Deadly Performance:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Scotland
Kanga Press (July 5, 2023)
Paperback : 190 pages
ISBN-10 : 1915413451
ISBN-13 : 978-1915413451
Kindle ASIN : B0C3YXJS7D
A murder on stage. Her father a prime suspect. Can an amateur sleuth step into the limelight and find the killer before the final curtain falls?
Dotty Sayers and her cat, Earl Grey, are anxious about visiting her parents in Edinburgh, Scotland. When Dotty and her father accept a stranger’s VIP tickets to a Fringe Festival play, they discover more than the best seats in the house. On stage for the first act, Dotty hears a shot in the dark and presumes it’s part of the script. So she’s shocked when a spotlight illuminates a controversial politician’s dead body.
Befriended by a local police officer, Dotty is drawn into the investigation. But her enthusiasm turns to alarm when her father is unexpectedly arrested. Can Dotty prove his innocence before the real culprit exits stage left?
Even when a player dies on stage, the show must go on. Search behind the scenes with Dotty and buy Deadly Performance today!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Dotty Sayers and her cat, Earl Grey have arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland to visit her parents. Her mother is very busy so Dotty looks forward to spending some quality time with her father. They have decided to attend a Fringe Festival play using VIP tickets that were sent for someone else. They didn’t realize it was an interactive production and were surprised to find themselves on stage. When the lights go out, Dotty hears a gunshot. She assumed it was just part of the play but when the lights come on a controversial politician is dead and the people on stage including Dotty’s father are all suspects. Dotty’s location on stage keeps her off the list.
Dotty was doing a little digging into the death herself but when her father is arrested for the murder she knows it is up to her to prove his innocence. Can she get the answers she needs about the Deadly Performance? or will her father end up back behind bars? or will the show close with the mystery unsolved?
I was so happy to see this book and that Dotty’s adventures are continuing but in a different way. She is on her own but she has learned a lot about murder and their investigations from when she helped solve a few with her friends in Cotswold. She has gotten stronger in each book and while she was a little burnt out when she left there she has no choice but to get involved in this latest murder mystery. Especially when her new friend undercover policewoman Morag Elliot had asked her to keep her eyes open during the performance and a very important person was killed and now her dad is a prime suspect.
Dotty had not seen her parents in years and it was important for her to show them what a smart independent woman she had become. The parent/adult child relationship is still evolving between the three. I enjoyed that Dotty was able to spend some time with her father. That relationship is much more comfortable than the one with her mother. Her mother was almost too busy for her daughter and it was easy to see how complicated that relationship is. Dotty made some new friends too which was refreshing. All of Ms. Tait’s characters were fleshed out nicely throughout the story.
A murder in complete darkness is a keen mystery. Depending on our other 4 senses is always intriguing. Was the right person killed or did the killer miss their mark? Twists and turns make this a complicated mystery. Dotty does her best to work out all the connections and that leads up to a very entertaining reveal.
With the story set in Edinburgh, the author gives readers an overview of the political environment, history, and culture of the area. Dotty travels to such interesting places including museums, restaurants, and the Fringe Festival. Her father had been part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and his additions to the guide’s stories were just splendid. I am always happy to learn new things while I am reading mysteries and appreciate when authors use true details in their stories.
Deadly Performance
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About Victoria Tait
I was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. I’ve drawn on my experiences following my military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings. My determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.
I hope you enjoyed Keya’s first book. Why not join her and her friends as they solve more mysteries in my Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, also based in the Cotswolds? Visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L
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The Dotty Sayers Antique Mysteries
Coming October 20, 2023
Also written by Victoria Tait
Coming September 29
Coming January 5, 2024
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
