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Beaufort Scales Mystery #2
Yule Be Sorry
A festive tale of kidnapping, explosions, & stolen turkeys.... One should never meddle in the affairs of dragons, but someone has been doing just that. They’ve been making imitation dragon scale baubles that are nothing short of lethal, and kidnapping delivery drivers all over the Yorkshire Dales. They’ve also been leaving behind some distinctly dragon-ish traces. Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly Dragons, is hot on the trail – or would be, if he wasn’t having certain political problems at home. That leaves Alice and Miriam to track down the real culprits, rescue the hostages, and salvage Mortimer’s bauble reputation, all while misleading the police regarding the of existence of dragons, and hopefully without being blown up by unexpectedly aggressive Christmas decorations in the process. Luckily they have the full resources of the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute at their disposal. They’ll need it. And then there’s the small question of who stole all the Christmas turkeys… Dragons, the Women's Institute, and one very suspicious cat. What could possibly go wrong? Yule Be Sorry is the perfect Christmas cozy mystery for anyone who likes their crime funny, dragonish, and full of cake and friendship. This is Book 2 of the Beaufort Scales Cozy Mysteries - check out Baking Bad for how it all started! This cozy mystery
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2018
172 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Kim M. Watt
42 books336 followersHello lovely people!
I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations.
And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place.
You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake.
But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic.
And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many.
Come join me!
I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations.
And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place.
You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake.
But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic.
And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many.
Come join me!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 7, 2023
The mystery of the stolen baubles. Who or "what" is capturing the mail and delivery services and stealing the goods? Not to mention the delivery drivers. Magical baubles at that. Made from dragon scales of course. Another tale of the Women's Institute of the village of Toot Hansell and the friendly dragons.
These stories by Kim M. Watt just keep getting more and more hilarious. I've said this before and I'll say it again. You cannot take Kim M. Watt's tales seriously, but you can giggle, laugh out loud and just plain have fun reading them.
And when mince pies, tea, scones and cake won't do, be sure to ask for scotch. Actually, one of my favorite libations. :-)
These stories by Kim M. Watt just keep getting more and more hilarious. I've said this before and I'll say it again. You cannot take Kim M. Watt's tales seriously, but you can giggle, laugh out loud and just plain have fun reading them.
And when mince pies, tea, scones and cake won't do, be sure to ask for scotch. Actually, one of my favorite libations. :-)
September 3, 2024
I was happy to be back for my second visit to the small Yorkshire village of Toot Hansell after the events of 'Baking Bad'. It's Christmas time and the dragons and the WI are collaborating on the sale of magical dragonscale baubles at the Christmas fair and online. Not everyone is in the Christmas spirit. It's clear that somebody is up to no good and that the dragons might be blamed (if anyone knew they existed). There's no murder in the vicarage this time but posties and delivery drivers are being abducted and the only clues are the scorch marks and what look like claw marks on the abandoned delivery vans.
I felt quite sorry for DI Adams who definitely wished that she didn't know that dragons exist. How is she supposed to explain to her superiors that she's worried a crime may be being committed by creatures they think are mythical?
The WI are, of course, on the side of the dragons but even they couldn't stop themselves from making the leap from missing postie to asking what exactly dragons ate. The dragons' outrage, once they understood what was really being asked, was fun to watch.
I liked the way this uncomplicated but bizarre mystery unfolded. It revealed more about how the Cloverly Dragons live, including their internal politics and, Beaufort's "Dragons will be dragons." speech reminded me that, no matter how friendly dragons are with certain humans, they are very much their own species. I also got a deeper insight into Alice, the head of the WI, as I watched her distantly and brusquely take care of a lonely young woman. I enjoyed seeing the characters come to life and watching the dynamics between them as much as I did trying to figure out how the mystery would be solved.
The storytelling was nicely done. There was a real plot and plot with real people (and real dragons or at least, they seem as real as the people). A little to my surprise, this cosy mystery had some moments of real tension and more than a little violence. It also involved other 'folk' than dragons and introduced 'The Watch' - a sort of Police of the 'folk'. I had to smile when I found out which species The Watch were.
What I liked most was the gentle humour that frequently burst through the text like an irrepressible grin.
I felt quite sorry for DI Adams who definitely wished that she didn't know that dragons exist. How is she supposed to explain to her superiors that she's worried a crime may be being committed by creatures they think are mythical?
The WI are, of course, on the side of the dragons but even they couldn't stop themselves from making the leap from missing postie to asking what exactly dragons ate. The dragons' outrage, once they understood what was really being asked, was fun to watch.
I liked the way this uncomplicated but bizarre mystery unfolded. It revealed more about how the Cloverly Dragons live, including their internal politics and, Beaufort's "Dragons will be dragons." speech reminded me that, no matter how friendly dragons are with certain humans, they are very much their own species. I also got a deeper insight into Alice, the head of the WI, as I watched her distantly and brusquely take care of a lonely young woman. I enjoyed seeing the characters come to life and watching the dynamics between them as much as I did trying to figure out how the mystery would be solved.
The storytelling was nicely done. There was a real plot and plot with real people (and real dragons or at least, they seem as real as the people). A little to my surprise, this cosy mystery had some moments of real tension and more than a little violence. It also involved other 'folk' than dragons and introduced 'The Watch' - a sort of Police of the 'folk'. I had to smile when I found out which species The Watch were.
What I liked most was the gentle humour that frequently burst through the text like an irrepressible grin.
February 22, 2019
Having just recently finished reading (and reviewing) Baking Bad, Kim M. Watt’s delicious cozy mystery-with-dragons-and-cake, I seriously couldn’t wait to crack open the next installment in her latest romp, Yule Be Sorry. This is a Christmas cozy with all the trimmings.
More cakes. More crime. More chaos. And lots more dragons. The ladies of the Toot Hansell W.I. are back, selling dragon-made magical baubles for Christmas. A spate of missing postmen and packages threatens to derail all their plans to provide additional barbeques and blankets for the Cloverly dragons. A revolt is fomenting among the dragons, threatening Beaufort’s role as High Lord and his plans to drag his clan, albeit grumbling and snorting, into the 21st century. And Detective Inspector Adams is back, hoping the dames and dragons keep far away from her investigations this time. Alas, the hijacked mail vans all have scorch marks and scratches seemingly made by…dragons? This doesn’t bode well, and neither does the suspicious interest of DI Colin Collins, who just happens to be Miriam’s nephew.
Ms. Watt continues to provide a lovely balance of cozy mystery, slapstick farce, and fantasy, and it all works brilliantly. In this installment we get to delve more deeply into the inner workings of the Cloverly clan, and are treated to some deep draconic philosophy and fractious politics. With DI Adams, Alice and Miriam, and Beaufort Scales and Mortimer all galumphing about trying to both protect the secret of the dragons and discover the identity of the miscreants, mayhem is strewn high, wide, and handsome.
And we mustn’t forget about that ubiquitous feline, whose alliances and motives are definitely in question. Ah, sweet mystery of…well, I won’t spoil it.
If you enjoy cakes, mince pies, dragons, explosions, midnight chases, moonlight battles, and rollicking fun, yule be sorry if you don’t snatch up and read this book right now.
More cakes. More crime. More chaos. And lots more dragons. The ladies of the Toot Hansell W.I. are back, selling dragon-made magical baubles for Christmas. A spate of missing postmen and packages threatens to derail all their plans to provide additional barbeques and blankets for the Cloverly dragons. A revolt is fomenting among the dragons, threatening Beaufort’s role as High Lord and his plans to drag his clan, albeit grumbling and snorting, into the 21st century. And Detective Inspector Adams is back, hoping the dames and dragons keep far away from her investigations this time. Alas, the hijacked mail vans all have scorch marks and scratches seemingly made by…dragons? This doesn’t bode well, and neither does the suspicious interest of DI Colin Collins, who just happens to be Miriam’s nephew.
Ms. Watt continues to provide a lovely balance of cozy mystery, slapstick farce, and fantasy, and it all works brilliantly. In this installment we get to delve more deeply into the inner workings of the Cloverly clan, and are treated to some deep draconic philosophy and fractious politics. With DI Adams, Alice and Miriam, and Beaufort Scales and Mortimer all galumphing about trying to both protect the secret of the dragons and discover the identity of the miscreants, mayhem is strewn high, wide, and handsome.
And we mustn’t forget about that ubiquitous feline, whose alliances and motives are definitely in question. Ah, sweet mystery of…well, I won’t spoil it.
If you enjoy cakes, mince pies, dragons, explosions, midnight chases, moonlight battles, and rollicking fun, yule be sorry if you don’t snatch up and read this book right now.
December 20, 2023
A fun adventure with the dragons. I love the different dragon personalities that are being developed and thought Watt used the alternating POVs very effectively to propel the story along.
January 5, 2026
These are silly books about a bunch of middle-aged women who are members of the WI (women’s institute - it’s a British thing involving good works for the community and lots of tea and baked goods) and some Shetland pony, and smaller, sized dragons who have a penchant for tea, baked goods and mysteries. While no longer at war with humans dragons generally stay out of sight and enjoy the inventions of man such as propane BBQs and other objects to keep a cold cave warm with the help of the ladies of the WI.
In order to pay for gas bottles, Mortimer and a couple of assistants make incredible baubles out of dragon scale, which Merriam and Alice and other WI members help them with selling, but someone is counterfeiting these wonderful baubles which normally do lovely harmless magical transformations, but the counterfeits being sold by some mysterious source are far from harmless and more like poorly-made fireworks that either explode or set things on fire as they fly around the room breaking things. If this wasn’t bad enough or enough of a mystery, postmen are disappearing! The WI and the dragons are trying to figure out who is responsible for this and where the postmen had gone since they had mailed a lot of baubles out to clients for the holiday season.
All this of course gives DI Adams a headache and she can’t help but get involved, even when it isn’t on her patch.
Mayhem, mischief, a little merriment and much tea is had. Also a lot of worrying and scale shedding by those not keen on getting into trouble and sticking their nose where it may not belong.
I am really enjoying these stories. They’re fun, and a lovely break from reality which I find very unnerving as we enter 2026. I would like manners, civility and a reality with a moral compass which I can recognise. So, I am hiding in these lovely books taking place in the Cotswolds. I read them with a cup of tea, a 16lb. cat on my lap next to a window where, as the weather drops below freezing outside, I can see the snow clouds roll in.
This particular book even coincides with the time of year making it easier for me to hope that there are dragons and other Folk somewhere outside where I live as well.
In order to pay for gas bottles, Mortimer and a couple of assistants make incredible baubles out of dragon scale, which Merriam and Alice and other WI members help them with selling, but someone is counterfeiting these wonderful baubles which normally do lovely harmless magical transformations, but the counterfeits being sold by some mysterious source are far from harmless and more like poorly-made fireworks that either explode or set things on fire as they fly around the room breaking things. If this wasn’t bad enough or enough of a mystery, postmen are disappearing! The WI and the dragons are trying to figure out who is responsible for this and where the postmen had gone since they had mailed a lot of baubles out to clients for the holiday season.
All this of course gives DI Adams a headache and she can’t help but get involved, even when it isn’t on her patch.
Mayhem, mischief, a little merriment and much tea is had. Also a lot of worrying and scale shedding by those not keen on getting into trouble and sticking their nose where it may not belong.
I am really enjoying these stories. They’re fun, and a lovely break from reality which I find very unnerving as we enter 2026. I would like manners, civility and a reality with a moral compass which I can recognise. So, I am hiding in these lovely books taking place in the Cotswolds. I read them with a cup of tea, a 16lb. cat on my lap next to a window where, as the weather drops below freezing outside, I can see the snow clouds roll in.
This particular book even coincides with the time of year making it easier for me to hope that there are dragons and other Folk somewhere outside where I live as well.
November 30, 2018
What a wonderful read!
A fantastic read. Full of dragons, the police, goblins, a talking cat and the wonderful ladies that make up the WI. Made me chuckle in places. Wonderful humour, fast paced action and a great storyline. Great characters that breathed life into the story as you kept reading.
Their collaboration with the dragons is going great guns and the baubles and ships that he's producing are selling well. Although one shady character had made them feel uncomfortable when he asked about them. But the peace is soon ruined. First one Royal mailman goes missing and then another. When the WI gets DHL involved, that driver disappears too along with all the contents of their vans. The only clue left is scorched vehicles that show signs of dragons participating. Can the two forth most members of the WI find the culprits? Will it be before the High Lord is deposed? What is the strange cat that has taken over Alice's home? Wonderful imagery from Primrose's attack to the takedown of the dragons who have been aiding and abetting the criminals. Brilliant!
A fantastic read. Full of dragons, the police, goblins, a talking cat and the wonderful ladies that make up the WI. Made me chuckle in places. Wonderful humour, fast paced action and a great storyline. Great characters that breathed life into the story as you kept reading.
Their collaboration with the dragons is going great guns and the baubles and ships that he's producing are selling well. Although one shady character had made them feel uncomfortable when he asked about them. But the peace is soon ruined. First one Royal mailman goes missing and then another. When the WI gets DHL involved, that driver disappears too along with all the contents of their vans. The only clue left is scorched vehicles that show signs of dragons participating. Can the two forth most members of the WI find the culprits? Will it be before the High Lord is deposed? What is the strange cat that has taken over Alice's home? Wonderful imagery from Primrose's attack to the takedown of the dragons who have been aiding and abetting the criminals. Brilliant!
January 21, 2025
I loved this book! I’m so glad I continued reading this series. Can’t say too much without spoilers but this second book contained more information and character depth on the dragons and also contains other creatures. I liked this book better than the first. It was more thrilling and the story had a perfect pace. Another thing that I like about this series is that the human main (badass) characters all mostly women. It however had little to do with Christmas, other than minced pies and Christmas cake. Excited to continue reading this series.
December 29, 2021
The second of Kim M. Watt's Beaufort Scales mysteries, Yule Be Sorry sees the Cloverly dragons and the Toot Hansell WI mixed up in a Christmassy caper involving missing postmen, exploding baubles, and a great deal of cake, while Beaufort himself also has to deal with the discontent of those members of the dragon community who object to closer relations with the humans and want to take a more isolationist stance. Fast-paced, daft and fun.
December 7, 2018
The Toot Hansell WI and the Cloverly dragons tackle a case of missing postmen and exploding baubles.
If you haven't read this splendid cosy mystery with dragons (and the previous book, Baking Bad), go and grab a copy now. I mean it. It's one of those books where I wouldn't care if there wasn't a plot ( although there *is*, and a good one too), I just want to go and visit my fictional friends.
I just love the atmosphere and the characters and the setting. And anyone who doesn't want to hug Mortimer has no soul.
If you haven't read this splendid cosy mystery with dragons (and the previous book, Baking Bad), go and grab a copy now. I mean it. It's one of those books where I wouldn't care if there wasn't a plot ( although there *is*, and a good one too), I just want to go and visit my fictional friends.
I just love the atmosphere and the characters and the setting. And anyone who doesn't want to hug Mortimer has no soul.
November 30, 2019
Read and enjoyed the first in the series so much I immediately bought the rest of the series. Believe me that rarely happens.
If you can suspend time and enjoy reading how things that are supposedly fantastic interact with everyday life and also criminal detection then you are in for a treat.
If you can suspend time and enjoy reading how things that are supposedly fantastic interact with everyday life and also criminal detection then you are in for a treat.
December 29, 2022
What a fun and surprisingly fitting book for my (likely) final read of this year. Full of cosy Christmas atmosphere, missing persons, dragon politics, creepy things in the night, and a plethora of determined women of a certain age, this story absolutely delivered exactly what I wanted. It built on the first with a lot more detail in the inner workings of both the Women’s Institute and the Cloverlies, and wrapped it all around some shady kidnapping and thievery. I will admit, I do prefer a murder mystery, but this was still tons of fun and thoroughly enjoyable. If I had to pick at a couple of things, I do wish Miriam (clumsy and nervous) and Jasmine (ditsy and oblivious) weren’t *quite* such exaggerated caricatures, but I’m holding out hope that it’ll tone down a little bit - and even if not, it’s really just a minor eyeroll now and then, haha. Looking forward to continuing this series, especially now as they are just the perfect winter reads when it’s snowy and frozen and inhospitable outside. Preferably enjoyed with a good tea!
September 14, 2021
2021 bk 284. As good as if not better than the first. DI Adams is back as is the community of Toot Hansell and their Women's Institute. It's Christmas time and the dragons are busy with their new business - Christmas baubles made of the loose dragon scales. wonderful little baubles and the description was so clear that I want one. However, bad things are afield - a mail truck set on fire and the postman missing, feared dead. The WI group being followed by a silver Audi. DI Adams, cannot leave Toot Hansell alone now that she knows there are dragons, she isn't seeing things. It is like a moth to flame. Inserting herself into the mystery of the missing postman she is on the verge of insubordination as she is gone from her post more than there. A perfect book for a hot day in which you can imagine yourself in the cool of Christmastime with this book.
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January 15, 2022I really want to like this, it has the most ridiculously charming premise - cosy mystery! Women's Institute! dragons! - and the first in the series *was* very enjoyable. This one also has the charming elements but the actual mystery is just too dull for words: some unnamed postmen have been possibly kidnapped (?) offscreen with very little context and description, and someone else is selling counterfeit baubles on eBay. I'm sure these things are connected but I'm giving myself permission not to find out. I will give the third one in the series a try before giving up entirely.
August 4, 2020
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't often give a 5-star review but this book deserves it. With this second installment I felt that Ms Watt really got into her stride.
Baking Bad, the first book of the series, gave us a funny and quirky introduction to the main characters. Now we get a bit more back story, some character development and a well-paced and interesting mystery, rooted in the dragons of the Cloverly Clan joining the modern world. We also get to see more of the side-characters, especially the dragons like Amelia, Gilbert, Lord Margaery and others, and we glimpse a few more members of the Women’s Institute.
Set in the Yorkshire Dales in the village of Toot Hansel, this time the main characters of Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly Dragons, side-kick (and introducer of the modern world to his leader) Mortimer, the fearsome Alice, nervous but resolute Miriam and the exasperated DI Adams, have more direct, and more challenging, mysteries and mutinies to solve and handle, and they do so with great aplomb.
Excellent snarky comments, witty asides, lots of great (and not so great) baking; and true companionship, loyalty and friendship, permeates this book and is what makes it so great. Again the mystery plot is just part of the story, its the characters that dazzle.
I often laughed so much in this book, the descriptions, one-liners and commentary. I must add as an aside, that as a huge fan of the great Sir Terry Pratchett, a few one-liners pleasantly surprised me by reminding me a bit of his humour.
Full of quirky old ladies, entertaining dragons, mysterious exploding baubles, missing turkeys, kidnapped delivery drivers, lots of mince pies and cakes, and one very mysterious Cat!
I don't often give a 5-star review but this book deserves it. With this second installment I felt that Ms Watt really got into her stride.
Baking Bad, the first book of the series, gave us a funny and quirky introduction to the main characters. Now we get a bit more back story, some character development and a well-paced and interesting mystery, rooted in the dragons of the Cloverly Clan joining the modern world. We also get to see more of the side-characters, especially the dragons like Amelia, Gilbert, Lord Margaery and others, and we glimpse a few more members of the Women’s Institute.
Set in the Yorkshire Dales in the village of Toot Hansel, this time the main characters of Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly Dragons, side-kick (and introducer of the modern world to his leader) Mortimer, the fearsome Alice, nervous but resolute Miriam and the exasperated DI Adams, have more direct, and more challenging, mysteries and mutinies to solve and handle, and they do so with great aplomb.
Excellent snarky comments, witty asides, lots of great (and not so great) baking; and true companionship, loyalty and friendship, permeates this book and is what makes it so great. Again the mystery plot is just part of the story, its the characters that dazzle.
I often laughed so much in this book, the descriptions, one-liners and commentary. I must add as an aside, that as a huge fan of the great Sir Terry Pratchett, a few one-liners pleasantly surprised me by reminding me a bit of his humour.
Full of quirky old ladies, entertaining dragons, mysterious exploding baubles, missing turkeys, kidnapped delivery drivers, lots of mince pies and cakes, and one very mysterious Cat!
January 4, 2022
This book - as with its predecessor ‘Baking Bad’ - shouldn’t work. The mix of a crimefighting W.I. and a clan of tea drinking dragons who sleep on Weber barbecues is such utter nonsense that I’ve found myself shaking my head at what I’m reading. And yet it’s lovely. Cosy, cute and harmless with a smidge of Pratchett about it. Complete nonsense for these nonsense times, a perfect antidote to the news.
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July 23, 2022Seriously lighthearted
You might think a cozy mystery with a small English village and dragons would be twee, but the tone is ... not serious, because it's lighthearted, but respectful of its characters, allowing them realistic angst and confusion.
You might think a cozy mystery with a small English village and dragons would be twee, but the tone is ... not serious, because it's lighthearted, but respectful of its characters, allowing them realistic angst and confusion.
February 14, 2023
This is the second in the Beaufort Scales cosy mysteries series, and the third I've read as I veered off to read the Christmas book. I loved the first book 'Baking Bad' and I enjoyed this one even more; funny, touching, intriguing, and rollicking. All the things that you could ever want from gentle escapism, with a sprinkling of thought provoking social comment thrown in. And Alice and Miriam truly are marvels. As for Thompson! Oh, my goodness. His joyous felinity had me laughing out loud. Reading this book was like revisiting old friends. I hugely look forward to reading the next instalment.
December 15, 2021
Again the dragons were amazeballs, the WI were awesome and the story was fun, it wasn’t really Christmassy it was just an excuse to eat mince pies.
February 14, 2024
3.5 stars
August 13, 2023
3.5 rounded up. Fun & much more enjoyable than the first one.
December 8, 2023
The perfect festive sequel to Baking Bad. Mince pie eating dragons who are running a bauble etsy business in the middle of a police case of missing postmen, I literally can't get enough of the Beaufort Scales series, you can't help but smile and laugh at these adorable dragons.
February 4, 2021
Well this was a lot of fun. Someone has kidnapped the postman and stolen all the post - which includes the fancy dragon scale Christmas baubles the WI is making. They of course get stuck in to investigate.
I rather liked the meetings in different of the WI members houses - and how different the houses were and the refreshments.
Because it is a Christmas story there is lots of Christmas food.
There was more on the dragons - you get to meet them in their cavern and it isn't just Beaufort and Mortimer with a cameo by Lord Walter.
There is a really splendid end of book knock down fight scene -with a difference. No ninjas, just three enraged ladies with a cricket bat and a walking stick. And earlier in the book one of the ladies makes really good use of a baking tray as a weapon.
I rather liked the meetings in different of the WI members houses - and how different the houses were and the refreshments.
Because it is a Christmas story there is lots of Christmas food.
There was more on the dragons - you get to meet them in their cavern and it isn't just Beaufort and Mortimer with a cameo by Lord Walter.
There is a really splendid end of book knock down fight scene -with a difference. No ninjas, just three enraged ladies with a cricket bat and a walking stick. And earlier in the book one of the ladies makes really good use of a baking tray as a weapon.
May 16, 2024
Yule Be Sorry is the second book in the Beaufort Scales Mysteries series by Kim M. Watt. The holidays are fast approaching and Mortimer is having trouble keeping up with the demand for the dragon scale baubles he sells (with Miriam's help) in an Etsy shop. Things are going well up until a rival shop is discovered selling imitation dragon scale baubles that are nothing short of lethal and delivery trucks, with their drivers and contents, start going missing all over the Yorkshire Dales. The Women's Institute is determined to help figure out what's going on while attempting to keep the existence of dragons a secret.
I enjoyed this installment a lot more than the first book. Watt weaves a more complicated story in this one, adding parallel timelines to see what different characters are doing at the same time. I like that we're shown more varieties of folk, the name for the magical creatures that are part of our world but mostly unnoticed by humanity. We are also given insight into dragon society in a secondary plot thread. Watt wraps everything up well and gives us an exciting and action filled ending. It reminded me of an ending more in line with the Gobbelino books in the utter chaos of it all. It was glorious.
I enjoyed this installment a lot more than the first book. Watt weaves a more complicated story in this one, adding parallel timelines to see what different characters are doing at the same time. I like that we're shown more varieties of folk, the name for the magical creatures that are part of our world but mostly unnoticed by humanity. We are also given insight into dragon society in a secondary plot thread. Watt wraps everything up well and gives us an exciting and action filled ending. It reminded me of an ending more in line with the Gobbelino books in the utter chaos of it all. It was glorious.
May 16, 2021
More whimsy. There’s a plot of a sort but it’s submerged under gallons of tea and piles of baked goods. I get that the author likes it but she really needs to learn a little restraint. As before, when she lets her imagination do the writing, the prose can be really quite good. Then she drags it back down with pratfalls and scones.
I can’t see how this can sustain another two books and I don’t plan to find out.
Particularly irritating is Miriam. Much is made of her general incompetence but suddenly she discovers her fighting spirit in the climactic battle with the goblins. It stretched my credulity a little too far.
Sadly the hint of romantic tension between Alice and DI Adams is absent.
Disappointing
I can’t see how this can sustain another two books and I don’t plan to find out.
Particularly irritating is Miriam. Much is made of her general incompetence but suddenly she discovers her fighting spirit in the climactic battle with the goblins. It stretched my credulity a little too far.
Sadly the hint of romantic tension between Alice and DI Adams is absent.
Disappointing
September 17, 2021
Love this series and this story. The dragons and the ladies of the WI just go from one absurd, zany adventure to the next. What I enjoy most of this series is that it's well written. Yes it's fun and silly, but that doesn't mean the intelligence level should be dumbed down. It's difficult to find an author able to write intelligent humour that is often sweet.
September 28, 2024
Just got finished reading the second entry in the Beaufort Scales mystery series. The first book had some flaws but was overall enjoyable, so I went into this one with decent hopes. Thankfully, those hopes were not just met, but surpassed.
The series continues things that the first book set, such as having four specific characters who have the main focus of chapters and whom we see the chapters center around of, those being DI Jeanette Adams, Alice, Miriam, and Mortimer the dragon. Still find it peculiar we get no chapters focused on and from the point of view of titular character Beaufort, but well, it's not a deal breaker. Once more we get a mystery that DI Adams finds herself investigating, as do the WI members. But the case this time is so very different from that of the classic murder mystery of the first book. We have disappearences of postmen and their mail, with their delivery vans left with indications of distinctly draconic attackers; plus there's counterfeit dragon scale baubles, there's also mysterious figures spying on and menacing the WI ladies. Everything's a different type of mystery, and it gets more and more engaging the more the story moves along.
Going into the characters, Alice and Miriam start out the same way as before, namely Alice being a self-important control freak and Miriam being negatively paranoid, so yeah, it started rather annoyingly, but thankfully those things got toned down to an extent as the book went along, as Alice got humbled in some ways while Miriam got to realize she can be pretty capable if need be. DI Adams was in fine form, strict yet kind, and it's good to see her involved even when she shouldn't be (not her jurisdiction), plus her interactions with the cast provided moments of levity here and there. Local DI Colin Collins was a welcome addition, I quite enjoyed his chemistry with DI Adams. And then there's a very peculiar cat that is quite amusing. But my favorite part was the bigger focus on the dragons in this book. Beaufort and Mortimer get to show more of their personalities, which I appreciated, it added more depth to them. Amelia, Gilbert and Walter were more minor characters in the first book, but get an expanded role here, plus we get to meet more dragons with varied personalities and see what they're like, things they like and dislike, their rules and culture, and it was all very engaging and fun. They pretty much stole the show in every scene they were in, the author outdid herself with them.
