The Marling Bay Elephant
An elderly elephant arrives on a storm-battered beach, bringing an unexpected mystery into the lives of Kirsteen and her daughter Jodi.
FICTION BY SIMON RUDD
Stories of salt air, quiet magic and strange frontiers.
Welcome to my bookshelf. I write cosy mysteries, comic fantasy, science fiction and darker tales, often about people whose lives take an unexpected turn. You’ll find seaside communities, unlikely friendships and places with secrets of their own.
NEW HERE? START WITH TWO FREE NOVELS
Begin in Marling Bay
An elderly elephant on a winter beach brings Kirsteen and her daughter Jodi a mystery—and a reason to look again at the town they thought they knew.
Start with The Elephant at Low Tide, then return for The Puppy and the Elephant.
Complete novels · Beta-reader editions · No email signup
STANDALONE NOVELS & NOVELLAS
A whole story in one book.
Discover a library beneath the sea, memories kept in glass, a tree finding its home among the stars, or a man sent hurtling through time. Each story stands on its own, so you can begin wherever you like.
Cosy fantasy · Science fiction · Darker journeys
FOUR PLACES TO BEGIN
Choose your next world
Follow a Cornish mystery, question a prophecy, find a home among the stars or venture into something darker.
COSY MYSTERY · BOOKSHOP MAGIC
The Blackwater Quay Mysteries
In a Cornish harbour town, Elowen Finch reads the emotions left in old ink. Her bookshop, Finch & Fable, is a good place to find a mystery—and a cat with opinions.
Start with Hexes & Hardcovers.
COMIC FANTASY · UNLIKELY HEROES
The Wrong Chosen One
Andra finally gets her chance to be a hero, then discovers the Guild expects its chosen ones to fail on schedule. A questionable destiny is only the beginning.
Start with The Wrong Chosen One.
COSY SCIENCE FICTION · STARSHIP LIFE
The Good Intent
Step aboard a generation ship kept alive by gardeners, menders, cooks and other overlooked workers. In its neglected corridors, ordinary jobs lead to unexpected discoveries.
Start with A Manual for Accidental Gardens.
DARK SPECULATIVE FICTION · VAMPIRES
The Standing Line
Ten years after a vampire plague devastated Britain, a half-turned hero protects a small community of survivors. Keeping them alive means hiding what he has become.
Start with The False Dawn.
Cosy fantasy · Art · Coastal life
The Gallery of Unfinished Goodbyes
Amanda Tomlin opens a gallery in Alderwick with her dog Jim and six second-hand paintings. When the pictures begin changing after they are sold, she finds herself drawn into her customers’ unfinished conversations. A complete six-book series about art, friendship, family and making room for a life of your own.
Six books · Complete series
Start with The Red Child.
The Red Child is also being serialised on my Patreon page if you would like to support me - each chapter will be released weekly and have a new piece of artwork for each chapter.
There are more shelves to explore, including cosy romance, folk fantasy, Weird Westerns and coastal gothic. Find every series and its reading guidance on the Books & Series page →.