The Power of Denial

AFTER HE DIED
Michael J. Malone
Orenda Books/Trafalgar Square
March 1, 2019


After He Died opens at the funeral of Paula Gadd's husband of nearly thirty years, Thomas. Paula is almost completely overcome with grief, not only for her seemingly fit husband's death by heart attack, but for the loss of her only child, Christopher, nearly seven years before by hit-and-run. Paula's life has been built entirely around both son and husband, and she has no idea what she will do. The service is packed with mourners, mostly business associates of Thomas, but few who have any real connection to Paula. Thomas' older brother, Bill, and his wife, Daphne are there, but that relationship is distant, at best. Paula's only real support is that of Thomas' other brother, a Catholic priest, Father Joe. What little composure she has is cracked when a young woman approaches and whispers in her ear, "You need to know who your husband really was.", slips a note in Paula's pocket and moves away quickly. It takes several boozy days and an odd visit from Thomas' business partner, Kevin Farrell, who is carrying a palpable air of desperation to prompt her to call the number on the young woman's note. She is Cara Connelly, who comes from the slums of Glasgow and has raised herself to the position of a social worker in those same slums. She accuses Thomas of being an organized crime lord, and of a horrific crime. Paula dismisses this out of hand, but events conspire to make her and Cara uneasy partners to find the truth. Paula begins to see that she and Thomas had drifted apart since Christopher's death, especially in the last two years. Always a hard worker and very successful, Thomas was a full-blown workaholic at the end. Could Thomas have actually hidden a secret life from her?

I admit that when I requested a galley of After He Died, I had the mistaken impression that it was from North Carolina author, Michael Malone, whose books I have also enjoyed. That was a fortunate mistake for me. After He Died is a real page-turner, with fleshed out characters to both like and hate. Paula is someone I understand and empathize with, despite a tendency to ignore coincidences that would be red flags to anyone thinking straight. Paula, however, is so sunk in grief and denial that it takes a while for her to see facts for what they are. Cara, on the other hand, is so confident of what she knows, and so resentful of the "moneyed classes" she becomes blind in her own way. Both are complicated and ultimately likable women caught up in events, not of their making. 

I highly recommend After He Died for fans of psychological suspense. Thanks to NetGalley and Trafalgar Square for a digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4.5 Stars