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Philly Barker and the French Connection
A French buying trip. A bold theft. A body in the churchyard…
When antiques dealers Tamsin and Henry Proctor return to Chipwell after months in France, their stories of a picturesque village—and a notorious cat burglar—seem like little more than dinner party entertainment.
Until their shop is broken into, and only their French purchases are stolen.
For Philly Barker, something doesn’t add up.
Unusual auction bids. Valuable pieces quietly donated to a charity shop. A customer insisting the items were stolen abroad. Then, while walking her dog, Philly makes a chilling a dead man in the churchyard—and Henry Proctor lying unconscious beside him.
The victim? The very French antiques dealer who helped the Proctors.
As suspicion mounts and the trail leads back across the Channel, Philly and Robbie begin to unravel a sophisticated theft ring spanning France and England. But someone is watching—and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the truth buried.
Because the real threat isn’t overseas—it’s much closer to home.
With secrets, lies, and betrayal closing in, Philly must expose the truth before she becomes the next target…
And this time, her heart may be just as much at risk as her life.
When antiques dealers Tamsin and Henry Proctor return to Chipwell after months in France, their stories of a picturesque village—and a notorious cat burglar—seem like little more than dinner party entertainment.
Until their shop is broken into, and only their French purchases are stolen.
For Philly Barker, something doesn’t add up.
Unusual auction bids. Valuable pieces quietly donated to a charity shop. A customer insisting the items were stolen abroad. Then, while walking her dog, Philly makes a chilling a dead man in the churchyard—and Henry Proctor lying unconscious beside him.
The victim? The very French antiques dealer who helped the Proctors.
As suspicion mounts and the trail leads back across the Channel, Philly and Robbie begin to unravel a sophisticated theft ring spanning France and England. But someone is watching—and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the truth buried.
Because the real threat isn’t overseas—it’s much closer to home.
With secrets, lies, and betrayal closing in, Philly must expose the truth before she becomes the next target…
And this time, her heart may be just as much at risk as her life.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2026
About the author
Joanne Tracey
20 books25 followersHi, I'm Jo ...
I live in paradise – on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia with my husband and a cocker spaniel who takes her role as resident flop-dog and guardian of my office very seriously.
An unapologetic daydreamer, eternal optimist, and confirmed morning person, I write cosy crime, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, women’s fiction and what I like to call foodie-lit – which is the perfect excuse to indulge my baking habit in the name of research. My characters cook whatever it is I want to be cooking – or learning to cook.
Likewise with my character’s occupations. They get to do the things I can only dream about. I did warn you about the daydreaming thing.
Even though I love where I live, it’s my travels that inspire my stories. From Melbourne to Queenstown, Bali, Hong Kong, the Sunshine Coast, Yorkshire and The Cotswolds, you never quite know where you’ll end up, but it will be somewhere that takes you away from your every day. I’m always looking for a happy ending, so that’s what I write – happy endings. Is that a spoiler alert? Probably, but sometimes it’s best to know these things before committing. I write the books that I like to read – so if you like your crime cosy (with extra scones), and your love stories spiced with some travel, a little fun, a lot of friendship, the occasional daggy pop song, and some seriously sexy men then you’ve come to the right place.
When I’m not writing or day jobbing, I love baking, reading, long walks along the beach, posting way too many photos of sunrises on Instagram and dreaming of the next destination and the next story.
My life goals (apart from being a world-famous author) are to be an extra on Midsomer Murders (perhaps a dog walker in Badger’s Drift) and to cook my way through Nigella’s books – yes, all of them.
I live in paradise – on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia with my husband and a cocker spaniel who takes her role as resident flop-dog and guardian of my office very seriously.
An unapologetic daydreamer, eternal optimist, and confirmed morning person, I write cosy crime, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, women’s fiction and what I like to call foodie-lit – which is the perfect excuse to indulge my baking habit in the name of research. My characters cook whatever it is I want to be cooking – or learning to cook.
Likewise with my character’s occupations. They get to do the things I can only dream about. I did warn you about the daydreaming thing.
Even though I love where I live, it’s my travels that inspire my stories. From Melbourne to Queenstown, Bali, Hong Kong, the Sunshine Coast, Yorkshire and The Cotswolds, you never quite know where you’ll end up, but it will be somewhere that takes you away from your every day. I’m always looking for a happy ending, so that’s what I write – happy endings. Is that a spoiler alert? Probably, but sometimes it’s best to know these things before committing. I write the books that I like to read – so if you like your crime cosy (with extra scones), and your love stories spiced with some travel, a little fun, a lot of friendship, the occasional daggy pop song, and some seriously sexy men then you’ve come to the right place.
When I’m not writing or day jobbing, I love baking, reading, long walks along the beach, posting way too many photos of sunrises on Instagram and dreaming of the next destination and the next story.
My life goals (apart from being a world-famous author) are to be an extra on Midsomer Murders (perhaps a dog walker in Badger’s Drift) and to cook my way through Nigella’s books – yes, all of them.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 10, 2026
Philly Barker and the French Connection is the fourth in Joanne Tracey's cosy crime series and it continues to do exactly what the genre promises — feel like coming home. Philly, the likeable and pragmatic former cop-turned antique dealer, is back alongside recently-retired DI Robbie and the eclectic crew from Chipwell Barns Antiques. And I hafta say... I genuinely want Philly's life. The kind where you wander down to the local pub most evenings to have a drink with people you actually like. (It's giving me Richard Jury / Melrose Plant vibes, for Martha Grimes fans.)
This one kicks off with fellow Barn traders the Proctors returning from a buying trip in France, only to find their store robbed the following day.
Things escalate from there, with suspicious auction bids, later donated rather than sold, and eventually a dead body turning up in the churchyard. Philly's not convinced the Proctors are as innocent as they seem, but she's reluctant to believe the worst of them either. The trail eventually leads her and Robbie to a delightfully-named French village that I have no idea is real but absolutely want to visit.
We don't get quite as much time with the full Chipwell Barns ensemble this time around, but that's partly because Tracey shifts some of the focus onto Philly and Robbie's evolving dynamic and I really liked how she captured Philly's simultaneous eagerness and reluctance. A warm, satisfying four stars.
Read the full review on my website: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
This one kicks off with fellow Barn traders the Proctors returning from a buying trip in France, only to find their store robbed the following day.
Things escalate from there, with suspicious auction bids, later donated rather than sold, and eventually a dead body turning up in the churchyard. Philly's not convinced the Proctors are as innocent as they seem, but she's reluctant to believe the worst of them either. The trail eventually leads her and Robbie to a delightfully-named French village that I have no idea is real but absolutely want to visit.
We don't get quite as much time with the full Chipwell Barns ensemble this time around, but that's partly because Tracey shifts some of the focus onto Philly and Robbie's evolving dynamic and I really liked how she captured Philly's simultaneous eagerness and reluctance. A warm, satisfying four stars.
Read the full review on my website: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
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May 11, 2026Philly’s Back!
Top of my reading list is a book that hasn’t even been released yet — although you can preorder your copy now, and I highly recommend you do. I was honoured to receive an advance copy to read.
My good friend and author, Joanne Tracey, has written many books, but Philly is by far my favourite character. Philly Barker and The French Connection is the third book in the series, and somehow each instalment just keeps getting better.
Think Midsomer Murders meets Escape to the Country meets Antiques Roadshow, and you’ll have a good sense of the charm and intrigue behind the Philly Barker series.
Philly (Philomena), an antiques dealer from the village of Chipwell, has a knack for solving crimes alongside uncovering hidden treasures. This time, the story takes us to France, adding another delightful layer to the adventure. I’ve really enjoyed watching the characters develop throughout the series, and as a lover of cosy crime, this series ticks all the boxes for me.
One of the standout features is the research Jo puts into the world of antiques, weaving fascinating little titbits throughout the story that make the books even more enjoyable.
This is a solid 5-star read for me. While each story works well as a standalone, I’d recommend starting from the beginning so you can truly get to know — and love — the characters before diving into this latest adventure.
Top of my reading list is a book that hasn’t even been released yet — although you can preorder your copy now, and I highly recommend you do. I was honoured to receive an advance copy to read.
My good friend and author, Joanne Tracey, has written many books, but Philly is by far my favourite character. Philly Barker and The French Connection is the third book in the series, and somehow each instalment just keeps getting better.
Think Midsomer Murders meets Escape to the Country meets Antiques Roadshow, and you’ll have a good sense of the charm and intrigue behind the Philly Barker series.
Philly (Philomena), an antiques dealer from the village of Chipwell, has a knack for solving crimes alongside uncovering hidden treasures. This time, the story takes us to France, adding another delightful layer to the adventure. I’ve really enjoyed watching the characters develop throughout the series, and as a lover of cosy crime, this series ticks all the boxes for me.
One of the standout features is the research Jo puts into the world of antiques, weaving fascinating little titbits throughout the story that make the books even more enjoyable.
This is a solid 5-star read for me. While each story works well as a standalone, I’d recommend starting from the beginning so you can truly get to know — and love — the characters before diving into this latest adventure.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I just finished an advanced read of Jo Tracey's cozy crime novel Philly Barker and the French Connection -- and I absolutely loved it.
If you haven't read Jo Tracey before, or haven't yet explored her full Philly series (or any of her other work for that matter) stop what you're doing right now and fix that immediately--you can thank me later. 😊
This fourth instalment in the Philly Barker series is currently available for preorder and is scheduled for publication on June 8, 2026. As with the other books in this series, you'll be instantly transported to a charming English village filled with stunning scenery, quirky characters, an engaging mystery, and mouth-watering baking (thankfully, with recipes included at the back of the book).
I was honoured to receive an advanced copy and greedily devoured it in a single sitting.
If you haven't read Jo Tracey before, or haven't yet explored her full Philly series (or any of her other work for that matter) stop what you're doing right now and fix that immediately--you can thank me later. 😊
This fourth instalment in the Philly Barker series is currently available for preorder and is scheduled for publication on June 8, 2026. As with the other books in this series, you'll be instantly transported to a charming English village filled with stunning scenery, quirky characters, an engaging mystery, and mouth-watering baking (thankfully, with recipes included at the back of the book).
I was honoured to receive an advanced copy and greedily devoured it in a single sitting.
July 19, 2026
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Philly Barker and this cosy mystery series. Please may the author write more!!
May 13, 2026
Jo is a prolific author and her cosy crime series, featuring Philly Barker, is one of my favourites. This is Jo's 4th Philly book and I absolutely loved it, it may even be her best one yet!
I was lucky to get an advanced reader copy and I devoured it! Jo does so much research for these books, including travelling overseas, frequenting antique shops and it pays off in another well put together mystery.
This book is due for publication on 8 June and you can pre-order it, I highly recommend it!
I was lucky to get an advanced reader copy and I devoured it! Jo does so much research for these books, including travelling overseas, frequenting antique shops and it pays off in another well put together mystery.
This book is due for publication on 8 June and you can pre-order it, I highly recommend it!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews