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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Rating: 4 stars.
This was a really quick read, and I quite enjoyed this installment of the Tom Thorne series. I haven't read the other books, but this intrigued me enough that I would check them out.
I really enjoyed the characters and the dynamics, I found myself really feeling with Cat because her emotions were described so raw and her pain felt so real. The intensity of the characters was the main reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did and it kept me involved in the plot during the entire read.
The plot itself felt rather slow, there wasn't a lot of suspense and I did find myself wishing for some more excitement during the first half of the book. The build-up towards the ending was well done though and I enjoyed the ending a lot, especially because I didn't see all of the plot twists coming. I do think some aspects didn't make perfect sense and could have been built up better, but most loose ends were tied up well and I was very pleased with how it ended.
Overall this was a good read and I would definitely read more books from this series.
This was a really quick read, and I quite enjoyed this installment of the Tom Thorne series. I haven't read the other books, but this intrigued me enough that I would check them out.
I really enjoyed the characters and the dynamics, I found myself really feeling with Cat because her emotions were described so raw and her pain felt so real. The intensity of the characters was the main reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did and it kept me involved in the plot during the entire read.
The plot itself felt rather slow, there wasn't a lot of suspense and I did find myself wishing for some more excitement during the first half of the book. The build-up towards the ending was well done though and I enjoyed the ending a lot, especially because I didn't see all of the plot twists coming. I do think some aspects didn't make perfect sense and could have been built up better, but most loose ends were tied up well and I was very pleased with how it ended.
Overall this was a good read and I would definitely read more books from this series.
Cry Baby is an engrossing read. Mark Billingham has captured the trauma surrounding child abduction, brilliantly - the immediate responses as well as the feelings, over time, of everyone that the crime impacts. There are a number of unforeseen and surprising events, none more unexpected or horrifying than the final twist in the tale. Thanks to the author and Pigeonhole for the ARC.
I picked up this book because it was recommended as one of the most gripping thrillers for anyone who wants a bit of escape from reality. Since was exactly what I wanted in the middle of the current pandemic, I immediately downloaded the ebook. The setup of the book is gripping enough. Two books play in a North London park. Their mothers do not pay attention for a moment while the boys are running around in the woods and one of them goes missing. Subsequently, DI Tom Thorne is part of the investigation that tries to find the missing boy. There were some things that I quite enjoyed about the book. First, I liked that the book was set in the 90s when people still used phone booths and had no access to the omniscient Internet. Second, I quite liked the setting because I used to live in the same part of North London and recognised a lot of the street names etc. However, I felt a bit lukewarm about the book. The characters seemed one-dimensional and the case a bit too much like a paint-by-the-numbers thriller story. Apparently, the book is a prequel to a long-running series. I have not read the previous books, but I can imagine that the book is probably more enticing to someone who did.
I picked up this book because it was recommended as one of the most gripping thrillers for anyone who wants a bit of escape from reality. Since that was exactly what I wanted in the middle of the current pandemic, I immediately downloaded the ebook. The setup of the book is gripping enough. Two books play in a North London park. Their mothers do not pay attention for a moment while the boys are running around in the woods and one of them goes missing. Subsequently, DI Tom Thorne is part of the investigation that tries to find the missing boy. There were some things that I quite enjoyed about the book. First, I liked that the book was set in the 90s when people still used phone booths and had no access to the omniscient Internet. Second, I quite liked the setting because I used to live in the same part of North London and recognised a lot of the street names etc. However, I felt a bit lukewarm about the book. The characters seemed one-dimensional and the case a bit too much like a paint-by-the-numbers thriller story. Apparently, the book is a prequel to a long-running series. I have not read the previous books, but I can imagine that the book is probably more enticing to someone who did.
I received a free ebook of this title in exchange for a fair review from NetGalley.
This is book 16 in the Tom Thorpe series by Mark Billingham, but it is set back in 1996, so pre- everyone has a cellphone and internet access and tons of CCTV and other resources to solve crime- era. In his personal life, Tom is struggling with his ongoing divorce from Jan. He is also dealing with his aging parents in the midst of this high profile case.
The case the book is centered on involves a kidnapping of a young boy. The boy, Kieran, disappears on a play date with a friend. Two boys enter the woods and only one comes out. Tom finds himself with an incredible amount of leads to follow up on and narrow down. There are plenty of red herrings and suspicious characters to engage the reader in the investigation along with Tom. This was a suspenseful and well paced police procedural.
This is book 16 in the Tom Thorpe series by Mark Billingham, but it is set back in 1996, so pre- everyone has a cellphone and internet access and tons of CCTV and other resources to solve crime- era. In his personal life, Tom is struggling with his ongoing divorce from Jan. He is also dealing with his aging parents in the midst of this high profile case.
The case the book is centered on involves a kidnapping of a young boy. The boy, Kieran, disappears on a play date with a friend. Two boys enter the woods and only one comes out. Tom finds himself with an incredible amount of leads to follow up on and narrow down. There are plenty of red herrings and suspicious characters to engage the reader in the investigation along with Tom. This was a suspenseful and well paced police procedural.
Cry Baby from Mark Billingham is the prequel to Sleepyhead which was first released in 2001 and introduced us to Detective Tom Thorne. In this book, we get to read about how Tom first met Phil Hendricks and disliked him from the start. Plus all things are not rosy for Thorn as he is going through a divorce and doesn’t get on with his boss, DI Boyle.
It’s Saturday, Maria and Catrin are in the park with their boys, Josh and Keiron. The boys are best friends. They drift from the park into the woods, flashing through the trees. Then Josh comes running up, Kiernon isn’t following. After searching the area, there is still no sign…..he’s disappeared. DS Thorne is involved with the case and a search party is formed as well as door to door to enquiries.
One witness reckons they saw a guy with a child get into a red car. Thorne is suspicious of a neighbour, Grantley Figgis, next door to Catrin’s flat. It turns out he has a bit of a shady past but was never charged. Forensics move in to see what they can find but it takes a while for the results to come back. Things were not so high tech in those days. Even mobile phones weren’t that common or the signal that reliable. In the line-up, the witness picks the neighbour. Although he says he’s innocent and has an alibi.
When Figgis is finally released and gets home, he knocks on Catrin’s door, she doesn’t know what to say to him. He goes home. When there is a knock at his door, he thinks Catrin has come to speak to him at last so he answers the door. It will be for the last time.
The next morning when Catrin is seeing Angie off to work, she glances round to see Figgis’ door open and realises something is wrong. They enter and find Figgis dead. They call the police. It looks like an overdose to Thorne but when he speaks to Hendricks, the new pathologist, he immediately gets his back up and it’s been a while since he’s taken an immediate dislike to someone. When the PM is done though, the pathologist actually tells Thorne it’s not an overdose but murder!
Dean Meade tells the papers that he is Keiron’s real father and has been shut out of the boy’s life without ever being able to see him. Not strictly true but he was thinking of the money he could make. He didn’t realise it would get him killed. Is this linked to Kieron’s disappearance and Figgis’ murder? Another headache for DI Boyle and DS Thorne to sort out.
Who could be behind Keiron’s disappearance? Will he be found alive? If DS Tom Thorne has anything to do with it, he will!
I think this book is absolutely fantastic. It’s old style Mark Billingham writing from twenty years ago. Very descriptive and well written, interesting plot with a good insight to Tom Thorne with his relationship with his wife and friend Phil Hendricks. Just brilliant!
It’s Saturday, Maria and Catrin are in the park with their boys, Josh and Keiron. The boys are best friends. They drift from the park into the woods, flashing through the trees. Then Josh comes running up, Kiernon isn’t following. After searching the area, there is still no sign…..he’s disappeared. DS Thorne is involved with the case and a search party is formed as well as door to door to enquiries.
One witness reckons they saw a guy with a child get into a red car. Thorne is suspicious of a neighbour, Grantley Figgis, next door to Catrin’s flat. It turns out he has a bit of a shady past but was never charged. Forensics move in to see what they can find but it takes a while for the results to come back. Things were not so high tech in those days. Even mobile phones weren’t that common or the signal that reliable. In the line-up, the witness picks the neighbour. Although he says he’s innocent and has an alibi.
When Figgis is finally released and gets home, he knocks on Catrin’s door, she doesn’t know what to say to him. He goes home. When there is a knock at his door, he thinks Catrin has come to speak to him at last so he answers the door. It will be for the last time.
The next morning when Catrin is seeing Angie off to work, she glances round to see Figgis’ door open and realises something is wrong. They enter and find Figgis dead. They call the police. It looks like an overdose to Thorne but when he speaks to Hendricks, the new pathologist, he immediately gets his back up and it’s been a while since he’s taken an immediate dislike to someone. When the PM is done though, the pathologist actually tells Thorne it’s not an overdose but murder!
Dean Meade tells the papers that he is Keiron’s real father and has been shut out of the boy’s life without ever being able to see him. Not strictly true but he was thinking of the money he could make. He didn’t realise it would get him killed. Is this linked to Kieron’s disappearance and Figgis’ murder? Another headache for DI Boyle and DS Thorne to sort out.
Who could be behind Keiron’s disappearance? Will he be found alive? If DS Tom Thorne has anything to do with it, he will!
I think this book is absolutely fantastic. It’s old style Mark Billingham writing from twenty years ago. Very descriptive and well written, interesting plot with a good insight to Tom Thorne with his relationship with his wife and friend Phil Hendricks. Just brilliant!
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last as I thoroughly enjoyed.
The historical setting is vivid and realistic, the characters are well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me hooked.
I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The historical setting is vivid and realistic, the characters are well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me hooked.
I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last as I thoroughly enjoyed.
The historical setting is vivid and realistic, the characters are well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me hooked.
I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The historical setting is vivid and realistic, the characters are well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me hooked.
I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes