Reviews

Priceless Betrayal by Victoria Tait

robert_c_foland's review

5.0

First of all, what British mystery reader would not want to read a book with the main character being named after one of the best British mystery writers ever! Dorothy (Dottie) Sayers finds herself as the main suspect in a variety of cases ranging from theft to murder. Working with a team of friends behind her she weaves her way through facts ultimately solving the case (several actually) and exonerating herself.

Having only read this installment in the Dorothy (Dottie) Sayers cozy mystery series I can honestly say this story stands alone. It drew me in from the very beginning and left me wishing for more at the end. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear there will be a 7th installment. Whether there is or not I now need to read the first 5 books. This installment was a wonderful journey from beginning to end. British mystery the way it should be. I received an advanced copy of this book and voluntarily gave my review.

dollycas's review

informative mysterious tense

5.0

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Priceless Betrayal picks up right where Antique Tragedy leaves off. Dotty Sayers is arrested when stolen artifacts are found in her luggage while boarding a plane headed to Istanbul for an International Antique Fair. People who she trusted turned their backs on her.

Her close friends are able to get her released but then she finds herself in hot water again when she goes to pick up a painting and finds a dead body. When the authorities arrive both the body and the painting are missing. So Dottie is arrested again for theft of the missing painting. Without much to hold her on she is again released.

But when sent out again on another work errand she finds another dead body, well it is the same body, really dead this time. Arrested again, and there is no getting her out this time. She has a few people who know she is innocent and they are working hard to prove it. She has clearly been framed but will she be able to find the truth that will set her free?

If you read my review of Antique Tragedy you know we were left hanging at the end so I was excited to dive into Priceless Betrayal and Victoria Tait didn’t disappoint. With protagonist Dotty Sayers arrested for crime after crime and the way she was being treated by key individuals, readers could see there was much more afoot than a few missing artifacts and a dead body. Keya, Aunt Beanie, Norman, and Ryan really had to pull out the stops to help Dotty find the truth.

I really enjoyed that this book took a second look at things that had happened in previous stories and found a thread of connection to the current cases. While digging into all the clues some very surprising things were revealed.  The “betrayal” was indeed “priceless” and it ran deep.

The plot drew on thefts of artifacts from Iraq during the war in 2003 and the lengths people would go to in efforts to retrieve or hide these treasures. It was interesting to learn the steps to authenticate the items and all the protocols that needed to be followed. I always love to learn new things and I appreciate being to do that even while reading a fictional story.

Priceless Betrayal wraps up most of the hanging threads in this series and its ending leaves Dotty in flux. She was clearly shaken by the events in this story. What is next on the horizon for her? She has a plan for the short term but I am sure there will be more mysteries in her future. Keya is embarking on something new that will keep her very busy and keep readers in touch with some of the favorites from this series. Earl Grey and Shallow Graves: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Sleuth (A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery Book 1) will be released on May 19, 2023. I am really looking forward to seeing what the author has in store for Keya.