Death Plays with Fire: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery

A charred heart pinned to her door with an ancient Celtic dagger isn’t the worst thing Maddie McGuire has discovered on her doorstep, but it isn’t great. In fact, the heart is an unwelcome distraction from protecting the Chedworth Roman Villa from the ravages of winter and throws Maddie into a world of danger. Student workers Jill, Dion, and Gabriel have also joined the dig site, bringing with them secrets that invite chaos into this idyllic but remote Cotswold forest. Unable to rely on dashing Constable Bailey as he works toward a promotion, Maddie is stuck with Constable Douglass, who, convinced of her guilt, jeopardizes her safety rather than keeping her from it.

Praise for Death Plays with Fire:

Sharon Lynn has written a charming mystery, DEATH PLAYS WITH FIRE. It is set in the Cotswolds part of England. Her feisty and funny protagonist, Maddie, is a student with a short-term fellowship to help uncover ancient Roman ruins. Her colleagues are a professor, grad students, friendly locals, and other workers. Plus a very likable boyfriend. While on the dig, Maddie’s obnoxious roommate is stabbed, encased in wicker, and set on fire. It looks like the kind of human sacrifice that Julius Caesar wrote about. Maddie must find out who the murderer is, get her work term extended, and decide what she will do. ~ Author Carl Vonderau

This third book in A Cotswold Crimes Mysteries series showcases author Sharon Lynn’s ability to ramp up angst, crime, and danger. As American student Maddie McGuire stumbles upon multiple crime scenes, she starts wondering with good cause if England has it out for her. It doesn’t help that a snarky detective named Douglass thinks she’s guilty of every transgression—from the stabbed, charred body inside a wicker man, to the theft of an ancient gold coin, to the withholding of vital evidence. And more. ~ Award-winning mystery author Sherrill Joseph

Maddie McGuire, the effervescent American transplanted to England, is back with a rollicking, sometimes-scary adventure as she joins an archeological dig. She interacts with vibrantly-drawn secondary characters as she blunders into one bit of trouble after another. The setting is cool, the plot is hot, but the one thing that distinguishes Lynn’s series from other great cozies is Maddie’s personality, which emerges from the page into honest-to-goodness, unforgettable delight. —Saralyn Richard, author of Bad Blood Sisters and Mrs. Oliver’s Twist

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