Interview Questions

What was your inspiration for the Lindenshaw Mysteries series?

Midsomer Murders. Long story short, I was given a contact for someone on the Mid Mur team to whom I could submit a script. So I wrote one. Then the personnel on the series changed and that was my chance gone. ☹ However, no work is ever lost and I cannibalised the script into a gay romance, with a copper who falls for one of the suspects in the murder he’s investigating. That’s how Campbell the dog came into existence—based vaguely on the dog who was in the television series at that stage.

What is the craziest/weirdest thing you’ve done in the name of research?

When I was writing the most recent book in the series, I ended up in a conversation – via one of those online “talk to an advisor” boxes – with a sales advisor from British company, to discuss whether one of the things they made was heavy enough to kill someone with. And, in the interests of forensics, what said item was made of. I had to assure them that I wasn’t myself a murderer. In the same way as I have to assure my husband that my internet browsing history doesn’t reflect any desire to hasten his end.

What’s your process for developing and getting to know your characters?

Simply writing about them and then writing some more. I find it too difficult to work out things in too deep a level in my head, whether it’s characterisation or an episode in the story. Everything only comes alive for me in the typing. That’s especially so when I’m writing something in my other series, the Cambridge Fellows Mysteries. In that case I feel like I’m an official biographer, listening to and jotting down the stories as they’re told to me. I know the two main characters – Jonty and Orlando – pretty well by now but the adventures are often a surprise to me. Did they really do that? They assure me they did.

Quick questions:

• Favorite movie – Master and Commander
• Favorite book – Death at the President’s Lodging
• Ideal snack – bowl of cereal
• Cats/Dogs – sloths
• Tea/Coffee – depends on the time of day!

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Best Corpse for the Job (Lindenshaw Mysteries No. 1)

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.

CopSuspect, Cosy mystery, HurtComfort. MMromance, Dogs

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Social Media

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/charliecochrane

Website: http://www.charliecochrane.co.uk

Email: Cochrane.charlie2@gmail.com

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Competition

ebook from my self-published list. To be drawn from among the commenters here. One simple question: what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ended up discussing with a customer service or sales advisor?