Blog Tour: Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham GIVEAWAY

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In my opinion Mark Billingham's Love Like Blood is this years must read novel.  It is superb!

Love Like Blood is a tense read about honour killings inspired by the horrific murder of 19 year old Banaz Mahmood in 2006.  
Banaz was murdered by hit men paid for by her uncle and father because she fell in love with the wrong man.  A man who ten years later, grief stricken killed himself.  
The sad thing is this tragedy is not an isolated event and the CPS suspects many more incidences of 'honour' related crimes occur, than are reported.



For me, this cut to the heart.  Being in a mixed race  marriage myself and living and working in inner city Bradford for over 30 years, this book spoke to me.  Billingham says it like it is.  

His rage against these atrocious crimes, which include female genital mutilation, forced marriage and murder, is palpable. However, his respect and sensitivity to the religions is faultless.  No blame is attached to the religions purportedly practiced by the murderers.  Instead, Billingham places the blame firmly at the feet of the monsters who pay for these acts to be committed under the banner of their faith.   

I have the utmost respect for any author who takes on a difficult, controversial subject... but, that is our job as writers. 

Crime fiction writers are notorious for exploring the less palatable happenings in our society and I hope that Billingham's book will contribute to an increased awareness of these horrific acts without laying blame en masse on those who peaceably follow their faith.

As Billingham himself says '...The crime fiction novel is uniquely placed to look at the world and to reflect it through the crimes people commit.  We tell you a good story, yes, but we also shine a light into some of the darker corners of society and comment on their contemporary political and social issues.'

In his previous book Die of Shame their was a slight crossover between detectives Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner and I am delighted to say that in Love Like Blood the pair are reunited.  
Tanner, grief-stricken after the murder of her partner and under threat herself, convinces Thorne to help her investigate honour killings.  I found Love Like Blood immensely  readable, compelling and gut wrenching.  A superior read from one of our best loved crime writers.  Bloody Well Done Mark!!!!!!

The Crime Warp is delighted to be giving away a copy of Love Like Blood to one lucky winner.
All you have to do is

1/ send an email to  thecrimewarpblog@yahoo.co.uk 



2/ In the subject heading write the name of one of Mark Billingham's previous jobs



3/ In the body of the text write your name and address.

and your Twitter handle if you have one.

The first name selected at random at noon on June 4th will  win a copy of Love Like Blood

Good Luck!