Book Extract: The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook by Tessa Barrie

I’m so excited to be welcoming Tessa Barrie to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook.

The remote village of Didsbrook is thrown into turmoil after its best-known resident, the former actress turned best-selling novelist Jocelyn Robertshaw, is found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Villagers are appalled to learn that the charismatic Jocelyn died from Hemlock poisoning. Police claim she shot and ate a quail that had ingested hemlock. A theory disputed by all who knew her well. The animal-loving Jocelyn would never kill anything, but due to the lack of forensic evidence, police rule death by misadventure.

Jocelyn’s young protégée, Lucy Fothergill, determined to discover the truth about what happened to her mentor, discovers a hidden stash of Jocelyn’s notebooks, revealing jaw-dropping secrets from Jocelyn’s past. The impression Jocelyn gave the world that she lived a near-perfect life was an Academy Award-winning performance.

Believing the events from Jocelyn’s past may have led to her death forty-eight years later, Lucy begins to piece together the clues that lead to the truth.

The sleepy village of Didsbrook is about to wake up!

Tessa has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it. 

*****beginning of extract*****

In 2018, the renowned actress turned best-selling author Jocelyn Robertshaw was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the small village of Didsbrook, and her young protégée Lucy Fothergill is determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to her mentor.

An Introduction to the village of Didsbrook, written specifically for the opening reading at the launch on 27^th July 2025

By twenty-first-century standards, the village of Didsbrook is remote. It nestles in the heart of the West Downs National Park, an area of exquisite natural beauty and home to a diverse range of indigenous wildlife, as well as hundreds of Friesian cows. It is more accessible on horseback than by road, and Mr Beeching axed its railway station in the 1960s.

The village is a magnet for those who value privacy and a slower pace of life, with the added charm of its historical significance and cultural richness. Although many assume it is a pastoral dead end, they would be mistaken. The inhabitants of Didsbrook represent an eclectic mix of retirees and creatives, often a combination of both. The village serves as a vibrant hub for actors, writers, and artists. Every morning, alongside the dawn chorus and the gentle lowing of cattle, the sounds of vocal warm-ups and the click-clacking of keyboards can be heard drifting on the breeze.

The majority of the village’s colourful residents were born in this haven of tranquillity, while others were drawn here. Some believe that Didsbrook’s magnetism stems from the ancient Ley line that runs alongside the Didsbrook Rise. This shallow, stony brook meanders through the village’s heart. It is said that the unseen power concealed within a Ley line can enhance imagination and unleash a wave of creativity in the minds of those receptive to it, often resulting in something extraordinary, whether in spoken or written words, or as an art form.

The Didsbrook Rise has been the source of life in the village for thousands of years, drifting through the ages, unhurried by time and meteorological change. It is crisscrossed by narrow packhorse bridges that curve over its crystal-clear waters, which are home to trout and crayfish. Above the surface, mallards and Muscovy ducks coexist, and together with mute swans, they nest in the reed beds and successfully raise their chicks each year. ‘The Rise’ leaves the village to feed the trout lake at Didsbrook Manor before it picks up speed near the old mill in Wayland Wood, where it meets the mighty River Stoner.

There has always been a settlement here, and reminders of Didsbrook’s rich historical past are everywhere. In 43 AD, Roman armies claimed the land and named it Didsbrookium, transforming it into a market town. However, in the early 6th Century, the Romans chose to leave England due to sustained attacks from Ancient Britons and Germanic tribes, which proved too much, even for the mighty Romans, but they left their mark. The well-preserved latrine, bathhouse, and mosaic floor in Stockyard Lane serve as reminders of the Roman occupation.

From the numerous archaeological finds on Hellenes Hill, experts have concluded that, in the 4th Century, the Hellenes, a group of pagans, often congregated there. However, Didsbrook is best known for its cobbled streets, lined on both sides with 15th-century brick, stucco, and wood houses, and the jewel in the village’s historical crown, Didsbrook Manor.

The manor is one of the UK’s best-preserved examples of Tudor architecture. It is also one of the oldest inhabited properties in the United Kingdom and home to Didsbrook’s most famous resident, the former actress turned best-selling novelist Jocelyn Robertshaw, the sole heir to the Strand Banking dynasty.

Jocelyn Robertshaw’s accomplishments are numerous. Apart from her acting and writing achievements, she founded the Strand Theatre in Didsbrook, home to the Didsbrook Amateur Dramatic Society, affectionately known as DADS. Despite its title, DADS is far from being an amateur company. On the contrary, members have received training from distinguished actors who rank amongst thespian royalty from its inception. Jocelyn was also responsible for the creation of DAWG – The Didsbrook Authors and Writers Group, whose members are mostly multi-published, best-selling authors. The artists in the village have not been forgotten, as there is also DAB – the Didsbrook Art Bunch.

Whether the Ley line has the power to stimulate creative minds or not, it is easy to walk through the narrow lanes and alleyways visualising laughing women wearing frilly mop caps and carrying shoulder yokes on their way to milk cows or collect water from the Didsbrook Rise. Men dressed in wool tunics and breeches, smoking clay pipes or chewing on pieces of straw, or some poor sod splattered in rotten tomatoes locked in the pillory in the marketplace, suffering public humiliation for perjury or subordination.

Apart from rave reviews for literature, drama, film, or other creative work emerging from the talented individuals in this picturesque village, Didsbrook last appeared in the national newspaper headlines in the 1920s after a hoard of socketed Bronze Age axe heads was unearthed in Wayland Wood. Since then, life in the village has remained largely out of the public eye, but all that is about to change.

*****end of extract*****

About Tessa Barrie – 

Tessa Barrie was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and despite her parents uprooting her at the age of three and moving her down south, she is proud of her Yorkshire heritage. 

Growing up, she recalls her family life being more Little House on the Prairie than The Waltons because her early years were fraught with drama. However, intermingled with all the emotional disruption, she remembers humour squeezing its way through the frayed feelings.

So, incorporating humour in her writing has become very important to her as she believes that, however dark a story gets, there should always be a subtle sprinkling of humour.

In June 2021, Tessa self-published her debut novel, Just Say It, a bittersweet family saga, and her second novel, The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook, a quirky murder mystery, is currently on pre-order and is due for release on 1st July 2025. Her third novel, The Rebuilding of Freya Michaels, will be published in 2026.

Say hello to Tessa via her website, Facebook, X and Instagram.

The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook was released in July 2025. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.