The Darkest Tide: When memories wash up, things can get deadly

by Peter Hanington

What happens when you can no longer keep a secret?

When Arthur Cotton sees a body washed up on the beach, difficult memories come flooding back. He kept the books for the Brighton mob back in the day and got out on friendly terms. But retirement came with conditions - mainly to keep his mouth shut. Fifty years on, it's trickier. Dementia is taking hold and he's getting leaky. His former bosses are worried. Arthur didn't just keep their accounts, he also kept their secrets. Now there's going to be a reckoning.

It's up to Arthur's daughter, Susan, a carer for the elderly, to find out what her father knows. What he's been saying and to whom. There are dangerous people around, and they're beginning to lose their patience. She'll have to turn detective to encounter a Brighton she barely knew existed, and to turn up parts of her father's past that are just as dark.

Peter Hanington delves into Brighton's shadowy corners in this gripping new series starring the brilliant Susan Cotton.

Genres: Thriller

449 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2026

About the author

Peter Hanington is a writer and journalist. His critically acclaimed William Carver thrillers begin with A Dying Breed and star the eponymous old-school radio journalist against a backdrop of high-stakes international espionage. He is also the author of the Susan Cotton series of crime novels, which are set in Brighton and begin with The Darkest Tide

Reviews

[Helen_t_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Laura at Baskerville for sending me a GIFTED proof of The Darkest Tide by Peter Hanington, which comes out on 7th May.

At the centre of the novel is Arthur Cotton who kept the books for the Brighton mob back in the day, and got out on friendly terms. But retirement came with conditions – mainly to keep his mouth shut. Fifty years on, it’s trickier. Dementia is taking hold and he’s getting leaky. His former bosses are worried. Arthur didn’t just keep their accounts, he also kept their secrets. Now there’s going to be a reckoning.

It’s up to Arthur’s daughter, Susan, a carer for the elderly, to find out what her father knows. What he’s been saying and to whom. There are dangerous people around, and they’re beginning to lose their patience. She’ll have to turn detective to encounter a Brighton she barely knew existed, and to turn up parts of her father’s past that are just as dark...

"Revenge is a dish best served cold", the proverb advises, and in The Darkest Tide we are presented with a story of delayed revenge, and of redemption, as Peter Hanington delves into Brighton’s shadowy corners in this gripping crime thriller

Really well written with a multilayered, dual timeline plot, it is laced with lots of tension, menace and suspense; some excellent misdirection, and a really unexpected twist at the end.

I really enjoyed the way Peter Hanington has created his characters in this novel, and how some of them have, without doubt, commited terrible, violent, criminal acts in the past, yet now we root for them, and want them to prevail. The way he attracts the reader's sympathy for them, and carries them along, is extremely well done indeed.

The novel also has an incredible sense of place, thanks to the author's skill in vividly evoking Brighton's sights, sounds, smells and cityscape.

As someone with personal experience of dementia affecting a family member, the author deserves praise for the extent of his research and the sensitive way he portrays it.

