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And the Devil Laughed by Carole A Sutton (13-Jun-2009) Paperback
HANNAH FORD, an under-cover cop, takes a surveillance job in Draper's Wharf. The small town on the banks of the Parramatta River in Australia has links to the drug trade, so the latest whisper goes. Her to observe, report, and locate its source. When she arrives, the town is in shock after the rape and murder of its local barmaid. Hannah, a rape victim, could pull out, but she needs this job to prove her competence to return to the streets and full duties.Threaded through the main story, is Hannah's own account of guilt and rage born of her husband's death, her rape and degradation that followed. In working to find the source of drugs in Draper's Wharf, the line between her case and the murder enquiry is fading fast. Can she hack it, or is her worst nightmare about to be re-enacted, as she becomes their next target. (Short listed for the Genre Fiction Award by New Holland Publisher 2007)
Paperback
First published June 13, 2009
17 people want to read
About the author
Carole Sutton
4 books47 followersAlthough Carole has short stories and wildlife articles to her name, her real passion is writing crime fiction. Brought up in the UK, she married Bill and raised a family in Cornwall, where they built their own boats and enjoyed years of sailing the English Channel and the French coast during weekends and holidays. They moved to Australia in 1981 and set up a family retail business. Now, since she has retired, Carole combines the two interests and sets her crime locations around boats and rivers.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 7, 2009
Already a fan of Carole Suttons’ previous works, my expectations for her latest novel were set high—Sutton delivers another page turner.
The story is set at Draper’s Wharf, a small town nestled on the banks of the Parramatta River in Australia—a town with many secrets. Masquerading as a feature writer for a glossy magazine, under-policewoman, Hannah Ford, is assigned a job to check on possible illicit drug activity at Draper’s Wharf. Surviving a recent brutal rape, Hannah is out to prove her competence back on the force.
Arriving at Draper’s Wharf the secrets, lies and innuendos begin. The locals are in shock over the brutal rape and murder of popular barmaid Vicki—and very wary of strangers. The tale brings all the elements together of a great thriller as Hannah sets out to uncover the truth and not become the next victim.
The story is set at Draper’s Wharf, a small town nestled on the banks of the Parramatta River in Australia—a town with many secrets. Masquerading as a feature writer for a glossy magazine, under-policewoman, Hannah Ford, is assigned a job to check on possible illicit drug activity at Draper’s Wharf. Surviving a recent brutal rape, Hannah is out to prove her competence back on the force.
Arriving at Draper’s Wharf the secrets, lies and innuendos begin. The locals are in shock over the brutal rape and murder of popular barmaid Vicki—and very wary of strangers. The tale brings all the elements together of a great thriller as Hannah sets out to uncover the truth and not become the next victim.
November 14, 2009
And the Devil Laughed - Murder in a Small Australian Coastal Town
Rating: 4 of 5
Author: Carole Sutton
Available: Paperback
Recovering from the trauma of her own brutal attack and subsequent personal tragedies, detective Hannah Ford attempts to regain her career and life by going undercover to investigate drug trafficking in a small Australian coastal town. But things quickly become more complicated for Hannah when a local bar maid’s body turns up in a newly excavated grave. Convinced these events may be connected, Hannah investigates both crimes in hopes of finding the truth. Unfortunately, she must battle her past demons haunting her every move while the town’s killer soon stalks her as their next victim.
For those who have ever lived in or visited a small town, there is something special about the way everyone knows everyone else – their families, their past, their desires, and their secrets. But while the town’s residents are inviting to visitors, being able to be truly taken in and trusted as one of their own is quite a different matter. Inherent in these small towns is a mistrust of outsiders especially when something untoward such as a murder takes place. Suddenly everyone clams up concerned that external prying eyes may discover secrets folks would rather have left buried and forgotten. In And the Devil Laughed, Sutton does a marvelous job at creating such a small town. Her characters are wonderfully complex, flawed, and filled with intrigue – each one having their own personal hardships, interests - and more often than not - something to hide. The isolation of this tight knit community further adds to the overall ambiance of this unique mystery.
As in her debut novel, Ferryman, Sutton draws on her sea fairing experience to provide the reader with a sense of realism that can only be achieved by someone having a love and passion for sailing. In Agatha Christie flair, Sutton introduces us skillfully to an eclectic mix of characters each having their own potential reasons for committing the crime. I, for one, was left guessing until the very satisfying and action packed ending.
Sutton’s readers will not be disappointed. And the Devil Laughed is an entertaining and engaging read.
Rating: 4 of 5
Author: Carole Sutton
Available: Paperback
Recovering from the trauma of her own brutal attack and subsequent personal tragedies, detective Hannah Ford attempts to regain her career and life by going undercover to investigate drug trafficking in a small Australian coastal town. But things quickly become more complicated for Hannah when a local bar maid’s body turns up in a newly excavated grave. Convinced these events may be connected, Hannah investigates both crimes in hopes of finding the truth. Unfortunately, she must battle her past demons haunting her every move while the town’s killer soon stalks her as their next victim.
For those who have ever lived in or visited a small town, there is something special about the way everyone knows everyone else – their families, their past, their desires, and their secrets. But while the town’s residents are inviting to visitors, being able to be truly taken in and trusted as one of their own is quite a different matter. Inherent in these small towns is a mistrust of outsiders especially when something untoward such as a murder takes place. Suddenly everyone clams up concerned that external prying eyes may discover secrets folks would rather have left buried and forgotten. In And the Devil Laughed, Sutton does a marvelous job at creating such a small town. Her characters are wonderfully complex, flawed, and filled with intrigue – each one having their own personal hardships, interests - and more often than not - something to hide. The isolation of this tight knit community further adds to the overall ambiance of this unique mystery.
As in her debut novel, Ferryman, Sutton draws on her sea fairing experience to provide the reader with a sense of realism that can only be achieved by someone having a love and passion for sailing. In Agatha Christie flair, Sutton introduces us skillfully to an eclectic mix of characters each having their own potential reasons for committing the crime. I, for one, was left guessing until the very satisfying and action packed ending.
Sutton’s readers will not be disappointed. And the Devil Laughed is an entertaining and engaging read.
December 8, 2009
Hannah is sent undercover to a small town to try to get details on the local drug trade--if there is any truth to the rumors. She arrives in town the day one of her distant relatives turns up raped, murdered, and buried in the bottom of a grave that was expecting a different occupant. Her planned cover story is as a writer for a glossy magazine working on stories on the town's history, but the town isn't too keen to let in any kind of reporter that might be on the tails of a murder.
Hannah's willingness to fill in part time at the bar where the victim worked gives her a better in with the townspeople. Her own past baggage makes it impossible for her to resist the opportunity to look into her relative's death, so looks into both the murder and the drug issues.
And the Devil Laughed is very exciting reading and not an easy book to put down. I would have read it in one sitting even with my DH home from work in the evening if I hadn't gotten really sick partway into it and been forced to take a break. I was impatient to get back to it after I woke up this morning and put off other projects so I could read.
Because Hannah is a police officer, I don't think this book classifies as a cozy, but it is still a great read. Her past adds some hard core elements, but they fit with the story and aren't overwhelming. I think even readers who tend to want to avoid the worst violence in their reading will be comfortable with this book (like my mother and grandmother).
The characters are realistic and well-developed. I felt comfortable with the setting and could picture things even htough it is set in a country very foreign to me.
More at http://balancingboard.blogspot.com/20...
Hannah's willingness to fill in part time at the bar where the victim worked gives her a better in with the townspeople. Her own past baggage makes it impossible for her to resist the opportunity to look into her relative's death, so looks into both the murder and the drug issues.
And the Devil Laughed is very exciting reading and not an easy book to put down. I would have read it in one sitting even with my DH home from work in the evening if I hadn't gotten really sick partway into it and been forced to take a break. I was impatient to get back to it after I woke up this morning and put off other projects so I could read.
Because Hannah is a police officer, I don't think this book classifies as a cozy, but it is still a great read. Her past adds some hard core elements, but they fit with the story and aren't overwhelming. I think even readers who tend to want to avoid the worst violence in their reading will be comfortable with this book (like my mother and grandmother).
The characters are realistic and well-developed. I felt comfortable with the setting and could picture things even htough it is set in a country very foreign to me.
More at http://balancingboard.blogspot.com/20...
June 25, 2009
HANNAH FORD, an under-cover cop, takes a surveillance job in Draper’s Wharf. The small town on the banks of the Parramatta River in Australia has links to the drug trade, so the latest whisper goes. Her brief: to observe, report, and locate its source.
When she arrives, the town is in shock after the rape and murder of its local barmaid. Hannah, a rape survivor, could pull out, but she needs this job to prove her competence to return to the streets and full duties.
Threaded through the main story, is Hannah’s own account of guilt and rage born of her husband’s death, her rape and degradation that followed. In working to find the source of drugs in Draper’s Wharf, the line between her case and the murder enquiry is fading fast. Can she hack it, or is her worst nightmare about to be re-enacted, as she becomes their next target.
(Short listed for the Genre Fiction Award by New Holland Publisher 2007)
When she arrives, the town is in shock after the rape and murder of its local barmaid. Hannah, a rape survivor, could pull out, but she needs this job to prove her competence to return to the streets and full duties.
Threaded through the main story, is Hannah’s own account of guilt and rage born of her husband’s death, her rape and degradation that followed. In working to find the source of drugs in Draper’s Wharf, the line between her case and the murder enquiry is fading fast. Can she hack it, or is her worst nightmare about to be re-enacted, as she becomes their next target.
(Short listed for the Genre Fiction Award by New Holland Publisher 2007)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews