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

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

“Warm, witty and unexpectedly moving.”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.

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.

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

About the authorJames 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.