The Trust (Astrid Swift, #1)

When London art restorer Astrid Kisner's marriage unravels in spectacular fashion, she has no idea what to do. Then she finds out she has inherited a property in Dorset. She doesn’t hesitate in packing in her job and heading west. But when she gets there, she discovers the property isn't a pretty cottage by the sea, but a leaky boat on a muddy estuary.

Her new job at a nearby National Trust stately home brings a few surprises, too. Rather than a genteel charity, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As her new friend Kath from the village says, 'It's like the mafia, but with scones.' So when a local man is found murdered there, there are more than a few suspects. Astrid thinks she's perfectly placed to solve the case: it's like restoring a painting, slowly peeling back the layers to reveal the clear, true picture beneath.

But as the suspicious deaths mount up and the threat draws closer, Astrid has to use every gadget in her restorer's toolkit to solve the mystery, save her reputation - and maybe even her life.