Noted British crime author Mark Billingham has established
a central character called Detective Inspector Tom Thorne,
but this new story focuses on a female detective, DI
Nicola
Tanner. Twenty years on the force, with a girlfriend at
home, this seasoned officer is handed the case of a woman
stabbed in her own London home and not found for two
weeks.
DIE OF SHAME refers to the fact that her connections were
in a circle of recovering addicts.
Alcohol, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, unhealthy
eating, lotteries, computer games... you name it, someone
has been destructively addicted to it. DI Tanner
understands the stresses people face and the coping
mechanisms some of them adopt. Her first guess is that the
dead woman Heather Finlay was involved in a drug deal.
Through flashbacks the circle of acquaintances is
introduced to the reader, with their conversation, mixed
backgrounds, personal troubles and successes. Some have
overcome an addiction by latching on to a more harmless
one. We see how they relate to one another and the group
facilitator Tony, and make our own guesses at what must
have occurred to cause the tragedy. At first the story is
fractured and characters disparate but as the therapy
sessions continue we see alliances emerging and possible
motives for a killing developing. Will DI Tanner get to
the
bottom of it? These people are a strange mix of wanting
confidentiality and needing to confess. Their secrets are
no longer safe.
Nicola Tanner discovers that she doesn't have to look far
from home to find more problems in the stressful city.
This
is an interesting look at a couple who don't have a
clearly
defined dynamic... they still split restaurant bills down
the middle. After some time it becomes clear that one of
the ladies is going to have to be the more grown up of the
two.
Much of the tale is told through conversation and in
theory
it could occur in any city. London still subtly flavours
the setting, with historic locations and parks dropped in
as background. From modern crime stories we generally
expect strong language and some adult activity, and Mark
Billingham's carefully constructed DIE OF SHAME is no
exception. This is a good old-fashioned mystery at heart,
framed by a variety of modern Canterbury Tales.
A thrilling standalone from the acclaimed author of the
Tom Thorne series, Die of Shame centers on a murder in
London and an Alcoholics Anonymous group whose members must
turn on each other to find the killer
From British thriller master Mark Billingham, a recent
finalist for the Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the
Library, Die of Shame is a chilling story of addiction,
subterfuge, and murder.
Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North
London house to talk about shame. A respected doctor, a
well-heeled housewife, a young male prostitute . . . they
could not be more different. All they have in common is a
history of addiction. But when one of the group is murdered,
it quickly becomes apparent that someone else in that circle
is responsible. The investigation is hampered by the strict
confidentiality that binds these individuals and their
therapist together, which makes things difficult for
Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner, a woman who can
appreciate the desire to keep personal matters private. If
she is to find the killer, she will need to use less obvious
means. The question is: What could be shameful enough to
cost someone their life? And how do you find the truth when
secrets, lies, and denial are second nature to all of your
suspects?
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