Lazybones (Hardcover)

Ten days ago convicted rapist Doug Remfry was released from prison. Now, he has been horrifically murdered, and a macabre wreath ordered for him from a florist. What anger drove his killer to this act? Was it vengeance for his victim, or something that happened to him in prison, or something else entirely?

It is only when the body of a second released rapist is found, killed in an identical way, and another wreath ordered, that Tom Thorne realises that they are up against a completely different, even more chilling and twistedly driven killer than they at first thought. But how can Thorne fight with all he has if he cares so little for the victims? Thorne will have to dig very deep inside indeed to put a stop to this most cold and calculating of killers.

This is another original serial killer thriller from Mark Billingham. It's very dark and it's good, but it lacks something that his previous books had. I never felt the urge to race through it as I did with Sleepyhead (maybe because there isn't a great deal of urgency created through the killings. After all, if the investigator himself finds it hard to care, so will the reader), and the prose isn't so special as it first felt in his debut. But maybe that's just because I'm used to it a bit more now, I'm not sure. Indeed, there is something about the writing style that doesn't quite fit right, but that might be just me. Or maybe I'm just getting used to his rather unchangeable "formula" (and he certainly does have one). Billingham's very original formula has remained static through his first three books, and with each one that formula has been exposed a little more, and the power of each additional book is very much less.

Still, Thorne remains a good lead character, human and flawed as the most popular detectives are. There's also a solid cast of subsidiary characters: Phil Hendricks, the quirky, earinged pathologist, Yvonne, Dave Holland (who, in this book, gets a nice chunk of subplot and character development). The plot itself is a great concept, and discovering the history and motivations of the killer through flashbacks is fascinating once again, as it was in Scaredy Cat (indeed, it's even becoming a kind of "Billingham trademark device".) The conclusion, too, is exciting and tense and dark, even if it's not exceptionally difficult to see it coming or guess "whodunnit".

Lazybones is disappointing, certainly, but it is ultimately still a worth a read, even if it's at times tiresome and not of the very highest class set by "Sleepyhead"; even if there is something lacking that I can't quite put my finger on...

So what’s the difference in this book? I’m glad you asked. Whereas the majority of victims in serial killer stories are either women or children, the victims here are male. The killer targets sex offenders who are nearing the end of their prison sentence, luring them in with a series of letters full of adoration and promise. After they leave prison it doesn’t take a lot of effort to lure them to a hotel room where they expect to meet their adoring pen pal. What they actually meet is rather different. The story starts off with Thorne being called to the first crime scene which contains a victim left in a very distinctive pose. It’s enough to make everyone working on the case passionate about catching the killer.

The strength of this series, and it was reinforced in LAZYBONES, lies in the characters that make up the Serious Crime Group (West) team. Apart from a strong character development within each book, there is also a continuation from book to book. So while it would be a good idea to read the series in order, it is not essential if you don’t mind playing catch up. Tom Thorne is a terrific lead character although he does fall under the rather clichéd role of the policeman devoted to his job, so much so that he has a failed marriage in his past and an occasionally lonely lifestyle in his present. He is, however, instantly likable possessed with a sardonic wit and a strong conviction that he can make a difference.

I know that when some people hear that a book involves serial killers, they immediately discard that book / series as being not for them. I’ve heard a few people comment about Billingham that even though they’re not fans of serial killer stories, they still really like his books. I can understand this comment because even though his books detail murders he is not overly graphic in his descriptions, nor is he gratuitous in his portrayal of the murders.