Mark Billingham

Harvard Book Store welcomes award-winning thriller novelists MARK BILLINGHAM and JOSEPH FINDER for a discussion of Billingham's latest book, Die of Shame, a chilling story of addiction, subterfuge, and murder.

About Die of Shame

Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about shame. A respected doctor, a well-heeled housewife, a young male prostitute . . . they could not be more different. All they have in common is a history of addiction. But when one of the group is murdered, it quickly becomes apparent that someone else in that circle is responsible. The investigation is hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these individuals and their therapist together, which makes things difficult for Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner, a woman who can appreciate the desire to keep personal matters private. If she is to find the killer, she will need to use less obvious means. The question is: What could be shameful enough to cost someone their life? And how do you find the truth when secrets, lies, and denial are second nature to all of your suspects?

Praise

“A laser-sharp focus on the world's worst therapy group . . . A boiling Petri dish of alliances forged, strained, and broken amid the background of nonstop, sometimes knife-edged conflict. The solution, when it arrives, is satisfying enough. But it's the group portrait of the Monday-night therapy group, the most mismatched set of intimates since your own last family gathering, that lingers longest in the memory.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Shifting between past group sessions and Tanner’s present-day investigation, Billingham builds a complex plot that is as much a whodunit as it is an examination of addiction and the lies people tell themselves to survive.” —Publishers Weekly

“Billingham skillfully layers the deceits and betrayals concealing a satisfying twist. A must-read for Val McDermid fans.” —Booklist