Paula Lennon

This anthology showcases the very best in humorous short story writing, by outstanding contemporary women writers, including Kathy Lette, Sadia Azmat, Lucy Vine, Josie Long, Paula Lennon, and many more. It includes the winning and shortlisted stories from the Comedy Women in Print Short Story Prize. From tales of a narcoleptic biscuit lover, con artists with a twist, and the accidental death of a hamster; to consequences of accidental gluing, the imagined world of extreme shopping, and the delightfully surreal world of canine dating, these 15 boldly imaginative stories range across a multitude of genres and themes. Each proves the power of the short story to disarm, tickle or simply entertain.

She's never been so far from home. And never so close to a killer. Private investigator Olivia Knightley has finally pressed pause on her busy schedule and regained some work-life balance - for the next three weeks. The ink on her divorce papers is barely dry, so she promises to take her sixteen-year-old daughter Amy travelling across the US. But no sooner than they arrive at a campground populated with other 'van lifers' and nomads, they discover a violent murder scene that shakes the community. Enter special agent Jack Tyler, head of the Investigative Services Branch - known to some as the FBI of the National Park Service. He leads the bare-bones taskforce handling the most complex crimes committed on National Park land. Jack has been tracking this killer for months to no avail. Olivia knows she might just be the silver bullet he's been looking for. She's used to running things her way, however, not pausing to explain herself to anyone, as her ex-husband is always keen to remind her. But when Amy falls in with the wrong crowd, and Olivia realises the danger she's placed her in, she is forced to choose between protecting her daughter and stopping a killer in their tracks.

Palm trees, white sandy beaches and a perfect turquoise sea. Jamaica's Montego Bay might just be paradise. If people didn't keep getting murdered. Detective Preddy hoped for a quiet start to the new year. But there's a murder at Sugar Rush Beach. A man is stabbed through the heart with an antique awl. The victim, Jerome Baccus, was the nephew of a local developer who wanted to transform this quiet beach into a high-end tourist complex. Now he's dead. Everything points to a rival developer. But Preddy realizes other people might have wanted to kill Jerome: His two girlfriends. The Sugar Rush beach vendors. The sugar daddy of one girlfriend. Meanwhile, Preddy must work with Scottish detective Sean Harris. And Preddy knows that Harris is conducting a covert internal investigation. When a woman is found dead, the stakes are raised. And everyone's career is on the line. A gripping crime mystery perfect for fans of Death in Paradise and Biba Pearce, Steph Broadribb, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ian Rankin, Chris Collett, Abir Mukherjee, Val McDermid, and Rachel McLean.

Palm trees, white sandy beaches and a perfect turquoise sea. Jamaica's Montego Bay might just be paradise. If people didn't keep getting murdered. The beautiful Caribbean Sea laps lazily against the verandah where Jamaican Supreme Court Judge Everton Wrenn lies dead. Someone strangled him with their bare hands. Judge Wrenn had more than a few enemies, but who wanted to squeeze the life out of him? Detective Preddy is determined to find out. Sean Harris is back and ready to stick his oar in. Preddy thought he'd seen the last of the interfering Glaswegian detective. Meanwhile, the island's surviving judges threaten to strike until Wrenn's killer is found. Jamaica's criminals will be free to run amok. Then another murder turns the case upside down. Time is running out for Preddy and Harris to stop the killing. A gripping crime mystery perfect for fans of Death in Paradise and Biba Pearce, Steph Broadribb, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ian Rankin, Chris Collett, Abir Mukherjee, Val McDermid, and Rachel McLean.

Palm trees, white sandy beaches and a perfect turquoise sea. Jamaica's Montego Bay might just be paradise. If people didn't keep getting murdered. Detective Preddy has seen a lot of things in his time on the Montego Bay police force. But this redheaded Scottish detective turning up really takes the biscuit. What's he doing here? But before Preddy can find out, they have a murder to deal with. Local ice-cream magnate Carter Chin Ellis is shot dead. Right outside Pelican Walk Police Station. And there's no shortage of suspects. Between an exotic dancer, a career criminal, a racing driver, and two policemen, Detectives Preddy and Harris really have their work cut out for them. And Detective Harris has such a thick Glaswegian accent that it's hard to understand him. Can they trust each other enough to work together? If they can't, they might just have another murder on their hands. A gripping crime mystery perfect for fans of Steph Broadribb, Gretta Mulrooney, Mary Stone, Chad Zunker, J. M. Dalgliesh, Michael Connelly, J. D. Kirk, Mike Omer and Isabella Maldonado.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: An illustrious career on the criminal bench has created no shortage of enemies for Jamaican Supreme Court Judge Everton Wrenn. When the judge is found murdered at his seafront villa the investigation falls into the hands of intrepid Detective Raythan Preddy. The return from Glasgow of Detective Sean Harris means that Preddy - while needing the assistance - cannot afford to drop his guard. As the Pelican Walk officers narrow down their list of suspects a gun goes missing from police custody resulting in the death of a man who is either a prime suspect or a potential witness. With the judiciary threatening an island-wide strike and the court system heading for chaos, can Preddy identify the murderer and bring his beloved city back from the brink?

As seen in the Sunday Times Crime Club In Montego Bay, Jamaica, privileged Chinese-Jamaican brothers Lester and Carter Chin Ellis have enjoyed a sheltered life as the heirs to the iced desserts empire Chinchillerz. One fateful night, following a fiery encounter with local law enforcement the brothers are taken to Pelican Walk Police Station, where Lester is detained for drunk driving, while Carter is released without charge. When Carter is shot dead within minutes of leaving the station his murder throws the police force into crisis mode. Discredited Detective Raythan Preddy is put in charge of the murder case and is forced to accept the assistance of Detective Sean Harris, a Scottish lawman seconded to Jamaica. With his superiors watching his every move and the Chin Ellis family interfering with the investigation, Preddy is determined to catch the killer and save his career.