The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster

 

A far-right extremist group is trying to sow division, hoping to destabilise the country. When an informant is brutally murdered, Max Craigie and the rest of the team are tasked with investigating a possible leak among the police or the security service.

The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster is the seventh book in the Max Craigie series (if you want to know about the rest of the series, you can find reviews for all of the books on my blog). This time around, the author has tapped into something that is extremely relevant today, the rise of extremist groups.

Things are going well for Max; life is ticking along nicely, allowing him to spend quality time with his wife and daughter. Everything changes when an old contact of Barney's from his days working with MI5 reaches out to ask for help. A drug dealer turned informant has been murdered, and there is a possibility that someone is leaking information to an organised crime gang.

The scenes of contentment lull the reader into a false sense of security; we're not used to seeing Max so relaxed. Once the action begins, however, everything is at a blistering pace, and the tension is palpable. Max has to go undercover, and as a result, there isn't the usual amount of interaction between him and Janie, but we do get to meet a new character who has ambitions of joining the team.

Danger is never far away, and Max has to react quickly; thankfully, his past experience of undercover operations with the Met has equipped him for situations like this. Unfortunately, one situation doesn't go as planned, with devastating consequences, leaving Max to face his demons. I did seriously wonder if this was going to be the end of the series.

Neil Lancaster has used his extensive background to shine a light on current events. He has highlighted the way that Russian assets are using home-grown organised crime gangs to promote extremist views with the aim of destabilising the country. Shockingly, this means that Russia is not directly connected with what is happening, and the crime gangs are financing operations themselves. Another point the author makes is how the country treats veterans. Soldiers who are trained, sometimes to be killers, and are used to rules and regimentation, are abandoned when they leave the military. Skills are wasted, self-worth plummets, and how do these highly trained individuals get the adrenaline buzz they are used to?

The reader is kept guessing as to the identity of the leak. There is a clever cat-and-mouse game to lure out the person responsible for passing on sensitive information. It was lovely to see much of the action taking place in the north-east, my hometown even gets a brief mention. There is a sense of disbelief at the end, when it looks as if some of the individuals involved will escape retribution; however, karma is never far away.

The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster will be published on 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.

Author Details

Neil Lancaster is the No. 1 digital bestselling author of both the Tom Novak and Max Craigie series. His first Craigie novel, Dead Man’s Grave, was longlisted for the 2021 McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The second Craigie novel, The Blood Tide, topped several ebook and audio charts. It was also longlisted for the 2022 McIlvanney Prize and shortlisted for Best New Series at the Dead Good Reader Awards.

Neil’s authentic crime writing style stems from his police background. He served as a military policeman and worked for the Metropolitan Police as a detective, investigating serious crimes in the capital and beyond. As a covert policing specialist, he used all manner of techniques to investigate and disrupt major crime and criminals. He now lives in the Scottish Highlands, writes crime and thriller novels and works as a broadcaster and commentator on true crime documentaries. He is an expert on two Sky Crime TV series, Meet, Marry, Murder and Made for Murder.

Neil is also writing a new series under the pseudonym Max Connor. The first, No Mercy, is available now, and the follow up, No Way Out will be released in 2026.