The Killing Habit

Mark Billingham

Formats & Editions

'One of the great series of British crime fiction' The Times

From multi-million-copy number one bestseller Mark Billingham comes a twisting, unbearably gripping DI Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner thriller inspired by a dramatic real-life case.

How do you catch a killer who is yet to kill?

We've all heard about the signs: coldness, cruelty, lack of empathy. DI Tom Thorne knows the psychological profile of a psychopath all too well, so when pets start disappearing on suburban London streets, he sees a chance to stop a future murderer.

Others are less convinced, so Thorne relies on DI Nicola Tanner to help him solve the case, before the culprit starts hunting people. The journey brings them face to face with a killer who will tear their lives apart.

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'A new Mark Billingham is always a treat and THE KILLING HABIT hurls the reader straight into the action. Thoroughly enjoyable for being so very real' SUSIE STEINER

'Mark Billingham on superb form. A finely paced and polished procedural, with twists and turns galore and an ending that will chill your soul' CARA HUNTER

'An unconventional literary superstar' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'As ever with Billingham, a rich cast of characters and tense situations are marshalled with panache, leading to a final terrifying encounter' FINANCIAL TIMES

'Thorne is a terrific invention' IRISH INDEPENDENT

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Praise for The Killing Habit

  • One of the great series of British crime fiction - The TimesAs ever with Billingham, a rich cast of characters and tense situations are marshalled with panache, leading to a final terrifying encounter - Financial TimesA new Mark Billingham is always a treat and The Killing Habit hurls the reader straight into the action. Thoroughly enjoyable for being so very real. - Susie Steiner, author of Missing, Presumed and Persons UnknownMark Billingham on superb form. A finely paced and polished procedural, with twists and turns galore and an ending that will chill your soul. - Cara Hunter, author of Close to HomeAn unconventional literary superstar - Mail on Sunday

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Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham has twice won the Theakston Old Peculier Award for Crime Novel of the Year, the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British writer and in 2026 he was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for an outstanding lifetime contribution to the genre. Sleepyhead and Scaredy Cat were made into a hit TV series on Sky 1 starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne, and a series based on the novels In the Dark and Time of Death was broadcast on BBC1. Mark lives in north London with his wife and two children.

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