Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Wicket of Lies: A British Cozy Murder Mystery (A Cotswold Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Wicket of Lies: A British Cozy Murder Mystery (A Cotswold Antique Mystery)
by Victoria Tait
A Wicket of Lies: A British Cozy Murder Mystery (A Cotswold Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in the Series
Setting – Cotswold, England
Publisher : Kanga Press
Publication date : July 11, 2025
Summer is in full swing in the Cotswolds… but not everyone is playing fair.
Dotty Sayers, antiques expert and amateur sleuth, is looking forward to an idyllic afternoon of sunshine, cream teas, and village rivalry at the final of a local ladies’ cricket festival.
Keya Varma, café owner and part-time crime scene expert, is delighted to be on the pitch with family and friends. The stakes are high but it’s all in good spirit… until a teammate is found dead.
At first, the death seems like a tragic accident, but when Keya is appointed crime scene manager and evidence starts turning up outside the boundary, suspicion begins to spread.
With lies spinning like a tricky googly and secrets lurking in the outfield, Dotty and Keya must team up with the local police to cut through a pitch of grudges, hidden motives, and long-buried betrayals.
Off the pitch, Dotty is facing doubts of her own. Can she let go of her fears and commit to a future with Zach?
With a murder to solve and the game underway, can Dotty, Keya, and their unlikely team of village cricketers spot the real villain before someone else gets bowled out?
A Wicket of Lies is the second book in Victoria Tait’s Cotswold Antique Mystery series, a feel-good whodunnit brimming with village life, vintage treasures, and cricketing rivalries. With determined sleuths, loyal friendships, and a community bound by justice, it’s a wonderfully English mystery with heart.
Keep your eye on the ball and uncover the truth in A Wicket of Lies today!
Character Guest Post: Inspector Lynn Lockwood
I first met Dotty Sayers, the lead protagonist in A Wicket of Lies, in Leicestershire last Christmas.
At the time, I was a Detective Sergeant based at the Melton Mowbray police station, but I was off duty and enjoying a day out at a Christmas fair when I was called to a suspicious death. You can read about that in Yuletide Market Murder.
Always short staffed, and with colleagues who were diligent but lacked imagination and insight, I found Dotty’s observations and understanding of the case helpful, and in fact essential to solving it.
I know many officers resent the involvement of outsiders, especially those they see as interfering amateurs. But to me, what matters is solving the case. If someone can help me do that, I welcome their assistance.
At least in A Wicket of Lies, Dotty and the other members of the Coln Akeman Larks ladies’ cricket team genuinely wanted to know what happened and how the victim died. That’s more than can be said for Detective Sergeant Woodhouse and his team from the murder squad at Gloucestershire Police Headquarters. But then, he tends to dismiss most crimes in the Cotswolds as local squabbles about bake sales and neighbourly spats.
I transferred to Cirencester for a promotion, new challenges, and to give my nine-year-old daughter, Emily, more opportunities. I think all of those have worked out.
I now head up my own team and work closely with Constable Warren Sparrow. Although the major crimes team was disbanded and murders are officially meant to be handled by headquarters, we still end up investigating suspicious deaths, especially older cases or ones the murder squad considers beneath them.
That suits me just fine. I’m not one for rocking the boat or getting involved in police politics. I just like to get on with the job, without interference, and make sure justice is served for the people in and around the Cotswolds.
In A Wicket of Lies, I was relieved to solve the case in a single afternoon, thanks largely to help from Dotty and the enthusiastic members of the Coln Akeman Larks. I also doubt we could have done it without the forensic insight of crime scene manager Keya Varma and her partner, both professionally and personally, Sujin Kerr. Incidentally, Sujin was also the Larks’ cricket coach.
As with so many cases, although I felt the satisfaction of a job well done, I was also saddened by the outcome in this story. But you’ll have to read A Wicket of Lies to understand why.
And now it’s time to get back to work. Constable Sparrow has just placed a cup of coffee and a chocolate hobnob on my desk, which is exactly what I need as I return to solving crimes in the Cotswolds.
My Review of A Wicket of Lies
Dotty and Keya are back in Victoria Tait’s latest Cotswold Antique Mystery, A Wicket of Lies. I’ve said this before, but I am so glad that these characters get to keep solving crimes together! If you’ve not read any of Tait’s other books or series, don’t worry. You’ll enjoy this cozy mystery book on its own.
Since this cozy centers around cricket, it is a bit different as it mainly takes place in one location. We do get to briefly visit the farm, the Waterwheel Cafe, Zach’s house, and a park, but the majority of the book takes place at a cricket field! The Coln Akeman Larks ladies’ cricket team has made it to the finals, and when they get there, they find that one of their last minute substitute players has been hiding her past. Is she the teammate who is found dead or is she a suspect? You’ll need to read this to find out!
I have almost zero knowledge of how cricket is played; however, I’ve always wanted to move to a small English village that has a cricket team! Cricket is just so British! After reading this, I still have almost zero knowledge of how cricket is played, but I do know it requires a lot of running back and forth between the wickets…I think. I’ve seen it played on British TV shows like Midsomer Murders, and it seems like the spectators really get into it. Plus, there seems to be food and drink around for spectators, and that’s a plus. So, I really thought that the idea of centering this mystery around a cricket match was very fun!
I have loved these characters for as long as they’ve been around and am always happy to visit with them! Tait makes her characters come to life, and the new ones in this book certainly shine! I liked getting to know the sporty side of Keya’s sister Zivah. I know she’s a great mom and loves her family, but seeing her shine in cricket was fun…especially seeing how well she and Keya did together! I liked that Inspector Lynn Lockwood involved the cricket team to informally gather statements from the spectators. She knew that people would be more likely to talk to them than to the police, and Dotty is always helpful as she can read people well.
As I said, having the murder mystery centered around the world of cricket was a fun change and very unique! Though it was hard for the player’s new friends to understand why anyone would want to hurt her, the reasons and suspects start piling up as her past is uncovered.
I highly recommend A Wicket of Lies by Victoria Tait! I loved the unique setting of the cricket match. The characters are well-written and ones I love. The mystery is well-plotted with just enough clues to lead you to the culprit! 5 stars!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
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.
Victoria has recently been exploring the world, drawing inspiration for her books from remarkable places including the Azores, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Morocco, and Malta.
You can find Victoria at VictoriaTait.com ‘
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. Books2Read – Amazon
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A Wicket of Lies TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW
July 20 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 22 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 23 – FUONLYKNEW – RECIPE
July 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 25 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
July 26 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
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