Another wonderful mystery from Clare Chase.
The Eve Mallow series is fantastic! This is the 4th one I've read and I have been surprised by the ending every time. Full of twists ,murder and cosy village life, this series never disappoints

Many thanks to those at netgalley for sending me a copy to review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by the nature on which I received the book.

Another hit in the series. This is book 5 in the series of Eve, the obituary writer, who likes to solve the murders of the people she writes about. Talking with the same people as the cops helps, plus having Robin (the ex detective helping) and her faithful sidekick Gus, the dachshund by her side as well. At least he is always happy to listen while she ponders the puzzles out. This one takes place at a converted old Abbey that has been made into a hotel. I liked it, but must admit there were so many characters I had trouble keeping who was who straight at times. Might just be me. Would still highly recommend this series and author. Fun reads if you like cozy mysteries.

Interesting characters .Enough deaths to satisfy fans of Midsomer Murders. I failed to guess whodunit which is unusual. Thankfully the heroine, for once, isn't totally scatty.

I'm always on the lookout for new-to-me cozy mysteries. I've enjoyed several from Bookouture so I decided to check out Mystery at the Abbey Hotel even though it is book 5 in Clare Chase's Eve Mallow Mystery series.

It's been a while since I read a cozy mystery that features a more mature female lead. Eve Mallow is 50 years old but she isn't the eccentric Miss Marple type. She is pretty down-to-earth with an interesting career - she writes obituaries/In Memoria for notable people. I get the impression that the people she has written about lately have been victims of murder and therefore her profession has overlapped with the local police.

Mystery at the Abbey Hotel uses one of the most recognized tropes in this genre - the bumbling detective. It isn't one of my favorite tropes but DI Palmer is only briefly seen at the beginning of the novel and Eve doesn't have any contact with him outside of the brief interview after the murder had occurred.

I did like Eve and the rest of the village characters whom I assume make regular appearances in the series. I also liked a few of the characters that were involved in the murder investigation but I assume we won't see them again as it didn't seem like any characters from previous mysteries showed up here.

The mystery was good and I was kept guessing up to the very end.

I'm not sure if I will go back and pick up earlier books in the series but I am looking forward to reading the next one that comes out later this month.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/08/mystery-at-abbey-hotel-by-clare-chase.html

Once again I’ve jumped into a mystery series without reading the first 4 in the series – and I’m okay with that! I really appreciate how this one jumped right into the story and added tidbits of the backstory later. This allowed me to connect a few dots but right away I was interested and knew where our main character was for this story and got the action drawing me in immediately. The power of a stand alone in the series is strong with this book, which I personally really appreciate.

The main character Eve is a witty and quirky obituary writer and everything about her just clicked, especially her adorable sidekick Gus, Eve’s dachshund. Now to the story, I will say it was full of intrigue and mystery. This one pretty much checked all of the boxes for me right off the bat.

I was interested in the characters and figuring out the mystery and I absolutely loved the setting. A bed and breakfast in the countryside where everyone seemed to have a reason to escape the city and come to to enjoy the scenery. The mystery of the murder of Debra certainly has many suspects, all with motives to kill. This one kept me guessing until the end.

Mystery at the Abbey hotel gave me vibes of Clue and a Midsomer Murder that was a winning combo in my opinion and I will certainly be reading more in this series.

Eve Mallow is a part-time obituary writer and right now she is badly in need of a break. She intends on relaxing at the Abbey Hotel for a few days. She loves people watching and there is no better place to do that than at the luxurious hotel. However, soon the owner, Debra, is found dead. It is clear that Debra's death was murder, and this leaves the curious Eve with a bevy of suspects. Eve intends on asking as many questions as she can, but, per usual for her, she runs right into Detective Inspecter Palmer and he tells her to keep out of the investigation.

Of course Eve does not listen to Palmer. Instead, with her trusty sidekick Gus, her beloved daschhund, and her blooming relationship with Robin Yardley, Eve is fully prepared to find out who killed Debra. Robin is now a garderner, a former police officer with good reason to now be working as a gardener, and their relationship has to be kept quiet for specific reasons.

One thing that Eve liked about the Abbey Hotel is the fact that it is a dog-friendly establishment. There were other things that drew her to the lovely place, now tainted with murder. With the fact that Eve will be writing Debra's obituary she manages to dig deeper, to talk to as many people as possible and to ask the difficult questions. Not surprisingly Eve soon learns that more than one person would have benefited by Debra's death, and these include Debra's ex-husband Chester and her estranged sister Amelia, among others. So, Eve must deduce who could have benefited the most and bring the truth to light, all while keeping her distance from DI Palmer.

I have been enjoying this series from the first book, Mystery on Hidden Lane. Quite typical of cozy mysteries, this story is set in a small village, yet it is beset by murders that are being solved by an amateur detective. My kind of read. One thing that this book, Mystery at the Abbey Hotel does, however, is to reveal more about Robin and why he and Eve are keeping their relationship under wraps. Although this book could be read as a standalone, just this reveal illustrates the benefit of reading a series from the beginning.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Eve Mallow Mysteries are proving to be completely addictive!
In this episode, Eve is staying at the Abbey Hotel where, unfortunately, a murder occurs. She meets a whole host of unlikeable characters and any of them could quite easily have been the murderer. It did keep me guessing.
I like it when Eve is supported by her friends and I was happy that my favourite characters were not far away in this story. Robin is becoming a firm favourite and even Gus the dog approves of him. I'm intrigued by his back story and I'm sure it will bring plenty of drama in time.

This is a really entertaining cosy mystery series and I recommend reading it from the beginning.

This is the 5th book in the Eve Mallow Mystery Series and it can be read as a standalone. I would recommend reading the first 4 books in the series just so you have an understanding of the characters and their relationships. This is a well plotted modern but traditional British mystery. From it's beautiful cover to it's multiple red herrings this book is a winner. Eve reminds me of Miss Marple/Jessica Fletcher type of sleuth, she's absolutely charming. With 3 murders in this book Eve is kept busy trying to figure it all out.

Mystery at the Abbey Hotel is a well-plotted cosy murder mystery, with a traditional feel but a modern style. And a beautiful cover!

The story gets going straight away, the set-up is clear and the closed circle of suspects and motives are easy to follow. Eve is a warm and likeable protagonist and the rest of the characters are clearly drawn and distinct, their personalities and foibles all well-written and cleverly sprinkled throughout the book. Clare Chase describes the Abbey itself in stunning detail and I would now like to stay there please!

Although this is the first book of this series that I have read (and in fact my first book by Clare Chase), it was very easy to pick up Eve’s story, and that of the regular characters. I liked getting to know them, and particularly Gus, Eve’s smart canine companion. (Cute pet = a win for me 🙂 ) Overall it gave me a Midsomer Murders vibe: quirky and enjoyable.

This is a great cosy mystery and a fab new author find. I will definitely be reading more from Clare Chase. Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of the book and my spot on the tour.

A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. I really enjoyed the book.

Mystery at the Abbey Hotel, the fifth and latest installment of Clare Chase’s fantastic Eve Mallow mystery series combines old-school charm and clever plotting to create an intelligent, engaging, and delightful cozy mystery with more than a passing nod to Agatha Christie.

Obituary writer Eve Mallow travels to the Suffolk countryside to spend a weekend at the luxurious Abbey Hotel, where famed hotelier Debra Moran extends a warm welcome to all of her guests. Unfortunately, someone apparently doesn’t feel the same about her, and Eve’s weekend getaway is marred by Debra’s murder. What ensues is a classic closed circle investigation where all of the hotel’s guests are sequestered and questioned by the local police force and surreptitiously by Eve, who immediately gets permission from her publisher to write Debra’s obituary. Careful not to step on the police’s toes, Eve casually converses with her fellow guests to garner not only background information on Debra, but also valuable clues as to who could have killed her.

Once again, Ms. Chase has created a compelling mystery involving Eve Mallow. Although she is somewhat out of her element at the hotel, Eve’s sleuthing skills remain top notch. As she digs deeper into Debra’s past – as well as that of the various suspects – an intricate and interwoven web of clues – and red herrings -- emerges that propels Eve along the trail of a murderer. Despite the remote location, several regular series characters make an appearance. Most notably, Viv and Robin play important roles in the story, and in particular, Robin’s ongoing storyline takes a major step forward. And not to be outdone is Eve’s wonderful canine companion, Gus. The dachshund accompanies Eve to the Abbey, and his presence is felt strongly throughout the story.

Mystery at the Abbey Hotel is the quintessential cozy mystery, with a warn and homey atmosphere, a multi-faceted mystery, and, in Eve Mallow, a sharp, detailed, and utterly charming amateur detective. This is a series that has caught my attention from the beginning and will, no doubt, continue to do so.

Note: I received an ARC of Mystery at the Abbey Hotel from NetGalley and Bookouture. The above is my honest review.

This was a good read with a lot of interesting characters. Eve Mallow, the main protaginist, goes to the Abbey Hotel for a little R&R and finds herself a murder instead. Not right away, though, not until we get a handle on all the different players. It is much the same technique that Agatha Christie often utilized in her Hercule Peroit novels--introduce an ensemble of people and then leave you needing to figure out who had the most motive (or should I say "deduce").

Eve isn't a trained investigator--she's sleuth all the way. Her profession is actually quite a unique one. She's an obit writer, who tends to write about the more elite after they die. In this case, it's the owner of the Abbey Hotel who meets with foul play. It's in the course of speaking to everyone who knew the deceased that Eve begins to piece together who had reason to kill the motel owner.

But there's not just one murder to delight mystery readers. You'll need to read the book to see how the bodies stack up. Enjoy!

I received an advanced reading copy of this book for honest review. Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley.

Overall this was an enjoyable read, in the mystery series around Eve and her little dog. This one is a little different in that Eve is enjoying a break in an exclusive hotel, away from the village. This allows the author to create a different mix of characters, with the normal ensemble caste spending a little more time in the background..

The storyline is intriguing and unsurprisingly as Eve digs just a little under the surface (in the guise of compiling the obituary) much is revealed about who the other guest really are (and their real relationship with the deceased) stand in sharp and many are in sharp contrast to that first impression.

I didn't share Eve's admiration for the murder victim and I found that the motivation, the thread that pulled the story together, just a little of a stretch this time.

It was lovely to see a little more resolution in her personal life. though.

I do wonder what's next in the next episode of this cozy, murder mystery. series?

With thanks to #NetGalley, Bookcouture and the author, Care Chat, for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you Clare I am loving this series, it gets better with every new book. Once I started reading this I didn't want to stop, it had me guessing till the end. Fantastic.

This book started very slowly for me. I also had trouble keeping up with all the characters and their storylines at the beginning. I am not sure if it is the pandemic or the genre or the writing, but this just did not h my interest. I had a hard time connecting with Eve. Sorry but it was a struggle to read this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. In exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. This was the first in the series I was trying, so credit to the author that I could jump in and quickly get to know the characters, without the author repeating their entire backstory (which would annoy fans who had read the preceding 4 books). I was slightly annoyed by inconsistencies - Eve worries about leaving the cafe where she works (works, not owns), and the owner is super relaxed. Then when Eve turns up for a shift and spends a few minutes talking to someone, the owner is all impatient and “we can’t manage without you”. I didn’t quite buy why Eve and Robin couldn’t be together, that his whole “wit sec” thing means they couldn’t be together. Why not? Why couldn’t she lie about him just being a gardener, the same as he does? It felt like an over egged trick to build up limited tension. Overall an OK book, but I’m not sure I’d be in a rush to read more.

This the third book that I have enjoyed in this series and it was great to catch up with the happenings of the amateur sleuth Eve and Gus.

An entertaining read, with a tightly knitted plot in a beautiful setting, suspects aplenty a wonderful whodunit a modern day classic.

A charming cosy mystery series that I would love to see brought to life!

Obituary writer and amateur sleuth Eve Mallow wins a raffle prize for a hotel stay at the exclusive Abbey Hotel. Tensions and relationships between the staff, owner and guests are fraught and a murder ensues. Eve is called upon to write the obituary, but will she also catch the killer?
Mystery at the Abbey Hotel is the fifth book to feature Eve Mallow. It works as a stand alone novel as there are no spoilers about the murders in previous books. Her relationships with other village characters are easy to understand. However, if you like to trace character development then I would suggest reading the books in order.
The Abbey Hotel is an exclusive hospitality venue and Eve is lucky enough to win a half price visit. This presents her with a wealth of new characters to interact with and later suspect as potential killers. Motives are crucial to the unravelling of the murder. Eve needs to investigate personal and business reasons that may have contributed to the crime.
There are no forensic details or graphic descriptions and this set of books fall firmly in the cosy murder mystery category. The style of writing is quite natural and easy to read.
Eve needs to use her inquisitive nature and journalistic skills to find the killer. She is ably assisted by her dachshund Gus and has made firm friendships in the vilage. Her simmering romance with ex police officer Robin develops over the course of the book which gives a warm happy feeling by the final chapter.
Mystery at the Abbey Hotel is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery novel with a classical feel.

I am delighted to be catching up with the latest happenings in this charming cozy mystery series. It was great to be back with Eve and her beloved dachshund Gus who live in the sweet little village of Saxford St Peter.

In this fifth instalment, Eve is staying at the popular Abbey Hotel in the Suffolk countryside, famed for its celebrity guests who visit. The hotel is situated in St James on the Marsh surrounded by dense woodland and a perfectly manicured topiary. Debra Moran, the prominent London boutique hotelier, is rumoured to vet her guests before allowing them to spend time in her hospitality venues. Expecting a weekend of fine dining and relaxation Eve is joined by a number of other vacationers including Debra's ex-husband and fellow hotelier Chester Paxton, fashion designer Bianca Gresham and her husband Miles, financier Yash Astor and estranged sister Amelia Moran. Debra’s protégée Harper Reece and her husband complete the numbers in this cherry-picked gathering. On the first evening, Debra pops out to fetch some papers from her car but never returns. The guests start searching for her, scattering into the woods, then Ivan Stanford, her right-hand man and head of housekeeping, discovers her body.

Amateur sleuth, tea-shop employee and obituary writer, Eve just keeps getting better and better with each story. I find her ebullience, confidence and intuitiveness very refreshing, which is a credit to Clare Chase's writing skills, and I now feel as though I am meeting up with an old friend when I'm reading a new Eve Mallow mystery. Her dog, Gus is also a favourite who has captured my heart. I very much appreciated the author's superb and varied characterisation, and in this brilliant story, there is certainly no shortage of suspects, as Eve finds out when she starts investigating.

Mystery at the Abbey Hotel has a well-thought-out, compelling plot, and enough twists and surprises to keep the most demanding armchair sleuth satisfied. Clare Chase writes with such flair and an easy style and also admirable were the wonderfully atmospheric depictions of the location. This was a story that held my attention well and I loved my escape into Eve's world of diabolical deeds. Whilst I recommend reading the books in order, you don’t need to be familiar with the characters to fully enjoy these mysteries. I am eagerly anticipating what Clare Chase has in store for Eve Mallow next, in book six, Mystery at the Church.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

“Eve Mallow’s stay at the luxurious Abbey Hotel takes a turn for the suspicious when the owner is murdered”

Wow! I didn’t join this series until book #4, so this is only my second outing with amateur sleuth and obituary writer, Eve Mallow.

However, if my limited experience is any judge of the direction of travel, to me the series just seems to be improving with each new case which comes along, seeing Eve really growing into the role and rapidly making it her own!

The opening pages really set the groundwork and background for the story, which is just as well, because once the action begins, there’s no going back or taking too much time to pause for breath, lest you miss out on one of those vital stealthy clues. The storyline moves along at a steady pace with Eve at the helm, steering the investigation in the direction she wants it to go. There is that satisfying release of a long-held breath when the final page is turned, as Eve always leaves her perpetrator reveals until the very last minute, and usually when she finds herself in mortal danger and in need of help!

For a mystery series, author Clare Chase does like to write a substantial book, which is quite a lengthy read. However the storylines are so replete with good descriptive narrative and dialogue, that every page is full to the brim, with barely a wasted word or punctuation mark. Every scene is so rich in atmosphere and each character has such visual impact, that I can imagine myself sat in ‘Monty’s’ tearooms, eating one of Viv’s delicious cakes and drinking coffee from her mis-matched china – whilst surreptitiously eavesdropping on all the latest gossip of course!

This multi-layered, intense and well structured, traditional murder mystery, is written with consummate ease, total authority and great confidence, by an author who knows exactly how she wants her storyline to pan out and just how her characters should behave. She expertly manages to combine her amateur sleuth’s ‘day job’ as a freelance obituary writer, with her part-time hobby of always seeming to be in the right place at the right time, when murder comes knocking and the police, with whom she has a decidedly love/hate relationship, are nosing around looking for suspects.

Whilst still a relative newcomer to the village, the locals are beginning to close ranks around Eve, when they know she is working on a case, although one or two individuals do have very loose tongues, so she has to be careful who she confides in, as careless talk can often cost lives in such a close knit community. Of course, it also doesn’t help either Eve or myself, when the author of the investigation keeps throwing in red herrings, in such an assured and seamless way, constantly changing the dynamics and sending both she and I off at a complete tangent. Like Eve, my own suspect list started off with the names of just about everybody who was at The Abbey Hotel on that fateful evening and it then became a game of roulette, as names were deleted, then added back in again, only to be crossed off once more, as events unfolded, motives changed and the bodies started stacking up, although Eve eventually had to admit that she maybe should have been focussing her attention a little closer to home.

Clare has built on her existing addictive base of core characters, fleshing them out, affording them more of a voice, control and influence over their input to both the village life in general and more specifically in aiding and abetting Eve’s penchant for collecting bodies and suspects, seemingly wherever she goes. Each new case brings with it an additional cast of multi-faceted ‘extras’, who are all investable and easy enough to connect with for the duration of their stay in this small corner of Suffolk, even though none of them were particularly likeable and had motives a plenty for murder. Eve is really beginning to forge a place for herself in Saxford St Peter and even her romance status might be looking up, with a little encouragement from a few surprising quarters, including her own children, although I’m not sure that Gus the dachshund is going to enjoy sharing Eve too much and Eve herself is really going to have to watch her habit of talking to Gus like he is a real person – which of course he is! 🙂

The ‘classics’ will always be exactly that for me, but move over just a little Miss Marple, to make room for Eve Mallow, who is undoubtedly earning her place beside you!