Review: The Case of the Vanishing Heiress (A Lady Theodora Ashcoombe Mystery #1) by Daisy Landish @daisy_landish

The Case of the Vanishing Heiress

Lady Theodora Ashcoombe Mystery #1

by Daisy Landish

Published: November 1, 2025

Publisher: ‎Beaches and Trails Publishing

Genre: Short Read, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery, Victorian Cozy Mystery

 

Blurb:

A society heiress vanishes without a trace. A Gothic mansion harbors deadly secrets. And Lady Theodora Ashcombe faces her most dangerous case yet.

When nineteen-year-old Charlotte Elderfield disappears from the mysterious Vesper House, London society whispers of elopement and scandal. But Lady Theodora Ashcombe knows better. Armed with a cryptic message delivered by a mechanical butterfly and her growing reputation as a consulting detective, Theo suspects something far more sinister than romantic drama.

With her quick-witted cousin Beatrice at her side and the complicated romantic tension of her relationship with private inquiry agent Jasper Welles simmering beneath the surface, Theo delves into a world where Gothic mansions hide modern horrors and proper ladies harbor deadly secrets.

But as the investigation deepens, Theo discovers that Charlotte's disappearance is connected to a smuggling ring that reaches into the highest levels of society—the same conspiracy that may have claimed her own father's life. Now, with Inspector Hargrave's reluctant assistance and Pip's uncanny nose for danger, she must navigate treacherous social waters where one wrong step could make her the next victim.

In Victorian London, some mysteries are worth dying for... and killing for.

Perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series, Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell mysteries, and classic Agatha Christie, this atmospheric historical mystery combines intricate plotting with rich period detail and a heroine who refuses to be constrained by society's expectations.

First in the Lady Theodora Ashcombe Mysteries—start your addiction today!

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My Review:

The Case of the Vanishing Heiress marks an excellent start to the Lady Theodora Ashcoombe Mystery series by Daisy Landish. Although it's a brief read, it captivates your interest right from the opening page as Theo, her cousin Beatrice, Jasper Welles, and her adorable little dog Pip delve into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of nineteen-year-old Charlotte Elderfield.

Set in Victorian London, The Case of the Vanishing Heiress revolves around the enigmatic Vesper House, where Charlotte was residing at the time of her vanishing.

What has become of Charlotte? Is she alive? Where could she be? Is she in hiding, or has she been abducted? If so, what could be the motive behind her abduction? Does her disappearance relate to her father's death in any way?

The Case of the Vanishing Heiress kept me engaged as Theo and Pip worked tirelessly to uncover the truth about Charlotte's fate, all the while wishing for her safe return.

I eagerly anticipate the next mystery in the Lady Theodora Ashcoombe Mystery series to discover what adventures Theo and Pip will embark on next.

I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of The Case of the Vanishing Heiress today and travel back in time with Lady Theodora Ashcoombe.

Check out all the books in the Lady Theodora Ashcombe Mysteries I’ve read.

The Case of the Clockwork Canary #0

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The Case of the Vanishing Heiress #1

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: The Bridge by Shanna Hatfield @ShannaHatfield @XpressoTours

The Bridge
Shanna Hatfield
Publication date: October 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Women’s Fiction

One Bridge. Five Strangers. A Christmas Eve That Changes Everything.

On a bridge suspended above the Willamette River, five lives collide for a journey through hope and hardship in a suspenseful, heartwarming tale of courage, connection, and the magic of second chances.

Sergeant Archer Raines has worked every holiday all year for one reason: to finally spend Christmas with his wife. But when a desperate man threatens to jump from Portland’s St. Johns Bridge, Archer’s expert negotiation skills are required to defuse the situation.

Rosalee, a high-powered accountant and mom-to-be, only meant to swing by home for a forgotten phone and client file. Then her car is caught in the chaos on the bridge, she unexpectedly goes into labor, and her carefully planned world begins to unravel amidst the unfolding drama.

Exhausted nurse Nova just wants to make it home for Christmas after too many night shifts. When the pileup halts traffic and Rosalee’s baby is on the way, Nova puts her own plans on hold to help a stranger in need.

Carter, the owner of a busy tow truck business, regrets taking the call to clear the multi-car collision off the bridge. He’d intended to spend the day tackling last-minute holiday errands. Instead, he’s praying the lunatic pointing a gun at him doesn’t pull the trigger.

Fresh out of college and anxious to kick-start his career, Ian’s running late when his car won’t start the morning of his big interview. His rideshare driver turns out to be a captivating girl with a penchant for aggressive driving that narrowly saves them from being part of the wreck on the bridge, sending Ian on an unexpected path of his own.

The Bridge is the perfect uplifting holiday read and a story of how one frozen moment can thaw even the loneliest of hearts.

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EXCERPT:

He’d just stepped outside when he saw a vehicle roaring up the street. The rideshare logo was clearly visible in the passenger-side corner of the windshield. He hoped the maniac driving the small SUV wouldn’t kill him in a fiery crash before they even made it out of the neighborhood.

He lifted a hand as he stepped out to the curb, and the SUV came to a precise stop beside him. All he had to do was open the door and slide into the back seat.

“You’re the dude heading to Magra? Ian Alexander?” the driver asked, giving him a glimpse over her shoulder.

Ian nodded, then cleared his throat. “Yes. I’m Ian. Do you have the address?”

“Got it right here,” she said, then blew a big pink bubble and popped her gum.

He was in the process of buckling his seat belt when she hit the gas and zipped into the street, barely slowed at the corner, and picked up speed as she headed toward the highway.

Ian prayed he’d survive the trip and wouldn’t be so rattled by the experience he’d mess up his interview. He drew in a long breath and inhaled a fragrance reminiscent of spiced cider and warm fires. He didn’t see an air freshener hanging up and wondered if it was just the driver. If so, she smelled amazing.

Head in the game.

Now was not the time to check out a girl. Besides, this one certainly wasn’t his type even if she appeared to be close to his age. From the quick glance she’d given him, he’d concluded she was into goth with her thick, black eyeliner and dark eye shadow, a nose ring, blood-red lipstick, and a dragon earring that encircled her entire ear. She had on fingerless gloves with leather cuffs and a black leather jacket sporting silver studs around the collar. He had no idea what color her hair might have been because it was all stuffed up under a slouchy black velvet hat.

He wondered what she’d look like if she washed her face and dressed in something less biker chic and more … feminine.

Ian almost face-palmed himself. Good grief! He was starting to sound like his parents. He didn’t care if the woman was dressed as one of Santa’s elves as long as she got him to his interview on time, preferably in one piece.

To distract himself from the fact that goth girl seemed to think she was training for the Indy 500 or perhaps to become a New York City cab driver, he rehearsed what he planned to say at the interview. When it felt as though the SUV went around a corner on two wheels, Ian latched onto the handle above the door and held on for dear life. What kind of crazy person was about to get him killed?

“Ever think about becoming a race car driver?” he asked as she barely slowed at a stop sign and took a right onto the highway.

She glanced back at him and smirked. “Only every other day. Unfortunately for you, today is an even day, and I’m practicing.”

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Behind the Mirror by Bridget Budd @TheBridgetBudd @XpressoTours

Behind the Mirror
Bridget Budd
Publication date: July 1st 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Behind the Mirror is a powerful, character-driven novel about emotional healing, generational trauma, and the courage it takes to stop performing and start living your truth.

Sometimes, the hardest person to face is the one behind the mirror…

Julie Sloan was shaped by abandonment early in life—left behind by the people who were supposed to love her first. In the absence of emotional safety, she became what the world rewarded: high-achieving, self-sacrificing, and always performing. Through four marriages, she searched for stability while suppressing her deepest fears—that she was unworthy of lasting love, and too broken to be fully seen.

But when her fourth marriage nearly collapsed, something shifted. It wasn’t betrayal that broke her—it was the quiet realization that she had never truly lived for herself.

What followed was a reckoning: with her past, with the roles she had played to survive, and with the parts of herself she had long silenced.

Now, years later, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist named Laura wants to profile Julie’s nonprofit work—an organization devoted to helping women heal from emotional wounds. But what begins as a success story takes a deeper turn as Julie reveals the story behind the story—the one she’s never shared publicly. The one about how she abandoned herself first.

For readers drawn to novels about inner child work, identity, and spiritual awakening, this deeply personal journey will leave you both broken open and quietly restored.

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EXCERPT:

Julie Sloan had everything she thought she wanted—success, love, stability—but beneath the perfection was an exhaustion she couldn’t name. In this scene from Behind the Mirror, she begins to see the quiet cost of performing her way through life.

I had and have everything I had dreamed of. This gorgeous house, an indoor pool, a home gym, a massage room, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Plus, I drive a super-fun and sporty Porsche 718 Boxster in Carmine Red … Nothing beats the top down on the glorious sunny days we have here.

But I was perpetually unhappy and had no idea why.

Did you notice that all those things I listed as being everything I dreamed of were external? None of them reflected satisfaction from the inside out. I was living from the outside in. Even as recently as ten years ago, I was stuck in that familiar pattern of thinking that I wasn’t worthy whenever someone did something kind for me.

… I was perpetually chasing the next goal, the next fix, the next thing that might finally make me feel whole. What I couldn’t see then was that the exhaustion I felt wasn’t from doing too much—it was from being someone I wasn’t.

I had mastered the art of performing for love, of polishing every rough edge until there was no “me” left underneath. The burnout wasn’t from my schedule; it was from the story I kept trying to live up to.

It’s strange, really, how easy it is to confuse performing with being alive. But when the performance ends—when the lights go down and the applause fades—what’s left is silence. And in that silence, I finally started to hear something truer than all the noise: myself.

Author Bio:

Bridget Budd is the author of Behind the Mirror, a debut novel that blends literary storytelling with therapeutic insight.

After more than twenty-five years in corporate sales, she stepped away to explore the emotional patterns beneath her success—and the cost of always holding it together.

Her work lives at the intersection of fiction and healing, drawing from her background in trauma-informed coaching, somatics, and holistic health. Bridget writes and speaks about identity, self-worth, and the shift from performing to presence.

Often described as “fiction with emotional teeth,” her stories are crafted for deep feelers, recovering perfectionists, and anyone quietly exhausted from chasing “enough.”

She divides her time between Marco Island, Florida, and Marvin, North Carolina, with her husband and two opinionated dogs.

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Book Blitz: Mastering Medicare by DR. Lance Coss @RABTBookTours

Nonfiction

Mastering Medicare: 65 Things Everyone Should Know Before Age 65 is the no-nonsense survival guide to Medicare—written by a nationally recognized healthcare leader with over three decades of frontline experience.

Every day, about 11,000 Americans turn 65 and enter Medicare—most of them confused, unprepared, and unaware of costly traps that can drain their retirement savings. From missed deadlines and surprise bills to myths about what Medicare covers, the system is filled with pitfalls that even doctors struggle to understand.

Dr. Lance Coss wrote this book to make Medicare clear, practical, and mistake-proof. With 65 bite-sized lessons, real stories, and plain-English explanations, he reveals the myths, mistakes, misunderstandings, and miscalculations that cost people money—and shows you how to avoid them.

Instead of dense government jargon, you’ll find humor, clarity, and insider insights that put you back in control of your healthcare choices.

Whether you’re approaching 65, already enrolled, or helping a loved one navigate Medicare, this book will give you the confidence, knowledge, and tools to make smarter decisions and keep more money in your pocket.

✅ Key Takeaways & Benefits (Amazon Bullet Features)

● ✔ Avoid costly mistakes – Learn the 65 most common traps that derail retirees, from missed enrollment deadlines to assuming the wrong benefits.

● ✔ Know what Medicare really covers – Get clear explanations about hospital, doctor, prescription, dental, vision, and long-term care benefits.

● ✔ Plan with confidence – Compare plan options, costs, and coverage to choose the right Medicare plan for your lifestyle and health needs.

● ✔ Save money on healthcare – Discover strategies to minimize out-of-pocket costs, penalties, and billing surprises.

● ✔ Empower caregivers & families – A must-have guide for adult children helping parents navigate Medicare decisions.

● ✔ Learn from an insider – Written by Dr. Lance Coss, a nationally recognized healthcare executive with 30+ years of Medicare expertise.

● ✔ Easy, practical, and engaging – Bite-sized lessons with real stories and humor make complex rules simple and memorable.

 

👉 Perfect for: Adults ages 60–70 preparing for Medicare, caregivers helping loved ones, and early planners who want to avoid confusion before retirement.

Mastering Medicare is more than a book—it’s your roadmap to clarity, confidence, and control over one of the most important decisions of your retirement years.

 

About the Author

Dr. Lance Coss is a nationally recognized healthcare executive, Medicare expert, and award-winning author with more than 30 years of experience navigating the U.S. healthcare system. With a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration, a Master’s in Human Genetics, and a Master’s in Educational Psychology, he brings a unique blend of science, policy, and human behavior to his work.

As Executive Director of a national Medicare program, Dr. Coss leads nearly 600 professionals who manage appeals, beneficiary complaints, and quality-of-care reviews for hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. His leadership ensures patient rights are protected, timely care is delivered, and improper payments are reduced—safeguarding both beneficiaries and the Medicare Trust Fund.

Recognized as one of the Top 10 Most Admired Leaders of 2025 and a two-time recipient of CMS’s National Special Service Award, Dr. Coss is a trusted voice in healthcare reform, patient advocacy, and program accountability.

Through his Mastering Medicare platform—including his YouTube series and bestselling book Mastering Medicare: 65 Things Everyone Should Know Before Age 65—he helps people cut through the confusion and avoid costly mistakes. Whether guiding readers through enrollment pitfalls or helping caregivers support loved ones, Dr. Coss empowers people with the knowledge they need to make smarter, more confident healthcare decisions.

When not immersed in healthcare policy, Lance writes biotech thrillers inspired by his genetics background, or enjoys ranch life outside Tulsa with his partner, nine dogs, three mini pigs, and a lively flock of chickens.

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Cover Reveal: The Valentine Lines by T K Sheffield @TK_Sheffield @RABTBookTours

 

Cupid trades arrows for scones in a magical screwball comedy

Romantic Comedy, Humor Novel, Light Fantasy

Tropes: Valentine’s Day romance, Small Town Romance Slow Burn Romance, Found Family, Forbidden Romance, Meddling Family

Publisher: Making Hay Press

Date Published: 12-09-2025

“The Valentine Lines” reimagines Cupid—aka Bart McGee—as an underdog ditching the corporate grind of Mt. Olympus, Inc., for small-town life in quaint Mineral Point, Wisconsin. When Bart launches a matchmaking business and falls in love with a local baker, chaos ensues as his meddling Olympus relatives crash the scene. It’s packed with snappy banter, slapstick escapades, mythological mishaps, and thoughtful explorations of love, trust, and self-discovery.

It’s a modern “Bell, Book, and Candle.” A light, literary escape for readers craving whimsy with emotional resonance.

 

No sex, politics, foul language. Manuscript winner/finalist in CIBA (humor) and Southwest Writers.

 

About the Author

 

 TK Sheffield, MA, writes stories to laugh and escape, including new a romcom "The Valentine Lines," and "Nellie’s Island," a children’s horse story set in Mackinac Island. Sheffield also writes funny cozy mysteries, "The Devil Wears Prada" meets a Wisconsin supper club, which have earned an IBPA Humor medal, a Claymore, and an IPPY. She’s on the Wisconsin Writers Association’s board, host of the Wispresso Café, an author talk show, and a member of Blackbird Writers, Sisters in Crime, and SCBWI.

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On Sale for Preorders for just $0.99

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