Shadows in the Cotswolds

Shadows in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2013-03-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749013214

When Thea Osborne agrees at the last minute to house-sit for Oliver Meadows as a favour to her mother, she expects a few days of peace with her spaniel, Hepzie. Uncomfortable with the news of her mother's sudden involvement with an old flame, and Thea herself unsure of how to deal with her feelings for Drew Slocombe, she hopes that some time alone in the historic town of Winchcombe will help to clear her head. But, as usual, Thea quickly finds herself at the centre of a dark mystery when she discovers a dead body in the gardens of the house.

Secrets in the Cotswolds

Secrets in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 299
Release: 2019-08-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749024380

August, and Thea is tired of having to entertain Drew's children so she accepts a commission to watch over a house in Barnsley. On her first day there, she rescues a fugitive woman she finds hiding under some bushes. The woman's story is thin and incoherent, but Thea gives her sanctuary for the night only to find her dead the next morning. The police are impossibly busy with a big investigation into the trafficking of rare animals and Thea is effectively on her own, trying to make sense of the murder. As she digs deeper into the woman's background, she discovers a tangled web of lies, secrets and at least three very likely suspects .

Deception in the Cotswolds

Deception in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2011-04-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749010355

In the wake of a series of unfortunate experiences in the Cotswolds, Thea Osborne, accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah, is perhaps over-optimistic about the English summertime and the possibilities of her latest house-sitting assignment in the secluded village of Cranham. Despite the ease with which Thea's new job begins, looking after Harriet Young's reptiles, she soon finds a dark side to the characters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina, it soon becomes clear Harriet's beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham...

Guilt in the Cotswolds

Guilt in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2016-03-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749019093

Thea Osborne's latest house-sitting assignment is a little different to the rest. Along with her spaniel, Hepzie, Thea finds herself in the village of Chedworth. She is tasked with creating an inventory of Rita Wilshire's possessions, requested by her son, Richard Wilshire, after moving her into a care home. All goes to plan, until Thea and her fiancé, Drew Slocombe, find Richard dead in a barn. When family members come knocking, Thea and Drew struggle to give them answers. The Wilshire family has its own past and, whilst Thea knows it is not really her business, she cannot help but become involved in the case. Was Richard's death suicide? Or something more sinister? When the clues lead them in circles, Thea's relationship with Drew is put to the test. But there is a crime to solve, and neither of them is willing to give up just yet.

Peril in the Cotswolds

Peril in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2017-08-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 074902173X

Thea Slocombe is trying to settle into normal family domestic life with Drew and his two children in Broad Campden. But any sense of cosy domesticity is shattered when Thea finds the body of a neighbour. No longer a house-sitter, Thea has no choice but to stay in the village and deal with whatever happens next, even when this risks damage to her marriage.Unconvinced that the swift conclusion made about the death by the police is the right one, Thea is compelled to follow her nature and investigate herself. But what repercussions might there be for her, Drew and those with whom they share this corner of the Cotswolds?

Crisis in the Cotswolds

Crisis in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2018-07-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749023775

Thea and Drew have been married for a year and are settled in the village of Broad Campden, but Thea is chafing at the domestic routines she is expected to devote herself to, missing the novelty and adventure that house-sitting used to bring. When a routine burial exposes the secrets of the deceased, Drew finds himself caught in the middle of a family feud, in which he feels he is on the wrong side, and Thea's inquisitiveness and penchant for solving crimes draws her in too. With another crisis at Drew's other business leaving him with a profound dilemma and Thea struggling against the charismatic charms of a new man, can their marriage survive this latest Cotswold drama?

Betrayal in the Cotswolds

Betrayal in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2022-07-21
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749028645

'As Rebecca Tope tells it, every rural idyll is blighted by underlying menace. Such is her writing skill, I'm inclined to believe her 'Daily MailA handsome, if slightly shabby, stone house in Upper Oddington is home to Umberto Kingley as well as his three dogs and will be Thea Slocombe's latest house-sitting assignment. Without even a local shop, Thea expects the location to be one of her quietest, until the serene atmosphere is shattered with a fatal hit-and-run.The ensuing high-profile police investigation plunges Thea deep into the victim's complicated family dynamics and the rift that had already torn it apart. And she cannot help wondering if the reverberations of scandal have led to a deliberate and murderous assault.

Revenge in the Cotswolds

Revenge in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2015-03-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749018143

Thea Osborne, Cotswold house-sitter with an infamous reputation for getting mixed up in crime, is determined to avoid trouble this time. Her latest commission in the village of Daglingworth seems straightforward, with most of her time spent looking after an old corgi and a hibernating tortoise. Thea is ready for a relaxing if rather boring two weeks, with phone calls to new boyfriend Drew Slocombe the highlight of her days. Until, that is, a dead body is discovered in a nearby quarry . . .

Echoes in the Cotswolds

Echoes in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2021-07-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749027274

'As Rebecca Tope tells it, every rural idyll is blighted by underlying menace. Such is her writing skill, I'm inclined to believe her' Daily MailAs spring returns to the Cotswolds, so too does Thea Slocombe to house-sitting. She has agreed to look after Lucy Sinclair's new home in Northleach while she is away, and Thea is glad of the change of scene. She soon meets several of the locals who seem to irritate Lucy so much, and comes to the conclusion that Lucy is far from popular herself. When a man's body is found in Northleach, Thea needs all her wits about her. At the heart of the mystery are secrets betrayed and revenge exacted, and Thea is once again caught up in underhand dealings played out in the idyllic countryside.

A Discovery in the Cotswolds

A Discovery in the Cotswolds
Author: Rebecca Tope
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2023-08-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749030429

Thea Osborne reconnects with her friend Emmy while on a visit to the church in Baunton, near Cirencester with her stepdaughter Stephanie. Emmy, now married to local farmer Nick Weaver, asks Thea to, help them find their missing niece, Ginny. But before Thea can get started, she stumbles upon the recently killed body of Alice, a woman they had briefly seen in Cirencester the day before. Stephanie concentrates on searching for Ginny via social media while Thea is diverted into helping the police with the murder investigation. It soon becomes clear that Ginny and Alice are linked in a sinister way.