A nurse who spent years working in hospitals, including in Bolton, has taken the jump into the world of detective fiction. Sarah McDonald’s career included hospitals in Bolton , Essex, Manchester and her home town of Wigan before her eventual retirement in 2021. Now, she has drawn on her years of experience on the frontline to publish Justice the first of a series of novels starring Detective Inspector Thomas Marsden.
Sarah, 58, said: “Tommy, the protagonist of the books, is fundamentally flawed as he comes to terms with changes in his personal and professional life.” She added: “It’s this vulnerability that readers seem to find relatable.” Sarah will be following her novel up with further entries in the series (Image: Phil Taylor) DI Mesden is described as a traditional copper who sometimes finds himself at odds with the increasing bureaucracy of modern policing.
He also struggles to navigate the ever-changing landscape of political correctness in his own endearing way. DI Marsden made his debut in Justice , which was published in August 2024, and is being heralded as a “gripping read that keeps you guessing until the very end.” One reader paid tribute to Sarah’s unique writing style with the comment: “Bam! Before I knew it, I felt like I was actually inside the investigation with the team.
” Sarah credits this to the meticulous research methods she employs to inform her writing. Since retiring in 2021, Sarah has sent much of her time caring for her larg.