Jacquii John &
Paul Blake
~Authorsβ
Jacquii John &
Paul Blake
~ Authors
π OUT NOW — MURDER ON THE ALLOTMENT π
Our first cosy mystery has arrived!
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We are delighted to introduce Murder on the Allotment, the first book in The Louisa Brown Mysteries.
When café owner Louisa Brown discovers the body of retired detective Sebastian Palmer on his allotment, the peaceful Oxfordshire village of Churcham is thrown into turmoil.
As rumours spread and old secrets resurface, Louisa finds herself drawn into a murder investigation that grows darker with every clue.
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β A village café
π A determined amateur sleuth
π A purple fedora
π± And a murder on the allotment…
Welcome to Churcham. The mystery is just beginning.
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π Available now
Buy Murder on the Allotment on Amazon
By Jacquii John & Paul Blake
Matilda's Magical Tails
Matilda's Magical Tails is a series of Children's books inspired by our dogs, Matilda-Mae, Meg and Gemima, and our late dogs, Charlie, Jazz and Bailey.
Matilda leads her brothers and sisters, and their friends on adventures all around the world, traveling through their magical water bowl portal.
The first book in the series, Tinsel's Christmas Wish, sees their golden retriever friend, Tinsel, call on the trio to help him with a very Christmassy problem. With an exciting trip to the North Pole, a meeting with Santa and a sleigh ride to remember - will the friends be home in time for Christmas morning? Not if Lady Elizabeth Willington Smythe and her cat army have anything to do with it.
The Mystery Bus Tour takes the friends to the City of London for some sight-seeing – what could possibly go wrong?
The friends have an exciting bus ride through the streets of London, a meeting with a very famous bear and expose a Royal secret. But will Lady Elizabeth Willington Smythe and her army of cats succeed in ruining another adventure for the doggy friends?
The Search for Nessy is one of their most exciting journeys yet as the friends travel through the magical portal to Scotland in search of the Loch Ness monster. They make many new friends along the way - but can they all be trusted?
Lost in New York, sees Meg and Matilda as they venture through their magical portal to New York City, to help find the lost Hollywood actor dog, Brinkley. Their new American friends rally round to help them in their search - but are their new friends all that they seem?
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Mystery in the Mountains, sees Matilda and Meg travel through their magical portal to Austria to help their friend Posti solve a local mystery and find a stolen painting. Along the way Meg and Matilda make many new friends. Will Lady Elizabeth Willington-Smyth and her cat army ruin another adventure for Matilda and her friends?
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Pumpkin Soup in Paris. Join Meg, Matilda, Gemima and their friends on a magical adventure in Paris. When the famous Mona Lisa is vandalised, the dogs must team up with French Police Dog Bleu to restore the masterpiece. Along the way, the friends explore the Louvre Museum and the glittering Eiffel Tower, and even bump into Matilda's nemesis, Lady Elizabeth Willington-Smyth, and her army of naughty cats. Join the dogs on a journey which may change how you see the Mona Lisa for ever!
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Marathon Mayhem. Join Matilda, Meg & Gemima on a whimsical journey through the streets of London on the eve of London Marathon 2025. Their adventure takes a thrilling turn when they discover the devious schemes of the naughty army of cats who attempt to wreak havoc on the big day.
All of our books are available from Amazon and to order from all good bookshops.
Evie the Brave & her Sidekick Cleo
Evie the Brave & her Sidekick Cleo was inspired by the bravest little girl we know, Evie-Mae Crawford.
The cover for this book was created by Evie-Mae's very talented sister, Amber Crawford.
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Being a superhero is a challenging and dangerous hobby but 12-year-old Evie the Brave and her sidekick, Cleo, wouldn’t change a thing.
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This is a story of bravery, friendship, perseverance and imagination, and a young girl with her labrador, who go out for a countryside stroll and end up saving the world from an unexpected invasion, meeting royalty, and receiving the ultimate honour from the King of the United Kingdom.
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All profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Down's Syndrome Oxford (DSO) in loving memory of Evie-Mae Crawford.
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βWe were really proud to have our own Christmas Number One, when Evie the Brave & her sidekick Cleo reached Number One, in Amazon's Hot New Releases Charts over Christmas 2023.
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All of our books are available from Amazon & to order from all good bookshops.
Golden Wizard Book Prize 2024
We are very proud to have received the Golden Wizard Book Prize Award 2024 for Children's literature for Evie the Brave & her Sidekick Cleo.
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We are truly honoured and dedicate this award to the wonderful Evie Mae Crawford.
Many thanks to Louise Jane, CEO The Golden Wizard Book Prize for her kind words and endorsement for the book.
Gemima's Best Christmas Ever
Gemima's Best Christmas Ever
Gemima's Best Christmas Ever was inspired by our late rescue cocker spaniel, Gemima.
This is the story of how a little girl, abandoned on the doorstep of Lullaby Orphanage on Christmas Eve, drew herself an adventure that would change her life forever.
Gemima’s Best Christmas Ever sees 9-year-old Gemima making new friends, saving Christmas, partying at the North Pole, getting a new family and uniting her community in the spirit of Christmas.
Gemma's Best Christmas Ever is available from Amazon, and to order from all good bookshops.
Matildas Zauberschweif: Tinselβs Weihnachtswunsch
Matildas Zauberschweif: Tinselβs Weihnachtswunsch
Willkommen bei Matildas zauberhaftes Schwänzchen. Matilda ist ein 3-jähriger Cockerspaniel, der in lavendel Landhaus zusammen mit ihren 9-jährigen schokoladenfarbenen Labrador-Geschwistern Bailey und Meg und ihren Besitzern Mami und Papi. Begleite das Trio, wenn sie durch ihr magisches Portal zu den tollsten erstaunlichen Abenteuern mit ihren Hundefreunden. Im ersten Buch der Reihe wird ihr Golden Retriever-Freund Tinsel, das Trio um Hilfe bei einem sehr weihnachtlichen Problem bitten. Mit einer aufregenden Reise zum Nordpol, einem Treffen mit dem Weihnachtsmann und einer Schlittenfahrt - werden die Freunde rechtzeitig zum Weihnachtsmorgen zu Hause sein? Nicht, wenn Lady Elizabeth Willington Smythe und ihre Katzenarmee etwas damit zu tun haben.
Available from Amazon and to order from all good bookshops.
Matilda-Mae, Paddington & Vinnie
About the Authors
Jacquii John and Paul Blake live in a picturesque Oxfordshire village with their much-loved dogs, Matilda-Mae and Paddington, their cocker spaniels, and Vinnie, their mischievous cockerpoo, whose personalities continue to inspire many of their stories.
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After building a loyal readership with their children’s books, Murder on the Allotment marks their first cosy mystery, inspired by Jacquii’s lifelong love of classic British crime fiction. They hope readers enjoy their first visit to the village of Churcham and look forward to welcoming them back for many more Louisa Brown mysteries.
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Together, they have published books in both English and German. Their work has received literary recognition, including the Golden Wizard Book Prize Award 2024 for Children’s Literature for Evie the Brave & her Sidekick Cleo. They were also delighted when Evie the Brave & her Sidekick Cleo reached Number One in Amazon’s Hot New Releases on Amazon over Christmas 2023 – their very own Christmas Number One.
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Jacquii is a stroke survivor whose determination to return to writing led to the completion of Murder on the Allotment after a six-month pause during her recovery. Paul, an Electrical Engineer, brings a practical eye for detail, endless encouragement and a healthy dose of common sense to every project.
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Together, they are passionate supporters of The Epilepsy Society, The Stroke Association and The Samaritans, and are proud members of Oxford Independent Authors (OxlA).
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When they are not writing, they love exploring the Oxfordshire countryside and the Austrian mountains with their dogs, where many of their ideas begin life before finding their way onto the page. Whether writing adventures for young readers or mysteries for Louisa Brown to solve, inspiration is never far away.
In Loving Memory ...
Jazz - 2000 - 2011
Charlie - 2000 - 2015
Bailey - 2012 - 2022
Izzy - 2013 - 2023
Rocket - 2018 - 2023
Toby-Jack 2012 - 2024
Meg - 2012 - 2025
Lady Elizabeth Willington Smythe
2006 - 2025
Gemima - 2013 - 2026
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All our books are published in the UK by
Lavendel Publishing ©β
A catalogue record for all of our books is available from the British Library.
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Website Updated July 2026, by Lavendel Publishing ©β 2026