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    Die of Shame
    Die of Shame
    Die of Shame
    Audiobook11 hours

    Die of Shame

    Written by Mark Billingham

    Narrated by Mark Billingham

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about shame. A respected doctor, a well-heeled housewife, a young male prostitute . . . they could not be more different. All they have in common is a history of addiction. But when one of the group is murdered, it quickly becomes apparent that someone else in that circle is responsible. The investigation is hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these individuals and their therapist together, which makes things difficult for Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner, a woman who can appreciate the desire to keep personal matters private. If she is to find the killer, she will need to use less obvious means. The question is: What could be shameful enough to cost someone their life? And how do you find the truth when secrets, lies, and denial are second nature to all of your suspects?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateJun 7, 2016
    ISBN9781681681672
    Die of Shame
    Author

    Mark Billingham

    Mark Billingham is the author of nine novels, including Sleepyhead, Scaredy Cat, Lazybones, The Burning Girl, Lifeless, and Buried—all Times (London) bestsellers—as well as the stand-alone thriller In the Dark. For the creation of the Tom Thorne character, Billingham received the 2003 Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British writer, and he has twice won the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. He has previously worked as an actor and stand-up comedian on British television and still writes regularly for the BBC. He lives in London with his wife and two children.

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    Reviews for Die of Shame

    4/5

    54 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is a very good mystery that had me guessing until the end (although the author did cheat with the facts a little). The characters are members of a support group for recovering addicts, including the leader of the group. The members have various addictions including drugs, alcohol, food and shopping. When one of the members of the group is brutally murdered, the police suspect that something that happened in the group led to the killing. In the group each member is encouraged to share a secret shame that contributed to their addiction.The story is told from the point of view of each of the characters, and switches back and forth between the time before the murder ("then") and after the murder ("now"). I found that a little confusing at first, but I probably wasn't paying close enough attention to the headings. The characters weren't really a likable group, and I really hated the victim by the end of the book, but each of the characters held my attention and I was entertained by this story. I also like the sort of "open" ending.The audiobook was read by the author and he did an excellent job with the narration.I received a free copy of the e-book from the publisher, but I wound up borrowing and listening to the audiobook from the library.
    • 5/5
      A group of six people meet to discuss their addictions. One of them is killed so which one of the group is guilty. Its up to DI Nicola Tanner to find out. This is a stand alone book and not a Tom Thorne. However Thorne does make an appearance near the end, and my favourite character Phil Hendricks makes a show.Another solid outing from the brilliant Mark Billingham with a satisfactory why and why not. I found I was in the right direction in working it out but got the wrong character. It was a change from Tom Thorne but quite easily have been a novel with him in it. I found I read this book very quickly as it was a nice easy read and not too taxing. Some thrillers can become too complicated and I find I can lose track.This book I found very Agatha Christie as in a group of mismatched characters meet and one is murdered. Which one of the group could it be. They are all likely candidates, all could have motive. A very enjoyable read and I never tire of Mark Billingham, and I have been to see him and hes a really nice guy.
    • 5/5
      This book is not much of an advert for group therapy! Five recovering addicts meet every Monday night at the home of their therapist Tony for a group session, until one of them is murdered. This is a Nicola Tanner book, although Tom Thorne appears in the last chapter. I found it a compelling read and it kept me guessing - I thought I knew who did it, but I was wrong.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      Die of Shame, a standalone mystery by Mark Billingham, is an intriguing whodunit that also offers a fascinating peek into the world of recovery and addiction.

      Each week, five disparate, recovering addicts attend a group therapy session in the home of their therapist Tony DeSilva. Robin Joffe, is an anesthesiologist who managed to salvage his career but not his marriage after he became addicted to drugs. Heather Finlay is both a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and she has also had a bit of trouble with a gambling addiction. Diana Knight used alcohol to cope with her divorce and now dealing with her daughter’s enmity and her ex-husband’s impending fatherhood with his girlfriend, she has turned into a compulsive shopper. Chris Clemence’s sobriety is tenuous as he struggles to secure housing and finds himself in financial straits due to his inability to maintain a budget. Newcomer Caroline Armitage is battling an addiction to prescription painkillers while also trying to take control of her overeating. Tony DeSilva is no stranger to addiction since he, too, once had a substance abuse problem but his current issues are much closer to home. His marriage is strained and his teenage daughter Emma is battling a few demons of her own. He is stunned to learn about the murder of one of his patients and much to Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner dismay, he is extremely protective of the remaining members of the group. Although DeSilva refuses to divulge any information about his clients or their last session, DI Tanner tirelessly works to solve the murder.

      From very different walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds, the therapy group members have forged a friendship of sorts outside of their sessions. They gather after their weekly meetings to discuss what happened during that evening’s therapy session and they also offer one another additional support. Some of the members have formed secondary friendships and they sometimes spend time together in purely social settings. After Caroline joins their weekly sessions, the dynamic between the original members begins to shift as she befriends everyone and while some of the changes are positive, tempers flare and suspicions grow after a few whispered suggestions stir up conflict.

      Nicola has her work cut out for her during the murder investigation. DeSilva is not the only person who is not talking since the remaining support group attendees also adhere to the strict confidentiality guidelines for their sessions. However, bit by bit, Nicola begins to piece together the last therapy session that the victim attended and she is convinced the murder is somehow connected to this meeting. Although she has a viable working theory, obtaining the proof to back up her supposition is easier said than done, but Nicola tenaciously keeps working the case.

      In addition to the chapters dedicated to the investigation and the various relationships among the therapy group, there are a few chapters that feature visits between an inmate and a mystery visitor. Their discussions are quite fascinating but it is impossible to understand how they figure into the murder and subsequent investigation. However, the intrigue surrounding these chapters becomes crystal clear when the killer’s identity is eventually revealed.

      Die of Shame is a riveting mystery with a somewhat unusual storyline. Quite different than the typical police procedural, the novel mainly focuses on the characters and their struggles with the addiction. Mark Billingham once carefully conceals the perpetrator’s identity and motive for the crime with some brilliant misdirects and clever red herrings. Although not every thread is neatly wrapped up, readers will be satisfied with the novel’s conclusion. All in all, it is an absolutely phenomenal whodunit that fans of the genre are sure to love.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books Billingham has ever written; gripping thriller that had me guessing up until the very end. And set in my neighbourhood in London!
    • 4/5
      Mark Billingham has been on my must read list for many years. I love his DI Tom Thorne series. His newest book is a stand alone called Die of Shame. Six recovering addicts meet on Monday nights in their therapist's home office. They are varied group - straight, gay, rich, poor, male, female, working, unemployed, young, old etc. But addiction doesn't discriminate.Billingham employs a then and now format in his novel. (I always enjoy this style - two stories running concurrently until they inevitably collide.) Then is meeting the participants, sitting in on the group meeting, observing the interactions, the dynamics and the tensions. And Tony the therapist's questionable therapy method. He wants each member to expose the thing they are most ashamed of in front of the others.....The now? One of the members is dead. Is it a random killing? Could it be one of the remaining five? The reader is privy to insider knowledge that the police don't have - what happens in the circle can't be repeated.Spliced into the story are short meetings between a convict and an unknown visitor. " '...all those questions, and I reckon you just want to know what it's like.....To kill someone.' 'The visitor's face breaks into a grin. Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'll know for myself soon enough."Billingham has written a slower paced suspense novel this time 'round. The focus is more on the characters, their actions, reactions, mindsets, thoughts and judgements rather than on crime details. Die of Shame is more of a psychological mystery than a plot driven read.I thought all of the players were extremely well drawn - none of them are very likable, but the reader still feels empathy. I thought Billingham did a good job of depicting recovering addicts. There was one character that I had my suspicions about. And I was proven right - but the reason behind it was a surprise. The investigating team of Tanner and Chall are also given a good backstory (especially Tanner - it would be nice to see more of her) and do their job well, but I wasn't as invested in them as Tom Thorne. (Yes, I miss him)The last sentence of the book was absolutely perfect and had me exclaiming out loud. I'm very curious if this will go further or it was just a nice little ending to grab the reader.
    • 4/5
      Therapist Tony de Silva believes that shame can trigger addictive behaviors. In his Monday evening therapy group, he asks the five participants, all recovering addicts, to reveal their stories of shame in order to get to the root of their addictions and aid their recovery. However, one of the group is subsequently found murdered, and DI Nicola Tanner, charged with the investigation, soon realizes that the person responsible is likely to be connected to the therapy group. But with psychotherapy bound by strict confidentiality rules and with the group members as ex-addicts proficient at keeping secrets and distorting the truth, Tanner and her sidekick, Dipak Chall, are struggling to find sufficient evidence for their theory.Die of Shame was an engrossing character-driven and well-paced mystery. From the respected older doctor to the young male prostitute to the middle-aged housewife who was left by her husband for a newer model, the five group members were so diverse in their backgrounds and their addictions, it was absolutely fascinating to learn their histories and observe their interactions. I wasn't particularly fond of any of the characters, that includes the rather aloof DI Tanner and the hazy therapist, but all of them were totally mesmerizing to follow. I ended up suspecting all of them at some stage.The changes in the timeline and the alternating points of view were a little tricky to follow at times but the way all the information was gradually drip-fed until it all came together was done very effectively. It's obvious the author spent time researching addiction and therapy, as the sessions and the characters were very believable.I have been aware of Mark Billingham's well-known Tom Thorne series although I have never read or watched any of it, so I went into this without any expectation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Die of Shame, which is a stand-alone novel, and will now make an effort to become better acquainted with Mark Billingham's other work.I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 2/5
      Ok lets get one thing straight I am a big fan of Detective Inspector Tom Thorne and I think Mark Billingham has done a wonderful job in creating a flawed yet very likeable policeman. I also thought that Sleepyhead was a truly great debut story and good introduction to Thorne with his unenviable taste in music and his odd choice of friendship in the heavily tattooed pathologist Phil Hendricks. I recently reviewed and awarded 5 stars to From the Dead (Tom Thorne 9) and 4 stars to Time of Death (Tom Thorne 13)Die of Shame is a departure from the Thorne series and is a standalone novel in its own right. Unfortunately it fails on many levels to make an impression on me and apart from the odd unexpected moment it will not be remembered by me as Mr Billinghams's finest hour.The story revolves around the periodic meetings of a group of addicts at the home of their mentor and group leader Tony De Silva. One of the group meets an untimely and somewhat gruesome death and it is the task of DI Nicola Tanner to uncover the truth and bring the perpetrator to justice. Unfortunately we spend little time getting to know DI Tanner and indeed the investigation seems to be secondary to the ramblings and tedious intricacies of the various members who comprise the group meetings. The following is a typical example of the type of group exchanges that occur throughout and seem to me to be totally at odds with what we should be concerned with ie solving the murder!...."Can I suggest that rage is only part of it? It's needy, Heather says. I really don't mean that in a negative way. I promise. Obviously you feel angry, but I think you basically want to be reassured that it wasn't your fault. That's what the drinking was really about."There are some high moments, I especially enjoyed when Tanner had to consult with pathologist Hendricks and I was eager to see what her first impressions would be and how she would react to his flamboyance "Phillip Hendricks was not Tanner's favourite pathologist. There was no question about his competence or diligence, but he could be a little....flashy. Quite literally sometimes, if one of his facial piercings caught the light in the post-mortem suite. Who knew how many piercings, tattoos everywhere, the shaved head. If felt showy to Tanner, unnecessary. It seemed wholly unsuitable considering the nature of his job."I felt the author should have explored Tanner's personal and work life in greater detail following her thinking as she attempted to unravel and solve a complex investigation. That said the conclusion of the story was both exciting and totally unexpected, a masterstroke by Billingham who caught me totally unaware and made me smile in equal measure. I received a free copy of this book for and honest review and that is what I have written.