Deception in the Cotswolds

Thea Osborne is over-optimistic about her house-sitting assignment in Cranham, but soon finds a dark side to the characters she encounters.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 21 February 2019
Publisher: Allison & Busby

Thea Osborne, accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah, embarks on a new house-sitting assignment in the secluded village of Cranham, with a hopeful outlook on the English summertime and the possibilities it holds. However, her optimism is quickly challenged as she encounters a series of unfortunate experiences in the Cotswolds. Despite the initial ease of her new job, caring for Harriet Young's reptiles, Thea soon discovers a darker side to the characters she encounters.

Thea's first encounter is with the elderly Donny Davis, who seems friendly at first but quickly becomes possessive and controlling over her time in the village. He constantly offers unwanted advice and tries to impose his beliefs on her, making her feel uncomfortable and isolated.

Another character who causes Thea trouble is Edwina, a mysterious woman who lives alone in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town. Edwina is secretive and aloof, and she seems to have a fascination with the supernatural. She claims to be able to communicate with spirits and offers to perform readings for Thea.

As Thea spends more time in Cranham, she begins to notice strange occurrences around the village. Animals act strangely, and she hears strange noises at night. She also discovers that Harriet's geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham.

One night, as Thea is walking Hepzibah through the village, she encounters a group of teenagers who are performing a ritual in a nearby field. They are chanting and dancing around a fire, and they seem to be summoning some kind of evil spirit. Thea is terrified and tries to run away, but she is stopped by one of the teenagers, who tells her that they are trying to protect the village from a curse.

Thea is skeptical of the teenagers' claims, but she is also increasingly afraid for her safety. She tries to confront Donny about his behavior, but he dismisses her concerns and accuses her of being paranoid. She also tries to talk to Edwina about the strange occurrences in the village, but she is evasive and refuses to help.

As the days pass, Thea's fear grows. She feels like she is being watched and followed, and she can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen. She decides to investigate the curse that the teenagers are talking about, and she starts to research the history of the village.

She discovers that the village has a long history of witchcraft and supernatural occurrences, and that there was a witch trial in the 17th century that resulted in the execution of several women accused of practicing magic. Thea also learns that Edwina is the granddaughter of one of the women who was executed, and that she has been living in the dilapidated house on the outskirts of town as a form of protest against the village's history of witchcraft.

Thea is determined to uncover the truth about the curse and to protect the village from whatever evil is lurking in the shadows. She confronts Edwina and demands that she tell her what is happening in the village. Edwina finally reveals that she is the one who is summoning the spirits to protect the village from the curse.

Thea is horrified by Edwina's actions and tries to stop her, but Edwina is too powerful. She summons a powerful spirit that attacks Thea and Hepzibah. Thea is able to fight off the spirit with her own magic, but it is a close call.

In the end, Thea is able to defeat Edwina and break the curse that has been haunting the village for centuries. The villagers are grateful to her for her bravery and determination, and they celebrate her victory with a grand feast.

Thea returns home, feeling proud of what she has accomplished. She knows that she will never forget her experiences in Cranham, and she is determined to use her magic to help others in need.

In conclusion, Thea Osborne's house-sitting assignment in the secluded village of Cranham turns into a nightmare as she encounters a series of unfortunate experiences and encounters a darker side to the characters she encounters. Despite her initial optimism, she soon discovers that there is a curse haunting the village, and she is forced to use her magic to defeat the evil that is lurking in the shadows. Thea's bravery and determination save the village from the curse, and she returns home feeling proud of what she has accomplished.

Weight: 246g
Dimension: 131 x 197 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780749024222