cry baby by mark Bellingham review by Duffythewriter

The twentieth novel by Sunday Times number one bestseller Mark Billingham is a thrilling treat for fans and new readers alike – a prequel to his landmark, massively influential debut novel, Sleepyhead

‘One of the great series of British crime fiction’ — THE TIMES

‘Cry Baby is the perfect prequel to send us back to revel in Tom Thorne’s twenty years. As if we needed reminding how good Mark Billingham is’ — VAL MCDERMID

It’s 1996. Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne is a haunted man. Haunted by the moment he ignored his instinct about a suspect, by the horrific crime that followed and by the memories that come day and night, in sunshine and shadow.

So when seven-year-old Kieron Coyne goes missing while playing in the woods with his best friend, Thorne vows he will not make the same mistake again. Cannot.

The solitary witness. The strange neighbour. The friendly teacher. All are in Thorne’s sights. 

This case will be the making of him . . . or the breaking.

The gripping prequel to Mark Billingham’s acclaimed debut, Sleepyhead, Cry Baby is the shocking first case for one of British crime fiction’s most iconic detectives.

Duffy’s thoughts on Cry Baby

I have an embarrassing confession to make as a crime bookworm. I have never read Mark Billingham before! Yep, the shame.

A friend, who was surprised I hadn’t read any of the Tom Thorne series hoped I would get into the prequel and the character of Tom Thorne. This made me a little nervous and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to sink into Cry Baby straight away, but from that first opening nightmare (literally) I was in for the long haul.

Cry Baby is a hefty read but it didn’t feel like it dragged at all, if anything I would have welcomed a chapter or two where nothing much happened to catch my breath. Little Kieron is missing and it feels that all the people in that boys life has some sort of darkness or agenda. I didn’t trust anyone!

cry baby by Mark Billingham book review by duffythewriter

I really enjoyed the 90’s setting and even though I’m not a football fan, I was taken back to that time when football was coming home and references to certain tunes put be right back in a place in time.

Mark Billingham is obviously a genius of British crime writing. The pace was good, the breadcrumbs dropped at just the right time so you read ‘just one more chapter’ before bed and the plot twists were incredible.

If you have been living under a stone like me and not read Mark Billingham before, do yourself a favour and order your copy of Cry Baby today and follow the first case of legendary Tom Thorne.

Published by Hachette and available at Booktopia and all good book stores
cry baby by Mark Billingham book review duffythewriter