Murder By Mercury

by Jane Holland

Book 4 Stella Penhaligon cozy mysteries with a twist!
'You cannot go wrong with Jane Holland's books' - 5-star Amazon review of Book 1, Under An Evil Star.

Stella Penhaligon agrees to be the official astrologer attached to Druid's Den, her friend Luke's new occult shop. But when a local dignitary is found murdered at the shop's grand opening, she and Luke are among the chief suspects.

After much dithering, DS Jack Church and Stella have finally starting dating. Now Jack feels duty-bound to cool off, at least until the killer is caught. Left isolated, and with Jack barred from the investigation, Stella has little faith in the new team's ability to solve this one.

Her astrology skills may be required once more, this time to prove her innocence. But it's soon clear this case is darker and more dangerous than anything she's been involved with before.
READERS' PRAISE for Jane Holland's previous
'Brilliant series, 5-stars. The setting of Cornwall is just right for an astrologist joining a police investigation.'

'From start to finish, it grips you and doesn’t let go, with a well thought out plot and really strong characters who leap to life on the page.'

'I really cannot get enough of this fabulous author ... highly recommend any of her thrillers.'

'A fab read!!!'

'5 stars from this happy reader. I've just pre-ordered Book 2 in the series.'

'This began as psychological suspense, moved through thriller territory and, with a left-field twist, culminated in grand guignol. For fans of spine-chillers, THE HIVE is a five star must read.'

'The Hive is an emotional tour de force that will scare, delight, terrify and enthral thriller readers everywhere.

'Gripping story, keeps you on the edge of your seat.'

'As scared as I was at times, I couldn't take my eyes off the page and found my eyes trying to sneakily jump ahead as my brain wasn't reading fast enough.'

'I couldn't put out the light until I'd finished reading this.'

'Didn't guess the ending ... well-written, cleverly interwoven.'

'I read the book almost in one sitting and felt unfeasibly annoyed when I had to put it down.'

'Brilliant ending!'

'A thriller with a capital T and perfect for anyone that likes horror.'

'A very creepy storyline.'

'A fast paced and twisty novel with a satisfying ending ...'

‘A read which wraps you in a blanket of mistrust and unease, taking you to a thrilling end.’ —Sue Fortin, author of USA Today bestselling thriller The Girl Who Lied, and Sister Sister

'A very different read, brilliantly done.'

‘Utterly believable, scary as hell. Simply compelling.’ —Andy Martin, Cambridge academic and expert on crime writing

'An amazing 5-star read!'

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2025

About the author

Jane Holland is an award-winning British poet and novelist, and proud mum of five amazing kids. The middle child of romance legend Charlotte Lamb, she grew up in Essex and the Isle of Man, but now lives in Cornwall. As Jane Holland, she writes poetry, thrillers, historical suspense and some romance. She also writes commercial women's fiction as Betty Walker, best known for her Cornish Girls wartime sagas. ALSO, try her popular contemporary romance and romcoms as Beth Good! (She also writes as Victoria Lamb, Elizabeth Moss, and Hannah Coates, among other names.)

Photograph credit: Anand Chhabra