Cotswold Series – Rebecca Tope Free Audiobook

Written by Rebecca Tope
Format: M4B

A Cotswold Killing (Thea Osborne Mystery #1)
Nestled in the fertile hills of the Cotswolds, the village of Duntisbourne Abbots is a well-kept secret: beautiful, timeless and quintessentially English. When recently widowed Thea Osborne arrives to house-sit for a local couple, her only fear is that three weeks there might prove a little dull. Her first night’s sleep at Brook View is broken by a piercing scream outside but she decides such things don’t require investigation in a sleepy place like this. At least not until a body turns up… In calling on her neighbors to get some answers, Thea uncovers more tragedy and intrigue than she thought possible behind the peaceful Gloucestershire village. The first in a new series of thrillers to be set in the Cotswold area, A Cotswold Killing takes the reader on a tense journey along winding roads and muddy paths towards a dramatic and unexpected denouement.

A Cotswold Ordeal (Thea Osborne Mystery #2)
Thea Osborne embarks on her second house-sitting commission with very few worries. The Phillipses are obviously a laid back family, and there is little to do but tend an ailing old pony and feed various furry pets and farmyard birds. But it seems she is jinxed. An apparent suicide takes place in one of the barns. Set in the most southern part of the Cotswolds, known for its woollen mills active in the 19th century, the canal locks lie buried in woodland, along with many of the dreams and secrets of the local people. Thea is interviewed by Detective Superintendent Hollis and finds herself in the very center of the action. But confusion and conflict reign as investigations develop into the death in the barn, with divided loyalties and many frustrations.

Death In The Cotswolds (Thea Osborne Mystery #3)
After two disastrous housesitting incidents in which she unwittingly became embroiled in murder and mayhem, Thea Osbourne is only too happy to have a bit of peace and quiet. The only positive thing that came out of her experiences is her blossoming relationship with DI Phil Hollis and she relishes the thought of their spending some quality time together. Even meeting Phil’s childhood acquaintance, the eccentric Ariadne, cannot detract from Thea s happiness. But the bad luck the plagues the hapless Thea and her beloved spaniel Hepzipah is never far away. With autumn drawing in, preparations for Samhain, or Halloween, are well underway when Ariadne discovers a very tangible reminder of the season of death on Notgrove Barrow: a body laid out like a sacrificial victim. Unlikely companions, Thea and Ariadne are thrown together as they try to uncover the events that led to the fatality. It soon becomes apparent that the cozy village has more than its share of secrets. But just how far will some go to keep them hidden . . .

A Cotswold Mystery (Thea Osborne Mystery #4)
After three catastrophic housesitting commissions, filled with murder and intrigue, the Montgomery house in Blockley seems like a welcome break for fearless Thea and her trusty spaniel Hephzibah. The opportunity to explore the lost Cotswold villages, with only the minor hindrance of checking up on the client’s mother, in the adjoining house, promises to be the perfect get away. But Granny Gladys Gardener, with her conveniently erratic memory and series of ailments that disappear as quickly as they arrive, is a force to be reckoned and is soon arousing Thea’s suspicion. After all, why do the Montgomery’s lock her connecting door to the house? And why do they set an alarm that goes off every time Granny goes out?

Thea’s concerns, however, soon turn to something more sinister when the arrival of her daughter, trainee policewoman Jessica, prompts the discovery of a body. Slowly the secrets of Blockley begin to unravel themselves to the Osborne women, but nothing in the village is quite what it seems. Up against the clock to try and solve another murder, with the added complications of her elderly charge, her daughter’s career troubles and her deepening relationship with DI Phil Hollis, Thea is beginning to feel well and truly lost in the Cotswolds.

Blood in the Cotswolds (Thea Osborne Mystery #5)
Thea Osborne and her faithful spaniel, Hepzie, have taken on another house-sitting assignment, this time in the very quiet village of Temple Guiting. Detective Superintendent Phil Hollis is looking forward to visiting for a night or two and celebrating the couple’s one year anniversary, but a slipped disk in Phil’s back soon puts an end to their romantic weekend.

As it turns out, having a policeman on the scene is not entirely unnecessary in the little village. A few days into their stay, a pile of human bones are discovered in the base of an uprooted tree. There is no concrete evidence as to whom the bones belonged to though the locals all have their theories and rumors abound. Thea and Phil find there is a strong connection to the Knights Templar in the village with most locals claiming to be descendants
of some or other lineage.

Temple Guiting turns out to have more than its fair share of secrets and Thea and Phil find their relationship tested to the limits as they try to prevent another murder investigation from threatening the quiet solitude they hold so dear.

Slaughter in the Cotswolds (Thea Osborne Mystery #6)
Thea Osborne has just lost her beloved father and retreats to housesitting in Lower Slaughter, hoping to find peace. The scenery is beautiful, the tranquility a welcome backdrop to her independent ways, and there’s a host of miscellaneous animals to help stave off her loneliness – not to mention the much-needed company of her faithful spaniel Hepzie. As Thea settles down to two weeks of solitude, her biggest challenges are doing jigsaw puzzles and fighting off bats in the bedroom. That is, of course, until reality catches up with her. When Thea’s bossy elder sister turns up on her doorstep after witnessing a horrific killing, the rural serenity in Lower Slaughter descends into a web of mutual suspicions, accusations and confrontations.

Fear in the Cotswolds (Thea Osborne Mystery #7)
Following a string of disastrous house-sitting assignments, and with troubles in her recent personal life, Thea Osborne is understandably apprehensive about her latest commission: a wintery month in an isolated farmhouse with only an assortment of animals, including her loyal spaniel Hepzie, for company.

A Grave in the Cotswolds (Thea Osborne Mystery #8)
Undertaker Drew Slocombe is not having a good day. His business is failing, the car needs an MOT (safety inspection) and he’s driving 120 miles to the Cotswolds to carry out the late Greta Simmonds’ final wishes. Unfortunately, when he gets there, a string of bureaucratic mistakes means that he’s now the chief suspect of a murder inquiry. He’s beginning to wish he had never heard of Greta Simmonds.

Thea Osborne and her loyal spaniel Hepzie are still pursuing their occupation as house-sitters, despite the disastrous incidents of the past. At the moment they are staying in Greta Simmonds’ house, which is currently between ownership. Thea is torn between moving back home or waiting for the execution of the will. After all, she does have outstanding payments due. Then the discovery of a body in a nearby field takes the decision out of Thea’s hands, and she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation once again. Having befriended the police’s only suspect, Drew Slocombe, Thea believes him to be innocent. As Thea and Drew work together to clear his name, it slowly dawns on them that in a village simmering with secrets, a means and a motive could be laid at anybody’s door.