This is a police procedural murder mystery that is greatly enhanced by the flip nature of the protagonist DS Declan Miller. These days he is known primarily for his successful DI Tom Thorne series along with standalones like Rabbit Hole. Mark Billingham’s The Last Dance is published by Grove Atlantic and was released earlier this month. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. These varied activities appear to have influenced The Last Dance, first in his proposed new series about Detective Sergeant Declan Miller.

Funny, moving, and full of surprises, The Last Dance will delight Mark Billingham’s old readers, and have new ones flocking to him in droves. Three not entirely reliable narrators – journalist James, trying to maintain professional distance even as grief for his dead lover draws him in; Root, one of a handful of children being prepared for a special role in the ceremony; and Eve, who is on a quest to find cult leader Sol – pass the narrative baton between them.As The Last Dance beings a new series, we’re pleased there will be opportunities to delve deeper into some of these characters. He has mixed with some pretty scary characters, people in rival crime families, and one of the murder victims is a son from one. A dogged London cop whose beat somehow invariably crosses into the dark side and confronts evil at its cleverest.

Knowing that his wife was assassinated or that Miller makes really bad jokes all the time, they should provided him with a vest for those reasons alone! Billingham ( Sleepyhead) launches a cracking new mystery series featuring the charming, sarcastic British Det. Unofficially Millers’ friends also weigh in on the investigation whilst consuming many pork cracklings and libations at the local pub. Not many people agree especially as his job as a Police Detective leads him straight to a double murder. Maverick sleuth Declan Miller is back at work following the murder of his wife (and amateur ballroom dancing partner) Alex.There are also a host of original supporting characters, many of whom have interesting back stories which are only just touched on in this first book.

Lies After Death is a crime debut for KJ Dando, someone who has had various jobs and has served in the British Army in the Balkans and Iraq. The new central character and setting is also giving the author freer rein to use his biting sense of humour, which was only occasionally evident in the Thorne series. Mark Billingham is one of my go-to authors, he has the most wonderful storytelling abilities, creating memorable characters and sizzling storylines.Sauntered, which was bloody ridiculous and only went to prove that he was brimming with misplaced confidence. His relationship with her is more awkward than expected because she doesn’t get his humour or his jokes. For example, a flashback to Alex’s funeral sees Miller cracking jokes in the midst of mourning his wife. There’s some great humour in this book as Declan has his own form of humour and tries to explain it to his new partner, Xiu.