A chance meeting as a teenager with a woman whose fiancé flew in the First World War, triggered Suzanne’s fascination with the adventures and aviation of this period. But after a degree in Chemical Sciences at Leeds University and a career as a development chemist, there seemed little opportunity to pursue such interests. That is until a move to the Scottish Highlands provided the perfect career change to do so.
Surrounded by books and working as a librarian, she was able to indulge her passion for literature, creative writing, historical fiction particularly gothic historical fiction, and anything aviation. Several trips to Belgium and Northern France for research, resulted in the writing of Suzanne’s first book, SECRETS IN THE SKY, which was one of nine books selected for Hachette UK’s Future Bookshelf Cohort for 2021. The book is the first in a fictional series of female led aviation/wartime adventure stories.
A keen runner, Suzanne divides her time between family, her feline friends, writing, reading, overseeing a local Writing Group, library work…and of course, watching the sky.
More Books by
Suzanne Parsons
Hertfordshire, 1912
After a childhood spent carted around the country by her restless mother, Ayda de Corsi finds stability when they settle on the Bound estate in Hertfordshire. And she finds a friend in Lord Bound's son, Adam.
When a collection of flying machines owned by aviator Thomas Shuttleby is secretly stored at the Estate, Adam hopes flying may gain him notice from his parents and he trains to become a pilot. Initially Ayda's life moves in a different direction, but eventually Adam secretly teaches Ayda to fly and she realises she has found her passion.
When war breaks out in 1914, Adam joins the Royal Flying Corps, while Ayda heads to London as a typist on the promise of a secret, civilian role as Britain's only female dispatch pilot. But as a woman, she is not taken seriously and someone is going to great lengths to stop her from succeeding.
Can Ayda and Adam survive the war? Will Ayda manage to make her mark? Or are the odds stacked against this daring aviatrix...?
Secrets in the Sky
Suzanne Parsons
Aviatrix adventures and the Great War in the air
Book Excerpt or Article
PROLOGUE
3rd October 1918
At twelve thousand feet the air thinned rapidly. He felt the familiar light-headedness and the numbness in his extremities. He was glad to be on lone patrol; formations were risky with all the new pilots coming out of Blighty, most of whom could barely fly.
Ascending another few thousand feet and scanning the horizon, he decided to head northwest towards Fricourt. After all, he did have a full tank of fuel.
And then something joined him from behind the sun: in his mirror he spied a dark dot speeding towards his tail.
His safest options were to change direction and make for the Allied lines, or run for home. But instead, he side-winged right, turning his S.E.5a to face the navy Fokker D.VII, and saw to his horror eight more navy dots emerging from behind the sun. Barely visible and strewn above the horizon, they were hurtling towards him at great speed.
Licking his lips as he dodged bullets from the Fokker, he twisted and turned and side-slipped out of its way. No time to think, he grabbed his Lewis gun and fired directly at the lead Fokker’s wingtips. It hiccupped, lost height, then steadied itself, rushing at him again, three other triplanes right on his tail. It was time to find out whose nerves could hold the longest.
He lowered his head, kicked his rudder bar, and manoeuvred his S.E.5a so it was heading straight at the leader. He released more bullets from behind even as the lead triplane continued on its course towards him, until — with about thirty feet to spare — the pilot lost his nerve, pulling his nose up in the nick of time. He smiled at this small victory, then heard an unnatural, deafening noise behind him: a clanking, whooshing sound he’d never heard before, and he’d flown at one hundred and twenty miles per hour many a time.
The joystick became rubbery and unresponsive.
He grabbed it hard, swinging it forwards then backwards in an attempt to regain control.
Despite his efforts, the plane started sliding backwards and down, and from the corner of his eye he saw the looming dark, navy shape coming at him again. He needed to put his plane into a tailspin if he was going to get out of this — never his manoeuvre of choice unless absolutely necessary, as it was now. He spiralled his plane towards the earth, but to his surprise found he wasn’t alone… The Fokker was following him down.
Affording himself another smile, he heard a whisper in his ear: Never, ever follow your prey all the way down.
He grabbed his revolver, firing blindly at the triplane — it hit well, huge black plumes engulfing it. But his own cockpit was becoming hotter now, and the earth was looming ever closer. The heat was searing, and thick, acrid smoke billowed outwards making his eyes stream.
There was only one option.
His hands shook as he lifted the revolver.
He thought of Ayda.
I’m sorry. So sorry.
He thought of his friends already departed for their castles in the air.
The Fokker exploded below him.
He closed his eyes, lifted the barrel against his temple, and fired.
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