The Secondhand Bookworm - a series of novels set in an English bookshop, kindle and paperback - Jason Hill, Worthing

Six bookshop novels available to read

Summer is drawing near and book 4 in The Secondhand Bookworm series of novels is a great read for the season. I dedicated this novel to Jason Hill who was a work colleague of mine for several years back in the early-mid 2000's. We worked together in the bookshops I helped to run for ten years in Sussex and I have a lot of fond memories of him.

The Secondhand Bookworm novels in paperback

Jason was killed last year with his brother and friends when their helicopter crashed at the Grand Canyon. I was shocked and saddened. I had already been writing memories of him at the time in book three and planned to especially recapture numerous events and experiences we had in book 4. I worked with Jason especially over the summer in the bookshops, so it was bittersweet to write 'Summer at The Secondhand Bookworm' and a day spent with him.

I love this book, it's funny, interesting and a great read - a week spent in a secondhand bookshop in a town in Sussex during the summer events that take place. It flows along the series story arc but can also be read as a stand alone. I shall always think of Jason when I write my books, we certainly had a good laugh dealing with bookshop customers.

Jason (right) and his brother

Here's the blurb from 'Summer at the Secondhand Bookworm' available on Kindle and in paperback today:

Summer at The Secondhand Bookworm

It's summer in Castletown and festival week has begun.

Nora Jolly works in The Secondhand Bookworm, a rambling three story shop higgledy-piggledy with books, upon books, upon books! This week is full of the bizarre and the hilarious as thousands of tourists arrive to visit the Carpet of Flowers, walk the Art Trail, watch the entertainment in the square, hunt the Castletown treasure, ride the Tuk-Tuk up the hill, take a smuggling walk, have their faces painted, visit the newly built castle and of course, buy some books!

It's sweltering hot so Nora spends her time chasing children eating ice-creams out of the shop while enduring noisy steel bands, out of tune banjo players, Castletown's Got Talent and streams of popping bubbles with new and old customers galore such as Crossword-Lady, the man with the enormous moustache, Spencer and his alien sightings, Harry on his vanity run, Mr Hill and his battered green suitcase, a famous Radio DJ and a woman with a beard.

There are flying monkeys, Moomins on stilts, a giant metal spider army, and the Goat Lady's mother-in-law has died so that means a dreaded visit to look at her books with Bill and his scraggly beard lurking in the shadows.

Cara and Nora's brother Seymour have gotten engaged, Roger has become a Buddhist, Troy wants Georgina to elope, Betty has some more scandalous stories, Jason has biked eight miles to work on his racer, and the Duke is sending Nora text messages.

There's a staff barbecue down the beach where Percival turns up in his red Speedos and Miss Raven is spotted with a gentleman friend; a summer gathering to watch Shakespeare on the Hill, vintage fire trucks, Penguin book deckchairs, a travelling organ and Nora and Humphrey are given a personal tour of the Duke of Cole's library much to Humphrey's chagrin. Abba tributes, a foiled bookshop robbery, wine tasting, a valet named Jeeves, a violent goose, a man who looks like a gnome, a journey to the center of the bookshop, attacking seagulls and Nora being enlisted to hang out an old lady's unmentionables while on a traditional bookshop calls day all make up another hilarious week at The Secondhand Bookworm in book four of this new growing series of fun, feel-good novels!

Start the series today!