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About

BOOKS… NOT JUST FOR BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS…
BOOKS… BOOKS… YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY BOOKS.
BOOKS… BOOKS… BOOKS… NOT JUST A JOB BUT A WAY OF LIFE

We love books, not just because we sell them, but also because we love reading them too, so running Jeff ‘n’ Joys is the best of both worlds!

Everywhere we go we love to read! We have been interested in books for years and with every opportunity we'll have our eyes deep into a book

So how did Jeff ‘n’ Joys come about?

Serious ill-health forced me to give up work in 1999 and in 2000 I lost my wife, Joy, to cancer leaving me with no focus until my sons suggested me selling books on the internet. I set up Jeff ‘n’ Joys in October 2000 and sold my first book at the end of that month. What started out as “giving me something to do” rather quickly became a full-time job.

Before I knew it, I was being asked by a variety of small-press publishers in the USA if I would stock their books and I opened accounts with a few UK publishers too. Fiona became part of the business in 2004 and now works full-time selling books.

Let’s face it, we never expected to be as big as Waterstones (other booksellers are available…) and we aren’t, but we do have lots of books that the larger chains may not have and they can be first editions, books from small press publishers and signed limited editions amongst others.

We offer a wide range of horror, SF, fantasy and crime novels in particular, but we are not limited to these genres.

Meet Jeff Hill

  • Favourite Book: The Day of the Triffids
  • Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/jeffnjoys
  • Email Address: jeff@jeffnjoys.co.uk

A little about me:

I am a qualified Public Finance Accountant and spent 35 years working in the public sector for various local authorities.

My own taste in books ranges from books that make me laugh to books that scare the pants off me. I am a big fan of the late, great Terry Pratchett and Simon Clark is my favourite horror writer. I like a good conspiracy and am fascinated by UFO’s, Bigfoot, the Illuminati and Nessie and I still don’t know who really shot JFK or what happens at Area 51.

I have been a Manchester United supporter since 1956 (the armchair type) and follow the ‘Boro from the same armchair. Thank goodness for Sky and BT Sport.

Meet Fiona McQuillan

  • Favourite Book: Brother Athelstan Series by Paul Doherty
  • Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/jeffnjoys
  • Email Address: jeff@jeffnjoys.co.uk

A little about me:

I’m Fiona, the “silent half” of Jeff ‘n’ Joys… although people that know me would never describe me as silent!  Why silent… because I normally beaver away in the background and most of our customers don’t know I exist, but with this new website I’ve decided I can’t hide anymore… Well I haven’t but Glen (https://www.stackupdigital.co.uk) who designed our new site says I can’t!

I’ve been involved with the business since 2004 on a part-time basis.  I eventually managed to escape the day job in 2014 by taking early retirement from Teesside University where I had worked for over 21 years and have worked in the business full-time ever since.

I’ve always loved books, they are wonderful, magical things and I couldn’t imagine life without them.  My main love is crime novels – especially those set in the Golden Age of crime and some historical crime – but I will read just about anything, including the words on a cereal box if there’s nothing else available.

Favourite authors include all the usual suspects – Christie, Crispin, Allingham etc, but I also like modern writers carrying on the tradition, such as Catriona McPherson, Frances Brody and Dolores Gordon-Smith.

Paul Doherty, Edward Marston and Cora Harrison are amongst my favourites for historical crime and for unusual crime you can’t beat the Bryant & May novels of Christopher Fowler, the Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaaronovitch, the Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley…

And last but not least, I adore the wonderful Brenda and Effie novels by Paul Magrs.