Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham is a highly acclaimed and popular crime writer from the United Kingdom. He was born and raised in Birmingham and began his career as an actor, television writer, and stand-up comedian before publishing his first crime novel in 2001. Billingham is best known for his series of novels featuring Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, which has won him numerous awards including the Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Sherlock Award for Best British Detective. His debut novel, "Sleepyhead," was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade.

In addition to his Tom Thorne series, Billingham has also written several standalone thrillers, including "In the Dark," which was chosen as one of the twelve best books of the year by The Times. Each of his novels has been a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, and his work has been adapted for television in the UK. He has been nominated for seven CWA Daggers and has had his novels translated into over 25 languages.

Billingham is also known for his collaborative work with Peter Cocks under the pseudonym Will Peterson. He is a member of the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers, a band of crime writers who perform at literary festivals worldwide, murdering songs for fun. He currently resides in North London with his wife and two children. Billingham started reviewing books to get complimentary copies, which eventually led him to writing and creating his Tom Thorne character.