The Sukey Reynolds Stories
"After I had written half a dozen or so Melissa Craig mysteries it occurred to me that there might come a time when it would be difficult to devise feasible situations when an amateur sleuth might become involved in murder. Also, I felt like a change from the traditional "cosy" village mystery.
"My editor at the time was not keen on the idea, despite my assurances that I wasn't abandoning Melissa altogether. But I went ahead anyway and created Sukey Reynolds. She is a Scene of Crime Officer in her thirties with a rapidly maturing teenage son, a boyfriend in the CID and an ex-husband in the background who causes problems from time to time.
"Naturally, her work routinely brings her into direct contact with crime at various levels and her official remit is limited to the collection of evidence. But before her marriage she was a police officer with ambitions to join the CID, and when it comes to murder she finds herself irresistibly drawn into the hunt for the killer. This tendency leads her into dangerous situations and incurs the active disapproval of DI Jim Castle."
Praise for Sukey Reynolds
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"A good choice for mystery buffs who enjoy British police procedurals."
(Library Journal) -
"Rowlands… offers up plenty of unexpected twists and a liberal dose of suspense. Her characters are vividly drawn and the dialogue and pacing are skillful. Satisfying reading for fans of British procedurals."
(Book List) -
"It was unwise of me to begin this book in late afternoon because it held me to the pages until I finished it!… Diabolical twists and red herrings… Addictive!"
(Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars) -
"Riveting, can't put it down! I love this story… A wonderfully twisted tale of a crime that has more twists than I thought possible… Fantastic."
(Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars)