A Dark Sin: The Hidden Norfolk Murder Mystery Series, Book 8

Hidden Norfolk #8

by J.M. Dalgliesh

Our darkest secrets are best left buried....

When a local journalist is found dead in an isolated spot on Roydon Common, lying beneath a hangman's noose on the anniversary of a teenager's suicide, DI Tom Janssen is asked to take on the investigation as a favor to local colleagues and must unpick the deceased man's life to discover how he came to be there. The dead man was working on something, a story he was keeping close to his chest, and even those closest to him, loved ones and colleagues, were kept in the dark. He had his own secrets, a side to his character that he rarely showed to others unless they were unlucky. But what did he know that was so damaging as to be worth killing for?

As the team delve into his life, past and present, the investigation pulls in successful business people, grieving family members, and a local celebrity with fascinating stories to tell. As the investigation develops, it becomes clear that more than one person is harboring a secret...but are they secrets that are worth a man's life? As past sins threaten to be exposed, will someone be forced into killing again?

Set within the mysterious beauty of coastal Norfolk, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end, when the final shocking twist is revealed. A Dark Sin is the eighth novel in the Hidden Norfolk series of thrillers from the million-selling British crime writer, JM Dalgliesh, the author of the Dark Yorkshire books. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, JD Kirk, Angela Marsons, Alex Smith, and Damien Boyd.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, British Literature, Murder Mystery

Audible Audio

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Jason Dalgliesh was born on the south coast of England and grew up in Hampshire, UK. He has worked in the power transmission industry, the retail sector, call centres and as a night-owl in a bakery. His greatest challenge of all is ongoing, as a stay at home parent.

He is presently writing the Dark Yorkshire crime-series, featuring DI Nathaniel Caslin.

The novels are set in Yorkshire, England. The medieval City of York is Caslin's home town and the plot lines take in some of the UK's most rugged and beautiful landscapes, from the windswept North Sea coastline and across the stunning North York Moors.

Penned in the style of the Crime Noir genre, Caslin is a deep character, as flawed as he is brilliant, battling his own demons as much as those he is pitted against. Readers who enjoy gritty, atmospheric thrillers will find the series a must read.

Having spent time abroad, Jason has lived and worked in various parts of England as well as the Scottish Highlands. He currently resides in the East Riding, with his wife and two young children.

You can reach him via his website at www.jmdalgliesh.com

You can also follow him on social media;
facebook.com/jmdalglieshauthor
twitter.com/darkyorkshire

Reviews

[Shawn Callon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shawn enjoyed Dark Sin. It was an attractive story of pleasant, professional police officers going about their diligent investigation into multiple murders delivered in a well-written prose style with no irritating errors and omissions (fellow authors please use spell check and/or get a proof reader!)

The plot held my interest right through - it had some excellent false leads plus the suggestion of interference from the senior police officer. The violence was toned down, more implied than than described in graphic detail.

This review was written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Dunnit?!

Now this was a very interesting book. I wasn’t sure to start with, but very quickly changed my mind. It was absolutely brilliant. Another excellent bit of writing from Jason. How does he keep thinking up theses plots. Certainly an intriguing storyline and one that keeps you interested and guessing. Very worthy of 5 stars.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that J M Dalgleish is an exceptional people watcher, and has the ability to include those observations into his writing. I cannot remember reading another author who pays such attention to details when describing someone's emotional and physical reaction. It is done very quickly without impacting on the actual story line by describing in a couple of words the actual action the character takes. For example instead of saying he showed his impatience, he says he pats the table with his palm a couple of times. It sounds strange when I try to describe it but when reading the book it is so easy to picture the person and what they are actually doing.
The reason this sets Mr Dalgleish apart is that the creation of the characters and their personalities is exceptional. I love the characterisation in all of these Hidden Norfolk series and this book does not disappoint. Great writing and I'm already looking forward to the next in the series.
This book scored four only because I preferred the previous stories to this one.

[Anna Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great investigation

So great to see Eric back. This series keeps getting better. Lives torn apart due to childish pranks that have recuperations in the future. Another great read.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark Norfolk Murder mystery, set in rainy, wind-blown November.

DI Tom Janssen and his team investigate a suspicious death that could be an accident, a deadly assault, or a botched suicide. The victim lies prone, his face badly injured. Hanging from a branch of a nearby tree is a roughly tied hangman’s noose.

Eighteen years ago—almost to the day—a teenager was found hanged from that very tree. Same branch. Similar type of rope. Same inexpertly tied hangman’s noose. The coroner ruled open verdict—meaning possible suspicious death. Are the crimes related? If so, how and whodunnit? If revenge, why wait eighteen years?

This is an atmospheric book with the Norfolk countryside looming over all—a vast character with powerful winds, slashing rain, and dark, wintry clouds. The storyline has a lot of personal drama involving more family members than usual, so I skimmed those. The murder storyline is complex, but I guessed the culprit(s) earlier in the book. IMHO, successful commission of murder was too dependent on happenstance. Plus, there are several improbable events, questions about health conditions, etc. Overall, an enjoyable read, even for this finicky crime fiction fan.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book you must read

This is a brilliant book full of twists and turns in a well thought out story line. This is the first book I have read in the Norfolk series and it certainly won't be my last. How an earth have I missed out on these books.
I very much enjoyed the way
this author writes, his descriptions of the characters, places and story line makes it compelling reading. I certainly enjoyed reading this from beginning to the very end.

[K Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gripping addition

Love this series, great character's that feel like old friends now and always a good story that is difficult to put down, look forward to catching up with Tom and co soon.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

DI Tom Janssen is called out as a favour to look over the finding of a journalist’s body hanging in the Common. Only there are factors to the scene that don’t add up, so Janssen and his team begin to investigate the journalist’s life and work. Soon, a few small questions grow into something far larger, and it quickly becomes clear this was not a suicide but something far darker.

This is the eighth book in the Hidden Norfolk series, and I am really enjoying them all. I have found this – like all the previous books – to be a strong, police procedural style of murder mystery book. I thought the plot was decently plotted and complex enough to retain my interest from the opening pages, but with a slow enough pace I could really enjoy it and not feel like the action or characters were getting away from me. Set in Norfolk, I thought there was a good blend of large country town style of bustle but still with the slower pace and more “everyone knows everyone” type of connectivity. I enjoy this balance and find it really helped sell the book and storyline to me.

I also enjoyed how the characters of Tom’s team and the main characters – like Eric’s fiancée and Tom’s long-term girlfriend and young daughter – all were important in the story. This added an emotional depth to the police mystery style plot and helped me feel like this wasn’t only a murder story but also a part of a larger whole. I personally really enjoy this balance but also feel the author does a really good job of not having too much of the characters past cloud over what’s currently occurring. I feel this makes it really helpful for readers who have not read all the previous stories and helps this book stand far better on its own.

While I definitely feel readers will have a stronger emotional investment in the main characters and their happiness having read the previous books, I don’t feel it’s strictly necessary for readers to enjoy this particular story. The plot in particular is very self-contained inside this book and the characters are well introduced – so readers shouldn’t feel shy about picking this up and enjoying it regardless of whether they’ve read any of the previous books.

A well plotted murder mystery with excellent characters and a complicated but not overly convoluted plot, I really enjoyed this British story and am eager to read more by this author. Recommended.

[Nancy]

Our darkest secrets are best left buried...

When a local journalist is found dead in an isolated spot on Roydon Common, lying beneath a hangman's noose on the anniversary of a teenager's suicide, DI Tom Janssen is asked to take on the investigation as a favour to local colleagues and must unpick the deceased man's life to discover how he came to be there.

The dead man was working on something, a story he was keeping close to his chest and even those closest to him, loved ones and colleagues, were kept in the dark. He had his own secrets, a side to his character that he rarely showed to others unless they were unlucky. But what did he know that was so damaging as to be worth killing for?

As the team delve into his life, past and present, the investigation pulls in successful business people, grieving family members, and a local celebrity with fascinating stories to tell. As the investigation develops it becomes clear that more than one person is harbouring a secret... but are they secrets that are worth a man's life? As past sins threaten to be exposed, will someone be forced into killing again?

Set within the mysterious beauty of coastal Norfolk, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end when the final shocking twist is revealed.
Good.

