of publishing, in my opinion does, little to enhance the reputation of DI Thorne and leaves a sour taste in the mouth of readers who have come to expect much better from the hand of Mr Billingham.
Sorry Mr Billingham but the latest outing for Tom Thorne, and his new partner in crime, Nicola Tanner, is frankly laughable.....there is a slight spoiler to follow.....Sarah it would appear is not a mother but is pretending to accompany her imaginary son to school each morning and amazingly no one seems to notice. Entwined with this nonsense are a number of unexplained and seemingly senseless murders and the perpertrators are proving impossible to find. Open your eyes Tom even a second rate plod could solve this riddle. Well the publishers may be happy but I am very disappointed, why bring out a book if it is not a worthy edition to the series. This type of publishing, in my opinion does, little to enhance the reputation of DI Thorne and leaves a sour taste in the mouth of readers who have come to expect much better from the hand of Mr Billingham.
May 15, 2019
Although this is the 16th book in the series, and I only read one other book previously, I had no problem at all to enjoy it.
Tom Thorne doesn't give up in this story where greed and betrayal causes people to suffer - but who is behind all this?
The story flows nicely and of course it is cleverly written with some surprises to keep the reader interested.
Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.
Tom Thorne doesn't give up in this story where greed and betrayal causes people to suffer - but who is behind all this?
The story flows nicely and of course it is cleverly written with some surprises to keep the reader interested.
Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.
July 20, 2019
Underwhelming and disappointing, nowhere near as good as Die of Shame or Love like Blood. The initial set up is preposterous and the central relationship unconvincing. None of the twists are surprising and are all clearly signalled. Looks like the challenge of producing a book a year and playing in a band are having an effect on the quality of the writing.
February 11, 2020
Nope, didn't really work for me. The murder in Brighton makes no logical sense and adds little to the story. As to the imaginary child, even the most self-centred yummy mummies would spot that the child was never there to be picked up, or discussed by their children as the 'new boy in class'. I'm afraid that this is a rather lame effort.
June 5, 2019
Each Mark Billingham book is better than the last, just couldn't put this one down. Left a couple of loose ends that may be tied up in a future book. Can't wait for the next one!
July 30, 2021
This is a sad, sad day. I've never given a Billingham novel two stars. I have read all of his novels, apart from #15 which didn't appeal to me as it's about a cat killer, and well ... I have cats. There are some things I just don't want to read about, and animal cruelty and death is right up there on the top spot of #thanksbutnothanks
So what's wrong with this offering? Well, what's right with it is a shorter list ... 1. The plot did have legs ... and, that's it for the positives.
Billingham is obviously contracted to write a book a year. I can't imagine the pressure that must put a writer under. You could spend months on an idea that's awful and end up scrapping it, or maybe illness or life gets in the way.
Something must've happened when writing this one, because it feels as though it's still in the draft stage. There's parts that are under-developed, there's parts that are too insignificant to the story to be developed into a whole scene ... and that's what happens at the draft stage. The refinement is completely missing here. It's 484 pages that could have been condensed into a sharper, grittier thriller.
The plot, as I say, did have potential. But it needed something more. I still have no idea why Sarah and Conrad had crazy killer personalities. Maybe that was the intent Billingham had; to show that people could just be crazy for no reason. Sarah, though, had a father who seemed cruel, but this was dealt with at surface level, the incidents seemed quite random, and appeared to be used as the excuse for Sarah's mental health issues.
Tom Thorne immediately thought the first victim's suicide was strange. Why? What gave him that idea? Nothing much, as far as I could tell.
We're supposed to believe that Sarah went out for a drink with Conrad and came back to candles she'd left burning to create a nice atmosphere? Nope. Wouldn't happen.
Through the book, Thorne zipped here and there on convoluted outings to speak to witnesses in Glasgow (and don't get me started on the stereotypical youth in the Glasgow park scene), and other parts of the country, something that a competent DC or DS could have done.
The ending was a damp squib.
The backstory of Thorne/Tanner/Hendricks is really starting to grate. Stuart Nicklin needs to be retired ... or put down. It's done. Get over it, Tom.
I can't warm to Tanner as being a sidekick to Thorne. I could totally have got on board with Tanner having her own mini-series and her character being developed more.
Hendricks is becoming a tedious character who doesn't add much apart from translating the medical-terminology for Thorne.
I don't think I'll be bothering with the next novel in the series.
So what's wrong with this offering? Well, what's right with it is a shorter list ... 1. The plot did have legs ... and, that's it for the positives.
Billingham is obviously contracted to write a book a year. I can't imagine the pressure that must put a writer under. You could spend months on an idea that's awful and end up scrapping it, or maybe illness or life gets in the way.
Something must've happened when writing this one, because it feels as though it's still in the draft stage. There's parts that are under-developed, there's parts that are too insignificant to the story to be developed into a whole scene ... and that's what happens at the draft stage. The refinement is completely missing here. It's 484 pages that could have been condensed into a sharper, grittier thriller.
The plot, as I say, did have potential. But it needed something more. I still have no idea why Sarah and Conrad had crazy killer personalities. Maybe that was the intent Billingham had; to show that people could just be crazy for no reason. Sarah, though, had a father who seemed cruel, but this was dealt with at surface level, the incidents seemed quite random, and appeared to be used as the excuse for Sarah's mental health issues.
Tom Thorne immediately thought the first victim's suicide was strange. Why? What gave him that idea? Nothing much, as far as I could tell.
We're supposed to believe that Sarah went out for a drink with Conrad and came back to candles she'd left burning to create a nice atmosphere? Nope. Wouldn't happen.
Through the book, Thorne zipped here and there on convoluted outings to speak to witnesses in Glasgow (and don't get me started on the stereotypical youth in the Glasgow park scene), and other parts of the country, something that a competent DC or DS could have done.
The ending was a damp squib.
The backstory of Thorne/Tanner/Hendricks is really starting to grate. Stuart Nicklin needs to be retired ... or put down. It's done. Get over it, Tom.
I can't warm to Tanner as being a sidekick to Thorne. I could totally have got on board with Tanner having her own mini-series and her character being developed more.
Hendricks is becoming a tedious character who doesn't add much apart from translating the medical-terminology for Thorne.
I don't think I'll be bothering with the next novel in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2019
The book grabs your attention from the outset. Tom Thorne is investigating what is a clear case of suicide. But this is no ordinary case and Thorne's senses are soon alert when he thinks there’s more to it. Thorne wants to know why the woman took her own life, and trusting his instinct leads him to a case which is far more complex than anyone could imagine.
Then we are introduced to Sarah, a single mother with an intense love for her son, Jamie. It seems innocuous enough as a storyline - a new figure at the school gates, trying hard to fit in and make the right impression for the sake of her child. Lurking on the edge of the already established group of parents, slowly ingratiating herself yet remaining aloof. It all seems to be going well for Sarah. Until she meets Conrad ...
One of best things about this series are the central characters. Tom Thorne, Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks are absolutely brilliant, complete characters who you can identify with and if you have read his others books will know their back story. . The stories are never just about the case and you get a real sense of the people . The friendship between them is perfect, but so are the tensions. I loved seeing more of Tom and Hendricks together as they are an unconventional and yet perfect pairing, and the banter between them is always enjoyable .
Thorne is right in that all is not what it seems to be and is much much more than a suicide, which has resulted from the woman being taken in by a con man, as a body in a different area is found and DNA leads Thorne to realise the suicide and murder are linked. Full of twists and turns and a brilliant plot make for a riveting read
Then we are introduced to Sarah, a single mother with an intense love for her son, Jamie. It seems innocuous enough as a storyline - a new figure at the school gates, trying hard to fit in and make the right impression for the sake of her child. Lurking on the edge of the already established group of parents, slowly ingratiating herself yet remaining aloof. It all seems to be going well for Sarah. Until she meets Conrad ...
One of best things about this series are the central characters. Tom Thorne, Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks are absolutely brilliant, complete characters who you can identify with and if you have read his others books will know their back story. . The stories are never just about the case and you get a real sense of the people . The friendship between them is perfect, but so are the tensions. I loved seeing more of Tom and Hendricks together as they are an unconventional and yet perfect pairing, and the banter between them is always enjoyable .
Thorne is right in that all is not what it seems to be and is much much more than a suicide, which has resulted from the woman being taken in by a con man, as a body in a different area is found and DNA leads Thorne to realise the suicide and murder are linked. Full of twists and turns and a brilliant plot make for a riveting read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2020
I read and enjoyed Mark Billingham’s Rush of Blood a few years back but I’d never read one of the Tom Thorne series, though I knew they were very popular. So I thought I’d give Their Little Secret a try. It features one of my favourite themes, folie à deux serial killers. One is a con man who specialises in fleecing lonely women, the other apparently a doting mother who is a regular at the school gate. As with Rush of Blood, I felt myself very much in the hands of an experienced professional writer who would give me a good story with lots of twists. But I fear his product is very ephemeral. The detective is very much your standard garden variety male approaching middle age with a shaky marriage and a free and easy manner towards official procedure, though coupled with an admirable sympathy towards crime victims. But artistically this book (and I expect the rest of the series) is seriously deficient. It is very easy to create a mystery when the narrator cheats the reader, by having characters see or hear things that are not revealed to the audience. It’s like being a stage magician. For me once I’m aware I’m being manipulated, the illusion evaporates. So whilst I had to finish to find out how the story would end, I scarcely cared. I doubt I’ll read another one. A better literary artist would have let us discover what it would be like to be such monsters as our killer couple.
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