This is a the first book in a new cosy crime series.

Bella Winters runs an antiques shop. When her boiler breaks down, she is persuaded by her mother to stay with nearby friends. Unfortunately though the next day, Bella stumbles across a body. The police are dismissive and say it was a tragic accident. However Bella isn’t convinced and sets out to investigate with help from friends.

I really enjoyed this, my only criticism is that it did drag slightly in places.

Thanks must go to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.

I love cosy crime, and this book looked like it would tick all the boxes. An antique store owner is the perfect amateur sleuth, and the setting was a lovely village that seemed like it would be delightful to visit. The cover looked great, really leaning into a cosy crime style.

The beginning was fun - the crime was discovered with a suitable amount of intrigue, and the sleuth was off on the case. Strange things happened and more clues were uncovered, and the protagonist bought and sold antiques.

Unfortunately I didn't really engage with the protagonist. She seemed to look down on others without any particular reason - such as the police who seemed pretty overworked and underappreciated. In other ways Bella was great - I appreciated her antiques background and her style.

The plot was pretty slow, which compounded with my disengagement with the main character. While I enjoyed elements of this book, I didn't end up finishing it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ebook copy of the novel.

The story follows Bella Winter, who sets up shop in the quiet and charming town of Hope Eaton, escaping the crowded citylife. All goes well until she finds a local professor dead at the local ruins.

All in all, it is a good murder mystery, with lots of twists and turns, lots of possible suspects, red herrings, and a diverse group of characters. It's cosy, it has suspense, and quite some humour, too!

My personal issue was just that I have read a fair amount of absolute bangers in the mystery and crime department lately, which has perhaps set the bar a little too high. It didn't have the wow-factor for me, and after some thinking, I realised that that was just fine. Not every book has to be phenomenal. It should be entertaining, and this book sure is that!

love love love the location. a cozy English village with a manor house? sign me up.
I did like the plot overall but feel like the book needs some editing to shorten the length. The treasure hunters were a welcomed surprise as it’s an uncommon group in a mystery. I liked this a lot and will continue the series.

A fun cozy mystery that will satisfy that mystery itch without feeling overwhelming or dark.

Bella Winter owns an antique shop in the UK. One night she stays with some family friends and the next morning as she sets out to leave she basically trips over a body in their garden. Once the body is identified, Bella feels drawn to investigating and solving the murder. Armed with her godfather and her parting father's investigative wisdom, Bella sets out to solve the murder.

Cute, easy, fast...all words that come to mind when thinking about this novel. When you need a break from traditional thrillers, this book fits the bill. Bella Winter is fun and lovable. Can't wait to read book 2 in this series!

This is the strart of a new cosy crime series, and it gets off to a cracking start! We are introduced to the super sleuth Bella Winter, who owns and runs her own antique store along with friend John, after moving from London to Hope Eaton, a sleepy village where not much goes on... and that's all about to change!

When a friend of her father is discovered dead, the police see it as a tragic accident, but something doesn't ring true when Bella finds out more about Oliver, and she starts to dig a little deeper into the goings on and soon uncovers some dodgy dealings going on to point towards something more sinister happening.

I really loved the setting, and the characters, especially Bella, are really easy to enjoy and don't antagonise! She really throws herself into the sleuthing and I just loved how her mind works and how she gets to know more from talking to the locals who know more of the other side of Oliver! This is a book that entertains and engages you as you try and guess where the plot will go and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment of the mystery solving adventures of Bella!

The Antique Store Detective is the first book of the Bella Winter mystery series. I enjoyed the antique-y theme of this book and the location. The pace was a bit slow at times; however, there are also quite a few characters to try and keep straight. It is worth it to stick it out to the end as it has an exciting / climatic finish! A good vacation read!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e-ARC.

Bella Winter is the perfect balance of quirky and sensible, making her an engaging amateur sleuth. The village setting has intrinsic historical interest and is populated with diverse individuals who will undoubtedly feature in future mysteries. I enjoyed getting to know the village and its inhabitants. Bella finds a body and becomes embroiled in investigating the death of a local professor. The descriptive writing brings the characters and events to life, immersing the reader in the story. The mystery has antique connections which utilise Bella's skills, and there are many suspects and false leads to unravel. I like Bella and John, the village setting and the story's antique and vintage ethos.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Antiques seem to be the latest popular sub-category in the cosy mystery genre of books. And it seems that there’s a lot of interesting, historical research behind it all, which makes it quite understandable that it would make for some exciting plot-lines! In The Antique Store Detective, buried treasure, which always seemed quite fantastical, becomes a lot more realistic!

Bella Winter has exchanged big city life for the quiet village of Hope Eaton, where her father used to live. Although he’s now passed away, he’s fondly remembered by all who knew him as he was a police officer in the area for many years. He always said that Bella took after him when it came to being good at investigating and had hoped she’d follow in his footsteps, but she chose to go into the antiques business and uses her skills to delve into the history of the many interesting finds that she so often discovers for the antique shop that she now runs in the village.

But when she stumbles on the body of Professor Oliver Barton one morning, she realizes that she can’t simply ignore the fact that someone well-known to so many of the people in her immediate circle has been murdered. After becoming utterly frustrated at the lackadaisical attitude of the local policeman assigned to the case, Detective Barry Dixon, she decides to take matters into her own hands. So, with the help of her trusted circle of friends, Bella undertakes to use the skills her father always told her she had, and find out who the killer is.

There are a LOT of people involved here! Most of them seem to be somehow related or connected to Bella’s shop assistant John Jenks and I loved how they were all so invested not only in this case – because of John’s direct involvement – but also in each other’s lives in general.

Professor Barton was a bit of a renowned, eccentric historian in the area … what some might call a ‘loveable rogue’, by the sound of things. He was also a regular ‘Nighthawk’ – someone who trespasses on land belonging to others, and with the use of metal detectors, hunts for buried treasure! Of course, anything that is found is kept and/or sold by the finder. A nefarious activity indeed, and one that could get you involved with rather dubious characters, I’m sure! So it seems that the likeable Professor may not have been quite so squeaky clean as people thought!

When a second body is found, Bella and crew realize that things might be a bit more involved than they’d originally thought. The pace notches up a level as they race to discover who is murdering local historians, and why. What secrets are lurking in the serenity of Hope Eaton, and who is willing to kill to keep them?

I pictured the entire thing as a long-running TV series, and for some reason, it reminded me of the Yorkshire series, Heartbeat! Although this ran in the ’90’s (I think it ended in 2010 – but it runs on repeat on one of the TV stations sometimes), it was based in the ’60’s. It was classified as part of the ‘police procedural’ genre, but basically it was all about village life in Yorkshire at the time. And it just got me thinking … I know this is the first in a series focusing on Bella Winter, and I know this author has written 2 series already revolving around female protagonists. But I’d love Barry Dixon to have a series all of his own. This poor, long-suffering, somewhat bumbling police officer, who’s married to a vet and with four kids all under 7! I mean, come one … there are endless stories there!

I’m looking forward to returning to Hope Eaton soon in the next book in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of Clare Chase's novel 'The Antique Store Detective' in exchange for my review;.

Antique Store owner Bella finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when a local historian is found dead at a historic site, surrounded by small freshly dug holes. Unimpressed with the lack of interest shown by the investigating detective, Bella sets out to uncover the murderer with the help of her tight-knit friend group.

This book was easy going read, if a little slow in the beginning with many characters to keep in mind. Bella is very popular in her town! I liked the central characters and quaint setting for the story.

The Antique Store Detective was an enjoyable and cozy read that delivered exactly
what I was hoping for—a light, engaging mystery with a likable protagonist.
While the plot had its weaker moments, particularly with the somewhat predictable
misdirection and a resolution that relied more on coincidence than solid evidence, it still
managed to keep me entertained. Bella Winter’s character, with her strong, independent spirit
and relatable passions, was a definite highlight. I’m curious to see how the series develops
and how the characters will continue to evolve.

I enjoyed this story of antique dealer turned amature detective Bella. As the first book about these characters there enough details included about them to make them interesting without taking over the story. The mystery elements were also interesting and gave enough clues to have an idea about the solution, but enough misdirects to not make it obvious. If there are more books in this series I would gladly give them a read.

I received an advanced copy of this book from netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Having been a fan of Claire Chase’s Eve Mallow series I started this book with high expectations of a well researched, clever and engaging mystery. A few chapters in and I knew I was not going to be disappointed.

This is the first in a new series, featuring Bella Winter who has recently moved from London to Hope Eaton to run her own antique store. She discovers the body of a local historian, Professor Oliver Barton, in suspicious circumstances. However, the over worked local police detective doesn’t share her view and dismisses it as an accident. Bella is drawn into trying to uncover why Oliver was trespassing and what had he found in the ruins of Raven Hall.

The characters are nicely developed, particularly the Jenks family members who are an established local family involved in numerous aspects of life in Hope Eaton which makes a useful way to draw in local gossip and insights. The story has good pace with some interesting twists and red herrings. My only criticism is that parts of the middle section of the book contain a lot of speculation with multiple scenarios discussed between various characters. I felt that the momentum was lost a little.

Overall, a great start to a promising series.

If, like me, you are a fan of cozy crime then you will thoroughly enjoy this book! The first one in a new series by the awesome Clare Chase features Bella Winter who moves from the city to run an antiques store in the peaceful village of Hope Eaton hoping to focus on the things she loves - vintage clothes and antiques. She soon has to add solving crime to that list when she discover the dead body of local historian Professor Oliver Barton in the ruins of Raven Hall. Say goodbye to peace and quiet Bella! Foul play is at large and Bella Winter is the woman to get to the bottom of it all!
The setting of Hope Eaton is fictional but elements of it were inspired by Bridgnorth and as I live in Shrewsbury I absolutely loved spotting all the Shropshire connections.
A fab story and I look forward future Bella Winter mysteries!

The Antique Store Detective is the first of a wonderful new cosy crime series by Clare Chase who some of you may recognise as the author of the very successful Eve Mallow series.

Bella Winter runs the local Antique Store with her assistant John and when a broken boiler at her flat has her staying with a friend of her mothers, little does she realise the adventure this will take her on. Staying at Raven House is definitely an eye opener for her when she is leaving the next morning and discovers a dead body on the grounds. The body is Oliver Barton, a local Professor and with the help of John who knew the victim, they decide to investigate. I’m not sure going to the Professors house at midnight and snooping around is actually allowed but I’m all for it!

Bella is a lovely leading character, she comes across as a bit of a loner and still clearly mourning her late father who was a policeman which is where she seems to get her investigative skills from as she is convinced Oliver was actually murdered despite their not being a lot of evidence that suggests this. Along with John and his brother and wife and assortment of friends, they learn a bit more about the Professor’s activities which weren’t altogether legal…..

Although this is set a bit in the antique world, you aren’t bogged down with a lot of bamboozling information but instead given a more gentle lesson into this world particularly the less legal side.

I did have a few suspicions about where the plot was potentially leading but instead I think I had correctly predicted half (which is actually quite good for me!)

A very promising start from the author.

I thought this was a super cute and cozy book. I liked how the book framed a "whodunnit" type mystery parallel with a robust Female Main Character and her stake in the mystery. The pacing sometimes felt a little slow but everything tied together clearly. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick, cozy read. I can see myself rereading this or reading the next in the series cuddled in a warm blanket in the fall/winter.

The Antique Store Detective is the first in a new series by Clare Chase. Bella Winter owns and operates her own antique store in the town of Hope Eaton in Shropshire. She has re-rented the flat she and her police detective father once lived in, although it’s seen several inhabitants since then. She likes her life and her shop assistant, John, who came to her from a nearby private museum after the owner of the museum died and left it to her niece. The boiler went out at her apartment and it was freezing. Her mother called a nearby friend and arranged for her to spend the night. They didn’t seem as enthusiastic as her mother had, but it was too late for that. As she was leaving the next morning she saw a pile of clothing near the ruins that were on the grounds. As she went closer she discovered it was a body. She didn’t know at the time but it was the body of a historian and friend of her father’s.

The police thought it was an accident but that didn’t feel right to Bella. She contacted a man who had been her father’s partner and lived nearby. After discussing it with him she, and her friends, started investigating. This is an auspicious beginning for a new book. Bella is a good character with plenty of growth ahead of her. Her friends and colleagues come with their own stories and personalities. All well written. The plot was good, and complex enough to keep us guessing. So rarely are things as they seem in a mystery novel. Clare Chase is an excellent author with an impressive background in cozy mysteries, I expect this one to be a hit, as well.

I was invited to read The Antique Store Detective by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #ClareChase #TheAntiqueStoreDetective

This is such a cute story about a antiques dealer and a mysterious murder happening in her hometown. The cast of characters gets a bit unwieldy and I did have to refresh my memory on who's-who a couple times, but this also leads to a large list of possible murderers, so it's easily forgiven. The actual history learned from this story is pretty impressive and I enjoyed the setting and plot as well. The story moved at a good pace and I would consider this a page-turner!

Overall, this was a fun read and I'm glad I picked it up. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

The first in a new series by a beloved author can it’s always a hit/miss as you have high expectations and somehow you’re used to a certain type of characters and setting.
Clare Chase did a good job in delivering this first in a new cozy series as it’s an entertaining, well plotted, and solid mystery
There’s plenty of humour, a great FMC, and an intriguing setting if you like antiques or are interested in mysteries featuring antiques and antiquaries.
I loved Bella since the first pages as she’s a mature and well round character, ironic and with a colourful family as her mother is a famous writers and her siblings are quite intriguing.
The meddling mother is what bring Bella to see her first murdered person and be involved in this twisty and well plotted story.
There’s secretes, red herring, and plenty of possible culprits.
The story kept me hooked and I can’t wait to read the next one as I want to know what will happen to Bella in the future.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine