What happens when a harmless game turns deadly?

What begins as a playful ritual quickly spirals into something far darker. When a Nerf gun ‘hit’ connected to an underground Assassins gaming club leads to a real death, DI Joseph Stone is drawn into a world where the rules are dangerously blurred.

Ryan and Gabby never intended to be part of something lethal. But someone inside the game has taken the obsession too far—and now fiction and reality are colliding with fatal consequences.

As Joseph and DC Megan Anderson dig deeper, they uncover a sinister game operating in plain sight, one fuelled by secrecy, loyalty, and the thrill of control. Every move matters. Every mistake costs lives.

At the same time, Joseph is forced to confront unsettling truths closer to home. Secrets surrounding his superior, Derrick, and the shadowy presence of the Night Watchmen threaten not only his career, but the safety of those he loves—including his ex-wife, Kate.

As corruption, betrayal, and obsession tighten their grip, Joseph must decide how far he is willing to go to stop a killer determined to protect their deadly game at any cost.

Narrated by Patrick FitzSymons, Games People Play is a tense, psychologically driven British crime thriller set in Oxford. Dark, unsettling, and relentlessly suspenseful, it is the gripping fourth instalment in the DI Joseph Stone series.

Perfect for listeners who enjoy high-stakes investigations, moral ambiguity, and thrillers where the danger hides in plain sight.