A Cotswold Ordeal
Page 28
Thea laughed. ‘So we’ll need the camping gaz. But October – that’s ages away.’
‘I imagine we can snatch a few mutually agreeable encounters between now and then.’
‘I hope so.’
‘So do I.’ He reached out a hand, and she took it and squeezed it before he needed it back for a gear change.
If you enjoyed this, you might like to read more in the Thea Osborne Cotswold series.
Read on to find out more …
About the Author
REBECCA TOPE lives on a smallholding in Herefordshire, with a full complement of livestock, but manages to travel the world and enjoy civilisation from time to time as well. Most of her varied experiences and activities find their way into her books, sooner or later. Her own cocker spaniel, Beulah, is the model for Hepzibah, but is unfortunately ageing much more rapidly.
www.rebeccatope.com
By Rebecca Tope
A Cotswold Killing
A Cotswold Ordeal
Death in the Cotswolds
A Cotswold Mystery
Blood in the Cotswolds
Slaughter in the Cotswolds
Fear in the Cotswolds
A Grave in the Cotswolds
Deception in the Cotswolds
Grave Concerns
The Sting of Death
A Market for Murder
Copyright
Allison & Busby Limited
13 Charlotte Mews
London W1T 4EJ
www.allisonandbusby.com
Copyright © 2005 by REBECCA TOPE
First published in hardback by Allison & Busby Ltd in 2005.
Published in paperback by Allison & Busby Ltd in 2006.
This ebook edition first published in 2010.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978–0–7490–0972–4
A COTSWOLD KILLING
Duntisbourne Abbots is a quintessentially English village nestled in the stunning Cotswold hills. Recently widowed Thea Osbourne fears three weeks of house-sitting there may prove a little dull, but her first night’s sleep at Brook View is broken by a piercing scream… When a body turns up, Thea knows she shouldn’t get involved, but in questioning neighbours she uncovers more tragedy and intrigue than she thought possible.
DEATH IN THE COTSWOLDS
Thea Osborne’s relationship with DI Phil Hollis is going from strength to strength. The couple retreat to a cottage in Cold Aston, where they look forward to some peace and quiet. Preparations for Samhain, the pagan origin of Halloween, are well underway when a very tangible reminder of the season of death is discovered: a body laid out like a sacrificial victim on Notgrove Barrow. It soon becomes apparent that the cosy village has more than its share of secrets. But just how far will some go to keep them hidden?
A COTSWOLD MYSTERY
The Montgomerys ask Thea Osborne to look after their house in the charming village of Blockley while they take a much needed holiday. But trouble seems to follow Thea, and when a body is discovered in the house next door, she finds herself in the midst of village secrets. From mystical local legends to celebrity sightings, the erstwhile quiet area turns out to be a place of mysterious contradictions – with very serious undertones.
BLOOD IN THE COTSWOLDS
Thea Osborne has taken on another house-sitting assignment, this time in the quiet village of Temple Guiting. Detective Superintendent Phil Hollis is looking forward to visiting, but a bad back soon puts an end to their romantic weekend. A few days into their stay, human bones are discovered in the base of an uprooted tree. With no evidence as to the identity of the body, wild theories and rumours abound. Thea and Phil find there is a strong connection to the Knights Templar in the village, but could that have any bearing on the case?
SLAUGHTER IN THE COTSWOLDS
Thea Osbourne has just lost her beloved father and retreats to her next housesitting assignment in Lower Slaughter, hoping to find the peace and quiet needed to deal with her grief.
When Thea’s bossy elder sister turns up on her doorstep after witnessing a horrific killing, the rural serenity descends into a web of mutual suspicions, accusations and confrontations.
As usual, investigating a murder while being a responsible housesitter proves to be no easy task, especially when you’ve got a dog-killer and a temperamental parrot on your hands…
FEAR IN THE COTSWOLDS
Following a string of disastrous house-sitting assignments, Thea Osborne is understandably apprehensive about her latest commission: a wintery month in an isolated farmhouse in the beautiful hamlet of Hampnett, with only an assortment of animals, including her loyal spaniel Hepzie, for company.
When Thea stumbles across a man lying dead in a snow-filled field, she is once again at the heart of a mystery in the gorgeous Cotswold countryside.
A GRAVE IN THE COTSWOLDS
When Drew Slocombe, the local undertaker at Broad Campden, is accused of murder, Thea Osborne becomes his unlikely friend and defender.
As they come to know more about the inhabitants of Broad Campden, Drew and Thea begin to unearth the secrets, conflicts and tensions that simmer below the surface of village life, together playing amateur detective to find the killer, and to clear Drew’s name.
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