The Fallen
Published by Orion 2023
Synopsis
Becca Palmer has just lost her job as assistant to Simon Jones MP – the highly-regarded Policing Minister, tipped as a future Prime Minister. But Becca claims that Simon was more than her boss, that she is in love with him.
When a heartbroken Becca leaves the Home Office, she heads to Westminster Bridge, intending to take her own life. Which is where hostage negotiator Alex Lewis meets her for the first time. It is his job to try to talk her back from the edge.
In the negotiation that follows, Becca suggests that she may know something about the Policing Minister that she shouldn’t. Something that could prompt a serious fall from grace were it to come out.
Praise for “The Fallen”
Breathtakingly tense… A firecracker of a book… Brilliant
Neil Lancaster
One of the reasons this book is so readable is because you know you’re in the hands of an expert. A man who understands the tension of dealing with someone who’s intent on taking their own life; a man who has experienced these problems first hand and writes about them with great authority; introducing us to a world that makes the book fascinating and unputdownable
Jeffrey Archer
Superb. An incredible blend of gripping characters, fabulous plot and chillingly authentic political corruption. John Sutherland’s experience and eye on the world make this unmissable for all crime fiction fans.
Graham Bartlett
Absolutely thrilling
A LoveReading Star Book
A compelling page-turner you’ll struggle to put down
Woman & Home Magazine
Not only does The Fallen drip with authenticity and insider secrets (unsurprising, given Sutherland’s background), it’s also full of charm, compassion and emotion. Police negotiator Alex Lewis is a good man doing a tough job in all but impossible conditions; that he manages to rise above it without succumbing to the usual crime fiction tropes of rule-breaking and booze is testament to the author’s skill. The plot is intricate, frighteningly plausible and superbly paced; I raced through it in two sittings. Recommended.
M.W. Craven
Brilliant. A completely unputdownable page-turner…Your summer holidays are made with this book. If you like your crime fiction, you’re going to love (The Fallen).
Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 5Live
