Hello! I’m Jo Middleton – author of funny novels, creative writing tutor, and enthusiastic plotter of fictional murders.

I write comedy fiction, often with a bit of mystery thrown in. My books include Playgroups and Prosecco, published by Penguin, and my more recent cosy crime novels Happy Bloody Christmas and Not Another Bloody Christmas, published by Avon (HarperCollins). They’re the sort of books you can read with a cup of tea and a biscuit, ideally while feeling slightly smug that you’ve worked out the murderer before everyone else.

As well as writing novels, I teach creative writing to adults. I run workshops and courses on everything from comedy writing to crime fiction, editing and story ideas. My approach is very much about making writing feel playful and accessible. You don’t need a special ‘writer personality’ or a garret to sit in – you just need curiosity and a willingness to give things a go.

Over the years I’ve run sessions in libraries, arts centres and theatres, as well as online, and I love seeing people surprise themselves with what they come up with. There is nothing better than the moment someone says, “Oh actually… I quite like that.”

I also create immersive mystery events and storytelling projects, because apparently writing books wasn’t quite enough ways to think about murder.

I live in Somerset with three cats, each named after fictional detectives, and a golden retriever who is considerably less interested in solving crimes and much more interested in mud.

If you’d like to find out more about my books, come to a workshop, or get in touch about an event, you can explore the site or drop me a message via the contact page.