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Die Cherringham Romane / Cherringham Novels #2

Eine alte Schuld: Ein Cherringham Krimi

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Ein Verbrechen, das vor vielen Jahren geschah - kein Problem für Jack und Sarah!

Es ist Jahrmarkt in Cherringham. Der ganze Ort fiebert der Regatta, der Parade und dem Feuerwerk entgegen. Na gut, fast alle, denn Jack und Sarah interessieren sich viel mehr für die menschlichen Überreste, die ganz in der Nähe bei einer archäologischen Ausgrabung entdeckt wurden. Anders als zunächst vermutet handelt es sich bei dem Fund nicht um einen römischen Soldaten, sondern um einen jungen Mann, der erst vor ein paar Jahrzehnten das Opfer eines kaltblütigen Mordes geworden sein muss.
Als dann auch noch Jacks Versicherungsagent verschwindet, hat das Ermittlerduo alle Hände voll zu tun: Gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen beiden Fällen? Und welches dunkle Geheimnis wird im beschaulichen Cherringham mit allen Mitteln zu verheimlichen versucht?

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2017

80 people are currently reading
144 people want to read

About the author

Matthew Costello

288 books358 followers

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5 stars
209 (40%)
4 stars
213 (41%)
3 stars
77 (14%)
2 stars
15 (2%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Cathy Ryan.
1,267 reviews76 followers
May 7, 2019
4.5*
Jack Brennan’s friend and fellow barge owner, Ray Stroud, is helping with an archaeological dig in a local farmer’s field. Cash in hand for a few weeks work suits Ray perfectly, but it doesn’t work out quite as he expected when a skeleton is uncovered in a test trench. Definitely not from the Roman period, just a couple of decades old, no identification and the signs point to murder. The cold case seems to be going nowhere until Tim Simpson, the carnival committee’s insurance agent goes missing, Jack and Sarah wonder if Tim’s disappearance has anything to do with the puzzling case of the unearthed skeleton.

Meanwhile, the Cherringham villagers are gearing up for Carnival week and Jack has been invited to be on the organising team since he put forward the idea of an American themed carnival.

Being written collaboratively by UK and US based writers works so well, making both Jack and Sarah very believable. Ex NYPD detective Jack fits perfectly into his now established role as unofficial investigator and Sarah has taken a criminology course while running her web design business with the help of her assistant, Grace.

Character development and relationships continue to evolve as time moves on. Sarah’s two children are following their own paths—Chloe on her European trip with friends then off to university, and Daniel not far behind her.

As always, the storylines are well thought through and very entertaining, easy to follow with enough twists to keep them moving at a pace and engaging protagonists—Neil Dudgeon brings the characters to life perfectly.
3,216 reviews68 followers
June 26, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bastei Entertainment for an advance copy of The Body in the Woods, the second novel in the Cherringham mystery series.

It's carnival time in the Cotswold village of Cherringham but as the committee finalises it plans a body is discovered at a nearby archaeological dig. Forensic examination suggests that the body, that of a young man, has been in the ground for no more than 20 years but this doesn't help identify him. Jack Brennan, ex NYPD cop and his amateur sleuthing partner, Sarah Edwards are mildly interested but soon get sidetracked by the disappearance of insurance agent and carnival committee member Tim Simpson.

The Body in the Woods is a straightforward cosy mystery involving a couple of amateur sleuths who regularly beat the police to a solution. Is it likely? No. Is it entertaining? Yes. It has a linear plotline which is very easy to follow and enough twists to hold the attention. I can't really say it is my kind of reading as I prefer something a bit more gritty and challenging and I'm not used to amateur sleuths asking questions and getting honest answers but I can understand the attraction of a well executed, undemanding read.
996 reviews5 followers
March 22, 2024
I stepped away from Cherringham for a while and it was good to come back. Jack and Sarah make a great team. This is a regular lank story, unlike others in the series. It is good to have read the others in the series so you better understand the characters. This books stands on its own but is richer with the backstories. The story was interesting and even gripping in places. Even though you can pretty well figure things out before the end, and some of the content is a little edgy, it is always an adventure to see how Jack and Sarah solve the case.
Profile Image for Niken Widyastuti.
380 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2017
Nowadays, I am more of a romance-suspense genre kind of girl. However, my first love was mystery genre. Started from those young detectives written by Enid Blyton and Alfred Hitchcock, then to Agatha Christie. Cherringham Mystery sure felt like one of Agatha Christie’s with its own charm. In short, I love it. And although I prefer the novellas, the Cherringham Mystery novels were good reads too.

