'Mystery At Apple Tree Cottage' is the second book in the series featuring Eve Mallow. I have a little confession to make. Yes yet another one. Although I have the first book in the Eve Mallow series, called 'Mystery On Hidden Lane', on my 'to be read' mountain, I haven't actually read it yet. Judging by how much I enjoyed reading 'Mystery At Apple Tree Cottage', 'Mystery On Hidden Lane' will not be on that mountain for very much longer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Mystery At Apple Tree Cottage' but more about that in a bit.
I loved my introduction to Eve Mallow. Eve is an amateur sleuth but she is also a journalist, who writes obituaries and she also spends a lot of time at her local café. Eve has a knack of getting information out of people, without them realising what she is up to. Eve is also a wee bit nosy and she loves a gossip. In this story, Eve is asked to write an article on the local bad boy gone good (or is he?), which she rejects but matters soon spiral out of control after the discovery of the bad boy's body. The thing is that the bad boy has upset quite a few people, so Eve isn't going to be short of suspects. Will Eve solve the case? Who carried out the murder and what was their motivation? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I must admit that it took me a little while to get into this story. This is partly due to the fact that both of my Labradors were making diva demands, which meant that I had to keep breaking off from reading. It's no wonder that I sometimes find it hard to concentrate and I have to keep re-reading bits. Anyway enough of that and back to the review I do go. Once I got into the story that was it, I was away and I found it nigh on impossible to put this book to one side for any length of time. I loved the cast of 'unique' characters and I had to keep reading to find out what happened to them and to find out who murdered the victim, who wasn't particularly likeable. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to discover how the story concluded grew and grew. Then all too quickly I reached the end of the story, which I had mixed feelings about. Don't get me wrong I was pleased to finish because it meant that I knew how the story concluded but I wasn't pleased to finish because it meant that I had to say goodbye to Eve and her friends. I soon cheered up when I realised that I still had the first book in the Eve Mallow series to read.
'Mystery At Apple Tree Cottage' is well written but then I think that to be true of Clare's books in general. She grabs your attention from the start and draws you into the story. Before long you feel as though you are helping Eve with her investigation- or at least that's how I felt at any rate. For me, the story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. This is more of a gentle, cozy type of mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it. Reading 'Mystery At Apple Tree Cottage' was most definitely a pleasure and not a chore.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Mystery At Apple Tree Cottage' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Clare's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Mystery at Apple Tree Cottage is the second instalment in the Eve Mallow series featuring the obituary writer extraordinaire turned amateur sleuth based in the fictional picture-postcard pretty Saxford St. Peter, Suffolk. It isn’t necessary to have read the first instalment to enjoy this one as all pertinent background on the recurring characters is provided. When Ashton Foley, interior designer, business mogul and reformed juvenile delinquent, returns to visit family in Saxford he asks Eve if she will pen an article on him while he is present and able to answer any questions. Before she has the chance to get back to him he is found murdered. The police are adamant they have their man and that this is very much an open and shut case yet Eve isn’t so sure. So whilst writing a fitting obituary to go in the newspaper she covertly begins her own investigation.

Ms Chase has written another cracking cozy mystery with a compelling plot, engaging cast of characters and enough twists and surprises to keep the most demanding crime reader satisfied. All that being said, the aspect of the story that is the most captivating of all is the beautiful, chocolate-box setting; exactly like the village in Midsomer Murders. It’s the stereotypical English countryside retreat. The writing is a little bit of a quicker pace than most cozies and I think that makes it easier to read and get engrossed in. There is a wonderfully crafted mystery free of profanity and gratuitous violence and the small village mentality is front and centre. The atmosphere crafted is one that gets under your skin and will have me looking out for the next instalment. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

This is book 2 in the series, but my intro to the series (book one is Mystery on Hidden Lane). Eve is an older character (!!) and she is still adjusting to making a HUGE change in her life and moving out to the English countryside from London. With new friends to help her settle in, she can't help literally stumbling into a crime. But the more she gets to know about the victim, she wonders if appearances were deceiving, and if there was more afoot than anyone knew. A real page turner, a la vintage Christie, this book will keep you clued until the final pages, and ready fr the next book in the series!

"Working with her friend Viv, who owned the place, complemented her real profession perfectly. As a freelance obituary writer, she interviewed the living to unearth the secrets of the dead, but also spent hours researching her subjects. Wanting to understand people was hardwired in her. Regular shifts in Monty’s ensured she stayed solvent, but the work was also sociable, and an additional people-watching opportunity."

This time, Eve is being urged to write a feature on a living subject.   A bit of an infamous ex-resident of Saxford St Peter - Ashton Foley - returned to rub in his detractors' faces that the local "bad boy" has made something of himself after all.   For some reason, he's decided that only Eve can do his story in the style he deserves.

