I’ll be chatting about the series, my writing life in general, and answering any writing related questions you may have, as well as signing books.
Tickets from the bookshop on online via this link: https://buytickets.at/dogberryfinchbooks1/2110775
I’d love to see you there!!
Blurb
Don’t miss the next instalment in the Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency Series, available to pre-order now!
It’s been a busy summer for the Fish and Chip Shop Detectives as they get drawn into their next investigation, hook, line and sinker…
The bustling streets of Mousehole are home to Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, where Maggie and Ryan dish up the best fried goods Cornwall has to offer – and solve a crime or two.
When a villager is found dead, Maggie and Ryan rapidly find themselves deep in a new mystery.
But as the case unfolds, it becomes clear that something strange is simmering beneath Mousehole’s serene surface. The enigmatic owner of the chip shop, Mr Robbins, is nowhere to be found. And when Maggie and Ryan search his campervan home, they find it already unlocked and completely ransacked…
Where is Mr Robbins? Is his disappearance linked to the murder? As the fish and chip shop detectives face a boatload of questions, can they catch the killer before someone winds up dead?
The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives
Forty-eight-year-old Maggie is a lover of puzzles. When she’s not working at Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, she can be found on her sofa, nursing a cup of tea and solving the latest mystery thrown at the detectives in Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders and more. Maggie’s found a firm friendship with Ryan, a newcomer to Mousehole. When he’s not busy sleuthing, Ryan enjoys nursing a pint at The Mariner pub. Together, Maggie and Ryan serve the best fish and chips – and solve crimes as The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives.
The Setting
Mousehole is a picturesque fishing village in Cornwall, known for its scenic harbour, winding streets, and tiny sandy beach. It’s also home to Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, the only chippy in town. Tourists and locals alike enjoy a battered cod whilst admiring the calm waterfront. And if you want a side of gossip with your food, make sure you get to the chip shop at exactly 6 o’clock, where you’ll find local pensioner Harry, who is always up for a natter…
Published on 11th June this year, you can already preorder your copy from all good retailers, including:
Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
If you haven’t yet read Book 1: The Fish and Chips Shop Detectives, you’ve plenty of time to do so before the second story in the series comes out. (You don’t have to read the first story to enjoy this one.)
Happy preordering,
Jenny x
BLURB:
Don’t miss this brand-new cozy crime mystery series, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Peter Boland – available now!
There’s some fishy business happening in the idyllic Cornish village of Mousehole. As a killer begins to make waves, can these new amateur detectives solve the mystery?
Maggie Tyson loves living in the utterly charming village, Mousehole. She spends her days walking the local coastal paths, solving the latest crossword puzzle, and working in the small town’s only fish and chip shop.
Looking for a fresh start, Ryan Stepney is in desperate need of a job, and stumbles across a vacancy at the chip shop.
When a body is found by the harbour, shock ripples through the village. And as Ryan was the last person seen talking to the victim, he becomes the number one suspect in the investigation.
Maggie is certain that her new colleague had nothing to do with the murder, so swaps her apron for a magnifying glass, and starts to investigate herself.
Can Maggie prove Ryan’s innocence and reel in the killer, before they strike again?
FIRST 500 WORDS:
Chapter One: Monday, June 2nd
Maggie wrapped a serving of fish and chips in paper and passed the aromatic package across the counter. There was something about her latest customer that made her give him an encouraging smile. He seemed lost.
‘Here you go, me’andsome. Best fish and chips for miles.’
‘Thanks.’
Offering up the card machine so that he could pay, Maggie nodded towards the rucksack at his feet. ‘On your holidays?’
‘No. Well, sort of.’ He shrugged, the movement giving him the air of a scarecrow swaying in the wind.
Judging the lad to be of a similar age to her daughter, Izzie, Maggie experienced a maternal pang. ‘Sort of?’
‘Yeah.’ He threw her a shy grin as he turned away, giving the shop door a firm tug as he closed it behind him.
As soon as he’d left the warm environment of Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, Maggie, found herself speculating about her latest customer.
Student maybe… Here on holiday with his mates after his exams, but they’ve had a row and he’s taking some time out… Picking up a cloth and a bottle of sterilizing spray, she wiped droplets of vinegar off the counter. Or he’s fallen out with his girlfriend and he’s after a bit of headspace.
