The Last Dance: 1 (Detective Miller Novels)

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A captivating combination of humour, emotion, mystery and tension, The Last Dance is everything you could wish for in a new detective series. Sharp and funny, with hidden layers, just like Detective Declan Miller himself. * Andrea Mara * OK, well . . . thank you all for coming.’ He manufactured that smile he’d been practising in the mirror before leaving the house. ‘I’ll try to keep this brief because we’ve all got crimes to solve . . . alcohol habits to support, gambling debts to pay off, whatever. So, just to say, my wife Alex, who some of you knew, is dead. She’s . . . dead. It’s a pisser, but there you are.

A double murder in a seaside hotel sees grieving Detective Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Miller’s exchanges with everyone he encounters, his new partner Sara, the criminals he investigates and eventually questions, are imbued with sarcasm (testament to Billingham’s stint as a stand-up comic). And yet there’s a scene with Finn which broke my heart, for both of them. Equally masterful are Miller’s conversations with his wife’s ghost, conjured out of loneliness and heartache. Yet they’re witty and fun. How does he do that? This whiplash alternating between pathos and bathos makes Billingham’s novel memorable. Does it skirt tasteless? Not for this reader, who adores British comedy shows and humour. But for others? I don’t think so: Miller’s grief reads genuine; his moral core, believable. Detective Miller is a flawed individual with a heart of gold that isn’t always on show. His mannerisms and uncooperative tendencies drive his superiors mad but their frustrations are often fruitless as Miller gets results.

Summary

Alex appears to him now and then and has conversations with him, but as with the good ‘ghost’ stories I’ve read recently, nothing she says actually tells him anything he doesn’t already know. He knows he’s invented her, but he still enjoys her company and it does clarify his thinking.

Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration A double murder in a seaside hotel sees a grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out? The plot was flimsy, characters were flat. Miller is investigating organized crime but does not have a weapon to defend himself, not even a knife or a bullet proof vest. Knowing that his wife was assassinated or that Miller makes really bad jokes all the time, they should provided him with a vest for those reasons alone! Brimming with wit, expertly paced, and wholly enjoyable — The Last Dance is a showcase of Billingham’s exceptionally gifted storytelling. Mark Billingham is at his best!”— Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of the Will Trent series as he sauntered across the office. Sauntered, which was bloody ridiculous and only went to prove that he was brimming with misplaced confidence. Miller might have ambled now and again and may even have meandered on occasion, but he had never been one for sauntering anywhere. He was more of a lolloper.”Hard-headed yet big-hearted, DS Declan Miller will have you on the edge of your seat—screaming with laughter one moment and surprise the next. Billingham blends caustic humor, raw emotion, and rollercoaster thrills. His new series is bursting with wit, charm and intriguing, complex characters. Save The Last Dance for when you want a fast, fresh, and totally absorbing read.”— Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal Funnily I had notes here for the publishers about a big loophole I had found in the first few chapters, but by the end it turned out to be the twist to discovering who the killer was,

This ends with a cliffhanger of sorts, so readers are poised for the next in the series, but for me it also ended with a smidge of disappointment that I was saying goodbye to Dec Miller… even just for now. He’s not all fun and games. He has mixed with some pretty scary characters, people in rival crime families, and one of the murder victims is a son from one. So is the other family responsible? And if so, what about the other murder – in the room next door in the hotel? A mistake? MY THOUGHTS: I loved this introduction to Detective Miller. He's the sort of man who is always out of step with everyone else. His partner, Xiu, describes him as annoying, bloody-minded, childish, insensitive, inappropriate, pig-headed, rude, stupidly over-confident, and completely dismissive of authority. Not to mention inattentive, flippant, sarcastic, erratic, unreliable and flaky. Yes, he's all of those things, but he is also wildly entertaining and kind of lovable.With a distinctly loose relationship with reality and a new partner to deal with, can eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where more traditional police have found only an impossible puzzle? The opening of the first of this new series by Mark Billingham gives a taste of the style of this book - serious and sardonic - and the setting for the double murders which take place at the Sands Hotel. The cases themselves are interesting but the treat here is Miller – predominantly through the piquant prose penned by Billingham. It reminded me of slightly-darker Ted Lasso… that verbal diarrhoea that could be annoying but is endearing…