The ‘Sussex Pond Murder‘ centres upon the mysterious death of Michelle Gagneux, a French teacher at St Winifrid’s Prep school for boys, who is found lifeless in the school pond in January 1983. The story follows Michael Fletcher, an English teacher who becomes entangled in the investigation.
The police suspect foul play, and with no alibi on the night of the incident, as well as the revelation of a romantic relationship with Michelle, Michael soon becomes the main suspect for her murder. As pressure mounts from the authorities, the media and the school, Michael is compelled to begin his own investigation in a quest to clear his name and uncover Michelle’s true killer.
A meeting with the deceased’s brother leads Michael to discover her groundbreaking research into the harmful effects of Bisphenol A, a chemical leached into drinking water from plastic bottles. The revelation opens up a web of intrigue, involving powerful forces in the oil and plastics industry intent on concealing her findings to protect their own interests.
Michael navigates his personal life against the backdrop of the developing investigation, and his discrete attempts to publish Michelle’s work. His relationship with his new girlfriend Julie provides support during turbulent times. However, they find themselves pursued by mysterious criminals. When key figures involved in the investigation are found dead under suspicious circumstances, Michael realises his life is in danger.
A romantic retreat to the Scottish Highlands descends into a desperate bid for survival, and Michael and Julie must outsmart their pursuers in order to unveil the truth behind the death of Michelle Gagneux and ensure that her findings are made public.
The ‘Sussex Pond Murder‘ explores the far-reaching consequences of buried secrets, focusing on an innocent man’s pursuit of justice in a society where powerful people will stop at nothing to suppress the truth.
HOSTAGE to FREEDOM: The Search for the Siren
On a balmy day near noon on Tuesday, February 14, 1764 the East Indiaman ‘The Siren’ came to grief on Brutus Reef in the Sulu Sea.
Onboard a rich cargo of 250,000 cases of Ming Dynasty porcelain lay buried until a diver recovered a single plate in the mid 1980’s.
Roll on to 2002 in Singapore when the diver, fallen on hard times, sells the plate to an antique dealer for a high price. Two teams, aware of the potential rewards and dreaming of riches embark on marine surveys to find the shipwreck.
Expatriate geophysicist Michael and his teenage son, Alex become involved in the Search for the Siren in a race against a rival team led by Tong, a ruthless Clan leader and collector of antique porcelain much to the dismay of Michael’s wife, Julie.
But the Sulu Sea is the hunting ground of local pirate gangs and the brutal Abu Sayyaf terrorist group led by Khadaffy Janjalani. The remote area where the shipwreck lies buried is close to terrorist jungle camps on Basilan Island.
Can Michael’s team locate the precious cargo before they are attacked?
This fast-paced novel is located in many localities in SE Asia including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi Island. The struggle for an independent Mindanao by Abu Sayyaf is one of continuing conflict.
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Richard Sorapure 