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Shadow Falls
1.I was born in Hampshire and lived in Cornwall before settling down with my husband in the East Midlands. As a southerner who now lives inland – I miss the ocean greatly!
2.I was homeless at 18. I don’t come from loving parents unfortunately, so my life has been quite rocky. But as a result I’m independent, I don’t take myself too seriously and I have lots of experiences to write about!
3.I have three rescue cats – two boys and a girl. They’re great writing buddies, keeping me warm in the winter and coaxing me into the garden during lunch breaks in the summer. But they do drive me mad sometimes! I always say no more cats but I’m terrible at turning them down, especially when they come with a sob story. My youngest – Teddy – was rejected by his mother, and all his siblings died at birth. How could I not take him in?!
4.I once worked as a Coroner’s Assistant. It was my job to support grieving families in various ways and send the deceased for post-mortems, when relevant. This was probably the most stressful job I’ve ever had, but very rewarding when I know I’ve made a difficult process easier for a family at the worst time in their life.
5.I once worked for a university, helping prisoners enrol on higher education courses as part of their rehabilitation. Although I’ve been the victim of crime myself, I believe education is the key to rehabilitation.
6. My favourite genre to read is horror, followed by crime fiction and true crime. I have three brothers so there’s always been a horror film on in the background throughout my time growing up. That or a sci-fi series.
7.I have been the main witness in a crown court and family court case, resulting in convictions for both perpetrators. This was the most stressful thing I’ve ever had to go through as an adult and it was a long three-year process, but it needed to be done in order to stop others being at risk.
About the book:
Shadow Falls is book 1 in the Detective Madison Harper series.
When Detective Madison Harper arrives at a remote summer camp in Shadow Falls, northern California, her heart breaks for Jenny, the sweet little girl last seen splashing in the lake with her friends before she vanished. Peering into the silent cabins filled with rows of neatly made beds, Madison knows this idyllic place is hiding a terrible secret.The girl’s parents are distraught, and the local police have no leads—they desperately need Madison’s help. She’ll do whatever it takes to crack this case, because it’s the only way back to the son she lost to the care system years ago when she was framed for a crime she didn’t commit.But with the camp staff keeping tight-lipped and her new partner on the edge of a breakdown, Madison can’t find any truth to her instinct that there is more to Jenny’s perfect parents than meets the eye. Until she discovers a disturbing family portrait Jenny drew at the local library. Was this angelic girl more troubled than anybody knew? Was she in danger from those she trusted most?One thing is certain, if Madison doesn't find the answers soon, the lives of more innocent children will be at risk…
About the author:
Wendy is a former coroner's assistant turned crime writer who lives in the UK with her husband and 3 cats.The Detective Madison Harper crime series from Bookouture at Hachette UK includes:Book 1 - Shadow Falls - and book 2 - Cry for Help. Books 3 and 4 will follow shortly.The Dean Matheson crime series is out now on all platforms.As well as her two crime series and the YA crime novel - The Girl Who Died - Wendy has several short stories published in UK and US anthologies. She has also been shortlisted and longlisted for various competitions, including the Mslexia Novel Competition.
RELATED: Coroner's assistant to crime writer by Wendy Dranfield
It’s not surprising that I became a crime writer. After all, crime has always played a part in my work life. I’ve worked as a university adviser for prisoners who were seeking rehabilitation through education and I’ve worked in a coroner’s office, where we sought justice for those who may have passed away through medical negligence or even murder. So perhaps I feel compelled to write about crime in order to seek justice for those unable to seek it for themselves. Those who have been murdered, or those with no family to care about them... to read more click HERE
