The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse by Charlie Cochrane Series: An Alasdair and Toby and Cambridge Fellows Mystery #1
on October 6, 2022
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 273
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon
Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are the darlings of post-war British cinema, playing Holmes and Watson onscreen and off. When they’re called on to portray their fellow amateur detectives—Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart—not only do they find distinct challenges in depicting real people, they also become embroiled in solving a century-old murder.
My two favorite Charlie Cochrane historical cozy mysteries combined for this all new series that begins with a cold case from Jonty’s past. I was eager for this coziest of cozy mysteries in the authentic historical setting of post WWII England with two pairs of amateur detecting teams working together to solve the case.
As I said, The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse is a follow up new series combining the older Cambridge Fellows series featuring Jonty and Orlando set in Edwardian and post-WWI Cambridge and the newer Alaisdair and Toby set in post WWII 1950s British cinema. A newcomer could start here, but personally, I advise reading the Cambridge Fellows and then the Alaisdair & Toby books before this one.
So yes, a combo which catches up with Jonty and Orlando in their seventies and still going strong teaching at St. Brides’ and enjoying a long, but hidden romantic partnership at Forsythia College. Alaisdair and Toby’s film company wants to make a film of Jonty and Orlando’s younger lives as amateur sleuths and brilliant Cambridge dons and have Alaisdair play Orlando and Toby play Jonty with the setting at Jonty’s ancestral home.
While the foursome are getting to know each other and going over the screenplay to make any corrections needed, the old Stewart family cold case is brought up. A corpse thought to be there since 1850, was once found in 1915 during a routine house inspection and clean out, sealed in chest stored down in the vaults beneath the house. Jonty’s father suspected foul play at the time, but the Coroner’s verdict came back ‘Accidental Death’ then the war hit and everyone was distracted from the case.
It seemed natural for the two pairs of amateur sleuths to be roused by the old case and want to give it a go. I enjoyed following along as the story passed through all four points of view and the investigation into the past took place.
Maybe because there were four detectives, but there was a boatload of people introduced into this one as past witnesses and suspects from both 1850 and 1915 time periods and a few current witnesses which had me all turned around in short order. After a bit, I didn’t even try to keep some of it straight and just enjoyed watching all the guys doing their thing and impatiently wait for them to all- now including Dr. Panesar and Dr. Howe who were helping- theorize. The solution came through at last.
An enjoyable, and I hope not the only, satisfying collaboration for the two detecting teams of older and younger pairs of secret lovers and sleuths repping academia and cinema. A solid historical cozy with good attention to historical setting, characterization, and dialogue, but also a fun engaging cast of characters.
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.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- The Lizzy Chronicles by Cat Gardiner @40sExperience#HarryFrost@sophiarose1816#LoveAudiobooks - December 8, 2024
- Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge @colleengleason @KensingtonBooks @sophiarose1816 - December 4, 2024
- Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna #ClaraMcKenna @KensingtonBooks@sophiarose1816 - November 27, 2024
What a fun concept!!!!
Yeah, it was great fun to have two of her series come together like this.
Wow, to have a corpse just sealed up and stored under your house is something. I’m curious about what happened!
Yeah, I was really curious how they were all going to solve such an old case with so little to go on.
That sounds like a good one.
It was a blast to have two favorite series pairs team up and work on a cold case. 🙂
This sounds fun and I love the premise! I’ll have to look for this series.
Yes! Both Cambridge Fellows and the Alasdair and Toby series are good stuff. 🙂
Oh how fun… pulling two series together for a whole new one. What if Kate and Curran joined up with Sean and Dina? LOL!!
Don’t blow my mind like that. LOL I’d love it if House Andrews wrote something like that just for fun. 🙂