Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Daffodils And Deadly Deeds:A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
by Victoria Tait. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Daffodils And Deadly Deeds: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
by Victoria Tait
Daffodils And Deadly Deeds:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting – Northumberland UK
Publisher : Kanga Press (March 15, 2024)
Number of Pages c. 240
A fraught family reunion. A corpse by the coast. Can an amateur sleuth crack this egg-xtraordinary mystery or be left scrambling for answers?
Spring signifies new beginnings, yet rookie antiques expert, Dotty Sayers, feels uncertain about her future. A colleague’s invitation to Northumberland, in search of hidden family treasure, offers a fresh start. Once there, she immediately befriends her neighbour and assists with a prestigious project at a nearby castle. But when her mentor vanishes, and a body washes up in a secluded cove, Dotty wonders why so many people she knows end up dead.
Determined to assist, this budding amateur detective is hopping mad when the police ignore her insights. With the inquest approaching, Dotty must decide if she’s ready to crack open the case, even if it makes the local police inspector as mad as a March hare.
Can Dotty put aside her doubts and pull a rabbit out of the hat to ensure justice prevails?
My review of Daffodils and Deadly Deeds
Daffodils and Deadly Deeds by Victoria Tait is the ninth book in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series. This one can easily be read as a standalone though I highly recommend the entire series as it’s one of my favorites. It takes place in Northumberland where Dotty has followed a friend, Zach, to help him search for a family treasure. Dotty met Zach in the previous cozy, Holly, Baubles and Murder, and since she didn’t have a new job yet, she agreed to help him.
As I said, I love this series! Dotty has come so far since her first adventure in Fake Death. She’s matured so much since then. Dotty has had lots of ups and downs in her “new” life in the Cotswolds, and she’s not sure that she wants to be there or not. So Dotty has been traveling for her past few books, and she’s having life adventures that are helping her to mature even more. I really love Dotty. I admire her willingness to change, her sharp mind, her caring nature, and her adventurous spirit! The characters in this book are well-written, and it was fun having Dotty’s new friend Zach in Daffodils and Deadly Deeds. We’ll have to see if that relationship develops into something more than just friendship!
I’ve loved the settings in all of Dotty’s books, but getting to know Northumberland was wonderful! If you’re a Vera fan, you know that Vera’s books/television shows are set in Northumberland. In those, the landscape is beautiful but more stark. Until I read Daffodils and Deadly Deeds, I thought of Northumberland as just that. Dotty experiences such beautiful scenery while there, including a field of 250,000 daffodils which were planted by hand (and that bit is absolutely true!). She visits castles and explores the rough, rugged coastline along with Zach while searching for his family’s treasure.
The mystery in Daffodils and Deadly Deeds is somewhat different from Dotty’s previous mysteries. This is the first one in which she doesn’t have some sort of connection with the police, so she can’t get too involved in solving the murder though she does investigate and search for clues. It was kind of fun having that twist.
If you’re a cozy mystery fan, you’ll love the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery books! As with all of them, I highly recommend Daffodils and Deadly Deeds! It has well-developed characters with unique personalities, a beautiful setting, some unexpected twists, and a murder mystery that you’ll enjoy trying to solve!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Character Guest Post: Dotty’s View of Springtime in Alnwick, Northumberland
I’ve enjoyed staying in a variety of places in the past few years. The picturesque Cotswolds with its gentle hills and quaint villages, the warmth and vibrancy of the south of France, and the bleak harshness of winter in the Yorkshire Dales.
Arriving in Northumberland with its rugged landscapes and historical depth, seemed like a vast canvas waiting to be explored. A little intimidating in fact, which is why I was relieved to be staying in the attractive market town of Alnwick, with my loyal, feline companion Earl Grey, and Zach, an American colleague I met in Yorkshire.
Alnwick, with its mix of medieval history and the bustle of daily life, offers a unique backdrop for someone like me. I found myself meandering through the market town, admiring the independent shops and quaint cafes that line the streets. There’s a warmth here that feels welcoming, even to a shy soul. The people I’ve encountered, from shopkeepers to locals, carry with them an openness that feels genuine, making the town more than just a place to visit.
Barter Books was a fabulous find. Housed in Alnwick’s old railway station, this sprawling second-hand bookstore is a haven for book lovers. The warmth of the fire in the old waiting room, the rows upon rows of books, and the quiet hum of whispered conversations create a sanctuary from the outside world. There’s also a wonderful café!
Northumberland in spring is a testament to the enduring allure of nature and history intertwined. I enjoyed discovering abandoned houses, remote castle ruins, and sheltered fishing villages with Zach.
I found Alnwick Castle the most memorable and impressive of those I visited. It is the second largest inhabited castle in England, after Windsor Castle, and home to the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. Visitors from all over the world are drawn by its fame as one of the settings for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films, but it also has an impressive set of state rooms and some fabulous paintings including several by Giovanni Antonio Canal, the Italian painter known as Canaletto.
Over 250,000 daffodils were in full bloom below the castle ramparts during my visit, creating a patchwork of whites and yellows cascading down to the River Aln.
Flowers and gardens are important in Alnwick. In 1997 the Duchess of Northumberland conceived the ambitious idea to transform the castle’s abandoned garden, not into a traditional stately home one, but to create something unique and innovative. Open to the public, the garden continues to attract scores of visitors with its cascading fountains, ornamental gardens, and the Poison Garden.
An area of the garden I enjoyed wandering through was the cherry orchard, which boasts one of the largest collections of Taihaku cherry trees and is a breathtaking sight in full bloom.
Another area I loved to explore during my stay in Northumberland was Hulne Park, with designated walks through its rolling landscapes, wooded areas, and the ruins of Hulne Priory.
After a harsh winter, and with an uncertain future, visiting Northumberland helped me reconnect with myself, and thanks to the wonderful people I met, I have been able to choose the next direction for my life. Spring really is about new beginnings and fresh starts.
I hope you enjoy Daffodils and Deadly Deeds.
About Victoria Tait
Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. After following her military husband around the world, she drew on her life’s experiences, and a love of Agatha Christie, Father Brown, and Murder She Wrote, to write British based cozy mysteries.
Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful and quirky teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and realistic. As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world where you’ll experience surprises, humour and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.
Do you like tea, mysteries, and books? Then why not join Victoria’s TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates, and download the free prequel to the Dotty Sayers Antique Mysteries series as a gift by visiting 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 Links – Books2Read Amazon
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Daffodils and Deadly Deeds TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 18 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 20 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 20 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 21 – Review Thick And Thin – REVIEW
March 21 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
March 23 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – Storybook Lady – SPOTLIGHT
March 24 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 25 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 26 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
March 27 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE
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Sounds like a great cozy.