After He Died

By Michael Malone

When a strange woman slips a note into grieving widow Paula’s pocket at her husband’s funeral, everything suggests that he was not all that he seemed … A devastatingly moving, explosive psychological thriller from the international bestselling author of A Suitable Lie.

‘Disturbing but compulsive … I loved it’ Martina Cole

'Bristling with unease, this is domestic noir at its very darkest, twisting the marriage thriller into a new and troubling shape' Eva Dolan

‘Vivid, visceral and compulsive’ Ian Rankin

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You need to know who your husband really was…

When Paula Gadd’s husband of almost thirty years dies, just days away from the seventh anniversary of their son, Christopher’s death, her world falls apart. Grieving and bereft, she is stunned when a young woman approaches her at the funeral service, and slips something into her pocket. A note suggesting that Paula’s husband was not all that he seemed…

When the two women eventually meet, a series of revelations challenges everything Paula thought she knew, and it becomes immediately clear that both women’s lives are in very real danger.

Both a dark, twisty slice of domestic noir and taut, explosive psychological thriller, After He Died is also a chilling reminder that the people we trust the most can harbour the deadliest secrets…

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Praise for Michael J. Malone

‘Gripping and suspenseful fare that reinforces Malone’s renown for producing psychological thrillers’ Herald Scotland

'It’s a tough high-wire act, balancing believability with surprise, but the author pulls it off with aplomb. Excellent stuff’ Doug Johnstone, The Big Issue

‘Michael J Malone has portrayed this beautifully and managed to get the balance just right … A well-paced, excellent read’ Promoting Crime

‘After he Died is a fantastic read packed with engaging characters and a compelling narrative’ CrimeSquad

‘An explosive tale, one that takes hold, bites, and doesn’t let go’ LoveReading

‘A stark, gripping storyline’ Scots

‘A fine, page-turning thriller’ Daily Mail

‘Original, engrossing and scary’ The Times

‘Brilliantly creepy’ Daily Record

‘Genuinely shocking’ Crime by the Book

‘Delightfully disturbing’ Chapter in My Life

‘Michael Malone has a way of telling a story that just leaves you more than a little disturbed yet breathless with admiration’ Live & Deadly

‘Enthralling, wonderful, intense, full of suspense and twists that had my head in a spin! Crime Book Junkie

‘Michael J. Malone is quickly making his way up my list of favourite authors’ Always Trust in Books

• Language: English
• Publisher: ORENDA BOOKS
• Release date: Jul 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781912374342

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is the author of ten novels, a collection of short stories and two works of nonfiction. Educated at Carolina and at Harvard, he is now a professor in Theater Studies at Duke University. Among his prizes are the Edgar, the O. Henry, the Writers Guild Award, and the Emmy. He lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife.

Reviews for After He Died

[nicx27 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is my third read by Michael J Malone and what strikes me is what a versatile writer he is. Each of the books has been quite different in story and tone.The 'he' in After He Died is Thomas Gadd, husband to Paula. He dies suddenly and Paula finds herself alone for the first time in thirty years. their precious only son, Christopher, having died seven years earlier. At Thomas's funeral, a chain of events is set off which leads to Paula becoming slowly aware that there were many secrets in the background of the comfortable life she thought she had.The big question posed here is: can you ever really know somebody? Paula thought she knew everything about Thomas but she was living in blissful ignorance. The author really plays on the fact that so much can be hidden, even from the one who knows you best and with whom you share your entire life.There was much that I liked about After He Died and one or two things that didn't sit as well with me. I thought the plot was clever, intricate and well thought out, but there's a seedy gangster/corruption side of it that was a bit out of my comfort zone. I liked Paula, the innocent wife and Father Joe Gadd, Thomas's youngest brother, and I particularly liked their friendship. But there's a sub-plot featuring a young woman called Cara Connolly and somehow her side of it didn't quite work for me. I think the strongest part of the story is the way Paula slowly found out about all the secrets that were lurking behind the veneer of her marriage. This side of the book was much more domestic noir and much more up my street.Overall, I found After He Died to be thrilling and shocking in equal measure. Malone is definitely not one to shy away from hard-hitting storylines. Much of what took place was a surprise to me. Whilst this book was not my favourite of his (for that read House of Spines) I recognise the quality of his writing and the ability to craft an intensely gripping tale.

[judithrs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After He Died. Michael J. Malone. 2018. This was a mistake. I thought I was getting a new book by the wonderful, North Carolina novelist, Michael Malone. Michael J is a Scottish writer. Paula Gadd’s husband died suddenly of a heart attack. At the funeral, a mysterious young woman thrust a note at her which says her husband is not who she thought he was. Her husband’s partner appears and asks her where the money is; her brother-in-law also asks her about his brother’s business dealings. People begin to die. She gets strange phone calls, and feels like she is being followed. Paula works with the young woman to discover exactly what her husband was doing. Suspenseful but not anywhere good as the reviews imply.