Murder in the Cotswolds

The Sheriff Chick Charleston Mysteries #5

by A.B. Guthrie Jr.

A Montana sheriff solves a quintessentially English mystery in this lively episode in A. B. Guthrie Jr.’s beloved suspense series

Sheriff Chick Charleston is used to the big sky, wide-open spaces, and no-nonsense attitude of the American West. But when his wife suggests a trip to England to research her family history, he is happy to tag along. The Cotswolds may not be Montana, but the rolling green hills have a majestic beauty all their own. No sooner does the sheriff begin to relax, however, than his vacation is interrupted by murder.
 
An American tourist is found face down in the Ram’s Head Inn with a knife buried deep in his back. Fearing scandal and international headlines, the local constabulary asks Charleston for help in questioning the other Yankees visiting this quaint country village. He may be a fish out of water, but the sheriff’s hard-won experience and keen understanding of human nature soon lead him deep into a tangled web of local intrigue.
 
Filled with the droll humor, meticulous plotting, and unforgettable character studies that distinguish Guthrie’s award-winning Western fiction, Murder in the Cotswolds provides delightfully unexpected entertainment from one of America’s most acclaimed authors.

Genres: Mystery, British Literature, Fiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1989

About the author

Alfred Bertram Guthrie, Jr. was an American novelist, screenwriter, historian, and literary historian who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction during 1950 for his novel The Way West.

After working 22 years as a news reporter and editor for the Lexington Leader, Guthrie wrote his first novel.

Ηe was able to quit his reporting job after the publication of the novels The Big Sky and The Way West (1950 Pulitzer Prize).

Guthrie died during 1991, at age 90, at his ranch near Choteau.

(Source - Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not every reader connects with every book and I couldn't connect with the characters in this one. Had I read it when it was published 24 years ago, I might feel differently.

[connieloveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

My father who lived in Choteau, MT, knew "Bud" as he called him, Guthrie. This author had a cabin near that little town and that's where he did much of his writing, though he had a more elegant home in Great Falls, about 50 miles away - not considered a long distance in this state. My dad would run into him in the local bars when he'd stop in for a beer occasionally, and said Bud was just one of the local guys, and dad enjoyed several good visits with him. I've read Guthrie's more famous books and certainly enjoyed them, but was intrigued by the idea of him telling a story of a Montana sheriff spending a vacation in Europe and helping out a local policeman solve a murder. I don't generally read this type of mystery, but found it quite entertaining. The sheriff was like many men I knew growing up, down-to-earth and always helpful when a neighbor had a problem. That's just what Sheriff Charleston did when he was approached for help by local law enforcement faced with a crime that was so rare in their neighborhood of Cotswold. I enjoyed the tale and think you will too! It has enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages and not wanting to put the book down!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wife of a Montana sheriff in the Cotswolds: "It came to her mind that Montana was raw, with the sun and the wind almost constants, and the grass tan for want of rain. Here everything was as green as the Emerald City when Dorothy landed in Oz. She missed Montana."
I am going to have to seek out the author's mysteries set in Montana. Not just because I found this book very readable and enjoyable, but to find out how much of the style was dry Montana humor and how much was incorporating dry British humor.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first A. B. Guthrie novel and I have already started on the rest of the series. I love Sheriff Chick Charleston with his low-key investigations. Montana is very attractive in Guthrie's books, even compared with the beautiful English countryside. The first in the series is Wild Pitch, which brings in other characters such as Jason Beard, young "side kick" and Doc Yak. Makes you happy to be from Montana.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a very odd mystery. Ignoring the odd premise - Montana Sherriff invited to participate in murder investigation in the UK: A UK cop would suffer amputation before giving such an invitation - the writing is just... boring? The plotting and investigation are weak. And somehow the prose just drags. I could never get through more than about three pages without having to pick up a scrabble puzzle or something.

Not buying any more of this series that's for sure.

[Thelma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first of this series some time ago and liked the characters, including the setting. This one is set, not in Montana, but in England (even Sheriffs got on vacation, apparently). Different setting, different type of story. Not as folksy as the first in the series, but with good characters and interesting relationships.

[Glen J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chick saves a man's career.....

Chick and Geeta enjoy the Cotswolds when Chick does what Chick does best..... Helping to solve a couple murders, learning about law enforcement, British style, and interjecting a taste of the old west. If not a tour deforce, an enjoyable read by a first rate author.

[Raquel A.]

I really like the book. Ab Guthrie is one of my favorite authors and I love murder mysteries so this was a great book. I would deffinitely recommend this book to any one. I want to read the next book in the series.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I liked the sheriff, Chick Charleston, and glad as I was to be able to read the final book in the series, I missed the young side-kick that he had in all the previous books. Still, it was interesting.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Montana sheriff vacationing in England helps blundering Brits solve a murder. Better than the last two of Guthrie’s Big Sky series. I’m not sure I’ll try more of his mysteries if they’re set in England. That is not his forte. 3 stars.

[Jan Yarnot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Way West and I like mysteries, but this one was just dull. I didn’t care whodunnit.

[Albert P. Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

a sprllbinder

Had me guessing (wrong) all the way. Great story well told I need nine more words but maybe later next story