Left at Number 17: A Warm, Sharp and Very British Christmas Comedy Novella About Neighbours, Chaos and Second Chances - Softcover

Crookes, James

  • 3.96 out of 5 stars
    127 ratings by Goodreads
 
9798274749671: Left at Number 17: A Warm, Sharp and Very British Christmas Comedy Novella About Neighbours, Chaos and Second Chances

Synopsis

It was only a padded envelope.

It should not have caused this much trouble.

“Warm, witty and unexpectedly moving.”

A sharp, funny British comedy about neighbours, suspicion, and the small things that spiral out of control.

When a padded envelope goes missing on Laurel Drive, it should be a simple mistake.

Instead, it becomes something the whole street can’t quite let go of.

Set over one December night, this is a sharply funny British neighbourhood story.

Dennis at Number 17 runs an unofficial Parcel Hub from his driveway — queue tickets, passwords, mugs of tea, and a strict sense of order. It keeps the street ticking over. It keeps people polite. It keeps everything under control.

Until one man jumps the queue.

Michael has too much riding on the day to wait — and hates himself for the decision he makes next.

And with that single decision, the small things refuse to stay small.

Neighbours get involved.
Quiet assumptions turn into quiet judgements.
Old feelings resurface.
And suddenly, everyone has an opinion.

What follows is a night of awkward confrontations, bad decisions, and unintended consequences — all sparked by one missing padded envelope.

Left at Number 17 is a fast, witty, character-driven comedy about what happens when politeness meets paranoia, and why the real trouble never starts with the missing parcel — it starts when people begin talking about it.

Read free with Kindle Unlimited. Also available on Audible.

“Don’t be right. Be kind. You can be right later, if you really need to.”

About the author

James Crookes is a bestselling British comedy author and long-running radio presenter and producer. He writes warm, sharp fiction about ordinary people in awkward situations and the moments that change everything. He lives in Sheffield, England, with his family, fifteen pairs of reading glasses, and a sincere belief that wine solves at least 40% of modern problems.

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