Cherringham Books in Order
Explore the Cherringham books in order, with quick summaries, series background, and clear suggestions for where to start with Jack and Sarah.
Last updated: July 20, 2026
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Cherringham books in publication order
53 books
Murder on Thames
by Neil Richards
2013
When a young woman is found dead in the Thames, police call it an accident. Local web designer Sarah Edwards is not convinced, and recruits retired NYPD detective Jack Brennan to uncover what really happened.
A Deadly Confession
by Neil Richards
2014
When popular local priest Father Byrne dies unexpectedly, the village struggles to believe anyone wanted him dead. Sarah and Jack dig into the secrets he may have heard, and the people who feared what he knew.
Blade in the Water
by Neil Richards
2014
Vandalism at the Cherringham Regatta escalates into murder. With rivalry on and off the water clouding the case, Sarah and Jack must find out who turned a treasured village event into a deadly race.
Death on a Summer Night
by Neil Richards
2014
Tim Bell returns to Cherringham after serving twenty-five years for a young woman's murder, only to find his life in danger. Jack and Sarah reopen the old case and ask whether the real killer was ever caught.
Last Train to London
by Neil Richards
2014
Kindly Punch-and-Judy performer Otto Brendl appears to have died of a heart attack. Jack senses a darker history behind the familiar village figure, and he and Sarah follow a trail that tests Jack's ideas about justice.
Murder by Moonlight
by Neil Richards
2014
A choir member dies after eating homemade cake before Cherringham's Christmas concert. As Jack joins the rehearsals, he and Sarah uncover rivalries and jealousies that make the fatal allergic reaction look far from accidental.
Mystery at the Manor
by Neil Richards
2014
A fire at Mogdon Manor kills its elderly owner, leaving his three children as possible heirs and suspects. Sarah and Jack look beyond the official explanation to find who had the strongest reason to light the match.
Playing Dead
by Neil Richards
2014
A new theatre production is hit by a string of dangerous accidents before opening night. Sarah and Jack must work out who wants the show shut down, and why someone is prepared to hurt people to stop it.
Snowblind
by Neil Richards
2014
A blizzard cuts Cherringham off from the outside world when a resident of Broadmead Grange dies in the snow. Jack and Sarah question whether the tragedy was exposure, or whether someone made sure he would not return home.
The Body in the Lake
by Neil Richards
2014
A body in a lake disrupts Cherringham's plans with its French twin town. Sarah and Jack investigate the death of a visiting mayor and uncover a case shaped by local politics, hidden motives, and old loyalties.
The Curse of Mabb's Farm
by Neil Richards
2014
Mabb's Farm is said to be cursed, and fresh disasters seem to prove the old legend true. Sarah and Jack do not believe in supernatural answers, so they search for the human hand behind the fires, failed crops, and fear.
Thick as Thieves
by Neil Richards
2014
A valuable Roman silver plate vanishes from a locked safe before experts can authenticate it. Police suspect professional thieves, but Sarah and Jack think the answer may lie much closer to the farm where it was found.
A Fatal Fall
by Neil Richards
2015
Building worker Dylan McCabe dies after warning that a rushed development site is unsafe. His fall looks accidental, but Sarah and Jack uncover evidence that someone turned his safety concerns into a reason to kill.
A Lesson in Murder
by Neil Richards
2015
Cruel pranks at Cherringham Girls School appear to be ordinary student mischief until a popular teacher is killed. Sarah and Jack discover that the school holds grudges and secrets far more dangerous than childish trouble.
Final Cut
by Neil Richards
2015
A major film production brings glamour and disruption to Cherringham, then trouble behind the cameras turns serious. Sarah and Jack investigate a case where old ambitions, new money, and staged appearances hide the truth.
Follow the Money
by Neil Richards
2015
A strange robbery at the wealthy Goodman home exposes more than missing valuables. Sarah and Jack follow the money through a marriage built on secrets, where discovering the truth could give someone a reason to murder.
Ghost of a Chance
by Neil Richards
2015
Halloween at the supposedly haunted Bell Hotel brings a frightening accident and fresh talk of ghosts. Sarah and Jack investigate the living suspects, while an unsolved Victorian murder casts a long shadow over the case.
Murder Most Wild
by Neil Richards
2015
Plans for a giant supermarket divide Cherringham until environmental campaigner Sam Lewis dies in a wild boar attack. Sarah and Jack ask whether the apparent accident was really a convenient way to silence opposition.
The Last Puzzle
by Neil Richards
2015
The death of village eccentric Quentin Andrews leaves behind a final puzzle and a group of interested claimants. Sarah and Jack follow his clues, but soon learn that a contest over the past can have deadly stakes.
The Secret of Combe Castle
by Neil Richards
2015
The cash-strapped FitzHenry family faces a campaign to drive them from their ancestral castle. Sarah and Jack investigate the threats, finding that Combe Castle's strange history may be hiding a very practical danger.
The Song Never Dies
by Neil Richards
2015
A case tied to Cherringham's music scene brings old memories and unresolved tensions back into view. Sarah and Jack follow the clues through a community where a cherished song may conceal a far less sentimental past.
The Vanishing Tourist
by Neil Richards
2015
An American tourist disappears in Cherringham, but police think he has simply wandered away. When his worried sister arrives from New York, Sarah and Jack uncover a buried history of betrayal, sacrifice, and death.
A Bad Lie
by Neil Richards
2016
Young artist Josh Andrews disappears during his stag night at Cherringham Golf Club, days before his wedding. His desperate fiancée turns to Sarah and Jack, who soon learn that Josh was not who he claimed to be.
A Death in the Family
by Neil Richards
2016
When elderly Harry Platt falls from the roof of his home, his death looks like a terrible accident. Sarah and Jack find a family divided by old resentments, where everyone has a version of the truth to protect.
Dead in the Water
by Neil Richards
2016
On prom night, a young teacher is found dead in the Thames in what looks like a drug-related accident. With Jack away in America, Sarah investigates Cherringham High and finds herself in real danger.
Secret Santa
by Neil Richards
2016
Beloved village Santa Bill Vokes vanishes just hours before the children's Christmas show. Sarah and Jack search for the man everyone trusted, uncovering a mystery linked to a crime that never truly went away.
Death on a Moonlit Night
by Neil Richards
2017
The boss of Cherringham's big DIY store is murdered, and the evidence points to its junior manager. When the suspect runs, Sarah and Jack race to prove his innocence before the real killer closes in.
Scared to Death
by Neil Richards
2017
Classic horror star Basil Coates is targeted by sinister pranks at his isolated mansion. Police blame an obsessed fan, but when Halloween brings murder, Sarah and Jack face a case worthy of Coates's darkest films.
The Body in the Woods
by Neil Richards
2017
Carnival week brings parades and fireworks to Cherringham, but an archaeological dig uncovers the body of a young man killed decades earlier. When a committee member vanishes, Sarah and Jack confront a village wall of silence.
A Dinner to Die For
by Neil Richards
2018
A celebrated American chef opens a fashionable new restaurant in Cherringham, bringing pressure, rivalry, and resentment with him. When danger enters the kitchen, Sarah and Jack discover that a perfect meal can conceal a bitter grudge.
Death Trap
by Neil Richards
2018
Famed crime writer Edward Townes has made a career from inventing elaborate deaths. When a real danger touches his world, Sarah and Jack must decide whether someone is copying fiction, or hiding behind it.
The Drowned Man
by Neil Richards
2018
A man is pulled from the water, and his death leaves Cherringham asking who he really was and why he was there. Sarah and Jack follow a trail of lies that reaches far beyond the riverbank.
The Gentleman Vanishes
by Neil Richards
2018
Elderly railway enthusiast Bernard Mandeville disappears during his familiar Sunday trip on the steam railway. Sarah and Jack retrace his journey, searching for the answer to an apparently impossible vanishing.
Trail of Lies
by Neil Richards
2018
A troubling case sends Sarah and Jack along a trail where every answer leads to another deception. As they sort truth from carefully planted lies, the danger grows for those closest to the mystery.
Cliffhanger
by Neil Richards
2019
A hiker falls from a cliff while walking near Cherringham, but friends refuse to accept that it was simply bad luck. Sarah and Jack investigate a death where the view from the edge is not the whole story.
The Secret of Brimley Manor
by Neil Richards
2019
A suspicious fire breaks out at Brimley Manor, home to an eccentric museum filled with relics from distant travels. Sarah and Jack explore its secrets and discover that the curious old house may be deadly.
Too Many Lies
by Neil Richards
2019
A plan to sell Cherringham's historic village hall sparks a furious local battle. When a protest leader is attacked and threats follow, Sarah and Jack find that development arguments can turn dangerously personal.
Killing Time
by Neil Richards
2020
An urban explorer enters an abandoned mansion near Cherringham and finds that its empty rooms are not as harmless as they seem. Sarah and Jack investigate a fatal fall and the old secret someone wants to keep buried.
Murder under the Sun
by Neil Richards
2020
Grace's wedding is days away when her father is arrested for a murder committed thirty years earlier and far from Cherringham. Sarah and Jack must uncover the past before he loses the chance to walk her down the aisle.
Still Dead
by Neil Richards
2020
The head botanicals expert at the Cherringham Gin Company dies in what appears to be an accident at the distillery. Doubting relatives ask Sarah and Jack to investigate a death with a distinctly bitter aftertaste.
Cold Case
by Neil Richards
2021
Petty thief Charlie Topper tells Sarah and Jack that he witnessed a murder during a summer robbery. Now the killer may be after him, forcing the pair to solve a cold case before Charlie becomes its next victim.
Killer Track
by Neil Richards
2021
Lady Repton's annual Cherringfest should be a weekend of music, food, and crowds. But threats of murder turn the festival tense, and Sarah and Jack must find the source of the danger before the event turns tragic.
A Score to Settle
by Neil Richards
2022
Choir regular Arthur Chisholm is robbed at night, then other members of his choir are targeted too. Sarah and Jack see a pattern in the burglaries and search for the old score someone is determined to settle.
In the Frame
by Neil Richards
2022
While volunteering at Morton Manor, Jack finds retired steward Cyril Roebuck dead in a locked room. It looks like a heart attack, but Sarah and Jack soon face a classic puzzle with a far more suspicious answer.
No Place to Hide
by Neil Richards
2022
Computer programmer and father Ed Finnlay disappears, leaving his wife with no answers and police with little to pursue. Sarah and Jack uncover unsettling secrets about the missing man and wonder whether he wanted to vanish.
Bad Neighbours
by Neil Richards
2023
Brian Foley is charged with murdering his neighbour, and the case against the loud local showman appears overwhelming. Sarah and Jack are convinced police have the wrong man, but time is running out to find the real killer.
Deadline
by Neil Richards
2023
Journalist Tom Pinder is pulled from the river near Jack's barge, and his death is quickly dismissed as a drunken accident. Sarah and Jack learn he had made dangerous enemies, and may have been close to a big story.
In Good Faith
by Neil Richards
2024
The priceless Cherringham Chalice is stolen from St. James's Church in a raid that looks professionally planned. Sarah and Jack suspect inside help, and discover that trust, faith, and danger can sit very close together.
Silent Night, Stolen Night
by Neil Richards
2024
Two days before Christmas, Liam Byrne is caught burgling a wealthy home but insists he was framed. As snow covers Cherringham and his pregnant wife waits, Sarah and Jack race to find the real thief.
A Fatal Illusion
by Neil Richards
2025
A famous elderly magician dies of an apparent heart attack at his Cherringham mansion. His assistant suspects foul play, and Sarah and Jack enter a world where misdirection is routine and even an illusion can kill.
Killer Pitch
by Neil Richards
2025
A television network offers a group of new writers the chance to win a major contract at a Cherringham workshop. Ominous threats soon put their lives at risk, and Sarah and Jack must stop a killer pitch.
Carnival of Lies
by Neil Richards
2026
Cherringham celebrates 500 years of its royal charter during Carnival week, until the priceless document is stolen. Sarah and Jack investigate attempts to disrupt the festivities and uncover dangerous secrets from the village's past.
Winner Takes All
by Neil Richards
2026
A new Cherringham case puts Sarah and Jack among competitors with far more at stake than a prize. As ambition, rivalry, and hidden grudges collide, they must work out who believes winning is worth anything.
Where to start with Cherringham
For the original Jack and Sarah partnership: Murder on Thames → Mystery at the Manor → Murder by Moonlight.
For classic Cotswold village cases: Thick as Thieves → Last Train to London → The Curse of Mabb's Farm.
For a longer Cherringham mystery: Dead in the Water → The Body in the Woods.
For recent standalone cases: In Good Faith → Silent Night, Stolen Night → A Fatal Illusion.
Cherringham collections, short stories, and related book types
Author bio
Neil Richards is a UK-based writer whose career has moved easily between television, film, games, and fiction. He has written scripts for broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, and his work has received BAFTA and Writers' Guild nominations.
Before he became known for cosy mysteries, Richards spent years working wherever stories needed shaping. He has been a producer, story editor, development executive, and writer, building projects for screen, audio, interactive media, and games.
That background shows in the way his mysteries move. The scenes are clear, the dialogue has pace, and every chapter has a job to do.
Richards has also written story and script work for video games, including The Da Vinci Code, and collaborated with Douglas Adams on Starship Titanic. It is a varied CV, but the thread running through it is simple: make the characters feel real, then give them a problem they cannot ignore.
His long-running partnership with American writer Matthew Costello began in the late 1990s. The pair worked together on television material for years before turning to crime fiction. Their first shared fictional project was Cherringham, a mystery series set in a Cotswold village that looks peaceful until another secret, disappearance, or suspicious death turns up.
The central pair are part of the fun. Sarah Edwards is a local web designer and single mother rebuilding her life in Cherringham. Jack Brennan is a retired NYPD homicide detective who has swapped New York for a quieter existence on a barge. Neither gets the quiet life they expected.
Richards and Costello built the series as a run of compact, self-contained cases. Murder on Thames brings Jack and Sarah together over the death of a young woman. Later stories send them into manor houses, schools, pubs, festivals, churches, building sites, and the tangled private lives of their neighbours. The cases are varied, but the village and its regular characters give readers a reason to keep returning.
Then came Mydworth Mysteries, another collaboration with Costello. This time the setting is 1920s Sussex, and the detectives are aristocrat Sir Harry Mortimer and his American wife, Kat Reilly. The shift in period gives Richards room for travel, adventure, and a more playful, high-society kind of danger.
He has kept working across formats while writing fiction. That makes sense for someone whose career began in collaborative storytelling. Whether the story is a TV drama, a game, or a short village mystery, Richards tends to start with people under pressure and asks what they are willing to hide.
For readers, the result is straightforward. His books offer brisk mysteries, familiar places, and characters who notice when the official explanation does not quite add up.
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