But then he turns up dead!   And now Eve has a legitimate reason to write his life story . . . as an obituary feature.   Not quite what the well-known entrepreneur had in mind when he'd originally tried to engage her services.  

Chase's well developed and extremely engaging characters are back for another episode of mystery and maybe revenge.  All the lovely villagers Eve befriended are here again in Book Two.  I've loved Eve from the first book, and this second book has totally confirmed that!   She and Gus - her elderly dachshund - are now permanent residents of Saxford St Peter!   Here is another entertaining tale, and despite being Book Two of an ongoing series, it does well as a standalone.  I urge you to read book one as well, though.  You'll love this series.  

[Many thanks to NetGalley / Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read an Advance Reader Copy of this book.   The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.]

4.5 Stars
Eve Mallow is relishing the gentle pace of life after moving to Saxford St Peter until a new arrival stirs everyone up. Ashton Foley is back, a teenage tearaway turned interior designer to the stars. His mother Betty is thrilled but when her aunt has a stroke Betty leaves for New Zealand. So when he’s found murdered in the woods near his mother’s home, Apple Tree Cottage, there’s no shortage of suspects. The police soon hit on a simple solution, and arrest his mother’s partner Howard. Ashton always hated him, and he bears all the marks of a recent fight. Betty is convinced he’s innocent, and enlists Eve’s help to prove it. There’s just one problem. Eve saw Howard sniffing around Apple Tree Cottage on the morning of the murder, and she’s fairly sure he’s guilty, too but then Howard is found dead in the woods.
A well written engrossing read, this is the second book in the series & is easily read on its own. I really like Eve who along with Gus, her dachshund has moved from London & bought the cottage she stayed in the previous summer. She soon realises that not everything is as it seems & along with the enigmatic gardener Robin strives to find the murderer. The story flows well & here are plenty of red herrings thrown into the mix. Well portrayed characters with depth made this a very enjoyable, entertaining read & I look forward to more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I really enjoy the angle that the author uses that allows Eve to get face to face with family and suspects alike. As an obituary writer, her profession gets her foot in the door and so she gets to ask questions that others just can't.

Having read the first book I enjoyed the continuity and that the lead character is now settled and a part of village life. As such, Eve has a solid supporting cast of characters that she can lean into to share thoughts with, call upon when she has concerns, or when she needs help.

The mystery itself is intriguing with a number of plausible suspects for consideration. I enjoyed reading and then reflecting on just who the murderer could be. This was definitely a case where details only came to light over time and things were definitely not what they seemed.

I recommend this to all who enjoy a cosy murder mystery and the challenge of identifying 'whodunnit'.

Loved this second entry in the Eve Mallow mystery series. The author continues to develop the characters and provides an interesting and clever plot set in an idyllic English village. ..Eve manages to get herself involved in another murder - much to the chagrin of the local police inspector., who doesn't want Eve meddling in his investigation.

Eve Mallow was happy with her life in Saxford St Peter. She worked part time with her good friend Viv in a small café which catered to most of the residents, while her “other” job was writing obituaries. The arrival back in town of Ashton Foley was cause for great celebration by his mother, but not so the rest of the town. He was a charming man and had a history of drugs and criminality but was apparently a changed person. His new business, Outside In, where he and his offsider would design the inside of the house to take plants – creating a garden inside the house, was gaining popularity. Eve didn’t like Ashton; felt uncomfortable around him, but so did a number of others.

Betty Foley lived in Apple Tree Cottage and when Ashton was found murdered in the woods nearby, the police had plenty of suspects. Eve was asked by Betty to investigate, as the police had their eye on her partner Howard, and she knew he wasn’t guilty of murdering her son. But as Eve would find, there was more to the mystery than anyone thought. Would Eve be able to prove the police wrong? She really wasn’t sure – it pointed at too many people – but she was going to keep digging until she found the answers. But was she putting herself in too much danger?

Mystery at Apple Tree Cottage by Clare Chase is the 2nd in the Eve Mallow Mystery series and although I haven’t read #1, this one read easily as a standalone. Plenty of twists, plus lots of “bad guys” led to a gripping and suspenseful read. An excellent cosy mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series, and better than the previous one. Two thirds of the way the author tends to fill the pages with reminiscing and self doubting of the protagonist as in the first book. This stalls the pace of the story. Otherwise a cozy read.

This is the second in the cozy mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Eve Mallow and it was lovely to reacquaint myself with life in the Suffolk village of Saxford St Peter. Reading this felt like catching up with friends after a short hiatus, where it’s easy to simply take up conversations you last had as if you’ve never been apart.
I love the characters and sense of community in this fictional village which sounds almost idyllic were it not for the alarming number of murders that threaten peace and tranquillity and harmony amongst its residents. Eve is now an established member of this community working alongside Viv in the tea shop Montys which is a good place to witness the comings and goings of other villagers as well as maybe eavesdrop on a conversation or two! Of course Moira who runs the shop is the queen of gossip and quite a useful person to know when Eve is indulging in her amateur sleuthing. She’s like a dog with a bone when it comes to sourcing information and satisfying her curiosity so makes an ideal detective, roaming the village with her loyal companion, dachshund Gus. Plus she’s fearless to the point of putting herself in danger were it not for the mysterious gardener Robin Yardley who seems to have her best interests at heart.
On this occasion it is one time resident of the village, now acclaimed horticulturist to the stars, Ashton Foley who is the focus of attention. With a troubled past as a teenager, he makes an interesting character, and piques the residents curiosity when he returns on a surprise visit to see his mother Betty. When he is found murdered in the woods near his mother’s cottage, rumours and suspicions abound making it impossible for Eve to keep out of police business, intent on solving this crime rather than rely on the local constabulary.
You don’t need to have read the first book in this series to catch up with the lives of Eve and Viv and Moira and to enjoy this cozy mystery. I love how despite its lack of graphic detail and violence, this still had me turning the pages eager to discover whodunnit and why. Yet again the plot is constructed to cleverly cast suspicion on more than one individual and possible motives for murder are rife. With an easy to read style of writing I love this rather laid back approach to solving crime, making the series enjoyable to read and with plenty of red herrings I couldn’t guess the culprit. My only slight criticism is maybe the plot is a bit convoluted but that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I like too the sense of setting, with many windswept walks along the estuary featuring the local wildlife and the tea shop sounds like the perfect place to read a book, people watch and satisfy your hunger all at the same time.
I look forward to book three of the series (could there be a possible romance between Eve and Robin??) and would recommend to fellow readers as a lovely way to detox yourself from the more gritty realistic crime novels around.
My thanks as always to the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn into the story by the prologue which revealed the finding of a body but little else. Then the body of the story starts in the charming village of Saxford St. Peter. It seems like the perfect place to be although I know it is not. It turns out there are a number of possibly shady characters in the village. Relative newcomer and obituary writer Eve Mallow finds herself not only writing the victim's obituary but also trying to figure out who murdered him.

The stories descriptions are colorful and there are characters I would like to know better. Also, the mystery has some surprises and keeps you guessing to near the end. It is a sure winner for M.C. Beaton fans. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Mystery at Apple Tree Cottage (An Eve Mallow Mystery Book 2) by Clare Chase is a cozy mystery featuring obituary writer, Eve Mallow. I have read all of the Tara Thorpe mystery series by Clare Chase and so I was happy to read another series written by this author. Eve writes comprehensive obituaries for people who pass in her village of Saxford St Peter. She also works a shift at the local diner for additional income where she often hears the latest gossip around the village. The news is a previously troubled teen, Ashton Foley is now returning home with his successful business allowing him to design an inside garden for a local celebrity. After he is found murdered, Eve is asked by his mother to write his obituary. Eve feels she must delve into the secrets surrounding Ashton's death, family, and associates in order to really learn about his life. This puts Eve directly into the path of a killer!
It seemed to me this mystery proceeded a bit slower than the Tara Thorpe series I am familiar with reading. It is easily read as a stand-alone book even though this is the second book of the Eve Mallow series.
Publication Date: March 12, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of the book to read and review.

When Ashton Foley arrives back in the village after making a success of his personal and professional life in London he makes a lot of people very nervous. But is someone nervous enough to kill? Eve is asked to write an article about Ashton by a magazine and before she knows it the article turns into an obituary and a murder investigation..
A very enjoyable mystery with the main characters developing well but proving that you don't always know someone as well as you think.

Local bad boy made good Ashton Foley returns to Saxford St Peter. But when he's found murdered in the woods near his mother's house, it seems that at least one old score has been settled.

Lacking imagination, the police arrest the obvious suspect - his would-be stepfather. But eve Mallow thinks otherwise, and must prove it...

A great second book in the series. Obituary writer Eve Mallow and her beloved dachshund Gus are now firmly established in the village of Saxford St Peter. Eve is working at Monty’s alongside her friend Viv, the owner and is of course ideally placed to hear the village gossip. Betty Foley lives at Apple Tree Cottage, she is very excited to report that her son Ashton is coming to work in Saxford St Peter for a while. Ashton was a tear away in his youth but has made good with his horticultural company Outside in and returns on a wave of success. When Ashton is found murdered there are plenty of suspects and Eve is yet again engaged to write an obituary for a murder victim. An enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

This fun cozy mystery takes place in the Suffolk village of Saxford St. Peter. Eve Mallow, a freelance writer who also works in her friend Viv's shop - Monty's Teashop. She lives in Elizabeth's Cottage with her adorable Dachshund Gus.

When Ashton Foley returns to town as a fancy interior designer working on a celebrity's house, trouble appears to follow him as he is soon found murdered. With a whole bunch of people who could have wanted him gone - ex's, husbands, rivals - Eve takes it upon herself to figure out what happened.

I wanted to get a feel for this series, so before reading this book, I went back to the first in the series, Mystery on Hidden Lane. I found the heroine Eve Mallow to be relatable, and I liked the fact that she was middle-aged, not a twenty-something like many cozy heroines. I found the pacing of the first book to be slow, and I attributed this to the need to introduce characters, setting, and relationships so necessary in a debut cozy.

Unfortunately, I found the same difficulty with Mystery at Apple Tree Cottage. The writing is nuanced and descriptive, and the mystery itself is well done, but it's like having all the ingredients for a great souffle that just doesn't rise. The reader keeps waiting for something to happen, but there is little action, and even when it occurs, it is just a big ho hum. Of course, like all cozies, the heroine suffers from being a busy body and the device for involving her in solving the murders is a bit clunky--she's an obituary writer. Even this could be forgiven if the pacing weren't so sedate.

I like Eve enough that I wouldn't mind spending more time with her, I just wish that time passed more quickly and eventfully.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review

An entertaining and well written murder mystery. Good plot and well crafted characters. Mystery fans will enjoy this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

I had liked author Clare Chase's first book, but I loved this book. It was everything an old fashioned sleuthing ought to be, using an intelligent brain as the weapon to solve the crime.

Obituary writer/amateur sleuth Eve Mallow was back with another murder mystery to solve, this time of a bad boy supposedly turned good, Ashton. His company did a makeover of homes, bringing nature to their interiors. Unfortunately, somebody took a gun to him, and he was found dead. Eve, who was a suspect initially, soon started investigating.

My second book by this author, I flew through the pages which showed me convoluted plot twists where Eve had to use all her talents at interviewing people to get to the truth. I loved how her brain worked, grasping the tiny flickers of statements given by the suspects and putting it into perspective.

I loved Eve in this book, there was something soothing about her. She made mistakes but also rectified them well. A few risks were taken in the book. Her no nonsense attitude along with the way she dealt with people endeared me to her. She was bold and clever. Her friendship with Viv was very sweet. The way the author etched her in this book made me her complete fan.

I generally avoided cozy mystery as I found them pretty slow, but I could read this smoothly, all thanks to the author's writing. The story kept to the investigation with Eve and her life being at the spotlight.

The steady pace along with the clever twists and false leads, a determined protagonist and the most unexpected killer had me enjoying this book all through the evening. Well recommended.

This is the second in the Eve Mallow mystery series by Clare Chase. It is another solid, well plotted book that features some of the same secondary characters and introduces a few new ones. The only connections between this book and the first in the series is the explanation of how Eve came to live in Saxford St. Peter and work part time for her friend Viv. There is enough information for the reader to understand these without confusion.
In this mystery, a young man who has made it big in the business world has returned to his hometown, where he was a juvenile delinquent. HIs return is received with excitement by the community as he is now a celebrity, and some confusion/trepidation on the part of a few of the residents. Is there an underlying reason he has returned home? Does it have something to do with the past trouble he was in, dealing with drugs? Is there a more serious drug dealer lurking in the background who is more dangerous than he is?
With the young man’s murder, Eve once again gets pulled into the investigation. She was naturally curious to begin with, then she felt a tug by his mother to investigate, and finally, the magazine that was featuring his latest work has asked her to write an obituary. How could she not become entangled in his murder?
With this new mystery, the author takes a peak at the possibility of a relationship growing between Eve and Robin the former Chief Inspector who now works as the village gardener. No one other than the vicar and now Eve know of his former life. Why does he keep it hidden? Are they going to develop a relationship? What about the vicar, is he a contender as Viv kind of hints?
My only objection to this novel is that Eve puts herself in danger, going alone into an isolated area not once, but twice. I know she is smarter than that, I object to her making foolish choices that set her up.
The conclusion and twist is a good one, created to leave an overall good feeling with the reader. While there are, no doubt, issues that will crop up in the future, this book is excellent as a stand alone. It is a good book and series for anyone who wants a little suspense, a little murder, and a little drama all tied together without too much explicit blood and gore. Also an easy book for a vacation/plane/train read.