A must for Mark Billingham fans, this is a lavish signed and numbered limited hardback edition of his groundbreaking first Tom Thorne novel contains a new foreword by Lee Child exclusive to this edition.

Alison Willetts has survived a stroke, deliberately induced by a skilful manipulation of pressure points on the head and neck. She can see, hear and feel but she is completely unable to move or communicate. In leaving Alison Willetts alive, the police believe the killer’s made his first mistake.

Then DI Tom Thorne discovers the horrifying truth: it isn’t Alison who is the mistake, it’s the three women already dead.

Thorne must find a killer whose agenda is disturbingly unique, and Alison, the one person who holds the key to the killer’s identity, is unable to say anything …

In the year Mark Billingham publishes his 20th novel, a prequel to Sleepyhead, this stunning hardback celebrates Tom Thorne’s unforgettable and terrifying first case that changed crime fiction forever.

‘One of my favourite authors’

Harlan Coben

‘A terrifically stylish debut novel’

Independent on Sunday

‘The next superstar detective’

Lee Child