The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse (An Alasdair and Toby and Cambridge Fellows Mystery), #1

An Alasdair and Toby and Cambridge Fellows Mystery #1

by Charlie Cochrane

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are the darlings of post-war British cinema, playing Holmes and Watson onscreen and off. When they’re called on to portray their fellow amateur detectives—Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart—not only do they find distinct challenges in depicting real people, they also become embroiled in solving a century-old murder.
How did a body lie undiscovered so long in the Stewart family vaults, who’s been covering up the murder ever since and why was the victim killed in the first place?

Genres: Mystery, Historical

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2022

About the author

Because Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. Her mystery novels include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, series, and the contemporary Best Corpse for the Job. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Samhain, Riptide and Bold Strokes, among others.

A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie regularly appears at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences with The Deadly Dames.

Reviews

[Idamus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good grief, that was a lot of names and theories to keep track of, I wish I could get an audio, I am much better at keeping track of what I hear than what I read.
It was good, but I missed some of those formidable women from the Cambridge books.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My two favorite Charlie Cochrane historical cozy mysteries combined for this all new series that begins with a cold case from Jonty’s past. I was eager for this coziest of cozy mysteries in the authentic historical setting of post WWII England with two pairs of amateur detecting teams working together to solve the case.

As I said, The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse is a follow up new series combining the older Cambridge Fellows series featuring Jonty and Orlando set in Edwardian and post-WWI Cambridge and the newer Alaisdair and Toby set in post WWII 1950s British cinema. A newcomer could start here, but personally, I advise reading the Cambridge Fellows and then the Alaisdair & Toby books before this one.

So yes, a combo which catches up with Jonty and Orlando in their seventies and still going strong teaching at St. Brides’ and enjoying a long, but hidden romantic partnership at Forsythia College. Alaisdair and Toby’s film company wants to make a film of Jonty and Orlando’s younger lives as amateur sleuths and brilliant Cambridge dons and have Alaisdair play Orlando and Toby play Jonty with the setting at Jonty’s ancestral home.

While the foursome of getting to know each other and going over the screenplay to make any corrections needed, the old Stewart family cold case is brought up. A corpse thought to be there since 1850, was once found in 1915 during a routine house inspection and cleanout, sealed in chest stored down in the vaults beneath the house. Jonty’s father suspected foul play at the time, but the Coroner’s verdict came back ‘Accidental Death’ then the war hit and everyone was distracted from the case.

It seemed natural for the two pairs of amateur sleuths to be roused by the old case and want to give it a go. I enjoyed following along as the story passed through all four points of view and the investigation into the past took place.
Maybe because there were four detectives, but there was a boatload of people introduced into this one as past witnesses and suspects from both 1850 and 1915 time periods and a few current witnesses which had me all turned around in short order. After a bit, I didn’t even try to keep some of it straight and just enjoyed watching all the guys doing their thing and impatiently wait for them to all- now including Dr. Panesar and Dr. Howe who were helping, theorize. The solution came through at last.

An enjoyable, and I hope not the only, satisfying collaboration for the two detecting teams of older and younger pairs of secret lovers and sleuths repping academia and cinema. A solid historical cozy with good attention to historical setting, characterization, and dialogue, but also a fun engaging cast of characters.

My full review will post at Books of My Heart on 11/13/24.

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I can't believe it took me nearly 7 months to read The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse especially since it involves one of my all-time favorite mystery solving duos, Jonty Smith and Orlando Coppersmith, and another of Charlie Cochrane's amateur detecting duos that is definitely climbing higher and higher on the same list, Toby Bowe and Alasdair Hamilton. Can only lay it down to my slowly returning reading mojo that took a hit during the pandemic. After catching up on the most recent adventures in their individual series I couldn't not jump in and boy am I glad I did!

I'll be honest, the first time I was introduced to Alasdair and Toby wayback when in The Case of the Overprotective Ass(originally appearing in the author's Home Fires Burning duet which I read in 2015) I never imagined they would get to play Jonty and Orlando onscreen(in the book but oh wouldn't it be wonderful if it was really on our screens?) but now that she has combined the two and that is exactly what A&T are preparing to do, it seems such an obvious crossover. Hindsight, right?😉 I've read many stories where authors have linked some of their series together, in both small and huge ways, and though Undiscovered Corpse may not be the most original it is definitely one of the most satisfying.

When the pairs meet to discuss personal idiosyncrasies that should be included but also left out, i.e. the subtle and not so subtle looks of longing A&T often sneak into their portrayals of Holmes and Watson that somehow go unnoticed to many but not the knowing and watchful eye of J&O, discussion turns to the undiscovered corpse found in the Stewart vault in 1914. Unable to let that delicious morsal go the four men are off and running. Obviously trying to discover the truth from nearly 40 years prior, especially considering the poor Drayton had been lying their unnoticed for decades already, is not going to be easy.

