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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Serial murders of homeless people; some graphic violence; Thorne faces physical danger undercover
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Some
Heavy drinking; the rough sleeping community includes alcohol use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific invisibility of homeless people to institutions that are supposed to protect them; Thorne's discomfort with the privilege his badge normally gives him
What this book is about
People living rough on London's streets are being murdered — a series of killings that attract little official attention because the victims are people nobody is looking for. Thorne goes undercover as a rough sleeper to investigate from inside the community. Mark Billingham's fifth Thorne novel is his most socially conscious — a portrait of homelessness and the specific invisibility of people who live outside normal institutional sight — and the undercover investigation puts Thorne in direct danger in ways the previous books haven't.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
fifth of the Thorne series
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