Bloodline (2009)

The wonderful but troubled Tom Thorne is back to investigate the murder of the children of women who were the victim of a serial killer some decades ago. The serial killer died in prison, leaving no living relatives, but there is some connection as each new victim is discovered with a torn segment of an x-ray taken of the serial killer when in the prison hospital. Great pace, nice plot twists. ( )

There are series that should have finished after the first few books. And there are authors that can add more books in a series and make you want even more. Billingham's Tom Thorne series is one of the latter - Bloodline is the eight book and the series is going as strongly as it was going with the first books.

As most late books in this series, it is not an easy read - the ugliness in humanity is all there for everyone to see. Mix a serial killer that has a weird connection to another one that had died a few years ago, Tom's guilt over his father's death and his inability to work in the way his bosses expect. If that is not enough, throw some problems with Louise and the usual tension in the daily work and you have the background.

The series gets me thinking about a few of the other long-standing detective series from the Isles (Rankin's Rebus, Harvey's Resnick) - the changes in the character almost inevitable lead to an end. On the other hand this is what makes all those series good. So I will be interested to see where this series goes next. ( )

When I read a mystery or thriller, I'm always trying to figure out the killer. I'm pretty sure we all do that. And I never know if I'm going to be pleased I figured it out or pleased that the author was able to keep me from figuring it out. If I do figure it out, though, there's always the chance I'll be yelling at the protagonist for being so stupid. If I don't, there's the chance I'll feel the author cheated if the solution doesn't make sense. So the best of all possibilities, I guess, is for me to think I might have figured it out, but not be sure and somehow be surprised when I'm right. Which happened in this book.

This is the second Tom Thorne book I've read, and I fear I'm going to have to find the rest. He's a great character with an involved backstory (most of which I've only got hints of). But don't worry about that because this book, though part of a series, stands just find on its own. It's a darn good thriller, good characters, good settings, creepy murders--really pretty much everything I could want. Sure there were times I yelled at Tom, but it had nothing to do with catching the killer and everything to do with his relationship, which often is par for the course in most of what I read, now that I think about it (just talk to each other, damn it!)

It's a pretty creepy premise: someone is killing the children of women who had been killed by a serial killer years ago. The serial killer has died in the meantime, so it's obviously not him. And once they figure out who it is, they still don't know exactly who it is--I know, confusing, but it does make sense. Really. I don't want to give away the least little bit.

So if you know Tom Thorne, definitely pick this one up. If you don't, you really should meet him. ( )

Bloodline is my introduction to Tom Thorne and Mark Billingham. Not sure how I overlooked this series for so long. Very good thriller, police procedural and difficult to put down. Adding books 1-7 to my wishlist. ( )

Tom Thorne is a detective who usually is assigned the most difficult cases. Murder victims are found with small pieces of xray in their hands. The cases tie back to a previous serial killer who died in prison years ago. Are the victims randomly chosen or are they related in some way? And what is the motive for the killer?

The Demands, the next book in this series, is due out in June 2012.

Loved this book. I plan to go hunt down the author's other books. ( )