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The Dying Hours

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The Dying Hours

By: Mark Billingham
Narrated by: Mark Billingham
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About this listen

 A cluster of suicides among the elderly. Such things are not unknown to the police and the deaths are quickly dismissed by the police as routine. Only one man is convinced that something more sinister is taking place.

However, no one listens to Tom Thorne anymore. Having stepped out of line once too often, he's back in uniform and he hates it. Patronised and abused by his new colleagues, Thorne's suspicions about the suicides are dismissed by the Murder Squad he was once part of and he is forced to investigate alone.

Unable to trust anyone, Thorne must risk losing those closest to him.He must gamble with the lives of those targeted by a killer unlike any he has hunted before. A man with nothing to lose and a growing list of victims. A man with the power to make people take their own lives.

Tom Thorne returns in Billingham's most compelling thriller to date. The Dying Hours is ahaunting portrait of London's dark heart, and the darker heart of a twisted killer bringing terror to its streets.©2013 Mark Billingham Ltd Crime Thrillers Modern Detectives Mystery Police Procedurals Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime

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Critic reviews

Expertly crafted, with a nicely judged build-up of tension and a slam-dunk ending. The Dying Hours is a terrific read
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I am getting a bit tired of Tom Thorne's attitude and his arrogant and self centred behaviour. There was a good story line, but for me it was spoiled by the fact that I discovered that I really do not like the man. In previous Thorne novels I hadn't picked up on this quite so much!
Narration pleasant - a couple of odd accents, but generally good.

I think that this will be the last Tom Thorne saga that I read!

Disappointing

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When an author has a main character the books start to get a bit 'samey', padded out with situations from previous books. I thoroughly enjoyed the 'Dying Hours' it was crisp and slick, read by the author Mark Billingham, it is one of the best Tom Thorne books I have listened to, if not the best.

The main protagonist is an elderly man, not what you would usually expect, but the ways and means he has of disposing of his victims is to say the least, ingenious.

Very highly recommended.

Getting better all the time

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Another brilliant book by Mark Billingham in this D.I. Tom Thorne series. If you haven't yet listened to the others, I recommend you do.
Tom Thorne is clever, astute, but complicated. What I enjoy is the humour between him and his friend, Dr.Phil Hendricks, a senior Pathologist. That banter really does exist in our Police Force, as with the other emergency services as a way of dealing with the horrors they have to experience.
I do feel though that all books should have a warning about certain traumatic events

Doesn't disappointed!

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DI Tom Thorne has been 'demoted' to uniform and what's even worse, he now lives south of the river!? There are the usual tropes - a mass murderer and as ever, Thorne breaks the rules ...

It was interesting enough but Thorne is starting to get on my wick now.

The Dying Hours

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If you are already a Thorne or Billingham fan, you will enjoy this novel. However, this is not a book that I would recommend for a first timer because it is far from Billlingham's best work and does not do justice to his later more superior writing. Almost running parallel with the chronological development of his characters, Billingham develops and grows as a writer as the Thorne series continues; whether due to an increase in his confidence in his ability to spin a decent yarn, or a greater insight into his creations, Billingham's writing prowess hits new heights with each subsequent book to date. unfortunately, this is not one of his best.

A Mediocre Tom Thorne Tale

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