Thursday, March 17, 2016

Welcome author Charlie Cochrane

Do you have a favourite book? I have many, in all sorts of genres. “The Charioteer”, “Death at the President’s Lodging”,  “Three Men in a Boat”; the list goes on and on. Some of these books are a bit of a guilty pleasure, not least because I can see their flaws.

I’m a huge fan of classic age mystery writers; Dorothy, Agatha, Michael, Ngaio and the rest, but they have their feet of clay. Sayers could sometimes overcomplicate plots to the point of obscurity (which reader could really have worked out the sequence of events in Five Red Herrings?) and seems increasingly in love with her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey.  All of these authors shared a falling of their powers in later life – the last few Appleby mysteries are a pale shadow of the early ones – and, of course, all were products of their time, so modern readers might fund things which jar, such as anti-semitic references or the treatment of gay characters as simply humorous.

Some of these authors reused plot ideas and devices. The classic story of the murderer assuming someone else’s identity, sometimes to benefit from inheritance, occurs again and again with Christie (as do other tried and tested story arcs). Marsh also showed an economy of plot, using the same method of murder in a short story and again in a full novel. Her “Death and the Dancing Footman” falls into the category of “familiar plot” – the twist is the sort that  an avid reader of the genre would soon spot  -  but that doesn’t make it any less of a delightful comfort read. A sort of literary equivalent of mulled wine in front of a roaring fire.

The book has several of the staple elements of the archetypal classic age mystery: a country house, a house party cut off by snow, family rivalries, a sealed room death, an outsider who acts as ‘chorus’ and a witty, urbane and aristocratic sleuth, Roderick Alleyn. How I love “Handsome Alleyn” – I wonder if Ngaio loved him, too, like Sayers loved Wimsey. He seems just a bit too perfect at times. The characterisation is good, most of the characters are neither too goody-two-shoes or too unsavoury, and the eponymous footman is both sweet and key to the plot. When you read this book, take particular notice of him and his testimony (if you haven’t already worked out the killer).


Biog: 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.
Links:

Latest release:
Lessons in Love audio version
Lessons in Love, the first in the Cambridge Fellows series of Edwardian m/m romantic mysteries (think Oscar Wilde meets Agatha Christie!)



7 comments:

Charlie Cochrane said...

Thanks for hosting me.

Helena said...

You've picked out several of my favourites too, Charlie! I'm sure Ngaio Marsh had a very soft spot for Alleyn.

Charlie Cochrane said...

Yes, Helena. Some very interesting author/character relationships out there. (Don't start me on O'Brian < > Maturin.)

Lillian Francis said...

I love those early detective stories too. I could devour a Christie in an hour or so but they didn't satisfy in the same way as a Marsh or Sayers.

Jon Wilson said...

I'd wager certain fond feelings are inevitable between a writer and her series detective(s). My question is which is it for you, Jonty or Orlando? I had assumed Jonty, but, based on the (admittedly) little I've gleaned about you, began to see him as more of an avatar for you than Big O. So, do you prefer Orlando? (And none of that "I love both my boys dearly!" fiddlefaddle!)

Charlie Cochrane said...

I agree, Lillian. Also Ms Christie (against whom I will not hear a word said) did have about half a dozen plots that got reused again and again. The others less so.

Charlie Cochrane said...

Oh, Jon, you know me too well. Jonty has more of me in him than Orlando, but he's the one I prefer of the two. Even if Orlando has certain elements reminiscent of Mr Cochrane...

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