Western Approaches

DS Jimmy Suttle #1

by Graham Hurley

DS Jimmy Suttle has finally tired of the relentless struggle against the rising tide of urban crime in Portsmouth. Surely a job in Major Crimes in the West Country will offer some respite? He finds a remote cottage nestled in a fold of Dartmoor and, with his wife and two year old daughter, heads West for what he is sure will be a saner existence. How wrong could he be? Soon he is investigating the murder of a long-distance rower in the small town of Exmouth. The man rowed in the same 5-man boat as a man who, two years before, dodged a murder charge when his wife went missing during a cross atlantic rowing challange. There had been tensions between the two. Has a killer killed again? As the job takes over, Lizzie, Suttle's wife, is increasingly unhappy about the move. Trying to juggle family life with her own new job on a local paper, isolated in a lonely cottage with a demanding toddler and struggling to make new friends, Lizzie thought the whole point of the move was that she and Suttle could at least see more of each other. As his marriage frays at the edges and his first investigation becomes mired Suttle begins to feel the hills around their cottage crowding in, the wind over the moors above ever chillier, the waters ever greyer. He really has reached land's end ...

Genres: Crime, Mystery

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2012

About the author

Graham Hurley was born November, 1946 in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. His seaside childhood was punctuated by football, swimming, afternoons on the dodgems, run-ins with the police, multiple raids on the local library - plus near-total immersion in English post-war movies.

Directed and produced documentaries for ITV through two decades, winning a number of national and international awards. Launched a writing career on the back of a six-part drama commission for ITV: "Rules of Engagement". Left TV and became full time writer in 1991.

Authored nine stand-alone thrillers plus "Airshow", a fly-on-the-wall novel-length piece of reportage, before accepting Orion invitation to become a crime writer. Drew gleefully on home-town Portsmouth (“Pompey”) as the basis for an on-going series featuring D/I Joe Faraday and D/C Paul Winter.

Contributed five years of personal columns to the Portsmouth News, penned a number of plays and dramatic monologues for local production (including the city’s millenium celebration, "Willoughby and Son"), then decamped to Devon for a more considered take on Pompey low-life.

The Faraday series came to an end after 12 books. Healthy sales at home and abroad, plus mega-successful French TV adaptations, tempted Orion to commission a spin-off series, set in the West Country, featuring D/S Jimmy Suttle.

Launch title - "Western Approaches" - published 2012. "Touching Distance" to hit the bookstores next month (21st November).

Has recently self-published a number of titles on Kindle including "Strictly No Flowers" (a dark take on crime fiction), "Estuary" (a deeply personal memoir) and "Backstory" (how and why he came to write the Faraday series).

Married to the delectable Lin. Three grown-up sons (Tom, Jack and Woody). Plus corking grandson Dylan.

You're very welcome to contact Graham through his website: www.grahamhurley.co.uk

Or direct on seasidepictures@btinternet.com.


Series:
* D.I. Joe Faraday

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tired of dealing with urban crime in Portsmouth, DS Jimmy Suttle has moved his family to 'the country' where he is hoping to find a simpler life and career. His wife Lizzie has given up her job in the city to join Jimmy in his dream of a country life. Unfortunately, their dream cottage is derelict, with dripping taps and mold, much to Lizzie's disgust. Jimmy is quickly caught up in his new job, with the death of a wealthy man who was an ardent rower and contributed heavily to the local rowing club.
I liked this mystery; it moved quickly and involved the personal life of Jimmy and Lizzie in a way that made the solution of the murder that much more formidable. I'll be looking for the next in the series...

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few of Graham Hurley's books and enjoyed them. This looks to be the first in a series in which Jimmy Suttle is the main detective and is set in Exmouth where he has moved with his wife and baby daughter. The crime involves a rowing club and I enjoyed the parts where the races are described. I was disappointed in the ending and will have to read the next episode to see what comes next.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. Having read all of the Faraday books I was expecting something I thought was better. Unfortunately, this book is primarily concerned with Jimmy Suttle's domestic difficulties. The murder he is investigating isn't very interesting. The only bright spot is the business with the people looking for Paul Winter.

[stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new Cop to take over from Faraday Great portrayal of characters and locations this is the First Jimmy Suttle novel
I liked it a lot

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. So. I just... this is probably a 3 star book, but it triggered me so much I'm giving it two.

I went fucking through it reading this book last night.

Firstly, I'm missing a lot of backstory that the prose makes you feel you should have already know before coming to this book. Like, to the point where I check on more than one occasion to see if this really was book one in the series. The writing style is rather good for this kind of novel, and the mystery was well put together.

I could have taken my time and savoured it, as the prose clearly wanted me to do, but as soon as we hit emotional affair territory I was FUCKING PISSED, and decided to speed read my way through to get this over with.

I genuinely believe that this author made a bunch of people for us to hate. Like I don't know what, about any of the people we got to deal with, were we supposed to like.

