The Last Dance by Mark Billingham #TheLastDance @MarkBillingham @BooksSphere @laurasherlock21 #BookReview

 

Meet Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated...

He's a detective, a dancer, he has no respect for authority ­- and he's the best hope Blackpool has for keeping criminals off the streets. Meet Detective Declan Miller.

A double murder in a seaside hotel sees a grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out?

Despite a somewhat dubious relationship with both reality and his new partner, can the eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where his colleagues have found only an impossible puzzle?

The Last Dance by Mark Billingham was published on 25 May 2023 by Sphere. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This review was originally published in the June Edition of the National Federation for Occupational Pensioners Magazine. 

Mark Billingham is a multi-award-winning, international best selling crime fiction author. The Last Dance is the first book of a new series from Billingham; the first new series from him in twenty years

Detective Declan Miller is based in Blackpool; a town well-known for sparkling illuminations and trashy amusement arcades, Bed and Breakfast landladies and ballroom dancing at the Tower.

Miller has recently returned to work after the death of his Detective wife who was murdered whilst working. It really is far too soon to return, but a double murder in a local hotel is serious enough for him to get his suit back on and take on the case. 

Miller is teamed up with a new partner on this one; DS Sarah Xiu, who Miller nicknames ‘Posh Gravy’. She’s the total opposite of Miller, yet they work so well together, despite Miller’s jokes flying over the top of her head at the speed of light. 

This is an intriguing case which takes the reader far from the glittery world of seaside Blackpool and deep into the underworld of crime gangs, violence and deprived areas. 

Whilst this is full of Billingham’s dark and dry humour, it is also a fine crime fiction adventure. Miller is a wonderfully created character, far more than just a cop, he’s also a ballroom dancer and keeper of rats. There are poignant and touching moments when Miller ‘speaks’ with his dead wife; asking her advice, always thinking about what she would do in the same situation. The humanity of the characterisation is fascinating and beautifully created. 

The Last Dance is an absolute treat, the first in what I hope will be a very long running series. Miller and Xiu have so much more to show us. 

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.

www.markbillingham.com

Twitter @MarkBillingham