The Dying Hours Lib/E: (11 Tom Thorne Series Lib/E)

Newly demoted after stepping out of line once too often, and struggling to adjust, Detective Inspector Tom Thorne becomes convinced that a spate of suicides among the elderly in London is something more sinister. His concerns are dismissed by the murder squad he was once part of and he is forced to investigate alone. Now, unable to trust anybody, Thorne risks losing those closest to him as well as endangering those being targeted by a killer unlike any he has hunted before: a man with nothing to lose and a growing list of victims, a man who appears to have the power to make people take their own lives.

About the Author :
Mark Billingham worked as an actor, a television writer, and a stand-up comedian before becoming one of the most critically acclaimed crime novelists in the world. He has written numerous bestsellers and has twice won the Theakstons Old Peculier prize for Best Novel of the Year. He lives in North London with his wife and two children. Mark Billingham worked as an actor, a television writer, and a stand-up comedian before becoming one of the most critically acclaimed crime novelists in the world. He has written numerous bestsellers and has twice won the Theakstons Old Peculier prize for Best Novel of the Year. He lives in North London with his wife and two children.

Review :
"The Dying Hours is British author Mark Billingham's eleventh novel about Thorne, a prickly loner who is a relentless investigator, often at the cost of his personal relationships...Billingham is fiendishly clever about subverting our expectations, the book's two-page prologue being a bravura example. He's also adept at sketching believable characters very quickly, so that each of the killer's very different victims are real to us, not just corpses after the fact. Thorne's friends and colleagues are even more vivid...But the hunt is what drives The Dying Hours, and it comes to a breathtaking and surprising climax, with the last sharp twist saved for the final page." -- "Tampa Bay Times" "Born in England's West Midlands, Mark Billingham has a voice that is wonderfully authentic for the task at hand. He delivers this well-written police procedural with verve and storytelling skill. He's good at emphasis, clear in his characterizations, and flawless in his pacing. His experience as an actor, stand-up comic, and screenwriter clearly informs his narration. As a tough, put-upon cop bucks the authorities who are busily sweeping things under the rug, the listener will find the plot extraordinarily believable. Billingha's Tom Thorne series has received numerous accolades in the UK with less attention from American audiences. Although the eleventh in the series, this entry is a good place for listeners to become acquainted with this crime writer as author and narrator. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award." -- "AudioFile" "Even in the best of times, Tom Thorne, the hero of a well-groomed series of police procedurals by Mark Billingham, is a moody chap. But he's hit rock bottom in The Dying Hours...The joy here comes from watching Thorne work under the radar while on the hunt for a killer who proves to be extremely clever and really, really mean." -- "New York Times Book Review" "In Billingham's absorbing eleventh novel...Billingham takes a chance by shaking up Thorne's career, but it pays off in this consistently tense thriller that's as much about Thorne as it is about solving the crimes." -- "Publishers Weekly" "It takes but two short pages for the first twist to be revealed in Mark Billingham's latest Tom Thorne mystery, The Dying Hours, and a very good twist it is...Thorne is an exceptionally well-drawn character, ably supported by a cast of complex colleagues and truly disagreeable villains, although at times you will have some question as to which is which. The Dying Hours is a fine addition to what is already one of the best crafted police procedural series in contemporary fiction." -- "BookPage" "Mark Billingham's troubled detective inspector is one of those riveting characters who is almost likable in spite of himself, somewhat dour in personality but possessed of a dry sense of humor, seemingly unable to close the deal on a long-term relationship, an aficionado of American country music. Yes, complex would be the word, just like a great number of us. It is these personality elements of Thorne's, combined with Billingham's sharp plotting and extremely interesting murderers, that keep readers on both sides of the Atlantic coming back again and again...The Dying Hours may be my favorite Thorne book to date...And the ending? Let's just say that there is good news and bad news for newcomers and longtime fans alike. Strongly recommended for both." -- "BookReporter" "No one currently working the British scene tops Billingham for mordant intensity." -- "Kirkus Reviews"