Title: Mystery at the Old Mill
Author: Clare Chase
Publication Day: Dec 7th 2020
Description:
When the calm of Saxford St Peter is disrupted by a deadly fire at the Old Mill, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow finds herself investigating a most surprising mystery!
Everyone in Saxford St Peter is desperate to know more about Harry Tennant, the newcomer who owns the Old Mill. He usually keeps himself to himself, but he’s finally invited the villagers round for drinks, and Eve Mallow isn’t the only one looking forward to having some questions answered.
But two days before the party, a terrible fire sweeps through the mill, and Harry is found dead. When Eve passes the burned remains of his beautiful house, she can’t resist the call to investigate. Especially when it turns out quiet, charming Harry was living a double life as the famous advice writer Pippa Longford. Eve has to wonder what revelations were contained in the letters he received… and whether one of them was worth killing for.
Accompanied by her reliable dachshund sidekick Gus, Eve starts digging. She soon realises Harry was at the centre of a web of lives – and lies. There’s an uncle desperate to inherit, two women who thought they were his one and only, not to mention everyone who shared their darkest secrets with him. Was one of those strangers much closer to home than Harry knew? And can Eve untangle the truth before she finds herself face to face with a killer?
A completely charming page-turner, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Betty Rowlands.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Mystery At The Old Mill' by Clare Chase.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 7th December 2020
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the fourth book in her 'Eve Mallow Mystery' series but can be read as a standalone.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. It also stated in the synopsis that this book is perfect for fans of Faith Martin amongst others. I am a fan of Faith's books so am looking forward to see if it loves up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 44 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in a fictional town based in Suffolk, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited Suffolk on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Clare has based the book on.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Eve Mallow. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out on anything.
This book is very well written making it a lovely smooth read. The atmosphere and vivid descriptions are perfect for the plot and helps give that cosy feeling while reading. The synopsis and cover suited the storyline perfectly. I'm looking forward to reading more of Clare Chase's books including any prior to this one. This book can easily be read as a standalone and anything that has happened prior is described in just the right amount of detail.
THE storyline itself if a lovely cosy mystery that kept me guessing all the way through. I had no idea who the killer was so a huge congratulations to Clare. It is getting harder and harder to surprise me with the amount of crime books I read but you definitely managed it. I enjoyed that it wasn't really a case of just one mystery but how several linked smoothly and everything was tied up nicely at the end, hate loose ends!! I really enjoyed going on this adventure with Eve and investigating with her. The book was filled with crime, mystery, murder, red herrings and some suspense. I als believe that Clare portrayed village life perfectly and the community within them.
THE characters were all realistic, strong and an eclectic bunch to say the least. It was really fun learning all of their different characteristics, personalities and backgrounds. I love Eve and of course Gus. Eve felt to me to be slightly eccentric which I enjoyed the most about her. I also enjoyed meeting all the other villagers and Viv as well. I'm hoping something will come from Eve and Robin's friendship banishing the cringe worthy Ian for good.
Overall an absolutely compelling and page turning cosy mystery that is perfect to read on front of the fire.
Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Suspense and Crime Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of cosy mysteries, Faith Martin and Agatha Christie.
319 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@ClareChase @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
Clare Chase writes women sleuth mysteries. After graduating from London University with a degree in English Literature, Clare moved to Cambridge and has lived there ever since. She's fascinated by the city's contrasts and contradictions, which feed into her writing. She's worked in diverse settings - from the 800-year-old University to one of the local prisons - and lived everywhere from the house of a Lord to a slug-infested flat. The terrace she now occupies, with her husband and teenage children, presents a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people's books.
You can find Clare's website and blog at www.clarechase.com
Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClareChase_
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