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Tom Thorne #17
Cry Baby
In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on a case that quickly spirals out of control when two people connected with the missing boy are murdered. As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage. A prequel to Billingham's acclaimed debut Sleepyhead--which the Times voted "one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade"--this compelling novel highlights the case that shaped the career of one of British crime fiction's most iconic characters.
560 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2020
601 people are currently reading
4193 people want to read
About the author
Mark Billingham
104 books2,167 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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September 9, 2020
EXCERPT: Cat moved quickly through the playground towards the exit on the far side, calling her son's name, oblivious to the stares of other parents whose kids stopped what they were doing to watch. Maria hurried to catch her up and they both stopped dead when Josh appeared suddenly and came running from the trees towards them.
His yellow coat was streaked with mud and he burst into tears the instant he laid eyes on his mother.
'Josh?' Maria leaned down and took her son's face in her hands. 'You OK?'
'Where's Kieron?' Cat asked, looking towards the trees. 'Josh, where's Kieron?'
The boy began wailing and buried his face in his mother's stomach.
The unlit cigarette fell from Cat's hand and she began to run.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on a case that quickly spirals out of control when two people connected with the missing boy are murdered. As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage.
MY THOUGHTS: Although the 17th book in the Tom Thorne series, Cry Baby is a prequel to Mark Billingham's debut novel 'Sleepyhead', which was the first book I ever read by this author, and which put him firmly on my reading radar.
Tom Thorne is a credible and engaging character. He is flawed. Detests his boss, Boyle, and has conversations in his mind where he bests Boyle. He can be quite sarky. He is going through a marriage break up, and I love his thoughts on the 'hippy-dippy, sandal-wearing' university lecturer Jan left him for. He's not good at friendships, and even seems uncomfortable with his own family. Yet he shows an unexpected humanity and compassion towards the victims. Our Tom is a complex character.
We meet, for the first time, Phil Hendricks, the new pathologist, tattooed, pierced and gay, though Tom hasn't figured that out yet. Hendricks and Thorne have nothing in common - they don't like the same music, or support the same football team - yet Cry Baby is the start of their decades long friendship.
In a new format for Billingham, Cry Baby is told from multiple points of view: Thorne, as usual; Cat, the mother of the missing boy; Maria, her friend and Josh's mum; Kieron, the abducted boy, and his abductor.
There are plenty of subplots inside the main storyline - relationship issues, both personal and professional, for Tom and several other characters. There is some confusion about the parentage of the missing boy. And of course, a few red herrings.
I must admit that it took me a while to settle into this story. But once I got into the rhythm of Billingham's writing again, I was away.
I don't think that Cry Baby is the best of Billingham's books, although it is certainly a valuable addition to the series. I wasn't totally invested in the ending, but loved the journey.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#CryBaby #NetGalley
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: Cry Baby by Mark Billingham is set in London, mainly in the Highbury-Islington area. London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.
Highbury is home to Premiership football at Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium, as well as a sports centre and tennis courts in leafy Highbury Fields park. Upscale restaurants cluster near Highbury Corner, with artisan food stores, cafes, and global eateries in the village-like area on Highbury Grove. Quiet, tree-lined residential streets feature Italianate villas and grand Georgian homes, many converted into flats.
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.
He also writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cry Baby by Mark Billingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
His yellow coat was streaked with mud and he burst into tears the instant he laid eyes on his mother.
'Josh?' Maria leaned down and took her son's face in her hands. 'You OK?'
'Where's Kieron?' Cat asked, looking towards the trees. 'Josh, where's Kieron?'
The boy began wailing and buried his face in his mother's stomach.
The unlit cigarette fell from Cat's hand and she began to run.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on a case that quickly spirals out of control when two people connected with the missing boy are murdered. As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage.
MY THOUGHTS: Although the 17th book in the Tom Thorne series, Cry Baby is a prequel to Mark Billingham's debut novel 'Sleepyhead', which was the first book I ever read by this author, and which put him firmly on my reading radar.
Tom Thorne is a credible and engaging character. He is flawed. Detests his boss, Boyle, and has conversations in his mind where he bests Boyle. He can be quite sarky. He is going through a marriage break up, and I love his thoughts on the 'hippy-dippy, sandal-wearing' university lecturer Jan left him for. He's not good at friendships, and even seems uncomfortable with his own family. Yet he shows an unexpected humanity and compassion towards the victims. Our Tom is a complex character.
We meet, for the first time, Phil Hendricks, the new pathologist, tattooed, pierced and gay, though Tom hasn't figured that out yet. Hendricks and Thorne have nothing in common - they don't like the same music, or support the same football team - yet Cry Baby is the start of their decades long friendship.
In a new format for Billingham, Cry Baby is told from multiple points of view: Thorne, as usual; Cat, the mother of the missing boy; Maria, her friend and Josh's mum; Kieron, the abducted boy, and his abductor.
There are plenty of subplots inside the main storyline - relationship issues, both personal and professional, for Tom and several other characters. There is some confusion about the parentage of the missing boy. And of course, a few red herrings.
I must admit that it took me a while to settle into this story. But once I got into the rhythm of Billingham's writing again, I was away.
I don't think that Cry Baby is the best of Billingham's books, although it is certainly a valuable addition to the series. I wasn't totally invested in the ending, but loved the journey.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#CryBaby #NetGalley
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: Cry Baby by Mark Billingham is set in London, mainly in the Highbury-Islington area. London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.
Highbury is home to Premiership football at Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium, as well as a sports centre and tennis courts in leafy Highbury Fields park. Upscale restaurants cluster near Highbury Corner, with artisan food stores, cafes, and global eateries in the village-like area on Highbury Grove. Quiet, tree-lined residential streets feature Italianate villas and grand Georgian homes, many converted into flats.
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.
He also writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cry Baby by Mark Billingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 23, 2023
Tom Thorne book 17 is a perfect random-pick-up read as it's a prequel to the first book in the detective fiction series that starts with Sleepyhead, and it's a gem! Two single mothers who alongside their young boy's friendship, have become pretty much best friends, when on a regular woods' visit, the son of the working class woman disappears! Everything points to a kidnap. Tom Thorne is on the case, not only trying to detect the crime, but also having to navigate around eschewed leadership and the darkly homophobic treatment of a older male gay neighbour, by the police.
It's not often a 17th book in a commercial crime fiction series is not only very good but tackles core issues like the treatment of gay male suspects, the repercussions of family breakdown involving children and the impact of abuse on a victim's behaviour. A compelling read chock full of mystery, suspense and most of all drama as Billingham continues to be one of the most effective story finishers :). A well deserved Four Star, 8 out of 12.
