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Thea Osborne #9
Deception in the Cotswolds
In the wake of a series of unfortunate experiences house-sitting in the Cotswolds, Thea Osborne, accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah, is perhaps over-optimistic about the English summertime and the possibilities of her latest assignment – house-sitting for transatlantic reptile breeder Harriet Young. However the region’s bucolic charms prove to be more than deceptive, as Thea is thrust once more into the heart of a Cotswold mystery. Despite the ease with which Thea’s new assignment in the secluded village of Cranham begins, she soon finds a dark side to the characters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina, Thea begins to realize that Harriet Young’s beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham. Family intrigue, murder and suicide combine to give Thea a decidedly challenging summer in the Heart of England.
415 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2011
29 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Tope
87 books214 followersRebecca Tope is best known as the author of over twenty crime novels. She has also recently produced the e-book entitled 'The Indifference of Tumbleweed'. She has every intention of continuing with the murder stories, as well as a variety of other kinds of fiction.
She has experienced many different kinds of work in her time - running antenatal classes, counselling troubled couples and being an office girl for an undertaker, for example. There were also several years monitoring the output of dairy cows, as well as every sort of task associated with book publishing. In 1992, she founded Praxis Books, a small British press.
She lives surrounded by trees she has planted herself, tending her own sheep.
She has experienced many different kinds of work in her time - running antenatal classes, counselling troubled couples and being an office girl for an undertaker, for example. There were also several years monitoring the output of dairy cows, as well as every sort of task associated with book publishing. In 1992, she founded Praxis Books, a small British press.
She lives surrounded by trees she has planted herself, tending her own sheep.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 21, 2015
I made notes in this one as I went.
Apart from being beautiful, our heroine Thea has many other characteristics that make her better than other women: she speaks frankly, which is rare (ordinary women are obviously liars and flatterers); her resistance to having more than one child was the indignity, she had one because she had no real objection and it "got her out of going to work, which was a very considerable perk"; she finds cyclists pretentious (she may have a point); it's fun to set a father against his daughter (she's better than other women anyway!); her dog is poorly trained, but so adorable; she knows all the rules about how people should grieve; she can't cook, but she can judge the hell out of other women for buying ingredients rather than growing or making them; she's the only philosopher to understand that euthanasia can NEVER work; she knows cows only suffer in American abattoirs; her mind is occupied with higher things than her mother's; she's a public health expert who understands that "it's not just the fat and lazy who have bad hearts"; she can tell who is and who isn't suicidal on the basis of a couple of chats; she's insightful, and knows the RSPCA always overreacts when involved, from reading it in the papers and hearing from friends; hers is "the sort of high-quality conversation... which ordinary people seldom engaged in"; she instinctively knows about the breeding of geckos; she can occasionally see intelligence in other women; she's a superior walker who doesn't need bother with even basic precautions (shoes, a mobile phone) when walking alone in the countryside; she knows the appropriate behaviour for each age group ("it was high time he gave up saying things like no way"); she's appreciative of the aesthetics of mixed-race children; she's better at police work than police and confronts murderers when she works it out, damn the consequences.
There's plenty of caricatures in this book because judging people by stereotypes is another of Thea's endearing qualities. There's the man who is obviously gay, who's got to be a Phillip not a Phillipe. A son whose loyalty to his "batty old" mother (who's in a home with dementia and who no one else visits) is "misplaced". We hear that the sub-human fat person in the previous book has lost a lot of weight. Phew. Fat people are dreadful. Doctors and surgeons were put in their place by the NHS and "had learnt to modify the patrician tones and behaviour". Men are the leaders in marriage relationships. Women are stupid. Modern children are hopelessly ignorant, especially of farming, but are over-protected from largely invented dangers. Child seats in cars are an example of this, and suck all the spontaneity out of life. Children act charmingly only in order to appeal to adults. ME is actually malingering, this charming gem is trotted out when discussing a head-injury victim, who presumably should just buck up. Married men and attractive single women can't spend time together without rumour and innuendo, and men never tell their wives when they're spending times with an attractive woman (perhaps they do tell them about the ugly ones?). Daddies are irresponsible and Mummies get cross with them.
Again there's railing against pubs that won't let dogs in. Since she thinks it's no problem to let her dog jump on people, I suspect I know why they're banned.
The sense of entitlement and superiority that wafts from the character makes her more unlikeable with every book.
Her boyfriend, sorry, friend, seems more like her as he disrupts his family (brain-damaged wife and young kids) to investigate the mystery with her. He seemed less selfish in an earlier book, but perhaps this is Thea's influence on him.
Apart from being beautiful, our heroine Thea has many other characteristics that make her better than other women: she speaks frankly, which is rare (ordinary women are obviously liars and flatterers); her resistance to having more than one child was the indignity, she had one because she had no real objection and it "got her out of going to work, which was a very considerable perk"; she finds cyclists pretentious (she may have a point); it's fun to set a father against his daughter (she's better than other women anyway!); her dog is poorly trained, but so adorable; she knows all the rules about how people should grieve; she can't cook, but she can judge the hell out of other women for buying ingredients rather than growing or making them; she's the only philosopher to understand that euthanasia can NEVER work; she knows cows only suffer in American abattoirs; her mind is occupied with higher things than her mother's; she's a public health expert who understands that "it's not just the fat and lazy who have bad hearts"; she can tell who is and who isn't suicidal on the basis of a couple of chats; she's insightful, and knows the RSPCA always overreacts when involved, from reading it in the papers and hearing from friends; hers is "the sort of high-quality conversation... which ordinary people seldom engaged in"; she instinctively knows about the breeding of geckos; she can occasionally see intelligence in other women; she's a superior walker who doesn't need bother with even basic precautions (shoes, a mobile phone) when walking alone in the countryside; she knows the appropriate behaviour for each age group ("it was high time he gave up saying things like no way"); she's appreciative of the aesthetics of mixed-race children; she's better at police work than police and confronts murderers when she works it out, damn the consequences.
There's plenty of caricatures in this book because judging people by stereotypes is another of Thea's endearing qualities. There's the man who is obviously gay, who's got to be a Phillip not a Phillipe. A son whose loyalty to his "batty old" mother (who's in a home with dementia and who no one else visits) is "misplaced". We hear that the sub-human fat person in the previous book has lost a lot of weight. Phew. Fat people are dreadful. Doctors and surgeons were put in their place by the NHS and "had learnt to modify the patrician tones and behaviour". Men are the leaders in marriage relationships. Women are stupid. Modern children are hopelessly ignorant, especially of farming, but are over-protected from largely invented dangers. Child seats in cars are an example of this, and suck all the spontaneity out of life. Children act charmingly only in order to appeal to adults. ME is actually malingering, this charming gem is trotted out when discussing a head-injury victim, who presumably should just buck up. Married men and attractive single women can't spend time together without rumour and innuendo, and men never tell their wives when they're spending times with an attractive woman (perhaps they do tell them about the ugly ones?). Daddies are irresponsible and Mummies get cross with them.
Again there's railing against pubs that won't let dogs in. Since she thinks it's no problem to let her dog jump on people, I suspect I know why they're banned.
The sense of entitlement and superiority that wafts from the character makes her more unlikeable with every book.
Her boyfriend, sorry, friend, seems more like her as he disrupts his family (brain-damaged wife and young kids) to investigate the mystery with her. He seemed less selfish in an earlier book, but perhaps this is Thea's influence on him.
December 12, 2015
I read an early book in this series and didn't take to the protagonist, a not-very intelligent woman who house-sits for people in the Cotswolds provided she doesn't have to do much work. I thought I'd try a later book in case they'd improved. Well, I just didn't take to this one at all. From the start people are talking about death, dying and the loved ones who have died. This continues throughout the tale with alternative graveyards butting in as well.
I'm giving the book the benefit of the doubt, because the discussion on assisted dying and right to die is one which society needs to have. Thea hears and sees various sides of the argument and forms her own conclusions. The police don't seem to be on the ball and for most of the tale we are not sure if there has even been a murder or a mystery to solve.
We see a collie hiding her pups in the woods so the farmer won't kill them; Thea's charges include geckoes, which she finds far less interesting than other people might. She has a laptop on which she plays net scrabble, but despite wondering where geckoes come from it doesn't occur to her to look them up on a nature site. Otherwise it's a depressing read. This was published in 2011 when many people were feeling the brunt of the economic crash and depression, so the joyless tale may reflect the author's state of mind. I've got another one to try. Let's hope it's more cheerful.
I'm giving the book the benefit of the doubt, because the discussion on assisted dying and right to die is one which society needs to have. Thea hears and sees various sides of the argument and forms her own conclusions. The police don't seem to be on the ball and for most of the tale we are not sure if there has even been a murder or a mystery to solve.
We see a collie hiding her pups in the woods so the farmer won't kill them; Thea's charges include geckoes, which she finds far less interesting than other people might. She has a laptop on which she plays net scrabble, but despite wondering where geckoes come from it doesn't occur to her to look them up on a nature site. Otherwise it's a depressing read. This was published in 2011 when many people were feeling the brunt of the economic crash and depression, so the joyless tale may reflect the author's state of mind. I've got another one to try. Let's hope it's more cheerful.
August 20, 2017
I disliked the protagonist of this book, is it the authors intention to make this disagreeable woman so unlikable?
April 4, 2017
A nice light accidental whodunit - the amateur sleuth doesn't really go out looking for trouble but it, apparently, finds her - a great and unexpected twist at the end makes it a worthwhile read.
April 1, 2023
This is the first Rebecca Tope book I've read and although I found it more of a relaxing story in pretty surroundings than a crime thriller, it has left me thirsty for more. Let's see where the next one gets us.
May 24, 2023
This book is headed by a dedication to the memory of my mother, so a courtesy copy was sent to me by its author, who was a friend and correspondent of many years. Of course, being me, I put it on my reading list, and, of course, being me, it took more than a decade for me to get around to it (fair warning to anyone considering buying me a book). I’m pretty sure the book was mostly finished by the time of my mother’s death – I certainly didn’t detect any tribute to her in the story.
I had better begin this review by stating that I’m reading “outside” my usual range with this novel – and possibly I’m drawing some false conclusions about the state of the mystery genre based on this one book. I have read Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie before, as well as the hard-boiled detective work of Dashiell Hammett and some of his imitators, but I haven’t kept up with the “cozy mystery,” at least not its literary form. I have watched 22 seasons of “Midsomer Murders,” which made me think I’d be prepared for this – but Tom Barnaby is downright hardboiled himself compared to Thea Osbourne, the protagonist of this novel. I had no idea that a murder mystery could be written – and sell – which had so little mystery and so few murders as this. In fairness, I did fail to accurately guess the murderer. But, unlike in a Holmes of Christie novel, wherein there are dozens of clues and red herrings to thread together, all of which fall in line ultimately to produce an eminently logical (if highly improbable) solution, this mystery had essentially one clue, which was only half-revealed until the very end. The other 390+ pages can’t so much be called “red herrings” as “filler.” For well over three-quarters of the book, our main character is in complete denial that a murder has even taken place, though surely everyone in the audience knows it from page one.
The publisher obviously finds it profitable to crank out over a dozen of these novels (and perhaps more by now), and I think a clue to its appeal can be found on the back page, which is covered with praise from various reviewers. The first one, the one that the eyes of any potential purchaser will surely fall upon, begins, “With beautiful descriptions of the countryside, this excellent thriller maeks a compulsive series of rural adventures..." Note that the prospective buyer is presumed to be more interested in "beautiful descriptions of the countryside” than with “thrillers.” There’s something of the travel guide to this book, which positively fetishizes the middle-English region it is set in. Those of us who watch the fictitious world of Midsomer expect to discover perversion, grasping greed, and venal dishonesty behind the closed doors of small British communities, but Tope’s audience hopes only to see lovely vistas, occasionally obscured by slightly uncouth church towers. Perhaps they find Thea’s dithering and lack of self-esteem reassuring, as well.
I’ve read that the rise of the mystery novel is explained, in part, by a need to believe that rationality prevails in a chaotic world of crime, a world unmoored by secular reason’s overthrow of Medieval Faith. If so, it seems to me that the cozy mystery, at least as exemplified here, serves to reassure that even those who only occasionally think rationally, but are usually self-absorbed and silly, can still bring order to the Universe. I suppose that’s fine so far as it goes, but it’s not, in fact, my cup of tea.
I had better begin this review by stating that I’m reading “outside” my usual range with this novel – and possibly I’m drawing some false conclusions about the state of the mystery genre based on this one book. I have read Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie before, as well as the hard-boiled detective work of Dashiell Hammett and some of his imitators, but I haven’t kept up with the “cozy mystery,” at least not its literary form. I have watched 22 seasons of “Midsomer Murders,” which made me think I’d be prepared for this – but Tom Barnaby is downright hardboiled himself compared to Thea Osbourne, the protagonist of this novel. I had no idea that a murder mystery could be written – and sell – which had so little mystery and so few murders as this. In fairness, I did fail to accurately guess the murderer. But, unlike in a Holmes of Christie novel, wherein there are dozens of clues and red herrings to thread together, all of which fall in line ultimately to produce an eminently logical (if highly improbable) solution, this mystery had essentially one clue, which was only half-revealed until the very end. The other 390+ pages can’t so much be called “red herrings” as “filler.” For well over three-quarters of the book, our main character is in complete denial that a murder has even taken place, though surely everyone in the audience knows it from page one.
The publisher obviously finds it profitable to crank out over a dozen of these novels (and perhaps more by now), and I think a clue to its appeal can be found on the back page, which is covered with praise from various reviewers. The first one, the one that the eyes of any potential purchaser will surely fall upon, begins, “With beautiful descriptions of the countryside, this excellent thriller maeks a compulsive series of rural adventures..." Note that the prospective buyer is presumed to be more interested in "beautiful descriptions of the countryside” than with “thrillers.” There’s something of the travel guide to this book, which positively fetishizes the middle-English region it is set in. Those of us who watch the fictitious world of Midsomer expect to discover perversion, grasping greed, and venal dishonesty behind the closed doors of small British communities, but Tope’s audience hopes only to see lovely vistas, occasionally obscured by slightly uncouth church towers. Perhaps they find Thea’s dithering and lack of self-esteem reassuring, as well.
I’ve read that the rise of the mystery novel is explained, in part, by a need to believe that rationality prevails in a chaotic world of crime, a world unmoored by secular reason’s overthrow of Medieval Faith. If so, it seems to me that the cozy mystery, at least as exemplified here, serves to reassure that even those who only occasionally think rationally, but are usually self-absorbed and silly, can still bring order to the Universe. I suppose that’s fine so far as it goes, but it’s not, in fact, my cup of tea.
July 27, 2014
I struggled with this book. It took me a week to read the first 260 pages, and I'd lost interest by then. I skimmed through the next few chapters and then read the ending.
It started off nicely enough. However, I soon came to dislike the main character. She was interfering and got peoples' backs up too easily. If I'd lived in that village I would've avoided her. And to say this is the 9th book about her, she didn't seem too sharp when she spoke to the police. So I'm guessing her character hasn't developed too much.
The book was very long winded, with huge paragraphs relating to nothing in particular, and lots of irrelevant dialogue. I take it the author really likes dogs. I'm not a dog person, so the numerous pages of descriptions and conversations about dogs did nothing for me. The main point of the story got lost many times.
The Cotswolds and the pace of life there did come across very well, though. It's made me want to visit agin.
I won't be reading any other books by this author. I just didn't get on with her writing style.
It started off nicely enough. However, I soon came to dislike the main character. She was interfering and got peoples' backs up too easily. If I'd lived in that village I would've avoided her. And to say this is the 9th book about her, she didn't seem too sharp when she spoke to the police. So I'm guessing her character hasn't developed too much.
The book was very long winded, with huge paragraphs relating to nothing in particular, and lots of irrelevant dialogue. I take it the author really likes dogs. I'm not a dog person, so the numerous pages of descriptions and conversations about dogs did nothing for me. The main point of the story got lost many times.
The Cotswolds and the pace of life there did come across very well, though. It's made me want to visit agin.
I won't be reading any other books by this author. I just didn't get on with her writing style.
March 25, 2023
Thea is far too judgemental, and she has a superiority complex. I could not decide whether to finish this book or not (I did, don't ask me why), just like the plot dragged aimlessly to the last pages (Is it murder or suicide? Could it be murder? Surely, it's suicide, but? Or? Will we ever know?)
Thea annoyed me a lot, but her worst fault was to give milk to a nursing thirsty dog instead of water. Duh! (Plot twist - milk would make the dog sick, not the meat she gave her). Thea is an irresponsible dog owner who feels entitled to have her untrained dog offlead, probably yelling from far away "it's okay, she is friendly" when her dog runs uncontrollably to an on-lead dog that wants nothing to do with other dogs.
This book should be called Disappointment in the Cotswolds. As for the geography, we'll come back later when she stops getting lost between two trees and a path.
Thea annoyed me a lot, but her worst fault was to give milk to a nursing thirsty dog instead of water. Duh! (Plot twist - milk would make the dog sick, not the meat she gave her). Thea is an irresponsible dog owner who feels entitled to have her untrained dog offlead, probably yelling from far away "it's okay, she is friendly" when her dog runs uncontrollably to an on-lead dog that wants nothing to do with other dogs.
This book should be called Disappointment in the Cotswolds. As for the geography, we'll come back later when she stops getting lost between two trees and a path.
January 5, 2017
Always a 5 star read for me! My fav author and my fav series.
This book 9 really stood out. First it is told from Thea's perspective which I always enjoy more than from any other character. I totally loved the town, called, "Cranham" and I enjoyed the quirky and sometimes mean and nasty people Thea encounters.
The death in this one was a tough one too..emotionally. Was it a murder, suicide or an assisted suicide death. It delves into assisted suicide in some pretty good detail and was very thought provoking. It all struck me more emotionally than any other Cotswold book thus far.
I highly recommend anything by Rebecca Tope!
This book 9 really stood out. First it is told from Thea's perspective which I always enjoy more than from any other character. I totally loved the town, called, "Cranham" and I enjoyed the quirky and sometimes mean and nasty people Thea encounters.
The death in this one was a tough one too..emotionally. Was it a murder, suicide or an assisted suicide death. It delves into assisted suicide in some pretty good detail and was very thought provoking. It all struck me more emotionally than any other Cotswold book thus far.
I highly recommend anything by Rebecca Tope!
March 20, 2022
This is the first Rebecca Tope I have read; I had planned a trip to the Cotswolds (from the other side of the world; cancelled because of covid, alas), so it was the location that interested me. And that did not disappoint. Not much else was pleasing. I didn't take to the protagonist, and I found the other characters around her bordered on the rude almost all the time. Do people really behave like that to strangers? And (spoiler alert) the central issue of 'did he or didn't he' could surely have been clarified by the presence or otherwise of fingerprints. But there was never a mention of this. However, I am going to read another before I give up on Rebecca Tope.
December 27, 2011
Nowhere near as good as other other Thea Osborne books - strange & unbelievable characters, Thea acting out of character and really not good at all
June 18, 2018
Dull, pompous, irritating.
February 24, 2023
"In the wake of a series of unfortunate house-sitting experiences, Thea Osborne, accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah, is perhaps over-optimistic about the English summertime and the possibilities of her latest assignment in the secluded Cotswold village of Cranham.
"Despite the ease with which Theas' new job looking after Harriet Young's reptiles begins, she soon finds a dark side to the charters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina, it soon becomes clear that Harriet's beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham . . ."
~back cover
Following the author's usual plot structure, this book rambles on and on: was it suicide or murder? with nothing definite discovered, and no further clues to resolve the problem. Until so near the end the reader begins to think there won't be any answer at all.
Thea's enigmatic relationship with undertaker Drew Slocombe continues to cautiously evolve, leaing the reader to wonder whether it will ever evolve beyond the most superficial of friendhips.
"Despite the ease with which Theas' new job looking after Harriet Young's reptiles begins, she soon finds a dark side to the charters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina, it soon becomes clear that Harriet's beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham . . ."
~back cover
Following the author's usual plot structure, this book rambles on and on: was it suicide or murder? with nothing definite discovered, and no further clues to resolve the problem. Until so near the end the reader begins to think there won't be any answer at all.
Thea's enigmatic relationship with undertaker Drew Slocombe continues to cautiously evolve, leaing the reader to wonder whether it will ever evolve beyond the most superficial of friendhips.
January 22, 2021
DNF. Some of it may well have been my state of mind when reading but I found this plodding and the characters not quite credible. A couple of times the authorial voice came through behind the narrator's voice and that caused a smile but otherwise for me there was something lacking here.
Later : I left it for a few hours then came back to it and found it a better book than I previously thought. The author does a strong job in showing some of the weaknesses and foibles that even the best people have, and the dangers of good deeds. For that reason Thea Osbourne is a very well drawn character even if not overly likeable. Humans are multidimensional and Rebecca Tope handles this aspect well. Normally we see people through a limited lens; here we have an omniscient narrator so see much more of each person. I'd possibly increase the rating to 2.5 stars.
Later : I left it for a few hours then came back to it and found it a better book than I previously thought. The author does a strong job in showing some of the weaknesses and foibles that even the best people have, and the dangers of good deeds. For that reason Thea Osbourne is a very well drawn character even if not overly likeable. Humans are multidimensional and Rebecca Tope handles this aspect well. Normally we see people through a limited lens; here we have an omniscient narrator so see much more of each person. I'd possibly increase the rating to 2.5 stars.
December 26, 2017
This story basically deals with old age and the anxiety of planning for death. Donny is elderly and the thought of dying is always on his mind. One day the neighbors discover him dead in his bed and they have to figure out whether he committed suicide, was assisted in that, or whether he was murdered. The narrative gets kind of bogged down at times; there is really not much action; she mostly fills it with seeing the sights and her impressions about things. She does come up with the murderer at the end, tho. I like this series.
