Disclaimer: I have not read any other book in the series. I really wish I had because I think I would have enjoyed this book better. The story line was great; I liked the beginning and the end but for me there was too much fluff in the middle.

If you haven’t read this author’s books before, this prequel to Billingham’s acclaimed debut novel Sleepyhead would be a great introduction!! It is a Wow read!!! I read it in two days. Be warned, though, you won’t get much else done once you start it!!

After this read, then buy the book Sleepyhead and after that you will be so hooked you will want to read the rest of the series! Full of suspense and as soon as you think you have it figured out, you are wrong!!

Thank you NeyGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #CryBaby #GroveAtlantic #MarkBillingham

Cry Baby is a prequel to the Tom Thorne series, I hadn’t realised this when I read the blurb as I have only read a couple of these books, however, this did not detract from the story but felt it added to it, I now want to go back and read this series from the beginning with full knowledge of who Tom Thorne was and how he became who he is today.

In 1996 Tom Thorne investigating the disappearance/abduction of a 7 year old boy Kieron whilst playing on the edge of the forest with his friend Josh under the watchful eye of their mothers or not as the case may be! Thorne and his team are up against it when two people who knew the two boys and their mothers are found dead, with no clues but plenty of suspects, good old fashioned detective work ensues, it was nice albeit strange to be reading a detective book where technology is not at the forefront but given it was 1996, you can see why.

I was reeled into this book from the getgo, I couldn’t stop reading it, it was a case of having to know, just one more chapter became 10… thoroughly enjoyed it and now I have the pleasure of going back to the beginning.

EXCERPT: Cat moved quickly through the playground towards the exit on the far side, calling her son's name, oblivious to the stares of other parents whose kids stopped what they were doing to watch. Maria hurried to catch her up and they both stopped dead when Josh appeared suddenly and came running from the trees towards them.

His yellow coat was streaked with mud and he burst into tears the instant he laid eyes on his mother.

'Josh?' Maria leaned down and took her son's face in her hands. 'You OK?'

'Where's Kieron?' Cat asked, looking towards the trees. 'Josh, where's Kieron?'

The boy began wailing and buried his face in his mother's stomach.

The unlit cigarette fell from Cat's hand and she began to run.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on a case that quickly spirals out of control when two people connected with the missing boy are murdered. As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage.

MY THOUGHTS: Although the 17th book in the Tom Thorne series, Cry Baby is a prequel to Mark Billingham's debut novel 'Sleepyhead', which was the first book I ever read by this author, and which put him firmly on my reading radar.

Tom Thorne is a credible and engaging character. He is flawed. Detests his boss, Boyle, and has conversations in his mind where he bests Boyle. He can be quite sarky. He is going through a marriage break up, and I love his thoughts on the 'hippy-dippy, sandal-wearing' university lecturer Jan left him for. He's not good at friendships, and even seems uncomfortable with his own family. Yet he shows an unexpected humanity and compassion towards the victims. Our Tom is a complex character.

We meet, for the first time, Phil Hendricks, the new pathologist, tattooed, pierced and gay, though Tom hasn't figured that out yet. Hendricks and Thorne have nothing in common - they don't like the same music, or support the same football team - yet Cry Baby is the start of their decades long friendship.

In a new format for Billingham, Cry Baby is told from multiple points of view: Thorne, as usual; Cat, the mother of the missing boy; Maria, her friend and Josh's mum; Kieron, the abducted boy, and his abductor.

There are plenty of subplots inside the main storyline - relationship issues, both personal and professional, for Tom and several other characters. There is some confusion about the parentage of the missing boy. And of course, a few red herrings.

I must admit that it took me a while to settle into this story. But once I got into the rhythm of Billingham's writing again, I was away.

I don't think that Cry Baby is the best of Billingham's books, although it is certainly a valuable addition to the series. I wasn't totally invested in the ending, but loved the journey.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#CryBaby #NetGalley

FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: Cry Baby by Mark Billingham is set in London, mainly in the Highbury-Islington area. London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.
Highbury is home to Premiership football at Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium, as well as a sports centre and tennis courts in leafy Highbury Fields park. Upscale restaurants cluster near Highbury Corner, with artisan food stores, cafes, and global eateries in the village-like area on Highbury Grove. Quiet, tree-lined residential streets feature Italianate villas and grand Georgian homes, many converted into flats.

THE AUTHOR: Mark 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. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.
He also writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cry Baby by Mark Billingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

A few years ago at a book convention, I had the pleasure of seeing a live interview with Mr. Billingham. He was such an interesting and entertaining person, that I thought I would give the series a try. I'm so glad I did!!! The Tom Thorne series is one of my absolute favourites, and I have been working my way through Mr. Billingham's backlist ever since!!!

This book is no exception to the interesting and engaging reads that I have come to expect from Mr. Billingham. Unlike the last book I read, this is a prequel to the first book in the series and doesn't take place in current times. This book focuses on Tom's investigation into the disappearance of a young boy. While he is investigating, Tom is also coping with some difficulties in his personal life, which gives us a glimpse into more of Tom's backstory in the overall series. In addition to Thorne's perspective, we also get glimpses of the experience of the mother of the missing child, as well as the other mother who was supposed to be watching the boys when one went missing.

As with any of the previous reads of this series, the mystery is engaging and takes turns you don't see coming. I always liked Thorne as a character, and that doesn't change for this book. He is dedicated to his job, but struggles with his own demons that are almost on the verge of tearing him apart.

This is a great series, and it is on my auto-buy list right next to Michael Connelly. The character is great, and each story is intriguing and never loses the excitement of the other books in the series. I would highly recommend this author and this series to anyone who likes a good procedural mystery with a long-term character arc. I would highly recommend this book, and cannot wait for the next one in the series!!!

Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book before it is released in Canada.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a prequel to the Tom Thorne novels set in 1996. Thorne is a DS investigating the disappearance of a little boy. The book is set amongst the backdrop of the European football championships and before the prolific use of mobile phones. Thorne is dealing with the break up of his marriage in his usual ignore it and it will disappear way.

This book also introduces us to Phil Hendricks and the fledgling relationship between him and Thorne. I have always loved this character and I liked the way he pushed himself into Thorne's life.

This was the usual tense and gritty story I expect from this author and it was interesting to delve into the past with the characters.

I haven’t read any other books in the series/by the author so I do doubt missed out on a lot of inside jokes and Easter eggs. I enjoyed the story nonetheless. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an egalley.

A thoroughly enjoyable prequel to this series. We get to go back to the beginning and see how it all started, a great crime procedural story. I was engage throughout and look forward to reading more by this author

This Book is where it all began . In 1996 Thorne is a haunted man he is haunted because he didn't take notice of his gut insticts.Thorne and his team end up on a case of two boys playing in the park they run into the woods to play hide and seek but only one boy reappears . After much searching a witness says he saw the boy getting in a car with a man he seemed to know. When two people who are close to the case are killed Thorne needs to solve this case . He also has the extra headache of his ex-wife and her new boyfriend .
Thanks NetGalley

Havnt read one of the tom thorne books for a while. Just wondering if it is a prequel? Anyway. Didnt disapoint. Love that the characters have their own individuality and dont conform to the norm. WOW mark billingham I DIDNT SEE that coming in the story. Gritty with twists.

I enjoy the Tom Thorne novels and this one did not disappoint. Good characters and premise. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Look forward to his next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I absolutely loved this. The characters were each in their own right interesting, kept me guessing and searching for answers throughout!

I hadn't read any of this series of books, but will certainly be doing so after finishing this book.
A good balance of police work and relationships, together with some great twists made this an enjoyable read.

I'm a fan of Mark Billingham and Detective Tom Thorne. I read the sixteenth in the series (Their Little Secret) last year and assumed this would pick up where it left off. In fact, I didn't read the backcover blurb at all before I started the book and found it a little strange that the series was set in the past and I didn't remember that being the case.

I knew I disliked his partner or girlfriend and was relieved she seemed to be moving on; and here Tom's separated from his wife. So it made sense but it didn't. And, as it happens, there's nothing in the book until the very end that references that this is a flashback of sorts*. It meant that I read the book amidst some puzzlement worrying that my memory was even worse than it is and that I'd just not remembered the books were set in the 1990s.

Of course as a police procedural this is a great read and I enjoyed Thorne's antagonistic relationship with his boss though once I realised we'd leapt back in time I struggled to remember if any of these players were part of the current series. I almost feel as if I need to do some re-reading to make sure there's nothing I've missed in the then and now! Of course none of that is Billingham's fault, just mine for having a bad memory and reading too much bloody crime fiction!

This is obviously a whodunnit. So, there's a focus on the police investigation itself, but it actually offers something a bit more. In crime fiction we often spend time with the perpetrator but here it's less about the person responsible for 7yr old Keiron's disappearance and their motivations, and more about the lives of those left behind. It's about the secrets they've kept, the roles those secrets have played in current events and their responses. Billingham has been quite clever here placing us not only with Tom but also with the mothers of the two boys playing when one went missing. It means the narrative goes deeper than that of the mystery of a missing child, but touches on friendships, how we perceive others and the assumptions we make.

** Well, that, the backcover blurb and all of the publicity material! *grimace*

It could be a scene from anywhere… a couple of young mothers—good friends—taking their kids to play in a neighborhood park. The women kick back on a bench in the shade to chat, while their little boys climb on the jungle gym, swoosh down the slides, and burn off excess energy as only a couple of active seven-year-olds can.
When one of the women heads off to the restrooms, the other decides to sneak a quick cigarette—she’s been trying to quit, but isn’t there, yet—which requires rooting around in the depths of her handbag for the elusive lighter. It’s only once she’s finally lit up and taken that first drag, that she notices the children are nowhere in sight… but then she hears them, faintly, in the woods bordering the park on one side, and relaxes; they’ll soon tire of the trees and come tearing across the playground again.

The first mom returns, upset enough to find her friend smoking… but far more so when she doesn’t see the boys. Waving off the other’s explanations, she runs over to the woods, shouting for them. After a couple of moments, a rustling among the fallen leaves signals the boys are on their way back. Only one boy—bawling his head off—emerges from the trees, though… and that boy isn’t her son.

It could be a crime from anywhere… but this time, it’s in London, in 1996, and it’s down to a troubled young detective—DS Tom Thorne—already weighted down with personal problems aplenty, to bring the missing lad home, in Mark Billingham’s newest, Cry Baby.
_______________

We’ve seen a lot of Tom Thorne over the years (beginning with the superb Sleepyhead in 2001), but we’ve never seen this exact Tom… just thirty-five years old, in the middle of a very messy divorce, and haunted by an old case in which his own error in judgment played a part in the deaths of three little girls. This Tom isn’t as sure of himself, of his co-workers, of his job, or of life, in general… but he is sure of one thing: that he’ll do anything to solve this case.

Will history repeat itself, though, or will Tom find a way to make up for a past mistake… that is the question.
_______________

As a long-time reader of Billingham’s Thorne series, it was an unexpected pleasure to travel back in time in Cry Baby, and observe Tom as—not a newbie, exactly, but certainly as a man in over his head, just trying not to crack from the pressures pounding at him from all sides. (His first meeting and subsequent getting-to-know-you interactions with pathologist pal Phil Hendricks are a real treat.)

In typical Billingham style, all of the major (and some of the minor) players are given enough space to breathe and feel alive to us, rather than merely serving as names on a page to whom stuff happens.

My only complaint, to be honest, is the sheer amount of time devoted to soccer, which, maybe if you’re a big soccer fan… and you rabidly followed the sport in 1996 (or are a soccer-stats nerd)… would be of interest to you? (Eventually, I had to just skim through all those paragraphs and pages discussing scores and players and plays and rivalries and… yeah. Meh.)

Overall, though, this is Billingham—and Thorne, et al—in fine form, and an easy recommendation for all fans of the series.
~GlamKitty

The prequel to the Tom Thorne novels.

Great to read his back story and another brilliant and gripping book from Mark Billingham.

Great read

It's 1996 and two young boys playing at the park run into the woods, Only one boy returns. At first, it's assumed the one boy is just lost ... but later it is was determined to be abduction when a witness comes forward and reports seeing a man holding the hand of a young boy and then getting into a car.

Thorne has his hands full ... investigating an abduction without any clues, dealing with an almost ex-wife and her new boyfriend.

When two people die who knew the two boys and their mothers, it becomes more than baffling.

This is a real nail-biting page turner with suspense starting from the first and not stopping until the very last page. Suspects are many ... varied .. some who are keeping secrets. The ending was unexpected and I enjoyed Thorne's memory of that time in his life.

This is a prequel to Mark Billingham’s acclaimed debut Sleepyhead (Tom Thorne, Bk 1) .. a time when crimes were solved without smart phones, and phone triangulation, social media and street cameras on every corner.

Many thanks to the author / Grove Atlantic / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this historical crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Excellent! I loved finding out where it all started with Tom Thorne. This is essentially a missing persons case with a young boy apparently being kidnapped whilst playing with his friend. What plays out next is a story of dodgy relationships, unsympathetic characters and twisted revenge - fantastic! I think this book works well as a prequel to the Tom Thorne books and has made me want to go back to the beginning and reread them all. Tom meeting pathologist Phil Hendricks as well as an insight into his early family life was a gem! So much going on in this story and as it all fits together expertly as facts unfold. Set during Euro 96, although I am not a football fan, it did help to portray the time period.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
It was a bit different from Mark Billingham's previous books because this book went back to the beginning in 1996. The research was very well done and everything was very authentic down to the soccer players who were big in those years!
There were two good twists at the end that I did not see coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Lovely to go back t Tom Thorne's early days. I'm a big fan of this series and this was a great edition to it. A missing boy brings back difficult memories for Tom as he races against time to find him. We are treated to memories of Euro 96 (painful ones!) and the highlight for me was meeting Phil for the first time. A real treat for fans.