Diane Sutton and the Hanging Judge, a short story by Andrew Brel was published in July 2019. Diane’s story has now been included in a book of short stories. Aunt Dorothy’s Visit and Other Short Stories. On paperback, E Book and on audio, narrated by Andrew Brel.

Aunt Dorothy’s visit and other short stories.

Six short stories written between 2001 and 2023 in the genre of reality fiction.

Amazon on Paperback and Kindle
Apple Books EPUB
And on Audible, narrated by Andrew Brel

Diane Sutton is a former model and beauty queen. Growing up in an idyllic Surrey lifestyle as the only child of two glamorous parents; her father a former race car driver, now owner of a Mercedes dealership, her mother a former A-list catwalk model. Tragically her parents both die in a vehicular accident, leaving Diane as a wealthy heiress aged 18.  She is emotionally mature beyond her years, raised in a secure family unit by caring loving parents which helps the transition into her new life with new responsibilities well.

Three years later, 21 by this time,  she meets Dan Cotes, a divorce lawyer, 14 years her senior. They fall in love at first sight and a month later Dan moves into her home on a rent free basis. Three months after that they marry and their first son Dylan arrives ten months later.
For four years Diane raises  Dylan in what appears to be the ideal of a  happy loving home. She loves Dylan unreservedly and Dylan loves his Mother and is thriving on the opportunities this full time attention represents to the growing child. The neural pathways that will form the core of his adult personality are developing beautifully.

And then one day, fathers-day 2013, their lives change irrevocably.
Out of the blue Dan decides to change horses in mid stream. He has ambitions beyond the vows he made to wed Diane and have a family with her. The new girlfriend is a fit young junior lawyer in his firm and their plans together exclude his wife but not his son.

Dan retains a litigious, aggressive family-solicitor who uses arcane family-law legislation to prevent Diane having the unfettered visitation with her own son their relationship requires. He creates the dispute that places the decision in family-court, where a judge, who is also a  barrister and co-worker of his in family-court, decides Dyan’s future. Dan’s monetary targets are placed above Dylan’s best interests. All sanctioned by family-court despite the obvious flaws in the child’s representation. His natural right to see both parents.  To not be punished for the remunerative advantage of a family-court system that has traded his best interests for a handsome payday for four members of family-law.

How and why events unfold as they do is an all too common reflection on family-court proceedings, not only in Britain, but wherever acrimony drives separation and monetary interests are placed above those of the child.
. . . How will Diane get her child back?
. . . How will Dylan understand why he cannot see his mother?
. . . Will Dan Cotes, his lawyer and his friendly judge get away with their legal deceit?