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Who Killed Daniel Morgan?
PI Daniel Morgan was murdered with an axe to the head in a car park on March 10, 1987. After five failed police investigations and an ongoing inquiry, Daniel's murder is now the most investigated in British history—yet remains unsolved. Intrinsically connected to the murky relationship between press and police, Daniel's death can even be linked to the phone hacking scandal that closed the News of the World. This book uncovers new evidence in what an Assistant Commissioner of the Met calls "one of the most disgraceful episodes in the entire history of the Metropolitan Police Service."
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
384 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 22, 2021
I'm usually a fan of true crime books but I really struggled with this one.
Despite the tagline of "Britain's most investigated murder" and the fact it is back in the news at the moment, I had never actually heard Daniel's story before - surprising for me.
I found this book tedious and difficult to get into, not so much the way it was written but simply that there were so many people involved it was hard to follow. It's a very complex case of police and media corruption and I found myself frequently losing track of how each name mentioned was connected.
As difficult as it is to read, this case definitely needs to be heard and hopefully Alistair will one day see those responsible for his brother's murder brought to justice.
Despite the tagline of "Britain's most investigated murder" and the fact it is back in the news at the moment, I had never actually heard Daniel's story before - surprising for me.
I found this book tedious and difficult to get into, not so much the way it was written but simply that there were so many people involved it was hard to follow. It's a very complex case of police and media corruption and I found myself frequently losing track of how each name mentioned was connected.
As difficult as it is to read, this case definitely needs to be heard and hopefully Alistair will one day see those responsible for his brother's murder brought to justice.
November 10, 2024
Hmm. In 1987, private detective Daniel Morgan was murdered with an axe in the car park of a London pub. This book tells the fight by his family to expose the police corruption and media immorality which led to the killers not facing justice.
It's at heart a compelling and interesting story, taking in important frustrating aspects of the legal process, and shining a light on the corrupt processes of at least some members of the Metropolitan Police Force, and widespread execrable acts by journalists and media personnel.
However, I wasn't completely on board. Though I can understand as individuals the importance to the victim's family (the book is co-written by his brother Alistair) of seeking justice, and appreciate how this must've haunted them, in the end I didn't feel as much empathy as I might have. Some of the personal recollections made me like the co-author less, judge the single-mindedness as somehow obsessive and self-destructive, I started to feel the tone was one-sided and lacking in broader awareness. I'm not defending the murderers, the police, the media or the judiciary but I'm aware that there's more to these things than one person killed thirty years ago by people who he was rumoured to be about to expose.
More than this, the book was tedious. I know a true crime book isn't going to be as neat or as dramatic as crime fiction, but this was especially drawn-out, filled with many many names of people mentioned only once every fifty or more pages, and didn't really have a satisfying ending. Much of this isn't the author's faults - but I still felt they could have made a better, easier to follow, more engaging read.
It's at heart a compelling and interesting story, taking in important frustrating aspects of the legal process, and shining a light on the corrupt processes of at least some members of the Metropolitan Police Force, and widespread execrable acts by journalists and media personnel.
However, I wasn't completely on board. Though I can understand as individuals the importance to the victim's family (the book is co-written by his brother Alistair) of seeking justice, and appreciate how this must've haunted them, in the end I didn't feel as much empathy as I might have. Some of the personal recollections made me like the co-author less, judge the single-mindedness as somehow obsessive and self-destructive, I started to feel the tone was one-sided and lacking in broader awareness. I'm not defending the murderers, the police, the media or the judiciary but I'm aware that there's more to these things than one person killed thirty years ago by people who he was rumoured to be about to expose.
More than this, the book was tedious. I know a true crime book isn't going to be as neat or as dramatic as crime fiction, but this was especially drawn-out, filled with many many names of people mentioned only once every fifty or more pages, and didn't really have a satisfying ending. Much of this isn't the author's faults - but I still felt they could have made a better, easier to follow, more engaging read.
February 4, 2022
Where to begin? An awful, horrendous crime subsequently covered up by the Metropolitan police and aided by Murdoch's media. I don't want to say I enjoyed reading this as that's the wrong word but the book does an excellent job of covering the events of March 1987 and the subsequent events afterwards throughout the years. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn how rife courruption is in this country and would be very interested in reading an updated version now the Metropolitan Police have been classed as institutionally corrupt.
August 20, 2021
Whoever killed Daniel Morgan in March 1987 has literally got away with murder and there seems no chance of obtaining a conviction now, thanks to the police failure to gather evidence at the time (not to mention evidence being unaccountably removed from the scene and ‘vanishing’.) This staggering tale of corruption in the Met, private investigators, the tabloid press and organised crime, makes ‘Line of Duty’ look rather tame. The truth of this account has recently been confirmed by the Independent Enquiry report finally published in June this year (2021) after years of delay.
The book is inevitably long and complicated and it is difficult to follow all the underworld connections, but that is because of the complexity of events spanning nearly 35 years rather than the fault of the authors. In fact, in my opinion, they do a good job of reminding us who’s who and helping us keep track. One of the two authors is the victim’s brother and I felt particularly involved in the chapters written by him. After his brother’s murder, he completed a degree in journalism in order to learn investigative journalism skills and to keep a public spotlight on the case, which he has certainly succeeded in doing. This is now Britain’s most investigated murder.
Annoyingly, there are mistakes that would be easy to correct. For example, at one point the book states wrongly that Stephen Lawrence was 17 and killed in February 1993. A few pages later it states correctly that he was 19 and killed in April 1993. As a result, when I became confused later in the book and thought someone was being referred to by the wrong name, I wasn’t sure whether I had got lost or whether it was another mistake (and I couldn’t be bothered to go back and find out).
Overall, an important book, well worth reading and with some fascinating police-procedural material along the way.
The book is inevitably long and complicated and it is difficult to follow all the underworld connections, but that is because of the complexity of events spanning nearly 35 years rather than the fault of the authors. In fact, in my opinion, they do a good job of reminding us who’s who and helping us keep track. One of the two authors is the victim’s brother and I felt particularly involved in the chapters written by him. After his brother’s murder, he completed a degree in journalism in order to learn investigative journalism skills and to keep a public spotlight on the case, which he has certainly succeeded in doing. This is now Britain’s most investigated murder.
Annoyingly, there are mistakes that would be easy to correct. For example, at one point the book states wrongly that Stephen Lawrence was 17 and killed in February 1993. A few pages later it states correctly that he was 19 and killed in April 1993. As a result, when I became confused later in the book and thought someone was being referred to by the wrong name, I wasn’t sure whether I had got lost or whether it was another mistake (and I couldn’t be bothered to go back and find out).
Overall, an important book, well worth reading and with some fascinating police-procedural material along the way.
March 29, 2021
Really looked forward to reading this but I just couldn't get into it all all. I think the way it's written just didn't grab me. First book in a long time that I've not stuck with until the end. A real shame as it had the potential to be very good.
June 8, 2021
I felt deeply queasy and angry throughout reading this. I can't even begin to get my head around what this poor family have been made to suffer over all these years.
December 4, 2022
If someone had written a novel describing the events of this book, it would be slated as completely unbelievable. The level of corruption in the Metropolitan Police Service, the newspaper industry (particularly in News International, the Murdoch-owned publisher of The News of the World, but certainly not limited to them), the Judicial system even up to Government at the highest levels is mind-boggling. The ineptitude and inertia of the MPS, even after they accepted they had a serious problem with corruption is simply staggering. I think it highly unlikely that things are any different now, nearly ten years after the book's last update.
Above all else though, is the magnitude of injustice to the family of Daniel Morgan. The 'why' of his murder may never be fully understood but at least some of the perpetrators *are* known. His business partner, serving police officers and criminals all took part in the planning and execution (I use that word quite advisedly). Nobody has been convicted of Daniel's murder. The family's quest for justice has been blocked at every turn. Successive Home Secretaries- David Blunkett, Theresa May and Priti Patel among them - have refused the family's pleas to carry out a Judicial Review. With the exception of Theresa May, the Home Secretaries have all refused to even meet the family. The few people who have tried to help the family have themselves become victims of smear campaigns serious enough to erase any personal credibility and derail their efforts. It truly beggars belief and I just felt such anger and sorrow on behalf of Daniel's mother, brother, sister, widow and children that there will probably never be justice for Daniel.
Above all else though, is the magnitude of injustice to the family of Daniel Morgan. The 'why' of his murder may never be fully understood but at least some of the perpetrators *are* known. His business partner, serving police officers and criminals all took part in the planning and execution (I use that word quite advisedly). Nobody has been convicted of Daniel's murder. The family's quest for justice has been blocked at every turn. Successive Home Secretaries- David Blunkett, Theresa May and Priti Patel among them - have refused the family's pleas to carry out a Judicial Review. With the exception of Theresa May, the Home Secretaries have all refused to even meet the family. The few people who have tried to help the family have themselves become victims of smear campaigns serious enough to erase any personal credibility and derail their efforts. It truly beggars belief and I just felt such anger and sorrow on behalf of Daniel's mother, brother, sister, widow and children that there will probably never be justice for Daniel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2022
Interesting. Does get bogged down at times with a lot of complicated details.
However once again we are made aware of how much incompetence and corruption exists within certain areas of the Police Force.
Whether it's the Yorkshire Ripper investigation, the Stephen Lawrence murder, Hillsborough, the ridiculous Colin Stagg debacle, the stupidity involved in allowing serial killer Stephen Port to carry on killing, or the countless miscarriages of justice which have condemned innocent people to prison; the police just appear to be pretty useless.
This book portrays police officers more interested in freemasonry and feathering their own nests than actually solving crimes.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to replace some police officers with chimpanzees. They would come much cheaper, be no less effective at solving crimes, and would definitely be less racist and misogynistic.
I liked how at one point the writer describes police activities as 'organised incompetence'..
Well it certainly takes a great deal of organisation to be that incompetent.
However once again we are made aware of how much incompetence and corruption exists within certain areas of the Police Force.
Whether it's the Yorkshire Ripper investigation, the Stephen Lawrence murder, Hillsborough, the ridiculous Colin Stagg debacle, the stupidity involved in allowing serial killer Stephen Port to carry on killing, or the countless miscarriages of justice which have condemned innocent people to prison; the police just appear to be pretty useless.
This book portrays police officers more interested in freemasonry and feathering their own nests than actually solving crimes.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to replace some police officers with chimpanzees. They would come much cheaper, be no less effective at solving crimes, and would definitely be less racist and misogynistic.
I liked how at one point the writer describes police activities as 'organised incompetence'..
Well it certainly takes a great deal of organisation to be that incompetent.
May 17, 2023
The old saying that you are known by the company you keep is sufficient to sum this up, when you are dealing with bent coppers, mix with shady types aka criminals and add in the fact that you are essentially a balliff that gives people bad news every day when they least expect it and to top it you are a confessed womaniser is it any wonder why you end up with an ax in your forehead in a pub car park and no one really gives a toss? No Humans involved (NHI) here i'm afraid and barely worth a book TBH.
May 5, 2022
Brilliant read of the most shocking murder. Leaves you shaking your head in disgust.
August 10, 2022
Mind blowing - I knew a small but about this case but after reading this all I can say is that the Morgan family deserve answers and deserve justice - I hope one day they get something
October 11, 2023
What an amazing book. Heartrending tragedy for the Morgan family over and over.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews