Lies, Cults, and Distorted Truths:

Tom Douglas’s Most Unsettling Investigations

The Investigations That Stay With You: A Deep Dive with Tom Douglas

We’ve settled into the hallway study of Tom’s red-brick Edwardian semi in South Manchester, surrounded by low bookcases overflowing with every novel imaginable. There's a faint, mouth-watering scent of what tells me is an Indian feast wafting from the kitchen – Tom’s version of therapy after a long day. He’s poured us both a glass of Glenmorangie and looks remarkably relaxed for a man who has stared into the darkest corners of the human psyche.

Interviewer: Tom, you’ve spent a lifetime in the Major Incidents Team. Looking back, you’ve dealt with some truly bizarre motivations for crime. There was that case involving the Joseph family and the return of their David Joseph’s daughter who had been missing for six years. I understand that it involved a "tiger kidnap." For those of us not on the force, what exactly does that mean?

Tom: It’s a particularly cruel brand of crime. In a typical kidnapping, the goal is usually a straight cash ransom. But in a tiger kidnap, the perpetrators take a hostage – usually a family member – to force someone else to commit a crime for them. It effectively turns the victim into a criminal by coercion, leaving the families involved in an impossible psychological position. (Stranger Child)

Interviewer: Speaking of turning people into criminals, I remember a case involving a "fantasy murder site" that seemed to blur the lines between online roleplay and actual homicide.

Tom: That was a disturbing one. The site was a dark corner of the web where people went to post detailed fantasies about how they would kill someone and why. Most participants probably saw it as a way to vent their demons, but in that case, three users – including a site administrator – started a "private room" to help each other turn those fantasies into a reality. It was built on the "power of three" – three victims who looked identical to confuse the investigation. It’s a chilling reminder that there are places online where a pathological lack of remorse is actually encouraged. (Kill Me Again)

Interviewer: You’ve also encountered psychological manipulation in its most professional form – like that psychiatrist who was testing his theories on vulnerable women.

Tom: Dr Garrick Atwell. He was a struck-off psychiatrist who believed that "trust" was the only way to heal a fractured mind. But his version of trust involved drugging women – his "waifs and strays" – for his research. He would convince these women they had committed terrible crimes, so they felt they had no choice but to stay under his "protection". It was domestic slavery masquerading as therapy. (Come a Little Closer)

Interviewer: You seem to find people living double lives particularly fascinating. There was that case with the primary school headteacher?

Tom: Anna Franklyn. By day, she was the model of respectability – a dedicated headteacher who talked about "Christian values" like honesty and truth. But by night, she transformed into an audacious, high-stakes poker player named "Saskia Peterson". She wore a wig and bright red lipstick to disappear into the Manchester casino world, playing for the highest stakes possible to pay off a debt that was threatening her family. (The Shape of Lies)

Interviewer: You’ve seen how that kind of isolation can lead people into cults as well, like that case in Lincolnshire.

Tom: Yes, the "Lakeside" community led by Aram Forakis. Cult leaders like him are experts at finding people who feel lost and then stripping away their self-esteem until they’re entirely dependent. He forced his followers to break ties with the outside world and hand over their property and money in exchange for a "utopian" life that was actually built on psychological coercion and exploitation. (Close Your Eyes)

Interviewer: And then there are the cases where the danger comes from within a group of old friends. I’m thinking of the group that used to play that "Badger" game as kids.

Tom: That was a tragedy that took over a decade to fully unravel. A group of school friends had been carrying a heavy secret since the night they all left for university. One of those friends spent years plotting an elaborate revenge to dismantle the others' lives. It shows how a single lie, even one told to protect each other, can rot a person’s soul for decades. And then, of course, I ended up getting shot – so not my favourite memory. (No More Lies)

Interviewer: Quite! And you’d barely recovered before you took an unscheduled trip to Venice. There were rumours that the Mafia was involved, and that you were asked to do some things that a DCI normally shouldn't do.

Tom: When your own family is under threat from an organisation as powerful as the Mafia, the rule book becomes a lot less relevant. I had to step way outside my comfort zone and outside the law to ensure a hostage was returned safely. It made me realise that morality isn't always black and white, and sometimes the only way to save the innocent is to take matters into your own hands. (Whatever it Takes)

Interviewer: That leads to a difficult final question. Is it true that you once solved a cold-blooded murder, identified the killer, but chose never to prosecute because you felt they were ultimately the true victim?

Tom: [Tom takes a slow sip of his whisky and gazes toward the window, his expression unreadable.] I’ve seen enough "smiling, damned villains" to know that sometimes the law is just a blunt instrument. But if you're asking for a name or a confession, I'm afraid that's an answer I'll be keeping to myself. (Only the Innocent)

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