JANE MCPARKES
Author of the Olivia Wells Mystery Series
Cornish cosy crime with a green twist
Welcome to Penbartha, the fictional Cornish creekside village at the heart of my Olivia Wells Mysteries.
Set against the beautiful Cornish landscape, the novels weave together intriguing mysteries, memorable characters and the lives of a close-knit community, with a gentle thread of sustainability running through each story.
Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning for another mystery, you’re very welcome.
“A cracking debut…”
“Page-turning debut…”
BOOKS
Meet Olivia Wells: eco-architect, runner and reluctant sleuth
A Deadly Abode - Book 3
It's autumn and with crisp frosty weather and the leaves as colourful as they've ever been, Olivia and Jago are nestling into their life in Penbartha. Until local resentment about incomers and second-home ownership is ignited by what seems to be an increasingly militant action group.
Maybe Penbartha isn't the happy place Olivia thought it was? Is the discontent really about second homes or is someone pursuing a much more personal agenda?
When a neighbouring house is set on fire and a body found in one of the outbuildings, Olivia and Jago need to find the source of the trouble before it gets even closer to home...
Deadly Treasures - Book 2
Not all treasures remain buried…
When eco-architect Olivia Wells unveils her latest project – a 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.
“Evocative and engrossing, it had me from the first page”
“This is a series I look forward to enjoying more instalments of in the future!”
“This is a series I look forward to enjoying more instalments of in the future!”
A Deadly Inheritance - Book 1
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 ”
“I very much enjoyed this story with its twisty and very topical plot featuring lots of surprises along the way”
“it’s a cosy mystery that feels like it’s almost hugging you as you read”
“Great characters and plot - really kept me guessing right til the end.”
ABOUT
About Jane McParkes
Stories have been central to Jane’s life since childhood. Her first commercial success came at the age of eight, when Bunty comic published her story about her grandfather discovering a handgun and two gold hoop earrings in his garden, which he suggested might be connected to an unsolved murder. From that moment, she knew she wanted to become a writer.
After university, Jane pursued a career in tax with an international accounting firm, although she was always more interested in people and their stories than their finances. A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at twenty-seven brought her career to an unexpected end.
After raising two children, Jane returned to her lifelong ambition, enrolling on a Faber writing course and beginning to write seriously. Despite further health challenges, including cancer diagnoses, she remained determined to pursue her dream.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for a Wishing Shelf Award, while her second, Deadly Treasures, was shortlisted for the Romantic Thriller category of the Romantic Novel Awards. This led to literary representation and a four-book publishing deal.
Jane is now writing the fourth Olivia Wells Mystery, following the publication of A Deadly Abode in October 2026.
She describes her novels as Cornish cosy crime with a green twist. Set in the fictional creekside village of Penbartha, the books combine intriguing mysteries, memorable characters and a close-knit community, with sustainability woven naturally into everyday life rather than presented as a lesson for the reader.
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”
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