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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
A child killer; the investigation involves his potential cooperation; psychological manipulation throughout
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Barely any
Drinking
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The psychological game between Thorne and a killer who may genuinely want to help and may not; the island setting as a trap with no easy exit
What this book is about
Convicted child killer Stuart Nicklin has always claimed he knows where another victim's body is — and now he wants to show someone, in person, on a remote Welsh island. He will only do it if DI Tom Thorne is there. Thorne is forced to accompany Nicklin on what may be a genuine attempt to give a family closure — or an elaborate plan to escape. Mark Billingham's twelfth Thorne novel puts its detective in a sustained, claustrophobic situation with one of the most frightening figures in the series, examining what it costs to be responsible for a killer's access to the world.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
twelfth of the Tom Thorne series; features the series' most dangerous villain
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