Charlie Cochrane

This was such a disappointing miss for me. First of all, my least favorite trope in romancelandia is the love triangle between one character and two siblings (dead or alive). It just gives me the biggest "Ick" feeling, primarily because I can't imagine wanting a relationship with either of my siblings' partners or exes. So the trope has to be executed really, really well to overcome my squeamishness and make me root for the love story.

Unfortunately Count the Shells was not done well. I was show more looking forward with great anticipation for a Charlie Cochrane M/M novel set in the post WWI years, hoping that it would be reminiscent of her wonderful Cambridge Fellows mystery series, which spans several decades in the pre- and post-Great War era. Alas, instead of shy mathematician Orlando Copperfield and ebullient literature professor Jonty Stewart, we have an incredibly priggish, judgmental Michael Gray, who did not impress me much. Michael is spending the summer with his sister and her family in seaside Porthkennack. After reminiscing to himself about his first lover, Thomas, who was killed in battle, Michael literally runs into Thomas' younger brother Harry. The two men get to know each other carefully, and embark on a promising relationship, but then Harry lets slip a secret that causes Michael to re-examine the truth about almost everyone in his life - especially Thomas.

Long-held secrets are never easy to hear, and this one is a doozy (no spoilers), but Michael's reaction goes way beyond understandable anger and disbelief into narcissistic self-righteousness. The truth that Harry reveals has tremendous implications for a number of people, but Michael can only see how much he has been hurt. He's the original snowflake. And when some of the other characters beg for his forgiveness, I wanted them to box his ears instead for not realizing that it was not all about him.

Then there's the so-called love story between Michael and Harry. There are all kinds of risks with this plot - the reader has to believe that Michael is interested in Harry for himself, and not just because he looks/acts like Thomas. Cochrane doesn't manage to pull that off and the best she can do is reveal that Thomas was quite the cad, so the Ick Factor wasn't dispelled for me. I never felt that Michael and Harry had a strong, special emotional bond outside of the bedroom, so I never believed they would have a long future together.

Speaking of the future, the book does have a certain poignancy as Michael's nephew and his best friend are portrayed in all of their curious, mischevous boyhood. It was quietly devastating to watch the characters talk about the War to End Wars and know that only 20 years later these boys would probably be called upon to fight in WWII.

The book was well plotted, too, with the web of secrets being revealed little by little, and surprises abounding until the end. So some of Cochrane's considerable talents are displayed here - just not the ones that make a satisfying romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

*pg 17 and I'm bawling already! Thank heaven the blurb says there is a happy ending!*

My word, but I feel like I've been through the wringer! For me, this is the best book of the series, even though the mystery aspect is not as pervasive as in previous books. (I must qualify that statement by saying that there is a 9th book pending, which may alter that.)

I love these characters so much! Watching them grow and mature has been sheer pleasure. Through all of their changes, Jonty and Orlando show more remain absolutely true and recognizable.

The first half of this book is gut-wrenching and, I feel, is the stronger half. The second half becomes almost too rife with coincidence/divine intervention (an Orlando/Jonty debate) but does not ultimately detract from the book as a whole.

An extremely emotional book that requires tissues at hand! show less

I really liked that the author has the talent to take the reader to the world of this small, semi-rural English town. She describes it so that all during the story you feel like a visitor. Cochrane’s cozy murder plot is not about some urban detective and his "almost-boyfriend", seems to be how many gay cop books run. This series features two quiet and intelligent young professional men, who are each trying to make their way without creating problems in their professional or private lives. show more Then there is the star of the show...Campbell, their big, beautiful, Labrador Retriever. A body has been found in a dig and Robin is brought in to investigate. The majority of the book takes place during the questioning of witnesses and suspects and a lot of brain storming sessions while Robin tries to make sense of all the clues. There are also a lot of red herrings, mistaken identities, and impersonations. It all comes together nicely in the end and Robin and Adam...and Campbell, are off to their next case. show less

I was dreading to read this chapter in the Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, because it was the one I was expecting and at the same time I didn’t want to happen. For the last few books I was counting the years, 1906, 1907, 1908… it was like an ominous dripping towards those dreadful 1914 and the IWW. From the like Orlando and Jonty, it was obvious they wouldn’t step back, and the IWW was such a bloodbath, more like men sent to the slaughter than a noble war, and these fellows can only play show more with honor.

So when I read the blurb of this book, 1918, end of the war, and Jonty lost in war, I thought that is, the worst happened, and how I can find the heart to read this novel? Sure the author told me not to worry, that she had everything planned for both of them, but still… it was not until I didn’t see there was a book 9 that I found the courage to consider book 8. Hands up, I’m a coward, yes, I am.

But I didn’t come out unscathed from the experience of reading this book, since, well, the losses are more than what I was expecting: Jonty’s parents, those wonderful parents who not only supported their own son, but welcomed Orlando too, are lost as well; I felt these losses as much as I felt that of Jonty, so much they were part of this series. It’s really sad to think I will continue to read this series knowing they will not be there, with their love and welcoming embrace; they are probably one of the main reasons why Orlando even considered to share a life with Jonty, knowing they were not scandalized by the love between them; if good people could look at them and have love in their heart, then Orlando could look as well to what he had with Jonty and not being afraid.

All in all the novel was less tragic then what I was thinking, meaning that, it basically skipped all the gory details of the war, to plunge you directly in the aftermath, when hope was blossoming again; actually it was almost warm, comfort-like, the light at the end of the dark tunnel that was the war.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609283996/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less