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…
It’s midsummer in Penbartha and the opening night for eco-architect Olivia Wells’ latest project - a Georgian coastal eco-boutique hotel with fascinating links to the famous plant-hunters of Cornwall.
Jago Trevithick KC has been busy in London with the complicated and lengthy trial of an underworld criminal. After a disastrous result, he returns to Penbartha to be with Olivia, seeking refuge and peace and to reassess his life choices.
The morning after the long-awaited and eventful launch party Jago and Olivia discover a dead body and he immediately fears that his troubles in London have followed him home.
As their professional lives collide, will Olivia and Jago be able to work together again to uncover the dark forces that are threatening the success of her latest venture, or are Jago’s troubles more personal than he thought?
Sleuthing, suspense and sustainability abound in this cosy mystery set on the beautiful Cornish coast.
A Deadly Inheritance
Eco-architect Olivia Wells returns from her successful life in New York to the Cornish village of Penbartha intent on fulfilling her god-father's bequest to expand and oversee a co-working community of eco and creative entrepreneurs in a converted railway building.
Opposition to her endeavours soon surfaces and it becomes clear that not everyone is committed to the cause. Then, the day after an unexpected argument with someone she considered a friend and ally, Olivia finds her murdered body.
The tight-knit Cornish community hampers police investigations and when the forensic evidence places Olivia firmly in the frame, she is persuaded to put her trust in an unlikely accomplice. Using their unique combination of skills, they work together to try to clear her name, but their sleuthing gets them caught up in a dark web of secrets and lies.
Will Olivia be able to find the killer before they make her their next target, or will this inheritance turn out to be the deadliest of all?
“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.
As a direct result of being published Jane has ventured into the world of public speaking. As a keen supporter of libraries, she has given author talks in libraries across the country, at book festivals and to many other groups. Please get in touch if you would like Jane to speak at an event.
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
After being traditionally published, Jane decided to take creative control so she could ensure her books are published and printed in the most sustainable way.
So, 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