toellandback 's review for:

Cry Baby: A Tom Thorne Novel by Mark Billingham

5.0

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I often credit Sleepyhead as the book which hooked me into crime fiction and have loved the Tom Thorne series since. Cry Baby is a prequel, set before Sleepyhead in the summer of 1996. As Thorne investigates a missing child, we meet familiar characters and places for the first time and in particular the first encounter with Hendricks is great. There aren't too many characters thankfully and most are a possibility as the "baddie" at various points and it's a story that will keep you guessing. Its not quite a "cosy" but not overly graphic either but it is a cracker of an addition (or even as a starter) to a great series. Frequent mentions of Euro 96 brought back some great memories (and some not so great) which really added to the overall feel and authenticity. Definitely recommended.