'Groundbreaking and gripping' Sunday Times

A BLOODY MESSAGE

As DI Nicola Tanner investigates what appears to be a series of organised killings, her partner Susan is brutally murdered, leaving the detective bereft, and vengeful.

A POWERFUL ALLY

Taken off the case, Tanner enlists the help of DI Tom Thorne to pursue a pair of ruthless killers and the broker handing out the deadly contracts.

A CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE

As the killers target their latest victim, Thorne takes the biggest risk of his career and is drawn into a horrifying and disturbing world in which families will do anything to protect their honour.

From number one bestseller Mark Billingham comes a masterful, intense crime novel that pits DI Tom Thorne against an evil beyond comprehension, yet shockingly real.

________________

'One of the great series of British crime fiction' The Times

'Billingham is a world-class writer' Karin Slaughter

His [Billingham's] storylines of murders that go unseen or unrecognised are chilling and moving, and Tom Thorne is on terrific form * The Times *
His [Billingham's] storylines of murders that go unseen or unrecognised are chilling and moving, and Tom Thorne is on terrific form * The Times *
Groundbreaking ... a gripping, unsensational take on a type of crime that is happening more frequently than many of us realise * Sunday Times *
Groundbreaking ... a gripping, unsensational take on a type of crime that is happening more frequently than many of us realise * Sunday Times *
[A] sensitive topic delicately handled, with a perfectly executed and thoroughly unnerving twist at the end * The Guardian *
[A] sensitive topic delicately handled, with a perfectly executed and thoroughly unnerving twist at the end * The Guardian *
Irascible, irritating and indefatigable...Billingham's passionate depiction of the injustice and brutality that flow from these killings spills from every page, making this one of his most powerful crime novels, written with a fury that does both him and Thorne justice * Daily Mail *
Irascible, irritating and indefatigable...Billingham's passionate depiction of the injustice and brutality that flow from these killings spills from every page, making this one of his most powerful crime novels, written with a fury that does both him and Thorne justice * Daily Mail *
Brilliant and unbearable * Independent *
Brilliant and unbearable * Independent *
Entertaining, thought provoking and current * West Australian *
Entertaining, thought provoking and current * West Australian *
The author's rage, combined with his skill as a crime writer, makes this a gripping and genuinely tragic story * Literary Review *
The author's rage, combined with his skill as a crime writer, makes this a gripping and genuinely tragic story * Literary Review *
Shocking and topical, the 14th book in the Thorne series is an engaging thriller from one of Britain's best crime writers * Daily Express *
Shocking and topical, the 14th book in the Thorne series is an engaging thriller from one of Britain's best crime writers * Daily Express *
Brave, topical, important and as uncomfortable to read as it is impossible not to * Heat *
Brave, topical, important and as uncomfortable to read as it is impossible not to * Heat *
Want something to get the heart racing as you laze by the pool?...A thrilling read not for the faint-hearted * Sun *
Want something to get the heart racing as you laze by the pool?...A thrilling read not for the faint-hearted * Sun *
Mark Billingham has always defied the usual, and his new novel is no exception . . . the plot is red hot * Globe and Mail *
Mark Billingham has always defied the usual, and his new novel is no exception . . . the plot is red hot * Globe and Mail *
A book that will leave you shaking with rage long after the thrill of the chase has faded. * Chris Brookmyre *
A book that will leave you shaking with rage long after the thrill of the chase has faded. * Chris Brookmyre *
This is a searing story, excitingly told with several unexpected twists in the tale * Irish Independent *
This is a searing story, excitingly told with several unexpected twists in the tale * Irish Independent *
Love Like Blood has a rich seam of biting wit, impeccable plotting and realistic police detail. The result is an intelligent and hugely entertaining thriller that treats its subject with sensitivity. It includes gasp-inducing moments of drama and some ingenious twists * The People *
Love Like Blood has a rich seam of biting wit, impeccable plotting and realistic police detail. The result is an intelligent and hugely entertaining thriller that treats its subject with sensitivity. It includes gasp-inducing moments of drama and some ingenious twists * The People *

Mark Billingham has twice won the Theakston Old Peculier Award for Crime Novel of the Year, the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British writer and in 2026 he was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for an outstanding lifetime contribution to the genre. Sleepyhead and Scaredy Cat were made into a hit TV series on Sky 1 starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne, and a series based on the novels In the Dark and Time of Death was broadcast on BBC1. Mark lives in north London with his wife and two children.