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A Heart of Darkness
In politics, one must be prepared to make sacrifices…
When a leading politician drops dead mid-speech—live online—the nation reels. The cause? Officially natural. Unofficially? Something far more sinister.
As a bitterly contested election looms, DI Joseph Stone finds himself pulled into a web of manipulated truths and hidden objectives. At last, the true agenda of the Night Watchmen is revealed as they spread chaos through the political system with deepfake videos, blackmail, and murder. And at the centre of their operation, the spider at the centre of the web, is someone is preparing to make their final move to seize power.
But Stone’s not just fighting a killer. He’s up against a conspiracy buried deep inside the system. Framed, outnumbered, and running out of time, he must risk everything to expose the truth… before democracy dies in the dark.
When a leading politician drops dead mid-speech—live online—the nation reels. The cause? Officially natural. Unofficially? Something far more sinister.
As a bitterly contested election looms, DI Joseph Stone finds himself pulled into a web of manipulated truths and hidden objectives. At last, the true agenda of the Night Watchmen is revealed as they spread chaos through the political system with deepfake videos, blackmail, and murder. And at the centre of their operation, the spider at the centre of the web, is someone is preparing to make their final move to seize power.
But Stone’s not just fighting a killer. He’s up against a conspiracy buried deep inside the system. Framed, outnumbered, and running out of time, he must risk everything to expose the truth… before democracy dies in the dark.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2025
80 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 8, 2025
Wow, what have I just read! Incredible roller coaster, full of twists, turns and dead ends. And what an ending! A real ‘never saw that.’
This is the third book I have read in the DI Joseph Stone series although not in any particular order. Each and everyone has held my attention completely, has been excellent in execution and credible drama. Just what I want from a crime fiction read but on top of that I like the main character. Joseph is full of charisma, Irish humour and just on the right side of getting a conviction without crossing the line of doing so legally – but that does not stop him pushing and pushing, often at the cost of his own safety and those around him.
Having not read the series in any particular order, I can vouch for the fact that they do standalone. However, there are a lot of references to previous incidents that influenced the storyline to this one, book 7 in the series, and having been so absorbed and invested in it, I am now inspired to understand how Joseph and those around him arrived at where they did in A Hear of Darkness. No hardship there cos J R Sinclair has created a must read if you enjoy substantial plots, great dialogue, something different in the scene setting and just that undefined ‘x’ factor that differentiates good authors from those ‘must read’ authors.
This is the third book I have read in the DI Joseph Stone series although not in any particular order. Each and everyone has held my attention completely, has been excellent in execution and credible drama. Just what I want from a crime fiction read but on top of that I like the main character. Joseph is full of charisma, Irish humour and just on the right side of getting a conviction without crossing the line of doing so legally – but that does not stop him pushing and pushing, often at the cost of his own safety and those around him.
Having not read the series in any particular order, I can vouch for the fact that they do standalone. However, there are a lot of references to previous incidents that influenced the storyline to this one, book 7 in the series, and having been so absorbed and invested in it, I am now inspired to understand how Joseph and those around him arrived at where they did in A Hear of Darkness. No hardship there cos J R Sinclair has created a must read if you enjoy substantial plots, great dialogue, something different in the scene setting and just that undefined ‘x’ factor that differentiates good authors from those ‘must read’ authors.
November 5, 2025
When a significant MP drops dead at a college dinner it looks like a heart attack. DI Joseph Stone’s daughter Ellie was there and noticed a couple of things that may pertain to this not being from natural causes. Joseph has to be careful due to a conflict of interest, but has his own suspicions as there is a link to past cases and possibly even involvement of the Night Watchman. What is going on and why on the political forum?
Wow! This is a clever and well crafted plot as with all Jr Sinclair’s books. I love the balance of Joseph’s work and home life- his interactions with Dylan and their love of different foods and drinks (which inspired me to get some!) and how Dylan seamlessly helps with his love of research. There are the inevitable twists and turns again beautifully crafted which keeps the reader on their toes and the pages turning ever faster. I could read the whole thing in one go given the time easily as it’s so compelling. A stunning, enthralling read I really didn't want to put down. Just one more chapter…….!
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November 7, 2025
This is the last of the series so I started reading this with mixed feelings. I was sad knowing this brilliant series was coming to an end but happy knowing the overarching Night Watchmen storyline was concluding so we're going to get answers and hopefully a satisfactory outcome.
The opening had me hooked with the death of a government minister who was poisoned. There's a link to an earlier case and Joseph and the team end up working with the NCA. I loved everything about this. The historical poisons, the political aspects and the shady aims of the Night Watchmen all had me turning the pages nonstop. There's plenty of tension and some surprising twists and some sadness too at the end. A brilliant way to finish and I'm delighted to see Joseph will be back in a new series. Can't wait.
The opening had me hooked with the death of a government minister who was poisoned. There's a link to an earlier case and Joseph and the team end up working with the NCA. I loved everything about this. The historical poisons, the political aspects and the shady aims of the Night Watchmen all had me turning the pages nonstop. There's plenty of tension and some surprising twists and some sadness too at the end. A brilliant way to finish and I'm delighted to see Joseph will be back in a new series. Can't wait.
November 13, 2025
This is such a brilliant series, featuring DI Joseph Stone and set in Oxford. Book 7 is a great addition to the series which I can highly recommend to lovers of crime fiction. I love the author's work, he never disappoints and every read is a rollercoaster of emotions. I was hooked from the beginning and totally immersed in the characters. I have a soft spot for Dylan, not to mention his culinary skills! The characterisation is very believable, there is a shed load of tension which kept me reading into the small hours and the pace never let up until the last page. I wanted just one more chapter to find out what is next in store for DI Stone, his team, friends and family. Please don't keep me waiting too long!
November 11, 2025
A Heart of Darkness by J.R. Sinclair is book 7 in the DI Joseph Stone series. This is a fabulous series set in Oxford, and this addition is a riveting read. Joseph lives on a narrowboat on the river. It is full of great characters, and my favourite is Joseph’s neighbour Dylan, who is a fantastic cook. He also has an encyclopaedic knowledge or knows just the right book to look something up, when it comes to assisting Joseph in his search for the truth. In this case, a politician dies during a speech, but could this be just one of the tentacles of the Night Watchman and what is their agenda. The twists raise the tension and I was on the edge of my seat.
November 20, 2025
This is final episode in this series, but not, I hope, our last meeting with Joseph Stone. Stone has been up against The Nightwatchmen who've infiltrated deep into the framework of Britain, including its police force. This finale includes danger to Stone's family, colleagues, to politicians and to innocent people. This goes deep into his character, into what makes him tick, into what he feels his goals in life are. It's both emotive and exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
November 10, 2025
Wow! I thought the last book was good (if a little unnerving) but this is even better. A roller coaster tale, developing all the elements of previous books and heading towards an explosive finale. Tense, pacy, exciting, a book to devour quickly, but which will stay with you. Can’t wait to find out which direction we’re heading next!
Many thanks for an ARC.
Many thanks for an ARC.
November 27, 2025
I'm not very good with reviews but this was a excellent read
December 15, 2025
Ending a bit off the wall for my tastes.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews