In politics, one must be prepared to make sacrifices.

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.

At the centre of it all is a ruthless architect of chaos, preparing one final move to seize power. And this time, Joseph isn’t just chasing a killer—he’s challenging a conspiracy embedded deep within the system itself.

Framed, isolated, and running out of time, Joseph must decide how much he is willing to sacrifice to expose the truth. With the people he loves in danger and the foundations of democracy under threat, failure is no longer an option.

As everything he’s fought for comes to a head, Joseph faces a final reckoning—one that will determine not only his future, but the fate of everything he holds dear.

Narrated by Patrick FitzSymons, A Heart of Darkness is a gripping, high-stakes British crime thriller set in Oxford. Dark, urgent, and unflinching, it is the explosive final instalment in the DI Joseph Stone series.

Ideal for listeners who enjoy political thrillers, conspiracies, and series finales where the cost of truth is everything.