Showing results by author "Victoria Tait" in All Categories

A cancelled wedding. A runaway bride. Can a community cop find the frightened fiancée before the church bells ring? With her sister’s nuptials nearing, Sergeant Keya Varma plans to dazzle in a drop-dead gorgeous outfit. But when the venue double books and cancels the ceremony, her sibling wonders if she’ll ever tie the knot. Taking the plunge to plead for help, they visit the other bride, dismayed to find she’s just disappeared. Desperate to track down the wife-to-be, Keya identifies sinister suspects all with a hand in the marriage. As her enquires continues, she questions whether ...

Beneath a tranquil island's charm, a deadly mystery emerges from the lake. Can an amateur sleuth uncover the truths hidden within decades of tradition before the past claims another victim? Troubled antiques expert, Georgina Carey, is reeling from the loss of her husband, her job, and her self-assurance. When she’s offered a commission to value the estate of a deceased Portuguese collector in the Azores—wherever that is—she reluctantly accepts. A lakeside house nestled in the lush greenery of São Miguel Island seems like the perfect retreat to confront her past and prepare for her ...

The winter blues hit a bustling Christmas market when a body becomes the chilling central display. Can an amateur sleuth solve the case, or will she be left out in the cold? Newly established antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, is thrilled to be refurbishing a castle in rural Leicestershire. She's fascinated by tales of an unsolved robbery, missing antiques, and a kidnapped child. Upon discovering a valuable clock, Dotty is eager to reopen the case, but her plans are put on ice when a man collapses dead in front of her at the castle's winter festival. Exposing the man's identity receives a ...

A fraught family reunion. A corpse by the coast. Can an amateur sleuth crack this egg-xtraordinary mystery or be left scrambling for answers?Spring signifies new beginnings, yet rookie antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, feels uncertain about her future. A colleague's invitation to Northumberland, in search of hidden family treasure, offers a fresh start. Once there, she immediately befriends her neighbour and assists with a prestigious project at a nearby castle. But when her mentor vanishes, and a body washes up in a secluded cove, Dotty wonders why so many people she knows end up dead. ...

A 30-year-old skeleton. A missing girl. Can a community police officer read the tea leaves or will a deadly secret remain buried for ever? Sergeant Keya Varma is delighted with her new part-time role as the Cotswolds’ Rural Engagement Officer. She’s also fulfilling her dream of opening a small neighbourhood café. But she gets herself into a stew with renovation works when builders unearth a young girl’s remains. While Keya and her police colleagues gain ground reviewing the unsolved disappearance of a local girl, her brief taste of success turns to dust when a friend is found dead at...

A spooky spectacle turns deadly when a singer’s voice is silenced forever. Does an amateur sleuth have the ghost of a chance to unmask the killer before the jack-o'-lantern’s candle is snuffed out?Emerging antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, is excited about traveling to Ireland for a prestigious auction. Alongside her friend, Sergeant Keya Varma, Dotty revels in Dublin’s iconic sights and finds herself spellbound by haunting melodies at the Bram Stoker Festival. But a Halloween parade turns tragic when a musician’s last melody leads to his final breath. With the police operating a ...

A charity ball. A dead guest. Can an amateur sleuth solve the case or will it ruin Christmas for ever? Aspiring antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, is excited about organising a ball in a Cotswold country house. When a lecture on modern art leads to a kiss under the mistletoe she thinks all her Christmases have come at once. But her festive cheer turns sour when a partygoer is found dead on the dance floor. The police ask Dotty to help wrap up the case of a stolen painting, but as the search continues she becomes entangled in the murder investigation. When this amateur detective realises the ...

Dotty Sayers is back - but some truths should never go under the hammer. Taking over a prestigious Cotswold auction house should be a dream come true for antiques expert Dotty Sayers. But when a scandal involving its owners hits the headlines, the business teeters on the brink of collapse, and Dotty must fight to keep its doors open. Amid the cluttered antiques and dusty heirlooms of a routine house clearance, Dotty uncovers a discovery tied to a long-concealed secret. But as she digs deeper, it becomes clear someone will do anything to keep the truth from coming to light. Dotty’s best ...

One dead body. Multiple identities. Can an amateur sleuth see through the charade before she becomes a tragic victim?Young military widow, Dotty Sayers, is delighted with her new job at an auction house in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds. She reluctantly agrees to take part in a Remembrance parade, to commemorate her husband and his fallen comrades, but she’s shocked to learn that after the event an unknown soldier is found dead. Dotty assists the police and appraises objects found at the victim’s house, but rather than identifying the deceased, she discovers numerous personas. When a...

An antiques TV show. A dead celebrity expert. Can a shy amateur sleuth step into the lime-light and expose a murderer? Dotty Sayers is enjoying her job in a Cotswold auction house. When she’s offered a place on an antiques TV show, she nervously agrees to a makeover and is surprised by the admiring glances she receives. But working at an historic country hotel, she realises the show can’t go on when, at the bottom of the circular staircase, one of the experts is found dead. Dotty can’t help wondering if the death was accidental or if someone else was involved. She promises to stay in ...

