Foreign Relations

by Rosalind Burgess, Patricia Obermeier Neuman

In this latest stand-alone, No. 6 in The Val & Kit Mystery Series, the lifelong friends are vacationing in England. After four days of sightseeing in London, the fiftysomething Val and Kit move on to a rented cottage in the bucolic village of Little Dipping, where Val’s actress daughter, Emily, and son-in-law are temporarily living and where Emily has become involved in community theater. Val and Kit quickly immerse themselves in village life and befriend several locals, including the leader of the Brownie troop, the pub owner and his wife, and a curious eight-year-old named Ivy. They also manage to rub more than one of their new acquaintances the wrong way. Nevertheless, they revel in the English countryside as well as the theatrical activities, despite Val’s ex-husband showing up and some troubling news from back home. The harmony of the village is soon broken, however, by the vicious murder of one of their new friends. The shocking events that follow are only slightly more horrific than one from the past that continues to confound authorities. The crimes threaten to involve Emily, so Val and Kit return to their roles as amateur sleuths, employing their own inimitable ways.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2017

About the author

Co-authors Rosalind Burgess and Patricia Obermeier Neuman, aka Roz and Patty, met in Minneapolis through mutual friend Lee (a REAL character, in the best sense of the word).

Now a proud and patriotic U.S. citizen and Texan, Roz grew up in London and currently calls Houston home. She has also lived in Germany, Iowa, and Minnesota. Roz retired from the airline industry to devote all her working hours to writing (although it seems more like fun than work).

Patty spent her childhood and early adulthood moving around the Midwest (Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana), as a trailing child and then as a trailing spouse (inspiring her first book, Moving: The What, When, Where & How of it). A former reporter and editor, Patty lives with her husband in Door County, Wisconsin. They have three children and twelve grandchildren.

With five books in The Val & Kit Mystery Series now published, Roz and Patty--along with characters Val and Kit--have another mystery up their sleeves (and on their computers). All four women agree that friendship, humor, and love are as compelling as solving murders.

Roz and Patty are also the authors of DRESSING MYSELF, a contemporary women’s novel that explores the mystery of marriage. They write a blog, Roz and Patty Write, at rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com.

Contact Roz and Patty at roz-patty.com. We write back :)

Reviews

[S.K. Barger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Val & Kit books!

This book in the series takes place in England. The books in the series have enough different plots and locales to make each one fun to read, whether the books are read in order or not. I’ve read most of the Val & Kit books. I’ve enjoyed them and I recommend them all.

[Stretchycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense

A wonderful book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The mixing of the suspense with the fact that they were on vacation balanced the book perfectly. The touch of being in England was the perfect touch.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the mystery, Val and Kit can't go anywhere without getting in the middle of something.
This is a great series and hope there will be more to come...