Smiling to herself, Maggie pictured her daughter joining in her musings. She and Izzie had always enjoyed people watching; guessing what other people were like as they sipped coffee in the local café, or sat on the harbour wall, observing Mousehole’s nonstop supply of tourists as they meandered by.
Checking the time on the large, fish-shaped wall clock above the counter, Maggie headed to the front door and turned the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’, before calling through to the office beyond the serving counter. ‘Mr Robbins, I’m closing up.’
The short grunt that greeted this news, was all she needed to remove her apron, unpin the white boater from her head, and hang them both on a hook inside the office door.
‘I’ll see you at six.’ Maggie waited for the second grunt of acknowledgement she knew her boss would give her before she left.
Eric Robbins – known to everyone as Mr Robbins, (with an emphasis on the mister, as though he felt very protective of the title), was seated in his usual position. Hunched forward, his palatial buttocks wedged into a blue plastic chair, he had a pair of black-rimmed designer glasses hooked over his cauliflower ears. The 1960’s design of the spectacles served to emphasise, rather than diminish, the line of his repeatedly broken nose. One hand rubbed continuously at his stubbly chin, while the other scrolled through whatever it was he was studying on the tablet propped up in front of him. He wore a crisp white apron and a white fabric boater, despite only rarely stirring himself to interact with the frying of anything, let alone to engage in conversation with a customer.
In ten years of working as Mr Robbins’ assistant in…
If you’d like to know what happens next, you can buy this cosy crime adventure from all good independent book shops, ebook/audio retailers, inc.:
Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom
Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
Amazon.de: Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives
Hodder & Stoughton: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Hachette UK
Happy reading,
Jenny x
TODAY’S THE DAY!
I’m delighted to announce that, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives, has been published today!!
This, the first in three novels (so far), is set in the Mousehole region of Cornwall, and features the unstoppable Maggie Tyson and her young friend, Ryan Stepney…
Blurb
Don’t miss this brand-new cozy crime mystery series, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Peter Boland – available to pre-order now!
There’s some fishy business happening in the idyllic Cornish village of Mousehole. As a killer begins to make waves, can these new amateur detectives solve the mystery?
Maggie Tyson loves living in the utterly charming village, Mousehole. She spends her days walking the local coastal paths, solving the latest crossword puzzle, and working in the small town’s only fish and chip shop.
Looking for a fresh start, Ryan Stepney is in desperate need of a job, and stumbles across a vacancy at the chip shop.
When a body is found by the harbour, shock ripples through the village. And as Ryan was the last person seen talking to the victim, he becomes the number one suspect in the investigation.
Maggie is certain that her new colleague had nothing to do with the murder, so swaps her apron for a magnifying glass, and starts to investigate herself.
Can Maggie prove Ryan’s innocence and reel in the killer, before they strike again?
***
I will be travelling across the SW of England over the next year, talking about this new series.
Here are a few of the dates and venues so far. If you’d like to come and say hello, it would be great to see you! (Some dates are still to be arranged – I will update the list as and when I can.)
15th May, 5.30 p.m. Author talk/signing at Dogsberry and Finch Bookshop, Okehampton
5th June, 2-4 p.m. Author talk at Tavistock Library, Devon
June Author talk/signing at Black Cat Books, Launceston, Cornwall.
25th June Author talk at Ivybridge Bookshop, Devon
July Author talk at Penzance library, Cornwall
18th Aug Cosy crime panel – Torbay Lit fest, Devon
The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives
Forty-eight-year-old Maggie is a lover of puzzles. When she’s not working at Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, she can be found on her sofa, nursing a cup of tea and solving the latest mystery thrown at the detectives in Death in Paradise, Midsommer Murders and more. Maggie finds an unlikely friend in Ryan, a recent graduate who has just moved to Mousehole and is trying to figure out what to do with his life. Together, they serve up the best fish and chips Cornwall has to offer, with an occasional helping of mystery solving on the side.
The Setting
Mousehole is a picturesque fishing village in Cornwall, known for its scenic harbour, winding streets, and tiny sandy beach. It’s also home to Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, the only chippy in town. Tourists and locals alike enjoy a battered cod whilst admiring the calm waterfront. Mr Robbins, the owner, is notoriously private – no one knows much about him. Perhaps that’s another mystery for our Fish and Chip Shop Detectives to solve…
Here are a few of the fabulous pre-release reviews I’ve had from Netgalley
“New series. New to me author. Loved the Cornwall setting. Massive fish and chips fan. Enjoyed the mystery. Great characters. Looking forward to more in this series.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This cozy crime mystery had me hooked from the first pages… At no point could I put it down before I knew who done it.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“One of my favourite books of the year” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An absolute treat for cozy mystery fans! The setting was atmospheric, the mystery intriguing, and the ending tied everything up beautifully” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A cozy mystery so delicious you can almost taste the tang of the salt and vinegar!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Had me hooked from the first page’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jenny visiting Mousehole Harbour
You can buy this cosy crime adventure from all good independent book shops, ebook/audio retailers, and…
Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom
Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
Amazon.de: Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives
Hodder & Stoughton: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Hachette UK
Many thanks for all your support.
Happy reading,
Jenny x
A few years ago, on the publication of A Cornish Escape (previously Abi’s House), I was asked by Romance Matter’s magazine to write an article about what is it about Britain’s most south westerly county that draws so many creative souls to try and capture its flavour on paper? With the publication of my new #cosycrime series, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives, just around the corner, I find myself considering that question once again.
Is it the natural geography and geology, the bark-like squawk of the seagulls, the sea, the sand, the salty air, or the aroma of vinegar soaked fish and chips with a promise of an ice cream made from clotted cream to follow?
The sheer majesty of Cornwall, from the haunting spectacle of Tintagel to the crashing of waves against the Battery Rocks in Penzance, alongside the quiet beauty of its villages and narrow country lanes, have conjured and bewitched the imagination of poets, novelists, artists, and potters since mankind first decided that cave walls would look much nicer with pretty pictures on them.
For me however, it wasn’t the scenery which drew me to place the adventures of Maggie Tyson and Ryan Stepney in Cornwall; it was nostalgia. A nostalgia which I’ve come to learn also applies to a large number of my readers; many of whom have been kind enough to tell me that my stories have transported them back to Cornish childhood holidays.
My Dad was born in Penzance and brought up in a terrace house on Alma Place. His mother, my Nan, ran a lodging house there, taking evacuees in during the Second World War- one of whom never left and became a sort of Great Uncle. My Grandad was a butcher at the long forgotten International Supermarket on St Jews Street; I still can’t conceive how he could cut joints of meat so finely!
Every school summer holiday was spent taking the lifetime long, motorway free, drive from Wiltshire to Penzance. My brother and I would spend weeks building sandcastles on Marazion beach. We’d try and skim pebbles across the surface of the sea (a skill I never mastered), and we’d squint through a pair of my Grandad’s ancient binoculars from the house’s attic bedroom window, straight across the sea and into the windows of St Michael’s Mount.
Each morning we’d wake to the sound of the Scillonian passenger ferry as she made her way from Penzance to the Isles of Sicily. Each evening we’d head to bed with that stretched face feeling that only comes from prolonged exposure to sea air.
I clearly recall the excitement of queuing up outside the fudge shop on St Jews Street in Penzance, desperately trying to make the impossible decision about which flavour of fudge to buy with my pocket money. I remember wondering why the pavements in the centre of Penzance are so high, and sitting with my parents outside various coffee shops along the front; fast melting ice creams dripping all over our hands.
It is this side of Cornwall, the minor events which add up to a feeling of happy security and contentment, that are as important in my novels as the seaside setting and the ready availability of a really good cream tea.
It was for all of the above reasons that The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives have their home in Mousehole. A small village, only a stones throw from Newlyn and Penzance, and a place that feels as familiar to me now, even though I only get there every few years or so, as it did when I was ten years old.
When writing cosy crime, for me at least, I need the location of the adventure to feel safe and familiar even if the action is far from safe! That means choosing a backdrop that has memories attached to it – good memories – not just for me, but for my characters.
