Fear in the Cotswolds

Thea Osborne #7

by Rebecca Tope

Following a string of disastrous house-sitting assignments, and with troubles in her recent personal life, Thea Osborne is understandably apprehensive about her latest a wintry month in an isolated farmhouse with only an assortment of animals, including her loyal spaniel Hepzie, for company. With the summer lushness of the Cotswolds turned icy grey, Thea spends her first few days exploring the tiny but beautiful hamlet of Hampnett, and the nearby town of Northleach. While discovering more of the surrounding area she meets some of the mysterious local the unappreciated au pair from Bulgaria and the elusive Kate from a neighboring farm. But then the weather turns extreme, and so do events. When she stumbles across a man lying dead in a snow-filled field, Thea is once again at the heart of a mystery in the gorgeous Cotswold countryside…

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, British Literature, Cozy

383 pages, Hardcover

First published November 16, 2009

About the author

Rebecca 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.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, I really tried to give this book a chance. The central character is a charmless middle age woman who is phased by having to be in a perfectly nice cottage for a few days in a snow storm with about 30 minutes work to be done morning and night (which seems to entirely occupy her day.)Endless descriptions of feeding the donkey and rabbits and letting the dogs out for a wee are interspersed with almost nothing else of note. The characters are never more than superficial and unfortunately I spent most of the book waiting for something to fear to turn up and liven it up. The least interesting book I have read for a long time and only finished it as i wanted to mentally relive winter in the UK

[Karen wadey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read, the central character Thea is a bit weak and useless and should be 70 to 80, I'm 50 and it makes me mad that the author thinks 40 year old women are basically scared and useless!!! I will read another when I feel that I can cope better!!!!

[Zoey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Number 7 in this Cosy Mystery series featuring House Sitter Thea Osborne & her little spaniel Hepzie. Still set in the beautiful Cotswolds, but apart from that, it has become a bit meh & Thea has become quite unlikeable.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Number 7 in the Cotswolds cosy crime series featuring the misadventures of house sitter Thea Osborne. This stared off quite interestingly and I had high hopes: it has been referred to a number of times in later books (haven't managed to read these in order) and I thought it was going to be a high octane tale of Thea snowed in and stalked by a ruthless killer. Instead, it's nothing of the sort. She finds a man dead in the snow early in her assignment and calls the police but by the time they arrive, held up by the heavy snowfall, the body has been removed and they aren't keen in going to search for it. Thea later returns and discovers that it has been dragged on a sledge to a house in the village. The dead man is George, supposedly a recluse, but as he was also a sort of substitute granddad to the two boys next door, that seems a contradiction. Also, he was popular enough with a local farming family for them to be letting him have the house rent free.

Thea becomes involved in the lives of various residents especially the family with the two boys where the mother has a high powered advertising job and the boys are mainly looked after by an au pair from Bulgaria, with some input from their father although he also has a demanding job as a manager at a large hotel somewhere. Thea ends up discussing her findings with the female detective who turns up in a few other books in the series. However, a lot of the book revolves around her duties taking care of the owner's donkey, rabbits - one of which has had babies - and the rescue dog, a lurcher which appears apathetic most of the time but at one crucial moment becomes disastrously less so (avoiding spoiler). What Thea does to the dog at that moment, although instinctive, will surely not endear her to animal lovers.

So what could have been an exciting read - because the first dead body is followed by another - is a bit of an anticlimax, especially since we are repeatedly told, following her discovery of footprints and hence the first body, that Thea is experiencing feelings of fear, dread etc. The trouble is these are not invoked and she continues to act as if she has no concerns at all - at one point, someone walks in because she has forgotten to lock the door. If she was really as scared as we are told throughout, she would have been checking and rechecking that she had locked the doors etc, even if she was irritated at herself for having to do so. It doesn't really gell with the nature of the deaths, considering the murders she has dealt with in previous books, that she is so undermined by snowfall especially since she is never really trapped in the house - she has help from a policeman in digging out part of the track so that she can get her car out, for example. She isn't as isolated from other people as the scenario requires if we were to believe that she is scared silly - and we need to be shown that in her behaviour and invoked emotions rather than just bald statements. The denouement also lacks drama though it's possible that the culprit owns up rather than let someone else, close to them and suspected by the police, take the rap. All in all, not the best installment in the series, sadly.

[Alison C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Throughout the six or seven books in the Cotswolds series by Rebecca Tope that I've read, I've found myself mostly disliking the books, but continuing to read them anyway (partly because I paid for them). In Fear in the Cotswolds, I finally have come upon the reason I so dislike them and the protagonist, Thea Osborne. The easiest way to explain is by way of a SPOILER (consider yourself warned): Toward the end of the novel, Thea, who has been house-sitting in a remote area during a snowstorm and who has responsibility, among other pets, for a number of rabbits including a half-dozen babies born unexpectedly and a part-greyhound rescued dog, Jimmy, who had previously been abused and is in a very fragile mental condition. When Thea irresponsibly leaves Jimmy in the yard and then opens the barn door where the rabbits are and forgets to close it, she shouldn't be surprised that Jimmy, seeing the rabbits, dashes in, grabs one in his mouth and kills it. But surprised she is, and her immediate instinct, which she acts upon, is to kick Jimmy in the shoulder. Apparently she regrets it immediately, but for the rest of the book she is said to be continuing her duties, including feeding and letting Jimmy out for a pee, but the author describes absolutely no further specific interaction between the dog and the woman after that incident. Perhaps she doesn't want her readers to realize that traumatized Jimmy is going to be absolutely terrified of Thea (and probably other humans) for the rest of his life; she has made his already fragile existence immeasurably worse by her action. And she doesn't seem to care in the least.... Yes, there's a murder (well, one murder and one suicide) in the tale, and yes, Thea more or less learns the truth (though only because someone thoughtfully leaves a note for her to find), but the woman is so self-centered and superficial and downright reckless about the animals she ostensibly cares about, that I simply can't stomach her; and her treatment of Jimmy is such that if she were a real person, I'd be calling the RSPCA to get her banned from caring for animals ever again. Thank god this is the last book in the series that I bought, so that I never have to read about Thea Osborne again.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 7 in the Cotswold series and it is by far my favorite installment.
I am a lover of winter, snow and ice anyway, so this boosted my enjoyment completely and catered to my cold fantasies.
This book had the best story line of any so far as well. I definitely didn't figure out the "whodunit" till the very end. Rebecca Tope keeps you on your toes with the mystery of why, who, where and how.
In this adventure we visit the town of Hampnett in the beautiful snowy fields of the Cotswolds, in January. Thea is to stay a month, her longest house sitting job to date. She has lots of animals to tend too as well as lovely characters who grace the pages throughout. Her relationship with Phil Hollis has ended but that doesn't stop Thea for carrying on even better than before. I feel her character is meant to stay alone, as she has so many personality quirks.
Pick this book up, you do not have to start at book one. The author does a great job in each book at giving you a bit of background before foraging ahead. Loved it and I give it a 5 stars. Why? Rebecca Tope is my fav author, she finally allowed me to visualize the Cotswolds in my favorite season--Winter--, great storyline..reading these books are like a chocolate treat for me. I try not to read them all back to back too quickly because I don't want the series to end yet.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into his at all. I thought with a murder, there might be some gripping plot or some interesting charachters. Nothing. Everything was over analysed and there was very little dialogue in the book which made it hard to get a feel of the relationship between the characters. Not really a fan.

[Vkwgreen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to give this book a chance, but was disappointed. The main character is petty, rude and shallow. You could have read every other page and still got the gist of this story. She misses obvious clues, asks rude questions, and the story often rehashes things over and over. If you want a shallow mystery book written on a sixth grade level, try this one.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing story of Thea Osborne who house sits in The Cotswolds. This is number 7 so there is obviously some characters and history from previous books. Thea finds a man frozen in the snow and when police arrive, the body has disappeared. So the mystery begins… Enjoyable enough but felt a little clumsy as it filled in background from previous books and the ending seemed a bit rushed and abrupt 🤔

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this mystery. Even though the book is no 7 in a series and this is the first book I’m reading from it, I had no trouble following the ‘background’ story.

The mystery element was interesting, and not dark or gruesome in any way.

[Leanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the reviews of this book made me laugh. I agree wholeheartedly that there is actually very little fear in the Cotswolds and Thea is quite an unlikeable heroine. I am quite baffled by her increasing distress at the time involved in caring for the animals, all of which must actually account for only about an hour out her day (she quite obviously has not taken care of a house full of children!). In terms of the heroine it seems like the author is going for a cross between Miss Marple and Agatha Raisin, but without any of the charm or strength of character. Seeing as 2 of my favourite topics for reading are in the title, this was a huge disappointment.

[Nancy Hayworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Flawed Main Character

Love the mystery of this book. However, Thea, the main character, simply is less and less likable. In a prior book, she justifies physical spousal abuse. She is a healthy, 40 something woman who does nothing but housesits. However, she has a whole diatribe against people staying at home, socializing and cleaning their homes. She does not understand global warming, but she has nothing but time to edify herself on the subject. Yet, she stays ignorant. She is just a wholly unlikable character. Unfortunately, she is the main character, and she is the type of person who you would never really want to know.

[Billie (bilbo.h) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5*

Thea spends a month in a semi isolated cottage and has to come to terms with her losses after finding a dead body in the snow.

I much prefer Thea in this book, she admits that she has been unlikeable to many people in her life and understands the loss of her recent boyfriend was her fault for not caring enough for him. With Thea accepting the changes in her life, caused by her own attitude, she trys to help solve the mystery of the dead body that goes missing only 2 hours after phoning the police.

There's a few twists and unexpected plots in this book, keeping me guessing right up until the end.

[Nina Levison · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story but not as good as some of Rebecca Tope's other books. The story started off well but by the middle of the story there was too much agonising and theorising and not enough action. The story picked up towards the end, but by then I had guessed who the murderer was. Overall it was rather a dark and dismal story-a shame as some of her other stories have been quite intriguing.

[Joanna Forbes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first one I read as my library didn't number them. It's quite atmospheric. Quite a few red herrings. The guilty party seems to get tired of waiting to be caught and gives themselves up.

[Angela Petch · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I picked up this book, written by a completely unknown author to me, because of the attractive book cover. So, I suppose that should be a lesson to me, as a self-published author! The importance of the book cover. I enjoyed this "cosy" murder mystery - not as cosy as the silly Midsomer series - and the characters of the hamlet of Hampnett were all well drawn. The premise of a woman living by means of various house-sitting jobs is a clever idea for devising murder stories. Thea Osborne ends up in a snowbound Cotswold village with an assortment of animals for company. (So that will appeal to animal lovers...am I being cynical?) Of course there are some bodies that come into the equation - I'm not going to write a spoiler - and the background intrigues behind the people related to these bodies. We learn about unhappy marriages, closet gays, bitter farmers, educated, foreign nannies working beneath their educational capabilities... lots of red herrings and clues that lead the reader up the wrong snowy path...but the dénoument was a little sudden for my liking. In the end, what appealed to me most were the descriptions of the snowbound countryside and the sense of isolation that Thea was feeling (partly due to the end of an affair). I liked Thea, however, and I'm off to the library now to look up something else about her. I wonder if the cover will lure me - or the blurb on the back?

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terrible, but not inspiring me to go find other books in the series or other works of the author. The main character seemed to be positioned as a transitory Miss Marple figure, learning about the various characters in each village she works and the details of their relationships, which enables her to solve their murders. However, Miss Marple got away with being nosy and asking inquisitive questions because she was a sweet old lady and went about her investigations in a tactful, respectful manner. Thea Osborne, on the other hand, is an aggressive, socially dense woman who thinks it's fine to go up up total strangers grieving the murder of a loved one and ask them who the police suspect. She barges in to another character's house after meeting him once, and grills him about his movements before he's dressed. She continually acts in an anti-social way, but takes great offence when anyone calls her out on it. I liked the premise, the atmosphere, and the detailed description of life in a remote and rural place, but I could not sympathize with or like the main character. And I was deeply irritated by the author's habit of frequently using 'flash' as a verb for angry speech, e.g. "I don't know what you mean," she flashed back at him. Sounds ridiculous.

[Cynthia Grove · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read two or three in this series and found them reasonable. This one was disappointing. Although marketed and clothed as a mystery the core story seemed to be about the semi-breakdown of the central character, Thea. The main clue to this theme comes late in the book (p345 out of 413 in my copy) when it is said of two people that "they could recognise a troubled spirit when they saw one," meaning Thea.
The clues are there in plenty: the heavy snowfall over three days, the fear in a woman one would expect to be strong, the constant mention of Thea's late husband, the recent break-up of her relationship with Phil, the break-up resulting from her own hardness in Phil's need (mentioned more than once), and even the unnatural way Thea talks to Tony and others about the deaths. There is even . . . well, read the book to find several other pointers or symbols of inner torment.

[Gwendolyn Broadmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fear in the Cotswolds, by Rebecca Tope: a compelling novel presenting mystery, beauty, and dread in equal measure. Thea Osborne, following a troubled personal life, chooses to support herself by house sitting for now. Somehow this current month long assignment has her anxiety-button fused on high alert. Thea spends her first few days exploring and meeting some of the locals in the lovely hamlet of Hampnett. The weather unexpectedly turns extreme; suddenly Thea finds herself isolated with only the assortment of animals under her charge and her loyal spaniel Hepzie for company. Mysterious footprints in the snow further threaten Thea's sense of safety, then she stumbles across a dead body in a snow-covered field. Fear in the Cotswolds is a good read. Gwendolyn Broadmore, author, Life Came to a Standstill.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thea Osborne is a house sitter - and in this book she looks after a house with several animals. Winter closes in and amidst the cold and snow Thea finds a body and sets off to solve the mystery. I have read several books in this series and am really not sure I want to read any more - though there are still a couple on my book shelf. I find with each read the character of The becomes more annoying and for me unlikable. She is only supposed to be in her 40's but reading it she dithers and behaves not at all as you would expect - her treatment of the animals in her care in the book is awful and her stumbling through this mystery offending people as she goes is not endearing.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is interesting...that of a middle-aged, spunky woman taking temporary jobs as house/pet-sitter at properties in rural parts of England. But I found this particular book in the series to be disappointing, as Thea for the first time finds herself fearful and despondent as she takes care of a few animals at a very isolated farm during a prolonged snowstorm. If the main character was more sympathetic, I would have commiserated with her more, but Thea tends to go places where she isn't particularly welcome, and blurt out tactless questions.
Will I read the next book in the series? Stay tuned.

[Cathy Quigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being Canadian I find it funny to watch British people deal with snow and there's lots of it in this book. It's like it is one of the characters in the story. As per usual one of the animal charges under Thea's care has to die, this one was more near the end of the book and it wasn't the one on its last legs. Despite the constant fear and anxiety Thea seems to suffer throughout the book she's never in any grave danger. Near the end of the book when the motive and murderer are exposed, it's done very quickly without extensive explanation or any description of the arrest of the suspect.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot in this mystery is solid, makes sense, with a nice wrap-up for the ending. But Thea is more a knob in this book than in any of the previous ones. She's miserable, speaks when she shouldn't, uncaring...and very unlikable. Although she does have a moment of self reflection where she recognizes her unlikeableness, I'm not sure if I'm willing to read the next book and spend so much of it frustrated with the main character. Perhaps we could kill off Thea and have Phil return?

[Julie Tombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise of an amateur detective doing a spot of house and pet sitting in a winters Cotswold setting. Midsomer murders type read. I found it a little bit unbelievable that a Miss Marple type would be confided in by a police officer and it all tied up rather neatly at the end. Fairly enjoyable read but I probably won’t read another.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, unchallenging read. The central character has some unpleasant traits and the author regularly repeats herself. It is a very easy read and if you're looking for something uncomplicated and relaxing to pass the time you could do worse.

[Mary Roland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery story about two dead bodies found in heavy snow, based around Thea, who is house sitting in the Cotswold. The plot could have been made more interesting. Not a well written book. Very weak ending - fizzled.

[Rob Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The snow covered Cotswolds provides an atmospheric and isolating setting for this seventh book in the series. Protagonist Thea doesn't get too much involved in the investigation but the story cracks on a nice pace and I was kept guessing until the end.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great setting, very cosy winter read. Some of the conversations in the story seemed unrealistic and overly argumentative, but other wise a good book and looking forward to reading the series from the start.

[Hayley R · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my previous reviews on this series of books by Rebecca Tope, I have regularly mentioned that I have liked the characters… On reading this book, I have come to realise that didn’t include the main character, Thea. She is really rather unlikeable and I, like she, have only just realised this!

[Rylinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and poorly written. Rather than thoroughly developing the plot and characters involved the author decided to focus on the main character Thea feeding animals and being anxious with no discernable reason. So difficult to get through I couldn’t even finish it.