Manhunt: The Night Stalker: How I Brought Serial Predator Delroy Grant to Justice

by Colin Sutton

SECOND IN THE MANHUNT SERIES - NOW A MAJOR TV DRAMA STARRING MARTIN CLUNES

What does it take to catch a predator who has terrorized southeast England for over fifteen years?

Delroy Grant - dubbed the Night Stalker - was one of the nation's most wanted men, a shocking sex predator. During his seventeen-year reign of fear, he established a clear MO. Target an elderly woman, living alone. Visit them at night. Remove a window pane and slide in. Unscrew the lightbulbs. Cut the power at the electricity meter. Rip out the telephone wires. Tiptoe to the bedroom. Wake the victim by shining a light in their eyes. What followed for his terrified victims was often unspeakable.

When SIO Colin Sutton was drafted into the case, Grant had been at large for over a decade. Stepping up where others had failed, he began the determined, relentless police work that had marked the end for infamous serial killer Levi Bellfield. Case by case, clue by clue.

Night Stalker is the chilling true story of one of the most testing manhunts the Metropolitan Police have ever undertaken. It is a glimpse into the heart of darkness - and into the mind and work of the brilliant detective who brought one of London's most feared monsters to justice.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook, Adult, History, Ebooks

288 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Victoria Fensom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already aware of the case of The Night Stalker but I only knew brief information about it prior to reading this book. It’s an extremely sad case that saw hundreds of elderly people suffer both physically and emotionally at the hands of Delroy Grant. The book provides an insight into the crimes he committed but it has a huge focus on the Police investigation side of the case, including the failings of the investigation.

It was an informative and very well written read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in true crime!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true crime story about Delroy Grant - The night stalker and how police eventually caught him. Unbelievably Grant was offending for 17 years before he was caught. This book explores the errors of thinking, procedural problems and computer errors that contributed to this but also the new and radical approach taken by Colin Sutton when he was asked to work this case. Colin Sutton solved the Levi Bellfield case too and he has a separate book about that with some cross reference here.

This was a book difficult to put down. Its short chapters and style of writing make for a pacey read. The description of the crimes is pretty harrowing. Grant targeted the elderly in their homes and sometimes sexually offended against them. This book offers insight into police procedures- the good and the bad - and some of the information about the trial and the jury was shocking. Its a well written, interesting book.

[abs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting memoir on the behind the scenes of a high profile case

[Alan Cousins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping read, authentic, insightful. Loved this book. I will only give 5 stars to maybe the best ten books I've ever read, to explain my rating. I couldn't put this down. I'm off to read his other book now...

[Annie Weatherly-Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read by Colin Sutton which not only shows how he and his team caught this serial nasty but also how Police at the top of the Met are completely devoid of integrity and spin the truth for their own ends. Deeply disturbing.

What a good copper Colin Sutton was, compassion, integrity, and hard working catching some of the worst serial nasties. Cannot imagine how tough this case was. But it was the disturbing actions of the MET that really gripped me at the end of the book.

What impressed me about Colin Sutton was his ability, graft and ensuring that all those police who worked so hard received the glory. Unlike the Met top brass who denied them their moment in the sun

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching the documentary The Manhunter wherein Colin Sutton takes you through his solving of this decades long case, I wanted to read the book and was not disappointed. He was able to add much more depth to the rationalization behind his decisions to change the focus of the investigation enabling him to catch the perpetrator. As usual, I also find the British court system quite interesting as it functions so differently from ours in the US.

[MonsRuiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline 4
audio 3.5

[Katie Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the ITV drama starring Martin Clunes as DI Colin Sutton, and realising it was based on a book by the real Colin Sutton, who did help to catch Delroy Grant - the real Night Stalker; I had to get my hands on the book.
However, I feel like this is a case where the TV drama was better than the book - in my personal opinion. Having watched the drama I could imagine/visualise scenes and hear Martin Clunes' voice, which 100% helped. Obviously the book did include some facts the drama missed. - like the fact Sutton did a stint in Yorkshire, and as a Yorkshire girl - I appreciated this fact.
It is only 250 pages, so quite a quick read - but by no means an easy read. With the nature of the book there is obviously a number of trigger/content warnings to be aware of, including scenes of rape and sexual assault of elderly women and descriptions of depression.
I loved the nights of surveillance scenes, and the trial scene. And loved references to Life on Mars/Gene Hunt - I appreciated that! I also laughed at one of the DCs being named Andy Murray!
Overall I enjoyed it - but not as much as I enjoyed the TV show.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view into the real life investigation of The Minstead Rapist also known as The Night Stalker a burglar and serial rapist operating between the 1990s the the 2000s in London.
I am fascinated by true crime documentaries and I thought that this would be an amazing way to combine this with my love of reading and it was to an extent.
This book is written by Colin Sutton a DCI who was involved in the investigation and eventual arrest of Delroy Grant. I thought that this was a nice touch as it gives the reader the feeling of fiction crime novels whilst allowing them to see the reality of such criminal investigations and gave it a more humane feel rather than approaching it from a purely-factual perspective.
I would have enjoyed a more in-depth look into the investigation rather than looking at DCI Sutton’s reasons for retiring after this case, but the reflection of missed opportunities in the earlier years made for an interesting note in how despite what mystery novels and TV shows would have you believe, the investigations are rarely perfect and mistakes do occur.
Overall an interesting read although probably a one-time enjoyment kind of book.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Sutton is probably best known for his work in the Levi Bellfield investigation, but his work was also pivotal in catching the Nightstalker. This book lays out a summary of the investigation, including several key errors that were made.
Although it is reasonably short, it is certainly not an easy read as the crimes are described in detail. They were mainly burglaries but indecent assault and rapes are also written about a lot in this book.
I had seen the TV show about the Levi Bellfield case, but was not aware that this case has also been made into a TV show - it came out in September 2021, so might be an interesting watch to accompany the book.
This is a very good book for anyone interested in true crime.

[PAUL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant account of the Night Stalker case. Delroy Grant perpetrated over 200 burglaries and 5 rapes on the elderly over the course of 20 years in SE London. At least two massive opportunities to arrest Grant in the early days of his terror campaign was missed by incompetent detectives. A change of tactics and a new pair of eyes in the form of SIO Colin Sutton, the man who brought Levi Bellfield to justice, soon had the case back on track and eventual success.

Disillusioned, and having served his 30 years, Colin Sutton resigned his position soon after aged just 50. A great loss to the Met.

[Kathy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently watched the TV series and so wanted to read the book. I really like police procedurals so I really liked the book. I must say that I found it interesting to read his perspective on retirement and how much it would affect him. The crimes were a sad commentary on how the elderly are pretty much shunted to the side. I felt if this had happened to younger women there would have been more of an outcry.

[Stuart Nutt]

Excellent detective true story

Very well written account of a dreadful crime history.I am very disappointed to learn that the police are able to retire after thirty years service.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The ego of a narcissist knows no bounds: this a-hole says "I brought", when was the largest investigation for this sort of crime lead by the lazy bureaucrats. Violent thugs like this one have taken wages and pensions for almost two decades from the pockets of those they have sworn to protect, almost two decades of paperwork and terrorizing the usual suspects while people continued to be victimized. In the end, yes, it is heroic for the a-hole, as there are countless other rapists out there who will probably never be brought to justice by the violent thugs. Batman rapist? A large number of thugs terrorized the neighborhood, collected DNA, spent other people's money to show how busy they are printing leaflets, and zero results against thousands of bullied "suspects". The Hero! The TV drama. Watch the actors being busy. The Obscenity encouraged by the law.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colin Sutton, who previously led the investigation that brought down Levi Bellfield, is one of those detectives that clearly relished the investigatory side of policing. In this book he tells how he was drafted in to review Operation Minstead, which was hunting the Night Stalker, a burglar and rapist who terrorised the elderly in south London for 17 years. It is a fascinating account, revealing how he came up with a proactive approach to snare the perpetrator, Delroy Grant, by basically laying a trap.

It is a candid insight into the politics of the Met, what went disastrously wrong with the investigation, and the problems of leading and motivating a team chasing a devious, monstrous home invader. Most importantly, he never loses sight of the suffering of Grant's many victims.

[Simon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading John McShane's book a while ago I was hoping that there would be a book on Delroy Grant's crimes that wasn't so 'cut and paste'.

Colin Sutton's book is that book! It starts with him starting to work on Operation Minstead, how he took over the whole operation and how his changes to the whole direction of the operation resulted in Grant being caught and charged.

Fascinating, detailed and jaw dropping. It's all here. I love how Sutton writes and makes procedure straightforward so that everyone can grasp it rather than just those in the know.

A fantastic book and just as good as his previous book on his involvement in getting Levi Bellfield caught and banged up.

[Colin Oaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account by Colin Sutton of his appointment as SIO on the long running Operation Minstead case, where the police had been trying to apprehend a vicious burglar who had also carried out physical and sexual assaults in London for almost 20 years,without any success. Being appointed following his successful investigation and subsequent capture of serial killer Levi Bellfield, Sutton finds a police force in disarray and following blind leads and a catalogue of errors. The attention and organisation that Colin Sutton bought to the case led to the arrest and conviction of Delroy Grant, the so-called Night Stalker, and this is the fascinating true life tale of the chase.

[Rik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great one from Colin Sutton. There's some rough reading in this one though due to the nature of the crimes. Sutton is a great writer and this second book is a good as his first, a very detailed account of the manhunt from the inside. As with the first book he can seem a bit full of himself but not in in an obnoxious way and the fact is it's earned, his changes and suggested plan of action got the piece of s*** caught in 17 days of being implimented after 17 years off the police chasing after him! He really does a great job of illustrating the feeling behind the doors of the incident rooms on these sorta cases, in a way only an ex-copper could, i'd imagine.

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Colin Sutton....... MANHUNT .... THE NIGHT STALKER......

first of all Colin Sutton......... was a police officer who worked his way up to DCI AT SCOTLAND YARD LONDON. i WAS ACTULLY WATCHING THIS SERIES LAST NIGHT AND Colin said his very first day on the job at SY was 3 jan...... NOW THAT STOOD OUT FOR ME as its my Birthday.

I am currently watching a different series called the title as above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This book has a tv show as well.

very well worth the read and watch the show..

[Leia Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true crime book was so interesting to follow the process and so frustrating to read how many missed opportunities the police had and how many people would not of suffered had more action been taken but was good to know he was finally captured and sentenced.

Cannot wait to get hold of the Levi Belfield book and read the process and search to capture him.

Recommend reading these books if you love true crime.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

a small error costing lives

This is not only a true crime events. Two key takeaways: thinking about the problem and framing the unknown you are solving for is arguably key to untangling these mysteries. And lastly small process omissions can dictate erroneous outcomes over and over again leading you something is insolvable, when in reality the ERROR in the processing makes it so.

[MRS S L STEPHEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for true crime fans

Colin Sutton's book on solving this truly shocking case is a must read for any true crime fan. He pulls no punches on the missed opportunities in catching this depraved individual and I think it was important that this was covered in the book. You want lessons to be learned! Once I started , I couldn't put it down and even though I knew what the outcome would be it was thrilling to read his thoughts and observations.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read and one that I could hardly put down. It opens your eyes to the bureaucracy that goes on behind investigations and how mistakes made are effectively covered over. It was clear to see this man should have been caught so much earlier!
I especially appreciated how the victims were kept the focus of the book and thought that the author did them justice - especially with the appendices with victim quotes.

[Tash Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, really put into perspective how much it takes to bring a criminal to justice. I love how the writer is the cop so you really get an insight to how he is feeling during the years of investigating the night stalker. So glad that this horrible vile man got what he deserved! If you like true crime books / documentary’s I would recommend this for sure!

5*

[Liz Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested to read this, having seen the excellent TV programme with Martin Clunes portraying Colin Sutton as a dull character. In fact from reading the book, I thought he was meticulous in thoroughly investigating very nasty crimes, and I'm impressed that his systems managed to find the perpetrator.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due to the subject matter, this not a book to enjoy per se. However, it is by turns fascinating, gripping and harrowing. I found it very illuminating about the internal structure and politics of the police, as well as an excellent reminder in how organisations which don't question their assumptions can get stuck in a rut.

[Martin Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. I've read lots about this case and also saw Colin speak in his recent tour so I wanted to read this and get more understanding of how Grant was caught.
This excellent book gives details of the successes (and some failures) in the ultimately successful investigation.

Full of admiration for Colin and all his teams

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst being a very interesting book to read, this was an exceptionally sad story. To think that this man terrorised the elderly in such a way and for so long is absolutely sickening and heartbreaking.

I truly believe if not for the innovate work of the author, this man may never have been caught, and certainly would have committed an even more abhorrent and significant number of crimes.

[Sofea Oatmeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it expecting an action packed movie in a book of how they captured the perpetrator. However it ended up being a much more personal and emotional enquiry of what happened. You really have to read the whole book to understand the story. And it’s one of those books where it’ll be better on a second read… 4⭐️

[Hilay Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good account of the Delroy Grant investigation which follows Colin Sutton’s previous Manhunt book. It’s hard not to be shocked by the ability of the top brass to hang its hard working staff out to dry. Cressida Dick should be ashamed.