Posted in Blog Tour, Recipe, Spotlight

Recipe and Spotlight for Antiques and Adversities by Victoria Tait

 


Antiques and Adversity in the Azores
(A Treasured Journey Mystery)
by Victoria Tait

About Antiques and Adversity in the Azores


Antiques and Adversity in the Azores (A Treasured Journey Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Azores, Portugal
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press (March 14, 2025)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DRY16XMQ
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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 future. But her tranquillity is shattered when a body is found floating in the lake, echoing a mysterious death from over 30 years ago.

Despite her best intentions to focus solely on the commission, Georgina finds herself drawn into the secrets of the local town as residents unexpectedly confide in her. As she pieces together their stories, she starts to wonder if the deaths were as accidental as they seemed or if something more unsettling is at play.

Can Georgina stay on task, find an heir to the estate, and uncover the truth behind two mysterious deaths on this beguiling island in the Atlantic?

If you enjoy enchanting locations, small-town mysteries, and an intelligent sleuth grappling with self-doubt as she finds the strength to reshape her future, then you’ll love Victoria Tait’s Antiques and Adversity in the Azores, the captivating first book in The Treasured Journey Mystery series.”

Traditions, secrets, and a deadly mystery. Buy Antiques and Adversity in the Azores today!

RECIPE

Passion Fruit Jam

In my story, my amateur sleuth, Georgina Carey, discovers a recipe for passionfruit jam tucked into the back of an old journal.

She knows it was written with love and care, as the handwriting is deliberate, with curly flourishes, and small sketches of flowers decorating the border.

Passion fruits (maracujás) in the Azores are at their best from late spring to early autumn, typically from May to October. The peak season is in summer (June to August), when the fruits are most abundant, ripe, and flavourful.

The Azores are particularly known for their purple passionfruit (maracujá roxo) and banana passionfruit (maracujá banana), both of which thrive in the islands’ mild, humid climate.

Summer is the ideal time to find fresh passion fruits at local markets for making jam.

Passion Fruit (Maracuja) Jam Recipe

(Makes 4–5 medium jars)

Ingredients:

  • 12 passion fruits (about 1¼ cups / 300ml of pulp, including seeds)
  • 4 large oranges (zest + juice, about 1½ cups / 350ml juice)
  • 1 lemon (zest + juice, about ¼ cup / 60ml juice)
  • 4 cups (800g) granulated sugar
  • 1½ cups (375ml) water

Method:

Prepare the fruit:

  • Cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out the pulp, seeds included.
  • Finely grate the zest from the oranges and lemon.
  • Juice the oranges and lemon, straining out any pips.

Simmer the passionfruit shells (Optional, but great for extra pectin)

  • If you want a thicker jam or to help it to set, boil the empty passionfruit shells in water for 10 minutes, then strain.
  • Scrape out the softened inside pulp and add it to the jam mixture.

 

Cook the jam:

  • In a large heavy-bottomed pan, combine the passionfruit pulp, orange juice, lemon juice, and water.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
  • Increase to a rolling boil and cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Check for setting point: (You can use a jam thermometer, but I prefer this method)

  • Place a small plate in a fridge or freezer for 5 minutes.
  • When you think it is close to setting, spoon a little jam onto the plate, let it cool for a minute, then push with your finger.
  • If it wrinkles, it’s ready. If not, boil for 5 more minutes and test again.

Jar and store:

  • Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes (this helps prevent the seeds from all sinking).
  • Pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal.
  • Allow to cool, then store in a cool, dark place.

Serving Ideas:

  • Spread on toast, scones, or crumpets.
  • Swirl into yogurt or porridge.
  • Use as a cake filling or drizzle over cheesecake.

About Victoria Tait

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.

Read the FREE prequel to her Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series at her website.

Or click Follow for updates.

Author Links
Website BookBub Instagram Pinterest Goodreads

Purchase Link
Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 15 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

March 15 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW

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March 17 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

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March 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 19 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW

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March 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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March 21 – Wine Cellar Library – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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Spotlight and Blog Tour for Halloween Parade Peril by Victoria Tait

Halloween Parade Peril: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait
Halloween Parade Peril:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
by Victoria Tait

About Halloween Parade Peril


Halloween Parade Peril: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
10th in Series
Setting – Ireland
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press (September 13, 2024)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CM2MGBVY

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 skeleton crew, Keya expresses grave concerns while Dotty carves up excitement at the auction, bidding for a pumpkin full of Irish treasures. But when one of their friends ends up behind bars and another confesses to the crime, this duo of detectives realises the witching hour is near.

Can Dotty piece the eerie puzzle together and unveil the villain before the plot thickens like a witch’s potion?

Join Dotty and her friends in Dublin for the latest instalment of the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series. If a cauldron of quirky characters, bewitching puzzles, and enchanting Irish folklore is what you crave, then Victoria Tait’s spellbinding narrative will keep you captivated until the final page.

Make no bones about it – read Halloween Parade Peril today!

About Victoria Tait

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, and never expected to travel the world. She’s drawn on her life’s experiences of following her military husband, and a love of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Murder She Wrote, to write British-based cozy mysteries.

Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative. As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world of intrigue, surprises, and humour, as well as a delectable helping of mystery, because tea and intrigue are a perfect blend.

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 Amazon Books2Read

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 13 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

September 17 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 17 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 18 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

September 19 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – RECIPE

September 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 20 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

September 20 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

September 21 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

September 21 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

September 22 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

September 22 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

September 22 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

 

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Spotlight and Blog Tour for Earl Grey and Shallow Graves, a Waterwheel Cafe Mystery by Victoria Tait


Earl Grey and Shallow Graves: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Sleuth
(A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery) by Victoria Tait

About Earl Grey and Shallow Graves

Earl Grey and Shallow Graves:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Sleuth
(A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – England
Kanga Press (May 19, 2023)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BXQL5YS5
GoodReads Link Coming Soon

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 her tea shop. Confusion over identities threatens to bury the investigation and our junior police officer is worried that justice won’t be served.

Can Keya dig into the mystery and uncover the real culprit?

Earl Grey and Shallow Graves is the first book in The Waterwheel Café series. If you’ve enjoyed the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, then you’ll love meeting some of your favourite characters and making new friends in Victoria Tait’s intriguing British cozy mystery.

Buy Earl Grey and Shallow Graves and unearth a killer today!

About Victoria Tait

I was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. I’ve drawn on my experiences following my military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings. My determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

I hope you enjoyed Keya’s first book. Why not join her and her friends as they solve more mysteries in my Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, also based in the Cotswolds. Visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L

Do you like tea, cakes and books? Then why not join our TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates, and receive your free book gift at VictoriaTait.com

Who doesn’t like tea, cake, and a slice of murder?

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/_saved/

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

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 19 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

May 19 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 19 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

May 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

May 20 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 20 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 22 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 22 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 22 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW*

May 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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May 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

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May 24 – CelticLady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 24 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

May 25 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

May 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

May 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 26 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

May 26 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 27 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

May 27 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

May 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

May 28 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

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Spotlight and Blog Tour for The Little Shop of Murders (Collected Cozy Mysteries)

The Little Shop of Murders (Collected Cozy Mysteries) By Millie Ravensworth, ACF Bookens, Geraldine Byrne, Rachel McLean, Diane Kelly, Nikki Knight, London Lovett, Lise McClendon, Flora McGowan, Kathryn Mykel, J. New, Eryn Scott, Debbie Young, Victoria Tait, Carlene O’Connor


THE LITTLE SHOP of MURDERS (COLLECTED COZY MYSTERIES)
By Millie Ravensworth, ACF Bookens, Geraldine Byrne, Rachel McLean, Diane Kelly, Nikki Knight, London Lovett, Lise McClendon, Flora McGowan, Kathryn Mykel, J. New, Eryn Scott, Debbie Young, Victoria Tait, Carlene O’Connor

About The Little Shop of Murders

The Little Shop of Murders (Collected Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery Anthology
Pigeon Park Press (April 1, 2023)
Number of Pages – 260
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BVG2LM9H
GoodReads is down – Link Coming Soon

Book shops, boutiques and small businesses are the lifeblood of small towns but what secrets lie behind those pretty display windows and in the alleyways behind these charming streets?

Step inside for a personal retail experience like no other!

‘The Little Shop of Murders’ collects together fifteen superb cozy mysteries written by some of the finest authors in the genre.

All author and publisher profits from the sale of this book go to children’s charities, helping those most in need.

