Happy Never After - by Maria Malone

Book Synopsis

The sudden disappearance of a local woman reopens an old case in a small English town where everyone knows everyone's business.

This debut police dog mystery will delight fans of Ann Cleeves and Margaret Mizushima.

Sergeant Ali Wren has recently returned to her charming Yorkshire hometown of Heft, accompanied by her trusty canine companion Officer PD Wilson, a Springer Spaniel with a nose for trouble. Together they are the police force quietly serving the town.

When Brian, an older resident, reports his wife, Melody, missing, Ali at first suspects a routine case. Melody, tired of playing dutiful wife to an inattentive husband, may simply have left. But suspicion soon begins to mount when it emerges that Brian's first wife died under tragic circumstances and Ali uncovers evidence of Melody's recent puzzling behavior.

Review Quotes

Praise for Death in the Countryside
"An excellent procedural featuring a likable heroine and her talented canine partner."
--Kirkus Reviews

"One of those books where you swear you're only going to read until the end of the chapter--and instead find yourself at the end of the book instead."
--Kings River Life

"I can't wait for more adventures with these two."
--Red Carpet Crash

"A delightful gem of a cozy, chock-full of eccentric townsfolk, plot twists and red herrings, plus an intrepid police dog named Wilson. And, like with the town's rival bakeries, there are plenty of tasty morsels to keep you flipping pages into the wee hours of the morning."
--Jeffrey B. Burton, award-winning author of The Dead Years, The Second Grave, and the Mace Reid K-9 mysteries

"I really enjoyed this comedy crime novel from Maria Malone. The sense of place in Yorkshire is hugely evocative and it comes complete with a strong heroine and a cute canine too. I look forward to reading more from Maria, definitely an author to watch!"
--Glenda Young, author of the Helen Dexter Cosy Crime mysteries

About the Author

Born in the North-East of England, Maria Malone worked in print journalism and television news and features. She has written TV companion books, ghosted celebrity autobiographies, and is a former Yorkshire Press Awards Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year.