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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
A child kidnapping; the threat of harm to a child is central; media pressure throughout
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Barely any
Drinking
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific psychological torture of a kidnapping case conducted under public scrutiny; the investigation's race against a deadline everyone knows about
What this book is about
A young girl has been kidnapped, and the investigation into her disappearance is being conducted under the intense pressure of a media campaign. DI Tom Thorne works the case while the family makes a televised appeal — and while the kidnapper watches. Mark Billingham's thirteenth Thorne novel is his most focused on the media-investigation dynamic — the way television exposure shapes both what the public knows and what the kidnapper does next — and the countdown structure gives it the series' most sustained tension.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
thirteenth of the Tom Thorne series
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