Crescent Cove is a picturesque coastal setting for the small-town mystery and slow-burn romance of Mark Waddell’s debut novel, The Body in the Back Garden.

Luke is a bolshie guy from the big city who has inherited his aunt’s cottage and antiques shop in a small coastal town. He wants to be in and out with the minimum of fuss. But then a body ends up in the back garden, a situation which needs to be resolved before he can sort out the estate and get out of there. To complicate matters, he runs into an old childhood friend and sparks fly, setting off a slow-burn romance with the handsome Mountie which runs in parallel with the investigation.

Set on Canada’s Vancouver Island, this story is filled with interesting characters, few of whom are what they first appear, and sets the stage for this queer cozy series.

Key details

• Release date: 22 August 2023.
• Available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and Penguin Random House Canada.
• For more information, check out the book on the author’s website.