so disappointed

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

no, I felt I was trawling through it

Would you be willing to try another book from Mark Billingham? Why or why not?

yes, ive read all of his previous books and loved them

Would you listen to another book narrated by Mark Billingham?

yes however I do prefer the previous narrator

Could you see Die of Shame being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

no

Any additional comments?

just so disappointed, having read all of his books I downloaded this and waited for my days off so I could be totally immersed in it as with his previous books, but that didn't happen, it was really hard going and as I was convinced it would get better at some point I kept going, in the end I didn't care who did it or why

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Disappointing but great ending

Not the strongest of his. Previous books without Thorne have actually been pretty decent, but here the pace was far too slow and the characters, as well as being underdeveloped, never broke the mould of the cliched stereotypes they started off as: from the drug addled gay guy to the moody, weed smoking daughter. Hopefully the next will be a Thorne book and much improved! Still, can't help but love Billingham's books, even when they are slow. There's a darkness about them I just love.

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Good story which moves along

I have read many of the Tom Thorne series and this is a bit different. It moves along well (partly because Mark Billingham reads it slightly too quickly but you get used to it) although many of the characters are not that likeable. Although Mark Billingham reads it well and obviously in the way he means it to be read, I did find that the characters' voices didn't have the distinction that the most accomplished actors bring to audio books. But it's better than some, so wouldn't be put off.

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Difficult Subject.

You always reach a point in a book where you have to decide if you actually care what happens in the end. But although I reached that point midway, I carried on.

I think it was all about a total dislike of all the characters, so who "did it" didn't really matter.

But it's well written and read, so I was pleased with the outcome.

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The Only Shame is That I’ve Finished it!

My first but definitely not my last by Mark Billingham. This is one of those books that simply resonated with me from the start. I don’t know if it was the quality of the writing, the excellent narration or indeed the story which is built upon the strong foundations of richly developed characters. Addiction is a tough subject to get right but this is a book that to me does just that. From the off the group and the characters involved with it are believable. The story is their story and is told with a clever “Then and Now” dual timeline where even the identity of the victim is kept tantalisingly close for a while before being revealed allowing the main story to develop.

This is a modern whodunit of some quality, the answers are not obvious and are cleverly revealed. Throughout the book the directions and pointers towards possible motives and suspects are cleverly done and never leave the bounds of credibility. The characters grow and interact to move the plot forwards until we reach what to me was a very satisfying conclusion.

I normally see it as a warning flag when the author narrates his own story but Billingham is most definitely both a reader and a writer and shows considerable skill in breathing life into his characters. This one is not quite my usual fayre but I have no hesitation recommending it!

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13 people found this helpful

great book

Would you consider the audio edition of Die of Shame to be better than the print version?

Yes , I love the different characters and the way they come across on audible

What was one of the most memorable moments of Die of Shame?

all of it

Which scene did you most enjoy?

every scene with Tony

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

believable

Any additional comments?

Great story , down to earth with a touch of humor , another great book by the author

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7 people found this helpful

A bit meh

Im usually a huge fan of Mark Billingham’s work but this one left me cold. A bog standard Agatha Christie who-dun-it style murder mystery set in contemporary London, we’re left with a resolve of sorts, but with an oddly open ending, which was only redeemed slightly by a cameo of a particularly familiar character.

Book was focused mainly on the group of characters, with very little input by the dull as dishwater main protagonist, detective Tanner. No character building here.

Dull book indeed. I expected better.

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Brilliant

Have listen to all of Mark's books, the best one so far this is his imperial bedroom or London's Calling.

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5 people found this helpful

another great story!

I love Mark's books and this one didn't disappoint, kept me interested right from the beginning

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3 people found this helpful

So good it's a shame it had to end

Absolutely brilliant can't wait for more.....hooked from beginning to the end.....author as narrator excellent. I'll be definitely reading and listening to more novels by Mark.......so glad I found him and Audible

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