Death Message on Sale Now?

[ChrisH]

I actually think Mark does the "whodunnit twist" very well and is perhaps the reason I prefer those books (if anything, THE BURNING GIRL was probably my least fave, though still very good).

You can intellectualise crime fiction as much as you want - and MANY do, including sometimes the writers of such fiction themselves (to the point of almost apologising for the genre - that old SNOBBERY again! - I hate it!) but for me, you just can't beat a good MYSTERY - and indeed a mystery KILLER - to keep you glued to the story and turning the pages to the very end. All my favourite crime novels and stories have this quality (Val McDermid's THE MERMAIDS SINGING is yet another excellent example of such storytelling).

So, I for one, hope that Mark doesn't move away too much... but then, that's just my opinion...

[tzara]

Got to agree with you ChrisH about the genre snobbery, there's a lot of literary rubbish out there that couldn't hold a candle up to the writers of crime genre.

For me, Val McD is the Queen of  psychological mystery, she never fails to leave me feeling in awe of her skill in holding the reader to every word, and the mounting tension as the story unfolds.

Death Message sits waiting for me to finish the book of the month...today had things I just had to do, kept me from finishing it. Ever felt like shouting GO AWAY leave me alone to read.

[chelbel]

All the bloody time!  If only we had even one more hour in the day!

[Beadnell]

... Ever felt like shouting GO AWAY leave me alone to read.

YES!  You're on the bus and some mouth-breather inarticulate moron grunts, "Gud buk?" "It was, until you sat down next to me.  Jealous that I can read? See, no pictures, just words!"

Don't you wish you could be paid to read?  That would be a great job.  Course, what do you do on your break?  Hmm.

[Linda L]

I agree Beadnell, I miss Thornes Dad.  Hopefully "Tom will wake up and its all a dream and his dad isn't dead".......golly watching too many soap operas 

[Beadnell]

Like that one Dallas episode! And Thorne isn't a cop, he's a frustrated English Lit teacher!  "It felt so real!"

[Beadnell]

Yay!  Hopefully by the 13th August I'll have a copy of Death Message, that is if my friend will have time to pick one up when they're at the airport.  If not, oh well.  I can wait until it's published here.

[Joes Spleen]

I ordered the hardback off the internet, and they sent me an E-mail saying it was posted yesterday! Can't wait.

[kazzz38]

Went into Waterstones today and they had Death Message in hardback on the shelves 

[smudge]

WH Smiths are already recruiting no necked bouncers to prevent me keeping the Billingham book at No.1 for a month (not that he needs help)despite the release of Phli Collins autobiog "Another Day In Eternal Purgatory" and the authorised biographies of ten slaggy/vain/meal ticket seeking/frankly prozzie Big Brother losers (6 female, 4 male) and `The Tony Wilson Only I Knew` by Mr Smudge.

[Beadnell]

My friend didn't get a chance to pick up a copy of Death Message when she was in the airport, but that's OK, I can wait until it's published here.  (It might already be in Chapters!  I'll have to check tommorow.)