This month, for our Throwback book, we’re diving into A Timeless Celebration by Dianne Ascroft. It is a step back in time, blending history with a delightful tale of new beginnings and cozy adventure.
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A Timeless Celebration
By Dianne Ascroft
Series: A Century Cottage Cozy Mystery Book 1
Genre: Cozy, Cozy Mystery
A small town, a big party, a stolen gift. When an artefact from the Titanic is stolen before her town’s 150th anniversary celebration, it’s up to Lois Stone to catch the thief.
Middle-aged widow Lois has moved from bustling Toronto to tranquil Fenwater and is settling into her new life away from the dangers of the city. Then two events happen that shatter her serenity: her house is burgled, and an antique watch belonging to a Titanic survivor is stolen from the local museum.
Her best friend, Marge, was responsible for the watch’s safekeeping until its official presentation to the museum at the town’s 150th anniversary party, and its disappearance will jeopardise her job and the museum’s future. Lois won’t let her friend take the blame and the consequences for the theft. She’s determined to find the watch in time to save her best friend’s job, the museum’s future, and the town’s 150th anniversary celebration.
And so begins a week of new friends, apple and cinnamon muffins, calico cats, midnight intruders, shadowy caprine companions and more than one person with a reason to steal the watch, set against the backdrop of century houses on leafy residential streets, the swirling melodies of bagpipes, a shimmering heat haze and the burble of cool water.
The Century Cottage Cozy Mystery series is set in rural Ontario, Canada, during the early 1980s.
A tale for fans of Cindy Bell, Leighann Dobbs, Dianne Harman, and Kathi Daley.
Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
Review of A Timeless Celebration
A Timeless Celebration is a charming, cozy mystery that seamlessly blends history with a delightful tale of new beginnings. Lois Stone, a widow, has moved to a small Canadian town to be near her close friend, Marge. But before she has time to settle in, she’s drawn into an unexpected mystery. A valuable watch connected to the Titanic disaster has disappeared, and Marge may be blamed. Despite her anxieties about adjusting to a town full of strangers, Lois isn’t about to let it happen.
The novel’s setting adds warmth and authenticity to the story, capturing the quirks and camaraderie of small-town life. Adding a unique twist to the unfolding mystery, Lois plays the bagpipes, a hobby that intertwines with the story when she joins a group of bagpipers.
And just when you think you’ve figured everything out, the author has one final twist that makes Lois’ new life even more challenging. No spoiler here—but trust me, you’ll want to read this delightful mystery for yourself to find out.
Other Books in the Series
The Heritage Heist (Book 2 in the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries)
A fall fair, a cornered craftsman, an heirloom heist. When an antique quilt that is a cherished part of Fenwater’s past disappears from the market before her town’s fall fair, it’s up to Lois to resolve the quilt quandary.
Middle-aged widow Lois is enjoying her second season in her new town and her century house, away from the dangers of big city life in Toronto. She can’t wait to experience her first old-fashioned fall fair, complete with hot apple cider. But when the local market is burgled, her enthusiasm for the upcoming festival plummets. During the break-in one of the security guards is badly injured and an antique quilt, on loan from the museum, vanishes.
Her friend, Bruce, designed and built the display case and has one of only two keys to secure it. That makes him a prime suspect in the theft. Lois won’t let Bruce’s reputation, nor the trust his customers have in the bespoke furnituremaker, be damaged by the allegation. She’s determined to piece the clues together to find the quilt, clear Bruce’s name, and save a piece of Fenwater’s history.
And so begins a week of deepening friendships, hot apple cider, calico cats, backseat shenanigans, hazy housemates, and few puzzle pieces to work with, set against the backdrop of a rustic market building amidst stately stone architecture, the crackle of flames in the hearth, a blaze of colour on leafy residential streets and the scintillating scent of cinnamon.
Find it on Goodreads and Amazon.
The Snow Job (Book 2 in the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries)
A Scottish shindig, a pretty pin, a cold corpse.
When a well-liked and respected townsman is murdered on a snowy street in Fenwater, it’s up to Lois Stone to sift through a multitude of motives to find the killer.
Middle-aged widow Lois is beginning to feel part of the Fenwater community, and as winter sets in, she is getting ready for the town’s biggest Scottish event, the annual Burns Night supper. But when one of the committee members dies in suspicious circumstances, Lois has more to worry about than the fate of this year’s celebration. She tried unsuccessfully to revive the man and her friend Marge worked with him.
So, they want to find his killer even though Lois promised her partner Bruce that she would stay out of police matters. But, what’s the harm in asking a few questions? Such as does someone want to safeguard their inheritance or give their business a boost? Will finding the motive for the murder lead them to the killer or maybe more?
And so begins a fortnight of slippery sidewalks, angst about ancestors, capable firemen and cunning firebugs, unreliable records, swirling Scottish music and swinging tartan kilts, calico cats and smouldering spooks set against the backdrop of snow glistening under streetlamps on serene streets, the comfort of ritual in a cold churchyard, the swish of skate blades in crisp night air and the tang of mouthwatering meatloaf in rural Canada in 1984.
About Dianne Ascroft
Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian writer living in Britain. Since moving to Britain in 1990, she has lived in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Online, she can be found at https://www.dianneascroft.com.
She writes cozy mystery, historical and contemporary fiction, often with an Irish connection. Her non-fiction articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and regional newspapers including the Toronto Star, Ireland’s Own, Senior Times, Celtic Connection and Irish Connections Canada.
She was co-editor of The Fermanagh Miscellany, the Fermanagh Authors’ Association’s yearly anthology for several years and she also contributes material to other local history and writers’ anthologies.
Dianne is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, Historical Novel Society, Writers Abroad, Fermanagh Authors’ Association, and Fermanagh Writers.
Dianne started life in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the buzzing city of Toronto and has progressively moved to smaller places through the years. She now lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong willed animals. If she ever decides to write her autobiography the working title will be ‘Downsizing’.
