{"title":"Books by Jo Middleton","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781529103366","title":"Playgroups and Prosecco","description":"\u003cp\u003eA hilarious and totally relatable book about the adventures of a single mum, for fans of \u003ci\u003eCatastrophe \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eMotherland\u003c\/i\u003e. Readers of \u003ci\u003eWhy Mummy Drinks\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eUnmumsy Mum \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Single Mum's Wish List \u003c\/i\u003ewill love this debut novel from parenting blogger Slummy Single Mummy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'You'll end up warming to Frankie so much that you'll be wishing you could crack open a bottle of prosecco with her in real life!' MIKE GAYLE, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Man I Think I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eJanuary 3rd\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eJaffa Cakes - 7. Times I was forced to watch a small child do a dance involving a dusty piece of ribbon found under the sofa - 4. Inappropriate thoughts about Zac Efron - undisclosed. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSingle mum Frankie’s whole life revolves around her kids. But when your toddler has a more active social life, something has to change.  Forget ‘me-time’, Frankie would settle for some adult conversation, and watching something other than the Disney channel. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe local playgroup may be ruled by Instagram mums with perfect husbands but Frankie accidentally forms a splinter group of single parents. After all, Mummy \u003ci\u003ereally\u003c\/i\u003e needs a playdate of her own. (Now pass the prosecco.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHAT READERS ARE SAYING\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'As a mum of three I could totally relate to this novel on so many levels' - Titian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Hilarious - made me laugh out loud' - Dominique\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Lots of funny anecdotes parents will recognise!' - Claire\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'With shades of Bridget Jones, Frankie stumbles through life as a single mum' - Ann\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A very funny and realistic look at motherhood' - Katrina\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204672946354,"sku":"9781529103366","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529103366_3d0eb65b-c418-4892-9939-3e10adb947cb.jpg?v=1786022254"},{"product_id":"9780008711108","title":"Happy Bloody Christmas","description":"\u003cp\u003eDon't miss the perfect Christmas present for yourself (or for that best friend who would definitely help you hide a body…)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnna's Christmas Eve To Do List:1. Wrap the kids' presents​2. Peel the potatoes ​3. Get rid of the dead body?!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHungover and exhausted after her family's annual party, all Anna Johnson wants for Christmas is to finish her to-do list and finally sit down with the world’s biggest glass of wine. But when she stumbles across a dead body in her larder, her plans are well and truly buggered. A mysterious death in her home really is the last thing she needs, but with her judgemental in-laws arriving in less than twenty-four hours, turning her house into a crime scene is not an option. If she’s going to save Christmas, it’s up to Anna to find out what the hell’s gone on. Oh – and figure out what to do with the body before one of the kids finds it. And you thought burning the turkey was the worst that could happen…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Another Bloody Christmas is out now!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eREADERS LOVE HAPPY BLOODY CHRISTMAS!' Had me in fits of laughter, tears streaming down my face!' ★★★★★ 'Will be going in everyone's stockings this Christmas!'★★★★★ 'Engaging and quirky in the very best way' ★★★★★ 'A must read for Winter 2024!' ★★★★★ 'I was absorbed from the very first page' ★★★★★ 'I have never laughed so much while reading a book!' ★★★★★ 'So fresh, exciting, funny and intelligent!' ★★★★★ 'Kept me guessing until the end!' ★★★★★ 'An absolute riotous Christmas cracker!' ★★★★★ 'Motherland meets Agatha Christie…. The funniest book I have read this year!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I would 100% recommend this book!' ★★★★★AUTHORS LOVE HAPPY BLOODY CHRISTMAS!'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn outrageously funny, festive romp which is as utterly wonderful as it is (Christmas) crackers!' MIKE GAYLE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A brilliantly written, hilarious whodunnit. Smart and very, very funny.' IAN MOORE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘So funny, I’m annoyed I didn’t write it!'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGILL SIMS’This hilarious, sweary, cheerful whodunnit is a full-on festive romp that will make you laugh out loud.’ ADELE PARKS FOR Platinum ‘The perfect present for the friend who would help you hide a body!' CHRISSIE MANBY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Hilarious, festive and relatable. A total Christmas cracker!’ FIONA LEITCH\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'So good, you should sack off Christmas dinner and read this instead!' HARPER FORD\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A compulsive Christmas cake binge of a read – terrific!' J.M. HALL\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Laugh a minute? More like laugh a second!' HANNAH HENDY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Hilarious with dollops of fun and a brilliant whodunnit!' JONATHAN WHITELAW\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A five-star triumph!' ROSIE HANNIGAN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Chock-full of proper jokes!' ABIGAIL BURDESS\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44583203864754,"sku":"9780008711108","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008711108_8f8b3edb-5033-4b8c-b039-a68f4eda7aee.jpg?v=1785658758"},{"product_id":"9780008712815","title":"Not Another Bloody Christmas","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘Smart and wickedly funny, it had me cackling into my eggnog!’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIAN MOORE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘My favourite Christmas book of the year!’ GILL SIMS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnna’s taking the family away for a quiet Christmas in this hilarious, standalone murder mystery… Unlike last year, there will be no risk of her burning the turkey, far less nagging from her mother-in-law and – crucially – a zero per cent chance of finding a dead body in her larder. All she wants is to relax with a glass of wine in front of the fire. But when another group of guests show up just before a snowstorm, her plans begin to go awry. And the appearance of a dead body threatens to bugger up Christmas once again… Can Anna get merry and root out the murderer? Or will this be another bloody Christmas nightmare? A hilarious whodunnit that will keep you guessing this Christmas, perfect for fans of Gill Sims, Ian Moore and Richard Osman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAUTHORS LOVE JO MIDDLETON!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘An outrageously funny, festive romp which is as utterly wonderful as it is (Christmas) crackers!’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMIKE GAYLE ‘If a slightly tipsy Agatha Christie had written the Midsomer Murders Christmas special, then that’s Jo Middleton’s Not Another Bloody Christmas. Smart and wickedly funny, it had me cackling into my eggnog!’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIAN MOORE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Only Jo Middleton could turn murder into an essential Festive Family Tradition! My favourite Christmas book of the year!’ GILL SIMS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Both extremely funny and insightful. I loved every page!’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKATIE FFORDE ‘A truly wonderful Christmas confection from one of the funniest writers around.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to festive bloodshed, nobody does it better than Jo Middleton.’ TOM MEAD\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Bolt the bathroom door and break out the Baileys. Jo Middleton’s new book could make even the Grinch look forward to another bloody Christmas.’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCHRISSIE MANBY ‘A compulsive Christmas cake binge of a read – terrific! So piercingly funny, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or wince. A murder mystery brew that beats eggnog hands down!’ J. M. HALL\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Hilarious, mysterious and delicious. Anna is possibly the most relatable detective I’ve read in years, and I reckon if she can solve a mystery with only her chaotic family and a pair of Marigolds at hand, there’s hope for us all!’ ANTONY JOHNSTON\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Wonderfully funny with that extra bite that makes Jo Middleton one of the very best crime writers we have!’ JONATHAN WHITELAW\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A compulsive Christmas cake binge of a read – terrific! So piercingly funny, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or wince. A murder mystery brew that beats eggnog hands down!’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJ. M. HALLREADERS LOVE NOT ANOTHER BLOODY CHRISTMAS!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Fast paced and very amusing and with a credible cast that will keep the reader thoroughly entertained’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘This hilarious Christmas murder mystery will keep you laughing from start to finish’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘You will want to read it in one sitting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘An absolutely brilliant, hilarious read that is a must for the festive period’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A superb sense of humour mixed with intrigue \u0026amp; mystery!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Highly recommend it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55896387060085,"sku":"9780008712815","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008712815_ff4576f6-f967-43eb-bb4c-764eb39fc742.jpg?v=1785658786"},{"product_id":"bah-bloody-humbug_christma3-pb","title":"Bah Bloody Humbug","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt's beginning to look a lot like murder…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChristmas is cancelled. After spending the last two unmasking killers, Anna has officially banned all things festive. No turkey, no tinsel, no forced merriment of any kind. Just one tiny thing first: she must survive a weekend volunteering at her daughter's school ‘Seasonal Community Gathering’. And woe betide anyone who calls it a Christmas Fair.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut when Anna and her best mate Jennie discover one of the committee dead, suddenly keeping the tombola gluten free is the least of their worries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe police are calling it an accident. Anna is calling it suspicious. Off-brand bunting, a locked office and far too many people with grudges mean that things just don’t add up. So Anna and Jennie set out to catch the culprit, only to end up knee-deep in mince pies, tea urns and PTA politics, untangling a web of petty vendettas that would make Santa hand in his notice…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraise for Jo Middleton\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Had me in fits of laughter, tears streaming down my face!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Will be going in everyone's stockings this Christmas!'★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Engaging and quirky in the very best way' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A must read for Winter 2024!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I was absorbed from the very first page' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I have never laughed so much while reading a book!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'So fresh, exciting, funny and intelligent!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Kept me guessing until the end!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An absolute riotous Christmas cracker!' ★★★★★\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Motherland meets Agatha Christie…. The funniest book I have read this year!' ★★★★★ 'I would 100% recommend this book!' ★★★★★AUTHORS LOVE HAPPY BLOODY CHRISTMAS!'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA truly unputdownable, criminally good mystery that had me hooked from the absolute beginning. Sterling stuff.' ANTONY JOHNSON\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An outrageously funny, festive romp which is as utterly wonderful as it is (Christmas) crackers!' MIKE GAYLE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Smart and wickedly funny, it had me cackling into my eggnog!’ IAN MOORE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘My favourite Christmas book of the year!’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGILL SIMS’This hilarious, sweary, cheerful whodunnit is a full-on festive romp that will make you laugh out loud.’ ADELE PARKS FOR Platinum\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘The perfect present for the friend who would help you hide a body!' CHRISSIE MANBY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Hilarious, festive and relatable. A total Christmas cracker!’ FIONA LEITCH\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'So good, you should sack off Christmas dinner and read this instead!' HARPER FORD\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A compulsive Christmas cake binge of a read – terrific!' J.M. HALL\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Laugh a minute? More like laugh a second!' HANNAH HENDY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Hilarious with dollops of fun and a brilliant whodunnit!' JONATHAN WHITELAW\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A five-star triumph!' ROSIE HANNIGAN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Chock-full of proper jokes!' ABIGAIL BURDESS\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57495527260533,"sku":"9780008838065","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008838065.jpg?v=1786618190"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-jo-middleton.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}