What great mystery is easily solved? Let's face it, if it's easily solved than it probably doesn't deserve the "great" moniker.

So as you are well aware I won't spoil anything which means no details of the mystery will be found here. Will the foursome find anything definitive? Unlikely but perhaps. The fun for me is in the hunt and they definitely do a lot of hunting. I will say that for some, Undiscovered Corpse may be confusing or a convolution of too many possibilities but for me it's the many possibles and the chemistry between our four MCs that makes for such high level fun.

The above mentioned chemistry is highlighted in the bouncing of ideas off each other but it's also a growing friendship. A&T more than once ponder if they will ever be able to live as J&O but as they are in the public eye it seems a very far in the future possibility but you know it gives them hope when they see what the older pair have carved out for themselves. It's this very generational "gap"(for lack of a better term) that leaves historical in the LGBTQ genre appealing to me. I love history anyway but in LGBTQ stories it reminds us just how far society has come, we have a long way to go acceptance and equality wise but it makes me appreciate where we as humans are and heightens the hope that one day loving who we wish will never be questioned or looked down on.

My above statement is further proof that as always, Charlie Cochrane respects the past with the nitty, gritty, and her own brand of witty details of yesteryear(on multiple fronts) but those details never appear as a school lesson, The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse is cozy, entertaining fun of the highest variety.

For those wondering about reading the individual series, Cambridge Fellows Mysteries and Alasdair & Toby Investigations, prior to Undiscovered Corpse? You don't. As a series-read-in-order kind of gal, I can't imagine not having read them but it is not at all necessary. The chemistry between our two couples is never in doubt, minor mentions of previous cases pepper throughout but don't play a part in the investigations. I will warn you though, if you are unfamiliar with either or both the established series, your taste will be piqued and want to devour all their great cases. You won't be sorry, they are all brilliantly delightful, which is an odd description for murder and mayhem but no less truthful. As they say in one of my favorite shows(completely different genre but no less accurate): This is the way.😉

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse
By Charlie Cochrane
Published by Williams & Whiting, 2022
Four stars

This is the third of the Toby and Alasdair mysteries – and Charlie Cochrane decided that she should have her movie star sleuths meet the legendary Jonty and Orlando – the Cambridge Fellows. The year is 1952, and thus the Cambridge duo are “merely” in their 70s, still working and still sleuthing. It’s a wonderful conceit and it works well – largely because Toby and Alasdair quickly realize that Jonty and Orlando are birds of the same feather.

The mystery itself is a sort of sardonic nod to the Holmes and Watson mysteries for which the actors are famed in their films. Sardonic, because Orlando despises Conan Doyle and the facile genius of the troubled Sherlock Holmes. As the title suggests, the mystery goes the old “closed room” murder puzzle one better – a sealed box in a locked room! The Cambridge duo and the movie stars collaborate to solve the mystery of a century-old death, while beginning a relationship that (I hope certainly) will become a fast friendship.

I confess, the mystery is the most complicated I’ve ever encountered in Cochrane’s books, and I got a bit lost by the end. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because it underscored that the mystery itself, while satisfying to unravel, wasn’t the real point of the story.

The central premise is not, in fact, the mystery; but the idea of the movie actors playing Jonty and Orlando in a period piece set at the outbreak of what they all still refer to as the Great War. So, this is a movie-making story, which gets caught up in a real-life unsolved murder.

It was a delight to see these two couples tentatively engage with each other, and to begin to see how the elder might become a sort of role model for the younger. Oddly enough, while it’s clear that Jonty and Orlando immediately take a liking to Toby and Alasdair, it is not clear what they all think in terms of the future of their new-found acquaintance.

The poignant core of this narrative is Toby and Alasdair’s envy at the comfortable life that Jonty and Alasdair have built together. The older couple lives in their idyllic cottage while avoiding public scrutiny due to their chosen careers as bachelor academics. The actors haven’t got that option, given their high public profile and their need to use their beautiful co-star as camouflage. The aggressive nature of the British press is already in play in 1952, and Toby and Alasdair haven’t got the flexibility to simply settle down and do what the Cambridge pair have done.

Once again, as with the first Toby and Alasdair book, I did not really get a sense of who these two really are – even as I smiled at the familiar foibles and fondness of the elder duo. Something about the movie stars continues to elude me. I’m going to read “The Case of the Gray Assassin,” which I somehow missed, to see if I can get to know the actors better. I certainly hope to see them in collaboration with the Cambridge Fellows again.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Characters and outstanding Mystery

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s wonderful to return to those fabulous Cambridge Dons Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart, now in their 70’s, still living happily together in Hyacinth Cottage, and teaching at their beloved St. Brides College.

It’s 1952 when a movie producer with an idea for a potentially new film script featuring comes calling for the pair in Cambridge. The script would feature a real life mystery that the couple was involved in decades ago at the Old Manor, the famed Stewart estate. The film would have Orlando and Jonty played by the enormously popular actors, Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe, who just happen to be amateur sleuths themselves.

What follows is a fascinating, complicated story of multiple relationships, decades past family histories, and a murder that was never solved as the WW1 was the focus of everyone’s attention and energies.

It’s outstanding to see the lovely, intelligent and now deeply settled relationship that’s the combination of Orlando and Jonty in their 70’s. Still handsome, sparks flying, the joy of investigating and discovery making everything just sing.

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are a bit of a splendid discovery for me. I hadn’t read their stories and will now backtrack and gather those up. They are a remarkable team and combining them together with the Cambridge Fellows makes this a double couples delight , that never flags but builds gently onto each other.

Plus we get to see the brilliant Dr Panasur and others too.

If you’re not familiar with either series, then yes, you’ll be at a loss here. For the settings, scenes , and many a dialogue are awash with memories from other stories and characters now long passed away.

But for those of us who love this couple, the series, and probably the other too, it’s a great story and mystery as well.

Charlie Cochrane being fabulous as always.

I’ve listed the 2 series and their novels below.

I’m highly recommending all.

[Marsha L Respess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to be in the company of Jonty and Orlando again and to meet Alasdair and Toby and loved how they collaborated on a true-life crime that occurred in 1851 but not discovered until 1914 in the vaults of the Stewart estate. Reading about how the inquest was actually a coverup and that Jonty's father protested about how it was conducted and then the war came and the case was essentially forgotten due to the deaths of Jonty's parents. The inquiries that he and Orlando and the acting duo undertake was fun and perplexing and you felt like you needed to make your own murder board to keep up with all of the clues uncovered. You also thought a lot of how Alasdair and Toby had to be more vigilant than the bachelor dons did about their private lives because they were in the public eye all of the time and how their relationship was still illegal in 1952. I will read the other books with Alasdair and Toby and delighted that there will be a new Cambridge fellows book coming out soon.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars - rounded down

The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse is an exceedingly disappointing concluding volume for the otherwise impressive ‘Cambridge Fellows Mystery’ series by Charlie Cochrane.

There are so many good books in this series that features Cochrane’s wonderfully developed protagonists, Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith, that it’s unfortunate to have their story end with this one.

With far too much repetitive dialogue and far too many characters, the reader is so worn down by the time the narrative concludes that any interest in the outcome of the mystery has been completely drained away.

PLEASE do read and enjoy many of the earlier books in this fascinating series. Sadly, though, this book is one to be avoided.

[Suze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm liking the set up for Alasdair and Toby, with Joshua Howe, to receive the investigating baton from Jonny and Orlando, with their sidekick Professor P.
A century old unsolved death is put before them, but with so many Proudfoots, Armitages, Heathfields and Williams to keep track of it was hard.
Lots of options and finding current members of the same families still living only confused things more.
With all 6 having differing interpretations of the facts as they found them, it is down to Jonty to pull them into the most feasible solution

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a joy to return to Cambridge and another investigation with Jonty and Orlando (now in their seventies) while being introduced to a younger sleuthing duo. Alasdair and Toby are stars of English cinema in the early 1950s and are set to portray our Cambridge Fellows on the silver screen. So it seems natural for the two couples to band together to solve a case dating from the 1850s that concerns Jonty's family home.

A thoroughly entertaining crossover story, with great characters, both old and new, and an absorbing mystery to solve. A delightful read!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the crossover of the Fellows and the Actors. I have enjoyed both series and it was wonderful to have them all sharing the page.

I think you could read this without reading either series but I’m pretty sure you would then want to go back and catch up with both sets of detectives.

[Susan Scribner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The mystery was hard to follow, and I didn't warm up to Alasdair and Toby, the movie stars/amateur sleuths who are planning to portray the Cambridge Fellows in their next film. But I cherished the opportunity to see Jonty and Orlando, slowing down a bit in their seventies but still solving mysteries while amiably sniping at each other. Cochrane has now spanned almost 50 years with this series, and I ship Stewart and Coppersmith whether they are portrayed as young men in the early 20th century, war-weary veterans in the 1920s, or senior citizens in 1952.

[emily curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story with interesting plot and likeable characters.