The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham

 

DI Tom Thorne can't believe what those above him want him to do now.  Years ago, he put away a psychotic killer named Stuart Nicklin.  Now Nicklin has agreed to tell the authorities where he buried one of his first victims and the boy's family wants nothing more than to have him home to give a decent burial.  The catch?  Nicklin will only tell if Thorne is the policeman to accompany him and if his friend from the prison goes also.

The murder happened when the victim and Nicklin were teenagers.  They were both sent to an experimental prison that gave the boys much more freedom than most youth prisons and that was on a small island.  The water surrounding the island were the only bars.  But Nicklin escaped one night, killing the victim as he left. 

Thorne takes two of his team, the prison sends a couple of guards and there is a forensic team  The island is remote and can only be accessed by boat and not even that on every day if the sea is rough.  The group heads out and looks where Nicklin says he thinks is the spot..  Soon they find the victim and another one as well.  But when they are ready to leave, the weather has changed and a storm is coming.  They will have to stay on the island until things settle down.  What could possibly go wrong?

This is the twelfth Tom Thorne book in the series and one of the best so far.  The tension steadily increases as the book progresses.  The reader knows something will happen but what is it?  Thorne is still with his new girlfriend and it's nice to see this relationship and especially Thorne's relationship with her young son.  Readers will definitely get their money's worth from this episode.  I've started reading these more and more slowly as I dread when the series is over.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.