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Cherringham #13
A Lesson in Murder
When Jack and Sarah are called in to investigate mysterious pranks at an exclusive girls' private school, it seems at first that it might be the work of a few mean pupils with a grudge. But things quickly turn serious when a popular teacher meets a sudden, violent death. Now, with murder in the air, Jack and Sarah have their own lessons to learn about the Cherringham Girls School, its dark secrets... and who wanted that teacher dead before they learned the truth.
-- Cherringham is serial novel à la Charles Dickens, with a new mystery thriller released each month. Set in the sleepy English village of Cherringham, the detective series brings together an unlikely sleuthing English web designer Sarah and American ex-cop Jack. Thrilling and deadly - but with a spot of tea - it's like Rosamunde Pilcher meets Inspector Barnaby. Each of the self-contained episodes is a quick read for the morning commute, while waiting for the doctor, or when curling up with a hot cuppa.
-- Cherringham is serial novel à la Charles Dickens, with a new mystery thriller released each month. Set in the sleepy English village of Cherringham, the detective series brings together an unlikely sleuthing English web designer Sarah and American ex-cop Jack. Thrilling and deadly - but with a spot of tea - it's like Rosamunde Pilcher meets Inspector Barnaby. Each of the self-contained episodes is a quick read for the morning commute, while waiting for the doctor, or when curling up with a hot cuppa.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2015
66 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 9, 2024
In einem Mädcheninternat geschehen unschöne Dinge: Gift im Essen, aufgeschlitzte Autoreifen und tote Ratten im Schwimmbad! Wer steckt dahinter? Ein neuer Fall für Jack und Sarah.
Diesen 13. Band der Reihe habe ich wieder sehr genossen. Mir hat das Setting "Internat" sehr gefallen. Der Wohlfühlkrimi war unterhaltsam, kurzweilig und auch spannend.
Diesen 13. Band der Reihe habe ich wieder sehr genossen. Mir hat das Setting "Internat" sehr gefallen. Der Wohlfühlkrimi war unterhaltsam, kurzweilig und auch spannend.
June 7, 2018
I didn't enjoy it as much as the other ones but it's always great to follow Jack and Sarah through the whole thing!
February 9, 2024
Another car ride with Tim.
March 11, 2017
Wieder eine gute Folge aus der Cherringham Reihe. Ich liebe sie einfach. Jack und Sarah sind klasse und Sabina Godec liest hervorragend.
November 29, 2023
Number 13 in the authors’ Cherringham series.
As always, I enjoyed this novella. But I did have one thought in passing: at one point, Sarah ruminates on her school days, first during her days at a boarding school while her RAF family traveled, and finally at Cherringham Comprehensive:
She’d hated it — so lonely for her, and when her dad retired and the family moved to Cherringham, she’d been overjoyed to be going to a normal day school — albeit one with two thousand pupils.
Up until this point, I had pictured Cherringham as a small village. But a town with two thousand school-age children couldn’t be all that small – unless, of course, the English are unusually prolific. This definitely revises my view of the bucolic settings for the series.
As always, I enjoyed this novella. But I did have one thought in passing: at one point, Sarah ruminates on her school days, first during her days at a boarding school while her RAF family traveled, and finally at Cherringham Comprehensive:
She’d hated it — so lonely for her, and when her dad retired and the family moved to Cherringham, she’d been overjoyed to be going to a normal day school — albeit one with two thousand pupils.
Up until this point, I had pictured Cherringham as a small village. But a town with two thousand school-age children couldn’t be all that small – unless, of course, the English are unusually prolific. This definitely revises my view of the bucolic settings for the series.
March 9, 2015
If you love a mystery thriller you will love this book. It kind of reminded me a little bit of Midsummer Murders which is a good thing as I love watching them. The two main characters are called Jack and Sarah who work together, they have to work out the mystery involving a teacher at an all girls school. There are a few twists and turns and you wont believe the ending. Mystery at it's best I say.
November 6, 2025
Remind me to never send my kids to boarding school 🫢
August 15, 2020
I'm not sure what was the hold-up with this book. I have it on my list as being read 3 years in a row, but I swear, I don't remember reading it. To tell the truth, it wasn't all that hard to read, but I stopped reading these books around the time I read the series and I think they had just gotten a little too much alike. Anyway, I finished it and hopefully, I'll remember it next year.
October 22, 2025
Don't love that no one did anything about the victims of grooming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2017
A Lesson in Murder : Cherringham 13
Chronological order, not necessary but recommended.
In A Nutshell: With pranks escalating in severity at Cherringham Girls School are Jack and Sarah looking at murder when a favourite teacher dies unexpectedly? Written the way a mystery should be and it has a modern twist.
The Protagonists: Take one hard-boiled former New York City Detective retired to Cherringham England and one British-born business minded divorcee who fled home to Cherringham, and you have our protagonists. The professional and amateur in the sleepy Oxford countryside. Jack Brennan is the gentleman, and Sarah Edwards mother of two is the techie.
The Plot:Nasty pranks at a prestigious school and the unexpected death of a popular teacher. Are they related? Is it murder?
Written in the old school style this formulaic cliche story works wonders. It transports the reader to a sleepy English village where murder happens without any of the gore. And there is no pressure on Jack or Sarah to have a relationship. Yet. They are just two people who work well together and enjoy what they do.
Well written, light and refreshing this book is a good read. It does what it says on the tin (well cover) and does it beautifully.
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Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language: U
Violent: U
Would I read the next oneor reread ?: Yes
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A magnificent read. A prominent example of the genre.
Chronological order, not necessary but recommended.
In A Nutshell: With pranks escalating in severity at Cherringham Girls School are Jack and Sarah looking at murder when a favourite teacher dies unexpectedly? Written the way a mystery should be and it has a modern twist.
The Protagonists: Take one hard-boiled former New York City Detective retired to Cherringham England and one British-born business minded divorcee who fled home to Cherringham, and you have our protagonists. The professional and amateur in the sleepy Oxford countryside. Jack Brennan is the gentleman, and Sarah Edwards mother of two is the techie.
The Plot:Nasty pranks at a prestigious school and the unexpected death of a popular teacher. Are they related? Is it murder?
Written in the old school style this formulaic cliche story works wonders. It transports the reader to a sleepy English village where murder happens without any of the gore. And there is no pressure on Jack or Sarah to have a relationship. Yet. They are just two people who work well together and enjoy what they do.
Well written, light and refreshing this book is a good read. It does what it says on the tin (well cover) and does it beautifully.
Connect with me on Twitter
Follow my blog on Bloglovin’
Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language: U
Violent: U
Would I read the next one
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A magnificent read. A prominent example of the genre.
March 31, 2022
In this episode Jack and Sarah are inveigled into a very quiet investigation into some very nasty pranks at a VERY pricey girls boarding school and find some interesting things despite marked obstruction by the admin of that very institution. Unusual.
Love this idea of a series given in short bursts that are just the right size as well as so much more flexible than a whole novel! The ongoing sleuthing involves a retired and widowed older NYPD homicide cop who is finding life in the English countryside a fair antidote to his mourning, and a local recently divorced woman who has returned to her hometown with her children. They make a good sleuthing pair.
Voice actor Neil Dudgeon has been an excellent asset to my listening pleasure, making sure that
I know who's talking while I do mindless things.
Love this idea of a series given in short bursts that are just the right size as well as so much more flexible than a whole novel! The ongoing sleuthing involves a retired and widowed older NYPD homicide cop who is finding life in the English countryside a fair antidote to his mourning, and a local recently divorced woman who has returned to her hometown with her children. They make a good sleuthing pair.
Voice actor Neil Dudgeon has been an excellent asset to my listening pleasure, making sure that
I know who's talking while I do mindless things.
October 3, 2021
The Cherringham series has turned into a hit or miss for me -- A Lesson in Murder was a hit. Thankfully, the ending was not apparent. The relationship between certain characters was not fully spelled out but hinted at, which allowed the reader to draw their conclusions.
Jack and Sarah are back to their old selves and have seemed to have figured out their relationship. I don’t know what the future holds, but I am good with where they are now.
For anyone not sure if this is the correct series for them, I would wholeheartedly encourage them. The short stories /novellas are a perfect break before jumping in a meatier book or just for those times where you want something brief and engaging. A story where the characters are steady, and the humor is just what you need.
Jack and Sarah are back to their old selves and have seemed to have figured out their relationship. I don’t know what the future holds, but I am good with where they are now.
For anyone not sure if this is the correct series for them, I would wholeheartedly encourage them. The short stories /novellas are a perfect break before jumping in a meatier book or just for those times where you want something brief and engaging. A story where the characters are steady, and the humor is just what you need.
February 19, 2018
Jack and Sarah are called in to the prestigious Cherringham Girls' School to investigate a series of increasingly cruel "pranks." Slashed tires, poisoned food, and dead rats in the swimming pool have the school Headmaster in a tizzy but our detectives feel that he is holding something back. In fact, every one that they speak with seems to be keeping secrets. A day later, when a favorite teacher jumps in front of a train, Jack and Sarah know that they must quickly get to the bottom of this mystery before someone else gets hurt.
February 18, 2023
A further episode in the life of Jack Brennan, ex NYPD homicide detective and web designer and single mum Sarah Edwards in the quintessential English village of Cherringham.
For such a small riverside village Cherringham certainly seems well equipped. This episode concerns goings on at the very exclusive girls school on the outskirts.
If you liked the other stories, you'll like this one. If you havent read others, go back to the beginning. You wont be disappointed.
For such a small riverside village Cherringham certainly seems well equipped. This episode concerns goings on at the very exclusive girls school on the outskirts.
If you liked the other stories, you'll like this one. If you havent read others, go back to the beginning. You wont be disappointed.
October 8, 2023
Murders of the Past and Present
Once again Sarah and Jack, the duo that everyone in Cherringham are beginning to put together as the team to solve the mysteries of the small village of the Cotswolds. Jack is a retired NYPD DETECTIVE and Sarah owns her own shop, a single Mom of two and very good at helping Jack solve these cases. Read and enjoy.
Once again Sarah and Jack, the duo that everyone in Cherringham are beginning to put together as the team to solve the mysteries of the small village of the Cotswolds. Jack is a retired NYPD DETECTIVE and Sarah owns her own shop, a single Mom of two and very good at helping Jack solve these cases. Read and enjoy.
December 9, 2017
Jack and Sarah are now taking a "fee" for their case-solving, which they split between charities. Very nice development. This installment features a look into an exclusive girls' school where some very gross things have occurred.
August 30, 2025
A good book to listen too when you clean the house. It gives you ”Midsomer murders” wibes. It is fun to try to figure out how the guilty person is. Jack is a retired cop from US, Sarah is a singel mom and they solves crime together. This one was about a murder/accident.
January 12, 2026
Järjekordne tore muhekrimi! Seekord kutsutakse Sarah ja Jacki kooli, et uurida, mis seal juhtub, ja mull eväga meeldis, et nad on nüüd juba nii tuntud, et niimoodi kutsutakse. Kerge, kiire lugemine, põnev, aga mitte liiga põnev. Ootan juna järgmist osa.
April 2, 2018
Sure what happened to that teacher was terrible, but she wasn't a good person. I'm not sorry she died the way she did. She ruined some lives with her action and behavior. She deserved what she got.
June 27, 2018
Audiobook : Spotify.
Read by Neil Dudgeon.
Read by Neil Dudgeon.
July 31, 2018
Not the best but ok
August 17, 2018
#13 ♥️
November 9, 2018
A little far fetched but I did like the twists and turns
December 6, 2020
It was a nice, quick read(or, rather, listen). Interesting mystery.
February 7, 2021
⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️
May 18, 2022
The detectives sure accepted that perp's explanation easily.
May 28, 2023
A pricy private school with lots of problems. Are they pranks or misdemeanors? Jack and Sarah must find out.
November 27, 2024
A tony private girl's school. Vandalism, then a death. Was it suicide, an accident or murder?
January 27, 2026
I liked it but the ending, the reason behind the death, was kinda... eh. Still, a nice short read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews