Vicky is convinced the body is that of one of the gypsies who have recently set up camp at The Grange, the estate owned by Vicky’s oddball friend Topaz, especially since the police haven’t taken in interest in identifying the young woman. A silver theft from the church has everyone looking at the gypsies again, but Vicky isn’t quite so sure.

Vicky comes from a line of silver thieves (who she is hoping have nothing to do with the current theft) and is trying to keep that part of her life hidden from her friends and colleagues and so sets out to identify the dead woman, find a silver thief and let the gypsies camp in peace. And if she manages to come up with her fourth national headline in the process…all the better.

Vicky is a charming young woman who, in spite of, or maybe because of, her upbringing still tries to believe the best of people and give them the benefit of the doubt. She and fellow newswoman Annabel continue their not so friendly rivalry, while Vicky finds herself surprisingly drawn to EMT Steve who has been pursuing a relationship with her in spite of her protests that she is too busy for a relationship.

Topaz continues to be an enigma as she plays the role of the lady of the manor to the hilt. Vicky’s intuition and reporting skills, along with her likeability, allow her entrance to the normally secretive gypsy world where she is able to unravel a decades old mystery that has a hold on someone close to her. An easy read with colorful characters, Thieves will continue to win traditional English cozy fans over.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry