When beautiful Saltwater Cottages opens, offering art courses in charming surroundings, Eve Mallow and best friend Viv sign up straight away as Viv’s brother Simon is the owner, and they all want him to succeed.
Famous guest artist Nena Field is a complete nightmare, painting everyone in a bad light. So when Eve finds her body in Blind-Eye Wood, there’s no shortage of suspects. Determined to find the killer and save Simon’s business, Eve sets to work sketching out a theory of the crime but all the chief suspects seem to have alibis, Eve is forced back to the drawing board. Then Eve has her own brush with death, and realises she must be on the right track.
The eleventh outing for Eve & whilst it could easily be read on its own I’ve loved getting to know the residents of Saxford. There are plenty of suspects, as well as secrets, revenge, twists & turns to keep you guessing. I also loved that the whole village was routing for Eve to solve the crime & to help save Simon’s new venture. Robin, now Eve’s partner, is away consulting on a case in London but is still is regular contact & offers help & advice. For once I did guess who the murderer was, but it was a guess. Another well written page turner, which I thoroughly enjoyed & look forward to sharing in Eve’s future in further books
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and being book #11 in the Eve Mallow series didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story and would say it can be read as a standalone no problem.
I really enjoyed this book and the character of Eve is very likeable.
Eve is staying at Saltwater Cottages when she discovers a body and starts to find out who is responsible for the death.
There are plenty of twists and red herrings to keeping you guessing.
It’s a lovely easy mystery to read. Would recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery @bookouture for an arc of #MysteryAtSaltwaterCottages in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 6th November 2023.

MYSTERY AT SALTWATER COTTAGES is the 11th book in the Eve Mallow series. This is the second book that I have read in the series and I would say that this one can be read as a stand alone with no problem. I truly enjoyed this story and now I want to go back and read the previous books in the series. It’s easy to see why Eve is everyone’s favorite sleuth and why the series has been so successful. There are several other great characters in this book as well. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, you just found a great one!

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Eve Mallow is back again and, unsurprisingly, I envoyed her new sleuthing adventure as much as the previous 10.
This time, it's a famous artist who's been killed, and as usual several suspects have secrets that may or may not be linked to the murder.
As I said last time, "Usual pattern, new set of suspects with interesting secrets - another success, in my opinion". I'm sure I'm not the only reader who's still not getting tired of following Eve as she gathers clues while interviewing people for another famous murder victim's obituary.
New readers could easily enjoy this book too, and it wouldn't spoil the ending of any of the others but would reveal the secret of one suspect from the first, so I still recommend to start with the first book (unless you really don't mind partial spoilers). After that, the reading order is less important.

So book eleven sees the return of the characters from Saxford St Peters and for me it now feels like your catching up with old friends and have no doubt were Eve is involved murder is sure to follow.

One of my favourite things about this series is the characters, Clare has a talent of describing and delivering her characters so that you can visually see them coming to life on the page.

Another delightful edition to this cosy amateur sleuth series.

“Bad news doesn’t just come in threes” for Simon, with a failed investment, a cottage needing expensive repairs and two dead horses at the riding stables. His financial recovery rests on his latest venture of an artist school at Saltwater Cottages. However, his woes continue to grow as he is threatened when an anonymous note warns of a hidden secret amongst his staff and then his star tutor, Nena Field renowned artist, is murdered.

The scene is quickly set for sleuth Eve Mallow to utilise her sharp observation skills to solve the murder and help Simon back to a better financial position. In her investigations she is aided by her best friend Viv (Simon’s sister) and her dog Gus.

The pace of the story is fast with further intrigue from Nena’s childhood, her past links to the village and to other key characters. The suspense and mystery is maintained through to the end.

This is the eleventh Eve Mallow book with nice continuity of the key characters and their evolving relationships. My only minor criticisms of this book are that at times it felt very dialogue heavy, with multiple replaying of scenarios for the murder. Also it didn’t have the same level of description of the village and surroundings that earlier books had.

Overall a good read with a clever plot.

Another great Eve Mallow mystery book. This time, Eve and friend are determined to help Simon, who is finally on his way to a successful endeavor, when chaos erupts. As usual, there is lots of great characters, a fun plot with some great twists and turns, and the greatest dog ever. Love this series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

unputdownable, ex-cop, small-town, small-business, journalist, friendship, secrets, dachshunds, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, Suffolk, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, adult-children, divorced, infidelities, unpleasant-employee, vandalism, threats, lies*****

The woman who got murdered was the sort who delighted in causing problems for others and flaunting them. There was no lack of suspects but a distinct absence of proof. The characters are always so clearly drawn, the twists surprising, and the red herrings sneaky. The publisher's blurb is pretty good, so no need for a recap on that. Loved it!
Eve Mallow is a character that draws you in with her personality, honest journalism in writing obits for select famous people, her sleuthing, and (of course) her delightful dachshund.
This is not an unbiased review as I love this series and the work of this author!
I requested and received an uncorrected advance review e-book copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

Simon is finally living his dream and when a customer is found dead, Eve is determined to solve the case and keep the business open. However when the killer strikes again, Even has to watch her step before she become the next victim.

This is a smart and fun series and includes everything I love about British Cozies. Book Eleven doesn’t disappoint!

Eve Mallow and best friend Viv have booked a stay at Saltwater Cottages, the new arts and crafts centre in Saxford, which is run by Viv’s brother, Simon. They are determined to help it become the success it deserves to be especially as a number of local residents are employed there.

After a body is found in nearby Blind-Eye Wood, Eve knows she has to find out who is responsible before Simon’s dream is ruined. With all her suspects seemingly having alibis, while the victim appeared to be almost universally disliked, Eve realises she has to cast her net wider. So when the killer strikes even closer to home she's sure they're getting worried but doesn't know why. Can Eve solve the case before she joins the list of victims herself?

The eleventh Eve Mallow book is another enjoyable read but does have some similarities to a recently released book in the same series. The main protagonists are all present and I love reading the exchanges between them whether it's to do with the case or not. This is a series I look forward to reading each time a new book is released. I hope that continues for a long time to come.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. Another good addition to this lovely cosy crime series. Recommended.

Another well written and plotted mystery with lots of twists and turns that keep Eve and friends busy.. There are some notable developments in Eve’s personal life that mean it might be best to have read the previous books to keep up but the mystery stands for itself. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Eve Mallow and her dachshund Gus have joined her dear friend Viv at a new arts and craft center so Eve can write a magazine article about it. The owner, Simon, is Viv’s brother. A bit overstretched financially, he can use Eve’s professional skills to give his new business a boost. Things go downhill quickly though, first with a warning note, and then a murder. The victim isn’t well liked, so as Eve begins to investigate she doesn’t lack for suspects. As a professional obituary writer her skill in questioning people and getting them to talk to her frustratingly aren’t working, Eve and friends need to sift through misinformation, secrets and threats to find the last clue needed to find the killer before they attempt to silence Eve for good.
I always look forward to new additions to this series, and particularly enjoyed one aspect of the ending of this one! Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Clare Chase for the chance to spend some enjoyable time with the residents of Saxton St. Peter.

This is the 11th book featuring Eve Mallow, a freelance writer and while it could probably be read as a standalone, I think you would get more enjoyment from the book if you have read at least a couple of the earlier books.
Eve has been commissioned to write a magazine article on a newly opened Arts centre near her home. However, before she can even begin to write her article, a murder is committed. As the centre is owned by a close friend, Eve feels a personal involvement and starts to carry out her own investigation.
I really enjoyed the mystery in this book. The murder victim was fairly unpleasant which meant that there were several possibilities for the murderer as well as a couple of complete red herrings just to make things even more murky. There is a wide range of motives too from spurned lover to a mysterious event in the victim’s past which added to the complexity of the plot.
Eve’s character is extremely likeable and I have always thought that the author’s choice of profession for her was clever in that it gave her a real reason to go around asking questions. However, in this latest book, I did find the amount of help that she got from the local police very unrealistic. I know that all amateur detective novels are unbelievable to a certain extent but this seemed to take things to extreme. I’m fairly sure that any police officer immediately contacting a member of the public with details of the investigation would rapidly lose their job.
Having said that, this was an excellent mystery with some interesting characters and was a very pleasant way to spend an Autumn evening.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Bookouture, for providing my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Freelance writer Eve Mallow thinks she has a break from the usual obituaries when she is hired to write a promotional piece about Saltwater Cottages, the new arts and crafts resort owned by her friend Viv’s brother. She realizes she is wrong when she discovers the body of famous artist Nena Field. What follows is a suspenseful blend of blackmail, threats, hidden identities, adultery and yes, another murder. Eve, missing the help of her partner Robin who is temporarily working in London, tries to unravel the secrets hidden at Saltwater Cottages but it will take a surprise clue and a brush with death before the murderer is revealed.

Mystery at Saltwater Cottages is the 11th in the excellent Eve Mallow series and everything a cozy mystery should be. While the location of Saxford St. Peter still dominates, most of the action takes place in Saltwater Cottages. As usual, the characters are well described and memorable and the plot is satisfyingly complicated. 5 stars.


Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Clare Chase for this ARC.

This was quite the easy read, and when I say that, it's never negative.
I sat down for a few hours and flew through the book, and it entertained me.
I liked the main character Eve and would happily read any more books by this author.

The latest in the Eve Mallow series has Eve investigating a murder at a new arts-focused resort run by a friend. Things quickly get complicated with secret pasts, affairs, and another murder. The mystery itself is well-plotted, with lots of twists and turns that keep Eve and friends busy. The writing is good and largely avoids the questions about motivation that plague some amateur sleuth stories. There are some notable developments in Eve’s personal life as well. I would highly recommend reading at least some of the preceding books to fully understand the characters and relationships. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.