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Close Call: A Historical Cozy Murder Mystery in an English Village
Tea, scandal, and a dash of Egyptology—welcome to the Roaring Twenties in Thistle-upon-Avon.
The English countryside, 1927.
When Mrs. Caruthers fails to arrive for afternoon tea, Lady Upton’s relief is short-lived. The tardy guest is found dead on the estate.
Soon, rumors about Mrs. Caruthers’ recent voyage to Egypt begin to spread, along with whispers of an ancient legend. And with the local police casting a suspicious eye toward Lord Upton, a keen Egyptologist, scandal threatens to shatter Lady Upton’s otherwise untroubled life.
Now, determined to save her blustering husband from talking himself into further trouble, Lady Upton enlists the help of her village friends to solve this puzzling mystery. With a teacup in one hand and the telephone receiver in the other, the women sift through village gossip, untangling a web of secrets, rivalries, and carefully concealed motives.
But the more Lady Upton learns, the clearer it becomes that behind the talk of ancient Egyptian curses lies something far more dangerous—human greed.
“Close Call” is Book 1 of the new "Telephone Gossips Mysteries". Suspended in the golden hour between the two wars, the cozy series evokes the charm and idyll of English village life in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Perfect for fans of amateur sleuths, 1920s intrigue, and cozy mysteries rich in secrets and scandal, with a touch of the exotic.
The English countryside, 1927.
When Mrs. Caruthers fails to arrive for afternoon tea, Lady Upton’s relief is short-lived. The tardy guest is found dead on the estate.
Soon, rumors about Mrs. Caruthers’ recent voyage to Egypt begin to spread, along with whispers of an ancient legend. And with the local police casting a suspicious eye toward Lord Upton, a keen Egyptologist, scandal threatens to shatter Lady Upton’s otherwise untroubled life.
Now, determined to save her blustering husband from talking himself into further trouble, Lady Upton enlists the help of her village friends to solve this puzzling mystery. With a teacup in one hand and the telephone receiver in the other, the women sift through village gossip, untangling a web of secrets, rivalries, and carefully concealed motives.
But the more Lady Upton learns, the clearer it becomes that behind the talk of ancient Egyptian curses lies something far more dangerous—human greed.
“Close Call” is Book 1 of the new "Telephone Gossips Mysteries". Suspended in the golden hour between the two wars, the cozy series evokes the charm and idyll of English village life in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Perfect for fans of amateur sleuths, 1920s intrigue, and cozy mysteries rich in secrets and scandal, with a touch of the exotic.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 2, 2026
Boil the kettle and open the book
A enjoyable cozy to settle down with on a wet afternoon. It takes the Big House setting and offers a look back into a vanished world of people who could spend their lives dining with their neighbours or having Egyptology as a hobby. Into this world comes death, along with nosiness, curiosity and many other things
A enjoyable cozy to settle down with on a wet afternoon. It takes the Big House setting and offers a look back into a vanished world of people who could spend their lives dining with their neighbours or having Egyptology as a hobby. Into this world comes death, along with nosiness, curiosity and many other things
April 11, 2026
Very cozy!
April 12, 2026
I liked the characters and the Egypt link. Will try the next one in the series.
April 19, 2026
It felt contrived and clunky and I just could not get even halfway
June 13, 2026
Witty. Well written. Great characters. Twisty plot. This is a true cozy. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
September 25, 2026
Enjoyed! Good characters! Would recommend!
April 18, 2026
The character are similar to her Lady Caroline series, and about as likeable. A lot was held back from the reader, but mostly once the protagonist decided she knew whodunnit, or stuff revealed to us well after she knew but when it became public. It didnt really draw me in but an ok mystery with very much the same feel as the other series. I'm sure if you love them, you'll love this too.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews