A holy audit. A hidden hoard. And a killer who will stop at nothing to keep the village's darkest secrets buried...
Autumn has arrived in the picturesque Cotswold village of Willow-on-the-Water, bringing crisp air, spiced pumpkin scones, and a chilling new mystery for former corporate litigator Eleanor "Ellie" Hastings.
When the arrogant and financially ruined Bishop Alistair Sterling descends upon St. Jude's Church for a surprise "spiritual audit," he threatens to liquidate the historic parish. But his true target is much darker: a legendary, undocumented subterranean crypt beneath the altar rumored to hold millions in stolen Tudor and Saxon artifacts.
The village's fierce Parish Secretary vows to protect the church at all costs. But the holy war turns lethal when the Bishop is found dead in the unventilated bell tower-poisoned by vaporized deadly nightshade mixed directly into the ceremonial incense.
When the strictly-by-the-book Inspector Fitzwilliam arrests the timid village vicar for the murder, Ellie must hang up her apron and step back into the legal ring. Declaring herself the vicar's defense attorney, Ellie and her flamboyant barista, Oliver, dive into the ancient, crumbling history of St. Jude's.
Armed with her fiercely judgmental orange tabby, Crumpet, and her late aunt's decoded journal, Ellie must race to find the keys to the shadow vault before the true killer strikes again. But as she navigates a labyrinth of forged blueprints, poisoned plants, and fanatical devotion, Ellie soon realizes she might end up permanently locked in the dark alongside the treasure.
Can Ellie unmask the guardian of the gold and save her innocent client, or will this investigation be her final resting place?
Steeped in Secrets is the third book in The Earl Grey Enigmas series. If you love razor-sharp amateur sleuths, quirky village gossip, mouth-watering bakery descriptions, and a whodunnit that keeps you guessing until the very end, pour yourself a cup of tea and dive in!