Though a little slow moving, the investigation kept getting more engaging as the book moved along, coupled with issues in the dragon clan regarding leadership and their interactions with humans on top of their dragon scale bauble business, and it builds up to a very exciting final act that I honestly wish had gone on for longer, it got cut a bit short. So, while the book still has flaws, the good parts were so enjoyable that the flaws did little to hamper it. I really loved this book and am compelled to give it a 5 star rating, a rarity for me. I'm very much looking forward to the next one.
The series continues things that the first book set, such as having four specific characters who have the main focus of chapters and whom we see the chapters center around of, those being DI Jeanette Adams, Alice, Miriam, and Mortimer the dragon. Still find it peculiar we get no chapters focused on and from the point of view of titular character Beaufort, but well, it's not a deal breaker. Once more we get a mystery that DI Adams finds herself investigating, as do the WI members. But the case this time is so very different from that of the classic murder mystery of the first book. We have disappearences of postmen and their mail, with their delivery vans left with indications of distinctly draconic attackers; plus there's counterfeit dragon scale baubles, there's also mysterious figures spying on and menacing the WI ladies. Everything's a different type of mystery, and it gets more and more engaging the more the story moves along.
Going into the characters, Alice and Miriam start out the same way as before, namely Alice being a self-important control freak and Miriam being negatively paranoid, so yeah, it started rather annoyingly, but thankfully those things got toned down to an extent as the book went along, as Alice got humbled in some ways while Miriam got to realize she can be pretty capable if need be. DI Adams was in fine form, strict yet kind, and it's good to see her involved even when she shouldn't be (not her jurisdiction), plus her interactions with the cast provided moments of levity here and there. Local DI Colin Collins was a welcome addition, I quite enjoyed his chemistry with DI Adams. And then there's a very peculiar cat that is quite amusing. But my favorite part was the bigger focus on the dragons in this book. Beaufort and Mortimer get to show more of their personalities, which I appreciated, it added more depth to them. Amelia, Gilbert and Walter were more minor characters in the first book, but get an expanded role here, plus we get to meet more dragons with varied personalities and see what they're like, things they like and dislike, their rules and culture, and it was all very engaging and fun. They pretty much stole the show in every scene they were in, the author outdid herself with them.
Though a little slow moving, the investigation kept getting more engaging as the book moved along, coupled with issues in the dragon clan regarding leadership and their interactions with humans on top of their dragon scale bauble business, and it builds up to a very exciting final act that I honestly wish had gone on for longer, it got cut a bit short. So, while the book still has flaws, the good parts were so enjoyable that the flaws did little to hamper it. I really loved this book and am compelled to give it a 5 star rating, a rarity for me. I'm very much looking forward to the next one.
January 12, 2025
With the help of the Toot Hansell WI, especially Alice and Miriam, the Cloverly dragons have turned their shed scales into an income source. Mortimer crafts them into magical baubles, which have been selling like hotcakes on Etsy and at the Christmas fair in town. It's wonderful to have money to buy the barbecue grills the dragons like to sleep on, as well as other comforts and accessories, but a significant number of dragons are not happy with more human interaction. For one, staying invisible and thus imaginary in human eyes has saved their lives many times. For two, Etsy? Really? That's not dragonish! Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly dragons, has his claws full trying to convince the dragons of the value of continuing interaction with the WI. And it doesn't help that suddenly, every shipment of baubles--and their drivers--has gone missing, with distinctly dragonish clues left behind. Plus, someone is selling fake--and downright lethal--baubles on eBay. Mortimer is stress-shedding scales, and Miriam is doing no better, but it's up to her and Alice to figure out what's happening. DI Adams is Not Happy about all this, being the only cop who knows about dragons. And what's up with the cat that has moved into Alice's house? And the missing Christmas turkeys?
This is a fun series, and if it's not exactly what one expects of a cozy mystery (and it has more violence and suspense than most cozy mysteries, and, ok, more dragons), it's still a lot of fun. The characters are distinct and interesting, and the tone of a tongue-in-cheek British cozy also makes clear the author's great fondness for her subjects, be they British villages, WI members, exasperated cops, or (of course) dragons. It's a pretty unique combination, which sets it apart from other books of its kind; I think fans of Patricia Wrede (Dealing with Dragons) would like it. There's a similar sense of humor--sensible people in ridiculous situations getting on with things. Recommended.
This is a fun series, and if it's not exactly what one expects of a cozy mystery (and it has more violence and suspense than most cozy mysteries, and, ok, more dragons), it's still a lot of fun. The characters are distinct and interesting, and the tone of a tongue-in-cheek British cozy also makes clear the author's great fondness for her subjects, be they British villages, WI members, exasperated cops, or (of course) dragons. It's a pretty unique combination, which sets it apart from other books of its kind; I think fans of Patricia Wrede (Dealing with Dragons) would like it. There's a similar sense of humor--sensible people in ridiculous situations getting on with things. Recommended.
January 5, 2025
In the second novel of Beaufort Scales, the High Lord of the Cloverly Dragons, gets mixed up in a festive tale of kidnapping, explosions and stolen turkeys. Someone has been meddling with dragon affairs, creating imitations of Mortimer’s dragon scale baubles that are more dangerous than beautiful. They’ve been stealing the holiday day gifts right off the delivery trucks, and leaving behind distinctly dragon-ish traces. Add in the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute’s Christmas turkeys being stolen, a very suspicious cat, and a disgruntled detective it’s bound to be a holiday to remember!
This was a lovely cozy read that was perfect for the season. Full of quirky turns and misleading clues, the missing delivery driver tale lives up to the high expectations that the previous Baking Bad murder mystery set. I would have loved more development for each of the main plot points: the bauble mystery, the politics in Cloverly, and Inspector Adams’ desire to be involved in Toot Hansell, and keep her job. Each of those could have made the book more fully realized.
The story was hilarious and just so fun to read. I love that when mince pies, teas, and scones are not enough, there’s always the libations. I do hope, for the Cloverly dragon’s sakes that there isn’t going to be another person finding out about their secrets in every book. It loses the charm of being a secret society of magical beings when everyone knows who you are. I really wish that there was more development between the dragons. I wanted more of the inner court workings, more of the power struggles, and more of the ridiculous little dragons running amok through it all!
This was a lovely cozy read that was perfect for the season. Full of quirky turns and misleading clues, the missing delivery driver tale lives up to the high expectations that the previous Baking Bad murder mystery set. I would have loved more development for each of the main plot points: the bauble mystery, the politics in Cloverly, and Inspector Adams’ desire to be involved in Toot Hansell, and keep her job. Each of those could have made the book more fully realized.
The story was hilarious and just so fun to read. I love that when mince pies, teas, and scones are not enough, there’s always the libations. I do hope, for the Cloverly dragon’s sakes that there isn’t going to be another person finding out about their secrets in every book. It loses the charm of being a secret society of magical beings when everyone knows who you are. I really wish that there was more development between the dragons. I wanted more of the inner court workings, more of the power struggles, and more of the ridiculous little dragons running amok through it all!
November 29, 2021
3,5*
This one took quite a bit to get going. Once it did I really quite enjoyed it, and breezed through it. But the first half felt a bit long winded and stretched out at times.
I liked the quirky characters and their unique way of thinking. The dragons were quite a bit "too human" for me for the most part. Those also seemed to come more into focus in the second half of the book.
It says it is a cosy mystery, and I must agree - it is very cosy. I was happy to have something that was mostly fun and weird, without too much suspense. And lots and lots of tea and mince pies!
There's more magic/creatures in here than just dragons. I liked some of the backdrop mysteries, but thought again that there could have been just a *tad* more depth.
All in all, if a bit long, this was a fun and entertaining fantasy mystery romp.
This one took quite a bit to get going. Once it did I really quite enjoyed it, and breezed through it. But the first half felt a bit long winded and stretched out at times.
I liked the quirky characters and their unique way of thinking. The dragons were quite a bit "too human" for me for the most part. Those also seemed to come more into focus in the second half of the book.
It says it is a cosy mystery, and I must agree - it is very cosy. I was happy to have something that was mostly fun and weird, without too much suspense. And lots and lots of tea and mince pies!
There's more magic/creatures in here than just dragons. I liked some of the backdrop mysteries, but thought again that there could have been just a *tad* more depth.
All in all, if a bit long, this was a fun and entertaining fantasy mystery romp.
September 21, 2022
It's Christmastime at Toot Hansel, but all is not well, when the business venture of the Women's Institute and the Cloverly dragons is threatened by robberies of the postal vans and kidnapping of their drivers. Alice, Mirian and the WI set out solve the mystery. Meanwhile High Lord Beaufort and Mortimer are trying to find out if the dragons are involved and to sort out unrest in the dragon community. DI Adams, worried about the dragons, finds herself drawn back into the village mystery. Of course, the action ramps up with marauding goblins, rebellious dragons and a talking cat. And of course, lots of mince pies, cakes and cookies are consumed by the dragons and the humans. It's all a very fun read. The action sequences go way over the top, but that is part of the charm.
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