Death at the Fireside Inn: 1920s Historical Mystery
(Veronica Vale Investigates)
by Kitty Kildare
It is my pleasure to welcome Kitty Kildare
to Escape With Dollycas today.
WHY COZY MYSTERIES
by Kitty Kildare
Life is full of mystery. I’ve always had a fascination with finding out what goes on beneath the surface of every situation. I learned this the hard way when I made an off the cuff comment about someone’s ridiculously happy marriage and how content they seemed and I’d be so lucky to be in that situation. Two hours later, and after a lot of shed tears, I learned the grim reality of that magical marriage.
That lesson showed me nothing is ever quite what it seems. The happy smile on the baker’s face as he stocks his counter for the day. The cheerful whistle of the chimneysweep as he goes about his job (does that whistle sound strained to you? And what’s that rolled up in the back of his van?) And the intense expression of the chambermaid as she dashes past with a bundled parcel. Is she busy or does she have something to hide?
What else is going on? I always ask myself about the secrets the strangers I meet could be keeping. If you’re ever bored on a journey, it’s a wonderful game to play. Look around the aeroplane, train carriage, or even glance into other people’s cars if you’re stuck in traffic, and play the what if game.
- What if that person is scowling because they’ve learned a secret about their older brother? A secret that’s lost them thousands of dollars and the respect of their father.
- What if the woman looking pensive has learned a dark puzzling clue to exactly what her husband was doing two weeks ago last Friday? What will she do with that knowledge?
- What if the speeding fool who is risking his life and everyone else’s, is dashing somewhere of the utmost importance? Maybe he has a clue that will solve a murder tucked in his inside jacket pocket. Or he needs to get somewhere by a certain time to interview a key witness or the case will fall apart.
Sometimes, playing this game makes real life seem so much more interesting.
My characters always ask the question ‘what if’ and dig for more information. They’re never content with the surface, simple answers they first receive and are observant of their surroundings and the way people interact with them and others. It’s often the small clues and the little hints that give away the big secrets.
The Veronica Vale Investigates series delves into people’s lives and unearths the often surprising (and sometimes shocking) secrets. Secrets that lead to murder.
And my sleuth is never alone. That’s another delightful thing about cozy mysteries. Veronica is surrounded by friends and family who inspire her to do her best. The mysteries could never be solved without the valuable input of those around her. Ruby Smythe, her best friend. Her fretful, nosy mother, Edith, and the not always helpful Inspector Templeton. And not forgetting Veronica’s amazing clue-hunting dog, Benji.
I can think of nothing I’d like more than to solve perplexing mysteries surrounded by the people I trust most, and for those people to encourage me to do my best and find a solution to a confounding puzzle. I’m only a hero when I have my team around me.
The same goes for Veronica.
And the nice thing about having a team to help you solve the puzzles, is that once you’re done, you can go and have a delicious slice of cake, a gossip, and a nice cup of tea in your favorite café.
Would anyone like to join Veronica, Ruby, and Benji for afternoon tea at the Ritz?
Thank you, Kitty, for stopping by today.
Keep reading for more information about Kitty’s book.
About Death at the Fireside Inn
Death at the Fireside Inn: 1920s Historical Mystery (Veronica Vale Investigates)
Historical British Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – 1920s London, England
K.E. O’Connor Books (January 16, 2024)
Number of Pages: 225
Digital ASIN : B0CL2HDFSM
A fading star, a puzzling death, and a mystery that must be solved!
Veronica Vale spent a turbulent few years serving her country during the Great War – doing more than her role in the exchange network suggested! Now back on British soil and adjusting to life as an obituary writer for her uncle’s newspaper, while caring for her ailing mother, Veronica has gotten used to a slower (and safer) pace of life.
Excitement comes from fun parties, walks with Benji, her beloved rescue dog, and volunteering at the Dogs’ Home.
When an old family friend, and former superstar of the theatre, Florence Sterling, is discovered dead in her dressing room at the Winter Garden Theatre in London, Veronica is curious to discover what happened to the sweet, funny, ruthlessly ambitious beauty.
Much to the dismay of her sometimes nemesis Inspector Templeton, Veronica is tasked with writing Florence’s obituary. And what she learns will blow the roof off the theatre! That’s if she survives to tell the tale.
***
If you love witty dialogue, historical glamour, intrigue, and a fast-paced cozy mystery set in 1920s England, then you’ll adore Kitty Kildare’s unputdownable whodunits.
About Kitty Kildare
Immerse yourself into Kitty Kildare‘s cleverly woven historical British mysteries. Follow the mystery in the Veronica Vale Investigates series and enjoy the dazzle and delights of 1920s England. Kitty is a not-so-secret pen name of established cozy mystery author K.E. O’Connor, who decided she wanted to time travel rather than cast spells! Enjoy the twists and turns.
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was just that. I escaped right into this book and was captivated from beginning to end. Each book in this series can be read as a stand-alone but for maximum enjoyment and to get to really know these wonderful characters you should read them all.
, the 
, the 
, and the 
. Sara also teaches an online course, 
.
Courtauld Gallery. It’s a gallery devoted to French Impressionism, which I love, and is situated in Somerset House, where sleuths of Miss Marple’s generation would go to discover who was secretly married to whom and the name and gender of heirs on whom a plot rests. I’ve never been there, but I know I’ll have to take a few pictures of the outside to stoke my imagination if I send someone there after a clue.
she is doing the exact same thing. I loved the historical aspects to the story along with the great mystery. The characters are colorful, unique and realistic for the time period. I love what a strong woman Olivia Denis is and the way she takes on whatever is asked of her. She doesn’t do anything halfway.
can be read as a stand alone but I strongly suggest you read 
first. I can’t wait for book #3.
