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The Sussex Pond Murder
The Sussex Pond Murder centres upon the mysterious death of Michelle Gagneux, a French teacher at St Wilfrid’s Prep School for boys, who is found lifeless in the school pond in the winter of 1983. The story follows Michael Fletcher, a geography 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.
Could a darts player at the local pub provide crucial information about Michelle’s activities in the lead up to her death? Who was the mysterious French man seen arguing with her? What secrets lie in Michelle’s past?
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 their plastic containers. The revelation opens up a web of intrigue, revealing the involvement of 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 and companionship during turbulent times. However, they soon find themselves pursued by mysterious individuals. When key figures involved in the investigation are found dead under suspicious circumstances, Michael realises that his life may be 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.
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.
Could a darts player at the local pub provide crucial information about Michelle’s activities in the lead up to her death? Who was the mysterious French man seen arguing with her? What secrets lie in Michelle’s past?
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 their plastic containers. The revelation opens up a web of intrigue, revealing the involvement of 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 and companionship during turbulent times. However, they soon find themselves pursued by mysterious individuals. When key figures involved in the investigation are found dead under suspicious circumstances, Michael realises that his life may be 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.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 22, 2023
Thanks to Richard for sending me a gifted copy of his book in return for an honest review.
I was a bit apprehensive about reading this as the cover made it look (to me) like a horror, and I'm a complete wuss when it comes to horror. But it wasn't too much like that which I appreciated. It was more, for me anyway, a psychological horror, a subtle horror, a realistic horror, rather than an in-your-face-scare.
There is no dilly-dallying here. Within the first two paragraphs we know what's happened and it starts with a splash (quite literally). It is a real page turning opener.
To begin with, I felt some of the dialogue was a bit clunky, like the characters were talking in an unnatural way to ensure the reader was up to speed with everything. It didn't have a negative impact on the story, and some readers may prefer that way of writing so they have all the facts they need to get on with the story, but that's just my personal opinion.
I felt the first quarter or so was bogged down a bit in detail. I know this isn't a negative for some readers and they enjoy it. I saw another review that said they loved all the details of things, like how a public school is run and whatnot. I didn't dislike it, but I felt for me it could have been a bit pacier, as I just felt a little suck in these facts, willing the narrative to move forward.
It is not an easy whodunnit to work out. It's twisty and turny and always one step ahead of you, which is what you want from a good thriller.
I would say it gets better as it goes along. That doesn't mean to say it starts badly, no. It starts off very pleasantly indeed, well written and interesting, but it cranks up towards the second half, and especially near the end, which is where the real thrills and spills come into play.
There is a plot point of sustainability and environmentalism. Usually I am not a fan of this in fiction as I want an escape from the real world, and I often find topics like this forced into a story where it doesn't fit, but I think it's balanced well and makes sense in context of the story as a whole. It starts off subtly but then forms the crux of the story and the investigation.
There are many tangents and themes to this book: death, murder, grief, loneliness, lust, love, secrecy, lies, environmentalism, schooling, justice, and the imbalance of power when someone high ups wants to bury something from someone low down.
This was not my usual genre of book, I admit, and I did struggle at times with it, but overall I thought it was an enjoyable read with some interesting and thoughtful themes, and difficult topics given due care, attention, respect and sensitivity, all well balanced.
I was a bit apprehensive about reading this as the cover made it look (to me) like a horror, and I'm a complete wuss when it comes to horror. But it wasn't too much like that which I appreciated. It was more, for me anyway, a psychological horror, a subtle horror, a realistic horror, rather than an in-your-face-scare.
There is no dilly-dallying here. Within the first two paragraphs we know what's happened and it starts with a splash (quite literally). It is a real page turning opener.
To begin with, I felt some of the dialogue was a bit clunky, like the characters were talking in an unnatural way to ensure the reader was up to speed with everything. It didn't have a negative impact on the story, and some readers may prefer that way of writing so they have all the facts they need to get on with the story, but that's just my personal opinion.
I felt the first quarter or so was bogged down a bit in detail. I know this isn't a negative for some readers and they enjoy it. I saw another review that said they loved all the details of things, like how a public school is run and whatnot. I didn't dislike it, but I felt for me it could have been a bit pacier, as I just felt a little suck in these facts, willing the narrative to move forward.
It is not an easy whodunnit to work out. It's twisty and turny and always one step ahead of you, which is what you want from a good thriller.
I would say it gets better as it goes along. That doesn't mean to say it starts badly, no. It starts off very pleasantly indeed, well written and interesting, but it cranks up towards the second half, and especially near the end, which is where the real thrills and spills come into play.
There is a plot point of sustainability and environmentalism. Usually I am not a fan of this in fiction as I want an escape from the real world, and I often find topics like this forced into a story where it doesn't fit, but I think it's balanced well and makes sense in context of the story as a whole. It starts off subtly but then forms the crux of the story and the investigation.
There are many tangents and themes to this book: death, murder, grief, loneliness, lust, love, secrecy, lies, environmentalism, schooling, justice, and the imbalance of power when someone high ups wants to bury something from someone low down.
This was not my usual genre of book, I admit, and I did struggle at times with it, but overall I thought it was an enjoyable read with some interesting and thoughtful themes, and difficult topics given due care, attention, respect and sensitivity, all well balanced.
March 24, 2024
“The Sussex Pond Murder” takes place in 1983 and introduces Michael Fletcher, a geography teacher who finds himself under suspicion after a fellow teacher is found murdered in the school pond. Michelle Gagneux was a well-liked French teacher at St. Wilfrid’s Prep School for boys before her death.
Overall, I was torn by this tale. The story is told through mixed POVs- mostly Michael’s and that of the police. Michael as a character is an intriguing one. He’s broken, flawed, and self-consumed. In the beginning of the story, I felt as though Michael was close to emotionless regarding the death of his supposed friend and lover. He seemingly only cared about finding the truth about her death because of the suspicions against him. But as the story developed, he grew as a character and I found myself rooting for him. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
Overall, I was torn by this tale. The story is told through mixed POVs- mostly Michael’s and that of the police. Michael as a character is an intriguing one. He’s broken, flawed, and self-consumed. In the beginning of the story, I felt as though Michael was close to emotionless regarding the death of his supposed friend and lover. He seemingly only cared about finding the truth about her death because of the suspicions against him. But as the story developed, he grew as a character and I found myself rooting for him. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
August 13, 2023
This murder mystery will give your puzzling addiction a real workout! I was still juggling 6 red herrings when just 100 pages before the end. Stuffed full of detail and great character descriptions, lots of information about environmental problems, how public schools run, how an autopsy is actually done and even a lot about real ales, cricket, mountain walking , lab analysis and many of the author’s varied life experiences. Short chapters, which I like because it helps me get a sense of getting somewhere, but the plot slows down a bit at times. Needed a bit more dramatic events to keep the story moving forward in the first half. But there are a number of reminders to help you keep track.
the last part is a real page turner with a few surprises. Very complex, so you want to go back and read it again.
the last part is a real page turner with a few surprises. Very complex, so you want to go back and read it again.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews