The Murder Book

Starred review from May 2, 2022
British author Billingham’s masterly 18th novel featuring Det. Insp. Tom Thorne (after 2020’s Cry Baby) finds Thorne content in his relationship with Melita Perera, who works with the police as a forensic psychiatrist, following a period of social isolation. Meanwhile, Thorne’s nemesis, Stuart Nicklin, who once tortured and nearly killed Thorne’s best friend, pathologist Phil Hendricks, escapes from prison and undergoes cosmetic surgery that makes him all but unrecognizable. When three grotesque murders, which imitate the proverbial “see no evil” theme, occur in London, Thorne and partner Det. Insp. Nicola Tanner investigate. They tie all three to sociopath Rebecca Driver, an acolyte of Nicklin’s, who meets her victims on a dating website, and arrest her. While Driver is in a holding cell after conviction and waiting to be sentenced, she finally decides to expose Nicklin’s evil manipulations. In the brilliant denouement, Thorne confronts Nicklin in Melita’s home, and the fallout from their violent encounter is sure to reverberate through the lives of Tanner, Hendricks, and himself in future installments. The intricate plot matches superior characterizations. Thorne fans will eagerly await his next outing. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management.

May 1, 2022
For a police detective, a murder book is the file of a murder investigation, including photographs, sketches, forensic reports, witness interviews, etc. London DI Tom Thorne's murder book on Stuart Nicklin is thick. An absolute monster of a man who lives only to inflict pain on others, Nicklin is at it again. A spate of gruesome murders by a young woman seemingly begging to be caught turns out to have been engineered by Nicklin. Thorne caught him once, only to be tricked into letting him escape, and this time he intends to lock him up forever. A cacophony grows daily inside Thorne's head, an "angry static," as those around him are threatened, and Nicklin takes to sending the inspector messages carved into corpses. The narrative moves rapidly, and readers will find their own "static" growing stronger with each page. Despite the suspense and visceral reality, they will be sustained by the gallows humor and the warmth and caring that has developed between Thorne and those closest to him. This is the eighteenth book (after Cry Baby, 2020) in a series that began in 2001 and has established Thorne as one of British crime fiction's most iconic characters. Billingham is a masterful plotter, and here he supplies a few alarming teasers before delivering one of his most amazing endings ever.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.