Readers rejoice! A captivating new series from Mark Billingham—the very best in the business.”— Richard Osman, #1 bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club As what is clearly the first book in a series, I will be more than happy to return to find out how Miller and Xiu are getting on. With a distinctly loose relationship with reality and a new partner to deal with, can eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where more traditional police have found only an impossible puzzle? A gritty, engaging novel that balances light with dark, offering wit and wisdom in equal measure. Billingham’s new lead detective, DS Miller, may not be able to dance, but he never misses a step when it comes to solving crime.”— Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid

A double murder in a seaside hotel sees grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out? Billingham’s entertaining 14th Tom Thorne novel (after 2015’s Time of Death) teams the formerly rule-bending London detective inspector, who’s fighting middle age and an expanding waistline, Continue reading » Miller’s exchanges with everyone he encounters, his new partner Sara, the criminals he investigates and eventually questions, are imbued with sarcasm (testament to Billingham’s stint as a stand-up comic). And yet there’s a scene with Finn which broke my heart, for both of them. Equally masterful are Miller’s conversations with his wife’s ghost, conjured out of loneliness and heartache. Yet they’re witty and fun. How does he do that? This whiplash alternating between pathos and bathos makes Billingham’s novel memorable. Does it skirt tasteless? Not for this reader, who adores British comedy shows and humour. But for others? I don’t think so: Miller’s grief reads genuine; his moral core, believable. There was another murder which was not resolved (actually the 1st and 4th murders) I don't like loose ends, I know it is a hook to read the next book, but I am not sure if I will read the next one.In this solid standalone from Billingham (Rush of Blood), London therapist Tony De Silva, a recovering drug addict, leads an often tense weekly session with five clients whose only Continue reading » History Makers: Female Writers Dominate the 2023 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award Shortlist

Almost immediately, he meets his new partner and is handed a double homicide case by his DI. The case takes him to a local motel where two men have been killed, shot in the head. They occupied adjacent rooms but were apparently unrelated and unknown to one another. The nature of the case leads them into a lion’s den because one of the dead men is a known gangster who could have any number of enemies willing to put a bullet in his head.MY THOUGHTS: I loved this introduction to Detective Miller. He's the sort of man who is always out of step with everyone else. His partner, Xiu, describes him as annoying, bloody-minded, childish, insensitive, inappropriate, pig-headed, rude, stupidly over-confident, and completely dismissive of authority. Not to mention inattentive, flippant, sarcastic, erratic, unreliable and flaky. Yes, he's all of those things, but he is also wildly entertaining and kind of lovable. In the beginning, I was a little frustrated at Miller’s jokiness, that often seemed out of place (and was), but as I got to know him, I appreciated him and – dare I say it? – his professionalism. There is nothing slapdash about his attitude to crime. He’s a cop for the right reasons.

Humor is essential in thrillers and crime books but face it this was no thriller or crime fiction, at best it was a cozy mystery. The book was not funny, the humor seemed forced throughout the story. The need for Miller to make “jokes” make me thought he had ADHD but the right term is Witzelsucht. Google it, it has a picture of Miller right next to it. See, this disease unfortunately is contagious. The jokes were unfortunately for this reader, not funny but horribly irritating. as he sauntered across the office. Sauntered, which was bloody ridiculous and only went to prove that he was brimming with misplaced confidence. Miller might have ambled now and again and may even have meandered on occasion, but he had never been one for sauntering anywhere. He was more of a lolloper.” Divided equally between reprints and original entries, this fine anthology showcases many of today's top British crime writers, from seasoned veterans like Peter Lovesey and Reginald Hill to newer Continue reading » There’s some great humour in this book as Declan has his own form of humour and tries to explain it to his new partner, Xiu.The plot was flimsy, characters were flat. Miller is investigating organized crime but does not have a weapon to defend himself, not even a knife or a bullet proof vest. Knowing that his wife was assassinated or that Miller makes really bad jokes all the time, they should provided him with a vest for those reasons alone!

The narrative follows Declan’s, often eccentric, investigation into the double murder, whilst, at the same time, he attempts to glean information from the team investigating Alex’s murder. He manages to obtain information pertaining to the latter, although it poses more questions than answers. Even conversations with Alex's "ghost" don't get him much further. It’s always fun to get in on the ground floor of a new series. And in this case, fun is the operative word. The Last Dance introduces us to DS Declan Miller. He’s unconventional, to say the least. “Were you like this before your wife died?” “You’ll need to be more specific,” Miller said. “Annoying.” Xiu paused, but only to take a deep breath. She’d obviously compiled a healthy list. “Bloody minded. childish…” “Are you actually doing them alphabetically?” “Insensitive, inappropriate, pig-headed, rude…stupidly over-confident and completely dismissive of authority…Inattentive, flippant, sarcastic, annoying, erratic, unreliable, flaky—“ AT times I liked Miller but most of the time he was irritating. I didn't warm up to other characters as well. Why was his partner Xiu even there?

At the outset of Billingham’s slow-burning 13th Tom Thorne novel (after 2014’s The Bones Beneath), the detective inspector’s girlfriend, Det. Sgt. Helen Weeks, persuades him to abandon their Continue reading » I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the silly “dad” joke type humor in the book! The main character is lovable, real, and hilarious as he goes through some tough times. I’m