The Body In The Back Garden

(Hardback)

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Description

In this queer cozy series debut perfect for fans of Ellen Byron and Ellery Adams, Luke Tremblay is about to discover that Crescent Cove has more than its fair share of secrets...and some might be deadlier than others. Crescent Cove, a small hamlet on Vancouver Island, is the last place out-of-work investigative journalist Luke Tremblay ever wanted to see again. He used to spend summers here, until his family learned that he was gay and rejected him. Now, following his aunt's sudden death, he's inherited her entire estate, including her seaside cottage and the antiques shop she ran for forty years in Crescent Cove. Luke plans to sell everything and head back to Toronto as soon as he can...but Crescent Cove isn't done with him just yet. When a stranger starts making wild claims about Luke's aunt, Luke sends him packing. The next morning, though, Luke discovers that the stranger has returned, and now he's lying dead in the back garden. To make matters worse, the officer leading the investigation is a handsome Mountie with a chip on his shoulder who seems convinced that Luke is the culprit. If he wants to prove his innocence and leave this town once and for all, Luke will have to use all his skills as a journalist to investigate the colorful locals while coming to terms with his own painful past. There are secrets buried in Crescent Cove, and the more Luke digs, the more he fears they might change the town forever.

Reviews

Praise for The Body in the Back Garden:
Waddell has crafted an enjoyable and satisfying mystery with a sympathetic sleuth, a small beach town to fall in love with, and a twisty plot that will keep you turning pages well into the night.
Dianne Freeman, author of the award-winning Countess of Harleigh mystery series

A quaint coastal island setting; a whip-smart writer-turned-amateur detective; a cozy cast of characters and lots of local flavor. The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell is like a modern-day Murder, She Wroteonly set in Canada, and with a queer millennial man in the Jessica Fletcher starring role. Throw in his handsome Mounted Policeman love interest (Red Serge tunic, midnight-blue jodhpurs Yes, please!) and this humorous whodunnit sizzles with enough romantic tension to keep readers turning/scrolling those pages. A welcome addition to the quozy mystery genre.
Frank Anthony Polito, author of Renovated to Death

A supremely clever twist on the village mystery. Our hero, Luke Tremblay, is an impossible-not-to-root-for former journalist leading the charge. This is sure to be your favorite new mystery series of the season.
Zac Bissonnette, author of A Killing in Costumes

Author Bio

Mark Waddell is a recovering academic with a PhD in the history of science, medicine, and technology from Johns Hopkins University. After publishing two books and grading countless student essays, he left the exciting life of a humanities professor in search of greener pastures. He now lives on Vancouver Island with his husband and their two dogs and spends most of his time writing stories about murderous Canadians.