Lessons for Survivors

Cochrane’s ninth Cambridge Fellows romantic mystery featuring sleuths and lovers Orlando Coppersmith and Jonathan “Jonty” Stewart (after All Lessons Learned) catches up with them in 1919, on the eve of Coppersmith’s investiture as Professor of Applied Mathematics at St. Bride’s College, Cambridge, England. The emotional wounds from WWI are still raw; preferring to focus on work, Stewart and Coppersmith are eager to take on a case for Rev. Ian Bresnan, whose Uncle Peter died under suspicious circumstances. As the investigation progresses, the feisty duo find the field of suspects is littered with liars and blind alleys. It’s tempting to liken Stewart and Coppersmith to a famous fictional Victorian crime-fighting duo—though they bristle at such comparisons—but their romance is not the slightest bit subtextual, and it puts them at the mercy of a blackmailer. Cochrane weaves a generous amount of wry British wit into the interactions of two likable characters whose deep emotional connection will touch readers’ hearts as the twisty mystery challenges their brains. (Jan.)