A rainy night in London. Shots are fired into a car which swerves on to the pavement, ploughing into a bus stop. It seems that a chilling gang initiation has cost an innocent victim their life. But the reality is far more sinister...One life is wiped out and three more are changed forever: the young man whose finger was on the trigger; an ageing gangster planning a deadly revenge, and the pregnant woman who struggles desperately to uncover the truth. Two weeks away from giving birth, how will she deal with a world where death is an occupational hazard? In a city where violence can be random or meticulously planned, where teenage gangs clash with career criminals and where loyalty is paid for in blood, anything is possible. Secrets are uncovered as fast as bodies, and the story's final twist is as breathtakingly surprising as they come.
Reviews
'A stunning novel ... the final twist is brilliantly clever and shocking' The Times 'Billingham produces an astonishing final twist to complete his most ambitious and most accomplished book' Sunday Telegraph 'Chilling...A story with a twist that I guarantee even veteran crime fiction aficionados won't see coming' Evening Herald 'A virtuoso performance by Billingham' Daily Mail 'The twists and turns are smart and original and that alone would make this a bestseller, but more than that, Billingham is one of a handful of authors whose words flow as smoothly as his plots.' Sunday Express 'Billingham's first novel without DI Thorne tackles gang crime in a twisty tale that zips along. His characters ring true, as does the brutal banality of London street crime'. The Independent 'Brilliantly plotted and written' Scotland on Sunday 'I know of no other British writer with Billingham's feel for the convincing dialogue of the crime world' Marcel Berlins, The Times 'Edgy, pacy and frighteningly plausible' **** Daily Mirror
Author Biography
Mark Billingham is a stand-up comedian. He received the 2003 Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British writer and won the Theakston's Old Peculier Award for best crime novel of the year. He has also been an award-winning children's writer.
