A Death in the Family

Cherringham #24

by Matthew Costello

When a doddering Harry Platt tumbles from the top of his stairs in a deadly fall, it looks like an unfortunate accident. But solicitor Tony Standish’s suspicions are aroused when he meets the beneficiaries and discovers the immense size of the estate. Jack and Sarah investigate and find that nothing is what it seems when it comes to families - not when money and secrets are involved.

-- Cherringham is a 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 duo: 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.

-- For fans of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series, Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who series, Caroline Graham's Midsomer Murders, and the American TV series Murder She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury.

-- 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. Now into its second season of 12 novellas, Cherringham is popular around the world and has been adapted as a series of audiobooks in Germany.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Family

Audiobook

Published February 1, 2019

Reviews

[Kataklicik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook : Scribd.
Read by Neil Dudgeon.

I started on the Cherringham series when I first started listening to audiobooks, having discovered them quite accidentally on Spotify. Stopped after the 23rd instalment because that was the most recently produced then, and there were no more forthcoming, or so I thought. After a hiatus of probably a year and a half, I found the rest on Scribd! Yayyy!

Small, bite-sized episodes of cosy-crime. Genius.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

#24 ♥️

[Rebs ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet, sweet justice

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to finding Jack’s status after his daughter’s accident.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is kind of sticky. The town lawyer asks them to investigate a probable accident at home of an elderly dementia patient living at home with his wife. The reason for the lawyer's unease is that the will gives no mention of the daughter who lives in France and has little contact but leaves a substantial amount to a neighbor and to the caregiver. Some very interesting things turn up in the investigation.
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 with a web design business who has returned to her hometown with her children. They make a good sleuthing pair and they usually do it all gratis, but if pressed, they donate any payment to a local charity.
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.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, not sure how I feel about this book overall. This being my first read of this series, I didn't feel like I was missing anything key from previous books. Potentially there may have been some references I missed but for the most part I was able to enjoy this book as a standalone. Although I suppose the solution to the mystery wasn't quite what I expected but am glad for the result, I guess (see here is where I'm still a bit unsure). The bit of a cliff hanger at the end leads me however to want to find further books in the series but it also ended in such a way that my imagination could fill in the rest and be happy to leave it there.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Sarah are best friends. They can complete each other’s sentences and reach the same conclusions, even if they aren’t in the same room. When it comes to a death in this particular family, they are content to let things lie. As far as they are concerned, it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person, and there is no reason to bring more pain to the family.

As for the ending, there is a cliffhanger that I don’t remember happening in any of the previous novellas. The anxiety over the outcome will have devoted fans quickly downloading the twenty-fifth in the series.

[Patricia Kiyono · Rating 5 out of 5]

An elderly man falls down the stairs to his death while his wife is working in her art studio located in a small shed behind their home. The solicitor and a few other citizens fee there are irregularities in the story the family gave to the police: why was the elderly gentleman upstairs when his bedroom had been moved downstairs due to his failing health? It was evening, but none of the lights were on. Why had he gone upstairs in the dark? And why was his daughter not named in the will, but his son, his wife, the housekeeper and a neighbor received an equal share of the estate?

[Karen Plummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A confused, old man falls down the stairs to his death. His will turns up the surprising information that he was worth millions and left it equally divided between four people: his wife and his son (which makes sense), his care assistant, and a young lady named Kirsty (which seems to surprise everyone, and anger some). Tony Standish, the old man's attorney, is somewhat suspicious of it all and asks Jack and Sarah to investigate.

Another fun read.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Surprise Ending

Once again Jack and Sarah solved another mystery regarding VA family in Cheeringham and this one was a surprise. The biggest surprise happened after they they solved the mystery of the murder. Sarah had set up a surprise birthday party for Jack at the Plough man's and the party had just begun when Jack got a mysterious phone call. Read and solve the new mystery.

[Vincent Fogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addicted to this series!

And Neil Richards , I believe, is a fabulous and most expressive reader. "A death in the family" is one of the best. I'm hoping the series continues forever and that, however eventually, every one gets Audible narration.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good short read

First book i have read in this series. But thoroughly enjoyable. Good lead characters and a well thought out plot. I will definitely be getting more of this series to add to my collection. Easily readable in one evening.

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah and Jack can now decide whether or not a crime has been committed? Don't like that they have taken this additional step, although they have come close to making legal decisions in previous cases.

[Roo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting installment

[Vanessa-Ann Dowsett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets better and better, pity that the story is short

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0

[Nancy Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great like all the rest, but I appreciated the surprise twist in the last chapter. Didn't see that coming!

[Neely Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old man falls down the stairs. Sarah and Jack are tasked with finding out if it was an accident or if he was helped. This one ends with a real cliff hanger.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do we ever get a follow-up on Jack's dtr & son in laws accident? The end is a cliffhanger and then book 25 comes along like nothing ever happened.
I need closure 😩

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it highly entertaining, it's a variation On Midsomer Murders.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a mean old man falls down the stairs, was it an accident or murder? Several surprises in the end.

[Natasja Kuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Dagmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fluid writing, vibrant characters, good action.

[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 murder.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery behind Harry Platt death was enjoyable and logical. Ending was a bit tense for Jack, he got a bad news about his only daughter. I hope we'll get some news about that last part. This was an enjoyable book.