Lessons in Exposing a Deadly Alias by Charlie Cochrane Series: Cambridge Fellow Mysteries
on December 4, 2023
Genres: Historical Mystery, Historical Romance
Pages: 233
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon
When their colleague Dr Panesar is the victim of serious allegations, the Cambridge Fellows have to call on every resource to solve the problem. But in a case where nothing is as it appears and they can’t even identify who’s posing the threat, how can they clear an innocent man’s name?
The Cambridge dons are back in action as a detective team, but this time their helping out a fellow professor accused of murder. Charlie Cochrane’s Cambridge Fellows has long been an auto-buy historical cozy mystery series set against the world of academia in Edwardian and post WWI England with a cerebral pair of forbidden lovers as amateur detectives.
Lessons in Exposing a Deadly Alias is a recent release, but takes place in Jonty and Orlando’s past before WWI and the personal losses in their lives, so the story is exceptionally poignant to series fans who see Jonty’s parents and a few other familiar faces around to help them solve their latest case. That said, the books are all standalone mysteries though there is an ongoing friendship and romance plot developing through the series that makes it best read in order.
The latest starts off rather tough for Jonty and Orlando when their friend and fellow professor at St. Brides, Dr. Panesar comes to them with a private matter he needs their help looking into. Maurice has been accused by two anonymous letters of leading a woman on so she thinks he is shirking his honor in matrimony and the other more problematic accusation is that he was responsible for a young aviator crashing to his death. Dr. Panesar is more than he seems and does brilliant work helping to develop secret work for the military and he’s a brilliant polymath. He’s already looked into the situation and come up blank. He’s also old-fashioned and chivalrous even about the crazy lady making accusations so he won’t name her to Jonty and Orlando.
So, the pair take up the commission and go to Jonty’s Stewart relations to help them get to the heart of the matter. Mr. Stewart and Lavinia head off to the air field to nose around, Ralph is sent off to a prep school to nose out answers, and Mrs. Stewart pans her large circle of acquaintance while Jonty and Orlando tackle the murdered man’s family. Slowly, they work together and build the case with witness accounts, bits of evidence, and a lot of educated speculation leading to the next part of the hunt all while teaching their courses and enjoying life in their beloved Forsythia Cottage as an unacknowledged romance pair who have to hide this in the days of 1912.
My suspicion as to why the anonymous letters were sent to Maurice Panesar proved correct, but I didn’t figure out the case until just before the reveal. This was a very twisty one and it had to gently and slowly unfold.
This was a quiet case for the most part and slow-build, but I got cozy and enjoyed being back in the world of the Cambridge Fellows with a favorite cast of characters. Those who enjoy m/m historical cozy mystery should pick up this series from the beginning.
About Charlie Cochrane
Because Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do anything grown up, she writes cosy mysteries. These include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, the contemporary Lindenshaw Mysteries and her 1950s Alasdair and Toby series where two actors play Holmes and Watson both onscreen and off. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Riptide, Lume, and Williams and Whiting.
Charlie is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, and has regularly appeared at literary festivals, reader conventions and author conferences.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I’m glad you had a good time with this one.
I sure did. Thanks, Mary!
Yay. I love when it keeps me guessing until the very end. Nice review Sophia.
Isn’t that the best thing with mysteries? Thanks, Kimberly!
Sounds like an enjoyable mystery set in an interesting place in time! Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Sophia!
Oh yes, I love these, Rachel. The time period is a big draw.
I do enjoy a book that even when I guess what happened I still enjoy the journey. This sounds like a fun read.
Exactly so, Katherine! A good book has extra layers to grab the reader. 🙂
Sounds like a blast! 😀
Glad to tempt you, Carole. So fun! 🙂