An antique fair. A dead stallholder. Can an amateur sleuth both bag a bargain and identify a killer?Trainee antique expert, Dotty Sayers, is feeling vulnerable after being framed for art trafficking by a trusted friend. She welcomes the distraction of visiting a vintage sale but is alarmed when an exhibitor is found dead. The police’s resources are stretched when a valuable antiquity is stolen at the same event. As Dotty conducts her own enquiries, this amateur detective can’t help thinking there is more at stake than one man’s death. Can Dotty scratch off the varnish and expose the ...

A solstice sunrise reveals a mysterious death at Cotswold’s standing stones. Can a rural police officer illuminate the truth before darkness falls?Passionate and hard-working community cop and café owner, Sergeant Keya Varma, serves up lattes and law in equal measure. Yet her dedication to her dual duties is tested when a festive midsummer gathering turns deadly at an ancient ring of stones. Aided by her fellow officers, this dedicated detective delves into the puzzling demise of a vibrant young woman. With no apparent cause of death and the community united in grief, Keya wonders if the...

Stolen antiques. An unexplained death. Can an amateur sleuth tell a fake from the real deal and solve a curio of a murder? Trainee antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, is nervous but excited about buying period furniture for a local celebrity. During the quiet summer months, she’s persuaded to join her company’s triathlon team for a charity competition in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds. But she realises all that glitters is not gold when a fellow competitor collapses and dies. With only a young sergeant concerned about the athletic woman’s death, Dotty focuses on the sale of counterfeit ...

When murder is served at a Scottish Burns supper, it’s not the haggis that hides the deadliest secret. Can an amateur sleuth catch the killer before they toast another victim? Antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, is thrilled to return to the Cotswolds to reconnect with old friends and run the auction house where her career began. She and her friend, Sergeant Keya Varma, organise a traditional Burns Night celebration, but things go awry when one of their guests meets his end before the first whisky is poured.When the new police inspector is pushed aside by headquarters before she can crack the ...

A sparkling Christmas light display ends in a deadly shock when a body is discovered beneath the twinkling decorations. Can an injured community cop illuminate the truth before the celebratory lights blow a festive fuse?On medical leave, Sergeant Keya Varma channels her dedication and passion into creating mince pies and seasonal delights for her buzzing café. But her holiday cheer is challenged when a Christmas lights enthusiast is found dead amidst his dazzling display. With the police station in turmoil, this dedicated detective puts aside her medical leave to untangle the mysterious ...

A joyful Christmas festival turns deadly when a corpse ends up as the chilling centrepiece. Can an amateur sleuth unwrap the tinsel-tangled mystery before the merry cheer melts away? Talented antiques enthusiast, Dotty Sayers, is thrilled to be organising a Christmas display at a Yorkshire country house. She enjoys decking the halls, but the season is far from jolly when the chief guide is found dead, her body as cold as ice. When cops dismiss the death, Dotty turns to her prickly American colleague, only to learn he has his own secrets to solve. But when he disappears, this amateur ...

A secret on the savannah. A bewildering death. Can a silver-haired sleuth solve a mystery before the sun sets? Community vet “Mama Rose” Hardie just wants to enjoy her golden years in Kenya, taking care of local animals, and supporting her disabled husband. But her tranquil life is blown apart when a childhood friend returns and stirs up a hornet’s nest. When a long-forgotten tragedy is dragged out into the open, she barely catches her breath before her former classmate falls prey to a wily predator. With the police warned off, this incorruptible woman agrees to help the victim’s ...

A body in the Cotswolds. A cryptic floral clue. Can a budding community cop unearth the secrets of a 40-year-old case before the truth withers away?With a mixing bowl of responsibilities, Sergeant Keya Varma conscientiously combines her rural police duties with managing the rising success of her bustling café, kneading in the essential support of family and friends. But her well-baked routine crumbles when a local journalist is found dead in his car. Battling her new boss, who relishes red tape more than results, this dedicated detective is simmering with frustration. Yet Keya finds ...

A deadly marathon. A missing runner. Can a silver-haired sleuth discover the truth before the race reaches a fatal finish? Perceptive amateur sleuth, ‘Mama Rose’ Hardie just wants to make her ailing husband comfortable. Putting aside her dedication to wildlife and community, she whisks him off to a luxury lodge for a breathtaking getaway. But when a young athlete jogs into the bush and never returns, Rose is torn between remaining at her partner’s side and her fears for the woman’s plight. When her husband is rushed to hospital and a woman’s body is found on the savannah, Rose ...

At a summit on poaching, the keynote speaker becomes the hunted when murder takes the stage. Can a golden years amateur sleuth solve the case before she becomes an endangered species? Community vet ‘Mama Rose’ Hardie is passionate about saving elephants in her native Kenya. She and her ailing husband attend a wildlife conference at a luxury resort in the shadow of the snow-capped Mount Kenya. But the event is threatened when the principal speaker is found dead in her hotel room. With the authorities tied up in Nairobi, Rose sets out to bring the killer in herself. But with multiple ...