BOOKS

Still reeling from a life-threatening experience on the coast of Calais, daredevil climber Jen Shaw finds herself in Glasgow for a funeral, devastated with grief and in search of answers.

As her dogged determination propels her closer to the criminal underworld than ever before, Jen and her family become the target of some dangerous and powerful people with links to the heart of Glasgow’s Police Force.

In the absence of anyone she can truly trust, Jen has no option but to rely on her own instincts and everything she’s learnt from her close bond with police officer Nick Crawford for survival. Even if it means going undercover herself and disappearing into the city’s dark underbelly.

Gone to Earth is a fast-paced, atmospheric read with an utterly compelling, morally complex life-or-death plot. Perfect for fans of Jane Harper, Sharon Bolton and Ann Cleeves.

Reviews for GONE TO EARTH

An exciting, at times terrifying, conclusion to Jesmond’s Jen Shaw trilogy. Fast-paced, perfectly plotted and agonisingly pertinent to our times’ – ANNE COATES, author of the Hannah Weybridge series


‘In Jen Shaw, the thrill-seeking climber, Jane has created a truly compelling character that draws you inexorably into the story. Jane’s writing is full of tension, twists and surprises, and she tackles the murky theme of people-trafficking with courage and sensitivity’ – SUSANNA BEARD, author of The Perfect Neighbour


‘Gone to Earth explores contemporary issues with compassion and empathy. A thriller full of twists and turns and a climbing detective, with her feet on the ground, steering the reader to a gripping conclusion’ – NICKY DOWNES, author of Her Perfect Girl

A disquieting contemporary mystery with a historical twist and fast-paced plot.

Six decades. Seven people. One unspeakable secret.

1957. A catastrophe occurs at the pharmaceutical lab in Coventry where sixteen-year-old Wilf is working for the summer. A catastrophe that needs to be covered up at all costs.

2017. Phiney is shocked by the death of her grandfather, Wilf, who has jumped from a railway bridge at a Coventry station. Journalist Mat Torrington is the only witness.
Left in utter disbelief, with a swarm of unanswered questions, Phiney, Mat and Wilf’s wife, Dora, begin their own enquiries into Wilf’s death. It is soon clear that these two events, sixty years apart, are connected – and that Wilf is not the only casualty.
But what is the link? And can they find out before any more lives are lost?

Reviews for A QUIET CONTAGION

BEST NEW FICTION PICK
“Jesmond’s thriller incorporates a very likeable protagonist and a twisty ploy with a thought-provoking dilemma.” Mail on Sunday


THRILLER OF THE MONTH “Jesmond mines intriguingly a tragic historical episode” The Times

“A poignant heart-rending read”
Woman’s Own

“A well-written story with excellently created characters. This blend of history and contemporary fact and fiction is original and engrossing.” The Mature Times

“The reader is taken on a journey from postwar Britain to the 21^st century with prejudices of earlier times reflected in terms of the roles of women and gay people...a tight plot and the red herrings had me guessing unsuccessfully all the way through…A very satisfying read”
Historical Novel Society

Jen Shaw is climbing in the mountains near Alajar, Spain. And it’s nothing to do with the fact that an inscrutable acquaintance suggested that she meet him there… But when things don’t go as planned and her brother calls to voice concerns over the whereabouts of their mother, Morwenna, Jen finds herself travelling to a refugee camp on the south coast of Malta. Free-spirited and unpredictable as ever, Morwenna is working with a small NGO, helping her Libyan friend, Nahla, seek asylum for her family. Jen is instantly out of her depth, surrounded by stories of unimaginable suffering and increasing tensions within the camp. Within hours of Jen’s arrival, Nahla is killed in suspicious circumstances, and Jen and Morwenna find themselves responsible for the safety of her daughters. But what if the safest option is to leave on a smuggler’s boat?

Reviews for CUT ADRIFT

2023 BEST CRIME FICTION PICK
“an original voice in crime fiction”
“Jane Jesmond’s riveting second novel” The Sunday Times


a BEST THRILLER OF 2023
“depth and complexity…. freighted with contemporary resonance.” The Times

“…finding a new voice with something compelling to say in the crime writing field can be difficult. Thankfully there are people out there trying to deliver a twist on the genre, and Jane Jesmond is one of them.”
Yorkshire Magazine

Excerpt from ON THE EDGE Audiobook below

Jen Shaw has climbed all her life: daring ascents of sheer rock faces, crumbling buildings, cranes – the riskier the better. Her entire life revolved around free climbing, and the adrenaline high it gave her. Until one day her luck ran out and someone she cared about got hurt. So she’s given it all up now. Honestly, she has.
Yet, when Jen awakens to find herself drugged and dangling off the local lighthouse during a wild storm less than twenty-four hours after a family emergency takes her home to Cornwall, she needs all her skill to battle her way to safety.
Has Jen fallen back into her old risky ways, or is there a more sinister explanation hidden in her hometown? Only when she has navigated her fragmented memories and faced her troubled past will she be able to piece together what happened – and trust herself to fix it.

“A promising debut …original mystery” Sunday Times

“..sweeps the reader along ” The Times Crime Club

“A brilliant debut for an all-new series.”
Female First

“Fans of The Girl On The Train will love it” Love Reading

“A great read.” Promoting Crime Fiction

“Never less than intriguing.. bodes well for future books in the series” Herald Scotland

“a gripping premise, a well executed plot and an evocative Cornish setting” NB Magazine

“filled with twists and turns.. a great debut” Living North

“an exciting first instalment” The Indiependent

YOU THINK YOU’VE HEARD MY STORY BEFORE…
At twenty-seven, I’m too young to be a widow. I’m trying my best to start over though: new city, new job running my own little shop. I try to fade into the background where I can, but the police won’t let me disappear completely. There are too many unanswered questions about the night my husband died.
YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME…
I even have a new lodger, Elizabeth. She’s friendly, but definitely not a friend. Beautiful, too – tall and slim with the sort of swishy blonde hair I’ve always coveted. She smiles at me when we pass on the stairs. It occurs to me then that I don’t know the first thing about her.
…BUT YOU’RE SO, SO WRONG.
If I were to tell you what happened to us next, you wouldn’t believe me. You might believe Elizabeth – she’s the type who people trust… until it’s too late.
…I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself.