Jessica Holme

I write crime fiction under the name J.P. Holme and am currently seeking representation for my debut novel. I am completing a Master’s in Creative Writing at The Open University, where I was awarded a full scholarship through Open Futures. Before pursuing fiction full-time, I spent nearly two decades working in education, an experience that strongly shaped my interest in psychology, voice, and the hidden narratives people carry.

My debut novel, The Assistant’s Notebook (some of you may have read the book as ‘Illusions and deceit’ or ‘The Last Act’), is a psychological crime novel set in Chelmsford that explores themes of power, justice, and perception through the intersecting perspectives of Detective Nora Russo and a magician’s wife caught in a murder investigation. The Crime Writers’ Association has been particularly helpful in supporting my development as a writer, especially through opportunities to refine and strengthen my work during the editing process.

I am currently working on the second Nora Russo novel, The Medusa Club, in my Creative Writing masters.

Alongside my writing, I volunteer at Chelmsford Library, where I help run free creative writing programmes for young people and support opportunities for emerging writers within the local community. I recently gave my first public author talk as one of Chelmsford’s emerging writers for World Book Night.

To read more about my writing journey, creative projects, and conversations with fellow writers, visit my Substack. If you would like to be featured as a guest writer, I’d love to interview you about your writing process.

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