POISON AND PEACOCKS IN THE DALES Wren & Wilson 2

Maria Malone

RIGHTS SOLD: World English/Bedford Square Publishing; US Publisher: Crooked Lane

RIGHTS AVAILABLE: All rights handled by The bks Agency

Great locations, sharp dialogue, intriguing mystery, plus a charming detective-dog with "knowing hazel eyes" - a delight.'
Greg Mosse, author of the bestselling Maisie Cooper Mysteries

Sergeant Ali Wren and her police dog, Wilson, are back in this charming sequel, perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves and Margaret Mizushima. 

 It’s just another day in the small-town of Heft when Ali follows up on reports of an escaped pride of peacocks stirring up trouble in a once quiet cul-de-sac. A routine call, a case of fuss and feathers, Ali suspects. But what she discovers inside the house the birds have invaded is far from routine. The couple who lives there has been receiving anonymous hate letters. 

 Letters that are at once threatening and suspiciously personal. 

 As Ali and Wilson investigate, they dig up long-buried secrets at the heart of the community. Every detail they uncover brings them closer to the truth—that someone in Heft will stop at nothing to keep their past hidden…

UK title: A DEADLY AFFAIR IN THE DALES Wren & Wilson 1 / US title: DEATH IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

Maria Malone

RIGHTS SOLD: World English/Bedford Square Publishing; US Publisher: Crooked Lane

RIGHTS AVAILABLE: All rights handled by The bks Agency

‘Great locations, sharp dialogue, intriguing mystery, plus a charming detective-dog with "knowing hazel eyes" - a delight.'
Greg Mosse, author of the bestselling Maisie Cooper Mysteries

Meet Sergeant Ali Wren and her trusty companion Officer PD Wilson, a Springer Spaniel with a nose for trouble. Together they are the police force serving the small, charming Yorkshire town of Heft where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Ali, a local who has recently returned to her hometown, needs all her diplomatic skills and a huge dose of humour to navigate the quirky dynamics of Heft, where drama lurks around every corner.

 When Brian, an older resident who seems a little lost outside of the world of classic cars, reports his wife, Melody, missing, Ali initially dismisses it as a routine case. Brian is not exactly an exemplary husband, and it seems that Melody simply left him after years of playing a supporting part not only to classic cars but also to Brian’s first, late wife. However, suspicions soon mount – was the death of Brian’s first wife truly a tragic accident? What was Melody doing in Newcastle every week? Who is Melody’s enigmatic friend at the municipal tip? Before long, Ali and Wilson are following a trail full of twists and turns.

 The story unfolds in the tradition of the best Sunday evening television, offering a gentle, gripping, and heart-warming narrative with a dramatic finale that will keep the reader guessing right to the end.

 Welcome to Heft, where the mysteries are as intriguing as the characters who unravel them.

 A DEADLY AFFAIR IN THE DALES will delight fans of Richard Osmond, Reverend Richard Coles and Janice Hallett.  

Maria Malone is an experienced ghost-writer and non-fiction author with several Sunday Times bestseller credits, ranging from high-profile memoirs to celebrity fiction. This is her first novel.