Susan Brownrigg is a Lancashire lass who grew up in Wigan and now lives in Skelmersdale, but loves to visit Blackpool as often as possible! She is the author of Gracie Fairshaw and the Mysterious Guest, Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower, Gracie Fairshaw and the Missing Reel, Kintana and the Captain’s Curse and Wrong Tracks. Brownrigg has worked as a library information assistant for three years and her previous career was in heritage and wildlife education. She worked at Norton Priory Museum for 12 years, most recently as learning manager. She has also worked at Tatton Park, Quarry Bank Mill, Rufford Old Hall, Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Blackpool Zoo! Her first career was journalist and sub-editor. She worked for Liverpool Daily Post & Echo Weekly newspapers for 10 years and was the first person in her family to go to university. Thanks to a grant and student loan, she studied Journalism, film & broadcasting in Cardiff, and began writing her first children’s novel in 2000. Then it was time for some time travel adventure! An extract was long-listed for the Writers & Artist’s 100th Edition Novel Writing Competition. Her third (unpublished) children’s book was selected for the SCBWI BI Undiscovered Voices 2016 anthology. The opening extract from that book also won the Margaret Carey Scholarship for fiction 2015.
Susan Brownrigg’s family
As a Lancashire lass Brownrigg was often inspired by northern working-class history. Her childhood and family history play a central role in the choices she makes when creating characters. Her dad was a milkman, and her mum did a host of jobs while looking after her and her sister, including working in a fish and chip shop. She borrowed names from her grandparents and great aunts and uncles as they were the same generation as her detective series heroine Gracie Fairshaw. Her great grandfather, Edward Hill, motivated her to write about a main character who has limb difference as he had to have his lower left arm amputated after getting shrapnel in it at the Battle of Arras in WW1. Brownrigg has hereditary degenerative hearing loss, mild to moderate, and uses hearing aids. She also has joint hyper-mobility syndrome.
Kintana and the Captain’s Curse
Ahoy there! The Nine Sails is casting off for Madagascar so all aboard for a treasure hunt you’ll never forget! Kintana has grown up listening to stories of life at sea from her pa, an ex-pirate turned pet shop owner. So when a tall ship – The Nine Sails – berths at Pirate Island she eagerly joins the motley crew as a cabin boy – even though her main duty will be to look after the pirate’s pets. But someone on board is determined to disrupt the voyage, could the dreaded captain’s curse be to blame? Or is it the lure of buried treasure that will draw the ship back? One thing is for sure, Kintana is about to discover that sometimes adventure is found closer to home.
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Gracie Fairshaw and the Mysterious Guest
Gracie Fairshaw and her family have barely moved into The Majestic, a Blackpool boarding house when Ma mysteriously vanishes. She teams up with her younger brother George, and befriends siblings Violet and Tom, and maid Phyllis. They must work out why one of the guests – a conman conjurer – has made Ma disappear!
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Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower
The stage is set for a thrilling mystery!
Gracie Fairshaw is delighted to get a sneak preview of the Children’s Ballet’s Christmas spectacular. But when the curtain rises, things go horribly wrong for the young dancers.
Accidents, pranks and a poison pen letter make Gracie wonder if someone is trying to spoil the show. Can Gracie and her friends stop the saboteur before their final act?
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Wrong Tracks
Who is sabotaging the Rainhill Trials?
It is 1829. Everyone is talking about the exciting new rail ways and young Edward Entwistle cannot believe his good fortune: a chance encounter sees him offered a job at the Stephensons’ Steam Locomotive Manufactory.
The Stephensons are preparing for an important competition – The Rainhill Trials. A race of innovation and daring which will award the winner a contract to run the new Liverpool & Manchester Rail Way. Edward must protect the father and son inventors’ latest creation – their precious Premium Engine – but strange and dangerous accidents keep stalling construction.
Edward and his new loco-mad friend Prudence soon realise someone is trying to scupper the Stephensons’ chances. It is up to the friends to spot sabotage and chase down spies in a thrilling race against the clock.
Inspired by the Rainhill Trials.
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Gracie Fairshaw and the Missing Reel: Book 3 in the Gracie Fairshaw series
Book 3 in the Gracie Fairshaw series. Lights, camera, action! A new movie being filmed in Blackpool is a real scoop for trainee reporter Gracie Fairshaw. When she’s invited to interview the star, Sally Sunshine, Gracie uncovers a plot as exciting as the one being filmed. Someone has stolen a vital film reel – and then a vicious attack is attempted on Sally! In a world of body-doubles, stunts, costumes and makeup, not everything is what it seems. Gracie must go behind the scenes and work out which of the cast and crew can’t be trusted, before the thrilling final act..
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Text source: All text taken directly from Susan's website - needs rewrite with ChatGPTwebsite
Images by © Susan Brownrigg
