Laughton Rees: Book 3
Publication Date: June 24, 2025
Laughton Rees is back in the latest novel from the bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy—this time, with a case that hits uncomfortably close to home and threatens the thing Laughton values most: her daughter.
Forensic specialist Laughton Rees is not ashamed of her checkered past—after all, her youthful indiscretions led to the birth of her daughter Gracie, the person she loves most in the world—but when Gracie’s father unexpectedly turns up in their lives again, Laughton is automatically wary.
Shelby Facer is a dangerous man, formerly imprisoned for his involvement in an international drug trafficking ring, and no matter what Laughton once felt for him, she doesn’t want him anywhere near Gracie. But when Shelby claims that he has information about an especially difficult murder case she is working, she can’t turn him down.
A body with no head or hands has recently turned up in the river Thames, and the police are at a loss until Shelby identifies the man. The victim was part of a highly secretive smuggling ring Shelby was involved with during his and Laughton’s youth—which Laughton’s father, former commissioner for the Metropolitan police, was investigating before he died.
Laughton throws herself into her father’s old files to try to trace the connections between past and present, but as she and DCI Tannahill Khan circle closer to the truth, the case becomes dangerously personal. When another body turns up, mutilated just like the first, the victim is no stranger to Laughton. She’ll have to face the darkest parts of her past to find the man behind the murders—before he takes away everything she loves.
When a handless, headless corpse washes up along the Thames, writing on the arm reveals a shocking message to forensic specialist Laughton Rees.
In the third installment of the series bearing the main character’s name, author Simon Toyne showcases a man from Leighton’s past and the father of her teen daughter. The Black Highway combines family secrets and drug trafficking for an action-packed adventure.
The dual storyline features three days in the present along with a 16-year flashback, providing the catalyst for current events. It was interesting to see the police processes unfold with Laughton’s late father in charge.
The sudden reappearance of Shelby Face forces a difficult mother-daughter confrontation, especially on the heels of Grace’s recent discovery of his identity. The plot twist at the end leaves me hoping Laughton and DCI Tannahill Khan will find a way to reach common ground.
The Black Highway serves up a psychological thriller, forcing Laughton to confront the past and demonstrate how far she will go to protect her daughter.
Simon Toyne is the author of the internationally bestselling Sanctus trilogy (Sanctus, The Key and The Tower), The Searcher, The Boy Who Saw, and Dark Objects and has worked in British television for more than twenty years. As a writer, director and producer he’s made several award-winning shows, one of which won a BAFTA. He lives in England with his wife and family, where he is permanently at work on his next novel.
