(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

The Bones Beneath, the twelfth novel in the internationally bestselling Tom Thorne series shows Thorne facing perhaps the most dangerous killer he has ever put away, Stuart Nicklin. When Nicklin announces that he wishes to reveal the whereabouts of one of his earliest victims and that he wants the cop who caught him to be there when he does it, it becomes clear that Thorne’s life is about to become seriously unpleasant. Thorne is forced to accompany Nicklin to a remote island off the Welsh coast which is cut off from the mainland in every sense. Shrouded in myth and legend, it is said to be the resting place of 20,000 saints and as Thorne and his team search for bones that are somewhat more recent, it becomes clear that Nicklin’s motives are far from altruistic.
The twisted scheme of a dangerous and manipulative psychopath will result in many more victims and will leave Tom Thorne with the most terrible choice he has ever had to make.

I have long been a fan of Mark Billingham's and really loved the first few books he put out. One of those being, Scaredy Cat, which featured Staurt Nicklin. So to see his name flash up again as a character was like a carrot on the end of a stick for me.

One of the outstanding attributes that Billingham brings to his novels is his wonderful characters. Not always at the forefront of his stories due to the complex and entertaining plots, this story really gives them a chance to shine. Nicklin is almost the star of this story, in a weird way - his character really reveals itself as we go looking for the bones of one of his early victims on an island off the Welsh coast. I am glad to see the manipulative and nasty side of the bad guy gets a showing - we are usually "told" what they are like, Billingham "shows" us what Nicklin is really all about.

The story itself was a bit slower than the usual pacing for Billingham. And that worked for me as well. This was a novel that relied on the build up of suspense and I got to the last 100 pages or so (where the action really starts to pick up) and realised that I was thoroughly captivated by the story, even though nothing had really "happened". That's a real skill.

The reason this doesn't hit the 5-star rating? There were a few things about the premise that seemed a bit "off" - a lot of other reviewers said similar things. eg. why would the police allow Nicklin to take a 'friend' with him? That seems odd. As does the fact that only a few guards/cops are escorting 2 convicted killers...while this doesn't really affect the story at all, it is something that sits in the back of your mind...

Still, one of the better British crime writers getting around putting out one of the better British crime novels I have read in a while...highly recommended!


Paul
ARH