Bloodline (Tom Thorne Novels)

I have never read a Mark Billingham book I haven't liked and this is no exception. Tom Thorne has to be one of my all time favourite detectives. He's a complicated man, finding it difficult to relate to others, especially his partner Louise, but give him a bizarre series of murders and he's the man for the job. The characters of Debbie and her son Jason are so real they make your heart ache.This is a book you will not want to put down. A roller coaster of a ride that makes you want to know the ending too quickly.Note to self: Savour the next one!

As before good s tory line continues to build on the strong links within the team,, but leaves you guessing about his personal life and its survival . Not as much about his deceased dad, had enjoyed his " conversations" with him funny but poignant. Really appreciate the strength of his bond with his pathologist mate

Well, if I am to judge by my two latest reads it gets ever more difficult to have excellent writing and compelling plots combined. And unfortunately, though I love good writing, when it exists with a weak plot and transparent characters, I'd much prefer read ordinary writing with a clever plot and unexpected twists. 'Bloodline' is just so. No one will ever be amazed by the author's style of writing but at least he knows how to deliver a fast-paced, absorbing plot. I read this in two days and really enjoyed the surprise at the end!

When the Thorne series started I think I read the first two. They didn't grip me, but as this was offered cheaply, I thought i would give him another chance. I am glad I did, as I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was one of those books you wanted to get back to. I will definitely do a catch up with some of the later books. Thorne is a well rounded character, and a man you can believe in. The domestic crisis which runs through this books helps the credibility of the plot.

Blood Line is the first Billingham story I have read and so it's my introduction to Tom Thorne, the taciturn detective. Like many of the detectives in modern British fiction, Thorne has a suspect personality, and drinks and swears his way through his investigation. This is certainly a page-turning read for a summer's day. and a case made for nature not nurture. That nature is unfortunately a wicked one, that of a serial killer. It is well plotted with a clever twist near the end.