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More Than Murder: The unputdownable, intriguing and witty, first book in this new cosy murder mystery series: 1
“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.
"Occasionally a book comes along that is soooo engaging that you literally can't put it down ... More Than Murder is exactly that (book.)" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cosycrimemystery.com
“It’s sharp, funny, and fun—the perfect cosy crime! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sharon Fallows, Tales Before Bedtime
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..
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.
With the body count rising and two murders to solve, 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.
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?
Witty and charming characters 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 Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton and Benjamin Stevenson.
More Than Murder is the first book in this cosy crime series.
"Occasionally a book comes along that is soooo engaging that you literally can't put it down ... More Than Murder is exactly that (book.)" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cosycrimemystery.com
“It’s sharp, funny, and fun—the perfect cosy crime! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sharon Fallows, Tales Before Bedtime
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..
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.
With the body count rising and two murders to solve, 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.
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?
Witty and charming characters 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 Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton and Benjamin Stevenson.
More Than Murder is the first book in this cosy crime series.
- GenresCrime
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
14 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 9, 2025
This is a fun and entertaining cosy crime book from a debut author.
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
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If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
May 1, 2025
This is a fun mystery that kept me entertained from the very start.
Julia and Frankie’s relationship is strained so what could be better than a murder mystery weekend to bring them together?!?
Trying to know who is who, who’s lying, who’s acting, with nobody who they say they are - this is certainly a mystery the two sisters will need to work together on.
Putting their differences and history aside for the weekend we’re treated to a fun romp through a country house, complete with ‘bodies’ a plenty.
April 28, 2025
I was so lucky to be given an advanced copy of More Than Murder, and it quickly became one of my favourite books of 2025 (so far!).
Author Jayne Chard has spent a career in TV and film, and the pacing and cleverness of her debut murder mystery novel uses all of those skills.
In a nutshell, the book goes like this:
Julia lives in the quaint little English village of Little Clarsden, in the home she inherited from her aunt – Rose Cottage. There’s just one catch.
The will stipulated that both Julia and her estranged sister Frankie must live in the house together for one year before it becomes rightfully theirs.
Should either sister leave before the time is up, the house automatically transfers to the other.
Julia isn’t worried, that is, until the flamboyant Frankie breezes back into town to claim her share of Rose Cottage.
These two sisters could not be more different, so the chances of them surviving each other are slim to say the least.
But they decide to put their differences aside and genuinely make a go of things. And that begins when one of them wins a Murder Mystery Weekend at the stately Medfield estate.
As it turns out, this is the moment that will either make or break their relationship – they just don’t know it yet!
It's clever, it's laugh-out-loud funny, and it's charming from beginning to end. Huge thumbs up!
Author Jayne Chard has spent a career in TV and film, and the pacing and cleverness of her debut murder mystery novel uses all of those skills.
In a nutshell, the book goes like this:
Julia lives in the quaint little English village of Little Clarsden, in the home she inherited from her aunt – Rose Cottage. There’s just one catch.
The will stipulated that both Julia and her estranged sister Frankie must live in the house together for one year before it becomes rightfully theirs.
Should either sister leave before the time is up, the house automatically transfers to the other.
Julia isn’t worried, that is, until the flamboyant Frankie breezes back into town to claim her share of Rose Cottage.
These two sisters could not be more different, so the chances of them surviving each other are slim to say the least.
But they decide to put their differences aside and genuinely make a go of things. And that begins when one of them wins a Murder Mystery Weekend at the stately Medfield estate.
As it turns out, this is the moment that will either make or break their relationship – they just don’t know it yet!
It's clever, it's laugh-out-loud funny, and it's charming from beginning to end. Huge thumbs up!
April 29, 2025
“We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.”
More Than Murder follows estranged sisters Julia and Frankie, who take part in a murder mystery weekend at a Somerset mansion, hoping to mend their fractured relationship. But the intrigue turns deadly when they stumble upon a real corpse and realise there’s a killer on the loose. Can the sisters set aside their differences and solve the mystery before they become the next victims?
More Than Murder is set to be the first in this witty cosy crime series, and is obviously written by an author who knows how to set a scene and unravel a mystery (evident through Jayne Chard’s amazing BBC producer background!). Once I was hooked into this debut, I really enjoyed it and read pretty much all of it in one sitting!
We mainly follow sisters Frankie and Julia, but are introduced to an array of intriguing characters who are all on their own agendas and hiding their own secrets. The plot is witty, cleverly written and makes for a charming read. I am definitely intrigued to see where this series goes next.
Thank you so much to Jayne Chard and Hannah for sending me this advanced copy of More Than Murder to read and review. My opinions are my own.
More Than Murder follows estranged sisters Julia and Frankie, who take part in a murder mystery weekend at a Somerset mansion, hoping to mend their fractured relationship. But the intrigue turns deadly when they stumble upon a real corpse and realise there’s a killer on the loose. Can the sisters set aside their differences and solve the mystery before they become the next victims?
More Than Murder is set to be the first in this witty cosy crime series, and is obviously written by an author who knows how to set a scene and unravel a mystery (evident through Jayne Chard’s amazing BBC producer background!). Once I was hooked into this debut, I really enjoyed it and read pretty much all of it in one sitting!
We mainly follow sisters Frankie and Julia, but are introduced to an array of intriguing characters who are all on their own agendas and hiding their own secrets. The plot is witty, cleverly written and makes for a charming read. I am definitely intrigued to see where this series goes next.
Thank you so much to Jayne Chard and Hannah for sending me this advanced copy of More Than Murder to read and review. My opinions are my own.
April 29, 2025
A cosy, murder mystery in classic whodunnit fashion with added wit and charm!! The relationship between the sisters is stilted at first but the development over time is lovely to read! I think I suspected every single person and have motive and reason, but I was all wrong! This is written in third person narrative so admittedly I did struggle with the jumping from character to character but there weren’t so many that I was overwhelmed or confused, however, this is a personal preference and nothing whatsoever to do with the story. Jayne’s writing and description made me feel as if, I too were at Medfield estate, trying to solve a crime. Overall this was a delightful read and the Shakespeare quotes were a lovely touch!
August 27, 2025
The first of a new series in the humorous cozy crime genre aka M.E. Beaton's Agatha Raison novels - full of quirky characters, lots of suspects, a profusion of misleading red-herrings, a fast-paced plot all building to a surprise ending. What's not to like?
Looking forward to the next Julia and Frankie adventure.
Looking forward to the next Julia and Frankie adventure.
May 3, 2025
An excellent cosy read playing on some of the tropes of murder mysteries and golden age crime, a great start to a new series that will be loved by fans of the Thursday murder club series 4.5* from me
December 8, 2025
Julia and Frankie, two warring sisters in their sixties, have finally been reunited by their cunning Aunt Lucy. The old lady has left them both a half share in Rose Cottage, but only if they can live in it together. To build bridges, they set off on a murder mystery weekend at a Somerset mansion. Soon, they realise that a real murder has taken place - but nobody will believe them. The siblings are forced to turn sleuth together.
Written in the third person omniscient style, the story bubbles with humour. We are introduced to a vast cast of characters and learn a great deal about them. I have to admit that I was unable to solve the murder, so hats off to our plucky amateur detectives when they face down the killer!
Written in the third person omniscient style, the story bubbles with humour. We are introduced to a vast cast of characters and learn a great deal about them. I have to admit that I was unable to solve the murder, so hats off to our plucky amateur detectives when they face down the killer!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews