Book Review and Giveaway - A Wicket of Lies: A British Cozy Murder Mystery (A Cotswold Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait

My Review

Dotty Sayers is happily living in the Cotswolds, working at her antique business, exploring romance with her American boyfriend Zach, and of course solving mysteries.  After an auction for a valuable old cricket bat, there is a ladies cricket match.  One of the players is a former cricket star - but she is found dead under mysterious circumstances.  Dotty and her friend Keya, who investigates crime scenes, set out to find out what happened.

I wanted to read A Wicket of Lies because I enjoy the Dotty Sayers antique mysteries.  

As always I loved the cozy British village setting of this book.  The author does a wonderful job at describing the setting to the extent that I always feel immersed in these books.

There are usually a great deal of fascinating antique details in these books.  After the beginning auction, this mystery focused more on cricket, a sport that - as a non-sporty American - I know absolutely nothing about.  I was a bit lost with the sporting details, which was an important part of the first third of the book.

After that the focus was on the murder and the mystery details of this book were, as always with Victoria Tait books, so well paced and interesting.  There were several plausible suspects and Dotty did a great job of sleuthing to find the answers.

I look forward to reading future cozy mysteries in this series.

Book Synopsis

Summer is in full swing in the Cotswolds… but not everyone is playing fair.

Dotty Sayers, antiques expert and amateur sleuth, is looking forward to an idyllic afternoon of sunshine, cream teas, and village rivalry at the final of a local ladies’ cricket festival.

Keya Varma, café owner and part-time crime scene expert, is delighted to be on the pitch with family and friends. The stakes are high but it’s all in good spirit… until a teammate is found dead.

At first, the death seems like a tragic accident, but when Keya is appointed crime scene manager and evidence starts turning up outside the boundary, suspicion begins to spread.

With lies spinning like a tricky googly and secrets lurking in the outfield, Dotty and Keya must team up with the local police to cut through a pitch of grudges, hidden motives, and long-buried betrayals.

Off the pitch, Dotty is facing doubts of her own. Can she let go of her fears and commit to a future with Zach?

With a murder to solve and the game underway, can Dotty, Keya, and their unlikely team of village cricketers spot the real villain before someone else gets bowled out?

A Wicket of Lies is the second book in Victoria Tait’s Cotswold Antique Mystery series, a feel-good whodunnit brimming with village life, vintage treasures, and cricketing rivalries. With determined sleuths, loyal friendships, and a community bound by justice, it’s a wonderfully English mystery with heart.

Keep your eye on the ball and uncover the truth in A Wicket of Lies today!

Author Bio

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.

Victoria has recently been exploring the world, drawing inspiration for her books from remarkable places including the Azores, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Morocco, and Malta.

You can find Victoria at VictoriaTait.com ‘

Author Links

Website: https://victoriatait.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/victoria-tait

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriataitauthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/VictoriaTaitAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20373879.Victoria_Tait

Purchase Links. Books2Read – Amazon 

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