From The Dead by Mark Billingham

“From The Dead” is Tom Thorne’s ninth outing and judging by the latest offering his career isn’t over; by a long shot.

Mark Billingham’s novel is my first foray into Thorne’s world, a self assured character who knows what he wants and how to get it.

10 years ago, Alan Langford had everything; a successful “career”, money, palatial house, daughter Ellie and his wife Donna. That all changed when his charred remains were discovered in a burnt-out car set deep in the forest. Donna was found guilty of conspiracy to murder her husband and served ten years in prison. Not only had she paid someone £25,000 to kill her husband but when asked, she formally identified him and sealed her fate.

Three months before her release, Donna receives an anonymous envelope containing a photo of her husband. Langford it appears is very much alive and enjoying the trappings of wealth, but how is it possible? He was dead; it had to be a mistake. Order from Amazon

From The Dead focuses on four main characters, DI Tom Thorne, Alan Langford, his wife Donna and the rookie private investigator Anna Carpenter.

I related to Tom Thorne (as a character) almost immediately, a likeable chap who has a dark, dry sense of humour and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. As the book progressed I found my affinity with Thorne grow, surely a few drinks at the local pub wouldn’t go amiss? He loves his country music especially Bluegrass and as I sat reading, my mind often wondered if he’s heard of Alison Krauss?!

Anna Carpenter is stuck in a rut. She quits her highly paid job at the bank to trap cheating husband in honey traps set up by her boss Frank, a rotund individual who likes entertaining his clients but little else. Anna evolves and so does her relationship with Thorne, the dialogue crisp, apologetic and humorous in parts.

Billingham takes the reader on a relentless and suspenseful crime thriller, Thorne is more than a match for Langford but when he travels to Spain in a bid to confirm his identity, he begins to question his ability to secure a conviction.

Full of danger, the book twists and turns until it reaches a thrilling climax. Highly recommended, Mark Billingham has a tremendous ability to make even the mundane of characters come to life, enhancing the flow effortlessly. I now want to investigate the earlier novels and complete my Thorne fix! Order from Amazon

Published by Little Brown