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Beaufort Scales Mystery book cover 1
Beaufort Scales Mystery book cover 2
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Beaufort Scales Mystery
Series · 10 books · 2018-2024

Books in series

The Tales of Beaufort Scales book cover
#0

The Tales of Beaufort Scales

2019

The barbecues were just the beginning ... Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly dragons, is rather tired of being a High Lord, and quite fancies a quiet retirement in from of a warm fire, with the odd rabbit for tea. Then came the barbecues. And the bauble market, because if one has barbecues one needs money to buy gas bottles. And then the Toot Hansell Women's Institute, some most wonderful cake, and some very new friendships. Beaufort Scales is crashing into the modern world, ready or not (the world, that is. He's very ready, and very, very interested...) A Toot Hansell short story collection, starting where it all began—with one very shiny barbecue ...
Baking Bad book cover
#1

Baking Bad

2018

A tranquil village. A poisoned cupcake. A murdered vicar. A simple case - or it should be. But all clues point to the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute, and Detective Inspector Adams is about to discover there’s much more to the W.I. than bake sales and jam making. Alice Martin, RAF Wing Commander (Ret.), and current chair of the W.I., knows the ladies of the Women’s Institute are not guilty. But she has a bigger problem. Toot Hansell has a dragonish secret, and she needs to keep the police well away from it. And she’d really rather not be arrested for murder. Again. Meanwhile, Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly dragons and survivor of the days of knights and dragon hunts, knows even better than Alice that the modern dragon only survives as long as no one knows they exist. But he also knows friends don’t let friends face murder inquiries alone. Beaufort fully intends to Get Involved. This investigation is about to take on dragonish proportions. Best put the kettle on. A funny cozy mystery (with dragons), for anyone that likes their mysteries gentle and well-stocked with cake, tea, and friendship. And dragons, obviously.
Yule Be Sorry book cover
#2

Yule Be Sorry

2018

A festive tale of kidnapping, explosions, & stolen turkeys.... One should never meddle in the affairs of dragons, but someone has been doing just that. They’ve been making imitation dragon scale baubles that are nothing short of lethal, and kidnapping delivery drivers all over the Yorkshire Dales. They’ve also been leaving behind some distinctly dragon-ish traces. Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly Dragons, is hot on the trail – or would be, if he wasn’t having certain political problems at home. That leaves Alice and Miriam to track down the real culprits, rescue the hostages, and salvage Mortimer’s bauble reputation, all while misleading the police regarding the of existence of dragons, and hopefully without being blown up by unexpectedly aggressive Christmas decorations in the process. Luckily they have the full resources of the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute at their disposal. They’ll need it. And then there’s the small question of who stole all the Christmas turkeys… Dragons, the Women's Institute, and one very suspicious cat. What could possibly go wrong? Yule Be Sorry is the perfect Christmas cozy mystery for anyone who likes their crime funny, dragonish, and full of cake and friendship. This is Book 2 of the Beaufort Scales Cozy Mysteries - check out Baking Bad for how it all started! This cozy mystery
A Manor of Life & Death - A Cozy Mystery (with Dragons) book cover
#3

A Manor of Life & Death - A Cozy Mystery (with Dragons)

A Beaufort Scales Mystery, Book 3

2019

Warring staff. “Accidental” poisonings. Topiary of dubious intent. Throw in the full complement of the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute and dragons doing yoga on the terrace, and DI Adams is starting to wonder if she might have made a small misjudgement signing up for this particular spa weekend in the country. And that’s before the dead body in the sauna and the storm that cuts them off from the rest of the world. Now she’s dealing with a houseful of guests (and staff) who’re looking more suspicious by the moment, fending off protesters wielding table condiments, and trying to keep everyone safe as the storm closes in. She needs to find the killer, keep the dragons hidden, stop the W.I. forming some sort of pearl-and-twinset posse, and try to resist the urge to arrest everyone. And that’s even before she addresses the problem of the invisible dog. Sure. It’s going to be a wonderful weekend. A Manor of Life & Death is a feel-good cozy mystery, perfect for those who like their whodunnits served with a generous helping of humour, friendship, and magic. This is the third Beaufort Scales cozy mystery (with dragons) - check out Baking Bad and Yule Be Sorry for more dragonish adventure!
Game of Scones book cover
#4

