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A Wicket of Lies book tour includes a super fun character interview. Explore this fun event, share it on social, and leave the author and our guest a comment.
Book Details
A Wicket of Lies: A British Cozy Murder Mystery (A Cotswold Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in the Series
Setting – Cotswold, England
Publisher : Kanga Press
Publication date : July 11, 2025
Digital ASIN : B0DNKN1W7P
ISBN-13 : 978-1917168328
Summer is in full swing in the Cotswolds… but not everyone is playing fair.
Dotty Sayers, antiques expert and amateur sleuth, is looking forward to an idyllic afternoon of
sunshine, cream teas, and village rivalry at the final of a local ladies’ cricket festival.
Keya Varma, café owner and part-time crime scene expert, is delighted to be on the pitch with
family and friends. The stakes are high but it’s all in good spirit… until a teammate is found
dead.
At first, the death seems like a tragic accident, but when Keya is appointed crime scene manager
and evidence starts turning up outside the boundary, suspicion begins to spread.
With lies spinning like a tricky googly and secrets lurking in the outfield, Dotty and Keya must
team up with the local police to cut through a pitch of grudges, hidden motives, and long-buried
betrayals.
Off the pitch, Dotty is facing doubts of her own. Can she let go of her fears and commit to a
future with Zach?
With a murder to solve and the game underway, can Dotty, Keya, and their unlikely team of
village cricketers spot the real villain before someone else gets bowled out?
A Wicket of Lies is the second book in Victoria Tait’s Cotswold Antique Mystery series, a feel-
good whodunnit brimming with village life, vintage treasures, and cricketing rivalries. With
determined sleuths, loyal friendships, and a community bound by justice, it’s a wonderfully
English mystery with heart.
Keep your eye on the ball and uncover the truth in A Wicket of Lies today!
About the Author
Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she developed a lifelong love of
tea and British traditions. Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and
Murder, She Wrote, she writes cozy mysteries infused with her signature British charm.
Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of
helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative. With intrigue, surprises, and gentle humour,
Victoria’s page-turning stories are the perfect blend of mystery and charm, best enjoyed with a
cup of tea and a slice of cake.
Victoria has recently been exploring the world, drawing inspiration for her books from
remarkable places including the Azores, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Morocco, and Malta.
You can find Victoria at VictoriaTait.com
Author Links
Website: https://victoriatait.com/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/victoria-tait
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriataitauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/VictoriaTaitAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20373879.Victoria_Tait
Purchase Links
Character Interview
Dotty Sayers
Describe yourself.
I’m not as outgoing or as lively as my friend Keya Varma, who helps me solve the mystery in this book. I
suppose other people would describe me as sensible or reserved. And I do think first before I act, which
Keya doesn’t always do. She is far more impulsive than me and more enthusiastic.
I’m not quite as cautious as I used to be, and I’m trying to be more open to new experiences. Not just
solving mysteries, but life in general. I’ve worked hard to build my confidence. After my husband died, I
felt rather adrift. Working at Akemans and learning about antiques has helped me focus and develop
new skills. It has also helped me find a stronger sense of self. I can’t believe that only a few years ago I
was the receptionist, and now I’m managing the whole auction house.
And the best thing about Akemans has been the people. I’ve made some wonderful friends there.
What makes you laugh?
I tend to be happy when other people are. Their antics when they are excited or enthusiastic often make
me laugh. Keya, especially, has a way of throwing herself into things that is both admirable and
unintentionally funny. She once insisted we enter a village quiz as “Team Fabulous,” and then shouted
the answers before I’d finished reading the questions.
My cat, Earl Grey, also has his moments. He pretends to be dignified but has a habit of chasing shadows
or getting stuck in laundry baskets. I don’t laugh out loud often, but he does manage to catch me off
guard.
More often, I smile at small things. A tree full of ripe apples, the first snowdrops after winter, the scent
of roses in the sun. There’s something comforting about those quiet signs that life keeps moving
forward.
Are you afraid of anything?
Everything. Well, at least lots of things. In this book, A Wicket of Lies, I’m absolutely petrified of the
cricket ball. It is so hard, and it even hurts your hands when you catch it. But standing in front of the
wickets and waiting for it to bounce up and hit me, with only a bat for protection, I hated that. I did it,
though, because I didn’t want to let the other members of the Coln Akeman Larks Ladies’ Cricket Team
down.
I think I’m more afraid of disappointing people than I am of that red ball. And there are other things too.
People driving far too fast around the narrow Cotswold lanes. My cat, Earl Grey, going hunting and
never coming back. And losing control of things at Akemans. I feel so privileged to be managing the auction house, but I do worry that I’ll make a mess of it or overlook something important or make a
decision I regret.
Even though I’m a naturally cautious person, I do try not to let my fears stop me doing anything.
Do you have a special talent or gift?
I wouldn’t say I have any special talent. I’m just an ordinary working girl, really. But I am observant, and I
tend to notice when things don’t quite add up. A word out of place, a look someone gives, a small
inconsistency. And when I spot something odd, I can’t help but puzzle over it.
I suppose I have a knack for putting things together. I don’t jump to conclusions. I listen, I watch, I take
things in quietly, and I question what doesn’t sit right. That’s how I’ve managed to help solve quite a few
mysteries.
I’m not one for grand gestures or dramatic reveals, but I do believe in paying attention. Sometimes it is
the small, ordinary things that lead you to the truth.
Do you have a secret?
If I did, and I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. Although I will say, everyone has one or two
things they’d rather keep to themselves, and I’m no exception.
Tell us about your family.
My parents live in Edinburgh, and I really should see more of them. My father is terminally ill with lung
cancer.
I grew apart from them over the years and rarely spoke to them, even at Christmas or on birthdays. But
two years ago, I visited them in Edinburgh. I wouldn’t say it was a complete success, since my father
became a suspect in a murder at an Edinburgh Fringe Festival play. You can read about that in Deadly
Performance. But it did bring us closer, and I spent quite a lot of time with them over Christmas and
New Year.
I also have a brother, Stuart, although we are not especially close. He is much older than me. He and his
partner, Zoe, have recently moved out of central London to give their young daughter a more outdoorsy
sort of life.
But in truth, my real family are my friends in the Cotswolds. Gilly Wimsey, who runs the antique centre,
welcomed me to Akemans and gave me a job when I needed one most. Eccentric Aunt Beanie, who
offered me a cottage next to her farmhouse at a much reduced rent after I left the house the military
had provided when Al, my husband, was alive. And ofcourse my best friend, Keya Varma. She has been
with me ever since I discovered a body in a grandfather clock (which you can read about in Hour is
Come), and we have had plenty of adventures together since then.
I am blessed, really, to have two families.
Who is the most important person in your life?
There are so many people who matter to me. Dear friends, old colleagues, family I have reconnected
with. But if you are asking about a certain special someone, you will need to read A Wicket of Lies to find
out more about him.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
Oh, I’ve had a few, but I would really rather not talk about them.
What do you do for fun?
I love nature, especially in summer when there are so many wonderful flowers to see and smell. Gentle
walks or visits to other people’s gardens are very relaxing. And lately I have started broadening my
activities and attending more local events. Even if the topic, such as a beer festival in this book, is not
something I would usually choose, I enjoy talking to people and hearing their stories.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I wish I had been more assertive and outgoing when I was younger. I feel there is a lot about life that I
missed, so I am doing my best to make the most of it now.
Tell me about your author.
Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, in the north of England. She has always loved reading,
although not the classics, preferring to be engrossed in books by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, or,
to feed her love of riding and horse racing, Dick Francis.
Although she enjoys exploring the world and has lived in many places including Kenya, Ireland, and
Bosnia and Herzegovina, it has only made her more appreciative of the beauty of the English
countryside, the enjoyment of local events and activities, and the comfort of English traditions. She is
also partial to a cup of tea and a fruit scone with jam and clotted cream—and the cream must sit on top
of the jam.
She writes determined and hard-working female sleuths like me, but we are always joined by colourful
and realistic teams of friends and helpers. Recently, she and Georgina Carey have been travelling to the
Azores, Morocco, and Malta, and I am looking forward to reading about their adventures together.
But overall, Victoria believes our stories are best enjoyed with a cuppa and a slice of cake, as tea and
intrigue are the perfect combination.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW
July 20 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 22 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 23 – FUONLYKNEW – RECIPE
July 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 25 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
July 26 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
