The homes of DCI Tom Douglas
- Rachel Abbott
- Feb 6
- 3 min read
Tom moves from London to Cheshire and finally back to Manchester - each home very different from the last.
London apartment
During his early days with the Met, Tom lives in a "posh" apartment in London's Docklands with a stunning view of the river toward Greenwich. It’s filled with expensive furniture inherited from his brother Jack, but Tom feels it lacks a soul.
While the apartment looks like a high-end designer showroom, it’s missing one vital piece of furniture for a man like Tom: a bookshelf. Because he bought the place as a "job lot" from his brother Jack, not a single thing was chosen by Tom himself. It seems the designer believed a modern bachelor has no use for literature or music, so Tom’s extensive collection of books and CDs has nowhere to go but the floor behind the sofa. These are the only items in the room that actually belong to him, serving as a messy rebellion against the apartment's clinical perfection.
Despite the luxury and that stunning view of the murky Thames, Tom feels like a stranger in his own home. The apartment is "uber smart" but feels "cold and stark" because it says absolutely nothing about his personality or history. To Tom, the space is entirely devoid of soul – a beautiful, expensive cage that he’s always half-ready to race out of the door
When Tom's ex-wife relocates back to Manchester, Tom moves to a red-bricked cottage in the village of Little Melham, Cheshire. It’s a property full of character with low beams, an inglenook fireplace, and a kitchen with a central island. And it gives him easy access to his daughter, Lucy, for weekends.
Unlike his London place, where he hadn’t chosen a single piece of furniture, Tom put some real thought into this interior. He managed to pull together a home that feels "a bit smart" but still incredibly comfortable.
The sitting room is furnished with a dark aubergine sofa and stone-coloured armchairs, gathered around a cosy inglenook fireplace – the ultimate spot for Tom to relax with his Sunday papers. The room is finished with chunky wooden side tables topped with fat porcelain lamps, creating a space that Tom proudly says finally "feels like home".
Of course, no old cottage is perfect. Tom is still working through his DIY to-do list, which currently includes having to plane a bit off the bottom of the front door because it’s sticking.
It’s the perfect sanctuary for a man who wants to be closer to Lucy, while he contemplates his next career move. What he doesn't expect, though, is to become embroiled in the local village scandal. (The Back Road)
After finally securing a position as DCI in the Major Incidents Team of Greater Manchester Police, Tom moves into an Edwardian semi-detached house in South Manchester. He sets up his desk in the large hall, which features its own small fireplace and low bookcases. The floors are bare wood adorned with colourful rugs.
He knows it's a bit large for just him and the occasional overnight stay for Lucy, but it's full of the kind of period charm Tom missed when he lived in London. The spacious rooms and high ceilings give the whole place an airy, open feel, and he loves the original features, such as the stained glass in the tops of the windows.
The hallway is large enough to house his desk, and with its own small fireplace, it serves as a cosy, if unconventional, study. The walls are lined with low bookcases crammed with "every sort of novel known to man" – it’s exactly the kind of slightly cluttered space you’d expect for a detective who values a good story as much as a cold case.
He particularly loves the kitchen, with space for friends and family to congregate while he cooks - the perfect antidote to a day dealing with crime.
