A Cotswold Killing

Finished December 2

A Cotswold Killing by Rebecca Tope

I've read a later book in this series, but this is the first book in the series featuring widow and amateur detective Thea Osborne and her dog Hepzibah. There is a map in the front that shows the locations of the first eleven books in the series, so you can see how they relate to each other geographically. I would have liked it more if they had also included Thea's town of Witney. She also has a note at the front that indicates that her settings are real places, including the churches and pubs (which are describing in enticing ways as the main character visits them). More personal places like farms and houses are imagined by the author. 

As the book opens, Thea is preparing to go to her first house sitting commission, looking after a small sheep farm in Duntisbourne Abbots, the home of Clive and Jennifer Reynold. The couple are headed off on a cruise. Thea has been widowed just over a year and is still grieving in many ways as we see through the course of the novel. 

When one of her neighbours is murdered on the farm she is looking after on her first night there, Thea finds herself drawn into the life of this secretive village, looking for information on the young man who was killed, his connections, and her other neighbours. 

It helps Thea that her brother-in-law, James, is a superintendent in the West Midlands police. This gives her a helpful reference for her house sitting commissions, and a link to police investigations. She finds that this connection also has benefits for James and his fellow police officers. 

The character of Thea is built with depth here, as we see both her strengths and weaknesses appear as the mystery unfolds. Her dog is a comfort and a companion, a calm presence in most situations. I liked seeing her come to life for me, and found the mystery intriguing

Death in the Cotswolds

Finished December 8

Death in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope

This is part of the mystery series featuring Thea Osborne, although she's not the primary character in this novel. The narrator here is Ariadne, a woman who lives across the road from the home that DI Phil Hollis's aunt Helen lived in. Thea has come to the village of Cold Aston with her boyfriend Phil to go through his aunt's house, which has sat empty for some time, and clear it out. Ariadne has known Phil since she was a child and he was a teenager, and he has been paying her a small amount to do a regular cleaning of the empty house. The house has had the power cut off for some time as well, a decision Phil made after his aunt's death a year ago. 

Ariadne has changed her name from Mary to better suit how she feels about herself, but Phil keeps forgetting and using her childhood name. Back in the day, Ariadne had often babysat for Phil and his wife Caroline when their children were young. His aunt had wanted Ariadne to move in with her, but Ariadne bought the place across the road as a compromise. She lives an independent and unusual life, making her living by knitting, weaving, and spinning and sells her stuff mainly at markets and stalls. As Helen was in her final illness, Ariadne did most of the caregiving and thus a lot of her belongings are still in the house. Somehow she feels reluctant to take them away as they provide a feeling of coziness that feels right to her. 

Ariadne is also part of a local group that practices paganism, and they are planning their activities for the upcoming Samhain celebration. When she comes across a body near the site they are planning to use, everything in her world changes and she doesn't know whether any of the people she's considered friends really are. 

This is a mystery with many discoveries, and many secrets. I really enjoyed seeing it unfold. 

How to Find Love in a Book Shop

Finished May 25
How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry

This romantic novel has a touch of sadness to it as well. Emilia has returned to the small Cotswold town of Peasebrook that she grew up in as her father Julius is dying. She grew up in an apartment over the bookstore, Nightingale Books that he ran. Emilia must now decide what to do. She always intended to run the bookstore some day, but she'd thought that day was far ahead of her. She knows that a local developer, Ian Mendip has his eye on the property to gain enough parking for the high end condos he is building just behind, but she really wants to keep it open.
The bookstore employees are all eager to put their skills to work to bring new life to the store, her best friend puts her accounting skills to work to sort out the financial confusion that Julius left behind, and a new acquaintance offers valuable assistance in rethinking the interior of the shop to draw in new trade. But Emilia has a big learning curve and Ian Mendip doesn't want to take no for an answer.
I liked the various characters that came into the story, from the cooking teacher and her protege, to the nearby estate owners come garden shop operators, and the small music group. There are lots of subplots, interesting personalities and more than one burgeoning romance. The power of books to connect is shown as well. A feel good read.