After He Died by Michael J. Malone @michaelJmalone1 @OrendaBooks @annecater #blogtour #bookreview #AfterHeDied

Thrilled to bits to join the blog tour for After He Died by Michael J. Malone today, alongside one of my favourite people, Karen at My Reading Corner. Make sure you check out her review as well. Huge thanks to Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for my review copy and to Anne Cater for inviting me to join the tour.

Author : Michael J. Malone
Title : After He Died
Pages : 295
Publisher : Orenda Books
Publication date : September 20, 2018

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 they knew, and it becomes immediately clear that both women’s lives are in very real danger.

If you haven’t yet introduced yourself to Michael J. Malone’s books, you are missing out on an amazingly talented author. If there’s one thing I love about his work, it is that I never quite know what to expect when I pick up one his books. But I do know I’m in for a treat as he always delivers a most devilish tale.

After He Died once again shows of Michael J. Malone’s ability to diversify so if you’re expecting something along the lines of the gothic greatness that was House of Spines or the extremely powerful A Suitable Lie, this isn’t it. This one is quite different, again, yet awesome in its own right. And that’s exactly why this author should be on everyone’s bookshelf.

Paula’s husband dies unexpectedly from a heart attack. During these hard times and feeling lost in a mental fog, the last thing she needs is a woman coming up to her at the funeral to tell her there are things she should know about her late husband, Thomas. But that’s exactly what happens when Paula is approached by Cora.

This domestic noir / psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat. It’s a dark, utterly absorbing and incredibly addictive page-turner. All throughout the story you wonder what Thomas had been up to, if anything, and if there’s anyone Paula can trust. While I thought I had a few things figured out, I couldn’t connect the dots at all and I was left guessing until the end, when a massive curveball completely threw me for a loop.

Michael J. Malone is an incredible storyteller and has delivered a complex and character-driven story that had me hooked from start to finish. His writing style is utterly absorbing. I adore the realistic touches like the Scottish dialect since this story is set in Glasgow, which wasn’t too confusing to follow so I didn’t have to hit up my Scottish chum to ask what the heck the characters were saying. A pacy read, a thrilling ride and a mind-blowing conclusion … what more could you possibly want?

This is one exciting author who quickly shot his way up my list of go-to authors and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

After He Died is available to buy!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Bookdepository | Kobo | Wordery | Goodreads

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie’s Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a  Spines soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller.

Author links : Facebook | Twitter