Hello, All,
Welcome to another edition of Introducing… Today, I’d like you to “meet” Carole Sutton. Originally from Devon, Sutton and her family lived for many years in Cornwall, where much of their spare time was spent building and sailing boats. The family migrated to Perth, Australia in 1981, where they owned a family business. When she retired, Sutton decided to turn full-time to writing. Since that time she’s had three crime fiction novels published: Ferryman, And the Devil Laughed and Blood Opal. Unlike many authors, Sutton’s chosen thus far to write standalones, so the novels aren’t really connected. But they all reflect Sutton’s knowledge of and love of sailing and the sea.
For example, Ferryman is the story of Steve Pengally, who moves to the Isle of Guernsey to 
start life over. He buys a beautiful thirty-foot sailboat and settles in to enjoy his new life. He begins a romantic involvement with Angela DuPont, the woman who’d told him about the boat. Then, Pengally discovers that DuPont has been using him until she finds a better “catch.” He breaks up with her, and then she disappears. DI Alec Grimstone is sure that Pengally killed DuPont, and there’s evidence to support that theory, even though Pengally claims he’s innocent. Pengally is arrested and sent to prison. Two years later, the body of Angela DuPont washes ashore at Cornwall’s Fal Estuary. When forensic evidence shows that she died only a few weeks before the body was found, it becomes clear that Pengally didn’t kill her, so he is released from prison. He simply wants to forget the whole thing, but then, he gets a visit from Veryan Pascoe, who tells him her sister went missing in the same way that Angela DuPont did. Pascoe is convinced that the same person was responsible for both disappearances and wants Pengally’s help. At first he refuses but he’s slowly persuaded to take an interest in the case. Meanwhile, Grimstone has to re-open the DuPont case and in parallel fashion, he and Pengally get to the truth about what happened.
And The Devil Laughed features undercover cop Hannah Ford, who’s recovering from her husband’s death and an experience as a rape survivor. She’s sent to investigate the drug trade in the town of Draper’s Wharf on the banks of Australia’s Parramatta River. When she arrives, Ford finds that the drug trade is now “old news.” A local barmaid who happens to be a distant relation of Ford’s has been brutally raped and murdered and her body dumped into a grave intended for someone else. Ford needs to keep her “cover” as a magazine writer, but she can’t resist looking into this case.
In Blood Opal, Patricia “Pug” Germaine comes home one day to find her husband Dom in the arms of his lover. Both have been brutally murdered and the house ransacked. With nothing much left but her sailboat and dog, Pug decides to start over. But that’s much easier said than done. It turns out that whoever was after Dom is after something Pug may have and is not afraid to kill to get it.
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They sounds like such interesting novels. I’ve never read Carole’s work before but I’m going to put them on my TBR pile.
Clarissa – I hope you’ll enjoy these
. I think it’s especially interesting that the novels are thus far standalones. Many authors do series, but Carole Sutton hasn’t chosen to do that. It’s an innovative approach.
Thank you Margot for your excellent introduction — you can be the first to know that in a few weeks time my fourth novel, “Flash Harry” will be published, and yes, it is another standalone. Good wishes to you and all your followers for the year 2012
Carole – Thank you so much for your visit
. I’m glad I got it right with this introduction and I am so, so happy that Flash Harry is coming out soon. Folks, you heard it here first, straight from the source! Best wishes for 2012 to you, too, Carole!
Margot, thanks for the introduction to Carole. I hadn’t heard of her or her books. All 3 sounds like interesting reads, especially since each is a stand alone. More books to add to my TBR list.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Mason – I know exactly what you mean about the ever-increasing TBR list; you should see mine *sigh.* I think it’s really interesting, too, that these are all standalones. It means there’s a new kind of story and new characters every time you read. There’s something appealing about that.
I was struck by what a lovely lady she is. Her books sound like stories I would enjoy so my list is growing too. Thank you for the introduction.
Barbara – She is lovely, isn’t she? I really do hope you’ll enjoy the novels.
Thanks for the intro, Margot!
Elspeth – I hope you’ll like her work! It’s my pleasure to share it.
Carole’s books sound really good. I’m intrigued that she chose to write standalones instead of a series, because I’ve decided to do that as well. It allows us more freedom to explore ideas and characters.
Pat – I can certainly see why you’d choose to do standalones rather than a series. You’re quite right that standalones are, in many ways, less limiting. Certainly they allow for the writer to explore all kinds of possibilities.
Pat, Margot — It had never occurred to me that writing standalones was something innovative. I expected to be criticized for not doing a series. I did try to do one using my character, Hannah Ford from And the Devil Laughed. I soon found out how difficult it was to write a series! I couldn’t fit Hannah’s background into the past without an enormous slice of repetition. So, for book #4, Flash Harry, I abandoned the idea and started afresh. Now, having finished it, I am pleased with the outcome. Flash Harry will be available in a month or so.
Carole – Thanks so much for your insights and for sharing your experiences as you were writing. I think you’ve hit on one important thing that makes writing a series so challenging. How much backstory and other detail does one give about a character without being repetitive? Standalones also allow one to explore new settings, new characters and so on.
I’m sorry to come in late but wanted to say what a lovely introduction you have given Carole, Margot. I’m fortunate to have read Ferryman and Blood Opal. Both have page turning suspense with strong plot and characters.
You know how Dick Francis writes standalone mysteries but ties them together with his horse racing expertise, well this is how I see Carole’s novels – they are tied together with her knowledge of boats and sailing. This makes them so real and I leaned a lot from them.
Even if And the Devil Laughed and Flash Harry don’t have the sailing aspect (I’m not sure if they do) I know I’ll be in for a grand treat because I can vouche for her earlier books. They are beautifully written and the details are seemlessly woven in.
Wendy – Thank you so much for your visit, and thanks for your kind words
. It’s very good to hear you enjoyed Ferryman and Blood Opal. And I think you make a very interesting comparison between the way Carole’s novels are related and the way some of Dick Francis’ novels are. I think there is a similarity in that sense. I think you’ll find that And the Devil Laughed also has that element of the sea and boats in it, too and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for us in Flash Harry 
.