While investigating the deaths of two women who had been strangled, Thorne realises that he is looking for two serial killers who operate in tandem. Since there is no forensic evidence at all in any of the killings, finding the killers is a bit of a challenge.

The plot was interesting but I felt the f-word was overused. It was a bit too graphic for me as well, so not sure if I will read more in the series. ( )

This second book in the Tom Thorne series is just as good as the first one. Don't get me wrong. This series is not for the faint of heart. It is as black as night, and the unexpected is always happening. Maybe after I read a few more books, I'll be able to clue in that something shocking is going to happen before it actually happens. This time DI Tom Thorne and his team are after a very prolific killer, and it appears that he does his killing in pairs. That is until they realize that the two people killed in each instance were each killed in a totally different way. Is this killer trying to play games with the police, or is there another reason? DI Tom Thorne comes to the conclusion that he will have to push the envelope far more than he ever has to discover who is committing these crimes. Mark Bellingham's special skill is that he is thinking outside the box all the time with his thrillers, and he does a great job of getting his story out through the eyes of his various characters, both good and bad. Different viewpoints, different motivations, different ways of thinking come up all the time during this book. It's enough to keep the reader guessing and trying (though not very successfully in my case) to figure out what is coming next. If you like your crime series to be hard-boiled and totally unpredictable, this is the series for you. ( )

This lacked forward momentum somehow. There were too many sections from the perspective of the murderer, and too little actual investigation going on. There was also a sub-plot about violent robberies at hotels, which was forgotten about for most of the book and then popped up towards the end to be solved with very little effort by the police.

Disappointing. ( )

I did not like much at all. Billingham seem to be under the impression that lots of bad language sum up your typical British policeman. No it doesn't. (the one Jack Frost novel I read has the same problem). Thorne needs a major rework for TV and a better actor to play him. ( )

Couldn't enjoy these villains at all. Decided it wasn't worth the trip to see how Thorne gets 'em in the end. May try a later book in the series. I wonder if I need a list of the villains and their proclivities in order to select? ( )