Murcia, Spain — Set against the shimmering backdrop of the Mar Menor, a new cozy crime series by local author Amanda Judson is giving readers a taste of life on Spain’s southeastern coast—with a gripping twist.
The debut novel, Death in the Salt Flats, follows Angela Markham, a British expat who has traded her past life as a police analyst for a quieter existence by the sea. But when a man is found dead in the salt flats outside her adopted village, Angela finds herself drawn back into an investigation—one that hits close to home.
“I live here, I shop here, I walk these beaches every day,” Judson says. “I wanted to capture the beauty and rhythm of life in this part of Spain—not the postcard version, but the real, lived-in warmth of it. And of course, that doesn’t mean it’s free of secrets.”
With strong local flavour, Death in the Salt Flats blends gentle suspense with colourful characters, including neighbours, shopkeepers, and a fiercely loyal cat. The story explores tensions between heritage and progress, community and isolation, all set in a place many readers will recognise—and others will wish they could visit.
This is the first book in Judson’s Mar Menor Mysteries, a series that brings small-town charm and seaside atmosphere together with clever plotting and heartfelt connections. The second book, Death on the Fairway, is due out later this summer.
Death in the Salt Flats is available now in paperback and Kindle from Amazon.
