The Murder Book
- Downloads：6473
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-09 00:51:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mark Billingham
- ISBN：0751577308
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Tom Thorne finally has it all。
In Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks， Thorne has good friends by his side。 His love life is newly reformed by a promising relationship and he is happy in the job he has devoted his life to。
As he sets off hunting the woman responsible for a series of grisly murders， Thorne has no way of knowing that he will be plunged into a nightmare from which he may never wake。 A nightmare that has a name。 Thorne’s past threatens to catch up with him and a ruinous secret is about to be revealed。 If he wants to save himself and his friends， he will have to do the unthinkable。
Tom Thorne finally has a lot to lose。
In Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks， Thorne has good friends by his side。 His love life is newly reformed by a promising relationship and he is happy in the job he has devoted his life to。
As he sets off hunting the woman responsible for a series of grisly murders， Thorne has no way of knowing that he will be plunged into a nightmare from which he may never wake。 A nightmare that has a name。 Thorne’s past threatens to catch up with him and a ruinous secret is about to be revealed。 If he wants to save himself and his friends， he will have to do the unthinkable。
Tom Thorne finally has a lot to lose。
Reviews
Leslie
，
Oh boy， a new series。 Yes， I’ve started with the most recent book， but hopefully that won’t matter。
Simone
，
Kept me guessing but was over too soon。 Can't wait for the next installment Kept me guessing but was over too soon。 Can't wait for the next installment 。。。more
Howard
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Reads like a Sherlock Holmes / Moriarty cat-and-mouse chase。 Well written and interesting characters but not incredibly interesting plot in my opinion。 Found myself a bit uninterested at times， looking at my shelves of other unread books to dive into…
Andrew Alvis
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Caught up with my dear friend Tom again and， though not everything turned out the way I hoped， I look forward with huge anticipation to his next case。。。as well as any other material from Mark Billingham。
Angelina
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i had fun （on audio） with this but the end referred heavily to a previous book so it lost the momentum for me
Ram
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Intriguing
Nancy
，
Tom Thorne completes another case。 I guess there will be another Tom Thorne book。
BrkrDave
，
A great book。 Slow buildup until the climax。 I was a little disappointed with the last 15 pages but that couldn't take away the rest of the book。 It is not a book that can be read one off。 It really needs to be read as part of the series。 A great book。 Slow buildup until the climax。 I was a little disappointed with the last 15 pages but that couldn't take away the rest of the book。 It is not a book that can be read one off。 It really needs to be read as part of the series。 。。。more
Nicola Ferry
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Enjoyed this one。
Tiger
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You know what。。。。。I had a full 3 paragraph review all typed up but after thinking it through I deleted it because there is so much that needs to stay secret from the reader to get the whole force of this book。 And trust me， if you are a loyal reader of the Tom Thorne series， this is a super nova ！
Moirad
，
OK， but not the best in the series， as I really could not believe in one of the series characters being taken in and manipulated by a mega baddy， especially given their profession。
Bea
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A good read。 He brings back one of Thorne’s nastier criminals with a cat and mouse game and a twist ending you probably won’t figure out。 Even the best detectives can be blind to people’s behavior and motivations。 Enjoy
Lisa Billingham
，
I love Mark Billingham's books。 His character Tom Thorne enraptures me every time I read one of his stories。 Expertly written and researched these are crime novels everyone should read。 I love Mark Billingham's books。 His character Tom Thorne enraptures me every time I read one of his stories。 Expertly written and researched these are crime novels everyone should read。 。。。more
Kathy
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Such a great read， kept me on my toes
Lynn
，
Mark Billingham doesn't disappoint in his 18th outing with Detective Inspector Tom Thorne。 We kick it off with a grisly murder and we end it with some surprises。 In between we hang out with Thorne and his best pals， his police partner， Nicola Tanner and pathologist， Phil Hendricks。 Laughter is mixed with poignant moments as this trio have shared some dark times。 I recommend this solid police procedural series for readers who love both a twisty plot and great characterization。 Definitely a series Mark Billingham doesn't disappoint in his 18th outing with Detective Inspector Tom Thorne。 We kick it off with a grisly murder and we end it with some surprises。 In between we hang out with Thorne and his best pals， his police partner， Nicola Tanner and pathologist， Phil Hendricks。 Laughter is mixed with poignant moments as this trio have shared some dark times。 I recommend this solid police procedural series for readers who love both a twisty plot and great characterization。 Definitely a series where I highly anticipate each new book。 And now the wait begins for #19。 。。。more
Tracey Gill
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The new Thorne book， excellent as always until the end which felt a little rushed and a little unsatisfactory given the build up throughout the book
John Watts
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Excellent。 I have to say that I think that Mark Billingham is at the forefront of crime writers operating today。 Heard him several years ago in conversation with the late lamented Peter Robinson at Richmond and it was an enthralling experience。 This latest outing for Tom Thorne & Co is top notch。 For long-term readers there are echoes of previous cases but Nicola Tanner， Phil Hendricks and even Dave Holland who all contribute to the Good Read。 I was slightly unsure when we regressed to the event Excellent。 I have to say that I think that Mark Billingham is at the forefront of crime writers operating today。 Heard him several years ago in conversation with the late lamented Peter Robinson at Richmond and it was an enthralling experience。 This latest outing for Tom Thorne & Co is top notch。 For long-term readers there are echoes of previous cases but Nicola Tanner， Phil Hendricks and even Dave Holland who all contribute to the Good Read。 I was slightly unsure when we regressed to the events on Bardsey Island but I have to say I was impressed by how matters were resolved by the end。 There are 'dark moments' here but also with Mark Billingham there are also some very amusing illuminations to lighten the moment。Recommended。 As I never rate anything 5 star as a matter of principle， this comes in as a very strong 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Virginia Van
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A grizzly series of murders takes place in London and DIs Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner are assigned to it。 However， it isn't long before they realize there is someone else involved with the crimes， someone they and their friend pathologist Phil Hendricks know all too well。 And this at a time when Thorne is happy with his life， with a promising relationship with forensic psychiatrist Dr。 Melita Perera， good friends by his side and Christmas approaching。 But it quickly turns out that all this is a A grizzly series of murders takes place in London and DIs Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner are assigned to it。 However， it isn't long before they realize there is someone else involved with the crimes， someone they and their friend pathologist Phil Hendricks know all too well。 And this at a time when Thorne is happy with his life， with a promising relationship with forensic psychiatrist Dr。 Melita Perera， good friends by his side and Christmas approaching。 But it quickly turns out that all this is at stake， and if Thorne is to save himself and his friends， he will have to make some hard decisions。 Convincing characterization and a strong plot with a number of unexpected twists makes this a compelling， if dark， read。 It helps to read this series in order。 。。。more
Mary Ahlgren
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Great characterizations and plot but so much gore。。。。
Bruce Hatton
，
Although grumpy senior police officers tend to be two-a-penny in British crime thrillers， there is something special about Tom Thorne which always makes me eager to catch up on his latest adventures。This novel starts with Tom in a rare condition of contentment。 As well as his best friends and colleagues， Phil Hendricks and Nicola Tanner， there is the new love in his life， Doctor Melita Perera。However， that is all set to come to a crashing end when Tom is assigned to investigate the murders of th Although grumpy senior police officers tend to be two-a-penny in British crime thrillers， there is something special about Tom Thorne which always makes me eager to catch up on his latest adventures。This novel starts with Tom in a rare condition of contentment。 As well as his best friends and colleagues， Phil Hendricks and Nicola Tanner， there is the new love in his life， Doctor Melita Perera。However， that is all set to come to a crashing end when Tom is assigned to investigate the murders of three men， all of whom have been mutilated in a bizarre sequential fashion。 Unfortunately， these gruesome crimes aren’t the end of Tom’s troubles when he learns that the mastermind behind them is a former nemesis come back to haunt him。 Most of the action takes place during the weeks leading up to Christmas， but the mood is far removed from the seasonal peace and goodwill as Tom desperately struggles to protect himself and those he cares about; a struggle which begins to take a toll on his physical and mental health。There are a couple of totally unexpected twists at the end。 The first is profoundly shocking， although， thankfully， the second is delightfully welcome。Even though this is now the 18th novel in the series， it would appear there is still plenty of life left in it for more of Tom Thorne’s adventures。。 。。。more
Jen
，