I very much enjoyed this crime thriller, and it has whetted my appetite for book two in the series. It would also make a brilliant TV mini series or film!
Recommended.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced read. Focuses on Arthur a man with dementia and the circle of people connected to him. An enjoyable read with action in every chapter. I didn’t see the twist at the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real gem of a thriller full of the unexpected with so many twists and turns I was barely able to keep up. Even the last line of the book was a real twisty cliffhanger and made me wonder if there will be a book 2.
Set in Brighton, with shades of “Brighton Rock” this book plumbs the depth of the city’s murky underworld. Set in 1969 and the present day the story revolves round Arthur and his daughter Susan.
Arthur is suffering early dementia and is trying to get his affairs in order. His mind returns to 1969 when he was working for some very unsavoury characters along with his best friend, Robert. Wandering the streets of Brighton, he writes down his memories in a number of notebooks.
Robert now owns an antique shop and has left his old life behind. When Arthur is mugged after seeing a corpse washed up on the beach it becomes clear that their past is catching up on them.
Susan knows nothing of her Dad”s earlier life but is worried about him. Arthur has brought her up alone after her late mother’s death and apart from her daughter, Ruby, he is her only relative.
Susan has to use all her skills to work out why her father is being targeted and try and find out what he knows before he gets himself into very deep water whilst trying to hold on to her job as a nurse care assistant visiting old people in their homes.
The author treats Arthur’s dementia in a sympathetic manner. The criminal underworld are well described, both the present day Albanians and the old men who used to be the enforcers in the 1960s.
Robert was an interesting character- I wanted to dislike him for his past behaviour but I was strangely drawn to him as he endeavours to protect his best friend and save Susan and Ruby.
This was definitely a five star read for me and I’m secretly hoping I will be able to read more about Susan, Robert and Arthur.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty grim read at times, populated as it is by numerous nasty (well defined) characters, and numerous nasty (well described) murders, but I was eventually drawn in and enjoyed the story. Arthur Cotton was once the accountant for the criminal gang ruling the roost in Brighton in the 70s. His best friend, Robert was their hit man, a thoroughly nasty piece of work. Although Arthur just ‘did the books’, he knew very well what was going on and what his friend was capable of.

The story unfolds on two different timelines: the present and the 70s. Arthur is now living in a home having been diagnosed with dementia and this disease and its accompanying loss of memory has motivated Arthur to dig up old memories and old scores to settle. But doing this he puts his daughter, Susan, and his young grandaughter Ruby, in danger. Susan is a kind and caring district nurse who looks after the people in the area, many of whom seem to be former hoodlums! She has been protected, by all concerned, from the truth about Arthur and Robert’s past, but gradually is drawn in to investigating what is going on after blackmailing letters come to light which involve Robert’s former boss, and suspicion falls on Arthur.

The truth is revealed slowly and skilfully and despite deeply disliking Robert at first, I found myself not liking him exactly, but hoping he survives to achieve his goals in the story! There is a definite sense of menace and danger throughout and I was worried for Susan and especially Ruby. There are a couple of twists at the end that are excellent (maybe one is predictable) and an unanswered question. There is a hint that Susan might appear in another novel so maybe all will be revealed but the ending is quite satisfactory for all that.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy crime/mystery stories and skilful plotting.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my kindle. This is my honest review after a full read of the novel.

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping tale of guilt and redemption! ​
This visceral thriller dives deep into Brighton’s criminal underbelly, led by Arthur, a man haunted by his history as a "fixer" accountant for a local firm. Now suffering from vascular dementia, Arthur is racing against his own fading mind to right past wrongs, but his old employers, and a lethal new wave of Albanian gangsters aren't ready to let the secrets die.
The heart of the book lies in its messy, complex loyalties. From Arthur’s bond with his morally compromised lifelong friend and ex colleague Robert, to his nurse daughter Susan’s fierce, protective drive, the characters are etched with startling depth.
It’s a multiple layered, gritty exploration of atonement and the heavy price of family protection.
With a shock ending I could never have predicted executed as meticulously as Arthur’s notebooks, this is a masterclass in suspense that leaves you rooting for the sinners. An outstanding read perfect for fans of gritty thrillers!

[J Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of long term revenge.
As a young man Arthur became the book keeper for a vicious organised crime gang based in 1960s Brighton. Now in the 2020s and with the beginnings of dimentia, he is looking back on his life. Crime in Brighton is being run by an even more vicious Albania family. A mutilated body that is washed up on the beach reminds Arthur of an event from the past, and havoc soon follows.
Peter Hannington has created some really strong characters in this book, some unsavoury and some otherwise. This is a fast paced really gripping story with many twists and turns and a very surprising ending.
There are some very gory, graphically described scenes that some may find distressing, but all are key to the unfolding of the plot.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Briefly - A really good read, dark and pacey.

