Nobody told her that marriage would be murder . . .
Ned Wheeler was devoted to his family. He was also convicted and jailed for murder.
After spending three decades in prison, Ned's up for parole. But this is not his story. It's about Joan, the wife who was fooled by his good looks and charm; Cass, the daughter who wants nothing more to do with him; and Florence, the woman who wants the world to know she's saved him.
Moving seamlessly between contemporary London, the hedonistic hippy summer of 1970 and the small world of 1980s Isle of Wight, Mary Horlock has delivered an utterly gripping and moving thriller about love, loss and the lies we tell ourselves in order to survive.
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Happily Ever After by Mary Horlock was published in paperback on 9 April 2026 by Baskerville, the hardback was published in July last year. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour
There were three things that initially drew me to this book. That incredible cover - it has such a 1970s hippy vibe to it, I love it. Then there's the strapline; 'Nobody told her that marriage would be murder...' - I mean, who can resist that one? And finally, Mary Horlock is a new author to me, whilst this is not her first book, I've not read her before and I love to discover new authors.
I have not been disappointed. Whilst this novel is most definitely a mystery tale, it is, first and foremost, the story of a family. A family that is shattered into many pieces when Ned Wheeler; husband to Joan and father to Cass, is imprisoned for murder.
We are introduced to Joan, Cass, and Ned's fiancee Florence thirty years later. Ned is about to be released and the impact of that on each of these women is profound.
I have not been disappointed. Whilst this novel is most definitely a mystery tale, it is, first and foremost, the story of a family. A family that is shattered into many pieces when Ned Wheeler; husband to Joan and father to Cass, is imprisoned for murder.
We are introduced to Joan, Cass, and Ned's fiancee Florence thirty years later. Ned is about to be released and the impact of that on each of these women is profound.
Cleverly structured, the author takes her readers back to the hedonistic days of festivals and fun, when Ned and Joan met first, fell in love and married. This is told though Joan's voice, in her writings to her daughter Cass. Cass and Joan have been estranged for many years and Joan dearly wishes to see her again.
Cass has had a life of therapy and unease. She's married to a man who adores her and she is determined that she will never see her mother, or her father again. She's finding it difficult to deal with the thought of him being free again.
We come to know Florence through her podcasts. Deeply religious, she was drawn to Ned when he became 'born again'. She broadcasts her hopes about their future. Some listeners applaud and some scorn her.
There are glorious twists that thrill, there's a hint of sardonic humour and there are links to the fairy tales that we are all familiar with. The novel has the grip of a thriller and the emotional depth of a tragic family story. Recommended by me.
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Mary Horlock was born in Australia but brought up in Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
She was previously a curator in contemporary art at Tate Liverpool and Tate Britain, and she was for a time the curator of the Turner Prize, the Tate’s annual prize for contemporary art awarded to an artist under 50.
Cass has had a life of therapy and unease. She's married to a man who adores her and she is determined that she will never see her mother, or her father again. She's finding it difficult to deal with the thought of him being free again.
We come to know Florence through her podcasts. Deeply religious, she was drawn to Ned when he became 'born again'. She broadcasts her hopes about their future. Some listeners applaud and some scorn her.
There are glorious twists that thrill, there's a hint of sardonic humour and there are links to the fairy tales that we are all familiar with. The novel has the grip of a thriller and the emotional depth of a tragic family story. Recommended by me.
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She was previously a curator in contemporary art at Tate Liverpool and Tate Britain, and she was for a time the curator of the Turner Prize, the Tate’s annual prize for contemporary art awarded to an artist under 50.
Her novel, the Book of Lies, was long-listed for the Guardian First Book Award and described as a ‘sizzling debut’ by the Times.
She lives with her family in London.
