by Victoria Tait (Author) 

    CHAMOMILE TEA AND A COPYCAT CRIME is the fourth in Victoria Tait‘s Waterwheel Cafe Mystery series. It’s a fun, cozy police procedural with an added course in business management!  

Sergeant Keya Varma is a part-time police officer at the Cirencester Police Station in Cotswold.  Her other life is as owner of the Waterwheel Cafe, an added attraction at the Antiques Auction House in Tait’s Dotty Sayers mystery series. (Characters in both series sometimes briefly interact.)

There is still stress between Keya’s two jobs, but I wasn’t as anxiety-filled as in the previous book. She has settled in and matured in both roles, although new things are hurled at her from all directions in each job.

In this book, the police station has yet another new Inspector, jokingly called “Smiles,” when he’s out of earshot.  He’s direct from London and has rigid ideas about how an investigation should be run. Thankfully, Keya, Ryan, semi-retired Stan, and Inspector Sue gradually show him how it’s done in the Cotswold world. 

The case in this installment stretches back forty years and involves a bit of police-botched confession and a possibly innocent man going to prison. Fast forward to today, and a journalist is murdered in the exact same place and manner as the original crime. Coincidentally, he had just announced that he knew who the REAL killer was those many years ago but had had no time to write the story. It’s left for Keya and her fellow police officers to discover what he knew.

And, oh, my! There is buried treasure, a famous heist, and… some really cool recipes being passed around. (Ms. Tait, please include some of them sometime!)

Meanwhile, Keya’s sister needs maternity leave from the Cafe, and their Mom wants to help her with the coming baby.  Keya has to scramble for a new chef, a manager, and several waitresses. As a rural police officer, she also has to find some sheep thieves.  All in a day’s work.  

Along with the new London inspector, a forensic specialist joins the team. He has amazing crime-solving skills, and….. he drinks Chamomile Tea. Stay tuned!

This is a jewel of a book. The author keeps the action moving at a fast pace, just like Keya’s life, and yet there are times for friends and even a bite and sip at a local pub.   I’m enjoying the Waterwheel Cafe series more with each book!  Keep ’em coming!