TWO ESTRANGED SISTERS. ONE DISAPPEARING BODY.
A witty, cosy mystery packed with twists, turns and tea!
When her flamboyant and spirited half-sister, Frankie, returns to Little Clarsden to claim her share of Rose Cottage, left to them by their Aunt Lucy, she is met with a frosty reception from Julia, who still harbours an old grievance. In an attempt to mend their fractured relationship, the sisters attend a murder mystery weekend at the grand country house of the Medfield estate in the rolling hills of Somerset.
After the first evening's supper, a "poisoned dart" kills one of the guests. In the classic whodunit style of a country house mystery, the game of tracking down the "killer" is afoot.
The playful intrigue takes a sinister turn when the sisters discover a real body hidden in a secret passage. When the body disappears before anyone else can see it, no one believes it ever existed.
With the body count rising, our sharp-witted, sleuthing sisters set aside their differences, determined to unravel the tangled clues of the murder mystery, track down the real killer, and uncover the truth.
Amid the glamour and intrigue of the other guests and the actors slipping in and out of character, it's difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. Nothing and no one is as they seem. As the sisters get closer to the truth, someone wants them silenced-permanently.
With laugh-out-loud banter, a hint of danger, and a twist even Agatha Christie would admire, can Julia and Frankie catch the culprit before the murder weekend becomes their last?
Razor-sharp wit and a plot with more twists and turns than a country road, More Than Murder is a delightful blend of humour, mystery and the classic country house crime, perfect for fans of Benjamin Stevenson, Janet Evanovich, Richard Osman and M.C. Beaton.
More Than Murder is the first book in this cosy crime series.
About the Author :
Jayne began writing plays when she was eight years old and wrote her first book at fourteen. After graduating with a degree in psychology and drama, she went on to win the Royal Shakespeare Company's Buzz Goodbody's Director Award. She started working as a professional theatre director whilst continuing to write, and two of her plays were performed on the London Fringe.
Attracted to the small screen, Jayne became immersed in directing TV dramas. Now a multi-award-winning film and TV drama producer, her credits include the BBC flagship brand, Silent Witness. In addition to her television career, Jayne was instrumental in establishing a veterinary clinic on the remote island of Koh Tao in Thailand and also worked as a radio presenter.
Jayne lives in the West Country with her partner and two cuddly cockapoos. More Than Murder is Jayne's debut novel and the first in this edgy cosy crime series. Then next book The Body That Floats will be published Spring 2026.
Review :
"A wonderful debut. Julia and Frankie are hilarious, and More Than Murder is a real page-turner."
Antony Johnston, bestselling author of The Dog Sitter Detective series
"Chard excels at witty banter and one-liners"
Crimefictionlover.com
"Witty, charming and twisty, More Than Murder is a great start to an intriguing new cosy mystery series and I can't wait to read more."
Thebookmagnet.co.uk
"Occasionally, a book comes along that is soooo engaging that you literally can't put it down. Those books are few and far between, but More Than Murder by Jayne Chard does exactly that."
Cosycrimemystery.com
"A fun mystery that kept me entertained from the very start."
@wendyreadsbooks
"It made me laugh out loud...It's sharp, funny and fun, the perfect cosy crime!"
Shelley Fallows. Tales for Bedtime
"A fun romp through a country house, complete with 'bodies' a plenty."
@brookesbooks88
"This is a fun cosy crime book from a debut author ... and it made for enjoyable reading ... lighthearted and entertaining ... I am looking forward to reading what Julia and Frankie get up to next."
Leftontheshelfbookblog
