Product details
- ISBN 9781068325021
- Weight: 320g
- Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 07 May 2026
- Publisher: Chapters Crime Press
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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TWO RETIRED SITERS
ONE FLOATING BODY
Julia, a retired head teacher with a fondness for order, and her half-sister Frankie, who believes that rules are more like vague suggestions, couldn’t be more different. After a fallout with her sister some years ago, Frankie returned from her travels to lay claim to her half of Rose Cottage, left to them by their Aunt Lucy, and to attempt to salvage her relationship with Julia. Although their adventure in the first book in the Julia and Frankie mysteries, MORE THAN MURDER, went some way towards a resolution, the elephant in the room is still present.
Now they’re back in a new mystery – THE BODY THAT FLOATS - set in the picturesque Cornish village of Portscatho on the Roseland Peninsula, a village struggling with the impact of second homeowners and a decline in the local fishing industry.
It is a matter of some consequence when a dead body emerges from under the floating platform in the waters off Tatams Beach as Julia and Frankie are enjoying their morning swim.
The police declare the death accidental, but the sisters have other ideas.
Soon, they’re knee-deep in smugglers’ tunnels, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a builder’s van, encountering adventurous hedgehogs and facing down a gun-wielding local with questionable fashion choices.
As the pieces of the puzzle come together, their investigation leads them into stormy waters.
Despite a police warning to leave well alone, nothing, not even an enticing cream tea, will stop them from solving the mystery of THE BODY THAT FLOATS.
Can the sisters keep their heads above water long enough to uncover the truth or will the killer make sure they sink without a trace?
THE BODY THAT FLOATS – the mystery’s deep, the water’s cold, and the locals are packing more than just fishing gear. The second charming and witty adventure in the Julia and Frankie mysteries.
Jayne started writing plays when she was eight years old and completed her first "novel" at fourteen - proving early on that she had no intention of choosing a sensible career. After graduating with a degree in psychology and drama, Jayne went on to win the Royal Shakespeare Company's Buzz Goodbody Director Award. She directed a number of plays, including shows at the Royal Court Theatre and Riverside Studios. During this time, Jayne continued to write, and two of her plays were performed on the London Fringe.
Swapping stage lights for camera lenses Jayne moved into television, directing several 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
More Than Murder, published in 2025, marked her debut novel and launched her "edgy cosy crime series" - where sharp wit meets suspicious deaths. The second book in the Julia and Frankie mysteries, The Body that Floats, is out on May 7th 2026.
Jayne lives in the West Country with her partner and two exceedingly cuddly cockapoos, who are entirely unhelpful when it comes to solving murders but excellent company when writing them.
