A Deadly Abode by Jane McParkes #VirtualBookTour #adeadlyabode @janemcparkes_author @randomthingstours @noexitpress #bookreview

 

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...

A Deadly Abode by Jane McParkes was published on 8 October 2026 by No Exit Press and is book three in the Olivia Wells mystery series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour 

There is something really appealing about a crime novel set in a small Cornish village, especially as autumn has arrived, the leaves are turning and there's a chill in the air. A Deadly Abode by Jane McParkes has all of that lovely atmosphere. However, beneath the picturesque setting there is a great deal of anger, resentment and some very troubling secrets.

This is the third book in the Olivia Wells Mysteries series, and although I haven't read the previous two, I had absolutely no difficulty settling into the story. The author introduces her characters and their relationships naturally, and I soon felt quite at home in Penbartha.

Olivia and her partner Jago are enjoying their life in Cornwall, but tensions surrounding second-home ownership and newcomers to the village are beginning to boil over. When a fire at a neighbouring property leads to a grim discovery, things become considerably more sinister.

I really enjoyed the way the author weaves some very real concerns into the mystery. The impact of second homes on small communities, the importance of belonging and the different ways people respond to change all add depth to this story. These are issues that are especially relevant in Cornwall, and they provide much more than just a backdrop to the crime.

The village setting is beautifully created, with its close-knit community, simmering disagreements and characters who don't always reveal everything they're thinking.

A Deadly Abode is an engaging, atmospheric mystery with a great balance of cosy village life and darker undercurrents. An enjoyable introduction to Olivia and Jago for me, and I'm certainly tempted to go back and discover how their story began.

Jane is the author of a new cosy crime series with an eco twist. 

It includes 'green' characters, ideas and solutions set against the backdrop of traditional murder mysteries. 

After a lifetime of secret scribbling, it was the diagnosis of a rare, but treatable cancer that focused Jane’s mind on taking her writing seriously. 

The Olivia Wells Mysteries combine Jane's love of Cornwall and her interest in the environment and sustainability.