Blurb:

This is one case Miller won’t want to open . . .

Unconventional Detective Declan Miller has a problem. Still desperate to solve the murder of his wife, a young man has just appeared on his doorstep with a briefcase . . . containing a pair of severed hands.

Miller knows this case is proof of a contract killing commissioned by local ne’er do well Wayne Cutler – a man he suspects might also be responsible for his wife’s death. Now Miller has leverage, but unfortunately he also has something that both Cutler and a villainous fast-food kingpin are desperate to get hold of.

Chuck in a Midsomer Murders-obsessed hitman, a psychotic welder and a woman driven over the edge by a wayward Crème Egg, and Miller is in a mess that even he might not be able to dance his way out of.

Review:

It felt like a big leap for Mark Billingham to move away from Tom Thorne in The Last Dance, but I loved it and I think The Wrong Hands may be even better. I love the writing style, especially that it allows for humour and some very British cultural references that appealed very much to my own sense of fun. However, Declan Miller is a much more complex character than he appears at face value and I loved how Mark Billingham developed his character in The Wrong Hands to give the reader even more to get their teeth into. Miller is grieving for his wife and this creates a more serious side to him beneath the humour, as well as creating a very compelling story arc that runs across the series.

I also love Miller’s partnership with Sara Xiu as I think they work very well together and I like the way their chemistry has developed. I hope this series continues so we have a chance to see how this develops further.

When I reviewed The Last Dance, I commented that the character development took precedence over the plot; however, I feel that it is more balanced in The Wrong Hands, and as a result, the story is much more tense and compelling. It is a fascinating cat and mouse chase with several hairy moments and unpleasant images, and despite the overall lighter tone of the novel, Mark Billingham can still write these scenes incredibly well so that I was on the edge of my seat, struggling to put the book down!

I do hope Declan Miller is back soon.

The Wrong Hands is available from Amazon.