Hidden Norfolk · #14
Blood Runs Cold
Believe in nothing... and kill for something...
When a man's dismembered body is discovered at an abandoned quarry on the north Norfolk coast, DI Tom Janssen and his team must wade through his secretive life to figure out how he met his end.
The victim was a quiet man, well respected by those who knew him, and someone often willing to help local charities with his free time. Presenting an image of himself to the world of a simple, inoffensive individual, he never allowed anyone close enough to look behind the mask. As his associations become clearer, the team realise that there are others with secrets of their own... but are they willing to kill to keep them that way?
With a community reeling from such a gruesome and seemingly macabre act of violence the pressure is on to get a result. When the investigation crosses paths with another operated by the Major Crimes Unit, Tom begins to question who the real victim is and why, to some, the murder is such a low priority?
Blood Runs Cold is the fourteenth novel in the Hidden Norfolk crime series by the multi-million selling British crime writer, JM Dalgliesh, the author of the Dark Yorkshire books. Perfect for fans of JD Kirk, Damien Boyd, LJ Ross, Rachel McLean and Simon McCleave.
The series
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.
Read full series description
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.
What makes the series stand out in the realm of British detective fiction is its devotion to atmosphere over action. The sense of place is almost a character in itself—windswept beaches, fading skies, and forgotten lanes form the backdrop to crimes that echo long after the final page. The pacing is deliberate, the storytelling intimate, and the emotional weight unflinching.
Fans of slow-burn crime novels, rich in psychological complexity and steeped in setting, will find themselves drawn into the quiet power of these investigations. There’s nothing flashy here—just sharp writing, layered plots, and a protagonist whose quiet persistence mirrors the landscape he patrols. In Hidden Norfolk, every whisper of wind might be carrying a secret, and no one is ever quite as innocent as they seem.
#1 · 2019One Lost Soul 
#2 · 2019Bury Your Past 
#3 · 2020Kill Our Sins 
#4 · 2020Tell No Tales 
#5 · 2020Hear No Evil 
#6 · 2020The Dead Call 
#7 · 2021Kill Them Cold 
#8 · 2021A Dark Sin 
#9 · 2021To Die For 
#10 · 2022Fool Me Twice 
#11 · 2022The Raven Song 
#12 · 2022Angel of Death 
#13 · 2023Dead To Me 
#14 · 2023Blood Runs Cold 
#15 · 2024Watch and Prey 
#16 · 2025When Death Calls 
#17 · 2026Keep No Secrets 
#18 · 2027Hidden Norfolk Book 18 Be the first reviewer
Sign in and write the first reader review.
