Alan Titchmarsh Writes 13th Fiction Book as Murder Mystery
alan titchmarsh has written a murder mystery for his 13th fiction work, and the novel is scheduled for publication next year. At 76, the gardener, writer and television presenter is making a clear genre shift after decades best known for horticulture.
He said he expects readers to “pick holes” in the plot, but also said he has thoroughly enjoyed writing it. The book was sparked on a transatlantic voyage on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, where about 30 writers and journalists were on board for a literature festival and another author pushed him toward crime fiction.
Queen Mary 2 Prompt
“There were about 30 of us, writers and journalists, on board for a literature festival and one of the authors said to me, 'Alan, you've never written crime, come on, it's time you did'. The seed was sown then.”
That line captures why this book feels more like a career turn than a one-off experiment. Titchmarsh has spent more than 60 years in gardening, but the new novel moves him into a commercial fiction lane where plot logic matters as much as reputation.
Plot Humour, Not Grimness
“I have no doubt holes will be picked in my plot, but I have thoroughly enjoyed writing it. The characters are interesting and there's a bit of humour. I never write things terribly, terribly serious.”
That tone is doing real work here. A murder mystery from a writer known for warmth and practical advice is unlikely to lean into hard-boiled crime conventions, which should make the book easier to market to existing readers who know him from television and gardening rather than from fiction shelves.
Fridays, Mondays, and Balance
Titchmarsh has also said he is reducing his working commitments to create a better balance between professional duties and family time. According to Woman's Weekly, he now avoids working on Fridays and occasionally Mondays, a schedule that signals he is reshaping his output rather than piling on new projects.
He has added a YouTube channel to that mix, offering gardening guidance, advice and demonstrations from his own home, and he said, “It's had millions of views.” He also described YouTube as “an intimate medium,” which suits a presenter who has always done best when the material feels direct rather than overproduced.
The book gives his audience a simple next step: watch for a fiction release next year and expect a gentler crime novel than the genre usually delivers. For readers who know him from Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV and ITVX, this is the most interesting version of a slowdown — one that trades volume for a new type of story.