In full
Arthur Cotton sees a body washed up on Brighton beach and it brings back memories. That's something that is less easy for Arthur these days. He was an accountant however the accounts he kept were for the Brighton criminal fraternity back in the day. Now he's in a residential home with dementia. He was almost never (!) involved in the dark deeds at the sharp end however his peaceful retirement was on the condition of secrecy. His old bosses are concerned that the secrets he keeps may be leaking and, as far as they are concerned, there is only one solution. Arthur's daughter Susan, a nurse, becomes involved to try and help him.

While Arthur walks around places he once knew a lot about and makes some notes, Susan and some of the old "coffin dodgers" are involved in piecing together the old stories. In particular Robert, now an antiques dealer, is the man who tried to protect Arthur as far as he could. He is a man who does know many dark secrets but has always looked out for Arthur, Susan and her daughter. Back in the day a knock on the door from Robert did not bode well.

The story is told in a then and now format with stories from the late 1960s generally involving Arthur and Robert paired with current events in 2019. These involve the older generation but also Susan and her daughter. As a nurse she calls on some people who may have some knowledge of what happened in the old days.

The more I read of this book the more it drew me in. The latter part of the book was very hard to put down. This is really quite a dark read in places with a well worked sense of foreboding. The pace was very good to me. There's violence here and some may not like that. Certainly some of the coffin dodgers stop dodging and bystanders are affected too. If the secrets do come out what will the impact be on those who are still around to hear them? I really did find this very readable and didn't get all the twists! I'd happily read another set in Brighton and I will look at the author's earlier books. A very good 4 star read.

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author and publisher in exchange for a fair review

[Maarten Mens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read The Darkest Tide after the excellent Carver series, it took quite a change of focus to switch from international politics and journalism to downtown Brighton where the main characters are local criminals and inhabitants of a retirement home. I admit it took a bit of getting used to, perhaps also because elderly people, in some cases suffering from dementia, seem to have become a popular cast in crime novels (see The Thursday Murder Club as prime example).
But anyway.
In this case the story unfolds around Arthur Cotton, who is trying to catch up with his past, when he worked for a gangleader as an accountant. His memories however are fading and he tries to secure them by writing everything he remembers in multiple notebooks.
Some chapters go back to 1969, when Arthur started his work in the crime business and is protected by his friend Robert. Their friendship has endured and plays an important role in the present day.
Telling more about the plot would be giving away too much.
In the end I got drawn into the story despite my initial doubts about the setting and tore through the book in a couple of days. The build-up was great and a surprising twist took me quite unawares. This of course is thanks to the great authorship of Peter Hanington, who as it turns out can weave a story around shady characters from Brighton as easily as describing a wary old journalist caught up in global turmoil.
If you might have misgivings about his new topic, rest assured. The Darkest Tide is a very good read.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good read; it is about Arthur Cotton and his daughter, Susan. Arthur is getting on in years, and he has signs of dementia. Susan works as a community care worker and is often busy.

When a body gets washed up on a beach in Brighton, this triggers some memories for Arthur. Susan is unaware of her father's past, but she is gradually discovering he has some secrets. It is one of her father's friends that start to fill in the gaps. Filling in the gaps is something that Arthur himself is doing, visiting the old haunts. This is causing concern, especially when there is blackmail being committed as well. This doesn't sit well with the locals. Not everything is as it seems, though.

This is the story of the past, present, and future. Lives change and adapt, things happen, and some things are kept hidden. Arthur is looking back, trying to remember things for his notes. It is one of his coping mechanisms to help him remember things by writing them down. Susan worries about her Dad; it has just been the two of them for several years after the death of her mother.

The story flits back and forth between the past and the present, with glimpses into the world of Arthur and his friend Robert as they work for the local mob. It is a mix of secrets, blackmail, murder, and a whole lot of unknowns for Susan.

A mix of crime, murder, mystery and thriller with a well laid out story. I really enjoyed this and would be happy to recommend it.

