In The Dark [Hardcover]

'Right up there with this country's dark masters such as Ian Rankin and Val McDermid' Time Out '[A] brisk, racy read' The Times 'Assured and shocking thriller' The Guardian 'A cunning variation on the serial-murder theme' Sunday Telegraph 'Scary, pell-mell, cliff-hanging thriller' Literary Review

'In The Dark is not only a top-notch mystery and a convincing portrait of crack-dealing on south London estates but a moving exploration of grief. Many so-called literary novels achieve far less and are by no means as impressive.'

`Just because Billingham doesn't rely here on the cunning of his long-serving DI, Tom Thorne, for the leg work, it doesn't mean that the plot is not stuffed with some fancy twists and turns. In fact, the departure has clearly given Billingham a shot in the arm... In The Dark is edgy, pacy and frighteningly plausible.'

'Among the author's most thought-provoking work...after In The Dark, many readers will be hoping that Billingham chooses to air his ideas in this way again.'

A uniquely disturbing thriller from the bestselling creator of the Inspector Thorne novels

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.

A DEADLY CRASH A rainy night in London. It seems that a chilling gang initiation has cost an innocent victim their life. But the reality is far more sinister... A DANGEROUS QUEST A pregnant woman struggles desperately to uncover the truth, and makes herself a target in the process. Just weeks from giving birth, how will she survive in a world where death is an occupational hazard? A SHOCKING TWIST In a city 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. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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.