Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Valued for Murder: A British Cozy Murder Mystery
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait

About Valued for Murder

Valued for Murder: A British Cozy Murder Mystery
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kanga Press (June 10, 2022)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TRXWWNG

An antiques show. A dead diva. For an amateur sleuth the truth is not always crystal clear.

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. Working on set at a historic country hotel, she realises all that glitters is not gold when at the bottom of the circular staircase, one of the experts is found dead.

Was the death accidental or something shadier? Dotty promises to leave the investigation to the police, but as this amateur sleuth appraises the dead woman’s estate, she can’t help unveiling clues. But when she returns from viewing a priceless sculpture, and finds her British blue cat missing, she knows that life does not imitate art.

Can Dotty tell a fake from the real deal and identify the killer?

Guest Post – Antique Television Shows

The death in Valued for Murder occurs during the filming of a fictitious antique TV show, The Antique Tour, when a celebrity expert is killed. A potentially priceless bronze sculpture, which is brought to the show by a member of the public, is also featured in the story.

Before I started writing the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, I re-watched the 1980s British show, Lovejoy, about a loveable rogue and shady antiques dealer who was always out for a quick buck. However, his conscience usually got the better of him, and as he had a talent for discovering hidden treasures, he always extricated himself and his friends from whatever scrape they were in.

My advanced readers have enjoyed the antique show setting. In the UK, the number of shows relating to antiques, auctions, and associated themes, such as architectural restoration, have steadily increased. The original programme, The Antiques Roadshow, is popular in both the US and the UK, as I believe, is Antiques Roadtrip.

So why are these shows so popular? People love a rags to riches story and the dream that an object gathering dust in their garage or attic is worth a fortune. This concept is one of the themes in Valued for Murder.

Many people have an object which has been handed down as a family heirloom, which they are very attached to. Seeing similar people with similar items on the television creates an emotional link and brings them back to watch the program each week.

As viewers, we love watching the reaction of the owners to the valuation of their items, but we also enjoy the personal stories behind objects.

The shows have also helped the antique industry, particularly in jewellery, with members of the public becoming aware of the wide range of antique jewellery, much of which is affordable, and they seek it out to buy.

There are also reports that despite of the pandemic, or maybe because of it, there is rising interest period pieces over modern equivalents and that vintage pieces and family heirlooms are making a comeback. The trend for upcycling is leading people to repurpose items they didn’t think worth keeping into something useful or fun.

Shows in the UK such as Bargain Hunt are popular, as everyone likes the chance of buying a piece and selling it at auction for a profit. And if they make a loss, it doesn’t matter as they are spending someone else’s money!

Antique fairs are increasing in popularity and the customers who visit are more knowledgeable than ever before. While some are looking for a bargain, to make a profit, I would caution that it is best to buy items you like and want to live with.

And if you think you have an item of value or interest you’d like to take to a show? Look up the relevant show’s website and find out what you need to do. Antiques Roadshow, for instance, is only allowing visitors who have applied for tickets, although this is free to do.

I hope you enjoy Valued for Murder and future episodes of your favourite antique shows.

About Victoria Tait

I was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. But I fell for an Army Officer, and I’ve followed him from Northern Ireland, up to the Scottish Highlands, across to Africa and the Kenyan Savannah, back to the British Cotswolds, and we are now living in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Southern Europe.

I never expected to be an author, but all this moving is not ideal for holding down a job. Instead, I’ve taken the experiences of the places I’ve lived to write vivid and evocative cozy mystery books with determined female sleuths.

I have two fast-growing teenage boys, and together we’ve learnt to ski on the Bosnian mountains. I also enjoy horse riding, mountain biking and I’ve started running as a way to improve my physical fitness, mental wellbeing and shed some excess pounds.

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