Lazybones (2003)

My blog post about this book is at this link. ( )

A body is found in a motel room. The man is naked, hooded and bound in a kneeling position. When a second body is found in a similar position, and it turns out both men were convicted rapists recently released from prison, it is clear to detective Tom Thorne that this is no coincidence. He’s dealing with a killer with an agenda.

This is the basic plot of “Lazybones”, a book in the Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Detective Thorne dives into the sordid world of rapists and the sex industry to find out who is the vigilante that manages to lure the released sex offenders into a trap where they find their death. A book suited for a lazy afternoon. Not much to write home about. ( )

Lazybones by Mark Billingham is the third in his Tom Thorne series of British police procedurals, and I have enjoyed each book. In Lazybones, DI Thorne and his crew are on the trail of a serial killer who targets rapists. Such random murders are extremely difficult for the police to solve and although there is a flurry of activity after each murder, the trail all too soon grows cold.

What finally gets the case rolling is the involvement of a retired policewoman, who has been brought back to review cold cases. She notices something about a older case that causes her to bring this one to the attention of DI Thorne.

Mark Billingham writes fast paced thrillers that are real page turners. My only quibble is that so far each book has had the murderer too close to Thorne, and sooner or later it becomes a little too personal. Of course, I was still glued to the pages as I wanted to see who the killer would turn out to be and how the case would be resolved.

I will certainly be continuing with this series, as I find Tom Thorne, battered and psychologically bruised as he is, both interesting and likeable. The action is non-stop and twists and turns abound. ( )

Great book, quick exciting read that keeps you guessing.

Alternating between past and present, a man commits suicide after killing his wife then, and now DI Thorne gets assigned to the murder and rape of a recently released convicted rapist. As the story unfolds we find out that the man's (from the past) wife was raped and her telling the police and later trial lead to a huge strain on their marriage. Somehow the current murder ties into the past but there are many twists and turns along the way. ( )

Lazy Bones hasn't aged very well. Almost a decade ago the adventures of Detective Inspector Tom Thorne were gritty and edgy, an English crime fighter, angry at the world, disillusioned and committed to his job in equal measures. Yet now the portrayal of Thorne seems stereotypically British, a grumpy and moaning copper. The plot is somewhat predictable, although there are a few cards up Billingham's sleeve, which are produced in the final fifth as per genre standards. Pitfalls aside, Lazy Bones is an easy read and the content definitely suited to the a more mature audience. It's indulgent to read English fiction and the scenario, although somewhat conventional, will add extra flavour to local readers. ( )