If you don’t want to miss my final instalment in the multi-author Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm series, pre-order it now to lock in the pre-order price guarantee at online retailers to beat the tariffs!
It doesn’t even have a cover yet and doesn’t release until October!
But…this is a pic of my grandfather’s elephant statue that inspired the title and the mystery.
The Elephant in the Room is the eighteenth book in the Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm fiction series.
A house call to care for an injured horse leads Dr. Harriet Bailey-Knight to the imposing manor owned by siblings Clifford and Edwina Castlegate. She is just wrapping up her visit when a housekeeper rushes in to alert Lady Edwina that her valuable silver elephant statue has been stolen! All eyes are on Pierre Aubert, a skilled craftsman who has just left the manor in a huff. Could he have taken the statue in retaliation for a bad business deal…or for some other nefarious reason?
When Harriet learns the complicated history between Pierre and the Castlegates, she’s suspicious that the accusations against him are a little too convenient. With her eyewitness account being the key to the case, she can’t stand by and watch Pierre go to jail if there is a chance he is innocent.
Can Harriet unravel the truth, clear Pierre’s name, and bring the real perpetrator to justice?
I hope you’re enjoying this series as much as I am!
P.S. Be sure to check out the Bonus Features for the series. I’ve added a recipe for my own Chocolate/Orange Battenberg Cake.
Next year will mark the 10 year anniversary of the release of A Fool and His Monet–the first title in my Serena Jones Mysteries about my plucky FBI Art Crime Team agent and her foray into the world of art crime.
Since solving the Gardner Museum Heist would represent the pinnacle of Serena’s career, its anniversary seems a fitting occasion to remember.
Did I mention there is a $10,000,000 reward
for information leading to the safe return of the art?
March 18, 2025, is the 35th anniversary of the infamous, and still unsolved, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist.
While St. Patrick’s Day revellers made their way home through the streets of Boston during the wee hours of Sunday, March 18th, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers tricked their way into the museum by lying about a report of a disturbance in the courtyard.
Despite a strict rule to never open the door to anyone, the college student on door duty was allegedly persuaded to do just that by the authentic looking officers on the video monitor (not the actor pictured above 😉 ). The two men then quickly subdued him, and a second museum guard, before making off with 13 pieces of art valued at an estimated $500 million.
Among the stolen works were masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas, which made the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist the single largest property theft in the world.
The heist left an indelible mark on the art world, prompting museums and galleries worldwide to tighten security measures. It also contributed to the eventual formation of the FBI Art Crime Team, a specialized unit dedicated to recovering stolen cultural property. Founded in 2004 by Robert K. Wittman, the team has recovered more than 15,000 stolen items, valued at over $800 million.
Notable Cases Investigated by the FBI and How They Inspired My Serena Jones Mysteries
Boy Scout Jamboree Painting – A few months after 9/11, a Norman Rockwell painting depicting a Boy Scout Jamboree with the Twin Towers in the background was recovered. The return of such a poignant piece, at that time, resonated deeply with the nation. This sense of restoring to people the lost art and antiquities that have shaped their cultural history, inspired my characterization of FBI art crime agent Serena Jones in A Fool and His Monet, and the books that followed.
Exposing Art Fraud – Since its inception, the FBI Art Crime Team has exposed numerous cases of art fraud of the variety Serena Jones uncovers in Another Day Another Dali. But according to the memoirs of the team’s founder, Robert K. Wittman, it was an earlier watershed case that put fraudsters on notice that the FBI was watching. That was the shocking exposure of how Pritchard and Juno ripped off viewers of the Antiques Roadshow. Sadly, while the FBI succeeded in securing convictions of the two men, the victims of their scams weren’t able to recover the valuable pieces for which they were grossly underpaid.
The Recovery of Stolen Artifacts from Iraq – Between the looting of its National Museum in 2003 and ongoing looting at archeological sites, Iraq has lost a staggering number of historical artifacts. The newly established FBI Art Crime Team’s tireless efforts to recover and return these cultural treasures to Iraq resulted in several significant finds, although they estimate that upwards of 10,000 pieces are still missing. Nevertheless, since the FBI’s Art Crime Team’s establishment, members have orchestrated the return of numerous priceless and historically significant pieces to owners and countries around the globe. These efforts inspired the subject of Serena Jones’s work in Over Maya Dead Body.
In fact, the real-life exploits of the FBI Art Crime Team were a huge inspiration for my Serena Jones Mysteries.
If you’re looking for a fun read with a solid mystery and plenty of chuckles, you’ll love Serena’s adventures as she navigates the world of art crime, quirky relatives, and a few too many close calls.
And… for those who’ve been asking:
YES!!!! 😀
I’m currently working on the much-requested sequel. My characters are currently running amok in my head in Greece. Sadly I’m not in Greece with them. but c’est la vie. Stay tuned for more details!
Your Turn: What do you think really happened to the stolen Gardner masterpieces? Let’s chat in the comments!
I’m excited to share a fun milestone: the release of my 30th book, Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing—a cozy winter mystery at Cobble Hill Farm! For those following the Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm multi-author series from Guideposts, this is Book #9, set in February on a beautiful and sometimes blustery Yorkshire farm.
In Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, we return to Yorkshire in time for lambing season, which brings all the joys—and occasional chaos—of rural farm life in winter. But there’s more than Dr. Harriet Bailey’s veterinary duties keeping her busy. Across the Yorkshire countryside, sheep are disappearing, causing alarm amongst the farmers. The situation becomes personal for Harriet when Doreen Danby, Harriet’s friend and neighbor, reports her prized ram, Prince Charming, among the missing. Prince Charming is a valuable, award-winning ram, making his loss a devastating blow to Doreen and raising Harriet’s suspicions.
At the same time, Harriet must write an article for a veterinary magazine. Inspired by a haunting story from the 1940s about a Yorkshire shepherd who vanished one stormy night, leaving behind a cloud of unanswered questions, she dives into local records, piecing together fragments of history, hoping to separate legend from fact. What happened to the shepherd, and could this mystery have a bearing on the recent spate of sheep disappearances?
With her knowledge of animal behavior, her keen sense for details, and her unshakeable resolve, Harriet embarks on a quest to uncover the truth. But with each clue she uncovers, she realizes that the mystery goes deeper than she initially thought, and solving it might require her to expose secrets that some in the Yorkshire community would prefer remained buried.
Special Bonus Features
This book includes a couple of fun bonus features for readers who enjoy diving deeper:
A Cozy Recipe: No cozy mystery would be complete without a delicious recipe inspired by Yorkshire’s culinary traditions—the iconic Yorkshire pudding.
A Stroll Through the English Countryside: Discover the importance of dark skies for nature and for our own wellbeing and why North York Moors National Park has been designated a Dark Sky Reserve.
Yorkshire Farm Life Tips: Through the story you’ll also get a glimpse into the real-life routines and challenges of lambing season and what it takes to care for a flock through the Yorkshire winter.
Ready to dive into Dr. Harriet Bailey’s latest adventure on Cobble Hill Farm?
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing invites readers to snuggle up and experience a mystery as heartwarming as it is suspenseful. I hope you’ll join Dr. Harriet Bailey in solving her latest mystery on Cobble Hill Farm.
👉 Find Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing at your favouriteretailer and start reading today!
KU subscribers can binge read the entire series for free. New subscribers can even enjoy a free 30-day trial of the subscription service. Ebooks are also available for purchase on kindle but not on nook or kobo at this time.
Happy reading, and I can’t wait to hear what you think about Harriet’s latest mystery!
Love Inspired Suspense has created audiobooks for many of its backlisted titles, including mine. These books are narrated by “Madison,” an Apple Books digital voice based on a human narrator.
I’ve now listened to six of my seven titles and have to admit that it’s impressive what AI can do. It was fun listening to my stories. And surprising how many of the twists I’d forgotten,
Admittedly, “Madison” sometimes mixes up whose voice a thought or dialogue should be in, and her inflections aren’t ideal. But if you want to listen to your books, overall this is a pretty good option.
Best of all, you can …
Listen to them FREE on Hoopla
Many libraries offer their patrons complimentary subscriptions to Hoopla, which is how I first discovered how enjoyable listening to books can be, especially when you’re under the weather or would like to listen to something while doing another task.
Other library subscription services also might have the Love Inspired Suspense audiobooks available. They can also be purchased on Apple Books.
But be aware they are far from perfectly read. In a few I even caught the narrator lapse into a line of “reading” metadata. All I ask is that if you decide to rate the book, please rate the story, NOT the quality of the narration.
I discovered today that many of the purchase links on my book pages were obsolete. All my Love Inspired Suspense titles are now updated and I made a HUGE discovery about pricing.
