Jodi Taylor Books: Jodi Taylor Books

Enjoy an exclusive audio extract from Chapter One of A Family Affair

Pre-order now on Audible - CLICK HERE

Get Jodi’s books on Kindle Unlimited

The St Mary’s and Time Police books will soon be available on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, USA and Australia - yes, we heard you down there! This will not prevent them being available on other retailers platforms. Click the links below to get Kindle Unlimited.

USA

Australia

Guest Post: Travelling With Cheese by Stella Gambling

Like Jodi, I’m a lover of cheese – the smellier the better. Sadly, not everyone feels the same way. As a teenager (long ago!) at school in Westminster, I often dropped into the wonderful food hall at Army and Navy Stores on my way to catch my train home from Victoria. They often sold off stock which would now be deemed past its ‘best before’ date. I’ve never understood this in relation to cheese, which to my mind, and nose, only improves with age. One day they were offering a camembert which was certainly on the mature side. I snapped it up and stuffed it in my bag, and set off for the train station. The rolling stock at the time was already (like the camembert) past its sell-by date, and consisted of single compartments with six-seater bench seats facing each other and, crucially, no corridor. Once in, you were stuck there until the next stop. The train was already busy, but I managed to find an empty compartment and jumped in. Just before we set off, a pin-striped gent climbed in and glared at me as he opened his newspaper. We set off, and I got stuck into my homework. At first I thought my fellow passenger had a cold – he kept sniffing. The sniffing got more pronounced and was clearly aimed at me. I guessed he didn’t like sharing a compartment with a schoolgirl, and wasn’t surprised when he got out at the next station. A middle-aged lady replaced him and gave me a smile, but as we set off, it slid into a grimace. She disappeared at the next station. At each station, I got a new companion, who climbed in delighted to find a seat in a crowded train, but who gradually lost that feeling. Rosy faces paled and slowly went green. I smiled at them all as they studied me with horror. Passengers opened the door on a virtually empty carriage, only to slam it shut and back away. I completed my journey in blissful solitude. Mind you, my mother made me go down the bottom of the garden to eat my prize.

Would you like to write a guest post for the newsletter? We'd love to hear from you. Whether it's history, travel, a book review or a humorous anecdote, please send a brief outline of your idea to hazel@rushford.ltd. We can't wait to read it!

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Max, Leon, and their son Matthew prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together at St Mary’s—a season known for extravagant feasts, spirited antics, and the traditional, albeit unauthorised, festive time jump. This year, the adventure becomes a family affair.

Max takes Matthew on a journey back to 19th-century London to deliver a parcel of Christmas cheer to his former companions. However, their plans lead them into a confrontation with the formidable Old Ma Scrope, adding an unexpected twist to their excursion. Despite the pain of the past, they discover that goodwill and family ties can transcend time itself.

Jodi Taylor says…

‘The one where Matthew and Max take their first steps towards an understanding. The king-sized picnic they take to the starving boys was personally researched by me. I don’t think anyone realises quite how many sausages authors must force down for the sake of verisimilitude. A little more sympathy, please.’

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:01:49 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi is writing about the upside of being a bestselling author (or moderately well-known, as she prefers to say).
A new guest feature: The Time Tourist by Essie Foxford - Tripadvisor style reviews of historical events
Get Jodi’s books on Kindle Unlimited
Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld
Short Story of the Month: Christmas Past
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Someone once asked me – what’s the upside of being a bestselling author?

There was a bit of a pause while we discussed the term bestselling, finally settling on moderately well-known. Sorry, but I can’t help it. I find it hard to think of myself as an author, let alone a bestselling author. Moderately well-known was the compromise.

Anyway, to answer the question:

I think the biggest – and certainly the most unexpected upside – is when people tell me my books have helped them through dark times. That they’ve made a difference to their lives. Like most people I find it hard to believe that something I have done could actually make a difference. And for the better, as well. And to the lives of people I haven’t ever met. I think anyone would find that difficult to take on board. We all donate to the charities of our choice, or perhaps do a little voluntary work every now and then, but actually, to have a specific action help someone you’ve never met – to shine a little light in a dark time – is quite hard to believe.

I don’t know why I’m so surprised – we all have times when things don’t go well for us. Days when we just don’t want to get out of bed and face the world. It’s happened to me once or twice and I always found great comfort in the stories of Georgette Heyer. They’re well written and light and witty and fun. Yes, there’s always the happy ending but it was the journey to that happy ending that was so important to me. Her books made such a difference to my life but I can honestly say that at no point did I ever, ever think I would be in a position to pay back my debt. So yes, I think that’s always the thing that comes to mind first when I’m asked about the benefits of being moderately well-known.

Something much more petty now. People ask me if I’ve always wanted to write and the answer is no. Writing got me into an enormous amount of trouble at school. When commanded to submit an entry for the school poetry competition I wrote about cannibalism (I still am, actually. Just wait until you read Home in Time for Tea, a new St Mary’s short story in the Short on Time anthology out in May 2027). That did not go down well. My essays were continually red-lined for using slang or poor English and frequently emblazoned with the dreaded See Me. Presumably in the eyes of the educational establishments of the mid 1960s, everyone spoke in perfectly constructed and grammatically correct English. Which, let me tell you – we didn’t. I can see the point of that in academic essays, but in children’s stories … Wouldn’t it be nice if one of the benefits of being moderately well-known was to be able to go back in time and say, ‘See. I was right and you were wrong. And what’s wrong with cannibalism anyway?’

Petty revenge aside, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to two wonderful history teachers – Miss Tregaskes and Mrs Allison – who ignored my trouble-making ways and did so much to foster my love of History.

Moving on to a fun benefit – being moderately well-known has given me an excellent excuse for talking to myself. Even in public. I tell people I’m not going mad – although the consensus is that I am – I’m simply working on dialogue. Or character development. I am also now permitted to stare out of the window for long periods of time – something parents, teachers and employers found particularly irritating – but these days I’m not daydreaming; I’m simply working out a complicated plot. Best of all, I don’t have to go outside if I don’t want to. I can stay inside and work on my story and everyone’s happy. Deadlines darling! So useful.

What else? Oh yes – I can finally justify buying so many books. Because they’re not for me – not as such – they’re for research. Or reviewing. Or monitoring trends in other genres. Or following favourite authors. Keeping abreast of my chosen profession, anyway and all perfectly legitimate.

Next one – occasionally I’m recognised in the street. I do tend to start nervously and shy backwards but once we’ve established that I don’t owe anyone any money, I’m delightful. And writing is quite a lonely profession. Just me, my laptop, Matt and Hotel Chocolat, plus whatever’s in my head at the moment, so it’s lovely to be able to have a chat with a real person.

Oh – this is a good one. My family have finally stopped asking me when I’m going to get a proper job. They’ve finally accepted that this is what I do for a living. Not that any of them have read my books – other than my mum, of course. Occasionally, just for fun, I ask them what they thought of my last book and watch them panic and struggle for an answer or run away. Christmas lunch is always good fun because unless they’re willing to abandon good food and drink, they have to stay put and try to think of something to say. There’s always a slight smell of burning when that happens. And then they start passing each other Brussels sprouts like they’re going out of fashion. Would you believe that when it comes to choosing between either Brussels sprouts or conversation with me, they choose the sprouts?

And speaking of my lovely readers – which I was several paragraphs ago for anyone who’s dropped off. I am continually surprised and delighted to discover that not only are my readers utterly bonkers but also extraordinary knowledgeable. I wonder if the two are connected. I do know that I have never appealed for assistance in vain. Whether ancient Anglo-Saxon phrases, how horseboxes work, gas fires, the Welsh language, hydraulic engineering, what do snipers wear, sex clubs, how to murder someone with a helicopter, or how to cause a condom to explode – there’s always someone out there willing to help, so please let me say thank you to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to assist me in my quest for strange and bizarre information. Yes – you know who you are.

And please don’t worry – your secrets are safe with me. In the event of my death my family are under strict instructions to step over my lifeless body and delete my browser history before calling the ambulance, so you can all sleep soundly tonight.

Get Jodi’s books on Kindle Unlimited

Over the next couple of weeks, the St Mary’s and Time Police books will be available on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, USA and Australia - yes, we heard you down there! This will not prevent them being available on other retailers platforms.

They are already available in the UK. CLICK HERE to enjoy a 30 day free trial for Kindle Unlimited in the UK.

The Time Tourist - The only travel guide guaranteed to be out of date by Essie Foxford

Thomas Cook’s Great Exhibition Excursion (1851)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First Impressions

How else to begin my travels than with one of the world’s first package holidays? Mr Cook certainly knows his business. The ticket includes rail travel to Hyde Park, admission to the Exhibition and even refreshments. One simply turns up and enjoys the day. No online booking forms, no hidden extras, and nobody trying to sell me travel insurance because “you never know”.

Getting there

What the train lacks in suspension, it makes up for in punctuality and the enthusiasm of my fellow travellers, many of whom had never travelled by rail before. My only complaint? Apparently the rest of Britain has booked the same excursion.

Attractions

The Crystal Palace is extraordinary. A vast conservatory of glass and iron, filled with inventions, machinery and curiosities from around the world. If you’ve ever wondered what can be improved by adding steam, this is the place to find out. It’s noisy, crowded and worth every minute you have to spare.

Surprisingly, the attraction everyone seems determined to discuss, isn’t the machinery or even the underwhelming Koh-i-Noor. It’s the public retiring rooms.

For the modest sum of one penny, visitors can make use of the flushing toilets and receive a complimentary towel, comb and shoe shine. Money well spent. In every sense.

Overall Verdict

Highly recommended but leave room in your luggage. I only intended to buy a guidebook. Instead, I left with commemorative china, a paperweight and a new appreciation for Victorian salesmanship.

In “No Time Like the Past” by Jodi Taylor, Max and the team from St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research jump back to Victorian London and The Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace. READ MORE here.

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal has been selected for a July Kindle Monthly Deal in both the UK and the US - hooray! If you haven’t read the first book in the series then now is the time at just 99p or 99 cents.

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Jodi Taylor says…

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:01:13 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi writing about Giant anacondas, cosseted laptops, mice, mossies and the Hot Tub from Hell.
Join Jodi Taylor at Waterstones, Gloucester on 1st August
This event was sold out but 20 extra tickets have been made available.
Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
The Great Recovery Job - grab a ticket now
NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld
Short Story of the Month: Christmas Past
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Giant anacondas, cosseted laptops, mice, mossies and the Hot Tub from Hell.

In a vague attempt to be topical, I’m calling this snippet Writing in Hot Weather.

Actually, I’m mostly OK. Believe it or not, my laptop suffers more than I do. I’ve had to buy a cooling pad for it, and it has its own dedicated fan – unlike me. I do know from experience in Turkey that laptops can become quite unreliable when temperatures exceed 32 degrees, but on the other hand, it was a fast-failing laptop that forced me to make Just One Damned Thing After Another free of charge for Smashwords readers – and look how that turned out.

I have a different laptop these days – they don’t last very long with me – the delete key fell off the last one, and the one before that developed terminal screen lag, and the one before that went insane. I’m treating this one a little more gently and so far, it’s being reasonably cooperative.

Fortunately, my flat faces north – something I curse in winter as I don yet another layer of thermals – and I’m growing bug-eyed because there’s no natural light – but it’s a blessing in this weather. And I’ve revived my old Turkey tricks – socks in the freezer – homemade air-con unit – and sleeping under a frozen towel. I’d like to report all are working well, but they’re not, so I can’t.

And I know it’s a good idea to stay hydrated and not wait until actually going blind before stepping away from the screen, but that doesn’t always happen. Very rarely happens. Doesn’t happen at all. Make a note – must do better.

Other than that, writing in hot weather isn’t much different from writing in cold weather. Just a bit stickier. And with less shivering. Let’s face it – in this country, there’s only about three days in any one year when the weather is perfect anyway. The rest is too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, too sunny, too dull … we never run out of complaints about the weather.

Moving on – the holiday. Which can basically be summed up by the phrase – hot tub with alcohol. I had a lovely message from my editor wishing me a happy holiday and telling me she once nearly drowned in a hot tub. Yes, alcohol was involved. Fortunately, she was kept more or less upright by her fellow hot-tubees.

I should have been so lucky!

Hot tub virgin here. I had no idea what to expect. I climbed in – they’re very tall, aren’t they? We had steps into ours – and made myself comfortable. The brother was in charge of the controls – that’s the other brother, not the eminent author brother – and he said, ‘Shall we have the jets on?’

Not having the faintest idea what he was talking about, I indicated, ‘Yes – jet away, bro,’ and the next minute I was over the other side of the tub, bouncing off the side, legs in the air, to be caught in another set of jets, whirled around the other way, arms flailing, slowly and not very quietly drowning.

And unlike my dear editor, there were no helpful friends to keep me afloat. No one made the slightest attempt to keep me upright. Although, to be fair, I was now orbiting the tub at near escape velocity, and they probably couldn’t get a grip. An occasional leg would break the surface and then I’d disappear into the depths again. Hot tubs are unnecessarily deep.

And they’re no friend to short people, either. Even when the water was more or less at rest it was lapping the bottom of my nose but when the other brother thought it would be fun to run through the various functions – bubbles, jets, currents, whirlpool, tidal wave, Scylla and Charybdis – I was simply washed straight off my seat and fighting for my life on the storm-tossed Sea of Hot-Tub.

I did not, however, suffer alone. Surfacing briefly for air, I discovered my sister-in-law enveloped by flying ants. And I do mean enveloped. Every flying ant in Devon was using her as a landing pad. They’d been woken by my wails of terror, I suspect. Obviously, they ignored the other brother, and I was underwater most of the time, so Sharon was their victim of choice. Steve had just one ant balanced on top of his head. It stayed there all night, obviously perfectly happy with its pink, shiny surroundings. I suppose we could have mentioned it, but I was bobbing around looking for a safe mooring, and Sharon was semaphoring distress on all frequencies, so we didn’t really have the time.

Nor were our sufferings over with.

Our lovely cabin was in the depths of the countryside. Eucalyptus trees – more about them later – and mice. We had a mouse. It widdled on the giant box of Hotel Chocolate choccies we’d brought with us in case Devon had run out. It ate the Doritos. And then it started on the microwave cable.

I should say at this point that I wasn’t present for any of this. I was in bed recovering from hot tub trauma. Sharon, in no good mood because she’d been woken by a mossie – she’s mossie central – became aware of the sound of chewing in the kitchen. Not human chewing, I hasten to add. Getting up to investigate she discovered the mouse, making substantial inroads into vital supplies.

Her subsequent attempts to corner the mouse woke the other brother – I slept through everything, so I can’t describe the carnage – and they pursued an obviously feral and super-intelligent mouse around the kitchen. Very unsuccessfully, I should tell you. They both managed to injure themselves quite substantially and do a fair amount of damage to the kitchen, as well. Eventually, the mouse got bored and, with a contemptuous flick of its tail, disappeared behind the tumble dryer.

All this was recounted at breakfast. I probably could have been more sympathetic.

Further holiday highlights included an orange elephant, the eating habits of koala bears, molten temperatures, the other brother’s attempts to kill me by dragging me to the top of Hay Tor, paddling in the sea at Teignmouth, wonderful scenery, and a lot of food.

I mentioned the eucalyptus forest, didn’t I? Owned and managed by our kind host, who supplies zoos in this country and Europe with eucalyptus leaves for koala bears. He was telling us about all the different varieties he has to grow because they all like different flavours. And there’s no guarantee they won’t suddenly go off one type of leaf, and he has to supply something different. Picky!

And there was a snake in the duck pond. Sadly, I never got to see it, which was a shame because I like snakes. Just a small one, apparently, so those of you imagining a thirty-foot anaconda will be as disappointed as I was. There’s a sad lack of giant anacondas in this country.

Fun Fact, courtesy of Mr Markham: If you have the misfortune to be swallowed by a giant anaconda and it enjoyed the experience – yum, tasty – then they can regurgitate you and eat you all over again. Isn’t that interesting?

Sadly, the holiday is now over and I have to return – somewhat soggily – to work. I’d manage to type THE END for Well, That Could Have Gone Better, although that’s only the end of the first draft. Now I have to go through and lose about ten thousand words so that it resembles an actual book and not a series of incoherent ramblings – rather like this week’s Substack offering.

Stay frosty peeps!

That was an attempt to render myself relevant to young people and today’s modern world. Please do not be alarmed – I shan’t be doing that again.

This event was sold out but 20 extra tickets have been made available.

Join bestselling author Jodi Taylor for a special evening celebrating the launch of A Family Affair, the second novel in her delightful Smallhope & Pennyroyal series.

Jodi will be talking about the inspiration behind the book, reading an exclusive extract from A Family Affair, and answering your questions in a lively Q&A session. Whether you’re a long-time fan of The Chronicles of St Mary’s or discovering Amelia Smallhope and Pennyroyal for the first time, this promises to be an entertaining evening full of humour, history and storytelling.

After the event, you’ll have the opportunity to meet Jodi during a book signing, with signed copies of A Family Affair and other titles available to purchase.

We look forward to welcoming you for what promises to be a memorable evening.

Buy tickets

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

Our next big adventure is The Great Recovery Job, taking place on 19 September. If you’ve ever fancied stepping inside one of Jodi’s worlds rather than simply reading about it, this is your chance. You’ll become part of a team of Recovery Agents, solving puzzles, gathering intelligence, uncovering clues and attempting to pull off an audacious historical heist. It’s shaping up to be something rather special, and we’d love to see you there.

There are still tickets available, so if you’ve been thinking, “I’ll get round to booking...”, this is your gentle reminder! BOOK NOW

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Jodi Taylor says…

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:13 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi writing about The Pink Toolkit
Jodi reads an extract from A Family Affair
Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
Merchandise update from Karin Mallion
The Great Recovery Job - grab a ticket now
NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld
Short Story of the Month: Christmas Past
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I bought myself a toolkit. I rummaged around on Amazon – yes, sorry, but I’m miles away from the nearest DIY store – and found exactly what I was looking for. Small, smart, fully equipped with everything I needed to bang a nail into a wall … and … it’s pink.

Very, very pink.

I opened it up and even the tools – and there are a lot of them – are pink. Pink hammer, pink pliers, any number of pink screwdrivers, pink measuring tape – you get the picture, don’t you? Pink.

Very, very pink.

OK – a word of advice to anyone considering anything similar. By all means, buy your pink toolkit – it’s well-made, useful, and a quality product. Just don’t show it to your family. Not unless you’re prepared to endure hours – weeks, actually – of cruel comment and unnecessary mirth. The youngest brother was particularly scathing. Apparently, he found it difficult to be in the same room as so much pinkness. There were a lot of Barbie-based comments.

As you can imagine, I endured family wit with grace and style, told my pink toolkit not to listen to the Philistines, stroked it gently and took it home, where it enjoys a prominent position in my living room.

Here’s the thing. I haven’t actually used it yet. Not to bang in a nail or tighten a … a screw? Have I got that right? As soon as the toolkit turned up, my flat started to behave itself.

Ha! Not so the family.

There was a telephone call from the brother who was doing something technical in my mother’s bathroom. A shelf, before anyone gets the wrong idea. Yeah – guess who needed to borrow a screwdriver. Life is very satisfying sometimes. As a sister, my duty was clear. I made him repeat himself several times.

‘A what? … Sorry? … What did you say? … A screwdriver? … Is that the long pink thing with the knob on the end? … What? … You do know it’s pink, don’t you? … Didn’t you say something about over your dead body? … No, I’m pretty sure you did. … Yes, several times. … You do know you can catch pinkness, don’t you? … No, no treatment – just a lifetime of ridicule and abuse … You’re sure you still want to do this? … OK – on my way. … Tell you what – I’ll bring the whole toolkit … Just in case … Hello? … Hello? Oh – he’s gone. What a shame.

When life gives you brothers – buy a pink toolkit. Hours of genuine fun.

Jodi x

CLICK HERE to preorder a signed copy of A Family Affair from the Jodiworld shop. Please note: Jodi will be signing preorders at “The Great Recovery Job” event in Cheltenham on 19th September.

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

“We’re St Mary’s and We Never Leave Our People Behind.”

Merchandise update from Karin Mallion

Over at the Jodi Taylor Shop, we’ve introduced a brand-new Vest Tops . Several people told us they loved the designs but didn’t want to scroll through pages of T-shirts to find the vest versions—especially with the glorious weather we’ve been enjoying recently—so now they’re all in one easy-to-find place. CLICK HERE

We’ve also added several new T-shirt designs, including one we’ve been asked for countless times:

CLICK HERE

Over on Jodiworld.org, our brand-new 2027 Pre-Convention T-shirt is now available. It’s the perfect way to start the countdown to next year’s Ancient Egypt-themed Convention and lets everyone know you’re already looking forward to another weekend of history, tea, friendship and chaos. It’s available in various colours – featured here in one of my favourites – purple!

CLICK HERE

There are still tickets available, so if you’ve been thinking, “I’ll get round to booking...”, this is your gentle reminder! BOOK NOW

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Jodi Taylor says…

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:02:25 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi writing about holidays
The Jodiworld Honours Board and Stop the Clock ceremony
Save 25% on A Family Affair at Barnes & Noble
NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld
Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June
JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, that was a great week off – I must do that again. In another 13 years, perhaps.

Highlights included:

Escorting my mother to her X-ray. She’s fine – I may never recover. Don’t ask.

Running out of wall on which to draft all the plotlines of future stories, I’ve been pulling all the art off the walls in my bedroom so I have room to scribble my notes for WTCHGB, Time Police 7, and the next Smallhope and Pennyroyal novel all over them. My theory is that my brain will turn over all the relevant plot points as I sleep and produce perfect solutions as soon as I open my eyes the next morning. Instinct and experience both tell me this is unlikely to occur.

Visiting Hotel Chocolat – no non-working week is complete without one of these. There were massive discounts all over the shop. The more I spent the more I saved and it would have been rude not to take this opportunity to support the economy. I’m pleased to report the economy has been supported big-time.

Having my eyes tested. I haven’t needed a new prescription for years but I suspect the time has come to admit my poor vision isn’t always the result of greasy fingerprints across the lenses. Note from my optician – stop shoving my specs into the washing up water because it’s not doing them any good. Anything that can dissolve grease and food particles is going to make short work of my specs. So noted.

Lunching with the more disreputable members of my family – which is all of them. A great deal of food was washed down with even more alcohol. I don’t know at what point the Rottweiler turned up but he was delightful. Very friendly. And also quite heavy. And warm. He was a very warm dog.

Please allow me to mention Gloucester’s new hotel – Indigo – which boasts a first-class restaurant with really lovely staff and a cocktail bar on the fifth floor with views over the cathedral. Or so they told me. After the third margarita I couldn’t even see the table in front of me. On the other hand, that might be due more to wonky eyesight rather than an overindulgence in all things tequila.

Visiting a stately home with beautiful gardens so that my brother could run through the disposing of his sister’s ashes routine. Sadly, this never really got off the ground because neither of us could remember the tree under which they were supposed to be scattered. There was discussion and some of it was not amicable.

Releasing the Christmas story – Twelfth Night – which is now at my publishers. With luck the edits won’t come back until I’ve stopped enjoying myself so much and am in a much less frivolous frame of mind.

And reading. And more reading. Stretching out on the sofa with various Hotel Chocolat products to hand and just … reading. I’ve sailed through four books already. If I can keep this up there’s a very good chance my TBR pile will actually be shorter than me and there aren’t many things in this world that can say that.

Tidying my bookshelves. Not all of them, obviously – just the four behind the sofa where I shove everything I don’t know what to do with.

Discoveries included:

Four notebooks relating to TP5 and EC3! No idea how they got there and it’s too late to incorporate any of the plot points now.

Half a dozen sketch pads.

Four art books.

One photograph album I thought I’d lost.

One unopened box of Hotel Chocolat goodies marked Happy Birthday, so they’ve been there at least nine months. I genuinely had no idea they were there and they’re a bit of a problem since my cupboard is already stuffed with chocolate goodness. See one of the above paras.

One flowerpot filled with soil. Why? I mean – seriously – why?

One flowerpot with a lump of very ancient oasis. No, I don’t know, either.

One boom box. Complete with a CD. Which dates it somewhat.

I’ve really enjoyed my week off. So much so I’m thinking of doing it again. Starting tomorrow. I’m head down in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Shadow of the Leviathan series – they are so good – and it would be nice to get that finished before I start writing on the walls again. Holidays have always been something that happened to other people but I’m beginning to see the attraction.

Happy week, everyone.

Jodi x

The Jodiworld Honours Board and Stop the Clock ceremony by Karin Mallion (Jodiworld Events)

One of the things that makes Jodiworld special is that it has never been just about books. Over the years, what began as a shared love of Jodi Taylor’s stories has become something much more ~ a welcoming community of friends spread across the world, united by laughter, kindness, and a mutual appreciation for shenanigans.

The Jodiworld Honours Board exists to remember those members of our family who are no longer with us. Last year we also started a new tradition at the Jodiworld Convention, we held a Stop the Clock ceremony, like the Time Police ceremony, to honour and remember them.

The great Sir Terry Pratchett wrote, “A man is not dead while his name is still spoken.” Which captures exactly what the Honours Board represents. “We’re St Mary’s and we never leave our people behind.” is a sentiment that has become part of the spirit of Jodiworld too. By remembering our friends, telling their stories, and speaking their names, we ensure they remain part of our journey.

Sadly, in the past two weeks we have added two more names to the board:

Hayley Atkins, partner of Helen Rowe. Hayley attended the first Jodiworld Convention and she left a lasting impression on those who met her. Our thoughts remain with Helen and all who loved her.

Wendy Marshall, partner of Joe Tetsab. Wendy and Joe have been part of virtually every Jodiworld event we’ve ever held. Whether at conventions, gatherings, or behind the scenes, Wendy was woven into the fabric of our community, and her loss has been felt deeply by all who knew her.

The Honours Board is more than a memorial. It is a reminder that those who helped build this community will always remain part of it.

Barnes & Noble are running a promotion for 25% off pre-orders for hardback, eBook and audiobook of A Family Affair – from Tuesday 23rd June to Friday 26th June. This is a wonderful opportunity for fans across the pond to enjoy a big saving. The promotion code is: PREORDER25

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the character speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

caption...

Max and her colleagues are facing an unusual challenge—one that doesn’t require them to jump through time but is no less chaotic. Thanks to the world’s most misguided publicity campaign, a film producer is on his way to St Mary’s to avail himself of their services. Equally eager to secure a contract for his next three films, Dr Bairstow instructs Max to ensure all goes well. Or else.

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

From Professor Rapson and his megaphone antics to exploding rocks, legendary pub crawls, superheroes and the world’s largest bacon butty, chaos reigns. The appearance of Angus, one-third of a particularly messy love triangle, only adds fuel to the fire, ensuring that the week at St Mary’s is definitely one for the record books. Just not in a good way.

Jodi Taylor says…

‘Oh yes. Calvin Cutter – bless him. His one-sided telephone call to Marge, his PA, as she’s trying to have her baby in peace was so much fun to write.’

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:00:46 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi writing about getting back to painting
NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld
Jodi Taylor answers - Do you plan character arcs in advance or do they evolve as you write?
Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June
JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Seascape - Jodi Taylor

Nothing much from me this week – I promised myself that when I returned from France, and provided I’d made good progress on all four short stories, and started to get Well That Could Have Gone Better in some sort of order, and started notes for the storyline for the next Smallhope and Pennyroyal book then – THEN – I’d grant myself a little downtime. Do some reading, perhaps. I do sometimes feel the need to put the words back in again. They pour out of me and I have to replenish the supply. I have a magnificent TBR pile that, if anything, is taller than I am. Although that’s not difficult.

And perhaps take up painting again. Mine is a very small flat, and all the windows are in the wrong place to give me decent light, but I will not be deterred. I’ve been promising myself this for the last three or four years, and now I’m going to do it. I particularly want to experiment with all the new art stuff. Normally, I work in soft pastels but there’s a new metallic range out there. How does that work? How can a crumbly medium be transformed into hard metallic shades? Can’t wait to find out.

And painting sticks! Watercolour is not my favourite medium, but these look worth trying. And some decent charcoal. And acrylic markers in stunningly brilliant colours. And sketching pads with different tints and textures. I love working on black – it really makes the pastels sing.

I haven’t bothered with conventional paints. Oil paints smell, and I wouldn’t want to inconvenience my neighbours, and acrylic paints are forever. Drop some on the carpet and there’s a giant purple blodge until the end of time. It doesn’t come out. So I’ve gone for the newer stuff. See how it performs. So far, all I’ve done is make a mess.

Picking up painting again after all these years is NOT like riding a bike. You do forget how to do it. Or, more likely, such small talent as I possess just got fed up with being ignored for the last decade and pushed off for good.

To counter that I’ve enrolled with an old art tutor of mine who does online courses. I should perhaps make it clear that it’s not the tutor that’s old – although the pupil is – but that I used to attend her classes when I lived in Northallerton. I’ve signed up for her very excellent pastels course and I’m greatly looking forward to getting started. The plan is to spend the next seven days not doing very much at all. Starting with tomorrow, when my brother and I are off to visit a very beautiful garden and country house. I shall of course be taking my camera to photo anything picturesque. Which reminds me – is there anyone out there who knows anything about horseboxes? The very big sophisticated ones. If so, could we have a chat sometime please? I have questions.

Where was I? Ah yes. Tomorrow’s visit. Partly for relaxation, partly for material to paint and partly so he can rehearse what to do with my ashes after I’ve gone. We’re all a bit absent-minded in my family but he’s worse than most, so every few months we hold a What To Do With My Beloved Sister’s Ashes drill. Basically, he meanders in a casual manner to the pre-selected spot, sets down the urn, gazes meditatively into the middle distance, kicks over the urn (I have to keep reminding him to remove the lid first) and scuffs the ashes into the grass. Job done – off to the pub for a congratulatory drink. Although not with me, of course. We’ve been at this for some time now and he shows no signs of getting it right. With our family luck I’ll end up on the municipal tip and he’ll go to prison.

Anyway, meandering back to the point – a week off. Yes, we all know I’ll do some writing but there will also be enormous amounts of cheese – you would not believe the bad habits I’ve brought back with me. Thank you, France! – and wine. And chocolate.

Oh – and I nearly forgot – a lovely bunch of flowers arrived. Much to the mystification of the postman, who knows that if I want flowers, then I usually have to buy my own. It turns out I’ve sold two million copies of my books since joining Headline in 2019, and they sent me flowers to mark the occasion. Thank you, Headline, and thank you, everyone who’s ever bought one of my books. There is a place in author heaven for you.

Enjoy your week – I’m definitely going to enjoy mine.

Jodi x

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

caption...

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

Jodi Taylor says…

‘Oh yes. Calvin Cutter – bless him. His one-sided telephone call to Marge, his PA, as she’s trying to have her baby in peace was so much fun to write.’

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:01:38 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi writing about her recent trip to France and The Great Recovery Job
Jodi Taylor answers - Do you plan character arcs in advance or do they evolve as you write?
Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June
JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, I’m back. I know I’m in England because today is cool, grey and very wet. I feel rather responsible, actually – I spent most of my trip suffering temperatures of 34 and 35 degrees and telling everyone that I was English and never happy unless I was being rained on. And now look at the weather.

Many thanks to everyone who sent me their best wishes – the festival was everything people had told me it would be. Knights practising their swordplay – they offered me a go and I would have loved, legitimately, to be able to lay about me with a dangerous weapon, but sadly I had to go off to a panel and talk sensibly. There were books and authors everywhere – the authors were wonderfully friendly and didn’t seem to mind me massacring their language, and I absolutely adored the book covers – full of movement and colour. I particularly liked that they print an image on the edge of the pages as well. Loads of people were in costume – including a man with horns and wearing a thick fur coat. I think he was a character from a favourite French fantasy novel but he must have been baking.

And then, just as I think everyone was on the verge of heatstroke, the heavens, literally, opened. The rain came down in buckets. Of course, you couldn’t hear yourself speak in the tent. The ground was so hard that it couldn’t absorb the water and there were lakes everywhere. People were being rescued.

And just to lower the tone of the piece – and probably not that important in the scheme of things – but I managed to have cheese with every meal. Every restaurant had a different cheeseboard and trust me, I sampled every single one of them. All the food was good – authentic Quiche Lorraine was my favourite. As Hazel said, ‘Nothing like the omelette in a pastry case we get in England.’ And French chocolate isn’t bad, either.

Most gobsmackingly – I’m not sure that’s a word but it is now – I was astounded at the number of people who recognised me and were familiar with the books. Nearly everyone began the conversation with, ‘I read your first book, loved the humour, and bought all the others,’ so I have to pay tribute to translator Cindy Colin-Kapen who so cleverly retained the spirit and the humour of the original English. Humour doesn’t always translate to different countries and I’m pretty sure the world is frequently baffled by the things that make us Brits laugh our socks off.

And finally, massive thanks to everyone on both sides of the Channel who worked so hard to make our visit such a success - Isabelle, Evette, Charlotte, Eva, and Lou. And a special thanks to the two wonderful Eurostar attendants who took one look at us as we emerged from the rugby scrum that is the Eurostar queueing system and recognised two women in desperate need of wine. Merci beaucoup, guys.

Looking ahead – the next thing on the horizon is A Family Affair, out in August. I think there’s to be an event at Waterstones, Gloucester, to mark its publication, so please come along if you can. We can talk cheese.

And in September we have The Great Recovery Job at the Leonardo Hotel, Cheltenham. 19^th September 2026. Tickets are available now.

There will be:

Margaritas to drink

A reading from A Family Affair

Book signing

A buffet

Interactive gameplay

Safe cracking

Stolen artefacts to recover

Mysteries to solve

Margaritas to drink

I’m looking forward to seeing you there. As Karin says – The Timeline won’t save itself.

Jodi Taylor answers - Do you plan character arcs in advance or do they evolve as you write?

In this video, Jodi answers the question: Do you plan character arcs in advance, or do they evolve as you write? She shares insights into how characters develop across The Chronicles of St Mary’s series, whether stories are carefully planned or discovered along the way, and how unexpected moments can shape a narrative.

Filmed live at Stevenage Library, this fascinating conversation offers fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into character creation, storytelling, and the craft of writing memorable protagonists.

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

caption...

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

Jodi Taylor says…

‘Oh yes. Calvin Cutter – bless him. His one-sided telephone call to Marge, his PA, as she’s trying to have her baby in peace was so much fun to write.’

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:02:54 GMT

This week we have:

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor
1-7 June is Libraries Week in the UK - Jodi’s books are available for loan as an ebook and audiobook using the Libby app
Jodi Taylor answers - Max is such a distinctive character. How did her voice develop over time?
Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June
JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

Jodi Taylor answers - Max is such a distinctive character. How did her voice develop over time?

In this video, Jodi answers the question: Max is such a distinctive character, how did her voice develop over time? She shares insights into the evolution of Max, how the character’s personality and humour emerged through the writing process, and why readers have connected so strongly with her over the years.

Filmed live at Stevenage Library, this fascinating conversation offers fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into character creation, storytelling, and the craft of writing memorable protagonists.

1-7 June is Libraries Week in the UK - Jodi’s books are available for loan as an ebook and audiobook using the Libby app.

Did you know that many UK libraries offer free access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks through the Libby app?

If you’re a fan of Jodi Taylor’s books, it’s worth checking whether your local library service uses Libby. With a free library membership, you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks straight to your phone, tablet or e-reader at no cost. Many library services carry titles from The Chronicles of St Mary’s, Time Police and other Jodi Taylor series, making it a great way to discover new adventures or revisit old favourites.

Simply download the Libby app, sign in with your library card and start browsing. It’s quick, easy and completely free.

Please note: Jodi’s publishers do not supply to the Borrowbox app - only Libby.

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

caption...

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

Jodi Taylor says…

‘Oh yes. Calvin Cutter – bless him. His one-sided telephone call to Marge, his PA, as she’s trying to have her baby in peace was so much fun to write.’

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 20 May 2026 09:01:55 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - What’s in the pipeline
Jodi Taylor answers - How do you approach researching historical periods before writing them into your stories?
Jodi Taylor’s Book recommendation: A Degree of Murder by Maz Evans
MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: My Name Is Markham
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I’m sorry I don’t have much for you this week. I’ve run out of lettuces to slaughter, and I’ve been so busy at my desk that I’ve hardly had time to lift my head, let alone venture outside.

There are plans to publish another anthology of short stories, and because I feel strongly that there should be at least one new story included – and preferably two, if I can manage it – I’ve had to sit down and write them. The working titles are Home in Time for Tea, a St Mary’s story, and Clean- up Crew 29 – the Time Police. The anthology, Short on Time, will be published in paperback, ebook and audio on 20th May 2027, and I’ll be signing copies at Jodiworld 2027.

These are in addition to the Halloween short story – Who’s There? I’ve just seen the cover design for that one and it’s pretty cool – and the Christmas story – Twelfth Night. And I’ve nearly finished the first draft of Well, That Could Have Gone Better. Please note that the word well has made a reappearance. But given the vagaries of publishing it could well disappear again. Give it time.

(That’s a good title for a book.)

Plus, I’m off to France soon to attend Les Imaginales – the Festival of Imaginary Worlds. That’s come around quickly and now I’m starting to get very nervous. Travel. Foreign travel. What could possibly go wrong? It is more than possible that my next bulletin will be postmarked Iceland. Or New Zealand. Or possibly even Hawaii. Yes, my sense of direction is that bad.

Please note that there won’t be the usual email next week, as we will be sending updates from our travels and the festival.

I have to get back to work now- first drafts to complete.

Best wishes to all.

Jodi x

Jodi Taylor answers - How do you approach researching historical periods before writing them into your stories?

In this video, Jodi answers the question: How do you approach researching historical periods before writing them into your stories? She shares insights into her creative process, how she balances historical accuracy with storytelling, and the challenges of bringing real historical settings vividly to life in The Chronicles of St Mary’s and beyond.

Filmed live at Stevenage Library, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the research, inspiration, and imagination that shape Jodi’s much-loved time-travelling adventures.

A Degree of Murder by Maz Evans💙📚

This is a wonderfully clever black comedy of tangled relationships, sinister events, deception, downright lying, copious amounts of alcohol and inappropriate sex. Together with an impeccably timed series of shocks peppered throughout the whole book, I tore through the whole thing much, much too quickly. In fact, I loved it so much that I went straight back to the beginning to read it again, because I’m pretty sure some of the finer points passed me by.

There’s quite a large cast of well-drawn characters, and the victims, murderers and witnesses include:

Silly Tillie – the good time girl

Rob – the writer

Marty – the conspiracy theorist

JD – the wide boy

Lilah and Diana – the talented twins

Mags – the mature student

Ed – the boy with everything

Lawrence – the musician

Ryan – the tech giant

Bill – the tutor

The story is set in Bathory College and ranges over a twenty-five-year period from Graduation Day in 2000 to the Class Reunion of 2025 and is told by all the characters as they experience various important events in their lives, together with entertaining updates from the editor of the Bathory Bulletins – Tillie Johnson – a woman who, hilariously, genuinely has no idea what’s going on around her. Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick. Every time …

Not everyone survives – not by a long shot – and there’s twist upon twist at the end.

The best bit for me was that, for a large part of the book, the reader has no idea who the victim is, let alone the murderer. The court scenes are very cleverly handled and manage to contribute greatly to the story without giving anything away and the whole thing gallops along at a terrific pace.

Maz Evans has written two other books – That’ll Teach Her and Over My Dead Body which I think I’ll check out.

PS. And I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or otherwise, but is it possible that the university is named after Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer, also known as The Blood Countess? I do hope so.

Buy on Bookshop.org

Buy on Amazon

MAY - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the characters speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

My Name is Markham - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Christmas is coming to St Mary’s; as always, chaos is not far behind. With preparations underway for the first-ever Children’s Christmas Party, Mr Markham—security officer, reluctant participant, and long-suffering observer of historians—is pulled into the madness. Between questionable reindeer routines and unexpected “poo-dropping” incidents, the festivities are shaping up to be anything but ordinary.

But when Markham, Peterson, and Maxwell are dispatched on a mission to Anglo-Saxon England in 878 AD, things go from chaotic to catastrophic. Their objective? To observe King Alfred the Great burning the cakes and uncover the truth behind one of history’s most enduring legends. However, this is St Mary’s, where no mission is ever simple, and disaster lurks around every corner.

Told entirely from Markham’s perspective, this short story provides a refreshingly wry and sarcastic insight into life at St Mary’s, where security officers remain highly suspicious of historians, time travel is never predictable, and History refuses to behave.

Jodi Taylor says…

‘This is the one told by Markham himself. I wanted to give a tiny but tantalising glimpse of his background.’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:02:19 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - I nearly died the other night.
Jodi Taylor answers - Which historical era has been your favourite to write about, and why?
Jodi Taylor’s Book recommendation: Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher💙📚
The winner from the Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached entries is …
MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: My Name Is Markham
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I nearly died the other night.

Yes – honestly.

I’ve always been a little bit critical of people who have serious accidents in the home – I don’t know why – it’s not as if I haven’t had more than my fair share of domestic disasters, but the other night I very nearly died.

It began, as these things so frequently do, with a moth. Our building is infested with clothes moths. I do my bit with sticky moth paper, but if that fails – as it sometimes does – I hunt the buggers down manually. Believe me – I am relentless. A woman on a mission.

Anyway, I’d stayed up late to watch The Martian. As always, Matt Damon had worked his magic, and I was feeling relatively benign and relaxed. (I try not to go to bed after the ten o’clock news, the watching of which, believe me, leaves me anything but benign or relaxed.) Matt had been safely returned to his home planet, the world rejoiced, Sean Bean went off to play golf with his offspring, and I went to bed.

I have an armchair – on which, ironically, Inflatable Matt rests while we have our evening chat. He’s very sound on any number of subjects, agreeing with my every word, especially on that night’s topic du jour - the benefits of a coloured background in pastel painting. Who’d have thought? Anyway, it was as I was laying my neatly-folded clothes across the armchair – who am I kidding, I just tossed them any old how – but as I did so I glanced casually upwards.

AND THERE WAS A MOTH.

Bold as brass, happily ensconced in the angle between wall and ceiling.

But not for long.

Admittedly, I could have left it until morning – except that with my luck, the little bugger would swarm overnight – or whatever it is that moths do to reproduce – and lay a million eggs in my favourite wool coat – and then I’d never be rid of them. In fact, I’d probably have to emigrate to Canada to escape them. Canada, incidentally, still emails me regularly about emigration. How do I make them stop?

Back to the soon-to-be ex-moth. And the fact that I was very nearly an ex-author – poor Matt would have been an orphan. I climbed onto the armchair, swayed a little, discovered I was three inches too short – a recurring theme in my life – and balanced, somewhat precariously, on the arm of the chair. Think Angelina Jolie doing the curtains in that scene from Mr and Mrs Smith.

In a movement of unsurpassed agility, I lunged gracefully forward and upwards at the moth, the chair tilted, I overbalanced, and put out a hand to save myself. Which would have been a brilliant move if I hadn’t grabbed for the curtain instead of the wall. The curtain, you won’t be surprised to hear, was no support whatsoever. My arm went straight through the central gap between the two curtains, and I found myself falling forward.

And the window was open. Wide open.

The curtain and I were literally falling through the open window.

I live on the second floor.

I had choices. According to my trajectory, I would either impact on the sloping roof one floor down, roll heavily off the other end and impale myself on the rather sharp railing separating the flats from the street, or I’d overshoot the railings to splat heavily onto the probably very unforgiving pavement.

To be honest, neither had any great appeal.

By now, fifty percent of me was reaching the point of no return. Instinct took over. Which was just as well because the rest of me had nothing valuable to contribute to the situation. I grabbed at the curtain.

Which came off the curtain rail. These things are very fragile, aren’t they? However, it did slow me down fractionally. I grabbed at something with my other hand. Turned out to be the central upright in the window frame and for one really nasty moment I thought I was going to pull the whole frame out of its … its … window hole, or whatever the correct term is, and it was coming with me and if I didn’t survive the fall then I’d be featuring in the Afterlife’s Accident Book as Cause of Death – Cut to ribbons by glass in own bedroom window.

However, the curtain slowed my descent, and the window frame altered the angle of my trajectory. I fell heavily sideways, landing on the linen basket, which did nothing to break my fall but did gift me an interesting wicker pattern on one thigh. I hit the floor with a bit of a thud and, somewhat entangled in the curtain because I’d forgotten to let go, it came down with me.

To be honest, the whole thing happened so quickly, I was on the floor before I realised I was falling out of the window. If that makes sense.

Oh – and Inflatable Matt followed me down, so I can honestly claim, however briefly, to have been underneath Matt Damon. Probably not something he’d want widely known.

For anyone still interested – while I lived to fight another day, the moth did not.

Take care.

Jodi x

Jodi Taylor answers - Which historical era has been your favourite to write about, and why?

Recorded at Stevenage Library

Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher💙📚

This is another of T Kingfisher’s belting gothic horror stories.

The year is 1899 and this is the story of Sonia Wilson, a young scientific illustrator, desperate for a job – any job – after her father’s death leaves her penniless.

Arriving in North Carolina, she takes up a position with the slightly sinister Dr Halder, who hires her to illustrate his enormous collection of, quite frankly, even more sinister insects.

This is a T Kingfisher book, so obviously, it’s not long before strange things begin to happen. A sinister squirrel watches her through a window. An apparently insane possum that knows how to open doors. What horror is affecting the animals around this remote part of the state?

The winner from the Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached entries is…

Congratulations to Elaine Perkins who was voted, by readers, to be the winner. She has won a £50 gift voucher from Bookshop.org. CLICK HERE to read her entry.

Many thanks to everyone who entered. The next competition is a biggie - a play with the winning entry being performed at Jodiworld 2027. Details are to be announced in June.

MAY - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

My Name is Markham - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Jodi Taylor says…

‘This is the one told by Markham himself. I wanted to give a tiny but tantalising glimpse of his background.’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 06 May 2026 09:01:47 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - Stevenage Library and other news
Jodi Taylor answers - Did you always intend the series to blend history, humour, and chaos so closely?
It’s Time to Vote! Choose the winner from the Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached entries
Jodiworld - The Movie watch now
MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION
Short Story of the Month: My Name Is Markham
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, here I am, back at my desk after a brilliant visit to Stevenage Library. And before I go any further, many thanks to all the lovely staff there for hosting such a great event. The turnout was brilliant, and kudos to the organisers for putting all the troublemakers in the front row. Yes, I saw you. All of you.

Thanks to the unexpectedly glorious weather the trip to Stevenage was very pleasant. And, most importantly, very nearly flawless. The only problem came when, less than two hundred yards from our destination, the driver – who shall remain nameless to protect her identity, Hazel – allowed herself to be distracted by the nearby Wine Society and veered off into the wrong lane. So disappointing. However, the fault was soon rectified – there was constructive and friendly but completely unappreciated advice from me – and we were soon back on track.

There was another slight hiccup when we attempted to check into the wrong Holiday Inn – trust me, Stevenage is positively littered with Holiday Inns. We tried four different names and still they refused to let us in so we could lower the tone of their establishment with a couple of glasses of much-needed wine. Eventually, they conceded there was another Holiday Inn just around the corner so off we set again.

Incidentally, the second attempt was successful – obviously this one was much less fussy. I don’t actually drink before an event. The combination of alcohol and difficult questions plays havoc with my ever-diminishing coherence. But for those who want to know – yes, I did have a couple afterwards. Obviously I was extremely dehydrated because they disappeared faster than a politician’s promise.

Anyway – back to the event – successfully negotiated even though I still can’t handle a microphone properly. Sorry about that. And some of the questions were very interesting, requiring deep thought from me. See the para on alcohol above.

While we were away, I actually had an extremely busy couple of days, drafting a possible storyline for a new Elizabeth Cage book, having some deep thoughts about Smallhope and Pennyroyal 3, putting together some notes for a short story to accompany a possible new anthology of short stories (to be launched at Jodiworld 2027) – they’ve all been published before and I like to give my readers something new because of that – and pulled together more ideas for Time Police 7. I had to come home in the end because my notebook was full and the bottle was empty.

If anyone finds themselves in France at the end of May, I’m attending the Imaginales Festival at Epinales. I’m somewhat nervous since I’ve forgotten all the French I ever learned at school. I shall memorise the French for I’m sorry, my French is not very good. I did the same in Turkey and it was only when I eventually arrived back in England that I discovered I’d actually been saying I’m sorry, my Turkish is a cardboard box. Which, when you think about it, more than adequately conveys the message I was trying to get across.

Oh – while I think of it – check out the jodiworld.co.uk details – it’s all looking very exciting. I can’t wait for next May.

Update on The Kitchen Windowsill of Death.

On returning from Stevenage – they’re gone – they’re all gone.

Well, the surviving three have gone to my mother who has a firm hand with this sort of nonsense. How vividly I remember moments from my childhood – ‘Your leg’s dropped off? You’ve got another on the other side. No reason to miss school.’

So three were definitely dead when I arrived home. One hovered, unable to make up its mind – and the last three assumed the traditional droop the second I stepped into the kitchen.

On the plus side, the hydroponics are doing well. Three tomato plants, a pepper plant, a cucumber, three purple basil and something unnamed and sinister. I’m betting it’s a beanstalk.

I don’t know why the government bothers with Porton Down when they could just avail themselves of my apocalyptic horticultural talents.

Take care.

Jodi x

It's Time to Vote for the Winner of the Time Police Writing Competition

Jodi Taylor answers - Did you always intend the series to blend history, humour, and chaos so closely?

Recorded at Stevenage Library

It’s time to vote for the TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6 competition.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTRIES

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Jodiworld 2025 - THE MOVIE

The film is a joyful, slightly unhinged, utterly heartfelt celebration of everything we love:

The people
The pandemonium
The sheer brilliance of bringing this community together

If you haven’t yet watched it — pour yourself something suitably celebratory (margarita optional but encouraged), settle in, and prepare to lose track of time all over again.

CLICK HERE to watch

MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

My Name is Markham - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Jodi Taylor says…

‘This is the one told by Markham himself. I wanted to give a tiny but tantalising glimpse of his background.’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:02:05 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - What I’m Reading Right Now
Jodi Taylor answers - What originally inspired the concept behind The Chronicles of St Mary’s? at Stevenage Library
Out of Time is a May Kindle Monthly deal - just 99p or 99 cents
NEW EVENT: The Great Recovery Job Is Coming…
The Jodiworld Website: Reborn
Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached read the entries
April audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
Short Story of the Month: The Great St Mary’s Day Out - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

The Ending Writes Itself - I was so intrigued by this title and the accompanying blurb. A group of writers are invited to a remote Scottish island by – they think – the world’s most famous author, Arthur Fletch.

On their arrival, however, the excited writers are met with the news that Arthur Fletch died four weeks ago, leaving his hugely anticipated final book only half-completed, and they – the writers – are invited to finish the book. A competition. At stake is a fee of £1 million sterling, plus another £1 million advance on a three-book contract from the world’s leading publishers.

I can’t tell you how I sat up on reading that. Two million pounds! And then made a note to have a word with Hazel and Headline. Well, you never know your luck, do you?

Not surprisingly, each of them – a husband and wife writing team, a horror story writer, a romantic novelist, a Sci-Fi guy, and a YA author- immediately set to work.

Well, wouldn’t you? Two million pounds!

The surprise is that these authors are not themselves famous, well-known, or even particularly successful. They’re what’s known as mid-list. They’re not dreadful, but not leaders in their genre, either. Given it’s the world’s most hotly anticipated last book, you would think Arthur Fletch’s agent and editor – both of whom are managing the contest – could do much better, wouldn’t you?

So why haven’t they?

What is the point of all this?

Sorry, I can’t help you with that because I haven’t finished the book yet – I have to get the Halloween story, Who’s There? – off to Headline this week.

So, obviously, I’m not going to finish the book this week, but I can’t wait to find out what it’s all about. I already have my own theory.

There are mysterious doors and secret passages. The lights go out at just the wrong moment. And someone’s just fallen down the stairs. Complete with a manual typewriter and we all know they’re not light so that’s not going to do her any good at all.

And more good things ahead. Next up on my reading list is Band of Others by MH Foster, the third in the Gentle Apocalypse series. Closely followed by the latest in the Flavia Alba series, There Will be Bodies; T Kingfisher’s Wolf Worm; and Massacre at Market Middling by P J Fitzsimmons.

Oh – and Daggerbound is due in August – the next book in T Kingfisher’s Swordheart series – a favourite of mine. And The Player in the Game – Book 3 of Karen Baugh Menuhin’s Alexander Wolfe series comes out in July.

I don’t know if anyone’s noticed but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day for all the reading we want to do.

Update on the Kitchen Windowsill of Death. It’s carnage here – like an Agatha Christie murder mystery on steroids. I started with twelve lettuces. Two died thirty seconds after I potted them on. One keeled over last week and one is not looking at all well. The bodies are piling up faster than they did in And Then There Were None – and I’m now down to eight. Whether any of them will live long enough to be eaten by me remains to be seen.

Happy Reading!

Jodi x

Jodi Taylor answers - What originally inspired the concept behind The Chronicles of St Mary’s? recorded at Stevenage Library

Out of Time is a May Kindle Monthly deal - just 99p or 99 cents

The Great Recovery Job

An immersive, interactive heist experience set in the world of Smallhope & Pennyroyal

Event Date: Saturday 19th September 2026
Venue: Leonardo Hotel Cheltenham

Expect intrigue, puzzles, suspicious characters, and a timeline in serious jeopardy…

You will take on the role of Recovery Agents, tasked with retrieving priceless historical artefacts, solving clues, and thwarting a series of audacious thefts. Failure is… not recommended.

And presiding over it all:

Jodi Taylor will be there throughout the event and will be giving an evening reading from Smallhope & Pennyroyal: A Family Affair — with the opportunity to purchase a hardback first edition and have it signed.

Ticket Details - CLICK HERE to buy now

Price: £60

Your ticket includes:

Full immersive event experience
A large and varied buffet (with dietary needs catered for)
Reading from Jodi Taylor
Book signing opportunity
And yes… margaritas are promised

With space for just 150 attendees, this is set to be an intimate, high-energy, gloriously chaotic event.

Buy tickets now

Discounted hotel room rates will also be available ~ booking codes will be sent after ticket purchase.

The Jodiworld Website: Reborn

The site is now live at jodiworld.co.uk, and it’s your new hub for everything Jodiworld 2027 and beyond.

A few important things to know as you step through the portal:

You will need to create a new login ~ previous logins won’t carry over
You can toggle between light and dark mode using the widget at the bottom of the page
The Scarab icon at the top will always return you safely to the Home Page
The Obelisk icon at the bottom will whisk you neatly back to the top

We’ve designed it to be intuitive, immersive, and just a little bit magical ~ a digital extension of the Jodiworld experience itself.

You can now register your interest for Jodiworld 2027 directly on the site by logging in (with a new login and password).

Memberships for Jodiworld 2027 will be released in late Summer 2026 ~ giving you plenty of time to explore the new site and begin planning your return to the chaos.

Visit the website

CLICK HERE to read the entries

APRIL - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

The Great St Mary’s Day Out - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Astonishingly, Dr Bairstow has declared a holiday. Even more astonishingly – he’s paying for it.

Needless to say, there are strings attached. They have to record the 1601 performance of Hamlet, with Shakespeare himself in the role of the Ghost.

It doesn’t go well, of course. With Dr Bairstow and Mrs Mack turning a simple visit to a street market into a public brawl, Professor Rapson inadvertently stowing away on a vessel bound for the New World, and Shakespeare himself going up in flames, it would seem that Max, of all people, is the only one actually completing the assignment.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘I challenged myself to get the words “Dr Bairstow” and “selfie” in the same
sentence. Challenge accepted!’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:01:46 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - Insomnia
Jodi Taylor Book Recommendation - The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell
Out of Time is out in paperback on 23rd April 2026
Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached read the entries
April audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
Short Story of the Month: The Great St Mary’s Day Out - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I’m accustomed to getting up at two am in the morning because there’s a piece of dialogue running through my brain that I just have to write down. Now. Immediately. Before it all fades away. Because thoughts in my brain have the life expectancy of a frog in a blender. I have to pin them down there and then or they are gone forever.

I’m actually writing this at 2:16 AM on Tuesday the something of April – seriously, do I look like someone who knows what day of the week it is? At least I think it’s Tuesday. It was Monday when I went to bed and I slept for one hour and forty-five minutes and then I spent about an hour thinking about Time Police 7 so yes – Tuesday.

It’s the small hours anyway, there are no lights on anywhere, no traffic, and it’s dead quiet and I’m feeling like the only person in the world.

Insomnia is lonely but at least I put mine to good use. If I ever slept more than three or four hours a day I wouldn’t be half as productive. I keep a pad by the bed and scribble ideas, or doodle, or, when things get really bad – get up and start moving the furniture around.

I don’t mean like a poltergeist or anything – I mean rearranging, I’ll start with a chair and then the coffee table and then another chair – I do have two chairs! – and then rearrange my bookcases, and then fire up my laptop and write up my notes and ideas, toy with the idea of taking up painting again, have another cup of tea, watch the sun come up, and then fall heavily asleep for an hour or so, and wake up feeling dreadful. I’ll have a shower, answer the phone – it doesn’t matter at what time I shower, Hazel invariably calls when I’m in the middle of it. She says it’s a gift. I stare at the damp ring on the carpet, make another cup of tea and get on with the day.

None of that really seems normal, does it?

It’s just that my brain never stops. It actually wakes me up and says, I know how you can get Max out of her latest predicament. You’ll need to rewrite all of Chapter Three and most of Chapter Four, so get cracking.

And I have to do it if I want any sleep at all. I’m writing this in bed, and then I’ll type it up and send it to Hazel because she once told me she keeps her phone by the bed and it will chirp or light up or something and that will be two of us wide awake then.

Maybe not. Seems a bit selfish.

I bought some cheese today. From Stroud. It’s called Three Virgins. The cheese not Stroud. I’ve no idea why it’s called Three Virgins but it’s very nice. My sister-in-law swears by Baron Bigod. An award-winning Brie made by a British company. Me and Gromit – we like Wensleydale – The Prince Among Cheeses.

Yeah – it’s 2.36 in the morning and I’m writing about cheese.

Bloody insomnia.

Jodi x

PS: very much looking forward to seeing some of you at the event at Stevenage Library next Monday 27th April. There are still a few tickets left if you’d like to come. I will be signing books there too.

Click here for tickets

The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell💙📚

I’ve just finished this book and don’t quite know how I feel about it which, I think, is good. We should all have a bit of a shake-up every now and then. To close a book and then have to spend some time thinking about it is no bad thing.

The White Octopus Hotel is very nicely written and who doesn’t love a perfect hotel that gives you everything you need – including the appropriate clothes to wear for the day, a comb that actually ‘does’ your hair for you, and the perfect lipstick.

It is not, however, a particularly cosy read and the twin themes of grief and regret entwine the story rather like the octopus tentacles that crop up everywhere.

I came away enchanted, bewildered, and thoughtful. I’d love to hear the views from other people who have read it.

Buy now on Amazon

“I was intrigued by this one, mostly because I thoroughly enjoyed the books in this series, but the Welsh setting was a clincher that gave me many laughs, as I live in Wales. The author managed to keep the stereotypical characters to a minimum, and the Welsh phrases were just enough detail. I find the ability to write different plot elements and characters and keep them engaging is awesome. If this is the last, then it certainly makes a superb ending.”

Five-star Amazon review

Order from Amazon

Order from Bookshop.org

CLICK HERE to read the entries

It’s time for another fun writing competition. This time we want you to invent the TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6, then write the incident that caused the rule to exist.

Tone: Deadpan bureaucratic logic meets total time-travel disaster.

How It Works

Write Regulation 847.6 (overly specific, official sounding).
Write the timeline incident that forced the Time Police to create it.
Show the chaos escalating logically but absurdly.

Style Guidelines

Formal report tone
Ridiculous problem treated seriously
Increasingly specific details
Bureaucracy making everything worse

Your Entry Should Include

A named officer or department
A time-travel mistake
Escalation into disaster
The creation of Regulation 847.6

Recommended length: 400–800 words
Minimum: 200 words
Maximum: 1,200 words

Example Regulation
Regulation 847.6: Officers are prohibited from scheduling overlapping historical revolutions without prior clearance from Administrative Chronology and a completed Form 847.6-C (Revolution Sequencing).

So get your thinking caps on, write your regulation and then a short report explaining why it was created.

The prize will be a £50 gift card from Bookshop.org

Closing date is 30th April and the winner will be chosen by reader poll from 1st - 12th of May with the winner announced in the May 13th newsletter.

CLICK HERE to enter

APRIL - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

The Great St Mary’s Day Out - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Astonishingly, Dr Bairstow has declared a holiday. Even more astonishingly – he’s paying for it.

Needless to say, there are strings attached. They have to record the 1601 performance of Hamlet, with Shakespeare himself in the role of the Ghost.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘I challenged myself to get the words “Dr Bairstow” and “selfie” in the same
sentence. Challenge accepted!’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:01:50 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - news and reviews
Jodi Taylor Book Recommendation- The Terror of Tannery Lane by MRC Kasasian
Out of Time is out in paperback on 23rd April 2026
New! Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached
April audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
Short Story of the Month: The Great St Mary’s Day Out - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I went to see Project Hail Mary last night (CLICK HERE to watch the trailer). Another staggeringly good book from Andy Weir made into another staggeringly good film. Nothing was as I’d imagined it in my head, especially Rocky and his spaceship. I’d imagined Rocky as more of a giant horseshoe crab, but his spaceship was a hundred times more beautiful than anything I’d imagined.

Even though I knew what would happen, the suspense was still there, and I was as emotionally invested as I was with Matt Damon and his potatoes. Ryan Gosling does a great job, but for me, Rocky was the star of the show

I’m not going to give the plot away just in case there are people who haven’t seen or read it, but I was encouraged to see Andy Weir’s involvement. I think author involvement really makes a difference. I still remember the dreadful attempt at Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch series. You have to admit it takes skill and dedication to make the worst adaptation ever out of some of the best books ever

And finally, something fairly dull but quite important to me. I’m a member of the Society of Authors and they, in conjunction with a few other organisations, have launched a Human Authored scheme. This is a register of books by human authors and is being compiled for those who want the choice of AI-free material.

The register will contain details of books that have no contribution by generative AI. The creativity is all human.

I’m currently in the middle of registering my own books. Even though it’s only for books published after 2020 at the moment, I have to register every ISBN for every format, and it’s taking me a while. Hence, only a short contribution this week.

The good news, however, is that I’ve nearly finished both the Halloween and Christmas short stories, and I’ve been able to pick up St Mary’s 15 again - Well That Could Have Gone Better.

Max is, rather like the author, literally all over the place in this one. Actually, just like the author. On finishing this, my next task is to dispose of the remains of the latest victim of the Kitchen Windowsill of Death. Yes – another formerly perfectly healthy plant has bitten the dust. I’m down to just the baby lettuce now. There were twelve – two are dead, and another one’s looking very dodgy. The casualty list will be updated next week.

Take care and probably best to stay away from my kitchen windowsill.

Jodi x

PS: Congratulations to Joy Wright, winner of the St Mary’s Incident Report Competition. I read all the entries and really enjoyed them. I hope you will have fun with our next competition - details below.

The Terror of Tannery Lane by MRC Kasasian

MRC Kasasian is on fine form with this latest murder mystery, featuring his latest heroine, Lady Violet Thorn.

Lady Violet is unwillingly involved when she overhears a young woman accuse a sinister married couple of murdering her parents and living in their house. When the police refused to believe this young lady, Lady Violet takes matters into her own hands. Her investigation includes breaking into the house at the dead of night – not standard behaviour for Victorian ladies – and stumbling across some unexpected bodies.

I’ve always enjoyed MRC Kasasian’s books. His first series featured the eccentric Gower Street detective – Sydney Grice – together with his assistant and biographer, March Middleton and are excellent murder mysteries.

Five-star Amazon review

Order from Amazon

Order from Bookshop.org

It’s time for another fun writing competition. This time we want you to invent the TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6, then write the incident that caused the rule to exist.

Tone: Deadpan bureaucratic logic meets total time-travel disaster.

How It Works

Write Regulation 847.6 (overly specific, official sounding).
Write the timeline incident that forced the Time Police to create it.
Show the chaos escalating logically but absurdly.

Style Guidelines

Formal report tone
Ridiculous problem treated seriously
Increasingly specific details
Bureaucracy making everything worse

Your Entry Should Include

A named officer or department
A time-travel mistake
Escalation into disaster
The creation of Regulation 847.6

Recommended length: 400–800 words
Minimum: 200 words
Maximum: 1,200 words

Example Regulation
Regulation 847.6: Officers are prohibited from scheduling overlapping historical revolutions without prior clearance from Administrative Chronology and a completed Form 847.6-C (Revolution Sequencing).

So get your thinking caps on, write your regulation and then a short report explaining why it was created.

The prize will be a £50 gift card from Bookshop.org

Closing date is 30th April and the winner will be chosen by reader poll from 1st - 12th of May with the winner announced in the May 13th newsletter.

CLICK HERE to enter

APRIL - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

The Great St Mary’s Day Out - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Astonishingly, Dr Bairstow has declared a holiday. Even more astonishingly – he’s paying for it.

Needless to say, there are strings attached. They have to record the 1601 performance of Hamlet, with Shakespeare himself in the role of the Ghost.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘I challenged myself to get the words “Dr Bairstow” and “selfie” in the same
sentence. Challenge accepted!’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:01:06 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - The Kitchen Windowsill of Death
New! Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached
NEW! April audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
NEW! Short Story of the Month: The Great St Mary’s Day Out - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

The Kitchen Windowsill of Death.

I don’t know if I’ve actually mentioned the Kitchen Windowsill of Death before – if I haven’t then let me introduce you to the Kitchen Windowsill of Death – the place where plants go to die. There have been battlefields with fewer victims and less carnage than my kitchen window sill. So far, we’ve seen off four cyclamen, two poinsettias – I’ve still got one left – I’m pretty sure it’s dead but it just doesn’t know it yet. Where was I? Yes – together with a couple of basil plants and a clump of supposedly indestructible lemon balm.

The only thing that has ever survived unscathed is a rather pretty purple orchid and that’s only because it’s artificial. I’m expecting it to go down with plastic rot any moment now

Matters came to a head today. I bought a fresh-baked cottage loaf and a big purple daisy plant from the market. Fear not – the fresh-baked cottage loaf is severely depleted but thriving. The plant, however – different story. Thirty minutes after being tenderly unwrapped and set out on the KWOD and told to behave itself, we had major wilting. An hour later we had petal fall. Now, two hours later the leaves have gone limp and any moment now it’s going to pass peacefully into the next world.

It’s not as if conditions on the sill aren’t ideal. It’s a big bay window with glass on three sides so there’s plenty of light. Not a lot of cooking actually takes place – let’s not go there – so the temperature is fairly constant and I’m at a complete loss to explain the massive number of casualties to date. House plants, flowering plants, tomatoes, lettuces, herbs, Christmas plants – it’s just one long, sad, silent promenade of death. My kitchen windowsill is horticulture’s answer to the Bermuda Triangle.

I’m considering a scientific experiment. Two bowls of fruit. Identical bowls – identical fruit. One will be placed on the KWOD and the other in, say, my bedroom, which has the same aspect so the experiment will be fair to both. I think it will be interesting to see which one lingers longest. Or, in another and completely unrelated experiment – how long the fruit will survive without being eaten.

PS – It’s only just occurred to me – suppose, just suppose, it’s not just the windowsill but the whole kitchen that is lethal to life. In which case my reluctance to embark on culinary adventures has probably saved my life. Supposing an average of three meals a day – and setting aside the normal culinary hazards I face on a daily basis – exactly how long would I have lasted? I might have gone the same way as the poinsettias some years ago.

I’ve always maintained cooking is bad for your health and it’s gratifying to be proved right.

Jodi x

It’s time for another fun writing competition. This time we want you to invent the TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6, then write the incident that caused the rule to exist.

Tone: Deadpan bureaucratic logic meets total time-travel disaster.

How It Works

Write Regulation 847.6 (overly specific, official sounding).
Write the timeline incident that forced the Time Police to create it.
Show the chaos escalating logically but absurdly.

Style Guidelines

Formal report tone
Ridiculous problem treated seriously
Increasingly specific details
Bureaucracy making everything worse

Your Entry Should Include

A named officer or department
A time-travel mistake
Escalation into disaster
The creation of Regulation 847.6

Recommended length: 400–800 words
Minimum: 200 words
Maximum: 1,200 words

Example Regulation
Regulation 847.6: Officers are prohibited from scheduling overlapping historical revolutions without prior clearance from Administrative Chronology and a completed Form 847.6-C (Revolution Sequencing).

So get your thinking caps on, write your regulation and then a short report explaining why it was created.

The prize will be a £50 gift card from Bookshop.org

Closing date is 30th April and the winner will be chosen by reader poll from 1st - 12th of May with the winner announced in the May 13th newsletter.

CLICK HERE to enter

APRIL - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

The Great St Mary’s Day Out - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Astonishingly, Dr Bairstow has declared a holiday. Even more astonishingly – he’s paying for it.

Needless to say, there are strings attached. They have to record the 1601 performance of Hamlet, with Shakespeare himself in the role of the Ghost.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘I challenged myself to get the words “Dr Bairstow” and “selfie” in the same
sentence. Challenge accepted!’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:01:27 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - The Bucket List
The Sands of Time anthology has raised £1452.22 for Scope
Free short story - The Coo of Warning
The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition - ta dah! the winner is Joy Wright with Boudicca’s Breeze
NEW! April audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
NEW! Short Story of the Month: The Great St Mary’s Day Out - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

The Bucket List

I was in the post office today, sending off a truly colossal box, jam-packed full of chocolate eggs. For my two granddaughters. Trust me, there was enough chocolate in that box to guarantee a sugar rush that will last until next Christmas and beyond. How their parents will love me. I think it’s fair to say I won’t be winning the Granny of the year 2026. Again. Nor last year’s either. Apparently, my nomination must have been lost in the post

It was while staring vacantly around the post office, I was impressed by the range of their merchandise these days. I’ve grown accustomed to stationary supplies, writing implements and so forth. And when they branched out into greetings cards, yes, I could see how that was related, but now we have packets of garden seeds - fruit and veg

You can just imagine the scene, can’t you? To be read in a broad Yorkshire accent. ‘Now then, Edna, I’m just off down t’ post office for me brassica seeds.’

And alongside the seeds – perfume! What? There’s even a large notice inviting customers to try before they buy. Leading to the next stage of the conversation, ‘All right James – and while you’re buying your brassicas at the post office can you bring me back some Chanel No 5. Or Opium, if they’ve got some in this week.’

Madness, I tell you. Madness.

Anyway joining the queue, I found myself alongside the greetings card spinner and I noticed a card where two elderly ladies were discussing their Bucket List

I don’t have a Bucket List. I am entirely without a desire to climb Everest, plant a tree, sing at the Albert Hall, cook a meal from which people can walk away afterwards, meet the Dalai Lama, sail the Atlantic in a bucket – you name it, I have absolutely no desire to do it.

And then I had a brilliant idea – I wouldn’t have a Bucket List – I’d have a Phucket List (spelling adjusted so as not to cause offence.) I would make a list of all the things I definitely didn’t want to do and had no intention ever of doing. Ever.

Jodi’s Phucket List.

Housework – I do housework twice a year. The longest day and the shortest day, because I feel very strongly that my house should be clean for Christmas.

Cooking – well, that’s not going to surprise anyone. Cooking seems such a waste of microwaves and easy to open packets.

Drive – there was a family intervention. Apparently, I’m hurting the ones who love me.

Read Thomas Hardy – Yeah, not a chance.

Eat/drink cabbage/garlic/milky tea – Yuk.

Sunbathe – Four minutes and I look like an overcooked tomato.

Respect our leaders – Nope, never going to happen. Not in a million, zillion years. A bunch of inept half-wits whose talents are in no way commensurate with the size of their egos.

Travel – I get carsick, seasick, air sick and train sick. I only need bicycle sick and that’s a full house. I wonder if you can get walking sick – which brings me neatly to my next phucket.

Exercise – my doctor said I should walk for half an hour a day, minimum. I told him my flat is very small and no matter how slowly I walk from my bedroom to my living room it’s not going to take me thirty minutes to get there. I think, he thinks, I live in Blenheim palace.

Grow old gracefully – Yeah, fat chance. My great Aunty Dolly lived in a residential home and every afternoon they gathered around the TV to watch the horse-racing. With a couple of bottles. They had an account with the local bookie and once a week someone went in to settle up. That’s my idea of residential care.

So there we are. I only composed that list twenty minutes ago and look – I’ve ticked off all of them already. For a guaranteed sense of achievement, why not compile your very own Phucket List?

Jodi x

Many thanks to everyone who has purchased The Sands of Time anthology which contains the winning entries from the David Sands writing competition.

So far the book has raised £1452.22 for Scope - here is their message of thanks:

How your donation helps

This year, over 3 million disabled people will turn to Scope for support. It is because of the generous gifts from people like you that we can continue to provide practical and emotional support, through our Helpline, employment support services, family services and Disability Energy Support, making sure that we are there whenever someone needs us.

The book is still available in paperback and ebook formats - CLICK HERE to buy a copy

Click here to read The Coo of Warning

The winner is….

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed and voted in this competition - it was great fun and there were some excellent entries.

The winner is Joy Wright and they have won a £50 gift card from Bookshop.org

CLICK HERE to enjoy Joy’s winning entry - Boudicca's Breeze

Watch out for a new competition next week.

APRIL - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

The Great St Mary’s Day Out - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Astonishingly, Dr Bairstow has declared a holiday. Even more astonishingly – he’s paying for it.

Needless to say, there are strings attached. They have to record the 1601 performance of Hamlet, with Shakespeare himself in the role of the Ghost.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘I challenged myself to get the words “Dr Bairstow” and “selfie” in the same
sentence. Challenge accepted!’

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:03:22 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - Pre-prison ramblings
The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition - it’s time to judge the entries CLICK HERE to vote
LAST CHANCE TO ENTER! March audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
Short Story of the Month: Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, here I am in the enviable position of having finished A Family Affair – edits and all – just Zara to record it now, I think. So that’s all done and dusted.

The fifteenth St Mary’s book – Well, That Could Have Gone Better – is coming along. I think I’m going to make the deadline.

I’m making good progress with the Christmas story – Twelfth Night. I’ve done the usual thing – written the end, and then the beginning, and now I just need to get to grips with the middle bit. Or the plot, as my editor will insist on calling it – so that’s a good start.

And I’m in credit with all my Substack contributions, so – yeah – all in all, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Until …

I spent Tuesday grappling with my boiler. No hot water for eight days. I wasn’t stinky, or anything – well, I didn’t think I was. People weren’t reeling backwards holding their noses, which, I think, is quite a good sign – and because I’m innovative and inventive, I was doing clever things with kettles and washing up bowls and wet wipes. Anyway, two boiler man visits later, they came to the conclusion it wasn’t the boiler – it was the meter. I had one of those old, black, radio-controlled things, and it wasn’t switching from night to day properly. Or even at all. Literally two hours later – many thanks, Octopus – meter man was knocking on my door, and only an hour later I was smartmeter woman. Ta -da!

Let’s not start that again.

He left – in a cloud of my gratitude and thanks – leaving me to anticipate a long hot bath and unguents. Which was the moment the little smartmeter display told me I had a message.

Willingly embracing this magic new technology, I tapped on read, and it told me I now owed Octopus £1881.00. And I’d only had it for twenty-five minutes.

I like to think I’m fairly resilient, but it was a nasty moment. I know energy prices are rocketing, but even so … To cut a long story and several blistering emails short, the engineer had transposed the readings from my old meter, and my supposed debt has been wiped. Phew! Not that I would have paid it anyway. I was already envisaging cancelling my direct debit, fighting off bailiffs and being hauled off to prison while defiantly singing Dame Ethel Smyth’s The March of the Women.

I mentioned this to my poor editor when she rang, and she informed me that, actually, they do allow you to write in prison. In fact, with all that wonderful publicity, it’s usually a sure-fire route to bestsellerhood. Looking back on the conversation, she actually seemed very keen for prison to happen, but I’m sure that’s just my imagination.

Anyway, the point of her telephone call – and all these boiler-related ramblings – was for her to ask me if I would like to write a short story for Halloween. Nothing massive – only about twenty thousand words. By June.

Well, obviously, that was out of the question with these other projects still outstanding. To say nothing of my crying need for immersion in hot water. With unguents. I opened my mouth to decline, politely, because my mother likes me to tell people I wasn’t raised by wolves – and it came out as, ‘Yes, I’d love to.’

Sometimes I think Bolshy Jane isn’t the figment of my imagination; I tell people she is.

So there you are, folks. An extra short story this year. I’ve no idea about what or where or when or why. Or even the title. I do know it will be a Team 236 story, and things won’t go well. Other than that …

PS – As you were on completing A Family Affair. Not one hour later, another round of queries from the proofreader. Back to the typeface.

PPS – The Halloween short story might be titled Who’s There? On the other hand, it might not. What is life without a little suspense?

PPPS – The army has just marched past. I’m not sure in what context. I’m not going to get any work done today, am I?

Jodi x

It’s time to judge the entries! Hurry, you’ve only got a week to help choose the winner…

The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition - please read all the entries CLICK HERE

Judging is by a reader poll from 25th March, and the winner will be announced on 31st March. Please CLICK HERE to vote

MARCH - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Buy now from Bookshop.uk - UK USA

A loaded gun has been left behind in ancient Egypt and it’s up to Max, Peterson and Markham to get it back as quickly and as quietly as possible. Before it goes off and kills someone. Leaving them with the more than tricky task of trailing their colleagues but always remaining unobserved. The slightest misstep and they’ll be up to their necks in paradoxes.

There are the usual perils and problems – the heat, the dust, the insects… and then Max inadvertently poisons Mr Markham.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘This is what happened when I was bored and there wasn’t anything on TV and I was reduced to reading the small print on a can of WD40.’

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:40 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - A failed cottage pie or a brand-new culinary invention?
Jodi Taylor’s Book Recommendation: Flint in the Bones - The first book in The Norwich Map Runners Series, by Eva St John.
The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition read the first entries
March audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
Short Story of the Month: Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Seriously – how does this happen? How is it even possible? I’m just gobsmacked. More than gobsmacked, actually, but I don’t know the word for more than gobsmacked.

Gobsmacker? You’re gobsmacked but I’m even gobsmacker?

Not important right now.

The facts.

Lunch – I made Cottage Pie and when I took it out of the air-fryer it was soup.

SOUP!

What?

How can that even happen? How could I take mince, chopped carrots and leeks, brown them in the wok because I couldn’t find the frying pan, season well, cover everything in mashed potatoes, dot everything liberally with butter and brown in the air-fryer for 30 minutes and end up with soup?

Well – brown for twenty-six minutes actually, because I was both hungry and impatient.

Was that where I went wrong?

I carefully removed it from the air-fryer using a tea towel because the oven gloves were in the same place as the frying pan.

Was that where I went wrong?

The Cottage Pie looked fabulous, with a lovely golden-brown crust and gravy bubbling around the edges. I grabbed the fish slice fully intending to cut it in half and lay a thick slab of deliciousness on my plate …

Soup!

I had to find a spoon and ladle it out of the dish, discovering, too late, that you can’t serve soup on a plate. In the end, I found a bowl, which, believe it or not, was in the same place as the oven gloves and the frying pan – and literally poured the cottage pie into it.

At this point, I should say it was delicious. Truly scrumptious. I’ve invented a new soup and trust me, it’s streets ahead of my Leek and Potato effort, which, in addition to being grey and inedible, turned the plug rusty. Frankly, it took the shine off me, as well. I’ve more or less avoided soup ever since.

It was so delicious that when I’d finished, I went back for the other half, which was actually intended for tomorrow. Well, that was never going to happen. Not now, anyway.

I drank the second portion as well, and it was as good as the first.

I have absolutely no idea what went wrong. I’ve made this dish hundreds of times before. I’ve burned it. I’ve forgotten it and left it in the oven for a month. I’ve forgotten to put the meat in, but never before has soupocity been an issue. If anyone has any helpful suggestions for:

A) preventing this from ever happening again

B) identifying where it all went wrong, or

C) marketing this exciting new food stuff

Then please give me a shout, and we’ll get rich together.

Jodi x

Flint in the Bones - The first book in The Norwich Map Runners Series, by Eva St John.

I bought this some time ago, and I don’t know why I didn’t get around to reading it sooner, because I really loved it. The plot is very different – a mixture of time travel, police procedure, magic and murder mystery. And it’s great to see urban fantasy set somewhere other in London. I now have an overpowering urge to visit Norwich.

Poor old Norwich has experienced some sort of magical and temporal cataclysm, resulting in different people from different time periods suddenly being dumped in the present which, since there’s no warning, can result in a wild ride for its inhabitants. And a bit of a shock for the actual occupants of an old house who can suddenly find twenty other people all claiming to live there.

The characters are vivid and very well drawn and I loved the dog, Harry.

I never liked to give away too much of the plot but police detective Eliza Barnaby manages to fall foul of a couple of rather unpleasant London magical practitioners and finds herself seconded to Norwich to bring back an escaped and homicidal renegade magician who manages to confuse Eliza by saving her life.

There’s magic, wolves, Puritans – as irritating today as they’ve always been – bad tempered sheriffs, nuns, the Lady Julian, and an engaging Springer spaniel.

Book two – Fire in the Flint – will be out on the 26^th of March – so not long to wait – which is just as well because I’m not famed for my patience and I can’t wait to find out what happens next – and there’s even a third book – Blood in the Maps – published on the 26^th of November this year, so lots to look forward to. Both these titles are available for pre-order.

Buy now on Amazon

The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition - to read entries so far CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to enter. Closing date is 24th March 2026. Judging will be by a reader poll from 25th March with the winner announced on 31st March

MARCH - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Buy now from Bookshop.uk - UK USA

There are the usual perils and problems – the heat, the dust, the insects… and then Max inadvertently poisons Mr Markham.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘This is what happened when I was bored and there wasn’t anything on TV and I was reduced to reading the small print on a can of WD40.’

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:03:12 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor - A Day in the Life of St Mary’s – the inspiration behind the chaos
Jodi Taylor’s book recommendation - The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition read the first entries
March audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
News of a new short story - The Coo of Warning
Short Story of the Month: Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

A Day in the Life of St Mary’s – the inspiration behind the chaos.

I don’t really need inspiration – I find everything chaotic. I’m the one for whom the system always goes wrong. People stand in front of me and swear blind this particular catastrophe has never ever happened before. Not in the whole history of the world. Until I turned up.

I’m the person for whom the turnstile jams on the underground. I’m the one who, while trying to do something technical involving QR codes, phone and laptop suffers a simultaneous failure of all three. Something else that apparently can’t possibly happen. Well, I have news for you, sunshine.

And disasters don’t come in threes – they come in multiples of threes. Always.

For instance – and no names here because this was an actual day in my life –

I was passing the offspring’s bedroom when I heard him talking to his bedside lamp. I went in and you know how, sometimes, you’re not sure whether they are actually ill or just have a maths test later that day. He was ill. A temperature of about three hundred and fifty, scarlet, sweating, and quite delirious.

I tried to call for help. No response. I shot next door, got my neighbour up and we drove to the medical centre. They had no idea what was wrong with him and there was a great deal of discussion over whether to admit him or not. In the meantime, I was dealing with a sulky boss who didn’t like women because they always prioritised their family over their work obligations. Anyway, they let us go home with lots of instructions about keeping him – the offspring, not the boss – calm and quiet.

On the return journey, we pranged the car. Not hugely but it’s not what you need on a day that’s already going badly. Fortunately, the offspring was asleep and never stirred.

Back home, I stretched him out on the sofa because we lived in a tall narrow house and I didn’t have the energy for all those stairs. He was fast asleep and neither of us had eaten and it was now about 3.00pm so I thought we should have something to eat.

I set fire to the chip pan.

Yes, I know.

Actually, I had a bit of a rep for this sort of thing – someone once refused to live next door to me, would you believe? – but, trust me, I was magnificent. I kept my head and did all the things you’re supposed to.

I soaked and wrung out a tea towel and tossed it onto the flames. What they don’t tell you is that the kitchen fills – instantly – with thick, black, acrid smoke that blinds you, makes you cough and you can’t find the door. Which I’d closed so as not to disturb the slumbering offspring because I am a good mother. Honestly.

Again, I was magnificent. I dropped to the floor, located the skirting board and crawled around until I found the door. I opened and shut as quickly as possible so the fumes wouldn’t disturb – or kill – the offspring, and crawled out onto the front lawn where I lay for a while, having a bit of a cough.

Stage 2 of the accepted procedure – this was quite a long time ago – the offspring did survive to achieve adulthood – is to clash together two dustbin lids and shout, ‘Fire! Fire! Fire!’ Which I duly did.

Absolutely nothing happened. Nothing at all. Eventually I gave up dying on the front lawn and crawled back inside to open all the windows and start thinking up my cover story.

Incidentally, I saw my neighbour the next day and she asked if everything was all right because there had been a hell of a lot of noise coming from my house yesterday.

Anyway, the point of me maundering on is to give an example of the inspiration behind the chaos of St Marys. A lot of my life – suitably fictionalised – has found its way into the St Mary’s books. The first aid exam when Max chucks a bucket of icy water over Izzie Barclay actually did happen! And some other stuff, too,

And no – not the incident when the car hit the tree. Shame on you.

Sometimes, especially if I’ve been a bit busy, it’s good to pick up old favourites. At the moment it’s Lord of the Rings – which I haven’t read for decades and it’s really interesting to compare my mindset in 1972, which was when I first read it – to now. I am not the same and neither is the book. Which is really interesting.

I’ve just ordered The Eyre Affair – on Kindle, sadly because print gives me some problems. It’s the first of the Thursday Next series and, I think, the best.

I remember I first read this when I was working for the Library Service in North Yorkshire and I was excited by it because it was so different from anything I’d read before. And another one not set in London.

One of my colleagues in the School Library Service was also a huge fan – she actually had an Eyre Affair sweatshirt which I really, really coveted. We spent hours discussing plot points and arguing. She preferred The Nursery Crimes Series but I’m a Thursday Next girl through and through.

The story was so out-there – I just loved it – imagine being at an airport or railway station and popping your money in a vending machine and getting a Shakespeare sonnet.

Or – and this is my favourite part – the description of the audience-participation performance of Richard III. Picture an entire audience shouting:

‘WHEN is the winter of our discontent?’

And Dick the Turd roaring:

‘NOW is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer sun by this son of York ‘

and everyone in the audience putting on their sunglasses and looking up at the sun. If they’d performed Shakespeare like that at my school then it probably wouldn’t have taken me years to get around to appreciating him properly and not lumping him in with Thomas Hardy and boiled cabbage.

The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition - to read entries so far CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to enter. Closing date is 24th March 2026. Judging will be by a reader poll from 25th March with the winner announced on 31st March

MARCH - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Buy now from Bookshop.uk - UK USA

There are the usual perils and problems – the heat, the dust, the insects… and then Max inadvertently poisons Mr Markham.

Jodi Taylor says…
‘This is what happened when I was bored and there wasn’t anything on TV and I was reduced to reading the small print on a can of WD40.’

The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:01:57 GMT

This week we have:

Jodi Taylor on What Am I Writing Now?
Jodi Taylor’s Karen Baugh Menhuin book reviews and author interview
The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition read the first entries
March audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
News of a new short story - The Coo of Warning
Reader Question from Goodreads
Short Story of the Month: Ships Stings and Wedding Rings - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

What am I writing now?

Well – this, obviously.

I call it productivity and everyone else would refer to it as procrastination. Procrastination occurs when I reach a point where I don’t know what to do next or what the characters are thinking or where the storyline is going and why did I take up writing when, at my age, I could – indeed should – be lying on the sofa with something expensive from Hotel Chocolat and a good book.

Actually, I do that anyway but for heaven’s sake don’t tell Hazel.

OK – let’s rephrase, shall we?

What should I be writing now?

That’s an easy one to answer. I’m always completely on top of what I should be doing. Actually doing it is usually another matter.

In order of deadlines, then:

A St Mary’s short story for Substack – The Coo of Warning. Keep your eyes peeled on 1^st April.

An outline of TP7 for my poor long-suffering editor. Who frequently has to cope with telephone calls during which I hurl word-salad at her for fifteen minutes, ending with, ‘So what do you think? Hello? Hello? Are you still there?’ The outline is due at the end of next month.

The Christmas story – tentatively entitled Twelfth Night. Yes, I know it’s only February but such are the demands of the publishing profession. At least it’s not August. It’s very hard to write snow and cold and holly and turkey when anointing your sunburn and trying to work out how to switch on the aircon. Twelfth Night is due quite soon and I really ought to be getting on with it. And I will … I promise.

I’m continuing with the next full-length St Mary’s story – Well, That Could Have Gone Better. There’s a lot of discussion over whether to include the Well or not. I tell everyone I’m just a simple author and do as I’m told. SM15 is due at my publishers in September – which, I’ve just realised, isn’t that far away, so don’t just sit there, Taylor. Pick up a pen.

That’s all the official stuff. I’ve also started an unofficial Regency Romance although I had to put that away back in the summer and concentrate on the day job. That one’s called Snowbound and one day I’ll get to finish it.

Then there are the weekly snippets for Substack which are great fun and serve a useful purpose in helping me retain my sanity. Although there will be an occasional gap in my weekly output which usually means I’ve been engulfed by words and can’t find my way out. If that happens just send chocolate. Or Matt Damon. Or a working version of Windows Eleven. What the hell are you playing at, Microsoft? Or Matt Damon.

Anyway, that’s my next six months sorted. And with a trip to France to appear at the Imaginales Festival in May (28th-31st) and another to Stevenage Library in April (27th). Hazel has the dates. People do tell me things – or they tell me they tell me things – but most of it just goes in one ear and out the other. A skill I perfected in infant school.

And now … on with the Christmas story.

Discover Jodi's Goodreads page

Two books this week, both from the pen of Karen Baugh Menhuin.

The Caxton Manor Murders by Karen Baugh Menhuin and Matilda Swift

The Belmont Affair by Karen Baugh Menhuin and Nicki Mason.

I first encountered Karen Baugh Menhuin when I discovered her excellent Major Heathcliff Lennox series. Of which I think there are sixteen or seventeen books, so plenty to get your teeth into.

This new series is very similar, being set in the same period – just after World War I – and against the classic backdrop of well-staffed country houses. The unconventional hero – Alexander Wolfe – is an ex-spy who served in the war and is now retained by the Home Office in the form of Lord Hector Sommerton who certainly doesn’t believe in sending his people into the field fully briefed. Or sometimes, even briefed at all.

In both books Wolfe is called in to investigate murders that, in addition to being mysteriously suspicious, have complicated diplomatic situations to be untangled as well, providing Wolfe and his team – the enigmatic but likeable James Fox, the endearingly enthusiastic valet Dicks, and a mischievous terrier Wilf – with seemingly unsolvable problems.

These stories are less light-hearted than the Major Lennox tales but none the less enjoyable.

The third in the Alexander Wolfe series – The Player in the Game – is available for pre-order and will be published on 14^th July this year.

Author interview with Karen Baugh Menhuin

Let’s start with the traditional opening while I struggle to get my brain in gear. Why and how did you begin writing?

I came to writing late. I was sixty when I started. At the time, I was helping my husband finish his autobiography. I was working with him on structure, setting out chapters, tightening passages, sorting phototgraphs, and somewhere in the middle I realised I’d always wanted to write a book myself. Not vaguely. Properly. So I did. There was no master plan. I simply sat down and wrote the sort of mystery I enjoy reading – traditional, complex, character-led stories, set in the 1920s. I didn’t think too hard about it. I just kept going until the book was finished. What surprised me was how much fun it was. The discipline didn’t frighten me. The research delighted me. The characters rather took over. One book led to another, and before long I had a series on the go. It turns out it was the right decision. Starting at sixty meant I didn’t waste time wondering whether I should or not, I simply got on with it. And I’ve been getting on with it ever since.

Read the full interview

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Hi Jodi, absolutely love the COSM series, they’re both hilarious and amazing. No misses I dont think! I wanted to ask whereabouts the Time Police/Ballad novels fall in your recommended reading order? I’m planning on reading all three series this year (again), and wondered about the best way to amalgamate them. Thank you for all the laugh out loud moments so far! Can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks for your question. I think I'd recommend all the St Mary's first, ending with The Good, the Bad and the History, because that's when Matthew decides to join the Time Police. You can then move smoothly into Doing Time when he's actually just completing his training and becoming a member of Team 236. Smallhope and Pennyroyal dance in and out of both series but I think I'd read that one after the Time Police. Not least because the second S&P book is out this year. A Family Affair. So you'll be nicely caught up.

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