Big Fish’s Eric Sugrue publishes debut crime thriller

Eric Sugrue is no longer just a co-founder and managing partner of Big Fish Grill Restaurant Group; he’s now also a published author. His crime thriller “Seat 3A” is out now. 

Sugrue has long enjoyed reading crime fiction and legal thriller stories by authors like John Grisham and James Patterson on the patio of his Miami home. Sugrue never pictured himself as an author, but after 10 years of world building, his new vision came to fruition.

“It’s been a huge learning experience for me as someone who doesn’t traditionally write,” Sugrue said. “I mean, I write emails to people, but I do not write – I’m not a writer. And I was able to put all my words on paper and my thoughts on paper.”

The motivation to write the novel came during a routine flight from Philadelphia to Sugrue’s Miami home about 10 years ago. While sitting in Seat 3A on the plane, Sugrue was curiously looking out the window when he thought he saw a dead body. Although he knew it was not a body, he couldn’t stop thinking about it for the remainder of the flight. 

Once he reached his home in Miami, Sugrue began recording notes about his plane ride on a legal pad. He always kept the legal pad in Miami but continued filling out its pages over the next several years during each visit. 

When 2020 rolled around, Sugrue was in a mad dash to return to Rehoboth Beach as COVID-19 discussions began to spread. Somehow, in the frenzy of it all, he happened to bring his legal pad back to Delaware with him, and with it, years of a story centered around restaurateur and crime fiction buff Christian Stone. The news about restaurants shutting down was the final sign that it was time for Sugrue to transform the hundreds of yellow pages into a real novel. 

“I made a pact to myself that I’m going to write this book even though I haven’t written and it’s not what I do for a living,” Sugrue said.

The next few years were spent writing in the conference room of Big Fish’s office after work hours. Throughout the process, he told almost no one about his book, including his wife, Laura. A former employee offered to help Sugrue organize his thoughts into a comprehensive outline, which got the ball rolling. 

Sugrue hired Kevin Anderson & Associates out of Manhattan, which converted a thick outline into a concise manuscript. He partnered with Greenleaf Book Group last September to publish “Seat 3A.” The novel was finished in early 2024 and design elements were implemented over the ensuing months. Emily Burns, who has created logos for the restaurant group in the past, illustrated the front cover. 

He said the best part of writing a novel was watching the book build before his eyes.

“I love building things," Sugrue said. "I love seeing things start from zero."

Like the crime novels he enjoys reading, Sugrue desired an easy read with understandable characters, big font and short chapters that keep the readers turning pages. Sugrue said “Seat 3A” has the potential to be part of a larger series. He’s waiting on another event to force him to write a sequel or, better yet, a movie.

“Seat 3A” delves into Christian Stone’s life, unraveling a story of childhood trauma and an unquenched thirst for justice. During a routine flight from Philadelphia to Miami, Christian looks out the window and spots what appears to be a dead body lying on the banks of the Schuylkill River. This chilling sight brings back a haunting memory: the unsolved murder of his best friend when he was just 11 years old. 

Unable to shake the image or the memory, Christian books the next available return flight to Philadelphia. Ignoring his daily responsibilities, he heads to the riverbank and uncovers more questions than answers. His search plunges him into the dangerous world of gambling rings, mysterious fortunes and rumored mob ties. Christian’s relentless pursuit of the truth places him in the crosshairs of a sinister underground crime syndicate. As he digs deeper, he uncovers a truth that hits closer to home than he could have ever imagined. The line between redemption and obsession blurs as Christian risks everything to bring justice to his friend’s memory.

“Seat 3A” is available for purchase at Browseabout Books and online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sugrue’s website seat3a.com.