Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: The Best Corpse for the Job

SERIES: Lindenshaw Mysteries #1

AUTHOR: Charlie Cochrane

NARRATOR: David Maxwell

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 7 hours, 53 minutes

RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2020

BLURB:

Tea and sympathy have never been so deadly.

Schoolteacher Adam Matthews just wants to help select a new headteacher and go home. The governors at Lindenshaw St Crispin’s have already failed miserably at finding the right candidate, so it’s make or break this second time round. But when one of the applicants is found strangled in the school, what should have been a straightforward decision turns tempestuous as a flash flood in their small English village.

Inspector Robin Bright isn’t thrilled to be back at St. Crispin’s. Memories of his days there are foul enough without tossing in a complicated murder case. And that handsome young teacher has him reminding himself not to fraternize with a witness. But it’s not long before Robin is relying on Adam for more than just his testimony.

As secrets amongst the governors emerge and a second person turns up dead, Robin needs to focus less on Adam and more on his investigation. But there are too many suspects, too many lies, and too many loose ends. Before they know it, Robin and Adam are fighting for their lives and their hearts.

REVIEW:

So… I picked this book up for the title. The Best Corpse for the Job. It was quirky and appealed to me. I’ve seen it around before and was curious about it but I never got around to it. So when it was released in audio I knew now was the time to jump in.

Selecting a new headteacher for Lindenshaw St Crispin was proving more difficult than expected. And when an applicant from their second go at it is found murdered on the school things become even more difficult and has the small village turned upside down. Inspector Robin Bright is tasked with investigating the crime, but he’s far from happy to be back at the school he once attended and held no good memories for him. Though, Adam a young teacher might be the man to change his mind. Then again starting something with a witness in the middle of a murder investigation is not a good idea.

I loved the small English village feel there was to this book. There was this cozy mystery vibe over it all, filled with a myriad of different characters that you might expect to find in a small village, the nosy and gossiping ones, thee evasive ones. The intrigues and secrets. Charlie Cochrane definitely nailed it all. Most of the story dealt with the investigation, and discovering the many, many secrets hidden in the school. I loved trying to unravel the many threads and lies, trying to figure out the who and why of it. The romance between Adam and Robin was there. It wasn’t the focal point of the story and it was a slow one. It also didn’t end with a happily ever after, but more a start of something new that I’m guessing will develop during the rest of the series.

The book was performed by David Maxwell, a new narrator for me. I absolutely loved his accent. There’s something about authentic accents that really sets the scene for you, makes it feel more real in a way that non-natives does. Maxwell definitely took me to England and Lindenshaw St Crispin. I loved how he captured different personalities with his different voices, everything from the up-nosed characters and more down to earth teachers was spot on. Another thing that I personally really appreciated was how he differentiated when someone was speaking from a different room or on the phone. They’re small things in the scheme of things, but for me it really enhances the listener’s experience of the book.

This book is definitely recommended for anyone looking for a cozy mystery set in the English country.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Audible

Amazon