Quiet Please! And Other Humorous Tales By Denise Dumont Revives The Art Of The Funny Short Story

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Denise Dumont’s heart-warming debut Quiet Please! – twenty witty, feel-good short stories full of gentle laughs and everyday magic – the perfect Christmas stocking filler.

Quiet Please! And Other Humorous Tales

In an age when good news is rarely reported and headlines very seldom raise a smile, Denise Dumont’s sparkling new collection Quiet Please! and Other Humorous Tales arrives like the literary equivalent of a warm cup of tea and a much-needed chuckle.

Written by a debut author who discovered the joy of fiction in her seventies after overcoming breast cancer, this joyful book is a triumphant reminder that humour and storytelling can brighten even the greyest day.

Across twenty uplifting short stories, Denise Dumont celebrates the chaos, charm, and sheer absurdity of everyday life. Set mostly in recognisable English towns and villages – with the occasional magical detour into realms of wizards, enchanted mirrors, and time-travel mishaps – these tales blend gentle wit with a playful sense of the ridiculous.

You’ll meet:

• A puppy rescued by a lawnmower
• A blackbird who becomes an unlikely family member
• A woman driven to desperate measures by her husband’s endless DIY obsession
• A middle-aged man who accidentally becomes famous after a wasp attack
• An office worker convinced she’s a government assassin
• A wizard who can’t quite get his spells right
• A haunted house that smells suspiciously off
• An enchanted mirror with opinions of its own

From maddening software updates to a Christmas Eve baby born in the back of a car, the stories roam gleefully through romantic misadventures, small triumphs, and moments of pure, delicious chaos.

What makes the collection special is its warmth. These aren’t biting satires or cruel punchlines; they’re affectionate nods to human quirks we all recognise in ourselves and others. Each tale is short enough to read in a single sitting – perfect for a quiet moment on the sofa, a train journey, or that blissful ten minutes before sleep.

Denise Dumont

In 2017 at the age of 70 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Although my background was in maths and economics, I needed a new focus to keep me feeling positive so I went on a creative writing course and have never looked back. I have been lucky. So far, my cancer has not recurred and to celebrate eight years’ cancer free I decided to publish some of my stories. Writing them has been a very worthwhile experience. I hope that others will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

-Denise Dumont

Denise Dumont spent decades surrounded by equations. With a degree in Mathematics and postgraduate qualifications in Statistics and Economics, she lectured at university for many years. Retirement, followed by successful treatment for breast cancer, gave her the space to try something entirely new: writing the kind of stories that make people smile.

The result is Quiet Please! and Other Humorous Tales – her delightful debut collection, brimming with curiosity, charm, and perfectly-timed laughs.

The ideal Christmas gift for anyone who needs a smile

If you’re searching for a thoughtful, feel-good present that isn’t another pair of socks, this little book is spot-on. Slip it into a stocking, wrap it for a favourite aunt, or keep it by your own bedside table – it’s guaranteed to deliver surprise, delight, and plenty of quiet (or not-so-quiet) chuckles.

Because sometimes the best escape isn’t found in far-off lands or high-stakes drama.

Sometimes it’s simply a lawnmower, a cheeky blackbird, and a wizard who’s having a very bad day.

Quiet Please! and Other Humorous Tales by Denise Dumont – the heart-warming, laugh-out-loud short story collection we all need right now.

Find more from Denise Dumont now:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3XNiqY2

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3KlzEsq