Mystery at the Old Mill by Clare Chase – review.

Publication date: 7 December, 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.

About the author

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.

Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.

Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.

As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.

My thoughts

I loved ‘Mystery at the Old Mill’. It absolutely oozed charm and then along came a murder of course. The location descriptions were calming and quaint, and if it wasn’t for the danger element, I’d love to live in Saxford St Peter.

I’d like to highly praise amateur detective, Eve Mallow’s sounding board and confidante, Gus the dog. I really enjoyed their conversations and walks as the mystery unfolded. Don’t worry, Gus the dog doesn’t talk back but he is the perfect little short legged partner and I found the descriptions of him adorable.

The opening was intriguing and as gripping as an opening could be. Soon, I was introduced to the main characters of the village through a house tour setting and it really made me feel Christmassy. The scene was well and truly set when the Old Mill, another local residence, is burnt to cinders. That’s when the mystery begins. There is so much more cosy excitement to come after this. This was a real, armchair read. Perfect for this time of the year and definitely one I’d recommend. It’s fun, and surprising at every turn.

The obituary writer day job for Eve was a master stroke, she had the perfect way to enter everyone’s world and investigate the murder. This book is well plotted and the interviews were great to read. There’s plenty of danger and mystery, definitely enough to have kept me reading into the early hours of the morning. Really enjoyable read and the setting – perfect!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystery-Old-Mill-completely-gripping-ebook/dp/B08CBHCRSG/

Thanks for reading!

Why not check out one of my other reviews? Maybe you’ll find your perfect read.

Fog Island by Mariette Lindstein – review. https://griffbuck.wordpress.com/2020/12/04/fog-island-by-mariette-lindstein-review/

Carla Kovach – author of Amazon and iBooks bestselling DI Gina Harte crime series.

https://www.facebook.com/CarlaKovachAuthor/

http://www.carlakovach.com

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carla-Kovach/e/B00KM50P58