More than 20 years ago Mark Billingham burst onto the scene with Sleepyhead, one of the best crime debuts of the modern era. A dark and twisting tale that had a premise so good it was later filched for a key ‘CSI: New York’ episode, and kick-started a terrific, long-running series starring country music loving, kinda-curmudgeon DI Tom Thorne.
In his first series-starter in two decades, Billingham returns to his stand-up comic roots with the brilliant The Last Dance, a hilarious and heartfelt crime novel that introduces one-of-a-kind sleuth DS Declan Miller. Back at work following the murder of his wife – a fellow detective and his ballroom dance partner – moped-riding Miller and his new partner, DS Sara Xiu (a motorcyclist and heavy metal enthusiast) investigate the bizarre double-killing of a local crime family’s eldest son and an IT consultant. A professional hit gone wrong? Miller and Xiu run into all sorts of misadventures, while the shadow of his wife’s unsolved murder hovers. Just as she does, appearing regularly in their home.
Where the ‘Thorne’ series was salted with gallows humour, DS Miller’s investigations have a very different tone; lots of laughs among the dark deeds. A vibrant read that still explores some serious topics, from grief to gangsters to various prejudices in our communities; Billingham is dancing a tricky line, but he nails all the steps with aplomb.
Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORMark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001.
Sleepyhead was an instant bestseller in the UK. It has been sold widely throughout the world and was published in the USA in the summer of 2002.
A new series featuring DS Declan Miller began in 2023 with The Last Dance. The second in the series – The Wrong Hands – will be published in 2024.
Mark is also a regular contributor to radio and TV and is a member of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a combo of bestselling crime and thriller writers who performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019.
An acclaimed television series based on the Thorne novels was screened on Sky One in Autumn 2010, starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne. A series based on the novels In The Dark and Time Of Death was screened on BBC1 in 2017.
Mark lives in London with his wife and two children.
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