Stories include:

Don’t Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait
It Was Our Song by Nikki Knight
Always and Furever by Eryn Scott
Wild Irish Dreams by Lise McClendon
Architect of a Murder by Carlene O’Connor
Blooms and Blackmail by London Lovett
Secondhand Murder by J. New
The Lady of the House by Flora McGowan
Requiem for a Violin by Geraldine Byrne
Nightly Nuisance by Kathryn Mykel
The Gift of Dragons by ACF Bookens
Nowhere to Hide by Debbie Young
Murder in the Bookshop by Rachel McLean

About the Authors

Victoria Tait

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. She’s drawn on her experiences following her military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings. Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

Link to My Dotty Sayers series:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L

Carlene O’Connor

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of The Irish Village Mysteries, Home to Ireland Mysteries, and the new County Kerry Mystery series. Her mysteries have been translated into German, Estonia, and UK markets thus far and the Irish Village Mysteries have been optioned for television. Readers are encouraged to get in touch via Facebook, Goodreads, Book Bub, or through the contact form on CarleneOConnor.net. An admitted wanderer, Carlene spends as much time in Ireland as possible while currently residing in California and Chicago. She is always up for joining events via Zoom or in person.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carlene-OConnor/author/B01BJ1KOFY

Eryn Scott

Eryn Scott is the author of heartwarming cozy mysteries. Her Whiskers and Words cozy mystery series features deep friendships, strong families, a tight-knit small town, twisty mysteries, and a whole lot of adorable cats. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest with a handful of beloved animals. She enjoys knitting, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, and reading.

Link to my series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09LTWVPTG?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

Flora McGowan

Flora McGowan is the author of the Carrie and Keith Mysteries, novels and short stories. Her stories combine a mix of mystery with the mystical and supernatural, often with an historical element as well as a touch of humour and a dash of romance. Flora was born in Dorset and has spent most, but not all, of her life there, and many of her stories are based in this locale. Flora enjoys travelling, taking inspiration from the places she visits. You can catch up with Flora via Goodreads, her blog, Facebook, Instagram or BookBub.

Flora McGowan on Amazon

Nikki Knight

Nikki Knight describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York City’s top all-news radio station, 1010 WINS, she writes mysteries including LIVE, LOCAL, AND DEAD, a Vermont Radio Mystery from Crooked Lane, and as Kathleen Marple Kalb, the Ella Shane and Old Stuff series. Her short stories appear online and in anthologies, and have been short-listed for Black Orchid Novella and Derringer Awards. She, her husband and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat.

Book link: Live, Local, and Dead (A Vermont Radio Mystery): Knight, Nikki: 9781643859453: Amazon.com: Books

Diane Kelly

Diane Kelly writes funny stories that feature feisty female lead characters and their furry, four-footed friends. Diane is the author of over three dozen novels and novellas, including the Death & Taxes white-collar crime series, the Paw Enforcement K-9 series, the House Flipper cozy mystery series, the Busted female motorcycle cop series, the Southern Homebrew moonshine series, and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries series. Find Diane online at DianeKelly.com, on Twitter and Instagram @DianeKellyBooks, and on Facebook at her Author Diane Kelly page.

Link to the first book in my House Flipper series – Dead as a Door Knocker: https://amzn.to/2oE3Epb

J New

J. New is the author of The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries. Immerse yourself in country house murders, dastardly deeds at English Church fetes, daring escapades in the French Riviera and the secret tunnels under London, in the award-winning series readers call, ‘Miss Marple’ meets ‘The Ghost Whisperer.’ She also writes two contemporary mystery series: Tea & Sympathy featuring Lilly Tweed, former Agony Aunt now purveyor of fine teas and Finch & Fischer with mobile librarian Penny Finch and her rescue dog Fischer at the helm. Jacquie lives in the North of England with her partner and an assortment of rescue animals.

London Lovett

London Lovett is a cozy mystery author and connoisseur of delicious baked goods.

Many readers have called her Port Danby Cozy Mystery series a ‘new favorite’. Port Danby features a small town florist with a powerful sense of smell. Lacey ‘Pink’ Pinkerton uses her impressive nose to help solve crimes as an amateur sleuth alongside her detective boyfriend, James Briggs. Blooms and Blackmail is a Port Danby short story.

