I have read and enjoyed a few of Mark Billingham's books but sadly for me this is one I attempted more than once and finally stuck to and completed. However, now I am finished it felt so flat and just a bit of a let down in all honesty.


The story is set around a group of addicts that are in recovery and the introduction is meeting them all at a meeting. There is a lot of (IMO) un-necessary depth into the characters that felt like filler. When one of the group is murdered of course this becomes the focal point. The chapters are divided between 'Then' with the characters and the lead up to the murder and the 'Now' which mainly follows the current police investigation.


I liked the format of the layout but it just felt like it took way too long to get to the nitty gritty of the story and it felt too protracted in the lead up. I really dislike giving low ratings on authors I genuinely like however this book just wasn't for me!

EXCERPT: The Visitor - The Final Visit

'I didn't think you were coming back,' the prisoner says. He had begun to roll a cigarette as soon as he'd sat down and now he licks the edge of the paper, his eyes fixed on the person in the chair opposite.

'I had a lot of running around to do.'

'Yeah?'

'A bit of detective work, after what you said last time.'

He is trying hard not to look nervous, or even particularly interested, struggling to remember exactly what he said all those weeks before. What he might have given away. He says, 'It's rubbish, isn't it? Everything you put in that first letter. The reason you've been coming.'

'Sorry about that.'

He slaps his hand on the table, but not in anger. He's just pleased to have been proved right. 'I knew it.'

'What do you care? You'll be out soon enough.'

'Yeah, I knew it first time I saw you.'

'Really?'

'You don't look like a student.'

'What do I look like?'

He shrugs, roll-up complete. 'Well, you're obviously some kind of nutter.'

The visitor nods. 'I can't really argue with that. Some kind.'

'So you know, if I see you once I'm out, I won't be quite so friendly.'

'There's no danger of that.'

'Just as long as we're clear.'

'I mean, we all know about that famous temper of yours, don't we?' A smile. 'The only reason I came back at all was to say thank you.'

'For what?'

'For giving me what I needed. For putting me on the right track.'

Now he doesn't much care whether he looks nervous or not. All these years saying nothing; not even then, after it had happened.

He hadn't let something slip, had he?

No, he can't have been that stupid.

He sits up straight and lays his hands flat on the table. He says, 'You hear stories about people like you.'

'Really? What kind of people is that?'

People who get off on all this. Who just like being close to it.' Now, he leans forward, confident that he's hit a nerve. That he's back in charge. 'All this shit you've been giving me, all those questions, and I reckon you just want to know what it's like.'

'What it's like?'

'To kill someone.'

The visitor's face breaks into a grin. 'Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'll know for myself soon enough.'

ABOUT 'DIE OF SHAME': Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about shame. Among them are a grieving surgeon, a betrayed housewife, a taunting gay model, a barely recovered heroin addict. All they have in common is a history of pain and compulsions—until they’re linked by the brutal murder of one of their members. Det. Inspector Nicola Tanner is drawn into this intimate circle to find the killer. Unfortunately, not a single one of them is willing to share.

Now it’s up to Tanner to delve into their pasts on her own. But what secret could be so shameful as to kill for it? Or die for it? And how can she possibly find the truth when lies and denial are second nature to her suspects?

MY THOUGHTS: I had absolutely no idea 'who dunnit'. Billingham adeptly casts suspicion on all of the remaining characters, so that I kept changing my mind. But the motive was the stumbling block, although all of the people are living on the edge, teetering between their pasts, and the future that lays ahead of them if they can only stay clean.

There's Robin, a respected doctor in his early sixties, with a marriage breakup and a history of addiction to a variety of easily obtainable medications behind him. But he's being blackmailed, threatened with exposure to the medical council.

Tony is the therapist, himself a recovered addict and ex-musician with a less than satisfying home life. His wife seems bored with him and is openly critical of his 'work', and his relationship with his clients. His daughter alternates between ignoring him, and openly flaunting her drug use.

Heather is a thirty two year old woman, once addicted to drugs and gambling. She is needy, the group peacemaker and has a 'thing' for Tony. She admits in a group session that she is the one she trusts least in the group.

Chris is a young gay man, living in hostels, shelters and anywhere else he can crash that won't cost him money. He has swapped his drug dependency for an addiction to computer games and online pornography. He is not comfortable in his own skin and enjoys shocking the other group members with tales of his sexuality.

Diana is a well to do housewife who became an alcoholic after her marriage disintegrated and her daughter rejected her. She too has swapped her addiction to alcohol for compulsive shopping.

Caroline is new to the group, obese, a compulsive overeater.

One of these people will be murdered. One of these people is a murderer.

Billingham has, as always, constructed a diabolically clever plot. His characters are a complex lot, but totally believable, an interesting mix of personalities. Put together in a room, ostensibly to support one another's recovery, there are conflicts and resentments, lies and betrayals, and occasionally outright hatred.

The ending is not going to suit everyone, but I liked it.

Although this is a stand alone novel, it amused me that Billingham was unable to resist inserting the characters of Phil Hendricks, a much-pierced medical examiner, and even that of Tom Thorne himself.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#DieOfShame #NetGalley #MarkBillingham #GroveAtlantic

@MarkBillingham @groveatlantic

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: Also writes as Will Peterson with Peter Cocks.

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.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Die of Shame 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

Sadly this book was not my cup of tea. I struggled through it and found it too long and drawn out at times.

Another excellent read from Mark Billingham. Quality of Thorne is maintained. Looking forward to the next one.

Die of Shame by Mark Billingham is another one of those 'closed room' murder mysteries (a la Agatha Christie) where the focus is on a group of characters one of whom will turn out to be the murderer. One member of a therapy group of recovering addicts is murdered and the plot takes you through the back stories and interactions of all of the group and their therapist (another ex addict) leading up to and after the murder.

There are several blind alleys and some misdirection before you get to the end of the story and a nice twist or two but overall this is rather predictable and somewhat unsatisfying. By some quirk of fate this is the second Mark Billingham novel that I have read in the last few weeks, Rush of Blood was also a 'closed room' style novel - neither has been particularly enjoyable.

Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne series have been great and stood the test of time as they get into their second decade, none of his one off's have matched the quality of the Thorne series.

Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about addiction. There they share their deepest secrets: stories of lies, regret, and above all, shame.

Then one of them is killed - and it's clear one of the circle was responsible.

Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner quickly finds her investigation hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these people and their therapist together. So what could be shameful enough to cost someone their life?

And how do you find the truth when denial and deception are second nature to all of your suspects?

A very entertaining novel - but what else would expect from this author!!!!! Brilliant

Once a week on a Monday evening, six addicts meet to talk about their addictions and to try and explain how and why it began. They make a motley crew when you think of it, a Dr, an young male prostitute and an obese lady to mention but a few. One of their member is murdered shortly after one of the sessions, introducing DI Nicola Tanning who firmly believes that the group is keeping information from her, that one of them are responsible.
This wasn't as good as Mark Billingham's DI Tom Thorne series but still a blinking good stand alone

I confess to being a little disappointed with this, Mark Billingham's latest offering. Normally, I devour his books, but this one was a bit 'meh' for me. I've given it a bit of thought as to why that was, I love a good whodunnit, and this one, with a therapy bent should've been right up my street. The story was well written as I would expect, delivered in a 'now' and 'then' style which could have been helped by using italics to keep the reader on track. The plot, interesting, one of an addiction therapy group is murdered and the evidence points to it being another of the group who is the guilty party. The characters, although compelling didn't get fleshed out until close to the end of the book, for me, this didn't add to the tension but made it feel overly long. I also didn't gel with the lead character, in fact for a while I wasn't completely clear who the lead character was, I know, I'm rubbish, but I thought the group leader Tony de Silva was far more interesting and charismatic, albeit flawed than DI Tanner.
This review probably sounds more negative than it is meant to be, at the end of the day Die of Shame is Ok, it's not my favourite, but certainly not the worst either, a solid 3.5 stars.

Thank-you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an arc.
This was a brilliant book, I loved it! I have only recently started reading Mark Billingham's books and I am a big fan already. This one focuses of an addiction therapy group which brings together a small group of people, one of which is murdered. The reason for the murder is slowly revealed as the story unfolds and there are plenty of twists and surprises along the way. The characterisation in the book is superb, we are given plenty of background information about them and they are brought to life in such a way they feel 'real'. The members of the therapy group come from different walks of life and they are all reluctant to disclose what is discussed within the group, to break the 'circle of trust'. DI Nicola Tanner is also a great well rounded character, she has the job of investigating the murder and in doing so has to delve into the behaviour and motivations of the group members.
Really excellent read. Although it is a murder whodunnit, it is also a well written character driven book.

Clever setup for a murder mystery: six members of an ongoing group therapy meet weekly. One is murdered and it quickly becomes clear that the perpetrator is one of the other members. Solid mystery for fans of the genre.

4 stars

This book is a departure from Mark Billingham’s Tom Thorne series. In it we meet new detectives.

Our story switches between before and after the event which brings the detectives into the story. A support group led by Tony De Silva is filled with interesting, and sometimes hostile characters. It is a group for recovering – and some no so recovering - addicts.

The people in the group are varied and some have multiple addictions: one to eating, a gambler, several drug addicts, a gay male prostitute and an obsessed housewife.

When one of the group members is murdered, it brings the detectives into the story. Nicola Tanner and her partner, Dipak Chall, set about to interview the therapist and the surviving group members. Bound by confidentiality, they don’t get much information the first time around. Certain that one of the group members – or the therapist – killed the victim, Tanner and Chall keep digging.

While I spotted the murderer early on, I had to give the book four stars for the effort Mr. Billingham put into it. The writing is very good and the characters were believable and most certainly memorable. I did not like the therapist. I thought he was shallow and insensitive. Perhaps he was too wrapped up in his own agenda to really listen to what his group members were saying.

All in all, it was a good book and one that I would recommend for something a little different than the average mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

DIE OF SHAME BY MARK BILLINGHAM

I had to go back to the beginning and start reading over again because my kindle shut down automatically and all of my highlighting and the page I was on were wiped clear. In a way this turned out to be a good thing because I thought the way this was written, small details were forgotten. The book begins with a prologue called The Visitor which initially was confusing until the entire book is read. It is an unknown character visiting an unknown character in prison. The Prisoner says: " 'I didn't think you were coming back.'
'I had a lot of running around to do.'
'Yeah?'
'A bit of detective work, after what you said last time.'

'It's rubbish, isn't it? Everything you put in that first letter. The reason you've been coming.'
'Sorry about that."

'I knew it.'What do you care? You'll be out soon enough.'
'Yeah, I knew it first time I saw you."
'Really?'
'You don't look like a student.'
'What do I look like?'
'Well, you're obviously some kind of nutter.'
'I can't really argue with that. Some kind."
"So you know, if I see you once I'm out, I won't be quite so friendly.'
'There's no danger of that.'
'Just as long as we're clear.'
'I mean, we know all about that famous temper of yours, don't we?' A smile. 'The only reason I came back at all was to say thank you.'
'For what?'

'For giving me what I needed. For putting me on the right track.'
Now he doesn't much care whether he looks nervous or not. All these years saying nothing; not even THEN, after it happened.
He hadn't let something slip, had he?
No, he can't have been that stupid.
He sits up straight and lays his hands flat on the table. He says, "You hear stories inside about people like you."
'Really? What kind of people is that?'
'People who get off on all this. Who like being close to it.' Now he leans forward, confident that he's hit a nerve. That he's back in charge. 'All this shit you've been giving me, all those questions, and I reckon you just want to know what its like.'
'What it's like?' 'To kill someone.' The visitor's face breaks into a grin.
'Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'll know for myself soon enough.' "

Every Monday night at 6:00 PM psychologist Tony De Silva observes his client's fifteen minutes of socializing while they drink the coffee and eat the cookies he has prepared before their 6:00 PM session. He thinks that giving them time to converse makes the five individuals open up and share once the session begins. They sit in a circle and discuss their addictions. There is Robin who is in his early sixties who is on sabbatical from being an anesthesiologist. Robin started using what he gave to his patients, Sharing needles Robin volunteered to seek help for his addiction. Chris is already sitting down playing with his smart phone. Chris is addicted to online pornography and other addictions. Diana blames a younger woman for stealing her husband. Diana is divorced, but is a compulsive shopper. Heather's addiction is to drugs and alcohol. Caroline is a compulsive over eater. Tony De Silva brings up the topic of shame and wants the group to reflect about what each of them are ashamed of about themselves. He thinks shame is the root cause of all of their addictions.

One of the five is murdered. The body wasn't discovered for two weeks and is badly decomposed.
D.I. Nicola Tanner and her partner Dipak Chall get assigned the case. Having few leads this is going to be hard to verify alibi's since there is no way to pinpoint time of death, because of the condition of the body.

I very much enjoyed this and having to re-read this a second time made it easy for me to solve. It was just easier to re-read then flip 300 pages on my kindle after it shut down and did it's update or whatever caused it to shut down. I read and have reviewed The Many by this author and I liked this book much better. I would read this author's other work and I would recommend this.

Thank you to Net Galley, Mark Billingham and Grove Atlantic.