The Gentleman Vanishes

Cherringham #30

by Matthew Costello, Neil Richards

Bernard Mandeville loves trains. Every Sunday, the elderly and frail Bernard, in perfect attire, purchases a ticket on the Great Cotswold's Steam Railway, takes a seat in First-Class and revels in a journey from the past. But on one particular Sunday, in the midst of that short trip, the impossible happens. Bernard vanishes without a trace ... The family reaches out to Sarah and Jack who must make their own remarkable journey on the rails ... to track down the vanished gentleman!

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.

Co-authors Neil Richards (based in the UK) and Matthew Costello (based in the US), have been writing together since the mid 90's, creating content and working on projects for the BBC, Disney Channel, Sony, ABC, Eidos, and Nintendo to name but a few. Their transatlantic collaboration has underpinned scores of TV drama scripts, computer games, radio shows, and - most recently - the successful crime fiction series Cherringham.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Contemporary, Detective

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2018

Reviews

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Sunday an elderly and obviously frail gentleman buys a first class return ticket for a round trip on the Great Cotswold’s steam railway, from Cherringham to Cheltenham. Bernard Mandeville loves trains, and especially enjoys this heritage steam locomotive, reminiscent of a bygone era. A relative always takes him to the station and collects him after the journey.

This particular Sunday Mr Mandeville is seated as usual, in a first class compartment, but when the train returns to Cherringham there’s no sign of him. He never leaves the train during the journey and he was seen in his compartment when the train left Cheltenham. Mr Mandeville’s family ask Jack and Sarah for help.

The Cherringham series is an ongoing collection of fun and easy to read novella length cosy mysteries in a charming Cotswold village setting. The roughly 100 pages leave plenty of room for developing the plot and the ongoing characterisations. I love the unlikely and engaging pairing of Jack and Sarah and the close friendship that’s grown between them. The plots are interesting, not repetitive and the outcomes aren’t obvious.

[Trish R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have thoroughly loved all 30 of these little novellas about Cherringham, England and Jack and Sarah solving all these mysteries.

This was about weak and frail Bernard who loved trains and took the train every Sunday on a ride to the city that held the races then back again. Only on a return trip one day Bernard vanished. A new case for Jack and Sarah. Which, of course, they solved.

There was no romance and no swearing. Just a good little cozy mystery.

As to the narration: Neil Dudgeon is so fantastic. All his English accents then his American accent of Jack’s is just wonderful.

[Mary Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a short story

You can finish this in an hour, and you will probably be way ahead of the two detectives in figuring things out. But for cozy mystery fans it's a fun and picturesque way to pass time.

[Kataklicik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook : Scribd.
Read by Neil Dudgeon.

[Rebs ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this one, such a charming story with a very satisfying ending.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review

Up until now I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, this book felt rushed as though the author was in too much of a hurry to get into print, without thinking the story through. Throughout the book there were misplaced words and letters and words left out which made it hard to read. Hopefully there will be an update to correct the mistakes.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think I need to create a new shelf for these books! A crime story yes, but too cozy and slowpaced for most.
Curl up in a sofa and have a cuppa, follow along with Jack and Sarah as they walk you through Cherringham and surroundings. solving mysteries. Imagine the villages, the characters and you´r off!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again another adventure in Cherringham and this time not a body but a real live human or they think. Jack and Sarah are a little confused as the plot arrives. Children turn into stepchildren, where could someone get off a train that keeps moving? Things begin to come together and Jack and Sarah are happy. They keep you entertained as the story unfolds.

[Karen Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet old man goes missing from a steam train and there seems to be no way that he could have gotten off the train. How does someone disappear into thin air? Jack and Sarah have their work cut out for them in this mystery short.

[Eleanor B Torrisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Found it quite facinating as the mystery unfolded. The ending was what became somewhat suspected but only during the last third of the book. I am hooked and must read more of Costello's books.

[barry wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking quick read as usual, have now read all the cherringham books would recommend them to anyone

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sprightly...

...little mystery. Good at describing settings. Wouldn't have minded a bit more length, exposition, etc, but a very nice entertaining little read.

[Roo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one

[Paulette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and cozy!

[Stephie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do I detect a whiff of romance on the horizon? 😍

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

#30 ♥️

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first listen of a Cherringham series and this was great! Elderly sick man disappears while on a steam engine.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0

[Neely Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ride on an old fashioned steam train leads to the train coming back to the station with a beloved passenger missing. Sarah and Jack are brought in when police efforts turn up nothing.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly really pulling and well developing plotted mystery story. I enjoyed the story in audible edition, really well done.

[Ranada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trains and mystery? Yes!

[Nancy Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute - parts of this one felt a little more far-fetched than others, but still fun.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a pretty obvious solution to how a man disappeared that Sarah and Jack seem to miss for quite awhile. Still, it was an enjoyable distraction while prepping my garden for planting.

[Lisa G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Cherringham short story! Unfortunately I was able to figure this one out before I got to the end but I still liked it and thought it was very clever.

[Kelly Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say......I love Cherringham, wished I lived there even though they seem to be a murderous lot! I love the short mysteries and of course, Neil Dudgeon, fan-tas-tic, love him! I love his reading style and voice and voices! Guess I should have mentioned that I listen to these books with audible. I have loved every book so far and imagine that won’t change!

[Cecilia Gustavsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 mystery.