June 11, 2019
This book had me laughing and so curious and anxious. This poor lady that does house sitting in the Cotswolds area in England always seem to find herself in a murder and helps police to solve it. This one has more then one murder and then on top of it all she catches the flu which makes every thing go crazy. her little dog attacks the dog she is house sitting. the neighbors are angry and gossip is rampant. the male friend of her comes with one of his children and tries to help but they even fight and he leaves and there is another murder. will it never end for her.
May 11, 2019
Ugh. Not for me.
The story-line and characters were bland.
I picked the book up because I've lived most of my life in Cotswold villages. This book completely fails to capture the lively and quirky spirit of a rural community. Some of the writer's misconceptions and attitude towards the farming community were simply annoying. The central character was a strange mix of silly and unpleasant.
A great idea for a cosy series, sadly unfulfilled.
The story-line and characters were bland.
I picked the book up because I've lived most of my life in Cotswold villages. This book completely fails to capture the lively and quirky spirit of a rural community. Some of the writer's misconceptions and attitude towards the farming community were simply annoying. The central character was a strange mix of silly and unpleasant.
A great idea for a cosy series, sadly unfulfilled.
June 6, 2019
Why do I keep picking up these books? It was on my mountain of books and it was the 1st one I came to - no excuse I know .......
Slow and plodding. Lovely setting but that was about the only good thing. Too many characters to try and figure out who was who. Half of them totally unnecessary.
A case of, maybe, assisted suicide leads to a long and rambling tale of questions of murder.
Sorry but these books aren't for me.
Slow and plodding. Lovely setting but that was about the only good thing. Too many characters to try and figure out who was who. Half of them totally unnecessary.
A case of, maybe, assisted suicide leads to a long and rambling tale of questions of murder.
Sorry but these books aren't for me.
September 24, 2019
I came across the Thea Osborne book #12 by chance and enjoyed it so much that I went back to the beginning and have read the first 9 books. I really like these books, I live quite a lonely life and enjoy following the various characters, they enrich my days. I have also started reading the Drew Slocombe books and enjoy the way the characters are woven into the various books. Also the way that the narrator is not always Thea herself, it gives a new perspective into her character.
April 25, 2020
Another Cotswold town, another mysterious death for Thea Osborne. This time none of the owner's pets suffer any ill consequences, but the author has roped in another person's dog's new litter of pups to be in danger's way. Drew makes an appearance in this book as well. The homeowner obviously has money, but there's never any explanation of how she came by it.
November 3, 2024
Amazing murder mystery and a beautiful manor
Author cleverly highlighted in the story the issue of assisted suicide for those who feel life is unbearably painful and in the end really happened. Story shows negative effects out weigh the positive for caregivers regarding suicide. Good point.
Author cleverly highlighted in the story the issue of assisted suicide for those who feel life is unbearably painful and in the end really happened. Story shows negative effects out weigh the positive for caregivers regarding suicide. Good point.
July 29, 2025
Great scenery descriptions
Terrible characters. I have read all the previous books with a growing lack of respect for the main character. I enjoy the mystery (I never guess who did it!) As as well as love the settings. But that house sitter is just a silly inconsiderate, foolish woman.
Terrible characters. I have read all the previous books with a growing lack of respect for the main character. I enjoy the mystery (I never guess who did it!) As as well as love the settings. But that house sitter is just a silly inconsiderate, foolish woman.
October 4, 2021
not exactly fast paced more an enjoyable meander through the countryside and the settings are often more appealing than the crime solving, think jessica fletcher or miss marple but still an enjoyable read
May 2, 2023
I've read quite a few of this series over the years, and the novels are always easy to read and fun. The main character is a house sitter, who unwillingly gets drawn into mysterious murders while she is taking care of homes and various pets.
July 21, 2017
Assisted suicide or murder? Another good mystery by Rebecca Tope set in the Cotswold village of Cranham.
July 31, 2017
The ninth Cotswold house-sitter's adventure is as annoying and engaging as the the protagonist herself.
February 27, 2018
There's something irritating about Thea Osborne, and there's not much by way of atmosphere or character development. I'm taking a break from the series.
November 21, 2018
Too much emotional over-reaction by sleuth based on perceived slights but authentic Cotswolds mapping. Will appeal as a tourist gift.
October 24, 2019
A light read, but most enjoyable.
October 24, 2019
Getting more into this series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews