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DI Hogarth #3
The Darkest Deed
DI HOGARTH AND THE TEAM ARE CALLED IN TO INVESTIGATE THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF AGEING SOFT PORN STAR, AIMEE GILLEN. GILLEN'S PROLIFIC DRUG USE SUGGESTS AN EASY CASE – A SIMPLE OVERDOSE OR ACCIDENTAL DEATH - BUT HOGARTH HAS SERIOUS MISGIVINGS. IS THE DI THINKING STRAIGHT? OR HAS HOGARTH'S PRIVATE CRISIS FINALLY TAKEN ITS TOLL?
DC Simmons is back as the team are called to investigate a mysterious death at Harry King Studios. Soft porn actress Aimee Gillen was an unpopular figure at the studio, lonely and on her way out. Studio staff suggest Gillen had many reasons for choosing suicide - but Hogarth sees just as many clues point to murder. Why did Aimee Gillen abandon a line of cocaine just before she died? What caused the cracked tile outside the fatal sauna? And who were the mysterious friends Gillen wanted to help? Palmer and Simmons sense DI Hogarth is at risk of turning an easy case into quagmire. And the town's VIPs soon turn against him.
In the hunt for justice Hogarth ruffles the feathers of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Politics and naked ambition get in the way of a clean investigation. There must be consequences. And as the trouble builds, Hogarth cannot find the evidence he needs. His credibility is soon called into question.
But Hogarth scents a killer - and he won't give up…
Hogarth must find one clue to blow the case wide open. If he can’t, the DI knows he will be finished.
Meanwhile, his secret crisis takes a worrying twist.
Hogarth is being watched. But how just many are watching?
In an epic conclusion, DI Hogarth must face down a host of enemies. Lose and his job is gone. Win and he may just bring justice. But a solved case still can't save the DI from another looming disaster…
Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ruth Rendell. If you love to read gripping detective thrillers with flawed lead characters or police procedurals with shocking twists and a noir flavour, then the DI Hogarth Darkest series is for you.
Readers have described the Darkest series as a best fit for fans of British crime thrillers, Female detective novels, British crime mysteries, Police Procedurals, Heist thrillers and Noir Thrillers.
A detective murder mystery packed with danger and thrills - The Darkest Deed is a crime novel you won’t want to put down.
Setting:
Southend-on-sea: Just over an hour from London. A tough, densely packed suburban town. A place where wealth and glamour sit cheek-by-jowl with addiction, poverty and crime – a town sandwiched between the sparkling Thames Estuary and a semi-rural hinterland. Ex-Met Detective Joe Hogarth could have imagined he was signing up for sun, sea and semi-retirement when he transferred to the Essex coast. But it seems the merry hell of Southend might just have him beat. It’s a good thing this DI doesn’t know when to quit…
THE DI HOGARTH DARKEST SERIES
THE DARKEST LIES
THE DARKEST GRAVE
THE DARKEST DEED
THE DARKEST TRUTH (final novel of the series - coming soon).
ALSO BY SOLOMON CARTER:
LONG TIME DYING series featuring private investigators Eva Roberts and Dan Bradley
THE LAST LINE
LUCK AND JUDGMENT
LONDON CALLING<
- GenresCrime
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2018
177 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Solomon Carter
191 books99 followersHello folks,
My name is Solomon Carter, and I am the author of the Roberts and Bradley PI crime thriller series, The Last Line international thriller series, the DI Hogarth Darkest series and more. I write mysteries, crime and thriller novels and more besides.
I was born in Southend, Essex and lived there for most of my life apart from eventful student days in South London. But my life in Southend was even more eventful still. I ended up working in a string of jobs including as a jobcentre clerk, a book seller, tutor for youth with low skills and low self esteem, mortgage broker, and latterly manager of a food bank which dealt with all kinds of interesting people facing all kinds of eye-opening, jaw dropping problems. Because of these ear-to-the-ground jobs the majority of my novels are set in Southend. In 2016 I moved to North Cornwall because I liked the idea of never-ending holidays - but I also write almost every single day. My aim is to write action-packed thrillers and page-turning mysteries that readers love and my hope is to get better at what I do with every book across each and every year.
I like to give away lots of free books as part of what I do. If you would like to receive some of these and get the exclusives on offer, than you're invited to join my free readers group at SolomonCarter.net. I won't spam you, just send the occassional email with news on the latest books and forthcoming freebies.
And if you want to see the memes, personal shares and other oddball stuff I do, then you can join me at Facebook via www.facebook.com/solomoncarterwrites and join the fun there too.
What I am good at: telling stories
What I am bad at: dancing, being patient.
What I love: nature, the seaside, adventures
Writers I heartily recommend: Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Henning Mankell, Val McDermid, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais.
Writers I need to read more of: Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly and others.
Other things I do beside writing: at present I like to keep my running going to balance out the sitting behind a laptop (a habit inspired by Haruki Murakami's 'What I talk about when I talk about running' - a great book).
-I am currently doing surf lessons. When in Rome, as they say...
-Getting out into nature as the weather allows.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Until then I'll keep on writing. Or running. Or surfing. Or chasing my children around the house.
All the very best,
Solomon :)
PS
if you have enjoyed any of my books, I'd be honoured if you could post a review. Those reviews really do help!
My name is Solomon Carter, and I am the author of the Roberts and Bradley PI crime thriller series, The Last Line international thriller series, the DI Hogarth Darkest series and more. I write mysteries, crime and thriller novels and more besides.
I was born in Southend, Essex and lived there for most of my life apart from eventful student days in South London. But my life in Southend was even more eventful still. I ended up working in a string of jobs including as a jobcentre clerk, a book seller, tutor for youth with low skills and low self esteem, mortgage broker, and latterly manager of a food bank which dealt with all kinds of interesting people facing all kinds of eye-opening, jaw dropping problems. Because of these ear-to-the-ground jobs the majority of my novels are set in Southend. In 2016 I moved to North Cornwall because I liked the idea of never-ending holidays - but I also write almost every single day. My aim is to write action-packed thrillers and page-turning mysteries that readers love and my hope is to get better at what I do with every book across each and every year.
I like to give away lots of free books as part of what I do. If you would like to receive some of these and get the exclusives on offer, than you're invited to join my free readers group at SolomonCarter.net. I won't spam you, just send the occassional email with news on the latest books and forthcoming freebies.
And if you want to see the memes, personal shares and other oddball stuff I do, then you can join me at Facebook via www.facebook.com/solomoncarterwrites and join the fun there too.
What I am good at: telling stories
What I am bad at: dancing, being patient.
What I love: nature, the seaside, adventures
Writers I heartily recommend: Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Henning Mankell, Val McDermid, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais.
Writers I need to read more of: Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly and others.
Other things I do beside writing: at present I like to keep my running going to balance out the sitting behind a laptop (a habit inspired by Haruki Murakami's 'What I talk about when I talk about running' - a great book).
-I am currently doing surf lessons. When in Rome, as they say...
-Getting out into nature as the weather allows.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Until then I'll keep on writing. Or running. Or surfing. Or chasing my children around the house.
All the very best,
Solomon :)
PS
if you have enjoyed any of my books, I'd be honoured if you could post a review. Those reviews really do help!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 20, 2020
Firstly let me say that the story is an excellent one and I would recommend it as a good third book of the four book series. I liked the difference between this and the previous books in as much as there is doubt that there really was a murder.. Good plot..
Secondly, the Hogarth/Ali relationship is somewhat dragged out.. A little like the Red John in the Mentalist!! Will it ever go anywhere? A little more in each book please.. Quite frankly it felt like a "throw in" hook for the next book in the series. I ended up barely caring how the relationship story would develop..
Thirdly, the only reason I have given this book a lowly two star rating is that it is the most poorly proof-read book I have ever experienced (even worse than book 2). Not only are words missing from sentences, there are words in the wrong sequence and basic errors that are frequently taking me right out of the atmosphere of the story.. For example "Hogarth stands up" he's already stood up.. Simmonds becomes Hogarth in one passage and the most obvious, surnames are swapped so Chrissie Heaton becomes Chrissie GILLEN...
