In the wake of a series of unfortunate experiences house-sitting in the Cotswolds Thea Osborne accompanied by her spaniel Hepzibah is perhaps over-optimistic about the English summertime & the possibilities of her latest assignment house-sitting for transatlantic reptile breeder Harriet Young. However the region s bucolic charms prove to be more than deceptive as Thea is thrust once more into the heart of a Cotswold mystery. Despite the ease with which Thea s new assignment in the secluded village of Cranham begins she soon finds a dark side to the characters she encounters. From the elderly Donny Davis to the enigmatic figure of Edwina Thea begins to realize that Harriet Young s beloved geckoes are not the only cold-blooded creatures at large in Cranham. Family intrigue murder & suicide combine to give Thea a decidedly challenging summer in the Heart of Engl&.