Game of Scones

2019

Bribery. Corruption. Murder. Who said local politics were boring? Suspicious deaths on the Skipton city council don't sound as though they should have anything at all to do with the Toot Hansell Women's Institute, and DI Adams would rather like to keep it that way. But when the councillor for Toot Hansell becomes the latest victim, Alice Martin, chair of the W.I. and RAF Wing Commander (ret.), steps straight in to take his place. Before DI Adams can so much as say lemon drizzle cake the ladies of the Women's Institute are lurking around farmyards in the company of dragons, farmers are vanishing, the invisible dog's developed a caffeine dependence, and Alice is already in as deep as she can get. In deep, and facing a killer that seems to know far too much about her. Enough, perhaps, to turn the tables ... Murder, mayhem, and old secrets come to light in the Yorkshire Dales - with dragons, of course. Game of Scones is book 4 in the Beaufort Scales cozy mystery with dragons series, perfect for anyone who likes their murders served off-page, British, and accompanied by lashings of tea, cake, and friendship. And dragons, of course. For more dragonish crime-solving, check out Baking Bad to see where it all started!
A Toot Hansell Christmas Cracker book cover
#5

A Toot Hansell Christmas Cracker

2020

Rebellious Christmas wreaths. Mysterious welly-dwelling eggs. A plague of irate water fowl. And ten ladies of a certain age who are by no means the least troublesome of Toot Hansell's residents, as far as Detective Inspector Adams is concerned. She's entirely certain her training never covered dealing with the Women's Institute, dragons, or festive magic spills. Not to mention invisible dogs with caffeine dependencies. But Christmas is almost here. Things can't go too wrong ... can they? Well. It is Toot Hansell … Get some dragons in your Christmas with this collection of twelve short stories from the world of the Beaufort Scales mysteries, plus twelve festive recipes!
Coming Up Roses book cover
#6

Coming Up Roses

2021

There's a fine line between 'eccentric' and 'a danger to oneself and others'. And that line may just lie with the body in the freezer. That's certainly what DI Adams is thinking when said body turns up in Rose's freezer. Rose might not look like an octogenarian black widow, but it's the inspector's job to follow the evidence, no matter how distasteful that might be. Alice and the ladies of the Toot Hansell Women's Institute, however, couldn't disagree more. They don’t believe for a moment that Rose is responsible for anything worse than a little forgetfulness, and they're certainly not going to let her be hauled off to jail or an old folk's home for a crime she didn’t commit. They're taking matters into their own hands, and if certain detective inspectors have rather limiting beliefs regarding what constitutes "helping the police with their investigations", well, they shall just have to deal with it. Between Rose's squabbling exes, mysterious relatives, and shadowy connections to the more fringe elements of the scientific community, Alice and the W.I. are in a desperate race to clear Rose's name - if they can - before DI Adams has no choice but to arrest her. And hunting the real murderer would be a lot easier if they didn't also have a small problem involving lurking journalists hunting dragons, as well as certain eccentric dragons who seem determined to hunt them back … Nothing's looking too rosy in Toot Hansell this spring. A funny cozy mystery (with dragons), for anyone that likes their mysteries British, gentle, and well-stocked with cake, tea, and friendship. And dragons, obviously. Coming Up Roses is the sixth book in The Beaufort Scales series of cozy mysteries (with dragons) - pick up Baking Bad today to see where it all began! Note: This cozy mystery contains: • no graphic violence • no sex • no strong language; however it does contain some blasphemous language Also, there are copious quantities of cake and tea. You may need supplies.
Beast-Laid Plans book cover
#7

Beast-Laid Plans

2022

A dragon is missing. A Beast stalks the Dales. And the hunters are coming … DI Adams' missing person is a human, not a dragon. But the trails of both lead straight to the village of Eldmere, where glimpses of a mysterious Beast have drawn the attention of the nation's monster hunters. And where, of course, the Toot Hansell Women's Institute and the Cloverly dragons are in hot pursuit of Gilbert. They're not letting a valley full of weekend Yeti hunters and Nessie-loving cryptozoologists stand between them and the young dragon. But nothing is as simple as it seems. Something strange is happening in Eldmere, and the dragons, the Beast, and the ladies of the Women's Institute are right at the heart of it. As are the hunters, some of whom are more serious - and more dangerous - than DI Adams ever imagined. She's in a race to find Gilbert before the hunters do, because someone out there doesn’t just want to see a dragon. They want to finish them. There's more than dragon secrets at stake in Yorkshire this summer … A funny cozy mystery (with dragons), for anyone that likes their mysteries British, gentle, and well-stocked with cake, tea, and friendship. And dragons, obviously. Beast-Laid Plans is the seventh book in The Beaufort Scales series of cozy mysteries (with dragons) - pick up Baking Bad today to see where it all began! Note: This cozy mystery contains: • no graphic violence • no sex • no strong language; however it does contain some blasphemous language but there are copious quantities of cake and tea. You may need supplies.
Bonfire of the Calamities book cover
#8

Bonfire of the Calamities

2023

A body. A theft. A good cause gone bad … Miriam has never seen eye-to-eye with her sister. But when a body’s dumped on the doorstep of a Women’s Institute meeting and all signs point to Rainbow, Miriam knows her sister’s being framed. Rainbow might be monumentally irritating, but she’s no killer. Going to the police would be the smart move, but even without the damning evidence on hand Rainbow’s got her own reasons for avoiding them. Before long she’s on the run, trusting to Miriam and the W.I. to clear her name. The killer’s left nothing to chance, though, and Rainbow’s in more danger than she realises - and she’s dragging the others right in with her. Between rogue wildlife, clothing-optional informants, and Rainbow’s own team of obstinate rebels, the W.I. are in a desperate race to dodge the police and dig up the truth. But Miriam’s not backing down. Not this time. This is family, and she’s going to see this case through. Not even the dragons can stop her. The killer might, though … A funny cozy mystery (with dragons), for anyone that likes their mysteries British, gentle, and well-stocked with cake, tea, and friendship. And dragons, obviously. Bonfire of the Calamities is the eighth book in The Beaufort Scales series of cozy mysteries (with dragons) - pick up Baking Bad today to see where it all began! Note: This cozy mystery contains: • no graphic violence • no sex • no strong language; however it does contain some blasphemous language but there are copious quantities of cake and tea. You may need supplies.
Something in the Waters book cover
#9

Something in the Waters

2024

A Cozy Mystery (with dragons): Tea, cake, and suspicious flooding in the Yorkshire Dales _It never rains, but it pours. And in Toot Hansell, that goes double…_ When Toot Hansell’s water supply turns murky, it’s easy to blame the notoriously soggy Yorkshire weather. But this winter, the rain’s endless, the water’s undrinkable, and the village is slowly turning into a bog. The local water sprite, Nellie, could probably sort it all out – if she hadn’t mysteriously vanished, leaving behind a battalion of furious geese, which are only adding to the problems. Now the only clean water in town is arriving in pricey bottles from Toot Hansell’s new wellness guru, Lachlan Jameson. And the rising water isn’t the only problem. People are vanishing, strange faces are appearing in the streams, and quicksand is starting to become a real concern. The dragons and the ladies of the Women’s Institute know this is more than a bit of inclement weather, and they’re not going to stand by and watch their village drown. But the deeper they wade into the mystery, the murkier things get. Because something is lurking in the depths—and if the WI, the dragons, and one reluctantly off-the-books detective inspector don’t get to the bottom of it soon, the whole valley could be swept away. This winter, it’ll take tea, teamwork, and all the stubborn deviousness of ladies of a certain age to keep Toot Hansell from being washed off the map… A funny cozy mystery (with dragons), for anyone that likes their mysteries British, gentle, and well-stocked with cake, tea, and friendship. And dragons, obviously. Something in the Waters is the ninth book in The Beaufort Scales series of cozy mysteries (with dragons) - pick up Baking Bad today to see where it all began! This cozy mystery contains: no graphic violence no sex no strong language; however it does contain some blasphemous language Also there are copious quantities of cake and tea. You may need supplies.

Author

Kim M. Watt
Kim M. Watt
Author · 9 books

Hello lovely people! I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations. And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place. You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake. But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic. And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many. Come join me!

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