It’s no secret that I have a tendency to read series books out of order。 Not deliberately， of course， but where I find a book that intrigues me， I will jump straight in， even if that means entering the series part way through。 It’s testament to the skill of the author if they can attract new readers whilst not alienating old ones by recapping things that make them want to shout “alright already - we know …” This has been the case with the Tom Thorne series by Billingham where I both started at t It’s no secret that I have a tendency to read series books out of order。 Not deliberately， of course， but where I find a book that intrigues me， I will jump straight in， even if that means entering the series part way through。 It’s testament to the skill of the author if they can attract new readers whilst not alienating old ones by recapping things that make them want to shout “alright already - we know …” This has been the case with the Tom Thorne series by Billingham where I both started at the beginning and part way through， at roughly the same time。 With The Murder Book， it’s also one of the few times I regret not having caught up with the backlist quicker。 You don’t need to have read previous books - Mark Billingham helps us settle into this story not matter where in the series you may be appearing from - but I can’t help thinking the book would have been even better if I had read the other linked books， namely Scaredy Cat and The Bones Beneath。 Rather randomly， or perhaps not， I have read The Killing Habit。 Now if you only read one other book before reading this one， I’d urge you to read that。 Whilst I didn’t feel overly disadvantaged by not having read the first two， or feel that I now have major spoilers that will affect my enjoyment of them， there are crossovers between the two books that I feel， for the sake of suspense and surprise， are best read about in the order they were written。 You have been warned。 All of the arguments about reading order aside， what of The Murder Book？ Well … I liked it。 I liked it a lot。 From the very unexpected opening， to the sense of threat both overt and that undercurrent that brings and edginess to the story， I became absolutely engrossed in what I was reading。 I guess that for loyal readers who have been there from book one， there may be a senses of familiarity about what they see， partly because a very familiar face from Thorne’s past is back， but for me this was a new situation， a new character， and whilst it may not be immediately obvious， they really do make their presence felt。 It’s exactly the kind of crime fiction I like to read。 This is really a book in two halves。 We have the initial murders - extreme as they are - and in fairness， we get introduced to the killer very early on in the book。 We learn of their motives， their obsession， and through first person account， experience their preparations for their prey。 It made me wonder quite where the story， and the author， was leading us。 Now whilst knowing who the killer is is not a unique premise， there was far more to this case than meets the eye， and this is a story far more carefully orchestrated than anyone can guess。 The author has done a brilliant job here， drip feeding little clues， little hints of things to come。 You can feel from the care given to the story how much he enjoyed writing this。 Of putting Thorne in an impossibly difficult situation and really pushing him to the edge， both personally and professionally。 The mental toll of this particular case on Thorne is clear。 The guilt， the anger and the misjudgment and errors that start to creep into his behaviour and work the more the pressure builds。 We are used to Thorne the maverick， but this time we see Thorne the vulnerable。 It’s not something that I’m used to seeing。 Thorne is always so confident so seeing him making mistakes， seeing the uncertainty that clouds his judgment， is really intriguing and added a kind of unexpected tension to the story。 Now this is a case which impacts upon both Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks as well， Mark Billingham has done a perfect job of capturing their different reactions to what comes to pass。 With Hendricks it’s a balance between a kind of edginess and quietly intense anger， to an almost complete dismissal of any discussions on the topic in hand。 With Tanner， there are so many issues threatening to bubble to the surface， and certain deeds from their collective past really do come to a head in what becomes a very intense and yet almost understated arrest。 The book touches on the subjects of abuse and murder， obviously， but also that very strange and peculiar habit shared by the collectors of murderabilia。 The ghoulish trait of wanting to collect items which may （or in most cases likely not） have belonged to or been connected to murderers， such as Bundy， Dahmer， West and their ilk。 It may seem bizarre that this world even exists， but given the fascination that we have with ‘true crime’ documentaries on Netflix， murder collectors isn’t really that hard a concept to grasp。 It’s definitely an aspect of the book that leads to the turning point in the investigation and sets us all on the true intent of the murderer。 Despite the obvious nature of the case， the very clear clues left for Thorne to follow， there is still plenty here to surprise readers。 