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DS Sue Willmott #3
Against the Tide
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26PRAISE FOR G. D. WRIGHT
'So compelling and tightly plotted I couldn't put it down' CLAIRE DOUGLAS
'Tense and emotional… A dark beating heart of a novel' GILLIAN McALLISTER
‘One of the most tense and gripping thrillers I've read in ages’ LISA JEWELL
If the truth could destroy you, would you choose to know it? DC Vinny Robson has spent his career seeking justice for others, but when an elderly couple are violently murdered in his hometown of Beachbrook, the investigation takes a devastating turn – one that cuts straight through his own family.
With the help of DS Sue Wilmott, Vinny discovers his ailing mother’s forgotten diaries, and with them the secrets she fought to keep hidden her entire life.
As Vinny dives deeper, the case becomes more than a pursuit of a killer – it’s a fight against the undertow of his own past. But in chasing the truth, will he finally find justice, or will he drown in the wreckage of everything he thought he knew?
Some truths should stay submerged. But once the tide turns, there’s no stopping what comes to light.
An emotional crime drama novel set on the south coast of England, perfect for for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian McAllister and Ann Cleeves.
'So compelling and tightly plotted I couldn't put it down' CLAIRE DOUGLAS
'Tense and emotional… A dark beating heart of a novel' GILLIAN McALLISTER
‘One of the most tense and gripping thrillers I've read in ages’ LISA JEWELL
If the truth could destroy you, would you choose to know it? DC Vinny Robson has spent his career seeking justice for others, but when an elderly couple are violently murdered in his hometown of Beachbrook, the investigation takes a devastating turn – one that cuts straight through his own family.
With the help of DS Sue Wilmott, Vinny discovers his ailing mother’s forgotten diaries, and with them the secrets she fought to keep hidden her entire life.
As Vinny dives deeper, the case becomes more than a pursuit of a killer – it’s a fight against the undertow of his own past. But in chasing the truth, will he finally find justice, or will he drown in the wreckage of everything he thought he knew?
Some truths should stay submerged. But once the tide turns, there’s no stopping what comes to light.
An emotional crime drama novel set on the south coast of England, perfect for for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian McAllister and Ann Cleeves.
416 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 25, 2026
3 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
G.D. Wright
4 books70 followersMy name is Gary (pen name G.D. Wright) and I live in Kent with my wife and two young children.
I joined Kent Police at the age of 18, working on the front line in a variety of uniformed roles until the age of 29 when, completely out of the blue, I suffered two cardiac ‘events’, and was subsequently diagnosed with a hereditary and incurable disease of the heart (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy if you’re being fussy!). As a result, I had an internal defibrillator implanted in me, and I had to retire from the police aged 30.
One door closed, but another opened, and my wife and I bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour. We spent eight of the happiest years of our lives there but, when the kiddies came along, it just wasn’t sustainable. Family comes first, every single time (a theme in my books…), and the simple fact was that we knew our summers should be spent with the kids, not working seven days a week. In 2022, we sold the coffee shop, and I took to writing full time.
I signed a two book deal with Avon UK (part of the Harper Collins family), and my debut was released in August 2024. It’s called AFTER THE STORM, and it’s a police procedural with a twisty, emotional hook. Next up was INTO THE FIRE, released in June 2025. I've signed another two books with Avon, set for release in 2026 and 2027.
I’m always up for chatting, so find me on my socials and I’ll happily answer any questions you might have!
I joined Kent Police at the age of 18, working on the front line in a variety of uniformed roles until the age of 29 when, completely out of the blue, I suffered two cardiac ‘events’, and was subsequently diagnosed with a hereditary and incurable disease of the heart (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy if you’re being fussy!). As a result, I had an internal defibrillator implanted in me, and I had to retire from the police aged 30.
One door closed, but another opened, and my wife and I bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour. We spent eight of the happiest years of our lives there but, when the kiddies came along, it just wasn’t sustainable. Family comes first, every single time (a theme in my books…), and the simple fact was that we knew our summers should be spent with the kids, not working seven days a week. In 2022, we sold the coffee shop, and I took to writing full time.
I signed a two book deal with Avon UK (part of the Harper Collins family), and my debut was released in August 2024. It’s called AFTER THE STORM, and it’s a police procedural with a twisty, emotional hook. Next up was INTO THE FIRE, released in June 2025. I've signed another two books with Avon, set for release in 2026 and 2027.
