Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series Compilation

Cherringham 1-3

By: Matthew Costello, Neil Richards

Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries.

This compilation contains episodes 1 - 3: MURDER ON THAMES, MYSTERY AT THE MANOR and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT.

Here Jack and Sarah investigate a suicide in the River Thames - or was it murder? They investigate an "accidental" fire with deadly consequences, and they nab the culprit behind the Rotary Club choir poisoning.

Cherringham is a series 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 listen 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.

The narrator of the audiobook, Neil Dudgeon, has been in many British television programmes including the roles of "DCI John Barnaby" in "Midsomer Murders" and "Jim Riley" in "The Life of Riley".

©2016 Bastei Lübbe (P)2016 Lübbe Audio

CLEAN AND FUN

I enjoyed the stories so much. It is so hard to find clean, funny and entertaining books. I love Neil Dudgeon's performance. He does not overdo the voices. I cannot handle a man trying to sound too much like a woman and visa versa. He leaves that to our imagination, which is so much better.

Great Find

Enjoyed this series of three short mysteries. I especially liked the second in the series. Jack, a retired NYPD detective from New York, teams with Sarah, a young woman recently returned to Cherringham, to solve questionable deaths. Jack and Sarah are likable characters without any romantic tension, at least in these stories. Sarah's young children and her parents are featured characters. I will definitely continue with the series, even though short stories are not necessarily my favorites.

Neil Dundgeon is an excellent reader, though I found Jack's American accent a bit flat.

Enjoyable!

Any additional comments?

I agree with most of the other reviews entered here. The stories are engaging who-done-its. Pleasant listening. The music at the beginning and end of the episodes is a bit annoying, but would not stop me from listening. I recommend this series if you like mysteries, but you avoid writing with foul language and descriptive sexual situations, (as I do). I will be putting the next compilation in my cart!
Applause for Neil Dudgeon!

English Village Mysteries

Great light listening for fans of BBC/PBS style cozies. Dudgeon is a good reader/performer. You may recognize his voice from "Midsommer Murders" on tv. No gore or perversion so far.

Wow! What a find!

I took a chance on this book -- never heard of it or the authors, but when I saw that Neil Dudgeon was narrating, I couldn't resist. A bit of Midsomer to listen to? Maybe. I was still a little reluctant, though, because I never buy books of short stories, which this purportedly was. Still.... Neil Dudgeon? Let's try it out.

I was about half through before I went back to Audible, and bought ALL the books in this series. It's THAT good! I've never done that before, bought them all, at once. But this series is worth it.

Cherryham is an English village in which a widowed American detective has retired. That's the basic plot. But things happen in this allegedly peaceful little community -- and now there's someone to investigate, which he will, if pressed. He teams up with Sarah, a mother and web designer, and the two find themselves in the midst of things most dreadful -- not a lot of gore or violence, just British murder, as refined as it gets.

I see people are comparing the series to Agatha Christie, or Angela Lansbury's Cabot Cove, but a better parallel just happens to be my favorite of all time. the "Simon Serrailler" books by Susan Hill. In that series, Serrailler is a sophisticated, gentlemanly sort of detective, but the real stars are all the people in his large and fascinating family as well as the community at large. The books are pleasurable because it's like visiting old friends, catching up with what they're involved with at the moment. That's also true of Cherryingham, we get to meet all types of village people, one after the other, and -- basically -- assess their ability to carry of a very discreet murder or two. It's great fun. And that's where the "short story" thing is resolved -- all the stories feature the same village, same lead characters, just different villagers, different crimes. It's all of a piece -- and what a piece it is!

And best of all? Neil Dudgeon as narrator. I was right about how good it is to listen to him. He's pitch perfect, impossible to improve on. I wish he would narrate a great many more books, he's a natural.

Love British village mysteries? These books are a fine treat!

Please Lose the Music!

The stories are pretty good, the narration is superb, but the music is annoying, especially if you happen to fall asleep listening. The same loud, jazzy tune is played at the beginning and end of each episode.

He irons his faded jeans? Really

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I was trying to stick with it until the stereotypical American -gruff, ill-mannered, lives on a boat with his dog, neglects personal hygiene- ironed his faded jeans. That was too much. Who irons faded jeans? The story was very self- consciously stringing together stereotype after stereotype. "Let's make sure we work in 'marmalade,' old school mates returning home,' 'master/mistress and dog relationships,' 'widow talks to herself,' single mom with nasty divorce,' ill-mannered American.....' and as many other cliches as can possibly fit!"

Entertaining Cotswold mysteries

A book of three mysteries set in the Cotswolds. Each is not so long that one finds it tiresome. Longer than a short story, shorter than a full novel. But just long enough for the complexity of the stories.

Sarah is a 30-something divorced mother of two, who owns a web design firm. Jack is an American, widowed, mid-50s, retired NYPD detective who lives on a barge at the edge of the village. Both are somewhat at loose ends. The relationship begins when Sarah's friend Sammi is found dead near Jack's boat, and she visits to ask if he saw anything the night Sammi died. From there, the series has the two becoming friends, and sleuthing in the village. For such a small place, there sure are a lot of suspicious deaths! But that's how these mystery towns are, I suppose.

The peripheral characters are fun, too. Sarah's parents, her two kids, personal assistant, and the various villagers we meet along the way. The stories are somewhat predictable, but enjoyable nevertheless. I do hope that the two of them become romantically involved at some point in the series, but it's not vital to the plot line.

The audio is annoying in some places. The narrator, while wonderful, raises and lowers the volume of his voice quite frequently. That's good for intrigue, and maybe ok if one is listening on headphones, it means that those of us listening in the car keep missing bits here and there when he gets really quiet. Rewind, raise the volume, listen again, lower the volume, and continue.

Yes, I already bought the second volume and am looking forward to listening some more.

Wonderful!

Story and storytelling is excellent. Three short mysteries with highly likable characters. Well worth my time and money.

Nice Surprise

The Cherringham Mysteries was surprisingly good. I enjoyed all three episodes and bought the next 3 in the series.

Really enjoyable easy listening

This is my first foray into British cozy mysteries. This series isn't Margery Allingham or Ngaio Marsh, but it is well written, it is not too implausible, and there are no howling errors of British life or language use which can be so annoying. It is a pleasant listen, enough story to be gripping but not requiring too much emotional commitment. You do actually feel engaged in the story. The performance is excellent.

Loved these

Crime is the genre I enjoy the most from Agatha Christie and PD James to Damian Boyd and Val McDermott, but I normally dislike short stories or novellas even if written by the great and the good however I genuinely loved these.. Very light well written and well rounded stories and characters, perfect for when your gardening or walking the dogs. Will be purchasing the rest.

Light and easy

I listen to lots of crime thrillers...sometimes I need to have a break from the serious stuff and this was just the ticket as they say 😀 light and refreshing, not demanding or heart stopping. I shall download the next 3 episodes.

It grew on me

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Light, enjoyable, easy listening. Everything ends just as you hope without any real unpleasantness!

What other book might you compare Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series Compilation (Cherringham 1 - 3) to, and why?

If you like Midsomer Murders, you'll like these stories

What does Neil Dudgeon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Excellent reading - really lifts these everyday stories into another league. His accents and characterisation are brilliant. Not sure I would have been quite so anxious to follow onto the next series without his masterful and entertaining delivery. For me, Neil Dudgeon IS Jack.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, just never had enough time!

Any additional comments?

Probably not the best stories you'll ever read, a little predictable and following a set formula but Neil Dudgeon does such a good job on the reading that I found the stories grew on me and I would happily buy more if they were available.

Loved it.

Miss Marple meets Agatha Raisin/Midsomer Murders. I loved the first instalments of this series and will definitely download the others.
If you are looking for a gritty crime thriller this is not for you but it is the listening equivalent of Sunday evening TV. Perfect holiday reading.

Delightfully cosy Cotswolds mysteries

I thought this would not be a great choice but these three stories were a delight after so many modern murder stories with their blood and gore.

Although this may not be picture post card England there was a reassuring cosiness to these tales and an important very English humour that is often not found in other modern English detective stories. It makes a pleasant change.

Neil Dudgeon tells a good tale that does not grate in any way. I look forward to other tales

wonderful

enjoyed this book so much. stories are just long enough to Potter around the house doing a clean whilst listening and not get bored or lost in the story lines. never a dull moment. Neil dudgeon is fab as well. just got the whole series so looking forward to listening to the rest. anyone who likes a good old fashion who's done it will love these.

Light whodunit series

Easy listening, classic chocolate box village, dark secret hiding inhabitants, a muder or 2 and a few red herrings and a li!keable pair of sleuths. Murderer not obvious, always a good sign of a murder mystery. Neil Dudgeon is an excellent narrator.

A COSY CRIME SERIES 1 TO. 3<br />

This was a really good audible book it's the first 3 books in a series of 12. compared to the last book I read hese were easy to listen too but just as hard to solve. Next up is boo k s 4. 5. 6

Does what it says on the tin, Cosy Crime

What did you like most about Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series Compilation (Cherringham 1 - 3)?

It’s a good quality, undemanding, afternoon television sort of book and none the worse for that. Perfect for listening between more demanding books.

What other book might you compare Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series Compilation (Cherringham 1 - 3) to, and why?

Agatha Raisin

What about Neil Dudgeon’s performance did you like?

Perfect for the material

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The book is good for popping in and out of over a few days.