Last Updated on August 10, 2026
Occasionally, you can stumble upon an author or series of books and wonder how on earth you hadn’t discovered them earlier. That is exactly what happened to me with Fiona Leitch’s Nosey Parker series of books.
I was browsing through Amazon Kindle Unlimited (making sure I got my money’s worth) when The Cornish Wedding Murder popped up, and not knowing much about it, I decided to give it a go.
I have since reviewed the book here, but rather than creating a new blog post for every book in the series, which seems a tad repetitive, I have decided to create this one.
Every time I read the next book in the series, I will add it below, which I think makes much more sense!
I will genuinely try to avoid spoilers (but it is a series, so characters do evolve), and given that I absolutely love what I’ve read so far, there’s no point in critiquing each one.
What I will say, though, is that they are heartwarming and funny, and Jodie Parker is a gem of a lead character.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at each book in turn and just bear in mind that I’ve just finished book eight and that I will keep adding as I go…
The Cornish Wedding Murder
Jodie Parker is an ex-Met Police Officer who has recently left London with her 12-year-old daughter and returned to her hometown in Cornwall.
Attempting to settle back into a much slower pace of life, Jodie has set up a catering business. Her first client happens to be a lifelong friend who is getting married.
Tony Penhaligon, who owns a furniture store, is marrying the rather aloof Cheryl, and Jodie is going to cater their wedding.
But a fight breaks out when Tony’s ex-wife shows up at the hotel the night before the wedding, claiming that Cheryl is only marrying him for his money.
The following morning, when his ex turns up dead and his bride-to-be ups and vanishes, the very attractive DCI Nathan Withers decides that Tony must be the one responsible.
But Jodie believes differently and knows Tony could never have killed anyone, so she sets out to prove his innocence.
The Cornish Village Murder
With Tony proven innocent and Jodie and Nathan no longer hating the sight of each other, all’s well in Penstowan, and everybody is in high spirits as preparations for the village fete get underway.
The town is abuzz with the arrival of local esteemed artist Duncan Stowall, and everything is running smoothly until an argument at a book reading leads to the death of a writer.
By now, Jodie is quite enamored with Duncan, and the feeling is mutual, so when he becomes the prime suspect, she really can’t believe that he’s capable of pushing somebody off a cliff.
Is she right? Is Duncan innocent and being framed? And what is the big secret he is hiding?
All will be revealed as Jodie decides to get to the bottom of things and find out the truth once and for all.
The Perfect Cornish Murder
By now, the fete is done and dusted, Duncan is no longer in the picture, and normal life has resumed for Jodie.
When a film production rolls into town, she signs up to be an extra to earn a bit more money and soon, following an accident on set, finds herself running the catering truck.
Though there are various accidents and incidents that invariably hold up production, the real doozy is when one of the cast members dies after eating food that she helped to prepare.
But if six people all ate the food and only one died, were they targeted? And if so, how is that possible?
So, was it an accident, or was it murder? It’s time for Jodie to find out.
Oh, and Jodie finally makes a decision between Tony and Nathan…cracking good read!
A Cornish Christmas Murder
A slight deviation from the previous books, this time around, Jodie is faced with a locked room mystery!
It’s on the run-up to Christmas, and Jodie has been tasked with catering a charity event at the newly refurbished abbey on Bodmin Moor.
With dozens of children in attendance, Jodie enlists the help of her mum Shirley, best friend Debbie, daughter Daisy, and of course beloved pooch Germaine to help.
The party ends, the kids are sent home full of sugar, and all that are left, aside from Jodie and her gang, are the hosts Lily and Trevor, the billionaire who financed the bash, his young son and assistant, the housekeeper, and Santa Claus.
Then the already terrible weather gets even worse with snow for miles, cutting off the roads. Of course, this means that all the guests have to stay the night.
As if that wasn’t bad enough a group of Japanese girls turn up after they’ve crashed their car and a couple who have gotten lost also arrive seeking refuge.
But it’s the following morning when one of the guests turns up dead that everything goes to pot. After all, the bedroom door was locked, the house was locked, so who on earth could be the killer, and how did they even do it??
For the most part, it’s up to Jodie to gather the evidence and try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Then Nathan arrives, but by that stage, all of the heavy lifting has been done.
Can Jodie work it out? You know she can!
Also, by now Jodie and Nathan are officially an item – yeah!!
A Cornish Recipe for Murder
Fast forward a few months, and things are getting more serious with DI Nathan, who has been spending a lot more time at chez Parker!
He has also entered Jodie into The Best of British Baking Roadshow TV program (think Bake Off) and wouldn’t you know, Jodie has made the final five.
It’s time for her TV debut as she battles it out over five days to be crowned champion of the Cornwall leg, and all is going great until one of the production staff is found dead.
He wasn’t a particularly likable guy, but he also didn’t know very many people. In fact, he only really knew one other person on the set – and she was his friend.
So with plenty of potential suspects – hosts, production staff, and fellow contestants – Jodie is going to have to multitask her face off if she wants to stay in the competition and find a killer.
Finding the killer might be easier because somebody is also trying to sabotage her culinary delights…
Oh, and by coincidence, Nathan has to find somewhere new to live…could they be shacking up in the near future???
Guess we’ll find out in the next book – A Cornish Seaside Murder.
A Cornish Seaside Murder
Time really does move quickly in sunny Penstowan, and by the time we get to book six in the series, A Cornish Seaside Murder, nearly a year has passed, and a lot has happened.
Nathan is now living with Jody, they are also building an annex on the house for Shirley (Jody’s mum), Daisy is nearly 15 years old, and Jody is officially an auxiliary Detective Sergeant with the Penstowan police force in Cornwall.
That basically means they call her when they need her, so she also has to keep her catering business going, occasionally juggling both.
This time around, a local fisherman has been found dead outside of a church. An old wives’ tale about a vengeful Siren (mermaid) soon circulates, but Jody and Nathan know only too well that there is no mythical creature bumping off the locals.
When a second incident, also related to the fishermen, occurs, the duo begins to suspect that a far bigger crime is being covered up in their small town.
Can they get to the bottom of it? Come on, of course they can!
As an aside, I really do love the way that Fiona Leith continues to change up the lives of her characters so we’re not getting the same thing time after time.
Jody was clearly itching to get back into the police force, so it was clever to let her dip her toe back in the water without the full-time commitment.
It was also smart to change up the dynamic between the two lovebirds, and with Nathan now Jody’s boss, it does cause a little bit of friction that we haven’t seen before.
It’s another great book with fast-flowing and natural dialogue, plenty of twists, and a much larger crime than the characters have tackled before, and overall, it gets the big thumbs up.
The Cornish Campsite Murder
It’s summertime in Cornwall, and that means it’s also festival time! Jodie has stepped in for a fellow caterer to man his pie van, and with Nathan by her side, Daisy off soaking up the atmosphere and mom Shirley off with her bestie, what could possibly go wrong?
A lot, as it turns out. Jodie’s favorite band has reunited for the festival, but when she overhears an argument between them backstage and later discovers a body on the beach, it’s time to channel her inner detective and find out if there’s a killer lurking in the campsite.
It’s another fun installment of the series that had me laughing out loud in parts, and while the central mystery was really solid – high-profile victim, plenty of suspects, limited time with the festival drawing to a close – I did kind of guess the killer about 3/4 of the way through.
I love every character in these books, and author Fiona Leitch always manages to keep them relatable and normal.
I also appreciate the progression from one story to another; for example, Daisy is getting older, there are time lapses, so the books move on from year to year, friendships and relationships shift and grow. It’s like catching up with old friends, and I love it.
The Cornish Castle Murder
Finally, the big day has arrived. Jodie and Nathan are tying the knot and have splashed out on a Cornish castle to hold the ceremony.
With friends coming from near and far and the party in full swing, only one thing could dampen the atmosphere – a murder!
And yep, you guessed it, one lands right on their doorstep – or should I say, the lake on the castle grounds.
A young woman has been killed, and her boyfriend is suspect numero uno. But it can’t be that simple – can it?? Nope.
Even with her wedding on the horizon, Jodie can’t quite get rid of the niggling feeling that all is not what it seems.
So, if she wants her wedding to go off without a hitch, she’d better solve the murder first!
The Cornish Castle Murder is another cracker, full of wit, antics, and great banter. This is the cozy crime series that just keeps giving, and I’m here for it.
The Cornish Pantomime Murder
Christmas has arrived in Penstowan and so too has the annual pantomime: Aladdin. With half the town pressed into service, chaos is inevitable.
Shirley Parker may only be in the chorus, but she is determined to steal every scene, while Tony Penhaligon relishes his role as villainous Abanazar.
Then the show takes a deadly turn. Tim, the mayor’s husband and the troupe’s Widow Twankey, stumbles across a body beside Aladdin’s bloodstained magic lamp.
Suddenly, Jodie and her husband, DCI Nathan Withers, must uncover a killer hiding behind the greasepaint.
Is the culprit a vengeful critic, a jealous performer, or someone protecting a secret darker than any pantomime plot?
The Cornish Honeymoon Murder
It’s book 10 in the Nosey Parker series and Jodie and Nathan have settled into married life when a blast from the past reaches out to Jodie for a favor.
Having already helped Isaac Barnes solve a murder at his hotel (book 4 – A Cornish Christmas Murder), it looks like somebody is trying to sabotage his five-star luxurious eco-resort, off the coast of Cornwall – before it even opens.
Fake social media videos have gone viral, the property has been damaged, etc., and, as this resort has cost millions, he is understandably very worried that the project is doomed before they even open the doors.
Happy to help uncover who is behind this, Jodie and Nathan pose as honeymooners, albeit with her mum Shirley, daughter Daisy, and dog Germaine, in tow.
But when a violent storm cuts the island off from the mainland, disaster follows, and a guest is discovered dead in the ruins of the boathouse, with all signs pointing to murder.
With no way in or out and a killer in their midst, Jodie and Nathan must uncover the truth before the body count rises.
Books in the Nosey Parker Series
To date, Fiona Leitch has written seven books in the series, but recently updated her Instagram feed to let us know that book eight is on the way.
1. The Cornish Wedding Murder
2. The Cornish Village Murder
3. The Perfect Cornish Murder
4. A Cornish Christmas Murder
5. A Cornish Recipe for Murder
6. A Cornish Seaside Murder
7. The Cornish Campsite Murder
8. The Cornish Castle Murder
9. The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder
10. The Cornish Honeymoon Murder
11. The Cornish Halloween Murder
Book 11 in the series is set to be released on the 24th September 2026, and I fully expect Fiona Leitch to soar to the top of the Amazon charts when it comes out.
It’s another terrific book (I received an early copy), and the story goes like this…
The old abandoned convent has been sold to developers, much to the consternation of the locals, who would much rather it be turned into a health center, which is badly needed in the town.
Despite the protests, the renovations are underway when Jodie is asked to investigate the strange appearance of old dolls that the builders keep finding in the walls. Given that they seem to be relatively new, Jodie must now find out who is hiding them in the convent and why.
However, before she can get to the bottom of it, one of the construction workers is found dead, and construction halts as Josie and Nathan get to grips with finding the killer.
This is another cracker of a book, full of wit and banter and a solid whodunnit to boot. I am almost positive that with the success the Nosey Parker series has had, book 12 will definitely be on the way.
No details about it yet, but you know me, once I know – you’ll know!
