When DS Jim Carter, a world-weary policeman battling with alcoholism, divorce and a stagnant career, encounters a highly suspicious murder case, little does he know that he is on the brink of the biggest case of his life. Forgotten Souls, by David T. Procter, follows the hard-hitting, relentless Carter as he and his team unravel agonising truths that reveal and condemn not just a ferocious criminal underworld, but also the very nation in which we live.

As Carter battles with his drink problem, his superiors and the ghosts of a former life, others find themselves inextricably linked to his plight. Professor Hartley, an esteemed expert in the art of post-mortem, opens up the corpse of a young addict to find she is missing a kidney. Senior Immigration Officer Jane Forbes finds her detention centre breached, and her life endangered. Honest copper Tim Thorne, carrying out some personal surveillance, inadvertently attracts the murderous attention of a new enemy.

As horrific plots and inhuman evils draw these stories together for a breathtaking conclusion, David T. Procter exposes a whole new perspective on Kent – its beauty, its history, its attitudes and its danger. It is here, at the gateway of England, that Carter must battle with what has gone before – and what has yet to come.

Whether on the open waters or on the adjoining coastline, corruption and murder are everywhere. As intelligent criminals, failing institutions and the will of a broken man clash and conflict, it becomes clear that this is more than your average crime novel – this is an epic story about humanity’s capability for evil, murder and – we hope – forgiveness.

A rich, well-populated page turner, Forgotten Souls represents a 21st Century take on the English murder mystery.