Today I'm participating in the Earl Grey and Shallow Graves Blog Tour. In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review. And be sure to enter the giveaway below.
About the book . . .
Earl Grey and Shallow Graves (A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – England
Kanga Press (May 19, 2023)
Number of Pages: 240
Digital ASIN : B0BXQL5YS5
Synopsis . . . 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.
My review . . .Sergeant Keya Varma of the Gloucester Police is used to dealing with minor incidents while maintaining a reassuring police presence in her placid Cotswold village. All that changes, however, with the discovery of a skeleton on the site of the old flour mill that Keya is renovating into the long-awaited cafe of her dreams . . .
It seems fairly obvious to residents that the remains are those of a young girl who disappeared without a trace some thirty-odd years ago. But how did she die? Not long after an investigation is opened, the body of a woman who recently returned to the village after years away is found--also at the cafe construction site. Both victims--once childhood friends--were murdered. Are their deaths related? Why were they killed and who is responsible for these shocking acts?
Earl Grey and Shallow Graves is an appealing start to the Waterwheel Cafe cozy mystery series. The story features a complexly interesting plot that weaves together two murders set three decades apart and a dynamic, methodical protagonist who is up to the task of handling the investigation's many twists and turns in stride--all whilst gracefully managing the complicated demands of a major restoration project and an upcoming family wedding.
Spending time in Victoria Tait's quaint English setting with its likeable heroine, eccentric supporting characters, local social landmarks, and endless cups of tea is a delightful reading experience. And, best of all, Keya's life situation creates a keen interest in her future exploits and many directions for series growth. I look forward to what lies ahead in the next installment and beyond.
Giveaway . . . Enter the "Fabulous at 50" giveaway by clicking on this link. It's your chance to win Earl Grey and Shallow Graves and The Ghost of Glengullion Castle plus a $20 Amazon Gift Card.
Bonus: Download free books and earn extra entries!
About the author . . . 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.
After reading Keya’s first book, why not join her and her friends as they solve more mysteries in Tait's Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, also based in the Cotswolds? Visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L
And if you like tea, cakes, and books, you are invited to join the author's TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates. You'll also receive a free book gift by visiting VictoriaTait.com
Who doesn’t like tea, cake, and a slice of murder?
Author links . . .
Website: https://victoriatait.com/
Book Bub: 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
May 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
May 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
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
