Jane E. James

Jane E. James is a British author of psychological thrillers. She writes mysteries and dark fiction. Her novel The Crying Boy became an overnight bestseller on Amazon. She is published by Joffe Books.

Jane E. James was born in Cambridgeshire. She is half Welsh. She adopted the pen name James in honour of her late mother. She began her career as a scriptwriter before switching to novel writing.

James creates chilling reads that stay in the reader's mind. All her books are standalone novels. Her second novel, The Crying Boy (2017), knocked Stephen King and Dean Koontz off the top suspense spot. This success led to a two-book publishing deal.

Her recent novels include The Son-in-Law (2023), The Grandmother (2024), The Honeymoon (2025), and Before Us (2025). Many of James' stories are set in the Stamford and Peterborough areas. She said: "All life is precious". She is a vegan and an animal rights advocate.

Her latest novel, The Landlady, was published in 2026. The story follows a woman and her five-year-old daughter, Lily. They moved to Rose Cottage on a quiet country farm. Their landlady, Mrs Skinner, greets them with a bone-crushing hug. She seems nice and motherly. She brings homemade cakes, freshly baked bread and cheese. Then came the rule: no male visitors.

The cottage seemed perfect for them. Anywhere was better than the women's refuge they had left. But soon, red flags appear. Mrs Skinner's son watches the narrator too closely. Her lipstick disappears. Lily wakes screaming that there's a stranger in her room. When she asks about the last tenant, she learns the woman vanished. She left all her furniture behind. Mrs Skinner just smiles. She says she only wants to protect them.

James described the book as a totally addictive psychological thriller with a shocking final twist. The novel explores themes of domestic abuse, survival, and maternal protection.

James lives with her cats Hero and Halo. The cats are sometimes featured in her books. Her favourite reads include Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Carrie by Stephen King and The Woman in Black. She also loves Wuthering Heights.

Jane E. James lives in the Rutland countryside near Stamford, Lincolnshire, in the UK.

Photo credit: www.janeejames.com