I’m always up for chatting, so find me on my socials and I’ll happily answer any questions you might have!
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I cannot explain just how much I adore G.D Wright and his books. Even when he was going through a difficult time, he was still kind enough to contact me when I was having a bad mental health episode and I can't begin to say how much that meant to be. So I was thrilled to get to read an early copy of his new book.
This is book three in this, unofficial trilogy I suppose, starting with After the Storm and then Into the Fire.
We've got the same characters from the previous two which helps add a sense of familiarity, but we've also got new ones which makes it fresh and exciting. They are all written very well. Not all likeable, and no-one is 100% hero or villain, they're all a bit morally grey which makes them more human. The characters are the best they've ever been; these three books have really given him the time to develop them.
At first, I thought it wasn't going to be as heart-wrenching as the previous two, because they tended to focus on children and this one didn't. And I was happy about that at first because the other two destroyed me. But no. I spoke too soon. I was wrong. It's just as bad (and I mean that in the best, positive way possible).
I managed to get to about 55% before I cried though, which is progress!
This one looks more at the police, the humans behind the force, rather than the crimes themselves - that's what I got out of it anyway.
We've got the main story, yes, but we also have this story concerning Vinny. It's got so many layers to it, that handled by someone not as adept as Wright, might have been too much. But everything is balanced so well here, the stories, characters, memories, emotions, and just everything about it is so wonderful. His ability to write grief is second to none, and I saw myself in the bereaved and it really touched me.
His books are thrillers yes, there's deaths, crimes, detectives, horror, and violence and whatnot. But for me, the thriller elements almost take a back seat, so important are the relationships and emotions he's developed in these characters.
And the ending - obviously I'm not going to spoil it but I did not see it coming one bit (then again I am notoriously terrible at working out the endings of whodunnits and whatnot).
Whilst it's not a conventional trilogy as such, the main characters do hold a story thread across the three, and I did wonder if this would be the end of it, but after finishing it, I'm really hoping that's a big fat NO, because I'd read about these characters forever if I could.
It's not an easy book to read, let's be honest here, there are some very difficult topics. But it's handled so well. I just absorbed it and read it in one day because I HAD to know what happened.
That's three books he's published, three books I've read, and three books I've given five stars too. At this rate, he's on to a career chock-a-block of five-star reviews and I for one cannot wait to collect them all (I think that makes him a Pokémon).
I cannot explain just how much I adore G.D Wright and his books. Even when he was going through a difficult time, he was still kind enough to contact me when I was having a bad mental health episode and I can't begin to say how much that meant to be. So I was thrilled to get to read an early copy of his new book.
This is book three in this, unofficial trilogy I suppose, starting with After the Storm and then Into the Fire.
We've got the same characters from the previous two which helps add a sense of familiarity, but we've also got new ones which makes it fresh and exciting. They are all written very well. Not all likeable, and no-one is 100% hero or villain, they're all a bit morally grey which makes them more human. The characters are the best they've ever been; these three books have really given him the time to develop them.
At first, I thought it wasn't going to be as heart-wrenching as the previous two, because they tended to focus on children and this one didn't. And I was happy about that at first because the other two destroyed me. But no. I spoke too soon. I was wrong. It's just as bad (and I mean that in the best, positive way possible).
I managed to get to about 55% before I cried though, which is progress!
This one looks more at the police, the humans behind the force, rather than the crimes themselves - that's what I got out of it anyway.
We've got the main story, yes, but we also have this story concerning Vinny. It's got so many layers to it, that handled by someone not as adept as Wright, might have been too much. But everything is balanced so well here, the stories, characters, memories, emotions, and just everything about it is so wonderful. His ability to write grief is second to none, and I saw myself in the bereaved and it really touched me.
His books are thrillers yes, there's deaths, crimes, detectives, horror, and violence and whatnot. But for me, the thriller elements almost take a back seat, so important are the relationships and emotions he's developed in these characters.
And the ending - obviously I'm not going to spoil it but I did not see it coming one bit (then again I am notoriously terrible at working out the endings of whodunnits and whatnot).
Whilst it's not a conventional trilogy as such, the main characters do hold a story thread across the three, and I did wonder if this would be the end of it, but after finishing it, I'm really hoping that's a big fat NO, because I'd read about these characters forever if I could.
It's not an easy book to read, let's be honest here, there are some very difficult topics. But it's handled so well. I just absorbed it and read it in one day because I HAD to know what happened.
That's three books he's published, three books I've read, and three books I've given five stars too. At this rate, he's on to a career chock-a-block of five-star reviews and I for one cannot wait to collect them all (I think that makes him a Pokémon).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Against the Tide is one of those crime novels that pulls you in with its mystery but keeps you there for its emotional weight. What begins as a brutal double murder in the quiet coastal town of Beachbrook quickly becomes something far more personal for DC Vinny Robson—a man who has spent his life seeking justice for others, only to find himself dragged into the darkest corners of his own history.
The setting is beautifully rendered: the south coast with its shifting tides, its salt‑stung air, and its sense that the sea is always hiding something beneath the surface. That atmosphere mirrors Vinny’s journey perfectly. As he and DS Sue Wilmott dig into the case, the discovery of his mother’s old diaries cracks open a lifetime of secrets she fought fiercely to bury. The emotional punch of those entries—fragmented memories, quiet confessions, the things she couldn’t say aloud—gives the novel a haunting intimacy.
The investigation itself is tense and layered, but it’s the personal stakes that make it compelling. Vinny’s struggle is not just about catching a killer; it’s about confronting the version of his past he’s always believed in and the version that might destroy him. The more he uncovers, the more the line blurs between truth and protection, justice and survival. The metaphor of the tide is woven through the narrative with subtle elegance—some truths stay submerged for decades, but once they begin to rise, they’re impossible to stop.
The pacing is steady and immersive, building toward revelations that feel both shocking and inevitable. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian McAllister, and Ann Cleeves will appreciate the blend of emotional depth, atmospheric tension, and character‑driven suspense.
A moving, quietly devastating crime drama about family, memory, and the dangerous pull of long‑buried truths. It lingers like sea mist long after the final page.
With thanks to GD Wright, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The setting is beautifully rendered: the south coast with its shifting tides, its salt‑stung air, and its sense that the sea is always hiding something beneath the surface. That atmosphere mirrors Vinny’s journey perfectly. As he and DS Sue Wilmott dig into the case, the discovery of his mother’s old diaries cracks open a lifetime of secrets she fought fiercely to bury. The emotional punch of those entries—fragmented memories, quiet confessions, the things she couldn’t say aloud—gives the novel a haunting intimacy.
The investigation itself is tense and layered, but it’s the personal stakes that make it compelling. Vinny’s struggle is not just about catching a killer; it’s about confronting the version of his past he’s always believed in and the version that might destroy him. The more he uncovers, the more the line blurs between truth and protection, justice and survival. The metaphor of the tide is woven through the narrative with subtle elegance—some truths stay submerged for decades, but once they begin to rise, they’re impossible to stop.
The pacing is steady and immersive, building toward revelations that feel both shocking and inevitable. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian McAllister, and Ann Cleeves will appreciate the blend of emotional depth, atmospheric tension, and character‑driven suspense.
A moving, quietly devastating crime drama about family, memory, and the dangerous pull of long‑buried truths. It lingers like sea mist long after the final page.
With thanks to GD Wright, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A series of violent robberies has been plaguing Beachbrook for months, with no suspects or leads. Now, DS Sue Wilmott and DC Vinny Robson are called in to investigate a brutal attack on an elderly couple in their own home.
But as the investigation unravels, and Vinny discovers his mum’s old diaries, he begins to uncover some very uncomfortable secrets that may connect to the crime he’s investigating..
Wow! By now, I know to prepare myself when starting a G.D. Wright book. From the very beginning chapter, I was immediately pulled into the shocking story and reminded that we’re back in Beachbrook!
Gary’s style is what I’d call police procedural with heart, and a decent dose of emotional devastation!
The story is expertly plotted, full of twists and surprises, scary and macabre at times. It’s also about real people and their relationships. The friendships, support and understanding between the colleagues at the police station feel very real and heartwarming in contrast to what they’re investigating. They look after each other, and the authenticity of Gary’s writing based on his own former police career really shine through.
And amongst the long-held secrets, questions around morality, and at times, pure evil, we also see humanity, empathy, and hope.
I enjoyed seeing DS Wilmott’s character developed even further from the previous books, and loved Vinny. I’m looking forward to reading more from them both in book 4!
But as the investigation unravels, and Vinny discovers his mum’s old diaries, he begins to uncover some very uncomfortable secrets that may connect to the crime he’s investigating..
Wow! By now, I know to prepare myself when starting a G.D. Wright book. From the very beginning chapter, I was immediately pulled into the shocking story and reminded that we’re back in Beachbrook!