Maggie Tyson, my leading lady, has lived in Mousehole all of her life, and at 47 years old, she has come to know almost everyone in the area – whether it’s from her own school days, meeting fellow mum’s while bringing up her daughter, Izzie, on her own, from running the Silver Surfer’s Crossword Puzzle Club withing Penzance library, or from ten years serving fish and chips in Robbin’s Fish and Chip Shop.
Maggie isn’t the only local to have a staring role in this new series – Harry, a pensioner with a heart of gold, and David, a police sergeant who has known Maggie since their teenage years – both bring local knowledge to the crimes that need solving.
Ryan, meanwhile, is the new kid on the block – but it doesn’t take him long to learn to love Mousehole and Cornwall once he smells the scent of fish and chips in the air.
The first book in the series is published on 2nd April.
You can preorder my cosy crime adventure from all good independent book shops, ebook/audio retailers, and…
Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom
Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
Happy reading
Jenny x
As this week brings St. Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share a little of Romancing Robin Hood– my part romance/part medieval mystery novel- with you. In particular, I’m introducing you to Daisy and some of her many animals, just before her wedding day.
Romancing Robin Hood is a contemporary romance is based on the life of Dr Grace Harper, a medieval history lecturer with a major Robin Hood obsession. So much so, that instead of writing a textbook on medieval life, Grace is secretly writing a novella about a fourteenth century girl called Mathilda, who gets mixed up with a real outlaw family of the day, the Folvilles. As you read Grace’s story, you can read the medieval mystery she is writing alongside!
The problem is, Grace is so embroiled in her work and passion for outlaws, that real life is passing her by.
Grace’s best friend Daisy is about to get married, and she can’t help wishing a similar happiness to her own for her Robin Hood loving friend…
Extract
…Daisy hadn’t grown up picturing herself floating down the aisle in an over-sequinned ivory frock, nor as a doting parent, looking after triplets and walking a black Labrador. So when, on an out-of-hours trip to the local vet’s surgery she’d met Marcus and discovered that love at first sight wasn’t a myth, it had knocked her for six.
She’d been on a late-night emergency dash to the surgery with an owl a neighbour had found injured in the road. Its wing had required a splint, and it was too big a job for only one pair of hands. Daisy had been more than a bit surprised when the locum vet had stirred some long-suppressed feeling of interest in her, and even more amazed when that feeling had been reciprocated.
It was all luck, sheer luck. Daisy had always believed that anyone meeting anybody was down to two people meeting at exactly the right place, at exactly the right time, while both feeling precisely the right amount of chemistry. The fact that any couples existed at all seemed to Daisy to be one of the greatest miracles of humanity.
She pictured Grace, tucked away in her mad little office only living in the twenty-first century on a part-time basis. Daisy had long since got used to the fact that her closest friend’s mind was more often than not placed firmly in the 1300s. Daisy wished Grace would finish her book. It had become such a part of her. Such an exclusive aim that nothing else seemed to matter very much. Even the job she used to love seemed to be a burden to her now, and Daisy sensed that Grace was beginning to resent the hours it took her away from her life’s work. Maybe if she could get her book over with – get it out of her system – then Grace would stop living in the wrong timeframe.
Daisy knew Grace appreciated that she never advised her to find a bloke, settle down, and live ‘happily ever after,’ and she was equally grateful Grace had never once suggested anything similar to her. Now she had Marcus, however, Daisy had begun to want the same contentment for her friend, and had to bite her tongue whenever they spoke on the phone; something that happened less and less these days.
Grace’s emails were getting shorter too. The long paragraphs detailing the woes of teaching students with an ever-decreasing intelligence had blunted down to, ‘You ok? I’m good. Writing sparse. See you soon. Bye G x’
The book. That in itself was a problem. Grace’s publishers and colleagues, Daisy knew, were expecting an academic tome. A textbook for future medievalists to ponder over in the university libraries of the world. And, in time, that was exactly what they were going to get, but not yet, for Grace had confided to Daisy that this wasn’t the only thing she was working on, and her textbook was coming a poor third place to work and the other book she couldn’t seem to stop herself from writing.
‘Why,’ Grace had forcefully expounded on their last meeting, ‘should I slog my guts out writing a book only a handful of bored students and obsessive freaks like myself will ever pick up, let alone read?’
As a result, Grace was writing a novel, ‘A semi-factual novel,’ she’d said, ‘a story which will tell any student what they need to know about the Folville family and their criminal activities – which bear a tremendous resemblance to the stories of a certain famous literary outlaw! – and hopefully promote interest in the subject for those who aren’t that into history without boring them to death.’
It sounded like a good idea to Daisy, but she also knew, as Grace did, that it was precisely the sort of book academics frowned upon, and she was worried about Grace’s determination to finish it. Daisy thought it would be more sensible to concentrate on one manuscript at a time, and get the dry epic that everyone was expecting out of the way first. Perhaps it would have been completed by now if Grace could focus on one project at a time, rather than it currently being a year in the preparation without a final result in sight. Daisy suspected Grace’s boss had no idea what she was really up to. After all, she was using the same lifetime of research for both manuscripts. She also had an underlying suspicion that subconsciously Grace didn’t want to finish either the textbook or the novel; that her friend was afraid to finish them. After all, what would she fill her hours with once they were done?
Daisy’s mobile began to play a tinny version of Nellie the Elephant. She hastily plopped a small black guinea pig, which she’d temporarily called Charcoal, into a run with his numerous friends, and fished her phone from her dungarees pocket.
‘Hi, Marcus.’
‘Hi honey, you OK?’
‘Just delivering the tribe to their outside quarters, then I’m off to face the horror that is dress shopping.’
Her future husband laughed, ‘You’ll be fine. You’re just a bit rusty, that’s all.’
‘Rusty! I haven’t owned a dress since I went to parties as a small child. Thirty-odd years ago!’
‘I don’t understand why you don’t go with Grace at the weekend. It would be easier together wouldn’t it?’
Daisy sighed, ‘I’d love to go with her, but I’ll never get her away from her work more than once this month, and I’ve yet to arrange a date for her to buy a bridesmaid outfit.’
‘Well, good luck, babe. I’m off to rob some bulls of their manhood.’
Daisy giggled, ‘Have fun. Oh, why did you call by the way?’
‘Just wanted to hear your voice, nothing else.’
‘Oh cute – ta.’
‘Idiot! Enjoy shopping.’
As she clicked her battered blue mobile shut and slid it back into her working clothes, Daisy thought of Grace again. Perhaps she should accidentally invite loads of single men to the wedding to tempt her friend with. The trouble was, unless they wore Lincoln Green, and carried a bow and quiver of arrows, Daisy very much doubted whether Grace would even notice they were there…
If that extract has whetted your appetite for more, Romancing Robin Hood is available in paperback, and e-formats from all good retailers- including…
Happy Valentine’s Day,
Jenny x
2025 has been a crazy year for me.
Old novel contracts ended and, after many years of writing audio-scripts and novels for my beloved Robin of Sherwood, the license period reached its inevitable conclusion. Add to that, several personal ups and downs, and moving house, then, in short, it’s been a year of change.
I had hoped that the second of my Robin Hood Club mysteries would be published in 2025 – but due to ill health, the chance to write a few extra Robin of Sherwood novels (The Magic Man, The Sorcerers’ Incantation, The Huntress, and The Scathlock Woman), and the need to produce a new novel to attract a future publisher, this didn’t quite happen.
However, May Day Murder at The Robin Hood Club is 60% drafted, so the wait won’t be too long next year (I hope!!!)
This year I left my fabulous writing corner in my – formally local – Costa. After over a decade of sitting there, writing over 30 books, I miss it dreadfully – and the lovely people I would see everyday.
Now however, I’m in a new location now, and the local coffee shops have already embraced me and my laptop into their corners. The black americano’s are still flowing.
The main focus for 2026 will be my brand new series: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives. Set in and around Mousehole in Cornwall, this series should appeal to fans of cosy crime, as well as everyone who has enjoyed my contemporary fiction stories in the past.
Here’s the blurb:
COMING SOON: 2nd APRIL 2026
Don’t miss this brand-new cozy crime mystery series, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Peter Boland – available to pre-order now!
There’s some fishy business happening in the idyllic Cornish village of Mousehole. As a killer begins to make waves, can these new amateur detectives solve the mystery?
Maggie Tyson loves living in the utterly charming village, Mousehole. She spends her days walking the local coastal paths, solving the latest crossword puzzle, and working in the small town’s only fish and chip shop.
Looking for a fresh start, Ryan Stepney is in desperate need of a job, and stumbles across a vacancy at the chip shop.
When a body is found by the harbour, shock ripples through the village. And as Ryan was the last person seen talking to the victim, he becomes the number one suspect in the investigation.
Maggie is certain that her new colleague had nothing to do with the murder, so swaps her apron for a magnifying glass, and starts to investigate herself.
Can Maggie prove Ryan’s innocence and reel in the killer, before they strike again?
Penzance: Market Jew Street
As regular readers of this blog will know, my father has his family roots in Cornwall. He was born and bred in Penzance, and so, consequently, I spent many summer holidays in the region, staying with my grandparents in their terraced home on Alma Place. I know the county well, and have always enjoyed using it as a backdrop to my fiction. (A Cornish Escape and A Cornish Wedding – set in Sennen – are amongst my bestsellers so far.)
2026 will see three Cornish adventures for Maggie and Ryan – my fish and chip serving, detective, team! It will also mean lots of lovely research trips over the border from Devon, where I live, into Cornwall, to make sure I get my locations as perfect as possible – it’s tough life, but I’ll manage!
As ever, I will be shoehorning as much writing in as I can in the year to come – my writing workshops are still running, and I have a few script plans up my sleeve. Two scripts in particular are in need of finishing 0ff, having been on hold for ages due to my Robin of Sherwood commitments.
So, while 2025 has been a year of upheaval and change – 2026 looks as if it’ll be one of murder and mayhem – but, hopefully, only on the page!
If you would like to preorder my first Fish and Chip Shop Detectives adventure, it is available from all good independent book shops, ebook/audio retailers, as well as:
Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom
Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
Amazon.de: Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives
***
I wish you all a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Jenny x
Following the seasonal pattern set by the first three novels in the series – Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange, Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange and Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange – Winter Fires takes the Victorian manor house regulars, Thea, Shaun, Tina, Shaun, Tom, Helen, Bert and Mabel, through December, and on to the run up to Christmas.
Blurb
Mill Grange is putting on a show this holiday season!
When young Dylan Harris’s former babysitter, Harriet, needs a last minute venue for her acting troupe’s outdoor production of Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, the staff at Mill Grange throw its doors open…but they may get more drama than they’d bargained for!
With a play to arrange, an unexpected arrival adds to the drama. It soon looks as if a miracle will be needed to make sure this Christmas is one that Thea, Tina, Sam, Shaun, Helen and Tom – along with retirees Bert and Mabel Hastings,– won’t forget…
Prologue – Tuesday November 30th
‘You are joking – aren’t you?’
Harriet wasn’t sure why she asked the question. Jason wasn’t known for his sense of humour.
As their leading man slammed his mobile phone against the table, she glanced around the assembled members of The Outdoor Players. Only moments ago they’d been happily nursing their pints of beer or glasses of wine, chatting excitedly about the opening night of their winter show. Now the temperature in the room, despite the blazing log fire, plummeted to an almost arctic freeze.
Peeping at Rob through her curtain of hair, Harriet watched him suck at his bottom lip, hiding all but one of his brilliant white teeth.
‘But the show is…’
‘I know perfectly well when the show is, thank you, Rob!’ Jason snapped. ‘What do you expect me to do? Magic the flood away?’
Disappointment gripped Harriet. This was to have been her professional debut; an acting role beyond school or university productions. The first step towards her coveted Equity card. She had practised her lines three times a day for weeks. Now it looked as if she might not get to say them anytime soon – if at all.
Harriet was relieved when Matt, manager, director and producer of The Outdoor Players, knocked the base of his pint glass against the table, restoring order before panic took hold of the entire cast of The Winter’s Tale.
‘Let’s start from the beginning. The phone call you just took, Jason – I assume it was from your parents? Can you give us the full story please?’
Every member of the cast stared at Jason.
‘In a nutshell, the performance is off.’
Chapter One – Wednesday December 1st
‘So, you see, we need somewhere new to perform. I know it’s a cheek to ask seeing as you don’t know me, and I was going to call Tom because I do know him, but I didn’t want to compromise him. I got the impression you’re all good friends at Mill Grange, but as Tom is just an employee really, I thought maybe it should come straight from me, but…’
‘Take a breath, Harriet.’ Thea cut through the young woman’s embarrassment. ‘Let’s start again. Are you asking me if I think Sam and Tina will let you use Mill Grange for some outdoor theatre?’
‘Yes.’
‘Right.’ Thea grabbed a piece of scrap paper and picked up her pen. ‘Now, tell me a little more about what you’d need, when you’d need it by, and how many people are involved.’
If you would find out what happens when outdoor theatre comes to Mill Grange, you can buy Winter Fires at Mill Grange, from all good book shops including –
Amazon – http://mybook.to/MillGrangeFour
Waterstones – Winter Fires at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
Kobo- Winter Fires at Mill Grange eBook by Jenny Kane – 9781801101974 | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom
Happy reading – and happy birthday Winter Fires!
Jenny x
It’s time for the final instalment in the Opening Lines blogs for my
Another Cup of…festive specials.
Today, I’m sharing the first 500 words from Christmas at the Castle.
Kit is off to Scotland!
BLURB
When hotshot businesswoman Alice Warren is asked to organise a literary festival at beautiful Crathes Castle in Scotland, her ‘work mode’ persona means she can’t say no – even though the person asking is her ex, Cameron Hunter.
Alice broke Cameron’s heart and feels she owes him one – but her best friend Charlie isn’t going to like it. Charlie – aka famous author Erin Spence – is happy to help Alice with the festival…until she finds out that Cameron’s involved! Charlie suffered a bad case of unrequited love for Cameron, and she can’t bear the thought of seeing him again.
Caught between her own insecurities and loyalty to her friend, Charlie gets fellow author Kit Lambert to take her place. Agreeing to leave her London comfort zone – and her favourite corner in Pickwicks Café – Kit steps in. She quickly finds herself not just helping out, but hosting a major literary event, while also trying to play fairy godmother – a task which quickly gets very complicated indeed…
Readers love Jenny Kane:
‘A wonderful short story to fill your heart with warmth and really put you in the mood for Christmas‘
‘A feel good festive read, with Jenny Kane’s trademark coffee, friendship and gentle humour’
‘This is the perfect book for curling up on the sofa with on a winter’s afternoon. Light-hearted and feel good fun’
FIRST 500 WORDS
Chapter One
Friday November 13th
Poking her head around the door of the Gift Shop Café, Charlie gave a sigh of relief. She’d managed to arrive before Alice for once.
Selecting their usual table by the window, Charlie smiled. Just for once it was nice not to have Alice, already comfortably settled and looking perfect, watching serenely as she battled her scarf, which always managed to knot itself clumsily, and her hair, blown every which way by the wind.
Hoping this was a good omen for the discussion to come, Charlie waved a greeting to the waitress, Mel.
‘Hi, Erin, Alice isn’t here yet.’ Mel put down a large coffee on Charlie’s table, ‘I’ll bring that weird latte concoction she likes over when she arrives.’
About half of the people in Banchory knew Charlie as Erin. Ever since she’d had her first book published under the name of Erin Spencer five years ago, the local papers had made a feature of her work, and Charlie lived happily with her dual personality.
As she watched the world go by through the window, Charlie’s usual habit of filtering future plotlines through the back of her mind was replaced with wondering how to persuade Alice that they needed more people to help organise Crathes Castle’s first ever literary festival. So far it was just the two of them, and they were drowning in the number of tasks involved with making it a success rather than an embarrassing flop.
Charlie hadn’t finished rehearsing her pleas for more helpers in her head, when Alice arrived.
Waving to Mel that she needed a drink fast (the concoction that Charlie always thought of as pseudo-coffee, which consisted of a decaf coffee, soya milk, and low-sugar caramel latte syrup), Alice sat down regally and swung her long, slim, tight black denim-covered legs elegantly under the table, before pushing her designer glasses off her eyes and up into her hair, neatly pinning it away from her face. If Charlie had tried to do that without the aid of a mirror she knew there would have been tufts of her long bouncy red ringlets sticking out at all angles.
