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paulabrandon's review against another edition
1.0
I am usually a fan of this series, but not when it deals with gang warfare or the criminal underworld. That is simply something I am not interested in, and there's too much of it here! So that's a personal preference - much the same reason I gave The Burning Girl a low score. I prefer the serial killer/murder mystery aspect - ghoulish, I know! Billingham avoids the cliches that plague most other British police procedurals, so that is why I keep coming back to them, even when I don't like one!
mccartek's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
weardan's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
megancrews's review against another edition
3.0
Death message was certainly suspenseful. I didn't realize it was part of a series at first and was therefore a little confused but not so lost that I couldn't enjoy getting swept up in it. It is a quick light read with some very interesting characters. I would definately suggest this book to anyone who enjoys those British style CSI shows like Wire in the Blood or Second Sight.
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
I think the character of Tom thorne is getting stronger and stronger as each book passes and in this one the reader is rewarded by revisiting two previous villains as our troubled detective starts receiving images of his phone which appear to be of a murder.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
DI Thorne really knows how to win friends and influence people: he's got a 'friend' he put away years ago who has convinced a recently released con to send Thorne photos and videos of his kills. Just what anyone wants in their cell phone inbox, right? It's not quite a mystery as to who is doing it, it's more a question of trying to catch up and unmask the other bent policeman responsible for setting Marcus up in the first place.
Thorne is so well named, always a thorn in the side of the VIPs in the force. Even when given direct instructions he often goes his own way (giving a different cell number to Marcus, knowing that the "real" one is being tracked? huh????). Luckily it seems to work out better than one might imagine - although him being the hero of the series means that it's unlikely he'll be killed halfway through a book.
Thorne is so well named, always a thorn in the side of the VIPs in the force. Even when given direct instructions he often goes his own way (giving a different cell number to Marcus, knowing that the "real" one is being tracked? huh????). Luckily it seems to work out better than one might imagine - although him being the hero of the series means that it's unlikely he'll be killed halfway through a book.
sophiewilliams's review against another edition
4.0
Nice to see Thorne growing as a character... some resolution of a few old storylines as well. Will be I teresting to see where the next book takes it.
anetq's review against another edition
4.0
Still like how the Thorne series picked up (after that dip in the middle). A vendetta is going on and Thorne is getting the news first by sms - with pictures of the dead. There are multiple intertwined stories - all quite clever
booked_becki's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75