The Darkest Tide

<b><i>**A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SUMMER BOOKS OF 2026 PICK**</i></b><br /><br /><b><i>'</i>A deeply atmospheric tale' <i>The Times</i></b><br /><br /><b>'A race against time, in every sense. A beautifully written crime thriller set against an atmospheric Brighton backdrop' Elly Griffiths</b><br /><br />Arthur Cotton is losing his once sharp mind to dementia. But when a body washes up on Brighton beach, fragments of his dangerous past begin to surface. Fifty years ago, he kept the books - and the secrets - of Brighton's criminal underworld. Retirement came with one rule: to keep his mouth shut.<br /><br />Susan Cotton thought she knew her father. She was wrong.<br /><br />Now, old enemies are paying attention to Arthur. And Susan's busy yet predictable life caring for others - her elderly patients, her adult daughter Ruby - is about to unravel.<br /><br />To protect Arthur, Susan must turn detective and discover a Brighton she barely recognises. A city of gangsters, hidden violence and explosive lies, with every revelation pulling her family closer to danger.<br /><br /><b>Taking the reader from the smoky nightclubs of 1960s Brighton to the bustling tourist city of today, <i>The Darkest Tide</i> is a gripping thriller about family, memory and the deadly cost of long-buried secrets.</b><br /><br /><b>'A compelling mystery with a breathtaking twist - an irresistible slice of Brighton noir' M.J. Arlidge</b><br /><br /><b>'Hanington's vivid depiction of Brighton - from 1960s ganglands to modern streets - is paired with sharp characterisation and suspenseful plotting to create an exploration of memory, regret and the heavy cost of buried truths' </b><b><i>Woman</i></b><br /><br /><b>'This is crime fiction at its best: the evocative setting, page-turning pace and cleverly woven plot' Charlotte Philby</b>