I do like this series but if the next book is so grammatically poorly checked, it will be my last from the author.. It spoils the flow of the story for me and as mentioned above, ruins the atmosphere so well created by Simon...
Secondly, the Hogarth/Ali relationship is somewhat dragged out.. A little like the Red John in the Mentalist!! Will it ever go anywhere? A little more in each book please.. Quite frankly it felt like a "throw in" hook for the next book in the series. I ended up barely caring how the relationship story would develop..
Thirdly, the only reason I have given this book a lowly two star rating is that it is the most poorly proof-read book I have ever experienced (even worse than book 2). Not only are words missing from sentences, there are words in the wrong sequence and basic errors that are frequently taking me right out of the atmosphere of the story.. For example "Hogarth stands up" he's already stood up.. Simmonds becomes Hogarth in one passage and the most obvious, surnames are swapped so Chrissie Heaton becomes Chrissie GILLEN...
I do like this series but if the next book is so grammatically poorly checked, it will be my last from the author.. It spoils the flow of the story for me and as mentioned above, ruins the atmosphere so well created by Simon...
October 27, 2025
Am liking this series, Aimee Gillen lives and works in Harry King's studios, she is older than the other actresses he has working in his soft porn films and it looks as if wants her out as she is getting too old now she is around 30 was it? Anyway one morning she is found dead in her room with a line of coke on the table and an empty glass of alcohol there too. She is known for being a bit of a drinker and did do drugs but her death was unsuspected. The film studio are trying to gloss over her death as they are in the middle of filming, but with any suspicious death Joe Hogarth is called in too. His team find the girls working and living in the studio to be uninterested in her death and when Hogarth spots a few odd things in the room he is asking for a post mortem as he believes her death is through foul play.
The story moves along at a far pace and it also involves a politician, a keep fit studio next door with access to the film studios (very handy if you want to kill any more of their actresses). I did like the ending as Hogarth is like a dog with a bone and not put off by the shananigans of others, ie the politician and the gym owner and anyone else who is trying to shut his investigation down saying that she overdosed. But Hogarth knows differently.
The story moves along at a far pace and it also involves a politician, a keep fit studio next door with access to the film studios (very handy if you want to kill any more of their actresses). I did like the ending as Hogarth is like a dog with a bone and not put off by the shananigans of others, ie the politician and the gym owner and anyone else who is trying to shut his investigation down saying that she overdosed. But Hogarth knows differently.
January 19, 2023
The Darkest Deed -
Hogarth, the DC always right on the edge and up against his DCI and senior police management. Hogarth has the feeling that what would appear to be an accidental death is actually a murder. However, he has little proof or anything else, other than his gut feeling. Everybody else thinks he has lost it and he is in danger of losing his job over it. With a 48 hour deadline, will he unravel the case or fall on his sword? On top of this there is the complications of his own personal life, with the MPs ex-wife. Can he trust Ali or not? One of his snitches tells him information which is ruining Ali and Hogarth’s relationship. This is the third book in an enjoyable series. I’ll be looking to download the final book in the series. I really hope the pressure the DI is a massive exaggeration, else who would ever want to be in the forces? Probably my favourite out of the three books so far. 5 out of 5.
Hogarth, the DC always right on the edge and up against his DCI and senior police management. Hogarth has the feeling that what would appear to be an accidental death is actually a murder. However, he has little proof or anything else, other than his gut feeling. Everybody else thinks he has lost it and he is in danger of losing his job over it. With a 48 hour deadline, will he unravel the case or fall on his sword? On top of this there is the complications of his own personal life, with the MPs ex-wife. Can he trust Ali or not? One of his snitches tells him information which is ruining Ali and Hogarth’s relationship. This is the third book in an enjoyable series. I’ll be looking to download the final book in the series. I really hope the pressure the DI is a massive exaggeration, else who would ever want to be in the forces? Probably my favourite out of the three books so far. 5 out of 5.
May 20, 2022
I did enjoy this story, this time, it's about the untimely death of a porn star - but only Hogarth thinks it's murder.
The more I read about this character, the more complex he seems - not altogether likeable but his determination to find the villains is never in question. I like the inclusion of police politics because it highlights reality in that 'those above' only care about how things look rather than the truth.
Some interesting characters, a great sense of place and a twisty plot made for a compelling read.
Recommended.
The more I read about this character, the more complex he seems - not altogether likeable but his determination to find the villains is never in question. I like the inclusion of police politics because it highlights reality in that 'those above' only care about how things look rather than the truth.
Some interesting characters, a great sense of place and a twisty plot made for a compelling read.
Recommended.
January 15, 2019
Much better
Installment 3 so much better than 2! Though I had my suspicions 're the murderer and the bad guys (mostly but not 100% correct yay) i didn't guess the reasons this time . Characters growing on me also. Again, an easy read. And although I wasn't on edge of my seat i enjoyed it more. Not sure it warrants 4 stars but last time gave3 and as this was much better and not so obvious. Hoping book 4 continue to improve
Installment 3 so much better than 2! Though I had my suspicions 're the murderer and the bad guys (mostly but not 100% correct yay) i didn't guess the reasons this time . Characters growing on me also. Again, an easy read. And although I wasn't on edge of my seat i enjoyed it more. Not sure it warrants 4 stars but last time gave3 and as this was much better and not so obvious. Hoping book 4 continue to improve
July 14, 2019
Gripping
The secret set of books with DC Hogarth were my favourite. This story kept me on my toes. An accidental death of an adult/porn actress in a sauna of her place of work leads Hogarth to suspect murder. However, he only has his cop instincts and has to battle red tape to find out the truth.
Hogarth is now living with his married MPs wife but is she, whom she claims to be? Finding out in the final installment. Can't wait.
The secret set of books with DC Hogarth were my favourite. This story kept me on my toes. An accidental death of an adult/porn actress in a sauna of her place of work leads Hogarth to suspect murder. However, he only has his cop instincts and has to battle red tape to find out the truth.
Hogarth is now living with his married MPs wife but is she, whom she claims to be? Finding out in the final installment. Can't wait.
September 29, 2024
Sauna, Murderor or suicide
A body was found in the sauna, a woman who was know for taking drugs over some time who was at the end of her career, everyone believes she overdosed. The case could be a couple of days and then move on, all except Hogarth much to everyone’s annoyance, the autopsy came back as accidental death. Excellent book.
A body was found in the sauna, a woman who was know for taking drugs over some time who was at the end of her career, everyone believes she overdosed. The case could be a couple of days and then move on, all except Hogarth much to everyone’s annoyance, the autopsy came back as accidental death. Excellent book.
February 26, 2020
Another great story of Author Soloman Carter still keeping us in suspense about what he is going to do about Ali, well now for his next follow up to this series, The Darkest Truth, well done again Soloman.
April 7, 2018
Best so far!!
Once again cou!d not stop reading til finished!!
Oh Solomon, how can you leave me this way?!!
Need another fix Very soon
Once again cou!d not stop reading til finished!!
Oh Solomon, how can you leave me this way?!!
Need another fix Very soon
January 31, 2019
The Darkest deed
A very good read. Was at the edge of my seat, could not put the book down had to read on to the end.
A very good read. Was at the edge of my seat, could not put the book down had to read on to the end.
July 14, 2020
Nice
Ghana had back h j j j j j j j j I I I j bmp b n n
Ghana had back h j j j j j j j j I I I j bmp b n n
January 3, 2022
The Darkest Deed.
This was a good story, well thought out and written but at times a little convaluted . I did enjoy it and will read the next instalment soon.
This was a good story, well thought out and written but at times a little convaluted . I did enjoy it and will read the next instalment soon.
June 13, 2022
Really enjoying getting to know Hogarth and his crew better. Add into the mix the ongoing saga in his personal life that appears to be heading for certain disaster. All the makings of a good book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews