“DI Tom Thorne and his lover, DS Helen Weeks, return to Helen's hated hometown in Warwickshire to confront some ugly accusations and some even uglier secrets. . . . What lingers in the memory is the group portrait of the Polesford locals brutally closing ranks against a man they're certain deserves to die.”—Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Bones Beneath:

“I love a good twist-up. The Bones Beneath is one of those. It is the twelfth Tom Thorne mystery by Mark Billingham, and those of us who have been along for the ride from the very beginning will note a bit of a departure here from previous installments. There is no question who the murderer is and who the victim is (for the most part). Instead, the focus is on the “why,” or the motivation, if you will, for what propels the plot like a quiet, deadly rocket through a good portion of the book, moving readers just a bit closer to the edge of their seats with each passing page. . . . One of Billingham’s best to date, and certainly one of his most suspenseful.”—Bookreporter

“The bleak setting also evokes the proper air of mystery and menace . . . Thrillers usually stand or fall on the strength of their villains, and Nicklin can certainly make your skin crawl with his cruel mind games.”—New York Times Book Review

“A slow-building gothic tale of manipulation and evil that’s heavy on atmosphere. . . a simmering suspense, with each seemingly quiet little scene building to something creepy and terrible.”—Criminal Element

“Like the manipulative Nicklin, Billingham delights in toying with his audience, and most readers’ nerves will be shredded long before the sadistic import of Nicklin’s deep-laid plot finally becomes clear. Thorne’s twelfth is a tour de force of suspense that dares you to guess the secrets of a magician who’s made his intentions perfectly clear from the very beginning.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“In the twelfth series entry, Billingham makes the most of his bleak, rugged setting while creating an atmosphere of chilling menace as flashbacks reveal the full extent of Nicklin’s sadism and Thorne’s vulnerability.”—Booklist

“Billingham couldn’t have selected a more chilling scenario . . . Best-laid plans quickly turn sour, the stakes higher than ever when Thorne confronts the very nightmare he anticipated at the start of this misadventure, his decisions bearing the onus of life or death.”—Curled Up With a Good Book

“Chilling . . . Billingham certainly knows how to make those pages turn.”—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Mark Billingham:

“Morse, Rebus, and now Thorne. The next superstar detective is already with us—don’t miss him.”—Lee Child

“Billingham is one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today.”—Gillian Flynn

“Billingham is a world-class crime writer and Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation. Rush to read these books.”—Karin Slaughter

“With each of his books, Mark Billingham gets better and better. These are stories and characters you don’t want to leave.”—Michael Connelly

“Mark Billingham is one of my favorite new writers.”—Harlan Coben

"Billingham is one of the best crime novelists working today."—Laura Lippman

“Mark Billingham has brought a rare and welcome blend of humanity, dimension, and excitement to the genre.”—George Pelecanos

“Billingham leaps to the upper echelons of crime fiction in one bound.”—John Harvey