Novel Idea

Babies! | Chapter Twelve

It's the grand finale. Matt and Mollie's masterpiece reaches its explosive conclusion, with Mollie at the helm — and nothing is quite what it seems. After last chapter's jaw-dropping cliffhanger, Chapter twelve opens with a twist that will have you screaming into the abyss, or punching the air with joy, depending on how you feel about Neil Chalk. Neil, Timmy, Joanna, Terence, Delilah — every thread gets its moment. And when the action moves to Antoinette Du Beke's ballet at the Bacon Theatre, Ian Chalk finally reveals WHO killed Augustus Smythe. All the clues were there, but has Ian found them? Matt journeys from fury to euphoria. Mollie is sweating (always). Steffan reads through illness like a champion. This is the one. Grab a hot chocolate, settle in, and find out whodunit. Matt and Mollie are writing a novel… together. They alternate chapters in a bid to create a gripping murder mystery. The catch? They have completely different ideas about what the book should be. Hosted by Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, with ever-patient narrator and referee Steffan Powell, each has just one week to continue the story — reacting, escalating, derailing and occasionally rescuing the plot from the other. Steffan reads the chapters aloud and tries to keep the whole thing vaguely coherent. What starts as a simple premise becomes a competitive, unpredictable battle of twists, cliffhangers and creative one-upmanship. Part comedy show, part audiobook, part social experiment — and by the end, there’s a complete original novel, written in real time. Welcome to the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Death of Chalk | Chapter Eleven

Matt's back for his final chapter, and he's chosen violence. It opens with four words that'll stop your heart — and then immediately takes them back. Neil Chalk visits the scene of Timmy's trauma, sees some very concerning wall messages, and has an unlikely encounter with nature. Meanwhile Lord Ledal gets a midnight phone call that suggests he's in far deeper than anyone realised, and Chalk and Bones are working the case from the world's most depressing bedsit. Everyone's been invited to Antoinette Du Beke's show, which is either a lovely evening out or a trap. Then there's a prop warehouse, a weapon, and a decision that changes everything. Matt thinks he's written an action movie. Mollie thinks he's written her into a corner. Steffan just wants to know about how a fox would eat a Viennetta. The final line of this chapter? Bring tissues. Matt and Mollie are writing a novel… together. They alternate chapters in a bid to create a gripping murder mystery. The catch? They have completely different ideas about what the book should be. Hosted by Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, with ever-patient narrator and referee Steffan Powell, each has just one week to continue the story — reacting, escalating, derailing and occasionally rescuing the plot from the other. Steffan reads the chapters aloud and tries to keep the whole thing vaguely coherent. What starts as a simple premise becomes a competitive, unpredictable battle of twists, cliffhangers and creative one-upmanship. Part comedy show, part audiobook, part social experiment — and by the end, there’s a complete original novel, written in real time. Welcome to the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Tingle | Chapter Ten

After an explosive chapter nine, Mollie's back in the chair and she's brought the heat. A flashback to the All England Club reveals a relationship that changes everything we thought we knew about the case. Lord Liddell has something to say about it, and it's not pretty. Meanwhile, Chalk is asked some very uncomfortable questions about those Boy Scouts, and a familiar piece of fabric might just blow the case wide open. Oh, and there's a tingle. Nobody can explain the tingle. Mollie thinks she's written a love story. Matt thinks she's written a disaster. And the final line of this chapter? Yeah. We weren't ready either. Matt and Mollie are writing a novel… together. They alternate chapters in a bid to create a gripping murder mystery. The catch? They have completely different ideas about what the book should be. Hosted by Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, with ever-patient narrator and referee Steffan Powell, each has just one week to continue the story — reacting, escalating, derailing and occasionally rescuing the plot from the other. Steffan reads the chapters aloud and tries to keep the whole thing vaguely coherent. What starts as a simple premise becomes a competitive, unpredictable battle of twists, cliffhangers and creative one-upmanship. Part comedy show, part audiobook, part social experiment — and by the end, there’s a complete original novel, written in real time. Welcome to the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Wrong Cave | Chapter Nine

In Chapter 9, Matt takes the reins for his penultimate chapter — and he's come armed with a plan. Three things were requested: a fight scene, an arrest, and an animal. Whether all three actually turn up is another matter entirely. The chapter opens with a chilling glimpse into the mind behind the murder. But before we can dwell on that, Chalk is pulled back to the event that's haunted him since the very first chapter. What actually happened at Cheddar Gorge? After eight chapters of teasing, we finally get the full story of what went down in those caves, and it's far more connected to the case than anyone expected. There's also a late-night break-in at Willow Manor, and Chalk uncovers something deeply disturbing hidden in plain sight, leading to a brutal confrontation. What follows is an unexpected rescue, a revealing conversation, and a connection between two deaths that changes everything we thought we knew about the investigation. By the end of the chapter, a legendary name from the past resurfaces in a way nobody saw coming, a familiar face makes a silent return, and a mysterious delivery raises more questions than it answers. The third act has well and truly begun and like Brie Roquefort, Matt is gripping the wheel tightly. Matt and Mollie are writing a novel… together. They alternate chapters in a bid to create a gripping murder mystery. The catch? They have completely different ideas about what the book should be. Hosted by Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, with ever-patient narrator and referee Steffan Powell, each has just one week to continue the story — reacting, escalating, derailing and occasionally rescuing the plot from the other. Steffan reads the chapters aloud and tries to keep the whole thing vaguely coherent. What starts as a simple premise becomes a competitive, unpredictable battle of twists, cliffhangers and creative one-upmanship. Part comedy show, part audiobook, part social experiment — and by the end, there’s a complete original novel, written in real time. Welcome to the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Make It Jammy | Chapter Eight

In Chapter 8, it's Mollie's turn — and she delivers what might be the most important chapter yet. With Chalk still processing everything that happened with his brother, a new face arrives on the scene: a legendary retired detective, pulled out of retirement to help crack the case. The two meet for the first time and it's immediately clear this is exactly the kind of partnership Chalk needs right now. Over coffee and donuts, they compare notes on the investigation so far — who's been ruled out, who's still in the frame, and what doesn't quite add up about the night of the murder. Meanwhile, one of the remaining suspects makes a dramatic entrance at the police station — dark glasses on, lawyer in tow, and absolutely zero intention of keeping a low profile. What starts as a cocky PR exercise quickly turns into something much bigger when a bombshell piece of evidence is slammed down on the desk. By the end of the chapter, everything the group thought they knew about the relationships at the heart of this case has been turned on its head. A brand new motive has emerged, one suspect is looking far more dangerous than anyone realised, and the investigation has taken a sharp and dramatic turn heading into Chapter 9. Matt and Mollie are writing a novel… together. They alternate chapters in a bid to create a gripping murder mystery. The catch? They have completely different ideas about what the book should be. Hosted by Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, with ever-patient narrator and referee Steffan Powell, each has just one week to continue the story — reacting, escalating, derailing and occasionally rescuing the plot from the other. Steffan reads the chapters aloud and tries to keep the whole thing vaguely coherent. What starts as a simple premise becomes a competitive, unpredictable battle of twists, cliffhangers and creative one-upmanship. Part comedy show, part audiobook, part social experiment — and by the end, there’s a complete original novel, written in real time. Welcome to the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.