Love Inspired Suspense Ebook titles are waaaay more reasonable on Harlequin’s site than any of the traditional Ebook retailers. ($4.99 vs $7.99-$9.99+) Here’s the page with all:
# 12 in Hearts in Peril book clubBook#5 in the Hearts in Peril series
And if you’re in the mood to totally binge on romantic suspense, check out all of their romantic suspense deals HERE
Prefer Cozy Mysteries?
A couple of my cozy mystery titles are also on sale.
My 2018 release, Digging Up Secrets, part of the Victorian Mansion Flower Shop Mysteries is $4.99.
The three-book Christmas set—Jingle Bell Mysteries, which includes my title, Boughs of Folly, is $12.99.
If you feel like binging on cozy mysteries, or have a lot of readers on your Christmas and birthday shopping lists, check out all the titles that are on sale at: Annie’s Catalog.
Lithograph after W.J. Allen. Original public domain image from Wellcome Collection
I’m delighted to have veterinarian Dr. Harriet Bailey, the main character and resident sleuth of the new Cobble Hill Farm Mysteries, here with us today.
Harriet, that’s a cute “self-portrait” you’ve supplied, but how about telling our readers what you really look like?
I’m pretty average looking, with brown eyes and long dark hair that I usually wear in a pony tail while working. I’m in my early thirties, petite, but strong, although my size still causes clients to doubt my capacity to do the heaviest tasks in a large animal practice.
The way I hear it, you soon prove yourself to be more than up to the job.
Yes, so far, I’ve been able to tackle most jobs with Polly’s or Will’s or the client’s assistance when needed.
Speaking of Pastor Fitzwilliam “Will” Knight, you seem to spend a lot of time with him. Is romance in the air?
Do I? 😳 He’s been a good friend. But I wouldn’t want you to get any ideas about us. He’s a self-proclaimed bachelor.
How did you come to inherit your grandfather’s veterinary practice?
That was an unexpected surprise. I assumed Cobble Hill Farm and everything connected with my grandfather’s estate would be divided between his two children–my Aunt Jinny who lives in the dower cottage and my dad. But my mom and dad love their life in New England. So, I guess my dad told my grandad to leave his share to me. It helps that I’m an only child. And I’m already a qualified vet–a career inspired by my grandfather from the time I was small.
But for you to leave your practice in the US and relocate to the UK must have been a huge adjustment?
It was. But leaving was easier than it would’ve been a year or more earlier, when I’d been blissfully planning a wedding with a fellow vet at the practice. After Dustin broke off our engagement, continuing to work at the same practice was beyond uncomfortable. Of course, it is taking the Yorkshire farmers a while to get used to their first female large animal vet. But as they like to say here in the UK, most folks have been brilliant about making me feel welcome.
It must help that your grandfather’s practice was already well respected?
Absolutely. In fact, I’m the third generation of Baileys to practice here. My great-grandfather opened the practice the year before the outbreak of the Second World War. The place has seen a lot of change since then, I can tell you. But I occasionally still use some of my great-grandfather’s original equipment, too.
Your grandfather was also a talented painter, opening his own art gallery here on the farm to display his work. Do you plan to follow in his artistic footsteps as well?
<Blows out a breath> I’m not sure that particular gift was passed on to me. And at the moment, the veterinary practice consumes most of my time. But…it’s something I might try my hand at one day. You never know unless you try, right?
What was the most difficult adjustment for you since arriving in the UK?
Hmm, there’s a few dishes, such as black pudding for which I still haven’t managed to acquire a taste. And understanding what some of the oldest clients are saying can still be a challenge, with the way they drop their ‘t’s and ‘h’s at the beginning of words and use many words I can’t for the life of me decipher.
But probably the biggest initial hurdle was learning to drive my grandfather’s beast of an old Land Rover on these hilly, narrow country roads. Never mind that I had to get used to roundabouts and driving on the left side of the road. I’d never driven manual and learning to do that on some of the incredibly steep grades we encounter in the moorlands is no easy feat. Add to that how close the stone walls enclosing the pastures are to the road in spots, well… I admit I’ve come close to clipping the side mirrors more than once whilst trying to pull over enough to pass a car coming from the other direction.
Notice how I slipped in the word “whilst” for “while”? 😀 I love the sound of that word.
Driving is easy peasy when the roads are flat and empty like this, but…
it can get a little dicey when you encounter buildings that are practically on the road and you can’t see what’s coming around the corner.
Then when I actually encounter oncoming traffic!!! I was catching a lift in a friend’s Renault when I snapped this pic through the windshield and the car’s warning siren was beeping hysterically because our “wing mirror” was scraping through the hedgerow camouflaging the stone wall behind it. I was glad not to be driving that day!
Check out Additional Bonus Features
If you enjoyed this interview, you can find more bonus features for Into Thin Air on my bonus features page.
If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, now’s your chance to read Into Thin Air for FREE! I’m not sure how long it’ll be an option, but at the moment, you can still read the first and second books in the series–Digging Up Secrets and Hide and Seek–there for free too.
Being in Canada, I can’t see whether KU is an option when I log into Amazon for other countries, but I know it is an option in the US.
Into Thin Air is my first contribution to Guideposts new Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm series set in England’s historic Yorkshire region that I’ve been talking about for a while. I’ve been caught up with things at home, so I’m behind at posting bonus features for the book. But I hope to get those up this week.
I’ll let you know here when I’ve posted the bonus features. In the meantime, you can read the back cover copy and find links to major retailers selling the book here: https://sandraorchard.com/books/into-thin-air/
I have awesome news for my Canadian and other non-US-based readers, the first book in the Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm, Digging Up Secrets by Elizabeth Penney, is currently available as a free read for Kindle Unlimited members. And available for purchase on kindle (as well as in print).
Once the book finishes its run on Kindle Unlimited, I imagine, it will also be available to Nook and Kobo readers, since print versions are already available at the other retail outlets. Hopefully all the upcoming books in the series (i.e. my Into Thin Air, which is the third book) will be too!
However, if you want to hold the book in your hand…
and live in the US, purchasing directly from the publisher is a better deal. They’re having a Mother’s Day sale until May 8th. Save 20% on orders over $30 with code SAVE20. That said, when I went there a few minutes ago, a pop up window offered me an instant 15% off with no minimum purchase.
Attention fans of All Creatures Great and Small, cozy mysteries, or anything British…
Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm is for you!
I was honoured to be invited by Guideposts to contribute two stories to Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm, a fifteen-book, multi-author series, set in God’s Own County–Yorkshire, UK.
About Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm
This exciting series from Guideposts is set in the charming, history-filled region of Yorkshire, England. Often called “God’s Own County” by the locals, you’ll fall in love with the area right along with newly transplanted Harriet Bailey. As she explores the rolling hills, marvels at the gardens that surround each cottage, and wanders through the ruins of old stone castles, she finds herself hoping she made the right decision when she moved here to take over her late grandfather’s veterinary practice.
With lots of Extras to Enjoy
Besides a fabulous mystery, many with historical elements, each story will also feature a yummy recipe for popular British dishes. This is where I have to retract Serena Jones’s statement in A Fool and His Monet: British cuisine. World renowned since … never.
Although in Serena’s defense, (and for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s really time you read her art crime mysteries), she was referencing Bubble and Squeak at the time. She was being facetious when she mused that rechristening leftovers with a cutesy name made them so much tastier. Especially when in Mom’skitchen, Brussels Sprouts were inevitably involved in insidious ways.
But I digress!
Each book also features fun facts about people, places, or things in Britain, related to the story.
In addition to those included in the book, I’ll soon be adding bonus features to my website for Into Thin Air, too.
Into Thin Air includes a kidnapping and an art theft (channeling Serena Jones again here 🙂 ) and lots of lovable characters of both the human and animal varieties. 😉
Can’t wait to start reading Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm?
You can purchase books individually, or you can subscribe to the series and enjoy extra savings and two free gifts. You’ll find all the details at Shop Guideposts.
Shopping Tip: if you find other books you like, and spend more than $45, use coupon code FREESHIP45 to enjoy free shipping.
Safe Haven Stalker, my second contribution to the Hearts in Peril Book Club is now available.
Readers looking for riveting romantic suspense can subscribe to this fifteen-book, multi-author club with Annie’s Fiction here: https://www.anniesfiction.com/products/hearts-in-peril/safe-haven-stalker where you’ll have the option of choosing from hard cover books at $14.99 USD + shipping or Ebooks at $5.99 USD.
In this series, you’ll find captivating, intelligent women caught in jeopardy, and the brave, steadfast heroes who will stop at nothing to win their hearts as they race against the clock to solve mysteries.
Our rehabilitative journey with my grandson, Jed, inspired the career choice for my heroine in Safe Haven Stalker. And it proved to be a unique opportunity to highlight the passion and concern of so many in rehabilitative professions for their youngest clients.
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