John Sutherland (2025) The Castle

Write what you know. Former Met Police commander and bestselling author John Sutherland offered a bonus as a marketing gizmo. The book’s release (at the end of April 2025) was paired with a limited edition Speyside Single Malt whisky named after the novel.

Fuck. Wish I’d thought of that for my novel Beastie. I could have released a limited-edition child molester fresh from the police cells.

Set in the Scottish Highlands, The Castle follows Superintendent Alex Lewis and his partner Pip—both elite hostage negotiators suffering from a mild dose of PTSD—on what was meant to be a healing Highland trip.

Obviously not.

Earl Rafe MacDonald is there for starters. It plays to my prejudices that the villain is a rich, entitled ‘bawbag’.

That the description of the gamekeeper Tom.

Alex looked up to the plain speaking Scottish sergeant, when they worked together in the Met.

At the start of his police career, he’d been the North star. Sigh. He’d been an SAS veteran.

Moral dilemma? Imagine somebody wanted to trade the rapist and bawbag, the moron’s moron for his crimes which have went unpunished? A cowardly caricature, because no such real person could exist.

It hits all the plot points. Locked room. Escape. The big reveal. Things are not what they seem.

Read on.

Unleash the Beastie! https://bit.ly/bannkie