2023 read
It's not often a 17th book in a commercial crime fiction series is not only very good but tackles core issues like the treatment of gay male suspects, the repercussions of family breakdown involving children and the impact of abuse on a victim's behaviour. A compelling read chock full of mystery, suspense and most of all drama as Billingham continues to be one of the most effective story finishers :). A well deserved Four Star, 8 out of 12.
2023 read
February 15, 2022
Cry Baby by Mark Billingham is the prequel to the bestselling police procedural Sleepyhead, a novel featuring Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne. The year is 1996 and two young boys playing in a park disappear together in the nearby woods and only one child comes back. The other has vanished without a trace and it seems the remaining child is traumatized and cannot talk about the incident. DS Thorne heads the team searching for the child and within a few days two people who had connections with the children are murdered. This is an absorbing and well-developed crime drama. What I found especially interesting was the difference in electronic policing tools of 1996 compared to what is available today. This was a most enjoyable and unpredictable read. Highly recommended. Thank you to Grove Atlantic for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2020
3.5 stars
This series has been running for years & with the latest instalment, we get a look at how it all began.
It’s 1996. “Portable phones” are beginning to appear, John Major is PM & you can still enjoy a smoke with your pint at the local pub. Tom Thorne is a young hotshot detective, newly separated & already haunted by what he’s seen.
He & his squad catch the kind of case they all dread. Two little boys were playing at a park & while the moms were distracted, one disappeared. The area is searched, witnesses tracked & endless interviews held…..not one sign of the child is found.
The format of this book is a bit different from those that follow. Chapters alternate between Tom & the parents of the 2 boys. We’re kept up to date on the investigation but it soon stalls & takes a backseat to more character driven story lines. We spend time with these MC’s (plus others) & gradually learn their histories, lives & problems. It’s less of a police procedural & more about how these very different people react to each other & the situation.
It feels like this was written for long time fans. Those familiar with returning characters will enjoy meeting their younger selves. My favourite bit was “When Tom Met Phil”. IMHO their relationship is a highlight of every book so I found Tom’s thoughts after their first conversation particularly entertaining.
“All being well, once the post-mortem was out of the way, he wouldn’t have to see the bloke again, because it was a long time since he had come across anybody he’d taken a dislike to quite so quickly”. Ah, little does he know…
This was an OK read for me. I enjoyed it more as a fan of the books in general than as an individual police procedural. There’s little suspense & overall it’s a slower, more reflective read that sets the stage for what’s to come.
This series has been running for years & with the latest instalment, we get a look at how it all began.
It’s 1996. “Portable phones” are beginning to appear, John Major is PM & you can still enjoy a smoke with your pint at the local pub. Tom Thorne is a young hotshot detective, newly separated & already haunted by what he’s seen.
He & his squad catch the kind of case they all dread. Two little boys were playing at a park & while the moms were distracted, one disappeared. The area is searched, witnesses tracked & endless interviews held…..not one sign of the child is found.
The format of this book is a bit different from those that follow. Chapters alternate between Tom & the parents of the 2 boys. We’re kept up to date on the investigation but it soon stalls & takes a backseat to more character driven story lines. We spend time with these MC’s (plus others) & gradually learn their histories, lives & problems. It’s less of a police procedural & more about how these very different people react to each other & the situation.
It feels like this was written for long time fans. Those familiar with returning characters will enjoy meeting their younger selves. My favourite bit was “When Tom Met Phil”. IMHO their relationship is a highlight of every book so I found Tom’s thoughts after their first conversation particularly entertaining.
“All being well, once the post-mortem was out of the way, he wouldn’t have to see the bloke again, because it was a long time since he had come across anybody he’d taken a dislike to quite so quickly”. Ah, little does he know…
This was an OK read for me. I enjoyed it more as a fan of the books in general than as an individual police procedural. There’s little suspense & overall it’s a slower, more reflective read that sets the stage for what’s to come.
Read
September 11, 2020If you haven’t read this author’s books before, this prequel to Billingham’s acclaimed debut novel Sleepyhead would be a great introduction!! It is a Wow read!!! I read it in two days. Be warned, though, you won’t get much else done once you start it!!
After this read, then buy the book Sleepyhead and after that you will Be so hooked you will want to read the rest of the series! Full of suspense and as soon as you think you have it figured out, you are wrong!!
Thank you NeyGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #CryBaby #GroveAtlantic #MarkBillingham
After this read, then buy the book Sleepyhead and after that you will Be so hooked you will want to read the rest of the series! Full of suspense and as soon as you think you have it figured out, you are wrong!!
Thank you NeyGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #CryBaby #GroveAtlantic #MarkBillingham
August 26, 2020
I’ve been eagerly awaiting Mark Billingham’s next Tom Thorne book, and “Cry Baby" was a wonderful surprise. Why you might ask? Because it’s a prequel to this series and it was so much fun to learn about Tom’s early career and how his close, long-term relationship with Phil Hendricks came about. I enjoyed reading, and being reminded of, how police officers worked in the 1990’s. As far as I could tell, Billingham totally nailed this time period without any missteps, and he remembers that time period much better than I do!
As he noted in the Acknowledgments:
"Writing a novel set twenty-five years ago has much to be said for it – it is certainly a joy to write about a crime being investigated without your cops being almost wholly reliant on email trails, mobile phone cell-site triangulation and CCTV – but it was also a somewhat bizarre experience. I remember the mid-nineties well (most of it, anyway) but quickly realised that I was actually writing a piece of historical crime fiction, albeit one that features A-Zs, video recorders and smoking in pubs, as opposed to Hansom cabs or Roman vases."
Billingham has long been in my “must read” category and this is another exceptional book. My recommendation: read any of his stand-alone novels or the Tom Thorne series and you’ll be hooked. My only complaint is that there is no Bengal Lancer where I live. If Thorne’s been going there for decades it’s gotta be good!
As he noted in the Acknowledgments:
"Writing a novel set twenty-five years ago has much to be said for it – it is certainly a joy to write about a crime being investigated without your cops being almost wholly reliant on email trails, mobile phone cell-site triangulation and CCTV – but it was also a somewhat bizarre experience. I remember the mid-nineties well (most of it, anyway) but quickly realised that I was actually writing a piece of historical crime fiction, albeit one that features A-Zs, video recorders and smoking in pubs, as opposed to Hansom cabs or Roman vases."
Billingham has long been in my “must read” category and this is another exceptional book. My recommendation: read any of his stand-alone novels or the Tom Thorne series and you’ll be hooked. My only complaint is that there is no Bengal Lancer where I live. If Thorne’s been going there for decades it’s gotta be good!
April 25, 2020
The 17th book in the Tom Thorne series by author Mark Billingham.
This is a little different to the other books in the series as it a prequel to Mark Billingham's acclaimed debut, Sleepyhead and is set back in 1996 when Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne is a haunted man. Haunted by the moment he ignored his instincts concerning a suspect and by the horrific crime that followed. Poignant memories that haunt Thorne and mistakes he never wants to experience again, so when 7 year old Kieron Coyne goes missing while playing in the woods with his best friend, Thorne is determined to get it right this time.
All the usual characters are there and a good plot that builds up to an exciting finale. Another excellent addition to this popular series.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This is a little different to the other books in the series as it a prequel to Mark Billingham's acclaimed debut, Sleepyhead and is set back in 1996 when Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne is a haunted man. Haunted by the moment he ignored his instincts concerning a suspect and by the horrific crime that followed. Poignant memories that haunt Thorne and mistakes he never wants to experience again, so when 7 year old Kieron Coyne goes missing while playing in the woods with his best friend, Thorne is determined to get it right this time.
All the usual characters are there and a good plot that builds up to an exciting finale. Another excellent addition to this popular series.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2020
It's 1996 and two young boys playing at the park run into the woods, Only one boy returns. At first, it's assumed the one boy is just lost ... but later it is was determined to be abduction when a witness comes forward and reports seeing a man holding the hand of a young boy and then getting into a car.
Thorne has his hands full ... investigating an abduction without any clues, dealing with an almost ex-wife and her new boyfriend.
When two people die who knew the two boys and their mothers, it becomes more than baffling.
This is a real nail-biting page turner with suspense starting from the first and not stopping until the very last page. Suspects are many ... varied .. some who are keeping secrets. The ending was unexpected and I enjoyed Thorne's memory of that time in his life.
This is a prequel to Mark Billingham’s acclaimed debut Sleepyhead (Tom Thorne, Bk 1) .. a time when crimes were solved without smart phones, and phone triangulation, social media and street cameras on every corner.
Many thanks to the author / Grove Atlantic / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this historical crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Thorne has his hands full ... investigating an abduction without any clues, dealing with an almost ex-wife and her new boyfriend.
When two people die who knew the two boys and their mothers, it becomes more than baffling.
This is a real nail-biting page turner with suspense starting from the first and not stopping until the very last page. Suspects are many ... varied .. some who are keeping secrets. The ending was unexpected and I enjoyed Thorne's memory of that time in his life.
This is a prequel to Mark Billingham’s acclaimed debut Sleepyhead (Tom Thorne, Bk 1) .. a time when crimes were solved without smart phones, and phone triangulation, social media and street cameras on every corner.
Many thanks to the author / Grove Atlantic / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this historical crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 21, 2020
8/10
It’s always a pleasure to read a Mark Billingham book and this was no different with the added joy of returning to 1996 during the Euro’s which was the first football tournament I remember from growing up (it was in our backyard after all).
This is a prequel so has the difficulty of finely balancing enough for die hard fans like myself to enjoy and those new to the series who need to get a bit more information. It was nice seeing the introduction of the friendship of Thorne and Hendricks and even though it doesn’t seem like this was set a long time ago (I refuse to believe I’m old) there was enough differences to modern day policing that it made for a few interesting plot points. What are these crazy things called mobile phones???
I think this is one of the better books in the series of late but that could be down to the time period and the football atmosphere I mentioned although there was plenty of usual traits that make me enjoy the series as much as I do. I didn’t overly rate the ending but it was good enough to not spoil the book.
Well worth picking up for those new to the series or those who have enjoyed it. Because of the setting it could be picked up at any point really.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review
It’s always a pleasure to read a Mark Billingham book and this was no different with the added joy of returning to 1996 during the Euro’s which was the first football tournament I remember from growing up (it was in our backyard after all).
This is a prequel so has the difficulty of finely balancing enough for die hard fans like myself to enjoy and those new to the series who need to get a bit more information. It was nice seeing the introduction of the friendship of Thorne and Hendricks and even though it doesn’t seem like this was set a long time ago (I refuse to believe I’m old) there was enough differences to modern day policing that it made for a few interesting plot points. What are these crazy things called mobile phones???
I think this is one of the better books in the series of late but that could be down to the time period and the football atmosphere I mentioned although there was plenty of usual traits that make me enjoy the series as much as I do. I didn’t overly rate the ending but it was good enough to not spoil the book.
Well worth picking up for those new to the series or those who have enjoyed it. Because of the setting it could be picked up at any point really.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review
April 24, 2021
The latest novel in this long-running series is, actually, a prequel to the very first, Sleepyhead. Set in 1996, against the backdrop of a much-hyped international football tournament which England are hosting, it concerns the case of missing seven-year-old Kieron Coyne; apparently abducted while playing with his best friend Josh in Muswell Hill Park.
At this stage, Tom Thorne is just a Detective Sergeant, haunted by a previous case and having to endure an arrogant and incompetent superior, a Scot called Gordon Boyle. During the course of the investigation, Tom first meets his future boss, Russell Brigstocke – also then just a Detective Sergeant – and pathologist Phil Hendricks, who would soon become his best friend despite their differences.
As to be expected, this is another assured piece of writing from Mark Billingham, with a well-structured plot, in-depth characterisation, sharp social observations and frequent dashes of humour.
At this stage, Tom Thorne is just a Detective Sergeant, haunted by a previous case and having to endure an arrogant and incompetent superior, a Scot called Gordon Boyle. During the course of the investigation, Tom first meets his future boss, Russell Brigstocke – also then just a Detective Sergeant – and pathologist Phil Hendricks, who would soon become his best friend despite their differences.
As to be expected, this is another assured piece of writing from Mark Billingham, with a well-structured plot, in-depth characterisation, sharp social observations and frequent dashes of humour.
May 16, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of Cry Baby, the seventeenth novel to feature the then DS Tom Thorne of The Met, set in 1996.
Tom Thorne is haunted by an old case and its terrible consequences when he didn’t act soon enough, so when seven year old Kieron Coyne disappears from the woods he was playing in with his friend, Josh, Tom is determined to leave no stone unturned.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cry Baby which is a tense read as the hunt for Kieron goes nowhere and the pressure mounts on the detectives and Kieron’s mother, Cat. Surprisingly it is also a historical novel. 1996 doesn’t seem so long ago to an oldie like me but when I look at the technology, the attitudes and some of the contemporaneous events it is definitely history. I think the author does a great job of it, bringing it alive and introducing some well known faces and locations from the other books in the series.
The novel is told from various points of view, including the perpetrator, but the main voices are Tom Thorne as the investigator and Cat Coyne as the victim/survivor/face of the crime, I don’t really know what to call her. I liked the way the investigation followed the leads, examining various suspects and hunting down any scrap of information. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to note that Thorne is as bolshie as ever and not one to back down from an argument so there’s plenty to keep the reader occupied on that front. I think Cat Coyne is well drawn as the helpless mother, assailed by grief and the unknown, besieged by the press and forced into revealing secrets she’d rather have kept hidden. I found her fascinating And realistic with her tumultuous emotions.
