Bidding for Revenge Earns 5+/5 Auction Bids…Engaging, Clever Cozy Gem!

Dotty Sayers is bonding well with her new friends and colleagues at Akemans Antiques agreeing to complete the swimming portion in a team charity triathlon, but she’s also eager to join her good friend and landlady on a fact-finding mission to a local auctioneer house. Aunt Beanie had long since retired from Akemans to help law enforcement police the antique community, then later retired again after her husband’s dementia diagnosis. With reports of a well-organized antique scam hitting locally, a former colleague convinced Beanie to act as a consultant. Dotty thought making a few contacts along with a bit of snooping might be fun. However, everything collides with murderous results…shadowy figures, curious comments, break-ins, secrets, police records, and one of the auctioneers later murdered at the triathlon event! Dotty can’t help but be in the middle of a murder investigations for which she’s shown herself ill-prepared, yet in spite of her “Miss Meddlesome” moniker, she’s surprisingly helpful.

Victoria Tait’s fourth book in her Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery is a delightful mini tour of the Cotswold countryside: the different villages, the rural backroads, diverse flora and fauna, and myths, monoliths, and mountains. But, it also incorporates all kinds of fascinating details about appraisals, auctions, and antiques, or not-so antiques, to make it informative as well as entertaining. The antiques trade is the perfect competitive and cutthroat environment in which to set her cozy. With characters showing up in curious places exhibiting contentious attitudes, suspicious comments, and threats seen and heard, it reveals realistic motives, surprise suspects, clever conspiracies, and more peril Dotty has trouble avoiding. Love it! Don’t miss this cozy gem!

From a technical side, Victoria Tait’s writing style is one that captures my interest: sensory-laden language paints the setting and multi-generational characters and the banter supports their personalities and emotions. It’s much a “coming of age” journey with Dotty breaking the boundaries set by a controlling family and authorities and emerging as capable and strong. She has her lapses, us all, questioning her decisions and stewing over her missteps, but it is inspiring to watch. Beyond the mystery, this book and series checks all the boxes: favorite setting, a tight-knit group of diverse friends, and a multi-faceted female. Brilliant! A top contender for Best of 2022!

Disclosure: I received an ARC from the author. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.read-20222 s LORI CASWELL2,611 298

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Dotty Sayers is taking on more responsibilities at Akemans Auction House. She has been tasked with furnishing a massive home for a local celebrity. This means traveling to several auctions to find the perfect period furnishings her new client desires. She gets to know the man quite well especially after he agrees to hold a charity triathlon competition on his property. Dotty has been swimming every morning to prepare for being part of the Akeman’s team.

The big day arrives and everything is in place to have a successful event until one of the competitors collapses and dies at the end of the course.

In addition to the suspicious death, Aunt Beanie is on a case tracking down counterfeit furniture and Dotty is on board to help her especially after she learns she finds out one of her recent purchases was a forgery.

Dotty truly has her hands full as both mysteries play out and collide in dangerous ways.

I have enjoyed every book in this series and I really enjoy the way Dotty has emerged over the course of these books. Going off on her own to auctions was a big step and she handled it so well. Ms. Tait has given her an excellent group of friends and colleagues to support her. Living with Aunt Beanie and Uncle Cliff is beneficial for everyone. Cliff is failing more each day and due to an event in this story, Beanie needs assistance as well. It also gives Dotty a home base she can afford. She is growing closer to her workmates as well, they are quickly becoming friends. She has a great friendship building with Constable Keya Varma too. I love the multigenerational aspect of this series and the way Dotty interacts with everyone. She still has her moments when she reverts back to her quiet self but that makes her growth more real.

The author introduces some very interesting new characters in this story as well. Jay Newton, an aging rock star, who has bought Windrush Hall and Dotty’s new client, his bandmate Tracy, and an auctioneer who is very close to the rocker. These three seem to be hiding something which really piques Dotty’s interest.

Ms. Tait’s descriptive writing style lends itself well to this story. Dotty travels to several places in her quest to find just the right pieces to furnish Windrush Hall in the more historical way it deserves and to do a little sleuthing. Each place she visited was described wonderfully to create vivid pictures in my mind. The character’s dialogues and situations also felt genuine and true to life.

The mystery was very well-plotted, Dotty takes some real risks to find the truth. The cause of death was unique and unexpected. I did figure out part of the mystery before it was revealed but that did not deter my enjoyment of this story at all. I do love the way Victoria Tait tells a story!

Bidding for Revenge is an intriguing and entertaining story and a Perfect Escape. I am excited to see what Dotty and her friends will get into next. Gavels, Tinsel, and Murder will be released on November 4 and I can’t wait to get my copy.

read-20221 Michelle944 6

Dotty’s friend Keya is organizing a charity triathlon and Dotty has agreed to be the swim leg of the Akemans team. The event originally planned for a public place needs a new home and as luck would have it Dotty has been engaged by the new owner of Windrush Hall Jay Newton to purchase period furniture, originals if possible. Dotty introduces the two and Jay is excited to be a part of the event. On the day they meet Dotty and Keya see an employee of another local auction house who it seems is dating Jay and the two are arguing. On the day of the competition one of the athletes a young woman drops during her run and has a heart attack and dies. Shocking as she’s in good health except for allergies. As the investigation progresses secrets from her past come to light that cast suspicion or maybe a young sergeant is trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Time will tell.
An exciting adventure for Dotty and the reader. Dotty continues to grow and learn and try new things after the death of her controlling husband. Though she still struggles for self confidence I think that makes her all the more relatable and likable as a character and protagonist. I had an inkling of a suspicion as to who the perpetrator was and super excited to find that I was correct although you’ll have to read for yourself to see if you guess right too! I cannot wait to see what is next for Dotty and the crew of Akemans!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.1 Karin4,417 42

Who killed Rebecca Randall and why??? Auctions, fake antiques and affairs??? I enjoyed this story and recommend the book. 1 Kat Taylor1,655 19

I so enjoy the quality writing of Victoria Tait she brings to life the intrigue of the British country side and the art of antiquities with such vibrant and colorful women working in and of support of one another through generations. The characters draw you in wanting to get to know them better while the mystery entices you even further but the plot is what truly keeps you turning page after wonderful page until you reach its unexpected and climatic conclusion. Acquire " Bidding for Revenge " for hours of exciting, enjoyable and rewarding entertainment.
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