[wendi wigham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reaping what you have sown.

A tree, a noose, a child.
Years later, a tree, a noose, a man.
A journalist came back to Norfolk having been successful in London on the dailies, the rat race too much for him. Now he writes 'fillers' , fluff pieces about local business people who had succeeded. A far cry from his heyday in the capital.
A charity worker comes back from his work in Africa, claiming the death of a relative - who had been in the ground for many years - only to be murdered before he could unpack.
A local businessman opening a new restaurant is using unfit produce.
A former war correspondent, injured in Afghanistan, turned author.
What is the connection? Who is the missing link? Why now?
A conversation in a taxi cab was all it took to reopen old wounds.
Very good read.

[Lilly Hi Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Keep Getting Better and Better

I'm a fan of the Hidden Norfolk Murder Mystery Series and this one is no exception. This book begins with two deaths occurring decades apart. We learn the details of the second and how it might be related to the first. At the same time we get updated on changes in the lives of the team of detectives who investigate Norfolk murders. I like the blending of the two which retains my attention and keeps the details being uncovered from getting routine and boring. What this means though is that to get maximum enjoyment out of this book you need to read the previous 7 books. All 8 books are great reading so that's not a bad thing to do.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago, fifteen year old Ciaran Haverson was found hanged in Grimston Warren Reserve, Royston Common. In the present day, at the same location journalist Gavin Felgate is found dead, under a rope and noose.
DCI Tamara Greave, and DI Tom Janssen, and their team investigate.
An enjoyable and interesting well-written crime story, with its likeable main characters. An other good addition to the series, which can easily be read as a standalone story. Though to get the full affect of the relationships between the characters it might be worthwhile reading the other good books in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Paul Adler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read 8 of these books. Some slightly better than others. This one I am pleased to say is one of the better ones. A thoroughly enjoyable story which starts 18 years previously where a suicide death of a teenager becomes linked to a present day crime. The story takes you down several paths before providing an unexpected ending. I enjoy the characters in these novels Tom Jansen and his partner Alice and her little girl Saffy. DCI Tamara Grieve who has a soft spot for Tom also Cassie and Eric who are the DS and DC respectively. There is a little bit of light hearted ness when Tamara's mother comes to stay. All round a good book for Murder Mystery readers. RECOMMENDED.

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the part about the adulterated meat quite thought provoking. We all trust that the food we eat both at home and away is properly stored and treated. Scary stuff. A good read as are all the books in this series with another intuiguing murder(s) mystery. I do wish the author would find some other nervous habit for the characters to have. Am very tired of everyone licking their bottom lip with tongue, running tongue inside cheek, running tongue outside bottom lip, rolling bottom lip under top lip, biting bottom lip, etc. It adds nothing to the story and is irritating when repeated endlessly. 😋

[David Lowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

A familiar cast of characters but, for once, the narrative starts at pace but slows down before the end. The result of which is a predictable climax. The author has some very attractive and interesting characters, brilliant Norfolk locations and credible and interesting plots but somehow the whole is not as complete as it should be.
Undaunted, I shall press on with Hidden Norfolk 8 in due course.

David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the mysteries here to be quite interesting, but I’m still confused by what happened in the prologue. In the prologue a man and his dog came across a boy hanging from a noose on a tree. The man was not identified nor was there any sense of when this occurred. Once the actual story begins, they investigate a death, and there’s only a noose and a dead body on the ground. There is no further reference to the body that was hanging or the person who discovered it. Are we to assume that the hanging took place in the past?

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This episode was easy to put down and pick up during the holiday fuss, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the work. Dalgliesh's forte is the clear, easy to follow action scene at the climax of each book--including this one. The plot was predictable, but the perpetrators were not.
The Hidden Norfolk series continues to be procedural detective stories with a light-touch of personal information on each character. It's a solid combination for those wanting easy escape fiction without a lot of emotional investment. It's a good read.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 8 of 16 A DARK SIN by J.M. Dalgleish. This series is intense. This book makes you want more and there are more available. The series takes place in Norfolk UK where the North Sea blows and keeps everyone off balance. The character development is excellent. Even the bad guys when they are revealed are damaged. How do you keep secrets for 15 years? If you like mystery and intrigue, and well written stories, this is the series for you. Start with Book 1 and be ready to spend some sleepless nights. Great author!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A DARK SIN by J.M. Dalgliesh is Book #8 of the author’s Hidden Norfolk series.
“When a local journalist is found dead in an isolated spot on Roydon Common,
lying beneath a hangman’s noose on the anniversary of a teenager’s suicide, DI
Tom Janssen is called in to investigate.”
This is a troubling book to read. So many secrets. So much repressed emotional
distress. So many lies and deceptions. So much anger. This was, indeed, troubling.
Even the conclusion brought up more questions about how to deal with the various
participants. An ethicist’s nightmare.
****

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Very intricate plot that takes extensive investigation to unravel all the various tentacles! The team, as usual, works well together. Eric has just returned to duty after 4 months recovery from his attack in the previous book. Read in order because of the team relationships constantly changing. This is a terrific series with unusual plots and engaging characters. Read carefully to understand all the developments, past and present!

[Kaye Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge doesn't work!

I love to read about Tom, the team and their families. Another storyline that makes you want to keep reading. A couple of difficult topics covered with suicide and alcoholism and how people cope, or don't. It's not just the main focus but also the side stories of those whose lives are all connected, giving a view of how everyone can be affected when another member of the team has an issue.
Can't wait for book 9.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery

DO Janssen and company return to unravel another series of grisly murders and a complicated set of circumstances buried in the past. The reveal is heart wrenching as it appears that everyone is a victim after a fashion, even the bad guys. The character development is excellent, eliciting sympathy even for those in the wrong. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Andres Kabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number eight in the satisfying police procedural series, called Hidden Norfolk, starring dependable, talented DCI Tom Janssen. Read the earlier seven by all means, but this one stands as a solid hitter. When a journo is found dead in a remote spot, the same spot as a teen suicide years earlier, underneath a makeshift noose, Janssen knows this is murder, and, with his supporting cast of detectives, reaches into the past. Recommended.

[Sharon Golding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much, in fact, I have enjoyed the whole series. This is not my usual genre but I decided to read them as they are set in my beloved Norfolk. It was so interesting reading about places I know personally. The plot was really good and I was kept guessing right up to the last. Extremely well written with characters that I actually cared about. Would love to read more about Tom Jannsen and his team. Can’t wait for the next book, which I have pre-ordered!

[Jeannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very good Hidden Norfolk mystery that starts with a dead body under the spot when a young man hanged himself years before. Good police procedures with a story that moves right along. The dead man was on to something that some folks really didn't like and Tom and his team have to figure out what it was. Eric has recovered from his near death experience and is back on the job. Will he ever be promoted? Believable characters and a nice tidy ending.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always terrific

A puzzling case where nothing adds up and very few forensic clues to aid the team of detectives. Dalgliesh does police procedurals the right way; great characters that solve the crime through painstaking investigation. The writing is beautiful and you can literally see each scene. Best read in order to truly appreciate.

[Mr Mark Hawksford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark Sin

Another enjoyable book in the series. Whilst you may think you have an idea as to how the story will end, you might find the twists and turns mean you may guess wrongly. I enjoy the team work and relationship between the team. Each chapter is relevant and grabs your attention. I didn’t want to put this book down. 4.75 out of 5 from me.

[M R B Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad tale

A boys suicide 18 years previously is investigated by a journalist leading to a series of tragic crimes. Tom, Tamara and the team unravel the evidence and unearth other mis d oings on the way. A story that keeps the reader guessing with links to the lives of the team members for added interest.

[Gill Appleyard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed this series but there’s a few sloppy continuity errors slipping in plus a previous reviewer mentioned the amount of “flicks” - eyes, eyebrows, hand, head etc. I’d not noticed it until I read that review then struggled to get past it! In the main, I’ve enjoyed the stories and I will read the next one.

[Janice Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great One

Sounds trite to say, but I couldn’t put this one down. The mystery was built on multi levels and developed with logic. Having read previous books in the series, I’m familiar with the characters and the Region both if which enhanced my enjoyment. Looking forward to the next book!