The characters were likable and believable. Jack, as an ex detective was so believable fit into an investigator’s shoes. Sarah, while had no investigative background, had a huge curiosity trait and had an ability to make people opened up to her. They’re a perfect match for a pair of sleuths.

The mystery in this book was very intriguing. I have to say that it’s better than the first novel. It had more twists and surprises that made me keep reading to the end. I honestly surprised at the real culprit. Make sense, but still surprised me, which I absolutely loved.

All in all, this is a good book, one I liked and definitely would recommend to mystery lovers.

I was provided a complementary copy by the author / publisher through NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.
Profile Image for Gail E Riffle.
6 reviews
October 6, 2017
I have now read all the complilations in the Cherringham Mystery series, and also have read the first two novels. Why? Because not only are the stories well written, they are lots of fun to read and to work through the mystery along with the two main characters, Jack and Sarah. I have enjoyed each separate story for it's own plots, new characters and places and the interactions with our two partners in crime solving, their friends and families, and their sleuthing skills ! As we move from one book to another, the characters really flesh out and we get to know them on a much deeper level, from their beginnings to who they are becoming as Cherringham's unpaid detectives. Each story in the compilation groups can stand on it's own, but reading all three stories together really increases the excitement and interest in the plots, the new characters in those plots, and the tying in of one story to another, which brings new facets to our two protagonists. Total fun, totally cozy and I have just purchased book 28 due out in February 2018!! I'm hooked on Cherringham, Jack and Sarah!!! Their friendship is one of the most appealing pieces of the whole in this series. VERY special.
2 reviews
September 6, 2017
I really, really enjoyed the second Cherringham novel - it's great to spend a bit more time in this lovely murderous village :) Looking forward to the next episode!
Profile Image for Cornelia.
184 reviews
October 19, 2017
Vielen Dank der Lesejury des Basteiverlags für die Teilnahme an der Leserunde!

„Eine alte Schuld“ ist ein Krimi aus der Cherringham-Reihe. Obwohl mir die vorherigen Bände nicht bekannt waren, konnte ich mich schnell in das Buch einlesen. Das Ermittler-Duo und das kleine englische Dorf, in dem sich der größte Teil der Handlung abspielt, werden ausführlich und sympathisch geschildert.
Jack ist ein ehemaliger Polizist aus New York, Sarah betreibt eine Werbeagentur und ist alleinerziehende Mutter zweier fast erwachsener Kinder.

Die Geschichte ist mehreren parallelen Strängen aufgebaut:
Bei archäologischen Ausgrabungen außerhalb des Dorfes wird ein Skelett gefunden. Die forensischen Untersuchungen ergeben, dass sich nicht um einen antiken Römer, sondern um einen jungen Mann handelt, der vor etwa 20 Jahren dort begraben wurde.
Das Dorf befindet sich in den letzten Vorbereitungen für ein großes Volksfest, an denen auch Jack, der vor einigen Jahren aus Amerika zugezogen ist, zum ersten Mal teilnimmt.
Tim ist ein Versicherungsmakler, der sämtliche Risiken des Großereignisses absichert. Er verschwindet unter seltsamen Umständen kurz vor einem Termin mit Jack.

Die beiden Ermittler haben schon mehrmals zusammen gearbeitet. Sie verstehen sich nicht nur bei den Ermittlungen blind und man fragt sich, ob sie irgendwann während des Buches vielleicht ein Paar werden.

Die Geschichte ist im besten Sinne spannend, ohne gruselig, blutrünstig oder übertrieben gewalttätig zu werden.

Der Schreibstil kommt Bücherverschlingern wie mir sehr entgegen. Obwohl die Sprache einfach ist (keine verschachtelten Sätze, wenig Adjektive, etc.), werden die Atmosphäre und die verschiedenen Stimmungen sehr gut dargestellt und man sieht direkt das entsprechende "Kopfkino". Was mich etwas nervt, sind diese Denkpausen der Protagonisten, die durch ... verdeutlicht werden. Das wird meiner Meinung nach etwas sehr häufig benutzt.
Profile Image for Joyce.
1,832 reviews40 followers
July 6, 2017
4 stars

In the Cotswold village of Cheringham it’s carnival time. Just outside of town, a body has been located in an archeological dig. But it’s not an old body, it is a relatively recent one; from about two decades earlier. He has no identification. No one pays it much attention until a local man named Tim Simpson goes missing.

Ex-NYPD detective Jack Brennan and amateur sleuth Sarah Edwards take on the case but no one’s talking. They wonder if the two cases are connected and why no one is talking. What’s going on here? As they follow the scant clues they have, the suspense mounts.

The murderer turned out to be a surprise to me, but upon reflection it made sense.

This is a well written and plotted cozy little mystery. I’ve read Matthew Costello and Neil Richards before and I believe this is better than the last novel of theirs I read. There are sufficient twists in the story to hold the reader’s interest and to sustain the suspense in the story. I enjoyed this book very much and will continue to read this duo’s books.

I want to thank Netgalley and Bastei Entertainment for forwarding to me a copy of this nice little book to read.
Profile Image for Karen Plummer.
357 reviews48 followers
June 8, 2018
It's time for the annual Cherringham carnival so it's a busy time in the village. In the midst of all the planning activity, an archaeological dig is beginning on a local farm. They are opening up the first test trenches when they discover a skeleton and not of a hoped for ancient Roman but of a murdered young man who had been buried for two decades. Within days of the body being discovered, the insurance agent working on the carnival committee turns up missing. Are these events connected? It's up to Jack and Sarah to investigate and put the pieces of a complex puzzle together.

It was great to get back to Cherringham after giving this series a break for a while. This is the second novel length book in the series and I hope they do some more of these longer books in the future, but while I'm waiting for another novel, there are still many mystery shorts in the series for me to enjoy.
277 reviews
July 20, 2018
Auf einer Wiese wird eine Leiche, die bereits vor 20 Jahren dort eingebuddelt würde, gefunden. Hier nehmen natürlich Jack und Sarah die Ermittlungen auf. Während den Vorbereitungen des Charringhamers Volksfest kommen den zweien die ersten Vermutungen. Als wäre die Leiche nicht ausreichend, verschwindet auch noch ein Mitglied des Volksfestkomitees auf mysteriöse Weise. Am Höhepunkt des Volksfestes können Sarah und Jack eine ganze Gruppe Dingfest nehmen, die nicht nur etwas mit der  20 Jahre zurückliegenden Leichen sondern auch mit dem Vermissten zum tun haben.

Fazit:
Die Story ist sehr spannend. Sarah und Jack harmonieren perfekt miteinander und sind sehr sympathisch. 
Die Geschichte liest sich sehr flüssig und bleibt durchgehend spannend. Erst am Ende erfährt man wie tief die Abgründe wirklich sind und wer alles in dieser Sache involviert ist.
Profile Image for Schneehase.
239 reviews11 followers
September 12, 2017
Inhalt: Während einer archäologischen Ausgrabung in Cherringham wird ein menschliches Skelett gefunden. Schnell ist klar, dass es sich nicht um einen historischen Fund, sondern um ein Mordopfer aus jüngerer Zeit handelt.
Natürlich werden Sarah und Jack auf den Fall aufmerksam und beginnen zu ermitteln.

Meine Meinung: Mir hat dieser neuer Fall von Sarah und Jack wieder sehr gut gefallen!
Nach einer Reihe von Kurzromanen ist dies der zweite "richtige" Roman um das sympathische Ermittlerduo aus Cherringham. Der aktuelle Fall ist deshalb natürlich etwas komplexer als man es von den Kurzkrimis gewohnt ist, aber der gemütliche Charme der Serie ist auch in diesem Buch zu finden.
Das Autorenduo versetzt den Leser in die ländlichen Cotswolds und vermittelt dabei ein fast heimeliges Gefühl.
Der Krimi ist ein typisch britischer "Who's done it?", der die Spannung eher durch Taktik und Logik als durch dramatischen Action aufbaut.


Fazit: Wer einen interessanten, klassischen Krimi mit typisch britischen Flair und ohne großes Blutvergießen sucht, kann hier getrost zugreifen. Das gilt sowohl für die Fans der Reihe als auch für Neueinsteiger.
Profile Image for Monika.
740 reviews3 followers
August 17, 2022
Arheloogiliste kaevamiste käigus avastatakse surnukeha, mis juhtus sinna auku roomlaste ajast kindlasti hiljem. Juhtumit hakkavad uurima asjaarmastajatest detektiivid Jack ja Sarah. Lõpuks leitakse mõrvale lahendus ja töö käigus tulevad igasugu minevikusaladused välja.
Ohh, kuidas mulle aegajalt meeldivad sellised aeglase kuluga, "midagi nagu eriti ei juhtugi" muhekrimid. Kuigi lugedes tead, et keegi sai surma ja sa peaksid tegelikult hoopis kaasa tundma, siis on sees ikkagi soe tunne, sest autorid ei rõhu mõrva verisusele ega soovi lugejat šokeerida. Seekordsest raamatust jäi mulle meelde hoopis jõel toimuv, Usa teemaline regatt. Mõrv ja selle lahendus olid muidugi ka.
Tegemist on sarja teise osaga, kuid võib vabalt ka iseseisvana lugeda. Soovitan.
Profile Image for Claire.
769 reviews
October 8, 2022
I really enjoyed the first full length Cherringham novel, and this was equally good. The longer length allows for more detail and depth to the story, compared to the usual shorts (which I also love!) The carnival theme was great fun and I enjoyed Jack's inventive coconut event. The 'dig' was another interesting aspect although somewhat limited, and I would have liked more detail about the main part of the dig and what they were finding, etc. Neil Dudgeon is such a great narrator on these books.
Profile Image for Kataklicik.
940 reviews18 followers
April 16, 2020
Audiobook : Spotify.
Read by Neil Dudgeon.

Having visited Bourton-on-the-Water last summer, it is indeed a pleasant surprise to have Neil Dudgeon describing the quaint village, seeing the River Windrush in my mind and the meandering small roads.

The books in the Cherringham series are brilliant, small bite-sized episodes of cosy crime, but to have a full-fledged novel such as this, I love. I'm such an anglophile :)

More please, Costello and Richards!
Profile Image for Dawn.
77 reviews3 followers
May 23, 2023
I have listened to all the 43 Cherringham Audiobooks (unfortunately I started listening to them in German, so I continued in German to have the same narrator who does a really good job.) But these two (until now) novel and not short story length books are so much better. Probably, because I know all the characters, the town and how they all work together. I hope they make more of them in this length even if they continue with the short story ones.
Profile Image for Nadia Cash.
2 reviews
December 3, 2019
Fun and interesting read

I love all of the books in this series and have read almost all of them. I love the longer version of the books. This book was fun and exciting and a page-turner as usual. I love the interaction between Jack and Sarah and how they go about solving Mysteries. Can't wait for the next one!
11 reviews
April 29, 2021
The village and its people that we all know and love

As this story progresses we add to the image we have in our minds eye of the layout of Cherringham and to the backstory our American Detective brings to the Cotswolds. The character develop, the kids get older, the case is unwrapped to reveal... well, that would be telling. Thanks guys, another great tale.
Profile Image for Scott Peters.
Author 30 books47 followers
March 25, 2022
A very entertaining listen. Neil Dudgeon is a great narrator, and I enjoyed this longer format version of the Cherringham series, having listened to all of the short stories. The characters are well-drawn, and the story is interesting while also somewhat relaxing. Good stuff!
112 reviews
November 27, 2017
Great book

Jack and Sarah have done it again. The bad got what’s coming to them and the good folks of Cherringham can live on happily.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
19 reviews
January 14, 2020
Another good story.

Hope Costello and partner continue to write this series. Always a fun read. Enjoyed the meanderings of this book. Fun and entertaining.
Profile Image for Lisa Obenauf.
5 reviews
August 27, 2023
This is the most boring book I have ever read. The characters have no personality. Do not waste your time with this story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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