The local police are remarkably patient and hospitable to the two visiting DIs, as they poke their noses in all over the place. That is until they start asking some particularly awkward questions of the man running the case, a senior officer from Helen and Paul’s past played with smug aplomb by Top Boy actor Ashley Walters. Is he looking to shut the case down to quell the media storm and get an easy win? It certainly looks like it. Other contributors include: Laura Lippman • Lee Child • John Connolly • Lynda La Plante • John Harvey • Peter Robinson • Fidelis Morgan • Val McDermid • Karin Slaughter• Emma Donoghue• Denise Mina • Kelley Armstrong • Jane Haddam KIRSTIN HANNAH HOME FRONT BOOK YES Jolene & her best friend Tami are Helicopeter pilots in the US army. They are sent to Iraq, shot down. Tami's husband, Carl is always supportive where Michael Betsy & Lulu are not supportive of Jolene. Tami dies, Jolene loses her leg & it's the story of how they re build their lives. Very moving book. Not sure I would read others.Very American 1/6/17 - 19/06/2017

It’s what I do. I sabotage my life.” That’s what Greater Manchester Detective Inspector Helen Weeks tells DI Adam Perrin, the colleague she’s been having an affair with, at the beginning of the second episode of BBC One’s new Mark Billingham adaptation, In the Dark. WARNING: spoilers for In the Dark episode 3 below. Still catching up? Read Steve’s review of episode 2 here. Billingham's detective character Inspector Tom Thorne first appeared in his 2001 debut novel Sleepyhead. The character has since appeared in the majority of his works, except In the Dark, Rush of Blood, and Die of Shame (May 2016), in which Thorne has minor roles. Billingham claims to have imbued Thorne with many of his own characteristics, such as a birthday, a locale (London), and a "love of country music both alt and cheesy". [3] [11] It’s appalling, says Billingham, but he can see now how it happens: “People get into a dark space where they feel they can’t talk to anybody because they feel it’s a weakness. I hope that conversation is changing.” As DI Helen Weeks grapples apprehensively with pregnancy, she is compelled to return to her loathed rural home town of Polesford, Derbyshire. Two girls have been abducted, and the man arrested is married to Helen's childhood best friend, Linda. But is he guilty? And why is Helen so desperate to come to Linda's aid after avoiding Polesford for all these years?And when she finally learns the truth what really happened and why, it isn´t only a surprise for her. Not really the best, but not really bad either; just average. Yes, the plot itself is great and in some ways really wonderful shown, but over the half of this thriller I didn´t know exactly with whom I was dealing. So I leave it up to you, if you want to read it, or not.

LINDA FAIRSTEIN THE KILLS BOOK YES Andrew Tripping assulted Paige Vallis prosecutor Alex Cooper is trying to find evidence then Paige is murdered. Alex has to discover the truth about a gold coin and events of the past. Really didn't like this book. Jan-17In the Dark episode 3 further plunges Helen into danger and continues to make us confront the rather odd dichotomy of a woman who is both a vulnerable, damaged and broken soul and yet a strong and unstoppable force of nature at the same time. LINWOOD BARCLAY FEAR THE WORST BOOK YES "Tim Blake's daughter Sydney is missing. Her best friend Patty finds out that they are actually sisters as Tim had been a sperm donor years ago. You] worry that you will be entering that world of the strange cliche-ed cop, but you soon realise that you have to get comfortable in that world. You think "Hang on, some of the clichés are part of that territory". It would like writing a Western and going "Oh no I've given him a horse! What a terrible cliché!" It's not a cliché – It's part and parcel of the genre – cowboys have six-guns, horses and stetsons and detectives have [a] past... problems [and] flaws, because if they don't, then there is nothing to read about. [3]

A gangland shooting has tragic consequences, and Helen is plunged into a murder investigation in Manchester's criminal underworld, forcing her to question everything she holds dear. Billingham was shortlisted for the 2015 Dagger in the Library UK Crime Writers' Association award for an author's body of work in British libraries. He was shortlisted again in 2019 and won the award in 2022. [19] The Other Half [ edit ]

Learning the unpleasant differences between crime fact and crime fiction...". Article by Billingham for The Sunday Times. Accessed 10 February 2008. Written from the figural narrative situation, the reader is thrown from the beginning into a sometimes really great written plot and the next minute the plot is one chaos. The scenes jump from one to the other and not always it is clear right away who the character is the reader is now watching. This week we were robbed of the brilliantly offbeat figure of Peep Show’s Matt King channeling Quentin Crisp by way of Russell Brand as the rakish pathologist. But, given the rather serious tone of proceedings, that was probably for the best. However enjoyable King has been so far, comic relief would have been more than a little jarring here. In the Dark‘s third and fourth episodes see Weeks investigate a new case involving a young gang member coerced into committed murder as part of an initiation. The case sees the heavily-pregnant detective thrown head first in the shady underworld of organised crime in Manchester.

M J ARLIDGE LIAR LIAR BOOK YES The 4th DI Helen Grace book. A series of fires and deaths lead The police to a disabled boy Ethan Harris and his girlfriend Naomie who made the fires and end up committing suicide at the same time but in different places. Great book, hopefully there will be another. M J ARLIDGE THE DOLLS HOUSE BOOK YES The 3rd DI Helen Grace book. Ruby wakes up in a dark celler. Another young woman is discovered dead & buried on a beach & then another. It's a race against time to find the kidnapper & see if Ruby is still alive. Helen finds her in the end. Love these books just can't put them down. WARNING: spoilers for In the Dark episode 4 below. Still catching up? Read Steve’s review of episode 3 here.A really interesting read. This is the first book I've read by Mark Billingham and I'm very impressed by his writing ...