Blog Post: Two Feet Under by Charlie Cochrane #Review ~ Guest Post #Giveaway

Author: Charlie Cochrane
Book: Two Feet Under
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Publication Date: January 8, 2018
Length: 328 pages


Reviewed by Jenn


Synopsis

Things are looking up for Adam Matthews and Robin Bright—their relationship is blossoming, and they’ve both been promoted. But Robin’s a policeman, and that means murder is never far from the scene.

When a body turns up in a shallow grave at a Roman villa dig site—a body that repeatedly defies identification—Robin finds himself caught up in a world of petty rivalries and deadly threats. The case seems to want to drag Adam in, as well, and their home life takes a turn for the worse when an ex-colleague gets thrown out of his house and ends up outstaying his welcome at theirs.

While Robin has to prove his case against a manipulative and fiendishly clever killer, Adam is trying to find out which police officer is leaking information to the media. And both of them have to work out how to get their home to themselves again, which might need a higher intelligence than either a chief inspector or a deputy headteacher.

Buy Links

Riptide Publishing

Amazon

Two Feet Under began life as a conversation in a car, when my eldest daughter and I got stuck in a traffic jam on the way to an author/reader event. It gained a criminal mastermind as a result of another conversation in the car with her younger sister. It got its background thanks to the popular television series “Time Team” and a setting care of the northern part of Hampshire. The plot came from the author’s twisted imagination, via a lot of checking. And at least one character is based on people I know. You have been warned.  

Review

I love a good mystery and Charlie Cochrane is so good at writing one! Adam, Robin and their dog, Campbell, are back and so are more dead bodies! 

These three just can’t seem to escape them. Robin and Adam are in a good place, both professionally and in their relationship. They just need to get their couch potato friend to move out of their house so they can get on with their lives and solve a murder. The murder is interesting because we know so little about it, I love when a writer keeps me guessing. These books do not have a lot of heat, but a lot of story depth.

 When I read book one and two and now again with book three, I’m reminded of old British dramas I watched with my dad when I was younger. I love that they bring me that bit of nostalgia. Very well written story and Campbell will make you want to keep him. I highly recommend this series!

Guest Post

Interview with Robin

I posted an interview with Robin Bright when “The Best Corpse for the Job”, the first Lindenshaw mystery, came out. “Two Feet Under is the third in the series, so I thought it was time to go back and ask him how things have changed, as I’ve already done with his partner, Adam.

I describe the Lindenshaw mysteries as being like Midsomer Murders with a dash of slash. That’s not just a catchy by-line – the first in the series started life as a possible TV script, before being converted into the medium I’m more used to. I confess I see what I’m writing as though it were playing out on a screen in my head, which is probably why my editors are always asking me to put more description in. Because I “see” it I forget that other people can’t!

My detective, acting Chief Inspector Robin Bright isn’t like either of the Barnabys, though. Nor is he like Alleyn or Wycliffe or any of the other TV policemen I enjoy watching. He’s a lot younger and better looking for one thing. And he’s gay, which I’m not sure applies to any of the others. (No, let’s not get into a debate about Sherlock Holmes.) And, since the first story was written, the one in which he first got together with Adam, he has a happy home life.

Robin, have you ever imagined yourself and your cases being serialised on TV?

No. That would be my worst nightmare, appearing on television. It’s bad enough when I have to do a press conference, which is thankfully rare. Middle England is not the hotbed of murder that those TV series depict it as; I think of them as being set in a parallel universe. Imagine if Oxford really was like it’s shown in Morse and Lewis. Nobody would let their kids go to the university there and you’d never get life insurance.

Good point. Although I was less thinking about you appearing than somebody fictionalising your adventures. You don’t fancy some handsome actors playing you and Adam?

I fancy plenty of handsome actors, although I’m not sure who should play me. I wouldn’t want our private lives aired in public, either. And anyway, we’d not be the star of the show – that would be Campbell.

Ah yes. For readers who don’t know about him, Campbell is a Newfoundland dog, and is determined to get his big, black, wet nose into every case if he possibly can.

You’re dead right. Adam actively avoids being involved in my cases – and usually fails, “Two Feet Under” being no exception – while Campbell resolutely tries to play his part and always succeeds.

I won’t ask whether Adam or Campbell get involved with catching the murderer this time, as they’ve done in the past, because that would spoil the book.  I will ask how it felt working with archaeologists and metal detectorists.

I think I aged three years! They are certainly an interesting group of people. Luckily, I was brought up on a diet of Time Team when I still lived at home, so I had some of the lingo. I think I impressed them knowing what opus signinum is.

You’ve certainly impressed me!

About the Lindenshaw Mysteries

Adam Matthews's life changed when Inspector Robin Bright walked into his classroom to investigate a murder.

Now it seems like all the television series are right: the leafy villages of England do indeed conceal a hotbed of crime, murder, and intrigue. Lindenshaw is proving the point.

Detective work might be Robin's job, but Adam somehow keeps getting involved—even though being a teacher is hardly the best training for solving crimes. Then again, Campbell, Adam's irrepressible Newfoundland dog, seems to have a nose for figuring things out, so how hard can it be?

Check out the Lindenshaw Mysteries!

About Charlie Cochrane

As Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes, with titles published by Carina, Samhain, Bold Strokes, MLR and Cheyenne.

Charlie's Cambridge Fellows Series of Edwardian romantic mysteries was instrumental in her being named Author of the Year 2009 by the review site Speak Its Name. She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People, International Thriller Writers Inc and is on the organising team for UK Meet for readers/writers of GLBT fiction. She regularly appears with The Deadly Dames.

Connect with Charlie:

• Website:charliecochrane.co.uk/
• Blog: charliecochrane.livejournal.com/
• Twitter: @charliecochrane
• Facebook: facebook.com/charlie.cochrane.18

Goodreads: goodreads.com/goodreadscomcharlie_cochrane

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Two Feet Under, one lucky winner will receive a swag bag, including magnet, napkins, bookmark, pencils, hanging decoration, postcards, and a coaster! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 13, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!