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    Their Little Secret
    Their Little Secret
    Their Little Secret
    Audiobook10 hours

    Their Little Secret

    Written by Mark Billingham

    Narrated by Mark Billingham

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    When DI Tom Thorne is called to conduct a routine assessment at the site of a suicide, he expects to be in and out in no time. But when he arrives at the metro station, where a woman named Philippa Goodwin threw herself in front of an underground train, Thorne inexplicably senses something awry and feels compelled to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con-man who preys on vulnerable women, and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end. Thorne enlists DI Nicola Tanner to help him track down the swindler and bring him to justice. But the detective duo gets more than they bargained for when a young man's bludgeoned body turns up on the shore of a nearby seaside town. The two cases come together in a way that neither of the detectives could have foreseen.

    Brilliantly plotted with a shocking psychological bent, Their Little Secret is another masterful thriller from one of Britain's most beloved crime writers. With twists and turns that will keep listeners guessing until the very end, this is Mark Billingham's most chilling novel yet.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateJun 4, 2019
    ISBN9781681686486
    Author

    Mark Billingham

    Mark Billingham is the author of nine novels, including Sleepyhead, Scaredy Cat, Lazybones, The Burning Girl, Lifeless, and Buried—all Times (London) bestsellers—as well as the stand-alone thriller In the Dark. For the creation of the Tom Thorne character, Billingham received the 2003 Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British writer, and he has twice won the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. He has previously worked as an actor and stand-up comedian on British television and still writes regularly for the BBC. He lives in London with his wife and two children.

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    Reviews for Their Little Secret

    4/5

    58 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I have often thought that Mark Billingham’s protagonist, Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, has a lot in common with Sir Ian Rankin’s John Rebus. They are both highly experienced and know their respective patches well, have had a chequered relationship with authority figures and are viewed by their colleagues as very grumpy (or ‘thrawn’ in the case of Rebus). There are, of course, some difference – Thorne prefers the mournful end of the Country and Western spectrum to the vintage rock in which Rebus takes refuge. In recent years, Thorne has also acquired a female work partner, DI Tanner, who offers a counterweight to his occasionally maverick approach to investigation. While their relationship is less charged than that between Rebus and Siobhan Clarke, it does offer a usual pivot for plot twists.This story starts off with Thorne attending the scene of a suicide on the London Underground. While the death seems to be fairly straightforward, Thorne follows up by contacting the dead woman’s family and becomes intrigued about the man with whom she had been involved, and whose actions had driven her to such a desperate act. He initially comes up against a brick wall – the man has disappeared, presumably moving on to search for a new ‘mark’ and there is the added difficulty of developing a sufficiently robust case.That is not the end of the story, however, as the suspect’s DNA is subsequently recovered from the body of a young man found murdered in Marqate. What meagre evidence that is available from local CCTV footage suggests that the killer was not working alone, and that his accomplice may have been a woman. This provokes a challenging investigation that will throw up some unexpected results.Tanner and Thorne, like Rebus and Clarke, are a powerful investigative team, and their respective strengths and weaknesses complement each other effectively. As always, Billingham captures the reader’s attention straight from the start. His characters, no matter how evil, are always highly credible, and his plots are soundly constructed.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book; it was exciting and had a diabolical twist at the end BUT I could not leave behind my questions about how Sarah was able to hang around the school every day, meet with the other parents for coffee and no one ever was troubled that they never saw her with her child. Also that she was ,on a least two occasions in different schools, able to enter the schools so freely. This gnawed at my mind throughout the story and led to my rating of 3.5 as opposed to a 4 or 4.5.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Another great book by a great writer.
    • 5/5
      Although this is part of quite a long series, with several minor plot threads connecting to previous novels, it works quite well as a stand-alone.The novel begins with the aftermath of a middle aged woman throwing herself under a train. Although this is obviously a suicide Tom Thorne becomes concerned with why she did it. He meets her sister and niece who tells him about how a con artist fleeced her of her savings. He would dearly like to find the con man and charge him with manslaughter.In the second chapter we meet Sarah, a young mum who has just dropped her son Jamie off at his new school. She is meeting other mums for coffee and she meets an older man.From these two starting points the novel quickly develops complexity and in surprising ways.A very good read.
    • 2/5
      So here's the rub...one well known crime writer is obliged to produce, not only for his adoring fans but more importantly for his publishers, one novel per year. Meet Sarah, single mum loves the school run and the early morning meet with fellow "mummies" exchanging gossip and good fellowship. But what's a girl to do with all that free time while the little one is attending to his studies? Enter Conrad gullible and loveable....Sarah and Conrad a Brady and Hindley for the 2020's.Sorry Mr Billingham but the latest outing for Tom Thorne, and his new partner in crime, Nicola Tanner, is frankly laughable.....there is a slight spoiler to follow.....Sarah it would appear is not a mother but is pretending to accompany her imaginary son to school each morning and amazingly no one seems to notice. Entwined with this nonsense are a number of unexplained and seemingly senseless murders and the perpertrators are proving impossible to find. Open your eyes Tom even a second rate plod could solve this riddle. Well the publishers may be happy but I am very disappointed, why bring out a book if it is not a worthy edition to the series. This type of publishing, in my opinion does, little to enhance the reputation of DI Thorne and leaves a sour taste in the mouth of readers who have come to expect much better from the hand of Mr Billingham.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham is a fascinating mystery that is quite compelling. Although this newest release is the sixteenth installment in the Tom Thorne series, it can easily be read as a standalone. But I HIGHLY recommend the previous novels as well.

      Although not technically a crime, Detective Inspector Tom Thorne is deeply troubled about the death of Phillipa Goodwin.  Tom acknowledges there is absolutely no question she committed suicide. However, he convinces his boss DCI Russell Brigstocke to allow him to dig a little deeper into the conman who  swindled a hefty sum from Phillipa. Although he knows it is a long shot, Thorne enters the man's DNA and prints into the system hoping to identify the man.  While the search does not turn up any new information, Tom is stunned when a short time later, the DNA is matched to the murder of seventeen year old Kevin Deane. Thorne and DI Nicola Tanner are tracking down leads when another murder ratchets up the pressure on them to catch what they now know to be two people working together. Will Tom and Nicola unmask their murderers' identities? Or will these crafty killers elude justice?

      The chapters alternate back and forth between the police investigation and a single mother whose path crosses with a good looking man.  Although she maintains a bit of a distance, Sarah is friendly with the other mums and dads at her son's school.  The group gathers together frequently at a local coffee shop where Sarah catches the attention on a handsome stranger. Before long, Sarah and her new man are enmeshed in a passionate and all consuming affair that takes a very shocking turn.

      Both Tom's and Nicola's respective personal lives are in a bit of turmoil. Nicola is still recovering from the loss of her partner and she remains deeply troubled by the events from seven months ago. Tom is back at his apartment at the request of his longtime girlfriend Helen. He is in a bit of a quandary as he tries to decide whether he wants to reconcile with Helen or leave the relationship behind.