You can keep up with London’s books and access some delicious recipes on her website: www.londonlovett.com

Link to Marigolds and Murder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NB3B54

Debbie Young

Debbie Young writes two popular cozy mystery series featuring Sophie Sayers, set in a Cotswold village, and Gemma Lamb, set at a girls’ boarding school. One book in each series was shortlisted for the Bookbrunch Selfies Awards for the best independently-published fiction in the UK. She is founder of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, and a course tutor for Jericho Writers. She writes in the Plotting Shed at the bottom of her cottage garden. Her novels are now published by Boldwood Books and she is represented by the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BBQHC2G1

Here’s the Amazon UK link for the whole series (the 8th book is up for preorder and will be published on 15th March):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BGQHG246?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

Here are the links for my website and social media: www.authordebbieyoung.com

Facebook: @AuthorDebbieYoung

Twitter: @DebbieYoungBN

Instagram: @debbieyoungauthor

ACF Bookens

ACF Bookens lives in Virginia’s Southwestern Mountains with two hound dogs and a very energetic preschooler. When she’s not writing, she enjoys watching shows with teenagers who are way cooler than she ever was and cross-stitch. You can find her books at acfbookens.com

Link to my first book on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XVQDQ58/

Kathryn Mykel

Kathryn Mykel is the author of the Award-Winning Sewing Suspicion – A Quilting Cozy Mystery. Kathryn is inspired by the laugh-out-loud and fanciful aspects of cozies. Kathryn Mykel aims to write lighthearted, humorous cozies surrounding her passion for the craft of quilting. Born and raised in a small New England town—Kathryn is an avid quilter.

Sewing Suspicion – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HVC4K2N

Lise McCLendon

Lise McClendon is the author of numerous novels of crime and suspense. Her bestselling Bennett Sisters Mysteries continue to charm readers worldwide. Her first mystery series was set in Jackson, Wyoming, featuring art dealer, Alix Thorssen. When not writing about foreign lands and dastardly criminals, Lise lives in Montana with her husband and has recently become a fan of sunny winters in the desert. She enjoys fly fishing, hiking, picking raspberries in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter. She has served on the national boards of directors of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as the faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference.

Books: Bennett Sisters Mysteries: https://amzn.to/3Iyijt8. Alix Thorssen series: https://amzn.to/3W05kmY

Geraldine Byrne

Geraldine Moorkens Byrne is an Irish mystery writer, poet and educator. She lives with her family in Dublin where many of her stories are set, especially The Caroline Jordan series. When not dreaming up modern murder mysteries, she knits, crochets and teaches classes on Irish folk traditions. Until 2021 she owned Ireland’s oldest family owned music shop, the basis for “Requiem for a Violin.” Mrs. O’Brien and friends will return in their own series in 2023, The Music Shop Mysteries.

She also writes a magical cosy mystery series, The Old Bat Chronicles under the pen name Nina Hayes.

Geraldine Moorkens Byrne Author@celebratingwords.com Www.CelebratingWords.com

Millie Ravensworth

Millie Ravensworth has been writing (and sewing!) for years, and it seemed like a natural step to combine the two things in a series of cozy mysteries. She lives in England and has an adorable dog who likes to be at her side when she is sewing / writing, but he’d much rather she played fetch with his favourite toy!

Izzy King and Penny Slipper who appear in the story in this collection can also be found in the Cozy Craft Mystery books that are available to read now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Millie-Ravensworth/e/B0BP2T4SV3/

Rachel McLean

Rachel McLean is an award-winning crime author who writes UK-based police procedurals. She is best known for the Dorset Crime series and the DI Zoe Finch series set in her home city of Birmingham. Book 1 in the Dorset Crime series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the Kindle Storyteller Award 2021. Her new McBride and Tanner series is set around Loch Lomond in Scotland. Link to Zoe books: https://geni.us/zoefinch

A full bibliography and reading order can be found at rachelmclean.com/bibliography

Purchase Link – Amazon – The Little Shop of Murder

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 4 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – Nadaness In Motion – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 6 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 7 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 7 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

April 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

April 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

April 9 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

April 10 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

April 10 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 11 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 12 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

April 12 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

April 13 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

April 13 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

April 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 15 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

April 15 – Rebecca Douglass, Author – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 16 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

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Guest Post and Blog Tour for Valued for Murder: A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery by Victoria Tait


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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