The Last Dance

Readers looking for a fresh voice in the thriller genre might have found their man in Detective Sergeant Declan Miller, star of the first in a new series Billingham, author of the Tom Thorne series. Detective Sergeant Miller personifies the duality of comedy and tragedy within, all delivered with a cynical wit. After just six weeks and against all advice, DS Miller returns to work following the murder of his wife, Alex, a police officer and champion ballroom dancer. Alex had been investigating a local crime family—the Cutlers—when she died. Declan is teamed with DS Sara Xiu, a heavy-metal and motorcycle fan, who is utterly baffled by her new colleague as they investigate a double murder at a local hotel. As one of the victims is Adrian Cutler, son of the local gangster, they surmise it to be a contract killing gone wrong, but why two victims? Declan calls on all his resources, including retired police officers who share his love of dancing, to solve the case.