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. ( )

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. ( )