Torbay author celebrates landmark million sales

Author Sarah Pearse is celebrating after receiving news that sales of her books have just gone past the magical million.

Sarah said: “This is the most fantastic news and such great timing. I’m hard at work on book number three and it’s a real motivator to know that so many readers are enjoying my ideas.

“I really appreciate the hard work of everyone involved in breathing life into these books and helping them to become such a success.”

The all-important million is from total sales to date across all formats, hardback, paperback, eBooks and audio books.

This exciting news came just as Sarah’s second novel The Retreat is being published in paperback. A Sunday Times and New York Times top ten bestseller, the Retreat has now been sold in around 25 countries.

Clearly inspired by the local area, The Retreat features some well-loved attractions including the South West Coast Path woven into the story. Thatcher Rock is the inspiration for the main location of the book, the ominously named Reaper’s Rock, once the playground of a psychopathic serial killer.

Sarah, who grew up in Torbay and attended Torquay Girls’ Grammar School, says she loves writing about the local area she knows so well. “Although I may have taken a few liberties! But for me, the coastline with its drama is just hugely stimulating.”

The Retreat is set at a wellbeing centre on the island, a beautiful paradise – until the murders begin and a destructive storm cuts the island off from the mainland. “That’s part of the natural appeal of the area which constantly inspires me – the sea can be calm then within moments there’s a dramatic change.”

Sarah feels that this is a good tip for aspiring authors. “Write about something you’re passionate about, like the sea is for me. Find a story that excites you. If you’re engaged with the plot and enjoy writing it, readers will pick up on this and want to keep turning the pages.”

Sarah’s storytelling skills have captured the imagination of readers worldwide. Sarah recently shared that her first novel The Sanatorium had been published in Ukraine after being translated in temporary housing, edited in a bomb shelter and printed in Kyiv during bombing raids. “It was humbling to learn that the editorial team was so determined to give Ukrainian readers some form of escapism from what’s going on around them.”

When asked what’s next, she says “I’m a good way through the third book in the trilogy which is the last to feature detective Elin Warner and will provide answers to some of the questions that have been keeping readers guessing!

“This time it’s based in a remote national park in Portugal - but expect a return to Devon, too.”

The as-yet untitled book is due to be published in the summer of 2024 after which Sarah will be working on her first standalone novel.

To request interviews or talks, contact Sarah via her website