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

Tag: cozy crime

Cover Reveal: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and The Campervan Murder

With the first novel in The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives out in the world, I can now reveal the cover for Book 2 in the series!

I love what the fabulous design team at Hodder & Stoughton have come up with for:

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and The Campervan Murder!

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:

Amazon.co.uk: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency Book 2) eBook : Kane, Jenny: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store 

Amazon.com: Amazon.com: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency Book 2) eBook : Kane, Jenny: Books

Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and the Campervan Murder eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

Amazon.de: Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency series – Book 2: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency) : Kane, Jenny: Amazon.de: Books 

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

Publication Day: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

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…

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane

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…

PUBLICATION DAY: Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club

TODAY’S THE DAY!

Today I launch my very first #cosycrime novel.

Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club

A real labour of love, this novel is the first in a series of mysteries, led by Hari Danby and her best friend Dot.

Blurb

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…

Available from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

For me this novel has been a particularly special venture for three reasons.

First of all, I love reading and writing crime fiction. The Folville Chronicles – a much darker set of crime/mystery novels – was huge fun to write. I’ve really missed creating the style of plotlines you need to weave when writing felonious fiction. So, when the idea came to me to write a cosy crime book, I was determined to go for it. (Okay, so I had the idea in 2017 – but I’ve only just had time to do anything about it!)

Secondly, this is the first time I’ve deliberately aimed to self publish a book. (All my other self published work has previously been with a publisher, and has only been self published once the rights of the story had reverted to me.) It has been a massive learning curve, and I’ve a long way to go before I fully know what I’m doing. In fact, it is safe to say the book wouldn’t have made it into the world without the expert help of both Suzanne Fox and Lucy Felthouse – their advice and formatting skills have been beyond price.

After years of working with either indie or traditional publishers, it’s been both  liberating and terrifying having to do everything myself. Yet, the experience has been fun and – hopefully – it will be rewarding. I’ll only find that out if people buy and like the story!

Finally – the most important reason of all for writing this book is simple.

My time as a writer for Robin of Sherwood will come to an end towards the end of this year.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the best television of all time (in my opinion anyway). Previous posts on this blog talk about my passion for the show, and how lucky I am to have been picked to be the main writer for the audio scripts /novelisations that have been commissioned over the past few years. (One day I might get used to the fact that I’ve been told I write like my hero – Richard Carpenter – but in all honesty, I’m never going to believe it.)

Although my work for RoS has always been undertaken for love not financial reward, it has taken centre stage in my life for a very long time. All my other work is instantly shelved every time the call comes to write – and I do not regret a second of it. How could I? I was being asked to put words – literally – into the mouths of my heroes and heroines. As I said to my friend, prouder, director, and all round nice guy, Barnaby Eaton-Jones the other day – “Robin of Sherwood is the jam in our sponge.”.

Now – with only a few stories left to write for my Robin’s (I loved them both – Loxley and Huntingdon), I have a void in my life to fill. What better way to fill that gap, than by using the experiences I gained during this heady/crazy/fun/ sometimes heart breaking/amazing, unmissable experience to write new works of fiction?

So – WELCOME TO THE ROBIN HOOD CLUB…. and yes, it will be an actual club – and you will be able to join it – but be patient, because I’ve a lot of books to write, scripts to create and – hopefully – a few more smiles to put on the faces of Robin of Sherwood fans first….

***

Manuscript Mysteries is available across ALL Amazon sites (including those shown below), as an ebook from today. A paperback version will be available very soon.

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon AU 

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny.

PS – If you read this novel – or any of my work – and enjoy it, please could you pop a review on Amazon. Every time a book gets a review of 4 or 5 stars, it raises my profile on Amazon and that, in turn, leads to more sales – which helps pay the bills!!

Cover Reveal: Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club

After years of writing romcoms, romances, erotica, and gritty medieval crime, it has been a joy to dip my toe into the world of cosy crime!

I hope you enjoy reading about Hari Danby, her best friend, Dot (cookie maker supreme), Jez (complete with his trademark fedora) and the cast of Return to Sherwood…

Today, I can reveal the cover of Book One of The Robin Hood Club!

BLURB

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…

***

If you are keen to get your copy of Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club, then pre-order links are already available for the #kindle version. The paperback will be out in May 2024.

Preorder:

Happy pre-ordering!
Jennifer x

Welcome to The Robin Hood Club

Over the past 10 years, I’ve been lucky enough to write audio stories and short novels for the fans of the 1980’s television series, Robin of Sherwood. This dream job is sadly, although not unexpectedly, coming to an end later this year.

This is absolutely the best time to call it a day; for 2024 sees the 40th anniversary of the show. To go on would risk diluting the product – and that would be a terrible thing. Love for this epic television programme – the creation of the late, great, Richard Carpenter – is as strong as ever, and I’d hate to start letting its fans down by going on too long.

Cast and crew of Robin of Sherwood – and me!

The writing of the aforesaid stories has led to me having many adventures.  Amongst these, comes the attending of a number of fabulous events, including the Robin of Sherwood fan conventions. (The Hooded Man events). I loved each and every one of them – the people, the places, the things I saw, heard, experienced… (I’m leaving that there!)

I always said these events would inspire me to write a novel one day. Well, they have – in fact, they’ve inspired an entire series.

I’m therefore delighted to be able to introduce you to The Robin Hood Club!

This new series sees the light of day for the first time on 28th April this year. A date that is special to me for two reasons – first of all, it is my eldest child’s birthday – secondly, it is Robin of Sherwood’s birthday!

A cosy crime series, the tales of Dr Harriet Danby, writer-cum-reluctant sleuth, open with a visit to Buxton in the beautiful Peak District: Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club.

The cover reveal is coming soon. In the meantime, have a read of the blurb!

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…

***

Not only was The Robin Hood Club influenced by my Robin of Sherwood experiences, but it was coloured by another novel of mine – Romancing Robin Hood.  This novel – which was responsible for bringing me to the attention of Barnaby Eaton-Jones, (the man behind the new audios and books), – concerns an academic called Grace Harper, who is obsessed with Robin Hood. I had always intended to expand this story and give it sequels. However, each time I tried, I accidentally killed a character – not something that happens often in a romcom. To get around this, I decided to reinvent my original idea and, so, The Robin Hood Club was born.

A happy moment with Barnaby Eaton-Jones at one of the Hooded Man Events

If you are keen to get your copy of Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club, then pre-order links are already available for the #kindle version. The paperback will be out in May 2024.

Preorder:

More news soon…
Jennifer xxx
(Photos @Kim Jones)

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