Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

Jenny Kane: Coffee, cupcakes, chocolate and contemporary fiction / Jennifer Ash: Medieval crime with hints of Ellis Peters and Robin Hood

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Opening Lines: Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and The Campervan Murder

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On June 9, 2026

In Cornwall, cosy crime, Jenny Kane, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

It’s launch week for the second of my new #cosycrime series:

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and The Campervan Murder.

Publication day is this coming Thursday, 11th June

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder

Blurb

Don’t miss the second instalment in the Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency Series!

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?

Here are the first 500 words to whet your appetite…

Chapter One

Wednesday 3rd September

‘This is perfect!’ Izzie’s enthusiasm shone out of the computer screen.

‘Perfect?’ Maggie was surprised at her daughter’s reaction.

‘How can the fish and chip shop I work in being broken into be a good thing?’

‘Come on, Mum! You wanted a more challenging case to investigate – now you’ve got one.’

‘I wasn’t imagining anything so close to home. Perhaps I should have been careful what I wished for,’ Maggie reluctantly admitted. ‘To tell you the truth, Ryan and I have discussed giving up on the idea of being private detectives. We’ve only had three cases in three months. One lost cat, a stolen bird table and a stolen necklace.’

‘Did you say, bird table?’

‘I did. Turned out our client’s neighbour had “borrowed” it.’

Maggie rolled her eyes. ‘We found ourselves refereeing a long running dispute between neighbours.’

‘And did you resolve their argument?’

‘We did – but I suspect it was a ceasefire rather than a truce.’

‘And the cat?’

‘Ryan found it after knocking on doors for the best part of a day, asking people to check their outbuildings to make sure she wasn’t trapped inside. The normally pampered feline was in a seldom-used shed a mile from home, looking very sorry for herself.’

‘I bet the owner was delighted to get her back.’

‘If she was, she didn’t show it. Went on alarmingly about how her darling’s pedigree value would be diminished if she had mongrel kittens.’

Izzie could sense her mother’s disappointment all the way from New Zealand. ‘It’s early days yet. You and Ryan solved a murder for goodness sake. Where is Ryan, anyway?’ Izzie picked up a mug, which Maggie knew would be full of green tea.

‘In your room. He’s really settled in, but don’t worry, he knows he’ll have to move back into the chippy’s bedsit once you’re home.’

Izzie blew air over her mug. ‘So, what happened at the chippy?’

‘Someone broke in through the back door last night. They stayed in the office. Left the shop alone.’

‘So what did they do?’

‘Searched the filing cabinet. Although why anyone would want to rifle through a load of order forms is beyond me. Either way, it doesn’t matter, because Mr Robbins doesn’t want us to investigate – or interfere, as he put it. You know how private he is.’

‘And then some! I swear he loves his “man of mystery” persona.’ Maggie couldn’t help but laugh, as Izzie asked, ‘Did you see anything?’

‘Very little. He ushered Ryan and me out of the office when we got to work this morning, saying he’d deal with it. Swore us to secrecy.’

A knowing smile crossed Izzie’s face. ‘I bet he hasn’t told the police.’

‘If you’re about to suggest he doesn’t want the matter investigated because he’s secretly a gangster, then I hate to disappoint you. He’s just the owner of a chip shop.’

‘He looks like a gangster.’

‘I know, but you can’t just make assumptions about…’

***

You don’t need to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one.

You can preorder ‘Campervan Murder’ from all good book retailers, including your local independent book seller, as well at via:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Hodder & Stoughton

Waterstones 

ONLY 2 DAYS TO GO!!

Happy preordering,

Jenny xx

1 WEEK TO GO: The Campervan Murder

By

On June 4, 2026

In Cornwall, cosy crime, crime, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder is published a week today!

I’m so excited to have a second adventure to send Maggie and Ryan on…and, to coin a phrase… “This time it’s personal!”

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder

Don’t miss the second 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? …

***

‘A fabulous cosy crime read with everything you would expect from the genre; great characters, an interesting story which keeps growing, a death (or two)… I highly recommend it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 ‘Truly addictive’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

***

Maggie and Ryan return to the Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop in Mousehole in Cornwall. Together with their pensioner friend Harry and Maggie’s ex-boyfriend, Sergeant David Peters, they are soon hunting for a very clever felon…

You can make sure you get your copy of their new case by pre-ordering before publication on 11th June:

Pre-order from: Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Hodder & Stoughton

Waterstones 

You can still enjoy The Campervan Murder if you haven’t read Maggie and Ryan’s first adventure: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives.

