JANE MCPARKES
Author of the Olivia Wells Mystery Series
Welcome to creekside Penbartha, the Cornish home of sleuthing, suspense and sustainability…
“A cracking debut…”
“Page-turning debut…”
BOOKS
Meet Olivia Wells: eco-architect, runner and reluctant sleuth
Deadly Treasures
Not all treasures remain buried…
When eco-architect Olivia Wells unveils her latest project – a cliffside manor reborn as a luxury eco-hotel cliffside manor reborn as a luxury eco-hotel – she expects acclaim, not chaos. And the return of her partner Jago Trevithick KC, a brilliant but broken barrister, who is seeking peace by the sea.
But peace is short-lived. A waitress is found dead in the hotel pool.
Who wanted her gone – and why?
Has the dark side of Jago’s work followed him to Cornwall?
Or is someone close to Olivia hiding deadly secrets?
As whispers spread through the sun-bleached village, Olivia and Jago must uncover the truth before the tide turns red again.
Sleuthing, suspense and sustainability abound in this cosy mystery set on the beautiful Cornish coast.
A Deadly Inheritance
When eco-architect Olivia Wells returns to the small Cornish creekside village of Penbartha, she hopes to honour her godfather’s legacy – transforming his disused beloved railway station into a sustainable hub for local entrepreneurs.
But paradise hides its cracks and not everyone is as committed as she thought.
After a heated and unexpected argument with someone she considers a friend and ally, Olivia discovers their murdered body.
Can she trust anyone in Penbartha?
The tight-knit community closes ranks to protect her – but the evidence tells a different story.
Who would want to frame her? And how far will they go to keep things buried?
As secrets rise like the tide, Olivia must uncover the truth before it pulls her under for good.
“A well-written, engaging murder mystery with a real sense of community and care for the environment in a beautiful Cornish setting ”
ABOUT
JANE MCPARKES
Jane believes she was always destined to be a crime writer. As a child she was an avid reader of the Famous Five and any other mysteries she could find at the local library. Her first commercial success came when she was 8 years old with the publication of a letter to the Bunty comic about her grandfather digging up a small handgun and two gold hoop earrings in his garden and suggesting they were connected with an unsolved murder. From that moment she wanted to be a writer...
Life, a career, marriage, motherhood and illness all got in the way, but that initial ambition never died. After years of secret scribbling and lots of reading, Jane began writing ‘A Deadly Inheritance’. A cancer diagnosis and the Covid epidemic eventually focused her mind on finishing her novel, and she enjoyed writing as a means of escape from the grim reality of what was going on in the world.
A Deadly Inheritance was published in April 2023 and was a finalist in the 2023 Wishing Shelf Awards 2023. It has proved so popular with readers and other writers who invested in the characters’ lives and storylines, that it confirmed Jane’s belief that Olivia and friends deserved a whole series
Jane describes her writing as Cornish cosy crime with a green twist. Her books include ‘green’ characters, ideas and solutions set against the back drop of a traditional murder mystery. While Jane’s concern for the environment is very real, the books in the Olivia Wells Mysteries are meant to be an uplifting, escapist read, making the most of the freedom that the cosy mystery genre allows. Climate solutions are in action throughout the story, but are mainly incidental to the main plot, whose purpose is to entertain and inspire readers.
Deadly Treasures was shortlisted in the Romantic Thriller category in the 2025 RNA awards. As a direct result of this, Jane is now represented by Francesca Riccardi of the Kate Nash Literary Agency and the first two Olivia Wells Mysteries will be republished by Bedford Square Publishers in November 2025, with books 3 and 4 following.
The Olivia Wells Mysteries are set in the fictional Cornish creekside village of Penbartha, a place largely inspired by all the time Jane has spent in similar locations with her husband, two (now adult) children and her two dogs, Margot and Geoffrey.
“A good, non-gory mystery in a gorgeous setting”
SIGNED COPIES
Now only available while stocks last
Welcome to Jane’s store where you can buy signed, eco-friendly copies of her books
If you'd like a specific dedication, please supply your required words in the box at check-out
Please note, price includes package and postage but we only ship to UK addresses
INTERVIEWS AND MEDIA
CONTACT ME
If you wish to contact Jane about anything else, she would be delighted to hear from you
Email at janemcparkes@gmail.com