      Their Little Secret is a very twisted mystery that is quite suspenseful. With a dearth of viable leads, Tom and Nicola hit one dead end after another throughout the investigation. Both are frustrated by their lack of progress but once the case finally comes together, they have to act fast if they are going to catch their killers. This latest police procedural from Mark Billingham is a dark and diabolically clever mystery that old and new fans of the Tom Thorne series do not want to miss.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast-paced read and the plot hung together nicely.
    • 5/5
      Mark Billingham has just released the sixteenth book in his DI Tom Thorne series - Their Little Secret. DI Nicola Tanner has been added to the series title in the last few entries.Thorne is currently assigned to the Homicide Assessment Team - a mobile unit that attends sudden death cases to see if they are suspicious and need investigation. A seeming suicide by train looks to be an open and shut suicide case, but Thorne thinks may be more to it. And indeed there is. Billingham's plot for this latest mystery is dark and twisted. (most of them are!) Or to quote Thorne: "The truth was, there was very little about this case that wasn't weird. Off-kilter, unnatural. It felt as though something misshapen had woken and begun crawling towards him into the light...."The reader has a window into both Thorne's investigation and the killer's thoughts, actions and moves. In this case, knowing who the killer is doesn't detract from enjoying the book at all. It only ramped up the tension and had me hooked. Thorne's dogged pursuit of answers and results isn't always by the book. Sometimes that works for him, other times not so much. But, I do love a driven, rebellious lead - and that is most definitely Thorne. Tanner and Thorne are complete opposites and as such, play incredibly well off each other. Different strengths, styles and outlooks.Now, Billinham's plotting is always great and his prose are a treat to read. But, what I really enjoy are the recurring characters. Their Little Secret picks up just after the last book. Now, not to spoil anything but there were some lines crossed by Thorne, Tanner and coroner Phil Hendricks in the last book. The undercurrent of those actions runs just under the surface and the effects are telling nine months later. Thorne's personal life has fallen apart - again. And Tanner's as well. Funnily enough, the 'wild card' of the bunch (Hendricks) has found solid ground.Billingham throws a curve into the last few chapters that I didn't see coming at all. And there's one unanswered question that will be perhaps answered in the next book?This is one of my favourite series and Their Little Secret is yet another excellent read from Mark Billingham
    • 3/5
      Mark Bellingham describes himself as the one with “the twisted imagination”. This is a gross understatement. The story twists and turns in the most horrible and abnormal ways. If bizarre, weird and evil is your thing you will love this book. Did I forget to mention all the references to sex, sex and more sex? The writing is quirky and at times I thought it sounded like the dialog of the British TV show “Endeavour”. The story moves along it is just beyond the pale.
    • 4/5
      My thanks to the Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for providing a copy of the eBook for my review and comment. The views expressed below are my own.This is a police procedural mystery set in present day England, and is the 16th book in the Tom Thorne series. Thorne is a police detective in London. The story begins with Thorne investigating a suspected suicide death on the underground; jumping in front of a speeding train is not a pleasant way to die. Readers are soon introduced to Conrad and Sarah who meet for the first time at a posh coffee shop where Sarah goes every day with a group of parents after they have dropped off their children at a local school. They are not your average Londoners though, Conrad being a trickster who preys on single women and Sarah having an imaginary son. We follow this creepy couple as they go about their twisted activity, pursued by Thorne and his colleague Nicole Tanner.This is a brilliant and edgy police thriller with truly interesting villains and police detectives. Their individual stories are well-blended into a compelling narrative that makes this a standout read. It's the second of the Thorne series that I have read, and I will definitely be looking fo enjoy future releases. This one can be read as a standalone even though it's the 16th in a series.
    • 5/5
      Their Little Secret, the latest in the Tom Thorne series of crime novels, offers further proof of why author Mark Billingham is probably the best crime writer in Britain today -- and one of our very best writers, full stop. This complicated, deeply human story revolves entirely around an extraordinary woman named Sarah, who at the very start of the book appears as the next victim for a con artist named Conrad, but is actually so much more than that. In parallel with the Sarah and Conrad story is the ongoing struggle of DI Thorne to have a life outside of the Job. His fellow officer, Nicola Tanner, plans a key role in the story and her name now features in the series title. The only thing wrong with this book is that having devoured it in two days, I now have to wait a full year for the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      Ah, l’amour…..ain’t it grand. Well, you might want to hold that thought. While many people exchange rings as a symbol of their union, you’re about to meet a couple who are a little…uh…less traditional.Tom Thorne is called to one of the underground stations where the body of a young woman lies across the tracks. There’s not much doubt she took her own life but in the interest of ticking all the boxes, he begins to dig into her background. It seems she was the victim of a charming scam artist who professed his love before emptying her bank account. And like her money, he’s gone. In alternate chapters we meet Sarah, a mysterious young woman who spends her mornings bonding with other moms after dropping her son at school. It’s a quiet life but that may be about to change. She recently met a charismatic man who’s obviously interested & begins to wonder if he could be “the one”. And that’s all I’ll say about that side of the story. Just know it took off in directions I never could have predicted with plenty of WTH moments along the way. Meanwhile Tom & DI Nicola Tanner have more than enough to keep them busy. Another body & another woman who believed she’d found true love. Right up until the guy disappeared with her savings. Tom begins to take the cases personally. His own love life is in shambles & if he can’t fix that, maybe he can find some justice for these women whose only mistake was to trust the wrong man. There’s a darker tone to this outing than previous books in the series. Partly due to the subject matter but also because of Tom. He’s (sort of) single again & not taking it well. Or maybe too well…he’s not sure. He’s more reflective than usual but veers away from examining himself too closely. Either way, he’s in a funk & moping has become a part time job. Thankfully, Phil Hendricks is around to verbally kick his butt in typical style. Tanner, also, is mourning lost love. As partners go, she & Tom are chalk & cheese but have learned to accept each others tics. To be honest, I’m still warming up to her character. And with both MC’s singing the blues, I found this instalment lacking a bit of the usual sparkle (thank God for Phil). However, it’s completely in keeping with the story lines. Love in all its forms is definitely the theme of the story. Fated, unrequited, lost or obsessive….we witness the degrees of happiness or carnage that can result when 2 lives collide. Just be warned: by the time the dust settles, you might start thinking of love as a four letter word.
    • 5/5
      Thank you, Goodreads and Grove Atlantic, for my complimentary review copy. I am so thrilled to have come across this new-to-me series! I really enjoy M.J. Arlidge's DI Helen Grace books, my first introduction to the British police procedural genre. Although sixteenth in Billingham’s Tom Thorne crime fiction collection, it’s the first one I’ve read. It functioned well enough as a standalone, but admittedly, as with any series, I would have preferred to read them in chronological order. It gives me a better sense of the characters as they are introduced and their interpersonal relationship dynamics.Tom Thorne, the protagonist, is a middle-aged detective inspector living in London. He is investigating the gruesome suicide of a young woman. The victim was allegedly distraught about falling prey to a con-man. Meanwhile, Sarah is an ordinary single mom of a young son, Jaime. At least that’s the impression she wants to give to the other parents…As expected, other cases crop up. Are they random incidents or is there some connection? That is for Tom and his team to decipher.I was hooked from the very start. The story line was compelling, with lots of plot twists and an unpredictable ending. Also, the writing style was readable with its simple language, vivid descriptions, snappy dialogue, and short chapters. The third-person perspectives alternate amongst the principal characters. The characters, themselves, were distinct and well-developed. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and plan to read the series from the beginning. I’m also really looking forward to watching the TV adaptation of Sleepyhead(Tom Thorne #1).
    • 5/5
      I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.An excellent police procedural, with lots of material from the point of view of the criminals as the police close in on them. It is hard to write about this without spoiling the plot, but the various strands and viewpoints come together fairly quickly and the story is chilling without dwelling unduly on grim details. The characterization was generally good and the pace was fast, especially in the first half.There were developments in the on-going story of Tom and Nicola's personal lives, which I would have appreciated more if I could remember the terrible thing that they and Phil did in the last book. For what it's worth Helen is well shot of Tom; I've never read about some one so lukewarm about his relationships.I'm deducting a point for the utter unlikelihoodSPOILERSof being able to pretend for weeks at a time that you are meeting your child at the school gates when you don't have one. The other parents would expect to see your child and for theirs to have played with yours at playtime etc. Also, you can't just walk into a school unchallenged.Otherwise, gripping. Looking forward to the next instalment.