Tom Douglas's journey through the books

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS SECTION MAY CONTAIN SOME (LIGHT) SPOILERS

It is quite a journey to follow the career of DCI Tom Douglas. Tom is the heart and soul of the DCI Tom Douglas series—the quintessential "White Hat" hero who constantly grapples with the line between the letter of the law and his own deep sense of honour.

Here is the evolution of Tom Douglas across the series:

The Met and the Burden of Wealth

When we first meet Tom, (Only the Innocent) he has recently transferred from Manchester to the Metropolitan Police in London to be closer to his young daughter, Lucy, following a difficult divorce from his ex-wife, Kate. He is independently wealthy, having inherited millions from his brother Jack, who was believed to have died in a freak speedboat accident. This wealth is a source of quiet conflict for Tom, as he lives in a luxurious Docklands apartment that feels soulless compared to the gritty reality of his job.

In his first major case at the Met, the murder of Hugo Fletcher, Tom establishes his reputation as a compassionate investigator who isn't afraid to follow his "famous gut". Most notably, this is where he makes the controversial choice to let a murderer go free because he believes the victim truly deserved their fate—a secret he carries for years.

The Return to Manchester and the Ghost of a Brother

Tom eventually returns to the North-west, (The Back Road) briefly taking a sabbatical in a Cheshire cottage to sort through Jack’s papers before rejoining the Major Incidents Team in Manchester. This era is defined by personal upheaval. His relationship with Leonora "Leo" Harris is a "one step forward, two steps back" affair, hampered by her deep-seated trust issues and his own inability to be fully honest about his family.

The defining moment of his career comes during the Sleep Tight and Stranger Child investigations. Tom discovers that his brother Jack faked his own death to protect the family from an organised crime group. Tom is forced into a life of subterfuge, helping Jack hide and even assisting in faking the deaths of a family to keep them safe from the enforcer Finn McGuinness.

Finding a New Anchor

After his relationship with Leo finally collapses due to a lack of mutual trust, Tom enters a period of quiet reflection. In The Sixth Window, Becky plays matchmaker, introducing him to Dr. Louisa Knight. Louisa becomes a stabilising force in his life, and they eventually move in together.

By the events of The Shape of Lies, Tom is dealing with the challenges of being a "weekend dad" to a teenager while navigating a new stage of life: he and Louisa discover they are expecting a child together.

Fatherhood, Trauma, and the Final Choice

The arrival of baby Harry brings Tom immense joy but also heightened anxiety about the dangers of the world. This fear is realised in No More Lies when Tom is shot during a tense standoff at Rivington, an injury that leaves him with a "sizeable hole" and nearly costs him his life.

While on sick leave, Tom realises that Jack has gone missing again. This leads to the pulse-pounding conclusion in Whatever It Takes, where Tom follows a trail of "breadcrumbs" left by Jack to Venice. To save Jack’s daughter, Ava, from the 'Ndrangheta, Tom makes the ultimate professional sacrifice: he agrees to participate in an illegal art heist.

Realising that he can no longer be a policeman after breaking the law so fundamentally, Tom resigns from the Greater Manchester Police. He hands over his office to Becky Robinson, choosing to focus on his family and his new ambition: finding innovative ways to prevent crime before it happens.