[Z C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the Carver novels which I have also read this book isn’t short of a splattering of violence - it is about mobsters afterall and the blurred lines between good and bad.
Coming from Brighton there were plenty of pleasing Easter eggs for me to enjoy as we are lead around the city by the sea by Arthur and Susan Cotton. Arthur is losing his memory to dementia whilst Susan is a strong female protagonist whose wit is as sharp as her hypodermic syringe (she’s a nurse, not an addict…).
The novel paints a seedy underbelly to the city which I can only hope to be largely fictional and you can almost smell the sea and the vinegar on the chips as you read.
The flashbacks to the gang’s heyday are very evocative (the book would make a great TV or film adaptation for these passages alone). Every character (the good, bad and even worse) is fully fleshed out, helping to draw you fully into the story. The whole book is laden with dramatic tension that someone is around the corner who you’d really rather not bump into, making it hard to put it down.
The author is excellent at weaving a complex story together, paints characters and imagery that stay with you and serves up a satisfying ending.
Looking forward to catching up with some of these characters again and seeing what else may get dredged up!

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the William Carver series but the curmudgeonly reporter had perhaps come to the end of the road but Peter Hanington has more than come up trumps with this wonderful evocative thriller that introduces Arthur Cotton the ex Brighton mob accountant from the late 1960’s and his resilient daughter Sarah - a carer for the elderly but in reality far far more.

The other hero in the book is Brighton itself with its dark nooks and crannies both today and 50 years ago brilliantly exposed.

Arthur is in the first throes of dementia and is caught up in a blackmail plot involving the former Mr Big of the Brighton crime scene. The story rotates from the past to the present as we are introduced to a series of grotesque characters who ran the town way back when but despite their age are as dangerous now as they ever were.

The denouement is shocking and surprising with a totally unexpected twist and the book entertains all the way through and is a triumph of good writing, excellent plotting and the depiction of unforgettable characters.

A fantastic start to what surely will be a wonderful new series.

Highly recommended.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Darkest Tide by Peter Hanington

“I’m just sorry you had to watch me getting up. It’s like raising the bleedin’ Titanic”

I very nearly gave up on this book, it was a little slow paced for me personally…..however I connected with Arthur due to my own personal issues with memory loss. He was aware that his memory was failing him, constantly writing notes to ensure he was on track, delivering ‘secrets’ from the past when needed.

Arthur is very much protected by his best mate Rob. They go back along way….members of their gang start to disappear? Rob is so protective over Arthur but why when he could loose so much….even his life.

While the story is based around gang life back in the day and the secrets from then coming through to the present day. It also revolves around Arthur’s close friendship with Robert, his daughter Susan and her mum Mary, Arthur’s true love who ‘died’ when Susan was a child…..secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley #Netgalley John Murray Press @johnmurrays #johnmurrays and Peter Hanington #PeterHanington for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of the novel #TheDarkestTide due for release 7th May 2026

[Officer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novel by Peter Hanington that I've read, and I loved it. It's rather hard to categorise. The writing style is lightly ironic for most of the novel, alleviating what would be a gritty, violent setting - gang violence, gruesome murders etc. Most of this violence takes place off-stage. we learn of it through the main characters reactions and rueful reflections on it. Great plotting and a great start to a new series.

I would widely recommend this, even to people hesitating because of reviews mentioning how gritty it is. It's not really - think Mark Billingham's Blackpool crime novels, or the narrative style of the Stranger Times series. Now I'm off to look at his earlier books...

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Cotton was always good at keeping his mouth shut … until he got older and Dementia changed things for him.

Fifty years ago, he was part of a Brighton mob, and now that a body has been washed up on Brighton beach, he’s trying to remember his time back then.

Arthur’s daughter, Susan, doesn’t know exactly what her dad used to do, but she’s now concerned for her and her daughter, Ruby.

Arthur’s oldest friend, Robert, is trying to keep everyone safe.

This is a fantastic book with intriguing characters. It is fast paced, edgy and dark.

This is the first book in the Brighton series and a great start. I enjoyed this story from start to finish, it had an exceptional build up and some amazing twists along the way.

I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. Susan is a nurse, her patients are several of the elderly residents of Brighton, she spends most of her time worrying about her father, Arthur, who has dementia.
Arthur has been trying to capture what happened when he was young, to write everything down before he can no longer remember. Arthur was an accountant, his main client and employer was a criminal, it was his friend Robert who got him the job.
The story is dual timeline from the present to 40 years before, telling the story and the consequences of what happened. A well written book that keeps you guessing right to the end.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc

[Heather Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a definite 5 star read for me.

Arthur was an accountant working for the mob in Brighton - he has seen and heard things best left alone. BUT Arthur is suffering from vascular dementia and wants to set things straight in his head so is visiting old haunts and writing notes.

At the same time Mr Jones is receiving blackmail notes from a member of the old crew he suspects and he is determined to find out who. Arthur is his prime suspect - his daughter, Susan and old friend, Robert need to save him and find the real culprit before Arthur or his family are dealt with.

Dark and pacy - violent at times but it quickly drew me in. I did not expect the twist at the end.

I hope more in the series will follow.

[Agnes Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Darkest Tide, Peter Hanington crafts a visceral and layered thriller that masterfully bridges two eras of Brighton's history. The characterisation is exceptionally sharp, particularly in the figure of Arthur Cotton, a former accountant who is now experiencing vascular dementia and living in a supported living setting, and his daughter Susan, a nurse and care worker. Hanington uses Arthur's fading and fluctuating recall to meticulously reconstruct Brighton's past, making his race towards atonement both heart-breaking and high-stakes.

The evocation of Brighton's criminal underbelly - from the gritty ganglands of the late sixties to the modern threat of ruthless new syndicates - is terrifying. Hanington also captures the essence of the city, juxtaposing the frenetic energy of the tourist destination with the dark secrets hidden in its foaming breakwaters, antique shops and blocks of flats.

With its taut plotting and suspense, and Arthur and Susan at its emotional centre, The Darkest Tide is a powerful exploration of family and the desperate desire to protect it, of regret, and of the heavy price of long-buried guilt.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not read any of the William Carver series by Peter Hannington, there were no preconceptions as to what to expect from The Darkest Tide. But once started, this was a book that grabbed and couldn't be put down.

This is a story set in Brighton- south coast England. Having lived there and knowing the town , some books don't quite capture the essence of the city ( "unapologetically odd- like Brighton itself" ) but Peter Hannington has perfectly captured the darker underbelly and extremes behind the scenes of the mad tourist city..

This is a tale of coastal gangland- gangs of the sixties and retribution fifty years later.

Arthur and Robert were joined together through their involvement in crime in the 1960s- Arthur is now in a care home with vascular dementia - but he has secrets that if ever revealed could cause serious problems. Robert owns an antique shop and is still aware of the city's darker side.

Arthur's daughter Susan- a carer - knows nothing of her father's past until events conspire to reveal her father's dark past. When a headless torso is found on Brighton beach, Arthur knows that this is linked to his past. Someone is blackmailing the man who controlled the area half a century before( and he wants revenge) and soon other older gang members ( cockney coffin dodgers) are found dead. Who is behind the killings and the blackmail? Susan begins to "join the dots " and fears for her father and other older residents in care homes.

This is the first in a Brighton series. Tautly plotted , fast-paced and gripping with some good one liners .Peter Hannington has written a great thriller. Bring on the sequel - it was great to be reminded of landmarks and locations

Thank you to Baskerville Publishing and John Murray Press and Netgalley for the advance copy

Quote: “Politicians,’ she would say, ‘are like nappies. They need changing regularly.’

[Paul Gormley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A body washes up on Brighton beach and its significance is not lost on Arthur, one time accountant for the Brighton mob. But Arthur has dementia and struggles to remember fine details.

As Arthur delves back into his memories to work out what exactly is happening, the violence racks up.

Like a modern day Brighton Rock, this is well plotted and entertaining and doesn’t pull its punches.