Watch and Prey
You can hide, but you can't run... When the body of a church warden is discovered hanging from the belfry of a village church, DI Tom Janssen and his team must investigate the circumstances that led to his death.
Whilst navigating the fallout from the conclusion of their previous case, the Norfolk CID team is under intense scrutiny with another police force investigating their recent conduct. Some people would like nothing more than to see the team fail. With no clear motive for murder or a reason to take his own life, the team have little to go on.
Meanwhile, a hit and run accident on the Sandringham Estate leaves a pregnant woman in hospital and when the fleeing vehicle is located - abandoned beside a coastal sailing club - the investigating team find more than they bargained for when they look inside.
The hunt is on for a brutal murderer whose motives and goals are unknown, and when other interested parties appear in the area the stakes are raised further. Just who are the hunters, who is watching, and, more importantly, who is the prey?
Watch and Prey is the latest book in the Amazon #1 bestselling series, by British crime writer, J M Dalgliesh, the multi-million selling author of The Misty Isle and Dark Yorkshire books.
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J M Dalgliesh
Before he ever penned a crime scene or built the quiet tension of a small-town mystery, J.M. Dalgliesh was drawn to the shadows that linger at the edges of everyday life—the things left unsaid, the truths that hide beneath the surface. Raised in Norfolk, England, his early years were spent surrounded by the kind of windswept coastlines and weather-beaten streets that would later seep into the moody, atmospheric settings of his novels.
Dalgliesh didn’t follow the traditional literary path. His journey into writing came after years of working with people from all walks of life, experiences that gave him a sharp eye for the unspoken complexities of human nature. That empathy, coupled with a natural instinct for suspense, forms the backbone of his storytelling. His books often explore the fractures beneath seemingly tranquil communities, peeling back layers of civility to reveal the quiet violence that can lurk within.
Hidden Norfolk
Tucked away on England’s brooding east coast, where the land bleeds into mist and marsh, the Hidden Norfolk series unfolds with quiet intensity. It’s here—beneath the surface of a place known more for coastal charm than crime—that the past lingers like fog and truth is a slippery, shifting thing.
Following Detective Inspector Tom Janssen, each story peels back the veneer of village life, revealing the tension, trauma, and long-buried secrets that ripple just beneath. These aren’t crimes of convenience—they’re rooted deep in character, shaped by community and carried out in silence. In this world, justice isn’t clean-cut, and resolution rarely comes without personal cost.
Hidden Norfolk consists of sixteen books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