A businesswoman through and through, Alice got straight to the point. ‘Charlie, sweetie, I know you don’t like working with other people much, but if we don’t get some more help soon this festival is going to be the biggest disaster of my career.’ Without giving her stunned friend time to comment, Alice went on, ‘It’s November 13th already. Our Christmas in the Castle Literary Festival is in exactly three weeks and we need another person to help us.’
Charlie was taken aback. Even when they’d been at university together Alice had been an expert at eliciting assistance from people without them even realising that she was getting them to do what she wanted. Never before had Charlie heard her admit she needed help. Studying her friend more carefully, Charlie noticed that there were dark shadows under Alice’s eyes, hinting that…
If you’d like to see what happens next, then you can buy Christmas at the Castle from all good e-retailers or you can find it in the Jenny Kane’s Christmas Collection.
Happy reading everyone.
Jenny xx
How to start this blog?
With shouts of joy? Unreserved dancing around the café? An extra shot or three in my coffee?
Actually – I think I should celebrate the reveal of the cover of my very first novel with Hodder & Stoughton, by having a bumper portion of fish and chips for my dinner later!
And here’s the reason for the big smile on my face.
This is such a wonderful cover – and it’s just perfect for the story inside.
After many years of concentrating on the contemporary women’s fiction and romcom markets, I’m delighted to be branching out into the world of cosy crime.
Here’s the blurb:
Don’t miss this brand-new cozy crime mystery series, perfect for fans of Clare Chase and Peter Boland – available to pre-order now!
There’s some fishy business happening in the idyllic Cornish village of Mousehole. As a killer begins to make waves, can these new amateur detectives solve the mystery?
Maggie Tyson loves living in the utterly charming village, Mousehole. She spends her days walking the local coastal paths, solving the latest crossword puzzle, and working in the small town’s only fish and chip shop.
Looking for a fresh start, Ryan Stepney is in desperate need of a job, and stumbles across a vacancy at the chip shop.
When a body is found by the harbour, shock ripples through the village. And as Ryan was the last person seen talking to the victim, he becomes the number one suspect in the investigation.
Maggie is certain that her new colleague had nothing to do with the murder, so swaps her apron for a magnifying glass, and starts to investigate herself.
Can Maggie prove Ryan’s innocence and reel in the killer, before they strike again?
Who are “The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives”?
Forty-eight-year-old Maggie is a lover of puzzles. When she’s not working at Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, she can be found on her sofa, nursing a cup of tea and solving the latest mystery thrown at the detectives in Death in Paradise, Midsommer Murders and more. Maggie finds an unlikely friend in Ryan, a recent graduate who has just moved to Mousehole and is trying to figure out what to do with his life. Together, they serve up the best fish and chips Cornwall has to offer, with an occasional helping of mystery solving on the side.
Where is Robbins ‘ Fish and Chip Shop?
Mousehole is a picturesque fishing village in Cornwall, known for its scenic harbour, winding streets, and tiny sandy beach. It’s also home to Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop, the only chippy in town. Tourists and locals alike enjoy a battered cod whilst admiring the calm waterfront. Mr Robbins, the owner, is notoriously private – no one knows much about him. Perhaps that’s another mystery for our Fish and Chip Shop Detectives to solve…
Research trip to Mousehole Harbour, May 2025
When and where can you grab a copy of The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives?
Out on April 2nd 2026 in the UK and Europe, and 7th July in the USA , the first book in the series is already available to pre-order from all good paperback and ebook retailers, including your local independent bookshop and:
Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones
Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom
Amazon.de: Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives
It’s been immense fun to both create and write The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and its sequels (coming in June and September 2026). I hope you will fall in love with my lead characters, Maggie and Ryan, not to mention the beautiful Cornish countryside which surrounds them.
I have to say, I’ve been blown away by the care and attention the team at Hodder have given to my new series – from the details on the cover (right down to the little fish forming the ‘i’ in FISH), to the editing and proofing of the words within.
If you can’t wait until April to have a read, then if you are a member of NetGalley, you can read a review copy.
Happy preordering,
Jenny x
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