The plot is well done with several other crimes arising from Kieron’s disappearance and a rousing finale with several unexpected turns. There is never a dull moment.
Cry Baby is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Tom Thorne is haunted by an old case and its terrible consequences when he didn’t act soon enough, so when seven year old Kieron Coyne disappears from the woods he was playing in with his friend, Josh, Tom is determined to leave no stone unturned.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cry Baby which is a tense read as the hunt for Kieron goes nowhere and the pressure mounts on the detectives and Kieron’s mother, Cat. Surprisingly it is also a historical novel. 1996 doesn’t seem so long ago to an oldie like me but when I look at the technology, the attitudes and some of the contemporaneous events it is definitely history. I think the author does a great job of it, bringing it alive and introducing some well known faces and locations from the other books in the series.
The novel is told from various points of view, including the perpetrator, but the main voices are Tom Thorne as the investigator and Cat Coyne as the victim/survivor/face of the crime, I don’t really know what to call her. I liked the way the investigation followed the leads, examining various suspects and hunting down any scrap of information. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to note that Thorne is as bolshie as ever and not one to back down from an argument so there’s plenty to keep the reader occupied on that front. I think Cat Coyne is well drawn as the helpless mother, assailed by grief and the unknown, besieged by the press and forced into revealing secrets she’d rather have kept hidden. I found her fascinating And realistic with her tumultuous emotions.
The plot is well done with several other crimes arising from Kieron’s disappearance and a rousing finale with several unexpected turns. There is never a dull moment.
Cry Baby is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
June 27, 2023
A perfect read for gobbling up in a couple of sessions, mostly relaxing in the garden. Easy to read, big font (😂 in the library copy anyway), easy language, straightforward writing, short chapters, not too many characters. If I judged on those criteria alone it would be 5*.
However, the plot itself was not exactly convincing. Mostly what the reveal of whodunnit revealed was how rubbish the police's investigation was. And that the writing earlier in the book was contrived to try and conceal this. The simplistic writing was too simplistic for anything other than an afternoon in the garden, and the characters were somewhat shallow.
The book was set in 1996, and the author went annoyingly over the top to make sure you knew this. References to contemporaneous events, details of scores in Euro football matches, who was playing in Wimbledon, other events from the news, what music was playing on the radio. Plain irritating after a while. I think he was also trying to convey that there were different attitudes "back then", an overblown character who turned out (obviously) to be gay, and also several other "weird" characters where I think maybe the author was trying to make the point that we should be more tolerant of unusual appearances/ interests etc but he didn't do it very well.
This book was a prequel, I've not read the later ones* so I have no idea whether there was stuff in this book that made other readers go "Oh, so that's why.....". Mostly a lot of it seemed very contrived and formulaic. Flashback dreams. Not getting on with his boss. Ex-wives. But very little character development of the central character. I was left feeling like I didn't know him well at all. Perhaps all that happens in the later books.
So 1* for the actual content. Average 3*.
* This is not strictly true, I think I have read one random one.
However, the plot itself was not exactly convincing. Mostly what the reveal of whodunnit revealed was how rubbish the police's investigation was. And that the writing earlier in the book was contrived to try and conceal this. The simplistic writing was too simplistic for anything other than an afternoon in the garden, and the characters were somewhat shallow.
The book was set in 1996, and the author went annoyingly over the top to make sure you knew this. References to contemporaneous events, details of scores in Euro football matches, who was playing in Wimbledon, other events from the news, what music was playing on the radio. Plain irritating after a while. I think he was also trying to convey that there were different attitudes "back then", an overblown character who turned out (obviously) to be gay, and also several other "weird" characters where I think maybe the author was trying to make the point that we should be more tolerant of unusual appearances/ interests etc but he didn't do it very well.
This book was a prequel, I've not read the later ones* so I have no idea whether there was stuff in this book that made other readers go "Oh, so that's why.....". Mostly a lot of it seemed very contrived and formulaic. Flashback dreams. Not getting on with his boss. Ex-wives. But very little character development of the central character. I was left feeling like I didn't know him well at all. Perhaps all that happens in the later books.
So 1* for the actual content. Average 3*.
* This is not strictly true, I think I have read one random one.
August 2, 2020
British crime writer Mark Billingham has written 16 novels in the DI Tom Thorne series, most of them set in North London in the present day, and all of them in sequential order — until now. This, his 17th Thorne book, is a prequel and takes place in 1996. We are introduced to a young-ish Tom Thorne and to several other recurring characters from the series (including one, later to be his best friend, who he takes an instant dislike to).
It’s great fun to see a younger version of a character who has, perhaps, grown a bit jaded over the years. But more than that, this book is a gripping read, a mystery that the reader is invited to participate in (I think I figured it out relatively early because of one too-obvious clue). And as with all of Billingham’s books, one feels the real pain of death and other crimes. This is no Agatha Christie puzzle set in a country manor. Gripping stuff, and the author in top form.
It’s great fun to see a younger version of a character who has, perhaps, grown a bit jaded over the years. But more than that, this book is a gripping read, a mystery that the reader is invited to participate in (I think I figured it out relatively early because of one too-obvious clue). And as with all of Billingham’s books, one feels the real pain of death and other crimes. This is no Agatha Christie puzzle set in a country manor. Gripping stuff, and the author in top form.
July 24, 2020
A really great read.
How can I have not read a Mark Billingham book before?
I will definitely have to remedy the situation having been caught up very enjoyably with Cry Baby and the wonderful Tom Thorne. I believe I might have books 1-16 to get through so that will keep me busy!
Cry Baby is all about a hunt for the man who abducted Keiron Coyne. Kieron was playing in some woods in a London park with friend Josh whilst Mum Cat went to the toilet and Mum of Josh, Maria, was busy smoking an illicit cigarette.
The book centres on the investigation and Tom's absolute determination to catch the culprit.
There is humour, courtesy of Hendricks, a very unconventional pathologist, but also from Thorne himself who does not get on with boss DI Boyle.
Suspicion is cast upon many characters, from Cat's next door neighbour, drug addict Grantleigh Figgis, to witness Felix Barratt and Keiron's teacher Simon Jenner, with more could-they-be-guilty characters interspersed along the way.
I found the plot to be well written and engaging as Tom Thorne is a very human police officer. He seems to care about the distress Cat is going through and, as he is separated from his wife and currently hating her sandalled lecturer lover, you can't help but love this man on a mission and want him to succeed.
There are plenty of bumps in the road to solving the crime and some great twists. The parts that give you a glimpse into the abduction from Kieron's perspective are a wonderful addition as is the way in which the clue is found to lead Thorne and associates to the man responsible.
I loved the book so much that I will definitely start back at the beginning getting to know Thorne and his cases.
I highly recommend the series to others.
How can I have not read a Mark Billingham book before?
I will definitely have to remedy the situation having been caught up very enjoyably with Cry Baby and the wonderful Tom Thorne. I believe I might have books 1-16 to get through so that will keep me busy!
Cry Baby is all about a hunt for the man who abducted Keiron Coyne. Kieron was playing in some woods in a London park with friend Josh whilst Mum Cat went to the toilet and Mum of Josh, Maria, was busy smoking an illicit cigarette.
The book centres on the investigation and Tom's absolute determination to catch the culprit.
There is humour, courtesy of Hendricks, a very unconventional pathologist, but also from Thorne himself who does not get on with boss DI Boyle.
Suspicion is cast upon many characters, from Cat's next door neighbour, drug addict Grantleigh Figgis, to witness Felix Barratt and Keiron's teacher Simon Jenner, with more could-they-be-guilty characters interspersed along the way.
I found the plot to be well written and engaging as Tom Thorne is a very human police officer. He seems to care about the distress Cat is going through and, as he is separated from his wife and currently hating her sandalled lecturer lover, you can't help but love this man on a mission and want him to succeed.
There are plenty of bumps in the road to solving the crime and some great twists. The parts that give you a glimpse into the abduction from Kieron's perspective are a wonderful addition as is the way in which the clue is found to lead Thorne and associates to the man responsible.
I loved the book so much that I will definitely start back at the beginning getting to know Thorne and his cases.
I highly recommend the series to others.
June 27, 2020
How odd it is to think of a book where the plot takes place in 1996 as being historical. Twenty-five years ago policing looked very different and yet so many readers will easily remember that time period. I'm more used to thinking of 1696, 1796 or 1896 as the time period for historical mysteries. But, author Mark Billingham definitely made this one work.
I try hard not to read crime novels that involve children so I made a conscious decision to read this book involving two seven year old boys who were playing in a park when one went missing. What follows is a tension filled story where the drama of the inability of the police to quickly find the boy shares the pages with the tearing apart of a friendship because one mother's boy was lost and one mother's boy was safe. There are so many levels of fear written into this plot that I began to wonder how it would be possible for the police to solve the case. At one point I thought I had solved it on one level, and was quite proud of myself, but ultimately was wrong. It certainly had me thinking all the time.
So I broke my own rule about plot elements and am definitely glad I read the book. However, it's now time to put my barriers back up and avoid children in crime novels. It's too stressful for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic for an e-galley of this novel.
I try hard not to read crime novels that involve children so I made a conscious decision to read this book involving two seven year old boys who were playing in a park when one went missing. What follows is a tension filled story where the drama of the inability of the police to quickly find the boy shares the pages with the tearing apart of a friendship because one mother's boy was lost and one mother's boy was safe. There are so many levels of fear written into this plot that I began to wonder how it would be possible for the police to solve the case. At one point I thought I had solved it on one level, and was quite proud of myself, but ultimately was wrong. It certainly had me thinking all the time.
So I broke my own rule about plot elements and am definitely glad I read the book. However, it's now time to put my barriers back up and avoid children in crime novels. It's too stressful for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic for an e-galley of this novel.
July 23, 2020
I hadn't read any of this series of books, but will certainly be doing so after finishing this book.
A good balance of police work and relationships, together with some great twists made this an enjoyable read.
Thank you Mark and Pigeonhole
A good balance of police work and relationships, together with some great twists made this an enjoyable read.
Thank you Mark and Pigeonhole
November 27, 2020
A prequel to Mark Billingham's long running DI Tom Thorne series, this is set in 1996 when a young boy disappears whilst playing in woods with his friend. A good plot, twists I didn't see coming, always a good story if its by this author.
January 10, 2021
It is 1996 and two young boys Kieron and Josh aged seven, are playing with their mothers in the playground, whilst they are distracted the boys go into the woods, but only one boy returns!!
D.S Tom Thorne works on this traumatic case, but what appears to be a kidnapping, takes a dramatical turn when two people who knew the missing boy dies.
This book had me biting my nails, there are many suspects which keep were guessing until the unexpected ending!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
D.S Tom Thorne works on this traumatic case, but what appears to be a kidnapping, takes a dramatical turn when two people who knew the missing boy dies.
This book had me biting my nails, there are many suspects which keep were guessing until the unexpected ending!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
September 4, 2025
Tom Thorne - The Early Years; subtitle: When Tom met Phil.
Well if you ever wanted to find out what Tom Thorne was like back in the day, back when he was just a Detective Sergeant whose marriage had just fallen apart and for whom spending an evening chatting over a curry or talking football over a pint with a heavily pierced and tattooed pathologist was not remotely on the cards, then this is definitely the book for year. In a case that takes us all the way back to 1996, we meet Tom and the team as he is called in to assist on a missing person investigation. The person in question turns out to be a young boy, Keiron, who disappeared while playing hide and seek with his best friend, Josh, in woods not far from their homes. The potential implications of such an abduction do not need spelling out and the race is on to find the boy before it is too late.
Now it is fair to say that throughout this novel, Thorne is haunted by a case from his past, one which did not see a positive outcome. We are given the barest hint of the case at the start but this is more than enough, as Mark Billingham creates a scene which is so vivid, so stomach churningly real that there is no question of us not knowing the bones of what occured. Of course, initially we are only privy to Thorne's recurring nightmare, but the case is explored in a bit more detail later on, but we know enough to be certain that Thorne will stop at nothing to get Keiron back unharmed.
There are many elements to this story but the author does a grand job of drawing our attention to the differences in the lives of Keiron and Josh. Both are from a broken home but whilst Josh's parents are divorced, they are still both very much in his life. For Keiron he too has parents who love him but who are separated not by choice but by law, his father in prison for a serious assault. And this is where the story gets complicated because it is hard to tell whether the abduction was by a complete stranger or someone a little closer to home. And there are certainly a few suspects brought to light through the course of the story, the author using his usual skill to cast enough doubt over all of them in turn and to challenge out perception of who truly is guilty.
There are some more harrowing scenes that play out in the story, scenes told from the point of view of Keiron. These are hard to read, watching him try to stay positive, using every trick in his young mind to manage through what is a very dark and lonely time. There is never any hint of real abuse, it never goes that far, but it is not necessary as the thought of a seven year old being locked away in the darkness is hard enough to read without it. Then you have Josh. The emotional impact of his friends disappearance is so beautifully delivered on the page that it makes for quiet emotional reading too. This is not just a missing person case though, and there is a real sense of threat and danger that permeates the story. When some of the people very close to the investigation begin dying it is clear that things are far from straight forward, the sense of pace and urgency picking up and the tone of the book changing, ever so subtly.
But it's not all doom and gloom. As always there are those moments of light relief peppered throughout, none more so than the very first meeting between Thorne and his soon to be best friend, Phil Hendricks. They are such an odd couple and from this first meeting you'd be forgiven for wondering how they ever came to be friends in the first place. It is far from love at first sight, or in this case, phone call. But theirs is the kind of mad and mismatched friendship that just works, and seeing those early outings for the pair really brought a smile to my face.
I thoroughly enjoyed this look back into Tom Thorne's early years. It is a classic Thorne novel with the perfect blend of tension and wit. The tension continues to build right to the end, the bad guys staying hidden right to the end. And as for the end ... some definite face contorting, sensibility challenging reveals going on there. If you love Tom and Phil, or even just great storytelling, then this book is definitely recommended. Twenty years of Tom Thorne? I'll take another twenty to go please.
Well if you ever wanted to find out what Tom Thorne was like back in the day, back when he was just a Detective Sergeant whose marriage had just fallen apart and for whom spending an evening chatting over a curry or talking football over a pint with a heavily pierced and tattooed pathologist was not remotely on the cards, then this is definitely the book for year. In a case that takes us all the way back to 1996, we meet Tom and the team as he is called in to assist on a missing person investigation. The person in question turns out to be a young boy, Keiron, who disappeared while playing hide and seek with his best friend, Josh, in woods not far from their homes. The potential implications of such an abduction do not need spelling out and the race is on to find the boy before it is too late.
Now it is fair to say that throughout this novel, Thorne is haunted by a case from his past, one which did not see a positive outcome. We are given the barest hint of the case at the start but this is more than enough, as Mark Billingham creates a scene which is so vivid, so stomach churningly real that there is no question of us not knowing the bones of what occured. Of course, initially we are only privy to Thorne's recurring nightmare, but the case is explored in a bit more detail later on, but we know enough to be certain that Thorne will stop at nothing to get Keiron back unharmed.
There are many elements to this story but the author does a grand job of drawing our attention to the differences in the lives of Keiron and Josh. Both are from a broken home but whilst Josh's parents are divorced, they are still both very much in his life. For Keiron he too has parents who love him but who are separated not by choice but by law, his father in prison for a serious assault. And this is where the story gets complicated because it is hard to tell whether the abduction was by a complete stranger or someone a little closer to home. And there are certainly a few suspects brought to light through the course of the story, the author using his usual skill to cast enough doubt over all of them in turn and to challenge out perception of who truly is guilty.
There are some more harrowing scenes that play out in the story, scenes told from the point of view of Keiron. These are hard to read, watching him try to stay positive, using every trick in his young mind to manage through what is a very dark and lonely time. There is never any hint of real abuse, it never goes that far, but it is not necessary as the thought of a seven year old being locked away in the darkness is hard enough to read without it. Then you have Josh. The emotional impact of his friends disappearance is so beautifully delivered on the page that it makes for quiet emotional reading too. This is not just a missing person case though, and there is a real sense of threat and danger that permeates the story. When some of the people very close to the investigation begin dying it is clear that things are far from straight forward, the sense of pace and urgency picking up and the tone of the book changing, ever so subtly.
But it's not all doom and gloom. As always there are those moments of light relief peppered throughout, none more so than the very first meeting between Thorne and his soon to be best friend, Phil Hendricks. They are such an odd couple and from this first meeting you'd be forgiven for wondering how they ever came to be friends in the first place. It is far from love at first sight, or in this case, phone call. But theirs is the kind of mad and mismatched friendship that just works, and seeing those early outings for the pair really brought a smile to my face.
I thoroughly enjoyed this look back into Tom Thorne's early years. It is a classic Thorne novel with the perfect blend of tension and wit. The tension continues to build right to the end, the bad guys staying hidden right to the end. And as for the end ... some definite face contorting, sensibility challenging reveals going on there. If you love Tom and Phil, or even just great storytelling, then this book is definitely recommended. Twenty years of Tom Thorne? I'll take another twenty to go please.
August 10, 2020
Mark Billingham notes in his acknowledgements to his 17th(!) Tom Thorne novel, which is set in the mid-1990s, that it is a historical work. To apply proper perspective, that time is (relatively) early in Thorne’s career, predating the events that are recounted in SLEEPYHEAD, the opening installment in the series, and 10 years after his first important --- and heartbreaking --- case. Billingham has demonstrated from the start of his literary career that he is incapable of writing badly, but CRY BABY is a cut or two above the pack, one of the best of his worthy efforts thus far.
The book begins with a 1996 tour of the mind of Detective Sergeant Thorne, one that includes nightmares and emotional baggage. The former is caused by a case a decade or so previously in which he delayed following up on his instincts, indirectly leading to the deaths of three children. The latter is the result of the dissolution of his marriage (the first of many examples of his misfortune in love, documented in the novels that have gone before). These elements are fleshed out, with more revealed in dribs and drabs, throughout the narrative.
However, it does not take long for CRY BABY to get to the heart of the matter. Two friends --- single mothers of somewhat different circumstances --- have seven-year-old sons who are best buds and are playing together at a local park. When one mother leaves the scene for a moment, the other is distracted for a very short time, allowing the boys to leave her field of vision. Only one returns. The other is long gone. Thorne is brought into the thick of the investigation, which of course is prioritized.
Thorne’s prior failure provides him with extra motivation, even as he is distracted by office and police force politics, as well as the property division occasioned by his divorce due to his wife’s infidelity. It is the missing boy, though, who occupies his thoughts and time. Thorne is determined not to fail again. However, some people are lying, which sends him and his team off in the wrong direction, sometimes for no reason.
Billingham is a master at demonstrating how lives can be complicated by falsehoods, which become so deeply embedded with the truth that the two are rendered indistinguishable to the extent that both must be rooted up to their mutual detriment. This results in Thorne getting wrongfooted practically to the conclusion of the book, where he is left to clean up what occurs, for better and for worse. CRY BABY ends with one of the saddest sentences that I have read in quite a while. No peeking.
This is the perfect novel for newcomers of the series to start with, given that (almost) all of it occurs prior to the previous 16 installments. As for those who have been along for the ride since the beginning (or close to it), it fills in gaps that we didn’t know were there, including how at least one longstanding character entered the proceedings and has never left. If you enjoy mysteries, police procedurals or just plain wonderful writing, then you need to read CRY BABY.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
The book begins with a 1996 tour of the mind of Detective Sergeant Thorne, one that includes nightmares and emotional baggage. The former is caused by a case a decade or so previously in which he delayed following up on his instincts, indirectly leading to the deaths of three children. The latter is the result of the dissolution of his marriage (the first of many examples of his misfortune in love, documented in the novels that have gone before). These elements are fleshed out, with more revealed in dribs and drabs, throughout the narrative.
However, it does not take long for CRY BABY to get to the heart of the matter. Two friends --- single mothers of somewhat different circumstances --- have seven-year-old sons who are best buds and are playing together at a local park. When one mother leaves the scene for a moment, the other is distracted for a very short time, allowing the boys to leave her field of vision. Only one returns. The other is long gone. Thorne is brought into the thick of the investigation, which of course is prioritized.
Thorne’s prior failure provides him with extra motivation, even as he is distracted by office and police force politics, as well as the property division occasioned by his divorce due to his wife’s infidelity. It is the missing boy, though, who occupies his thoughts and time. Thorne is determined not to fail again. However, some people are lying, which sends him and his team off in the wrong direction, sometimes for no reason.
Billingham is a master at demonstrating how lives can be complicated by falsehoods, which become so deeply embedded with the truth that the two are rendered indistinguishable to the extent that both must be rooted up to their mutual detriment. This results in Thorne getting wrongfooted practically to the conclusion of the book, where he is left to clean up what occurs, for better and for worse. CRY BABY ends with one of the saddest sentences that I have read in quite a while. No peeking.
This is the perfect novel for newcomers of the series to start with, given that (almost) all of it occurs prior to the previous 16 installments. As for those who have been along for the ride since the beginning (or close to it), it fills in gaps that we didn’t know were there, including how at least one longstanding character entered the proceedings and has never left. If you enjoy mysteries, police procedurals or just plain wonderful writing, then you need to read CRY BABY.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
July 6, 2020
CRY BABY: A Tom Thorne Novel
BY MARK BILLINGHAM
This was a British crime procedural starring Tom Thorne and his team. This was supposed to be a pre-quell to his famous novel called "Sleepyhead." It takes place in 1996 when two mother's take their two seven year old children to the park by some woods. Maria and Cat are two British mother's each with an only son. The two boy's go into the woods to play hide and seek and one of them gets abducted.
This was suspenseful and I enjoyed it. As in all of Mark Billinham's crime novels Tom Thorne is the investigating detective that this novel mostly focuses on. He is getting a divorce from his wife Jan and they don't have any children. He doesn't like his Boss this time and reports him for leaking their suspect's name to the media causing a tragedy.
I probably would have enjoyed this even more if I had ever visited the UK. The language brogue used in the dialogue was sometimes confusing but not enough to make it so I couldn't understand it. I have read other books in this series so I knew what to expect. This can easily be read as a stand alone.
Great characterization and plot. Recommend to fans of British Crime Procedural's.
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Thank you to Net Galley, Mark Billingham and Grove Atlantic Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#CryBaby #MarkBillingham #GroveAtlanticPublishing #NetGalley
BY MARK BILLINGHAM
This was a British crime procedural starring Tom Thorne and his team. This was supposed to be a pre-quell to his famous novel called "Sleepyhead." It takes place in 1996 when two mother's take their two seven year old children to the park by some woods. Maria and Cat are two British mother's each with an only son. The two boy's go into the woods to play hide and seek and one of them gets abducted.
This was suspenseful and I enjoyed it. As in all of Mark Billinham's crime novels Tom Thorne is the investigating detective that this novel mostly focuses on. He is getting a divorce from his wife Jan and they don't have any children. He doesn't like his Boss this time and reports him for leaking their suspect's name to the media causing a tragedy.
I probably would have enjoyed this even more if I had ever visited the UK. The language brogue used in the dialogue was sometimes confusing but not enough to make it so I couldn't understand it. I have read other books in this series so I knew what to expect. This can easily be read as a stand alone.
Great characterization and plot. Recommend to fans of British Crime Procedural's.
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Thank you to Net Galley, Mark Billingham and Grove Atlantic Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#CryBaby #MarkBillingham #GroveAtlanticPublishing #NetGalley
January 14, 2021
DS Tom Thorne is determined to find a young juvenile Kieron Coyne who has disappeared, suspected abduction, whilst playing in his local park with best friend Josh supervised by his mum Cat and Josh’s mum Marie. Thorne is haunted by a similar case from the past, a case in which he hesitated and his indecisiveness has horrific and far reaching consequences.
Cry Baby is a prequel and for fans of Tom Thorne gives a glimpse of a much younger but still very dedicated officer of the law. The nostalgic rewind to a much simpler period in time makes for very enjoyable reading. We smile at the mention of the earliest mobile not so much a phone but a brick! We lament England's 96 Euro challenge, sympathize with Gareth Southgate’s famous missed penalty, and applaud a well disciplined German team who once again stifled the cries of ardent English fans who truly believed that finally football was coming home.
One of the strongest and most memorable characters appearing in all the Thorne novels is Phil Hendricks, maverick pathologist, adorned in tattoos, body jewelry, and piercings. It is delightful to see how the unconventional partnership of Thorne and Hendricks, will lead to a very long lasting, warm, and respectful relationship both at work and in their personal lives. The writing of Billingham is concise and clear and Cry Baby is a delight to read from start to finish.
Cry Baby is a prequel and for fans of Tom Thorne gives a glimpse of a much younger but still very dedicated officer of the law. The nostalgic rewind to a much simpler period in time makes for very enjoyable reading. We smile at the mention of the earliest mobile not so much a phone but a brick! We lament England's 96 Euro challenge, sympathize with Gareth Southgate’s famous missed penalty, and applaud a well disciplined German team who once again stifled the cries of ardent English fans who truly believed that finally football was coming home.
One of the strongest and most memorable characters appearing in all the Thorne novels is Phil Hendricks, maverick pathologist, adorned in tattoos, body jewelry, and piercings. It is delightful to see how the unconventional partnership of Thorne and Hendricks, will lead to a very long lasting, warm, and respectful relationship both at work and in their personal lives. The writing of Billingham is concise and clear and Cry Baby is a delight to read from start to finish.
April 25, 2020
The 17th book in the Tom Thorne series by author Mark Billingham.
This is a little different to the other books in the series as it a prequel to Mark Billingham's acclaimed debut, Sleepyhead and is set back in 1996 when Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne is a haunted man. Haunted by the moment he ignored his instincts concerning a suspect and by the horrific crime that followed. Poignant memories that haunt Thorne and mistakes he never wants to experience again, so when 7 year old Kieron Coyne goes missing while playing in the woods with his best friend, Thorne is determined to get it right this time.
All the usual characters are there and a good plot that builds up to an exciting finale. Another excellent addition to this popular series.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This is a little different to the other books in the series as it a prequel to Mark Billingham's acclaimed debut, Sleepyhead and is set back in 1996 when Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne is a haunted man. Haunted by the moment he ignored his instincts concerning a suspect and by the horrific crime that followed. Poignant memories that haunt Thorne and mistakes he never wants to experience again, so when 7 year old Kieron Coyne goes missing while playing in the woods with his best friend, Thorne is determined to get it right this time.
All the usual characters are there and a good plot that builds up to an exciting finale. Another excellent addition to this popular series.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2021
A prequel to book 1, this was very enjoyable in the audiobook version.
August 30, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable prequel to this series. We get to go back to the beginning and see how it all started, a great crime procedural story. I was engage throughout and look forward to reading more by this author
June 15, 2025
A punchy , smooth read , with an underlying depth oscillating throughout. Great, realised characters.
It manages to feel grizzly without being explicitly disturbing or hopeless.
It reminds me a bit of red dragon by Thomas Harris, where it does feel a bit daft and removed from reality at points, but this actually allows for the plot to move at a good dramatic pace.
It does sort of feel like the ending could have had more to it, but that doesn't take away from the reflections throughout. My only real gripe is when authors decide to narrate the thought process of a small child. It only happens a few chapters here , and it's not even done badly, it serves a point- just feels a bit fackin goofy
It manages to feel grizzly without being explicitly disturbing or hopeless.
It reminds me a bit of red dragon by Thomas Harris, where it does feel a bit daft and removed from reality at points, but this actually allows for the plot to move at a good dramatic pace.
It does sort of feel like the ending could have had more to it, but that doesn't take away from the reflections throughout. My only real gripe is when authors decide to narrate the thought process of a small child. It only happens a few chapters here , and it's not even done badly, it serves a point- just feels a bit fackin goofy
March 1, 2021
This may end up as my best book read in 2021. It brought back great memories of 1996 with the football references. I brought back great memories from other Tom Thorne books.
July 12, 2020
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Thank you Hachette for this book in exchange for an honest review
One of the most important things for me, is I want to be able to pick up a book mid series and understand what is going on. That is why I am obsessed with James Patterson, no matter which book you pick up, you know what is happening, a little of what has happened and you don’t get information overload or previous book history dumped on you at the start. Billingham is another one of those few authors that gets and understand this concept and I loved it.
Straight off the bat, I haven’t read the previous books in the series and this is technically book 17. Do I need to read the previous books before I started this one? No, because it was that well written that I had no need to. But after reading this, I will be buying the previous books.
Tom Thorne is haunted by an old case and know that he must act quickly. Seven year old Kieron disappears from the woods he was playing in with his friend, Tom Thorne is determined to figure out this crime before the killer strikes again.
Cry Baby is told from various points of view, including the villain and I love it. You rarely get to see the darkness of the villain and it gives you the chance to watch how their mind works and the desperation of their needs to strike again. Give me a creepy brain any day!!
This book is fast paced and you find yourself sitting there trying to figure out the crime yourself and I love this. Rarely do I ever find a crime book that is this interesting and compares to my crime god ‘Patterson’ but Cry Baby is right up!!
July 26, 2020
I read Cry Baby by Mark Billingham in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group.
Although this is book seventeen in Mark Billingham’s 'Tom Thorne' crime fiction collection, Cry Baby is only the second one I’ve read. It worked well enough as a standalone for me, but admittedly, I would prefer to read them in chronological order.
This was a fabulous, mean, psychological thriller with some very twisted characters. I loved Mark Billingham's writing style, the complexity of the story and the many surprises along the way. Set in 1996, I liked the haunted protagonist and nightmare-sufferer Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne very much. All of the characters were distinct and well-developed and I was hooked by this compelling storyline with its welcome humorous snippets. There were stacks of plot twists and I appreciated the thorny and smart finale.
There are tonnes of other novels in the series for me to enjoy (well fifteen, anyway) and I plan to start with Sleepyhead.
A special thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Mark Billingham, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Although this is book seventeen in Mark Billingham’s 'Tom Thorne' crime fiction collection, Cry Baby is only the second one I’ve read. It worked well enough as a standalone for me, but admittedly, I would prefer to read them in chronological order.
This was a fabulous, mean, psychological thriller with some very twisted characters. I loved Mark Billingham's writing style, the complexity of the story and the many surprises along the way. Set in 1996, I liked the haunted protagonist and nightmare-sufferer Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne very much. All of the characters were distinct and well-developed and I was hooked by this compelling storyline with its welcome humorous snippets. There were stacks of plot twists and I appreciated the thorny and smart finale.
There are tonnes of other novels in the series for me to enjoy (well fifteen, anyway) and I plan to start with Sleepyhead.
A special thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Mark Billingham, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
May 25, 2020
Two boys playing in the park being watched by their Mothers. Both boys go into the woods skirting the park, only one comes out. Two murders connected to the disappearance. Can Tom Thorne figure out what happened, find the missing boy and figure out how it's all wound together? Set in the mid 90's, this is a prequel to the Tom Thorne series. Tom is a DS that is going through a divorce and butts heads with his boss. He's haunted by a 10 year old case that won't quit invading his dreams. Will this case make him a hero or cost him his career?
I liked the book well enough. I didn't realize this was a prequel so it took me a while to figure out why he was referencing 80's and 90's things, jargon, etc. I'd read some of the other books in this series a long time ago and that's why I requested this ARC to read. It was a different kind of read for me in that it seemed to skip from one thing to another without any warning. I'd be reading about one character or event and then in the next sentence, I'm reading about something that's got nothing to do with it/them. I'd have to go back an re-read what I'd just read to make sure I didn't miss something. Took me a while to get used to that.
The story moved along fairly rapidly and I had a hard time trying to figure out who did it. I'd be thinking one person was the culprit and then 5 minutes later, I'd be thinking it was someone else. I like stories like that. Kept me guessing until the very end. It's dark and moody with a bit of humor thrown in. A good English detective novel.
I think fans of English detective novels or darker crime novels would like this book.
I liked the book well enough. I didn't realize this was a prequel so it took me a while to figure out why he was referencing 80's and 90's things, jargon, etc. I'd read some of the other books in this series a long time ago and that's why I requested this ARC to read. It was a different kind of read for me in that it seemed to skip from one thing to another without any warning. I'd be reading about one character or event and then in the next sentence, I'm reading about something that's got nothing to do with it/them. I'd have to go back an re-read what I'd just read to make sure I didn't miss something. Took me a while to get used to that.
The story moved along fairly rapidly and I had a hard time trying to figure out who did it. I'd be thinking one person was the culprit and then 5 minutes later, I'd be thinking it was someone else. I like stories like that. Kept me guessing until the very end. It's dark and moody with a bit of humor thrown in. A good English detective novel.
I think fans of English detective novels or darker crime novels would like this book.
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