A small New England town is wondering if two murders are connected in a mystery/thriller novel written by Southport resident John Dingle. "Karma Never Sleeps" was Dingle's debut novel which was released in April. It is the first of three novels revolving around Gus Wheeler's and Vanessa Lambert's investigations of small town murders in New England.

Dingle grew up in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts and lived in other New England small towns before arriving in Southport in 2005. He made Southport his full-time family residence in 2017. Writing is one of his favorite pastimes. For the past decade, he has written the estimated equivalent of "three to four" novels, but none were published. "It was more like practice. It wasn't a waste of time, but more than a learning experience on how to write. I come from the business world, and had to teach myself how to write a novel."

Dingle's second novel, "Wings of Madness," is scheduled for an October release. A third will be released next year.

Gus Wheeler is the series' protagonist. He is assisted by Vanessa Lambert. They are FBI agents and profilers. The duo is introduced following a murder which revealed a connection to a previous one committed a few months earlier.

The plot involves a secret held by a group of women in their mid-30s dating back to their high school days. "They all grew up together in the same small New England town. As adults, the clique remains as they go through life sharing the same experiences such as marriage and motherhood." Dingle said. "It just sort of came to me. I've seen people living in small towns who grow up together, and it seemed interesting to write about. Bullying and peer pressure within the clique is a big part of the story."

The FBI is brought in by the local sheriff after evidence in the second murder was linked to the first. 

Dingle is in his late 50s, and learned how to write novels as a hobby. His first attempt at publishing his first novel scored with readers. On April 14, "Karma Never Sleeps" hit the Amazon Top 100 listing and was a Barnes & Nobles' Top Indie Picks for April and May. "We did a lot of social networking which helped, and knock on wood, I'm pleased with the response," he said.

There are two Author Talks with Dingle scheduled at local libraries. On Oct. 8, Southport Public Library will hold one at 2 p.m. Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library will feature Dingle at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 22.