Happy preordering,

Jenny x

The Campervan Murder: 3 weeks to go

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On May 21, 2026

In Cornwall, cosy crime, Jenny Kane, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

Ever since the publication of The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives on 2nd April, life has been nonstop – in a good way!

I’ve been overwhelmed by how well my first #cosycrime with Hodder has been received -THANK YOU ALL.

With (at time of typing) Book 1 still at the top of Amazon’s Culinary Cosy Crime start, I’m busy getting ready for the launch of Book 2 in three weeks time!!

BLURB:

Don’t miss the second 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?

Here are some of the lovely pre-release reviews I’ve received so far!

REVIEWS

‘A perfect easy reading escape that transports you to Cornwall, with lush descriptive writing that keeps you hooked to the end’  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fabulous cosy crime read with everything you would expect from the genre; great characters, an interesting story which keeps growing, a death (or two)… I highly recommend it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 ‘Truly addictive’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 ‘I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. It will go to the top of my To-Be-Read pile!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pre-order from: Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Hodder & Stoughton

Waterstones 

If you are in the Launceston area of Cornwall, you can join me to toast the launch of this novel at The Black Cat Bookshop! (Tel:07505 139361)

Happy preordering everyone,

Jenny xx

Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club

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On May 5, 2026

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, cosy crime, crime, Jennifer Ash, The Robin Hood Club

My very first #cosycrime novel, Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club, was published in 2024. At the present time, I’m editing the second novel in the series into shape.

BLURB:  Book One of The Robin Hood Club Series

A brand new cosy crime series! Welcome to the Robin Hood Club!

There’s great excitement when a previously undiscovered Robin Hood ballad manuscript, Robin Hood and the Carter, turns up in the same town as the Robin Hood Club’s latest fan convention.

But the Robin Hood Club’s special guest – Harriet, “Hari”, Danby, writer and creator of the hit TV series, Return to Sherwood – can’t help thinking the discovery is rather too coincidental.

With her best friend, Dot, at her side, Hari finds herself taken out of her quiet writing life and catapulted into a world of enthusiastic fans, actors egos, and jealous fellow authors.

As the Robin Hood Club event gets underway, speculation about the new ballad grows… and then Hari notices that one of the Robin Hood Club’s most devoted followers has gone missing…

***

You don’t need to be a Robin Hood fan to enjoy this book, it’s written for all #cosycrime readers. But if you have a fondness for cosy crime, cookies, and Britain’s favourite medieval outlaw, then this is definitely the read for you!

Available in paperback, eBook format, and on Kindle Unlimited from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon AU 

I’ve been overwhelmed by the kind comments and the kind reviews the ebook version of Manuscript Mysteries has prompted.

Here are a couple of the lovely things folk have said over on Amazon.co.uk

5.0 out of 5 stars

Excellent cosy crime in a familiar setting

I really enjoyed the story, well paced, plotted and with a well hidden but believable ‘villain’ culminating in a satisfying ending. What I particularly enjoyed was how well the author captured the convention setting, having been to a few of them, it felt believable, the right mix of characters, eccentrics, celebrities and excitement these events have which made the story so relatable. Looking forward to the second book and the further development of the many interesting characters.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 May 2024

This book was the perfect escapist read for me. I’ve always been a huge Robin of Sherwood fan. I found the combination of medieval history with a modern day narrative AND a tantalising mystery utterly absorbing. Can’t wait for the next one.

I highly recommend this book.

The next Robin Hood Club story takes the convention to the Wiltshire city of Salisbury, where Lee, the star of Hari’s television show, Return to Sherwood, is joined by his newest c0-star, Toby Greene: otherwise known as John Little…

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Why Cornwall?

By

On February 17, 2026

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Cornwall, cosy crime, Jenny Kane, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

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.

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane

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…

 

 

Happy reading

Jenny x

Cosy crime time: a new year awaits

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On December 19, 2025

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Cornwall, cosy crime, crime, Fiction, Jennifer Ash, Jenny Kane, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives, The Robin Hood Club

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!

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane

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:

Jenny x

Cover Reveal: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

By

On December 1, 2025

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, cosy crime, crime, Fiction, Jenny Kane, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

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:

Amazon UK: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency): Amazon.co.uk: Kane, Jenny: 9781399754491: Books

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 US: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency): Amazon.co.uk: Kane, Jenny: 9781399754491: Books

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

News!!!

By

On August 1, 2025

In Contemporary fiction, Cornwall, cosy crime, crime, Fiction, Jenny Kane, News

After months of  keeping my lips firmly sealed, I’m delighted to be able to announce that I’ve signed a brand new, three-book, contract with, for me, a new publisher.

Hodder & Stoughton!!

For the past year I’ve been writing two novels for Hodder (as well as all of the Robin of Sherwood stories I’ve written) – and I’ve fully planned book three.

Based in Cornwall, these cosy crime novels are proving a great deal of fun to create, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to my agent, Kiran, for taking my work to the London Book Fair, and introducing it to Hodder. Plus, an equally big thank you must go to my new editor, Audrey, whose enthusiasm for my new stories is so infectious, it’s joyous.

I little while ago, I bought myself a “well done me” pressie to celebrate this new book deal… rather lovely aren’t they.

For now, I’ll not say exactly where in Cornwall they are based, and who my main characters are, but I will say, that if you like fish and chips, then these stories are going to tickle your tastebuds!

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be writing this new set of stories!

In the meantime, I’ve work to do – for the first set of publisher’s edits, for book one have just arrived. I think I might need another cup of coffee…

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

 

 

Opening Lines: Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange

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On October 1, 2024

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Mill Grange, News, Opening Lines Blog, Romance

As autumn is showing all the signs of being here to stay for a while, I thought I’d share the Opening Lines from Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange.

Blurb

At Mill Grange, the work – and the fun – never stops! As autumn brings coolness and colour, change is in the air for all at the manor…

Sam Philips’ time in the forces changed him forever. Supported by his friends, Sam is keen to help make beautiful Mill Grange a safe retreat for injured army personnel… but his crippling claustrophobia means Sam is living in a tent on the grounds! Enlisting the help of charming village stalwarts Bert and Mabel Hastings, Tina Martins is determined to find a way to help him conquer his fears. But why does she feel like he is keeping a secret?

After discovering evidence of a Roman fortlet on the manor’s grounds, Thea Thomas is thrilled at the chance to return to her archaeological roots and lead the excavation. She spent the summer with handsome celebrity archaeologist Shaun Cowlson – but now he’s off filming his Landscape Treasures show in Cornwall, and Thea can’t help but miss his company. Especially as someone else is vying for his attention…

Welcome back to Mill Grange and the beautiful village of Upwich, full of larger-than-life characters you can’t  help but adore.

(Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange follows on from Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange, and is followed by Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange and Winter Fires at Mill Grange. It can also be read as a standalone novel.)

Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange

First 500 words

Prologue

September 1st

Rolling onto his side, Sam unfolded the letter he’d hidden inside his pillowcase. It was the third time he’d woken that night, and the third time he’d reached for the pale blue Basildon Bond envelope. He held it against his nose. The scent of his mother’s White Satin perfume was beginning to fade.

This was the fourth letter to arrive from Malvern House in the last month. One a week.

He had no idea how his mother had found out where he was living, nor why she wanted to see him after so long.

The letters, almost identical each time, said very little. Just that she and his father would love him to visit if he felt up to it. Sam groaned. ‘If he felt up to it’ was his mother’s way of asking if the debilitating claustrophobia he’d developed while serving in the forces had magically gone away.

As he slid the letter into its envelope, Sam’s gaze dropped from the tent’s canvas roof to Tina’s sleeping body.

The past was the past. He had a future now. He had no intention of looking back.

Chapter One

September 1st

‘Take pity on an old man, lass.’

Bert fluttered his grey eyelashes as he helped Tina carry a large cardboard box full of tea, coffee, milk and biscuits from her car into Mill Grange’s kitchen. ‘I love Mabel to pieces, but she is driving me mad.’

Tina laughed. ‘But it’s only been two months since the restoration project came to an end. Doesn’t Mabel have heaps of committee work to do? She runs every social club this side of Exmoor.’

As he placed the box on the oak table that dominated the manor’s kitchen, Bert’s eyes lost their usual optimistic shine. ‘Since Mill Grange was sold Mabel’s been so aimless. She led the volunteer restorers here for over five years and now that’s over…’

‘Mabel doesn’t mind Sam owning this place, does she?’

‘Not for a minute. For a little while it was all she could talk about. She’s that proud of your young man for buying the very thing that frightens him. For taking his fear of being inside by the scruff of the neck and buying a house to be enjoyed by other people.’

Tina put her box of groceries on the side and laid a hand on Bert’s shoulder. ‘I’ll talk to Sam. There must be something Mabel could do around here.’ She played with her pigtails as she thought. ‘I’m not sure we can afford to pay her yet though.’

‘You wouldn’t have to. Making her feel part of the team again is all I’m asking for.’ Bert’s smile returned to his eyes. ‘How’s it going here anyway? Sam getting into the house at all, or is he still overseeing things from that screen thing outside?’

‘He hasn’t been inside the manor since he bought it.’ Tina focused her attention on emptying the boxes of biscuits ready for Mill Grange’s first visitors, hiding her…

Available as an ebook from Nook, Kobo, as well as on Kindle and in paperback from Amazon UK and Amazon US and all good retailers.

 

Happy autumnal reading everyone,

Jenny xx

Opening Lines: Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange

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On October 1, 2024

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Mill Grange, News, Opening Lines Blog, Romance

As autumn is showing all the signs of being here to stay for a while, I thought I’d share the Opening Lines from Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange.

Blurb

At Mill Grange, the work – and the fun – never stops! As autumn brings coolness and colour, change is in the air for all at the manor…

Sam Philips’ time in the forces changed him forever. Supported by his friends, Sam is keen to help make beautiful Mill Grange a safe retreat for injured army personnel… but his crippling claustrophobia means Sam is living in a tent on the grounds! Enlisting the help of charming village stalwarts Bert and Mabel Hastings, Tina Martins is determined to find a way to help him conquer his fears. But why does she feel like he is keeping a secret?

After discovering evidence of a Roman fortlet on the manor’s grounds, Thea Thomas is thrilled at the chance to return to her archaeological roots and lead the excavation. She spent the summer with handsome celebrity archaeologist Shaun Cowlson – but now he’s off filming his Landscape Treasures show in Cornwall, and Thea can’t help but miss his company. Especially as someone else is vying for his attention…

Welcome back to Mill Grange and the beautiful village of Upwich, full of larger-than-life characters you can’t  help but adore.

(Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange follows on from Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange, and is followed by Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange and Winter Fires at Mill Grange. It can also be read as a standalone novel.)

Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange

First 500 words

Prologue

September 1st

Rolling onto his side, Sam unfolded the letter he’d hidden inside his pillowcase. It was the third time he’d woken that night, and the third time he’d reached for the pale blue Basildon Bond envelope. He held it against his nose. The scent of his mother’s White Satin perfume was beginning to fade.

This was the fourth letter to arrive from Malvern House in the last month. One a week.

He had no idea how his mother had found out where he was living, nor why she wanted to see him after so long.

The letters, almost identical each time, said very little. Just that she and his father would love him to visit if he felt up to it. Sam groaned. ‘If he felt up to it’ was his mother’s way of asking if the debilitating claustrophobia he’d developed while serving in the forces had magically gone away.

As he slid the letter into its envelope, Sam’s gaze dropped from the tent’s canvas roof to Tina’s sleeping body.

The past was the past. He had a future now. He had no intention of looking back.

Chapter One

September 1st

‘Take pity on an old man, lass.’

Bert fluttered his grey eyelashes as he helped Tina carry a large cardboard box full of tea, coffee, milk and biscuits from her car into Mill Grange’s kitchen. ‘I love Mabel to pieces, but she is driving me mad.’

Tina laughed. ‘But it’s only been two months since the restoration project came to an end. Doesn’t Mabel have heaps of committee work to do? She runs every social club this side of Exmoor.’

As he placed the box on the oak table that dominated the manor’s kitchen, Bert’s eyes lost their usual optimistic shine. ‘Since Mill Grange was sold Mabel’s been so aimless. She led the volunteer restorers here for over five years and now that’s over…’

‘Mabel doesn’t mind Sam owning this place, does she?’

‘Not for a minute. For a little while it was all she could talk about. She’s that proud of your young man for buying the very thing that frightens him. For taking his fear of being inside by the scruff of the neck and buying a house to be enjoyed by other people.’

Tina put her box of groceries on the side and laid a hand on Bert’s shoulder. ‘I’ll talk to Sam. There must be something Mabel could do around here.’ She played with her pigtails as she thought. ‘I’m not sure we can afford to pay her yet though.’

‘You wouldn’t have to. Making her feel part of the team again is all I’m asking for.’ Bert’s smile returned to his eyes. ‘How’s it going here anyway? Sam getting into the house at all, or is he still overseeing things from that screen thing outside?’

‘He hasn’t been inside the manor since he bought it.’ Tina focused her attention on emptying the boxes of biscuits ready for Mill Grange’s first visitors, hiding her…

Available as an ebook from Nook, Kobo, as well as on Kindle and in paperback from Amazon UK and Amazon US and all good retailers.

 

Happy autumnal reading everyone,

Jenny xx

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