Mark Billingham - The Burning Girl (2005)
Reviewed by Fiona Walker
Mark Billingham’s protagonist DI Tom Thorne follows the great tradition of male police officers: the flawed hero, with a bit of music thrown into the mix, either to indicate what a thoughtful, mournful chap they are (Bosch with his jazz), how intellectual and secretly sensitive (Morse with his classical), what a wild boy they are (Rebus with practically anything), and Tom Thorne has his fondness for country music, as if to say, “What a quirky chap I am.” Unfortunately, like the shaven-headed homosexual pathologist who strains for originality with his myriad piercings, it doesn’t work for me, and Thorne is very nearly one clichéd cop too far.
In Billingham’s first books, that was alright, as his plots were incredibly inventive and original enough to satisfy, but when Lazybones came out and was practically the same as the first two in terms of plot structure, even that wasn’t enough. Lazybones was thus not as satisfying, despite the fact that it did mark a definite growing-up point in the series. Fortunately, The Burning Girl breaks entirely new ground for Thorne, with a whole new plot structure that is refreshing and, quite frankly, excellent. Thorne may still be almost one stereotype too far (he even works, as is required for almost every single protagonist in the world, with The World’s Most Fantastic Pathologist) but he is just about good enough, and as long as Billingham keeps his series fresh and his plots as good as this, then everything should tick over quite nicely.
I didn’t actually expect to like this book. It sees Thorne plunged into a war between two London gangs, the Ryan family and the New Kids on the Block, the Turkish Zarif family. I generally dislike gangland stories (which means I have to keep away from Martina Cole at all costs); the only authors who’ve ever got me excited about them are Ian Rankin and David Lawrence. (The latter is especially recommended if you’re already a Billingham fan.)
Members of Billy Ryan’s gang are being clinically slain. Each body has an X carved into its back. The turf war is going to get even worse, because Ryan sooner or later will have to retaliate, and it could be very messy indeed. Thorne already has enough to think about with helping out ex-DCI Carol Chamberlain on a cold case that’s suddenly sparked into light again.
Twenty years ago, schoolgirl Jessica Clarke was turned into a human torch, mistaken for the daughter of the gangland boss of the day – whose empire Billy Ryan would later come to inherit. But now events are taking a worrying turn: Gordon Rooker, the man who confessed and who Carol put away for the crime, is up for release, and there seems as if there’s a copycat at large. Plus, Carol’s getting worrying late night calls: “I burned her,” a voice says in the dark.
Those already listed troubles aren’t the only ones I have with Billingham’s work. It’s probably the fact that I’ve had an overexposure to this kind of book, or that the author has watched a few too many episodes of “The Bill,” but everyone seems to talk in such clichéd cop-speak in an attempt to make it authentic, convincing. Unfortunately, as realistic as it may be (I’ve no idea, after all), it doesn’t convince me much, despite the undoubted quality of the work overall.
Still, despite all my fussy griping, this is a fantastic crime novel. It moved very quickly (some may feel too quickly), but without the expense of character or plot, which is a rare trick to pull off. Tom Thorne is certainly likeable enough, as are all the characters. Carol Chamberlain (one of a group of retired high-ranking officers who’ve been drafted back to work on a Cold Case Squad) is a masterly creation, and by rights should have her own series, such a unique protagonist would she make. A true original, which proves that Billingham really can do it. The plot constantly surprises, and the ending is quite simply excellent, although I pleased myself by guessing one of the twists. The final pages are very moving indeed, and in all honesty may make you cry. Give Billingham a try. I suspect that his big book is yet to come. The Burning Girl, though, is the best thing he’s written since he’s debut.
Posted by Fiona Walker in Book Reviews | Permalink
