DI Joseph Stone Crime Thrillers

For sixteen years, the Midwinter Butcher has stalked the edges of Oxford—leaving behind ritualistic animal killings on the anniversary of DI Joseph Stone’s greatest loss. A reminder. A warning. And a case that has consumed him. Now living alone on a narrowboat, isolated and out of favour with his superiors, Joseph is running out of time—and out of chances. When he’s paired with the determined DC Megan Taylor, the two detectives begin to uncover a pattern far darker than either of them expected. The killings aren’t random. And they aren’t finished.

Oxford rower Hannah Emmerson vanished four years ago while jogging along the River Isis. Her mysterious disappearance became a source of heartbreak and torment for her loved ones and the academic community when the search for Hannah yielded no results.

Jimmy Harper was a successful vintage car dealer with a passion for perfection. When he is found burned alive inside his prized Aston Martin DB5, it’s clear this was no accident—and no ordinary act of violence. A double-headed coin placed in his mouth points to something calculated, ritualistic, and deeply personal. As DI Joseph Stone and DC Megan Anderson begin their investigation, they uncover a disturbing pattern: businesses destroyed by fire, lives reduced to ash, and a killer driven by more than rage.

What begins as a playful ritual quickly spirals into something far darker. When a Nerf gun ‘hit’ connected to an underground Assassins gaming club leads to a real death, DI Joseph Stone is drawn into a world where the rules are dangerously blurred. Ryan and Gabby never intended to be part of something lethal. But someone inside the game has taken the obsession too far—and now fiction and reality are colliding with fatal consequences. As Joseph and DC Megan Anderson dig deeper, they uncover a sinister game operating in plain sight, one fuelled by secrecy, loyalty, and the thrill of control.

For decades, the peaceful village of Windridge has harboured dark mysteries, whispers of ancient rituals, and hidden crimes. When human remains from 1965 are discovered at an archaeological dig, Detective Inspector Joseph Stone and DC Megan Taylor are thrust into a haunting investigation that threatens to unravel the very fabric of the community. The enigmatic Charlotte Harris, a reclusive farmer rumoured to be a witch, soon falls into their sights. Her eerie practices and the village’s deep-seated superstitions fuel a growing hysteria that the detectives must navigate carefully.

When DCI Simon Hart steps in front of a bus, it’s ruled a tragic accident. But as more deaths follow—each eerily similar—DI Joseph Stone begins to suspect something far more calculated is at work. The trail leads back to a case Joseph thought he’d left behind. A wrongful conviction. A life destroyed. And a man who may have survived long enough to seek revenge. As Joseph and DC Megan Anderson investigate, they uncover a disturbing pattern linking the victims to a charismatic hypnotist offering help to the vulnerable.

When a senior politician collapses and dies in the middle of a public speech, the shock reverberates through Oxford. The official verdict is natural causes. The truth is far darker. As a bitterly contested election looms, DI Joseph Stone is drawn into an investigation that reaches far beyond murder. At last, the true purpose of the Night Watchmen begins to emerge—a coordinated campaign of manipulation, fear, and control, fuelled by deepfake videos, blackmail, and carefully orchestrated violence.