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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
A missing teenage girl; a murder; the investigation reveals the true events of the holiday
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Some
Some sexual content in depicting the couples' dynamics
Substance Use
Some
Heavy drinking throughout; the holiday context involves significant alcohol
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific way shared crisis reveals character; the psychology of people who chose to protect themselves rather than a child
What this book is about
Three couples meet on holiday in Florida when a teenage girl disappears near their resort. They cooperate with the investigation and then return home to suburban England. Six months later, one of the six is found murdered. DI Tom Thorne investigates and has to pick apart the holiday from the outside — what the three couples actually saw, what they concealed, and why one of them was killed for it. Billingham's standalone (published without the Thorne name) alternates between the Florida holiday and the London investigation to build a portrait of ordinary people behaving very badly under the pressure of a crisis that exposed them.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Mark Billingham standalone thriller
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