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Mark Billingham
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Rush of Blood Paperback – International Edition, January 1, 2012

by Mark Billingham (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 2,910 ratings
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
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  1. Print length
    398 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little, Brown
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.98 x 1.14 x 9.17 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1847444229
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1847444226
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Amazon Editors' favorite summer reads Amazon%20Editors%27%20favorite%20summer%20reads

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2012
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Export ed
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 398 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1847444229
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1847444226
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.17 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 1.14 x 9.17 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 2,910 ratings

About the author

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Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham

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Mark Billingham is one of the UK's most acclaimed and popular crime writers. A former actor, television writer and stand-up comedian, his series of novels featuring D.I. Tom Thorne has twice won him the Crime Novel Of The Year Award as well as the Sherlock Award for Best British Detective and been nominated for seven CWA Daggers. His standalone thriller IN THE DARK was chosen as one of the twelve best books of the year by the Times and his debut novel, SLEEPYHEAD was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade. Each of his novels has been a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.

A television series based on the Thorne novels was screened in Autumn 2010, starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne and a BBC series based on the standalone thrillers IN THE DARK and TIME OF DEATH was shown in 2017.

Mark is also a member of Fun Lovin' Crime Writers. Performing alongside Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Stuart Neville, Doug Johnstone and Luca Veste, this band of frustrated rockers murders songs for fun at literary festivals worldwide.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
2,910 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this mystery novel engaging, with a different type of thriller that keeps them guessing and turning pages. The book is well-written and easy to read, with compelling characters. They enjoy it as summer reading, and one customer notes it's a stand-alone mystery. The readership receives mixed reactions.

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PlotReadabilityCharacter developmentWriting qualityMystery contentPaceReadership
23 customers mention "Plot"20 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as a different type of thriller with wonderful twists and surprises at the end.

"...The story has a leisurely (yet thoroughly interesting) build-up, allowing the reader to get to "know" each couple individually and get..." Read more

"...I have never read this author before, but the storyline intrigued me and I am so glad I purchased it...." Read more

"...As usual: great writing, an original and interesting plot with excellently drawn characters and his innate ability to keep you wondering .... right..." Read more

"...It was difficult getting into it though but now is very interesting" Read more

22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one describing it as a cracker of a read.

"...But certainly, no less than 5-STARS for a mystery that was an incredibly good read!" Read more

"...'s books, I've read them all and met the author - a witty, entertaining, nice guy...." Read more

"...Well enough written and entertaining but not going to be a cherished reading memory." Read more

"...I can't praise this book highly enough other than to say it is the best book I have read in the past 12 months." Read more

15 customers mention "Character development"11 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them compelling, with one customer particularly enjoying the protagonist's chameo appearance.

"...to work but once I got into the story I found that the characters and the plot worked...." Read more

"...books, I've read them all and met the author - a witty, entertaining, nice guy...." Read more

"...No real heroes in this one as everyone has things to hide or loathsome habits...." Read more

"...The characters are believeable and well defined...." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read, with one customer describing it as a stand-alone mystery.

"...The author's talent is sharp and well-presented, especially in the realistic dialog brought to each page; I often felt I was nearby, hearing the..." Read more

"...Well enough written and entertaining but not going to be a cherished reading memory." Read more

"...Its a gripping, well written book about three British couples who befriend each other while on holiday in Florida...." Read more

"...I wasn't. Billingham remains in my top 3 of great crime writers." Read more

5 customers mention "Mystery content"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery content of the book, finding it keeps them guessing, with one customer noting it provides lots of potential suspects.

"I love a book that gives you lots of potential suspects, and pretty much teases you with them the whole way through, so that your thinking who is it..." Read more

"...Great characters . Not only does it keep you guessing till the end iit also gives a great insight into the nitty gritty of relationships. The..." Read more

"It Kept me guessing right to the end. Fabulous book. I couldn't put it down. Would make a terrific movie" Read more

"...This one quite different but still a very good read. Keeping you guessing all the way through." Read more

5 customers mention "Pace"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pace of the book, with one mentioning it keeps them turning the pages.

"...Not as gritty or twisty as a Thorne novel, but a nice change of pace and scenery shouldn't leave fans disappointed. I wasn't...." Read more

"Rush of Blood was very different from the Tom Thorne series. It was pacey and suspenseful with a real twist at the end." Read more

"...Fast paced with a great twist at the end did not expect it coming" Read more

"...your imagination running wild, lifts your terror levels and keeps you turning he pages...." Read more

6 customers mention "Readership"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the readership of the book, with some finding it brilliant while others describe it as aimless and under-researched.

"...Billingham does a reasonably good job at mixing American policing in credibly with his more familiar domain...." Read more

"...A little under-researched, methinks...." Read more

"I love all of Mark Billingham's books, and this one is no exception. I was hooked from the first page!..." Read more

"Whilst I prefer British authors, this effort does not work for me. The characters are not well drawn and the story line is not very punchy either...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Lawrence Baxter
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting new approach
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I have loved Mark Billingham's novels which, until this one, have largely been set in London and the central England and have involved British police procedures. In this novel Billingham tries his hand at a transatlantic combination. At first I thought it was not going to work but once I got into the story I found that the characters and the plot worked. Billingham does a reasonably good job at mixing American policing in credibly with his more familiar domain. By the end of the book the novel had the same momentum for me as all his other works. The change in approach adds a nice diversion for Billingham's readers.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Helene Stephens
    5.0 out of 5 stars No less than 5-STARS for a well-written, intriguing mystery.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I had started to read my first book by Mark Billingham --- "The Dying Hours." The Tom Thorne series had been recommended to me, but I just could not connect with the story. But determined to try another by this author, I went on to read, "Rush of Blood." It was a totally engaging thriller!

    The plot is about 3 British couples who meet on a vacation in Florida, and a strange and bizarre type of friendship develops, linking the couples who plan to continue with each other's company even after the vacation ends and they return to England.

    For a good bit into the story, there is no crime. The only "mystery" is why these couples, who seem to despise each other, keep up the friendship pretext, with shared dinners and evenings out. The story has a leisurely (yet thoroughly interesting) build-up, allowing the reader to get to "know" each couple individually and get familiar with the characteristics and foibles that distinguish them from each other.

    Then - a horrible crime - as a young teenaged girl (one with mental handicaps) - vanishes from the Florida vacation site. If she's been murdered, WHERE is the poor young girl's body? WHO would consider harming her? Is anyone so heinous and calculatingly cruel? How is it possible? And yet, we readers know that the guilty party is most likely a deviate mind lurking within the six British couples. Even before the crime, most readers will have probably decided that the six members of this strange friends "club" are not very nice people. After the murder, we're all sure of it

    Now that the couples have the shared experience of the crime, they seem incapable of putting the matter behind them. They return to England, and conversation at their shared events consists of thoughts and speculations about the missing girl. Then, once the girl's body is found, a young detective constable (in training) begins conducting follow-up interviews; the novice detective constable is determined to be very thorough. Her questioning rattles the six friends, and tensions develop.

    This is a unique setup for a mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed the originality, the characterizations, the plot, everything! The author's talent is sharp and well-presented, especially in the realistic dialog brought to each page; I often felt I was nearby, hearing the excited, outraged, and curious chatter-gossip amongst the six friends. Very clever twists, interesting in all ways -- well, I just LOVED this book.

    Murder among friends? Maybe. But certainly, no less than 5-STARS for a mystery that was an incredibly good read!
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  • Ms Terry
    3.0 out of 5 stars Vacation Yarn - Good perhaps, for vacation reading
    Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I love Mark Billingham's books, I've read them all and met the author - a witty, entertaining, nice guy. It's slightly painful therefore to give Billingham only 3 stars for Rush of Blood- not my usual 5. I read a lot and mostly crime but am usually kept guessing till the end by really good writing. Unfortunately in this outing I guessed both the perp and the twist at the end before I was halfway through, so I kept reading only to verify my guesses. Some British english phrase spoken by the Florida detective was very jarring and made me jump out of the reading zone into a critical zone. A little under-researched, methinks. Buggy, boiling Florida (the last place God made) was made to sound very attractive - that in itself was a masterpiece of fiction but overall, thin plotting and Christie-esque characters made this a bit of a disappointment though I have my next Thorne on pre-order! A fitting beach read, perhaps.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Blue in Washington (Barry Ballow)
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Florida Board of Tourism isn't going to like this one - 4-
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Takes "who done it?" to the extreme as six vacationing Brits are linked to the disappearance of a 14-year old girl in Florida. Author Billingham slathers enough suspicion on each of the six principal characters to make them all likely candidates for murder and creates an extended strip-tease of a procedural that leaves readers hopping from one conclusion about guilt to another. No real heroes in this one as everyone has things to hide or loathsome habits. Well enough written and entertaining but not going to be a cherished reading memory.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jaykay
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great who dunit
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    What a cracker of a read. I was hooked from the start and found it hard to put down. I have never read this author before, but the storyline intrigued me and I am so glad I purchased it. Its a gripping, well written book about three British couples who befriend each other while on holiday in Florida. Just before they are to leave for home a young girl goes missing. The characters are believeable and well defined. I can't praise this book highly enough other than to say it is the best book I have read in the past 12 months.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Tank
    4.0 out of 5 stars Rush of Pages
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Simply another great page turner from Billingham. I changed my mind at least half a dozen times in the "who done it" hunt and was just about right - eventually. The characters are as believable as ever and most want a good shaking at least once through the tale. Not as gritty or twisty as a Thorne novel, but a nice change of pace and scenery shouldn't leave fans disappointed. I wasn't. Billingham remains in my top 3 of great crime writers.
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  • Debra Haylock
    5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and thrilling departure for Billingham.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have to admit to being a little worried after reading the first reviews of this book. I'm a long-time Billingham fan (reading Scaredy Cat on release) and was counting down the days until the release of the new book.
    Happily, I can say that although this is a departure from his previous books, it's every bit as good.
    As usual: great writing, an original and interesting plot with excellently drawn characters and his innate ability to keep you wondering .... right to the last page.
    Loved it!
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  • Judy B
    3.0 out of 5 stars A bit disappointing.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Whilst I prefer British authors, this effort does not work for me. The characters are not well drawn and the story line is not very punchy either. It rolls along quite well but I would hesitate to recommend it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • D. M. Findon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent as always
    Reviewed in Spain on January 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Good plot and characters, skilfully crafted, plus opening created for, one, possibly two Tom Thorne novels. (Why did he get busted down to uniform and does he uncover the real killer?
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  • Lilly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tolles Buch
    Reviewed in Germany on January 23, 2018
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    Gleich vorweg: das war das erste Buch dieses Autors, das ich gelesen habe. Soweit ich schnell beim Stöbern gesehen habe, ist es eines seiner Werke außerhalb seiner Thom Thorne Reihe, die ich nicht kenne. Rush of Blood hat mir sehr gut gefallen, meiner Meinung nach einmal eine andere Art von Thriller, der bis zum Schluß spannend bleibt. Ich bevorzuge die englische Originalversion, da ich glaube, dass der britische Schreibstil und die Umgangssprache zusätzlich dazu beitragen, dass das Buch so toll ist. Klare Empfehlung!
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend it to any serious fans of the murder mystery ...
    Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Warning: This book is hard to put down once you start it !! It is the second book by Mark Billingham I have read & it will not be my last. I highly recommend it to any serious fans of the murder mystery genre.
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    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in India on September 4, 2016
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    It's OK. Enjoyable.
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  • Jl Adcock
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping - a new direction for Billingham's thrillers?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    As Mark Billingham writes in the acknowledgements section of this book, it's good for writers to occasionally step outside the comfort zone and try something new. He's certainly done that here with 'Rush of Blood' - a non-Tom Thorne novel that moves away from the police procedural and instead comes at the storyline from an altogether more psychological perspective.

    The story centres around 3 UK couples, who could be implicated in the disappearance of a child whilst holidaying in Florida. With considerable skill, Billingham unfolds the stories of his characters - none of them particularly likeable - but all of whom seem damaged enough in their own ways to be possible suspects as the events unfold.

    Impressively, the book holds the attention all the way, and only right at the very end does a slight over-egging of the plot reduce the overall impact and drama of things. That said, Billingham's writing style is so much more measured and controlled now from when he started out at the beginning of the Thorne series, and in many ways I think this is his best book to date.

    Billingham has taken a risk here, and 'Rush of Blood' certainly won't appeal to all of his fans who prefer the Thorne series, which in my view was becoming a little stale. With 'Rush of Blood', Billingham shows he's actually quite comfortable working in different styles of crime writing, and certainly much more successful than some other big name crime writers who struggle a bit when they move away from the formula of a character-series. Here, he's probably opened up a raft of new possibilities for extending his range, and Billingham is to be applauded for making a decision that has paid off well.

    A genuinely suspenseful novel that tackles a number of difficult themes with real skill in storytelling. Recommended.
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