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Published Jul 2011
384 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
A killer is on the loose. The victims: children whose mothers can't protect them.
The past is coming back to haunt the people of London: a murderer is targeting the children of victims of Raymond Garvey, an infamous serial killer from London's past.
When Murder Squad veteran Detective Tom Thorne, who solves the London Police Department's most difficult cases, is called into what seems like, for once, an ordinary domestic murder, he thinks he's caught a break. A woman has been murdered by someone she knows. A positive pregnancy test found on the floor beside her. Thorne plans to question the husband, arrest him and return home to deal with his own deteriorating personal life.
But when a mysterious sliver of bloodstained X-ray that was found clutched in the victim's fist is replicated at other crime scenes around the city, Thorne realizes that this is not a simple case. As the bits of X-ray begin to come together to form a picture, it becomes clear that the killer knows his prey all too well and is moving through a list that was started long ago.
As Thorne attempts to protect those still alive, nothing and nobody are what they seem. Not when Thorne is dealing with one of the most twisted killers he has ever hunted.
"Thrilling... Billingham continues to captivate with equal parts suspense, deduction, and heart." - Publishers Weekly
"A compelling villain and the author's usual sensitivity to men and women pushed to the edge by their compulsions, their work or their families." - Kirkus Reviews
"Rich, heady, and gripping. A boss performance by Billingham, through and through." - George Pelecanos, author of The Cut
"With each of his books, Mark Billingham gets better and better. These are stories and characters you don't want to leave." - Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author
"Tom Thorne is the new superstar detective... Mark Billingham is the new-wave leader of crime fiction." - Lee Child, author of The Affair
"Chilling, moody, humane, and very, very smart... Billingham is one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today." - Gillian Flynn, author of Sharp Objects
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham, England. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001.
Sleepy Head was an instant bestseller in the UK. It has been sold widely throughout the world and was published in the USA in the summer of 2002. Since then, Gillingham has published a further 14 novels (as of 2017) featuring London-based detective Tom Thorne.
Sleepy Head (2001)
Scaredy Cat (2002)
Lazybones (2003)
The Burning Girl (2004)
Lifeless (2005)
Buried (2006)
Death Message (2007)
Bloodline (2009)
From the Dead (2010)
Good as Dead (2011)
The Dying Hours (2013)
The Bones Beneath (2014)
Time of Death (2015)
Love Like Blood (2017)
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