We have Jimmy who's dragged his family up into the country side, sees his wife fucking floundering in the midst of a mental fucking breakdown and is like: "Aw well, I've got a murder, she's fine on her own." Then we have Jimmy's wife, Lizzy, who's having an emotional affair with one of the suspects of the murder investigation her husband is working on. And then we have our murder victim who was absolutely terrible and quite frankly deserved to die and we were supposed to feel bad??

The only reason I wanted that murderer caught was because he wouldn't take Lizzy ending their affair. Not that she ended it all that convincingly.

I might have gotten over the emotional affair, as it didn't get that physical (just a kiss) but Lizzy just had to cock it up. She picks a fight with her husband, storms to her affair partner's house, is ready to screw him and finds him raw dogging someone else. Then she goes home and is all "I guess I'll make my marriage work" while fucking crying for this man. No I won't feel bad for you, you absolute idiot, you did this to yourself!

On top of that, we're made to believe that this whole affair is all Jimmy's fault cause he left her to her own devices while she was miserable. THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO FUCKING CHEAT!

And then he cheats, because you know... she cheated I get to do it do. OH MY GOD JUST FUCKING DIVORCE. How am I supposed to root for you, Jimmy, when you do shit like this?

See.

Triggered.

If you can get around the loathsome characters and the bullshit they pull the mystery part is actually pretty good. Still getting 2 stars from me though.

[Sall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book, loved how I could recognise Exmouth and mentally picture the places that were mentioned. I did find Suttle slightly dopey, his wife was a better investigator than he was. Sadly it was all to predictable with Pendrick for me, I didn't like him from the off and I didn't buy into his ocean demise either. I do agree that country life isn't for everyone and whilst I do like the essentials {running water, heating {an open fire will do in fact it's preferred} I am a country bumpkin who has no problems with cottages in the middle of nowhere and the rain, nothing wrong with rain just be sure to have a spare set of clothes so you don't stay wet any longer than necessary, all of which made it difficult to identify with Lizzie but that doesn't stop any enjoyment of the book.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4 1/2 star read. Hurley has himself another winner with his Jimmy Suttle series. In this first book of four, Suttle and his wife Lizzie and baby Grace have just moved from Portsmouth to Devon, where Jimmy is D/S with the Devon and Cornwall police force. He's called to the scene of a death, a rich man who has fallen from a balcony. Trying to determine if he was a suicide or a murder victim, Jimmy spends time with the rowing club that the victim funded and while others focus on suicide, Jimmy has a hunch that there is more to the story. And in discovering the answers, Jimmy's marriage takes a hit and Lizzie discovers she is part of the story. A really good read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disapointed with this novel from Mr Hurley. I enjoyed the Joe Faraday Paul Winter storys
So perhaps I wasn't expecting the story to become such a tangle of domistic strife beweenthe two main characters, Jimmey and his wife, plus leading to such a predicable outcome. Good to see another
character from the preceeding series of books emerge at the end of the book. Oh Don't worry I will be reading the four Jimmey Suttle books, as I don't give up on just one book that dosen't quite make me want to read on and on.

[Roland · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a great Hurley fan I was apprehensive about the first non-Faraday one and am glad to say that I was really happy, especially with the ending – and, spoiler-alert: with the albeit brief return of a major figure.
However, I did find that the cracks in the marriage get too much attention. Not that it is not important in terms of plot, but some of the passages felt rather drawn-out this time. Looking forward to «Touching Distance» already though.

[Allen Pasternak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowhere close to Hurley’s previous standards. A mediocre mystery overpowered by domestic dramas. The characters are well formed even if some aren’t believable, and none are very likable. Most damaging is the fact that the lead character isn’t very interesting or distinctive. Overall, boring and bland.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy to find out there is life alter the end of the Faraday series. The first book in the Jimmy Suttle series is a good start. Some allusions you wouldn’t get if you hadn’t read the Faraday books, but in general a good plot with interesting new characters. A rather sad ending, but I’m hoping the next book will rectify that.

[Jonathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the Faraday/Winter series recently, it took me a while to adjust to the new setting & Jimmy Suttle being the focus. Once in though, equally enjoyable & now looking forward to #2 Touching Distance

[Martyn Legg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in this area it's good to have a series set in it. Very believable takes me back!

[The Villan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow read didn’t finish

[James Heffernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read - could guess where it was going but still had to be sure👍

[Alison Eves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written police procedural, and loved the setting of Exmouth specifically and east Devon generally

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished with too many loose ends but as it is book 1 in a series I guess that's possibly a good idea.
But I won't be reading any more as I simply did not like any of the characters.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, a correction to the blurb on Goodreads. I don't think the cottage Sutter lives on is on Dartmoor, that's probably too far from Exeter. It's just deep in the Devon countryside. Although as another reviewer says, it's a little difficult to get a sense of place in the book. I don't feel Exeter at all and Exmouth could as well be any seaside resort built on an estuary. It was good to read a police procedural where everyone pulls together and there is not endless disputes between the main character and his superiors. I'm sure that is a fairer representation of modern policing. That having been said, with a seemingly clear case of accidental death/suicide would the police have investigated further? However, the murderer is easily guessable. Although I find the final twist a little too pat and really quite unbelievable The rowing background was novel, a glimpse into a closed world to me. I'm not sure I buy into the back story of Suttle having persuaded his wife to buy into a near derelict country cottage - I think wives like to have more say than that. I'm not sure if anymore Jimmy Suttles have been written. If they have, I will give them a try which is perhaps the most an author can expect!

[Richard Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in what will, presumably, be a new series of books featuring Jimmy Suttle, who we met as Winter's protege and Joe Faraday's colleague in the Pompey novel.

Unfortunately, Suttle come across as self-centered, insensitive and often downright stupid in this outing.

The real protagonist of the novel is his wife, Lizzie; she's the one we cheer for and care about.

Maggee and I both agree that it is probably time to move on from Hurley.

9. MemoryWalk: At Atmosphere in the Parkwood Mall. A cold, rainy day. We are standing looking at the kayaks and rowing gear in the window when a a body plunges off the roof and lands on the sidewalk.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

My wife got this out from the library for me. I'd never read any Graham Hurley before and he's a fine writer. The reason I've only given it three stars is that, while it's very well done, I found the domestic scenes, the drudgery and the tensions between Suttle and his wife a bit relentless. It's as far from Philip Marlowe, where my crime reading started almost forty years ago, as it's possible to be. I may well give some of Hurley's earlier books a go as some of the characters alluded to in this one from earlier novels sound a bit more up my street. If your life is a bit like a kitchen sink drama you won't find any relief here.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not get much out of this - read it quickly fearing I might never finish otherwise. I was not enthralled by the characters but I think the real problem was place. There was a lot of description of places but none of it joined up for me - a lot of driving along the A38 which to me means Burton-on-Trent so that didn't help. The Farraday books stirred an interest in Portsmouth, a town I know nothing of, but this one name checks a lot of places without really building a coherent picture that might stimulate someone to want to know more.

[Nancy Motto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all the Inspector Faraday novels and enjoyed them all. I was excited to start Graham Hurley's newest series starring Jimmy Suttle. Police procedurals are my absolute favorite books. I love trying to figure out the perpetrators, the clues, the motives right along with the police. While I certainly want the characters to have a backstory, this particular book was almost all backstory and very, very little crime. I'm hoping that the author was setting the scene so we understand Jimmy Suttle and that the next book will be mostly the crime.

[Ann Chappe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what a pleasure finding another Graham Hurley book after fearing that " Happy days" might be the end of the line....the change of scenery is pleasing, and the background of rowing interesting but while I don't miss Faraday too much, I did find Winter a far more believable and appealing character than Suttle. Just hope he grows in stature a bit over the series and sorts out his domestic tensions..

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another cracking read from Graham Hurley. DS Jimmy Suttle takes over as the lead detective, from the now dead DI Joe Faraday, and a change of location from Portsmouth to Exmouth. Promising start to a new series. Clever plot, but I did manage to work out 'who dunnit'.
I like the way that Graham Hurley manages to weave in sub plots involving characters from books past, and the personal lives of those involved. Not necessary to have read to DI Faraday series first, but do anyway!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sorry to say 'Goodbye' to Joe Faraday, even sorrier when I realised there's no chance of his making a come-back. Still, Jimmy Suttle and his strained home-life seems after all to be quite an acceptable substitute. As interesting as his battles to find out whether a murder has been committed, or whether there's simply been an unfortunate accident is the story of his wife's disenchantment with his dreams of country life. An absorbing read

[RolloTreadway · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a gripping story here, but - perhaps because it's the first of a new series - it feels like it's struggling to get out. I might be tempted to try another one, though, particularly if the characters ever discover that a world exists beyond a narrow strip that runs between Exmouth and Portsmouth, and that Portsmouth really isn't a big or important place (reading this, you'd imagine it's one of the world's great entrepôts, rather than only slightly larger than Exeter).

[Bernadette Boston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I would take to the Jimmy Suttle books, I was a huge fan of Faraday and didn't know if the new series would match up. I shouldn't have doubted a writer of the calibre of Graham Hurley. Thoroughly enjoyed the first Jimmy Suttle solo effort, can't wait to start reading the second book and see how the story develops.

[Ulana Dabbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! I really enjoyed reading it. Interesting characters that you could easily associate with. Crime itself was a bit simple and you could tell mid way through the book who did what. Having said that, it all seemed pretty 'real'. Like something that can happen anywhere, which made this book even more interesting. I am definitely looking forward to reading Graham's next book.

[Graham Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional procedural from the continuing work of Graham Hurley; good pace - kept me reading to uncover the motive and the motivator - the counterpoints drawn between his police life in Pompey and his new role in Exeter and the life his wife doesn't want in Exeter add to the variation in the story. Sadly I must warn you this book contains spoilers about the Faraday and Winter series so beware.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly the transition to another major character in Hurley's repertoire has been achieved. Couldn't put it down did it in a day. A great read. Was getting tired of Faraday and Bazza - it was time to move on and move on he did to excellence. More please.