Sarah Ward Books In Order

Publication Order of DC Connie Childs Books

Publication Order of Mallory Dawson Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

A British writer of world renowned crime fiction, the novelist Sarah Ward has had a long time involvement in the literary industry, and has recently become a fully fledged author in her own right, this after branching out from her own highly popular online blog where she wrote reviews and criticisms of the genre. Creating a name for herself over the years, she amassed a large and extremely impressive sizable audience, one which has grown exponentially in a relatively short amount of time, and continues to build day-by-day as more and more discover her novels and extensive backlog of work. Clearly showing a flair for the form she has been able to master her craft as a writer and storyteller, not only through her tightly woven narratives, but her well drawn characterizations that many have been able to relate to as well. Focusing on Scandinavian crime fiction too, she is also a judge for the Petrona Award, an award which is given to the best translated Scandinavian crime fiction currently available. All this has allowed her to build her public profile and presence on the literary scene as an author with a large amount of talent, especially in regards to her own current body of work that’s growing every day.

Early and Personal Life

Growing up with a keen interest in both reading and writing, the author to be Sarah Ward always had a strong interest and passion in the written word. Always looking to build upon her talents as an author she was always honing and refining her skills as an author over the years, as well as focusing on mastering the form. This would means sharpening her voice, creating an extremely idiosyncratic style in the process, allowing her to become a lot more articulate and proficient as an a writer of highly regarded crime fiction.

Getting an education in writing throughout the years as well, she would focus herself primarily on crime fiction, as she showed a clear fascination in the formula. This meant constantly reviewing and analyzing a number of works, much of which she did through her own personal site, allowing her to really understand how it worked and operated as an art-form. Speaking on it as well on numerous occasion she would also become a highly vocal spokesperson on the craft and how it had been shaped throughout the many years of its long and extremely fascinating history.

Over the years she would come to be known for not only reviews and criticisms of the genre of crime fiction, specifically Scandinavian crime fiction, she would also speak extensively on the craft too. Writing from experience as well, she would set many of her novels in the area of Derbyshire, England, giving her work a clear sense of realism and personality, as she really knows her characters and locations used. This would allow her to create a style that was far more in tune with her own outlook, something which has allowed the genre itself to progress in the process as well.

Still currently writing to this very day, Sarah Ward continues to put out work at a regular pace, along with maintaining her online presence as well. Speaking about her craft too, she also manages to maintain a highly vocal presence alongside her career as an author and as an critic of the genre and art-form. With a lot more to come on the horizon there’s still far more room for Sarah Ward to grow as an author and as a reviewer, as her writing career doesn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon, with it continuing on into the foreseeable future.

Writing Career

Bringing out her first book in 2015, the author Sarah Ward made her debut onto the literary scene with the novel ‘In Bitter Chill’, the first in her ongoing series of ‘DC Connie Childs Mystery’ novels. These would follow the eponymous lead protagonist Detective Constable Connie Childs as she goes about solving various mysteries and investigations in England. Following in the many codes and conventions of the genre, Ward has really worked at making it her own, allowing it to flourish in the process as well.

Speaking on a number of different platforms throughout the course of her writing career, Ward has been a highly prominent figure within the crime literature community. Whether it be judging for the Petrona Award or speaking on BBC Radio 4 regarding Derbyshire set crime novels, she is an extremely respected figure. This looks set to carry on for some time yet, as her career grows from strength-to-strength, with a lot more to come as her audience continues to grow with more and more discovering her work every day.

A Deadly Thaw

Initially brought out in 2016 on the 30th of August, this was first released through the Minotaur publishing novel to much attention and acclaim. Marking the second installment in the ongoing ‘DC Connie Childs’ series of novels, it managed to capture the essence of what made the first work, whilst also developing it in the process. Working as a sequel, the previous book, ‘In Bitter Chill’, this was brought out a year later, allowing readers to become a lot more invested in the character and the series overall.

Following the conviction of his wife, a proven killer, fifteen years previously, a thought to be dead man is found freshly murdered and it is up to DC Connie Childs to solve the case. After a the man believed to be her husband was found dead smothered in his sleep fifteen years prior, she pleads guilty, only to find that the husbands body has turned up in a morgue freshly murdered years later. This then means that she lied about killing her husband previously, leaving a stranger dead, and now her actual husband many years later. Why did she lie? Who was the murdered stranger? What will occur in a deadly thaw?

A Patient Fury

Originally released on the 7th of September in 2017, this was released just a little over a year after the second title, it marking the third in the ‘DC Connie Childs’ series. Carrying on from where the last title left off it provides another investigation for the eponymous detective constable to solve and get to the bottom of. Brought out through the ‘Faber Faber’ publishing house this time, it continues in much the same vein as before, whilst also providing some twists and turns of its own along the way.

Investigating the fire ravaged house of Cross Farm Lane, Connie Childs instantly knows that there is death in the air upon entering the property. With a whole family killed leaving behind three bodies, she finds that most of the evidence seems to point to the mother being the murderer here. That might be the simplest answer, but there could be a fourth body, one which would really uncover the truth behind what actually happened upon the farm. Will she be able to find it? Can she uncover the truth? Just who conducted a patient fury?

2 Responses to “Sarah Ward”

1. Pauline Spurlock: 3 years ago

   Has Sarah Ward written any books since The Shrouded Path

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     Hi Pauline – no she has not. Just the above 4.

     Reply