Much misdirection， occasions where I thought one thing was going to happen， only to be left very surprised by what really came to pass。 The pacing waxes and wanes， the moments where readers are let in on the various little secrets truly delight。 But sometimes the less is more approach is best， and that is very much the case here。 We didn’t need a dramatic chase， a fight to the death。 It’s not that kind of story。 The emotional toll of this case will be felt for a long time to come。 It seems that there may well be a fate worse than death … And then the real ending。 Satisfying， and comes to explain that unexpected opening scene too。 It was an ending that made me smile。 An ending that also had a certain amount of poignancy and emotion too。 Showed a different， unexpected side to the characters and really left me curious as to where Mark Billingham will take his poor protagonists next。 Definitely recommended for fans of the series。 。。。more
Sally Parker
，
I think this is possibly Mark Billingham's best Tom Thorne thriller yet ！Three apparently unconnected people have been murdered by a killer who is caught fairly easily from clues left behind。 When Thorne and his colleague Nicola Tanner start looking into the killer's motive， it becomes clear that someone else is behind the murders， someone who presents a great threat to Thorne， Tanner， and pathologist Phil Hendricks。 The three share a secret which could end all their careers。 I can't wait for th I think this is possibly Mark Billingham's best Tom Thorne thriller yet ！Three apparently unconnected people have been murdered by a killer who is caught fairly easily from clues left behind。 When Thorne and his colleague Nicola Tanner start looking into the killer's motive， it becomes clear that someone else is behind the murders， someone who presents a great threat to Thorne， Tanner， and pathologist Phil Hendricks。 The three share a secret which could end all their careers。 I can't wait for the next in this series ！ 。。。more
Yaseen
，
Such a satisfying ending
Emily Hunter
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Read this book not knowing it’s park of an 18 BOOK series。 Soooo， that’s my bad。 Good start， knew that the girlfriend was part of it quite early on but yeah。。 should have done some more research before purchasing。 Book will be going to a charity shop。 🤷🏻♀️
Paul Harvey
，
This book in the Tom Thorne series will make more sense if you have read the previous books that feature Tom's nemesis， Stuart Nicklin， in particular The Bones Beneath。 This book in the Tom Thorne series will make more sense if you have read the previous books that feature Tom's nemesis， Stuart Nicklin， in particular The Bones Beneath。 。。。more
Marilyn
，
Billingham does a hellva job writing a book you don't want to put down。It was not the book with which Thorne would have chosen to pop his library card's cherry。 Billingham does a hellva job writing a book you don't want to put down。It was not the book with which Thorne would have chosen to pop his library card's cherry。 。。。more
Steph
，
another great entry in the thorne series！ i really enjoyed the last one about the origins of the characters & this one is almost as good。 phil hendricks has become by fave character， i hope we continue to find out more about him， also hope thorne gets back together for good with his old girlfriend。
Michele Harrod
，
I'm never disappointed by a Thomas Thorne novel， and true to form， this one gripped me by the throat right from the start。 Billington never fails to thrill， horrify， and come up with blindly good twists。 I wouldn't want to box with this guy， he has a knack for hitting you square between the eyes， with things you don't even see coming！ I'm never disappointed by a Thomas Thorne novel， and true to form， this one gripped me by the throat right from the start。 Billington never fails to thrill， horrify， and come up with blindly good twists。 I wouldn't want to box with this guy， he has a knack for hitting you square between the eyes， with things you don't even see coming！ 。。。more
Jo
，
Not one of the best。 The plot was similar to others and the ending fizzled out
Greg
，
Thorne and Tanner are investigating a gruesome series of murders when an old nemesis starts to emerge from the background。 Soon it becomes clear that the murders are only a part of a deeper and more diabolical plan。This is my first Thorne book。 It pretty obviously picks up threads from earlier novels， but Billingham never makes the reader feel that they are missing out on anything vital， and nor does he spend to much time on exposition and backgrounding。 I enjoyed this， and will be reading more Thorne and Tanner are investigating a gruesome series of murders when an old nemesis starts to emerge from the background。 Soon it becomes clear that the murders are only a part of a deeper and more diabolical plan。This is my first Thorne book。 It pretty obviously picks up threads from earlier novels， but Billingham never makes the reader feel that they are missing out on anything vital， and nor does he spend to much time on exposition and backgrounding。 I enjoyed this， and will be reading more in this series。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Murder Book
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Murder Book&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Murder Book&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0