Astrid Swift Series by M.H. Eccleston

When London art restorer Astrid Kisner's marriage unravels in spectacular fashion, she has no idea what to do. Then she finds out she has inherited a property in Dorset. She doesn’t hesitate in packing in her job and heading west. But when she gets there, she discovers the property isn't a pretty cottage by the sea, but a leaky boat on a muddy estuary.Her new job at a nearby National Trust stately home brings a few surprises, too... moreWhen London art restorer Astrid Kisner's marriage unravels in spectacular fashion, she has no idea what to do. Then she finds out she has inherited a property in Dorset. She doesn’t hesitate in packing in her job and heading west. But when she gets there, she discovers the property isn't a pretty cottage by the sea, but a leaky boat on a muddy estuary.Her new job at a nearby National Trust stately home brings a few surprises, too. Rather than a genteel charity, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As her new friend Kath from the village says, 'It's like the mafia, but with scones.' So when a local man is found murdered there, there are more than a few suspects. Astrid thinks she's perfectly placed to solve the case: it's like restoring a painting, slowly peeling back the layers to reveal the clear, true picture beneath.But as the suspicious deaths mount up and the threat draws closer, Astrid has to use every gadget in her restorer's toolkit to solve the mystery, save her reputation - and maybe even her life. less

Amateur sleuth Astrid Swift faces a maritime mystery in this cosy crime adventure set on the Isle of Wight.It's high summer, and with the grisly events at Dorset's Sherborne Hall behind her, Astrid Swift sets sail for the Isle of Wight. She's been asked to value a collection of maritime art owned by a recently deceased millionaire.His surviving daughter has inherited the art along with the family's seafront mansion, The Needle's Eye, and wants to sell up... moreAmateur sleuth Astrid Swift faces a maritime mystery in this cosy crime adventure set on the Isle of Wight.It's high summer, and with the grisly events at Dorset's Sherborne Hall behind her, Astrid Swift sets sail for the Isle of Wight. She's been asked to value a collection of maritime art owned by a recently deceased millionaire.His surviving daughter has inherited the art along with the family's seafront mansion, The Needle's Eye, and wants to sell up. There are too many memories of her twin sister, a sailing prodigy who went missing at sea three years earlier.When Victor Leech, the local busybody, is found washed up under the town pier, Astrid thinks lightning has struck twice. She's stumbled on a fresh case that only she and her new art club friends can solve. But getting to the bottom of the unexplained death will draw out powerful new enemies...The second in the Astrid Swift murder mystery series pitches our art restorer heroine into the thick of Cowes Week, the most respected sailing regatta in the world. As the deaths stack up, the Isle of Wight's reputation for being England's friendliest island is about to be put to the test. less

Amateur sleuth Astrid Swift swaps the sporting summer in England for a British expat enclave in Spain, where everyone has a secret for leaving the UK.Amidst the sun and sangria, something sinister is lurking. A world-famous restaurant has been the victim of a robbery, and soon the perfect seaside town finds itself rattled by a poison-pen campaign that is teasing out its residents' secrets on social media... moreAmateur sleuth Astrid Swift swaps the sporting summer in England for a British expat enclave in Spain, where everyone has a secret for leaving the UK.Amidst the sun and sangria, something sinister is lurking. A world-famous restaurant has been the victim of a robbery, and soon the perfect seaside town finds itself rattled by a poison-pen campaign that is teasing out its residents' secrets on social media.With priceless art gone missing – and her own father insistent that his life is under threat – Astrid is called to piece together the puzzle before it's too late for both the town and her father. less