Rush of Blood by Mark Billingham

Billingham plots like a mad scientist, It's like driving down a long and curvy road with 1000m drops at either side. and wearing a blindfold at the same time.

Three British couples are on holiday when a young girl at their holiday destination goes missing. At first the enquiries are just routine and then as the net is drawn closer the reader realises that one of the six of them must be the guilty party.

The six of them start meeting up when they return to the UK in an attempt to cultivate their blossoming friendships. Of course the reality is that holiday friendships and romances are usually best left where they started in the first place.

As the story unfolds the reader is introduced to the possible suspects and their supposed alibis, whilst a zealous UK police officer uses the disappearance to make a name for herself. The US police are reluctant to listen to her extensive research until there is an update on the missing girl.

I really liked the way Billingham plays with the stereotypical assumptions and presumptions of his readers. I include mine in that statement. I wouldn't be surprised if most readers thought the same thing during the process of elimination. Let's just say, the conclusion was quite the revelation.

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Die of Shame by Mark Billingham

This is a stand-alone novel by Billingham. It has Billingham's usual deep knowledge of the mind-frame of a killer. So much so that his books can often be so realistic they are disturbing.

A Monday night therapy group is down one member. In the beginning it isn't entirely clear which one, as the reader gets to know all the individuals first.

Each one of them has a different or variety of addictions. Gambling, drugs, alcohol, food and so on. Even the therapist has overcome his addictions to help others in his situation.

Saying that, Tony isn't exactly kosher, despite all his attempts at appearing above reproach and taking the moral high ground. Is he as squeaky clean as he makes out to be? Is his wife paranoid or is it gut instinct?

Which one of the group members could have been driven to desperate measures? Who is playing a deadly game with the lives of vulnerable people?

Billingham mixes a tense atmosphere with the emotional and sometimes chaotic nature of a therapy group. Souls are bared and trust is betrayed, which means the whole purpose of the therapy group is null and void.

The ending is unexpected. Of course it is, it's Billingham.  The insidious nature of the killer has seeped into the fabric of the group and certainly left its mark. I wonder what the repercussions will be in the long run? Why? Well the story is left open-ended with an option for a sequel.

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Time of Death by Mark Billingham

Tom and Helen, well what can I say, they aren't exactly a cosy couple are they? I don't think it is just the whole uncomfortable situation they find themselves in either. Her past certainly sits between them like a great big elephant in the room.

It was almost as if Billingham wanted to lay a stronger emphasis on the relationships between his characters, as opposed to placing all the cards on the crime element this time.

I have to say I did not understand why Helen insists on staying with a woman, who clearly harbours great resentment about their mutual past. It is uncomfortable, sometimes creepy and it seems really strange that two grown adults would subject themselves to that level of discomfort.

Personally I would have liked to have seen Helen's sub-plot developed a lot more. The reader doesn't understand the significance of her return to the friend and the town until the very end. It is such an explosive secret that it certainly deserved more attention.

In this 13th Thorne story the reader gets to see a deeper level when it comes to Helen and Tom, perhaps this actually gives a better insight into her thought processes and actions. Meanwhile Thorne is true to his stubborn detective style, he listens to his gut and not to the gossipy quick assumptions of the local population and police.
I received a copy of this book via Edelweiss, courtesy of the publisher.