- This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
- ASIN : B09TLDS3G1
- Publisher : Kanga Press, Publication date : 8 April 2022
- Print length : 198 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-1838436100
- Book 1 of 12 : A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery
Synopsis (Amazon)
One dead body. Multiple identities. Can an amateur sleuth see through the charade before she becomes the next victim?
Young widow Dotty Sayers is delighted with her new auction house job in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds, until she discovers she’s about to lose her home and her chance at a fresh start. Disguising her disappointment, she reluctantly takes part in an autumn parade, but the day’s pageantry is tarnished when an unknown man is found dead.
The police ask Dotty to appraise items from the victim’s home, but rather than learning his name, she uncovers a trail of false identities. When one of them leads to a client, her search for the truth takes a fatal turn.
Can Dotty unmask the killer before she becomes the next victim?
Fake Death is the first book in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, a British cozy set in the Cotswolds among an auction house and close-knit village community. Featuring a young military widow turned amateur sleuth who is still finding her feet and building a found family, it delivers a clue driven mystery with multiple identities and no graphic content, perfect for readers who enjoy traditional whodunnits, antiques, and small town secrets with a modern, character focused touch.
My Take
This novel has all the hallmarks of the beginning of the series - a lot of characters, heaps of information to absorb. For me, the name of the main character took a bit of getting over (see my note elsewhere about coat-tails) and I also found her a bit "soft" as a character. Straightening out who is who and who does what in the antiques firm that Dotty has joined was a challenge. So in reality it is a series that you really need to read from the beginning, one where accumulated knowledge will be an advantage.
The setting seems rather loosely based on those television shows we all watch like Antiques Road Show and Bargain Hunt. The extra element of a crime or two happening in this setting has potential but to be honest Dotty is going to have to get stronger to be a satisfactory sleuth.
In addition a number of the other characters seem to have extensive background stories attached to them, only partially revealed, and at times I had the feeling of having come in in mid-conversation.
My rating: 4.3
About the author - website
Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she developed a lifelong love of tea and British traditions. Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Murder, She Wrote, she writes cozy mysteries infused with her signature British charm.
Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative. With intrigue, surprises, and gentle humour, Victoria’s page-turning stories are the perfect blend of mystery and charm—best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
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