‘And Nothing But the Truth’ by Charlie Cochrane

Published by Riptide Publishing,
6 May 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-62649996-6 (PB)

Adam Matthews and Robin Bright have been together for eight years and for the most part it has been a happy and successful time. Their love has grown and become stronger and has resulted in marriage and they have both achieved promotion, Adam to become a headteacher and Robin to Detective Chief Inspector. Only one thing has marred their contentment, the death of their adored Newfoundland dog, Campbell, but while they will never forget him, they now have a new puppy, Hamish.

Robin’s widowed mother comes to see them to ask their advice. Robin’s late father had never made a secret of the fact that he was adopted but he insisted that he had no desire to discover anything about his biological parents. Now Robin’s mother has been offered a bequest from an anonymous source and she wants to know if it is all above board. She suspects the bequest is connected with her late husband’s biological family and she wants to find out more about his origins. Robin and Adam agree to help her, and Robin admits to Adam that he too is curious about his biological grandparents.

Although Robin has been busy at work, there have been no murders that require him and his team to investigate, which is just the way he and Adam prefer it. However, despite Robin telling Hamish to keep his paws crossed, it is only a matter of time before his luck changes and a man’s body is found in his jurisdiction.

The body is found in woodland, well off the beaten track, and the victim has no personal effects on or near his body. Also. there is no sign of an abandoned car in either of the nearby car parks. It is not a place that is easily accessed by public transport and the police must discover how he got to the woods without anybody noticing him. After a couple of frustrating days, they manage to identify the victim, a young man who has a tragic past, whose wife died during the pandemic. Further investigation reveals that the victim felt as if the world has treated him very badly and he seems to have borne grudges against several people. Despite this, most of the people that Robin’s team interview claim that they found him likeable and got on well with him. However, as all the detectives know, not everybody tells the truth, especially when they may be suspected of murder.

Robin finds it concerning that the victim’s family situation regarding adoption bears an uncanny similarity to that confronting Robin himself. As the investigation progresses it becomes increasingly riddled with secrets and deceit regarding many of the victim’s relationships. However, Robin is determined to discover the solution to the crime and refuses to be distracted by the parallels to his own life.

And Nothing But The Truth is the seventh in the series featuring Adam Matthews and Robin Bright. It is a gently paced, intriguing book in which the plot has several layers of deceit and self-deception. Adam and Robin are engaging protagonists and the peripheral characters in Robin’s team and family are likeable. This is an enjoyable book that I recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Because Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes cosy mysteries, including the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, and the contemporary Lindenshaw Mysteries. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Riptide, Lume, and Williams and Whiting. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie has regularly appeared at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences.

http://www.charliecochrane.co.uk

Carol Westron is a successful author and a Creative Writing teacher.  Her crime novels are set both in contemporary and Victorian times.  Her first book The Terminal Velocity of Cats was published in 2013. Since then, she has since written 6 further mysteries. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To read the interview click on the link below. 

https://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/carol-westron.html www.carolwestron.com
http://carolwestron.blogspot.co.uk/

To read a review of Carol latest book click on the title
Death and the Dancing Snowman