Gary’s style is what I’d call police procedural with heart, and a decent dose of emotional devastation!
The story is expertly plotted, full of twists and surprises, scary and macabre at times. It’s also about real people and their relationships. The friendships, support and understanding between the colleagues at the police station feel very real and heartwarming in contrast to what they’re investigating. They look after each other, and the authenticity of Gary’s writing based on his own former police career really shine through.
And amongst the long-held secrets, questions around morality, and at times, pure evil, we also see humanity, empathy, and hope.
I enjoyed seeing DS Wilmott’s character developed even further from the previous books, and loved Vinny. I’m looking forward to reading more from them both in book 4!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a WILD RIDE.
If you've read G.D Wright's previous books, you'll be familiar with the character DS Sue Wilmott. And like his others, this one is written from multiple POVs - including new protagonist Vinny. We follow Vinny's story as a FLO (Family Liaison Officer) on a case where an elderly couple is brutally murdered in their own home, as he offers support to their surviving daughter, Natalie. Vinny is also struggling with some pretty big issues in his personal life and we get a very raw look at how he handles his day job and his responsibility outside of work.
The story tackles some difficult topics but it's done really well. You can absolutely tell that the author worked in this field before, the realness makes it even more tense.
I'm never very good at weaving together clues and figuring out the plot, but I really thought I had it with this one. HOWEVER. Just as I thought I was onto something, I was slapped in the face by a twist, and again, and again and then once more for good measure.
If you're into thrillers with domestic crime plot lines then this is a must read for you.
This is an emotional story of how one crime can unravel years of buried secrets. It is gritty, raw and will keep you guessing until the end! I know I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while.
If you've read G.D Wright's previous books, you'll be familiar with the character DS Sue Wilmott. And like his others, this one is written from multiple POVs - including new protagonist Vinny. We follow Vinny's story as a FLO (Family Liaison Officer) on a case where an elderly couple is brutally murdered in their own home, as he offers support to their surviving daughter, Natalie. Vinny is also struggling with some pretty big issues in his personal life and we get a very raw look at how he handles his day job and his responsibility outside of work.
The story tackles some difficult topics but it's done really well. You can absolutely tell that the author worked in this field before, the realness makes it even more tense.
I'm never very good at weaving together clues and figuring out the plot, but I really thought I had it with this one. HOWEVER. Just as I thought I was onto something, I was slapped in the face by a twist, and again, and again and then once more for good measure.
If you're into thrillers with domestic crime plot lines then this is a must read for you.
This is an emotional story of how one crime can unravel years of buried secrets. It is gritty, raw and will keep you guessing until the end! I know I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Having read the previous two books by this author I was looking forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed, it grabs you from the first page and the story and characters keep you gripped to the end. The twists and turns are brilliant and each time you think the reveal has come you then realise it hasn't and there are more surprises, and the ending is one I will remember for a long time as I didn't see that coming. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Netgalley and Avon kindly sent me this book to read and review. I am so pleased they did, as this is amazing. I am writing this on the 15th March, and I read this book yesterday. I could not put it down. It will be my book of the month for March, most definitely. The pace and story are so good, with twists all the way through and then some towards the end. This author’s first two books were great, but this surpasses them by miles.
It is set near where I live on the south east coast, which is where this author lives. Police procedurals are always so good when written by ex police, and they certainly get my vote. The way this story plays out is bloody amazing; you cannot predict the ending or any of what happens. Sheer perfect writing, I cannot wait for the next book coming next year, 2027.
It is set near where I live on the south east coast, which is where this author lives. Police procedurals are always so good when written by ex police, and they certainly get my vote. The way this story plays out is bloody amazing; you cannot predict the ending or any of what happens. Sheer perfect writing, I cannot wait for the next book coming next year, 2027.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Vinny and Sue are the keys to of this character driven story that takes you on a journey into the procedure behind a murder investigation, while examining its effect on the participants and how it reflects in their personal lives. It's one of those page turners that has everything you want in a mystery, intriguing and logical plot, realistic characters, and an emotional journey that you can become absorbed in.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5⭐️
I have no words currently, that ending has put me into shock
Crime novels are very hit and miss for me, but this is a BIG hit! My first read from Gary, definitely going to be reading his other books!
I have no words currently, that ending has put me into shock
Crime novels are very hit and miss for me, but this is a BIG hit! My first read from Gary, definitely going to be reading his other books!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews