Eve Mallow’s constant attempts at finding relaxation in the gorgeous village at Saxton St. Peter just never even seems a possibility. Even while attending a village fair. It soon proves true after meeting an famous diver named Verity Nye, a woman Eve has been very excited to meet. the meeting went rather well, although Verity shared some concerns with Eve. With Verity’s shocking fall from a window, not only is Eve tasked with writing the obituary, she soon proves her worth as an amateur sleuth.

This is the third review that I have written for this wonderful cozy mystery series by Clare Chase, and I have not yet mentioned her gorgeous dachshund named Gus. He is always a delight in these stories. Another wonderful character in this book is Robin Yardley, a gardener and former detective inspector, is Eve’s confidante and friend, always there for her to bounce ideas off. The fact that there is a slow romance developing between the pair is an extra bonus.

Of course, writing the obituary should be Eve’s primary purpose, but she cannot help but try and get behind the cause of Verity’s death. from the very beginning, Eve sensed that it was more than an accident, so therefore she also seeks to find a motive. As always when handling one of her “cases”, Eve has no shortage of suspects, including Verity’s fiancé.

As I have enjoyed the series from the beginning I loved watching Eve grow. An American transplant, with undeniable smarts, curiosity and instincts, she is becoming one of my favorite protagonists in these delightful cozy mysteries. In any event, reading the series out of order won’t detract from the actual story contained therein.

The mystery was done quite well, and with Eve’s likable nature, and her love of spreadsheets - mine as well - make this engaging series, one I really look forward to continuing.

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

4.25 Stars
It’s Eve Mallow’s first visit to the local village fair. But amidst the booths, stalls, tables and tents lurks something darker… A mysterious fall means a new case for amateur detective Eve!
The charity fair at Seagrave Hall is a key date in the Saxford St Peter calendar new resident Eve Mallow is particularly excited by this year’s special guest: the explorer Verity Nye, who is engaged to the heir to the Hall. Eve loves Verity’s determination, and she can’t wait to meet her. But when they talk, Verity hints that she has something troubling on her mind. So after the festive mood is tragically interrupted by Verity’s fall from a third-floor window, Eve can’t be sure that it’s an appalling accident. Especially when one small boy claims he saw someone behind her, someone with large black eyes.
Soon Eve finds herself tasked with writing Verity’s obituary. As she dusts off her notebook and begins her interviews alongside her trusted dachshund sidekick Gus she realises she has a fine array of suspects before her.
This is the third in the series & could easily be read on its own, however if like me you love series then I’d recommend reading from book one. I love that Eve always seems to be at the right place at the right time or from some peoples' point of view at the wrong place at the wrong time. This was another well written engrossing read with red herrings in abundance, strong characters with plenty of depth added to my enjoyment. I also love how I’m getting to know quite a few of the villagers. Viv's cakes make my mouth water, I even like gossip Moira & there's Robin who we are gradually getting to know. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Eve Mallow the obituary writer/ amateur sleuth is back again in her third adventure, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the first two in the series as they can easily be read as stand-alones.

Murder at Seagrave Hall is an interesting twist on the classic country house murder. Famous diver Verity Nye falls from a window at Seagrave hall, it’s classed as an accident until a little boy pipes up and says there was someone behind her. Was she pushed?

Eve can’t leave it alone so with the help of the secretive Robin Yardley and her trusty dachshund Gus she starts digging into the mystery, putting herself in more danger than she’d bargained for.

If you love the British countryside, mysteries that are not too explicit with a hint of romance you really can’t go wrong with this series.

I enjoyed Eve’s growth from the first book to this one, she’s not taking her interfering ex to heart quite as much. Also I’m enjoying the slow burn romance that I feel is building between her and Robin Yardley.

I have to be honest near the sixty percent mark, I felt myself drifting off a little but the satisfying ending made up for it.

Murder at Seagrave Hall is a light hearted mystery which really kept me guessing throughout.

Oh my! For an obituary writer, Eve Mallow got into more scrapes than anybody I knew. Author Clare Chase sure knew how to put her into some risky situations. I loved how Eve used her intelligence and talking skills to get everyone to share their secrets.

Verity Nye was engaged to Rupert, heir to the Seagrave Hall. Amateur sleuth Eve quite liked her and was aghast when a body swathed in folds of cloth fell down a window in the third floor. It was Verity who died on impact.

A cozy murder mystery, the story started slow but soon gained speed as Eve's investigation progressed. I loved that the author kept me befuddled with the number of suspects who had an axe to grind with the victim. In the midst of the old fashioned investigation through interrogations and surmises, romance too was hinted at.

I loved seeing Eve blossom with every story. I thought the author couldn't surpass her previous book, but I was wrong. I found myself more immersed in the happenings of the village and its inmates, especially during the village fair.

Skirmishes with the local cop were bound to happen, egos clashed. Yet Eve persevered; her determination was a doggone fun sight to see. Her sleuthing skills had me cheering her on right from the beginning. She did put herself in risk but that was who she was.

Down the pages, I forgot to conduct my own investigation and just went with the flow of the village dynamics. The ending was a revelation. Quite an entertaining read. Perfect before my afternoon siesta.

Eve Mallow is an obituary writer and amateur sleuth, so naturally she cannot help herself and starts investigating after a woman falls out of a window and something doesn't seem right.
This is the third installment in a series and to get most out of it it's probably best to read the other two first, which I didn't. I got the main plot but was occasionally confused about the recurring secondary characters.
This is a classic cosy mystery and ticks off a lot of boxes: British countryside, a big country manor, a dog, lots of cake, hints of a romance.
The plot was a bit slow for my taste, it only ever picks up pace after the first half of the novel, until then the same suspicions are repeated over and over again without serving the narration. But the second half makes up for it.
For a cosy I found the number of characters that had nothing to do with the mystery a bit too much but that may be because of the first two volumes which I didn't read.
So the mystery was alright, but unfortunately the main character was a bit bland and I didn't much care for her.

This is the third book in the Eve Mallow mystery series, and they just keep getting better. It is a classic cozy, complete with a charming English village, an amateur detective, a best friend along with some other recurring secondary characters, and a possible romantic interest. While all those elements are often found in cozy mysteries, there is enough about the actions and area that is interesting to make this an enjoyable series and this book is no exception. Having read the series in order, as each book has been readied for publication, I have had the opportunity to experience the growth of Eve’s relationship with others as well as increase my understanding of who she is and how she got to this point in her life. For new readers, while each book stands alone, I believe they will enjoy it most if they read them in order so they are involved in the progression of Eve’s life in the village.
Eve is a 40-something divorced woman with two grown children who has relocated from London to the small village of Saxford St. Peter in England. She writes in-depth obituaries for a magazine on a free-lance basis, and supplements her income by working for her friend Viv in her bakery/cafe. In all three books to date, Eve has been tasked with writing an obituary for a murder victim. Her quest for information regarding the individual fires her curiosity and she winds up as interested in finding the murderer as she is in completing the obit. This puts her at odds with the detective typically assigned to the cases, DI Palmer.
Eve does receive help from Robin, a man everyone in the village thinks is a gardener although Eve knows different. Eve learned shortly after moving to the village that he used to be a detective inspector with the police but has moved to the area and is keeping his true identity secret. In this book she learns more about why he is living under an assumed name and what drove him away from the police department. The only other people in the area who know Robin’s true identity are the vicar and a police constable who serves as a police contact and occasionally feeds Robin information which he often passes on to Eve.
In this novel, the murder victim is Verity, and adventuress who pursues a career as a diver exploring underwater caves. There are multiple suspects including the family of her fiance, who are the resident gentry and who feels Verity is too common for their son. Other suspects include the estate manager, Tilly; her mother, Ivy; and the medic she dives with Pete. Eve sets about to research Verity’s life in part to write the obituary and in part because she wants to solve the murder. She is warned by the current detective, DI Palmer, to stay out of the murder as he doesn’t appreciate her interference and has threatened to put her in jail if he discovers she is going beyond typical research for the obit.
There are several murders which take place and they all seem logical when the case is finally solved. The pacing is good and it is an easy book to read, while at the same time it can be interrupted for other activities without losing track of what is happening and who is involved. SPOILER ALERT (SLIGHT): My one complaint with the book is that Eve again puts herself in harm's way at the end of the book and has to be rescued. This is a ploy that is somewhat overused in cozy mysteries in my opinion.
My thanks to Bookoutour and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quick, entertaining read that left you guessing. I enjoyed the settling and style of this book. The pacing was good and I enjoyed Eve and Viv. I've never read about obituary writers before in a mystery novel, so that was a nice change also.

I have read all three of the Eve Mallow Mystery series.

Eve is a very likeable character and her commitment to her craft and finding out “who dunnit” is admirable. The friendships and village life, once again, complement and balance out the drama that unfolds. I enjoyed the plot twists in this one. While I certainly worked through many of the clues and got some of it right (yay) I didn’t identify the guilty! Its another good one for those of us who enjoy that cozy, murder mystery.

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

This book is a great addition to the traditional "cozy mystery". Set in an idyllic English village with all the classic activities at Seagrave Hall, the local manor house, including the village fair. Also in classic style there's a murder. Cave diver Verity Nye is engaged to Rupert Seagrave, the son and heir of the estate. His family have different reactions to her, some like her, some don't. As the village sets up for the fair there's a tragedy, Verity appears to fall from an upper floor window. A small child says he saw someone behind Verity before she fell. Was she pushed?

Her day job may be writing obituaries, but Eve Mallow has a compelling need to solve this mystery. She interviews the family and friends of the victim, trying to understand a complicated woman and what motivated her to risk her life with dangerous cave diving expeditions. As Eve learns more about Verity she discovers the potential motive for murder in several of them. Then there are more murders, Ruperts father and his cousin Cora. How are these all related?

In a satisfying ending Eve solves the case and can return to her quiet life with her beloved Dachshund Gus. If you enjoy Agatha Christie and other great authors from the classic era of cozy mysteries you'll like this book which has a great cast of characters, a few red herrings and descriptions of a quiet life in a country village (but only on the surface).

I offer this honest opinion in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.

Mystery at Seagrave Hall is the third book in the Eve Mallow Mystery series and is utterly delightful !

Once again we are transported to the village of Saxford st Peter and reunited with our favourite characters as well as being introduced to some new ones.

During the preparations for the village fete a tragic event happens, Verity Nye falls to her death from an upstairs window. Was it simply an accident or was she pushed ?!?

The story was a wonderful read with secrets being uncovered, multiple twists, a very cute Dachshund and a wealthy family that seem to be dying off faster than the police could imagine.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was the perfect cosy murder mystery to become immersed in. It had a multi layered plot that keeps you on your toes! Trying to guess who the murderer was, was much harder than I thought it would be !

I highly recommend this series to the armchair detectives of the world !

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
All opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by the nature in which I received this book.

This review will be posted on my blog (thetwoquills.wordpress.com) on June 3rd 2020 and will also be shared over on my instagram

There is something particularly cozy about Clare Chase’s Eve Mallow mystery series, and Mystery at Seagrave Hall is no exception. In fact, the series is fast becoming one of my favorites.

In this third installment, obituary writer Eve Mallow is helping her friend (and boss), Viv, set up a booth for the village fete on the grounds of Seagrave Hall, when the celebrity guest, Verity Nye, an acclaimed cave diver, falls from a third-floor window of the hall. Although initially ruled accidental, Verity’s death turns suspicious when a local boy insists that he saw someone else in the window before she fell. Eve’s curiosity is aroused when she is assigned the task of writing Verity’s obituary. With each interview, Eve is drawn further into the mystery, revealing more clues, suspects --- and danger --- at every turn.

Eve Mallow is an intriguing character. She is resourceful, intelligent, and naturally curious. And her chosen career as an obituary writer lends itself well to exploring the mysteries of the deceased. Her friend, Viv, who runs the local tea shop, brings color and levity to the story, while Robin, the gardener with a hidden past, proves a great ally. The mystery itself is a good one, with so many interrelated parties, innuendo, and accusations that it will keep the reader guessing until the end. Yet what I enjoy most about this novel – and the other Eve Mallow books – is the atmosphere, the easy familiarity that draws the reader into Eve’s inner circle and invites us along for the ride. Eve is someone you root for and someone you would like to call a friend.

Needless to say, Mystery at Seagrave Hall is another excellent book in this engaging mystery series. It is well-worth the read, as are the first two books. And I look forward to reading the next installment.

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

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Yet again Clare Chase has produced an excellent murder mystery novel that is perfect to lose yourself in on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Eve Mallow, part time obituary writer/part time baker, sets herself on the task of writing the obituary for a recently deceased diver after she witnesses the murder as they are setting up for a summer fete.
There are many twists and red herrings as Eve uncovers hidden secrets in this easy to read mystery.
I particularly enjoyed the development in the dynamic between Eve and the every mysterious gardener.

When Eve Mallow and her friend and employer were setting up a cake stall at Seagrave Hall to raise money for charity a cave diver Verity Nye and fiancé of the heir to Seagrave Hall fell to her death from one of the upper windows. A young boy says he saw someone push her but no-one believes him is this an accident or is this murder?
Eve is then employed to write the obituary for Verity and keeps coming up with more questions than answers but if she is correct is she putting herself in danger.
This is a good read and you cannot get to who the killer is until the last few chapters. A very enjoyable read

This is the third in this series featuring Obituary Writer Eve Mallow. It's an excellent series and, although the main story is self-contained and can be read as a stand alone, to get the very best from it with regard to character backstory and development, please do read the first two first.
So, we start with the village preparing for the local charity fair which is being held in the grounds of Seagrave Hall. People are setting up their stalls in preparation for the next day and are shocked when suddenly their attention is stolen by the sight of someone falling from a third-floor window of the Hall. It's the special guess, Verity Nye, an explorer who is also engaged to the heir to the Hall. Everyone thinks it's a tragic accident but doubt is cast when a young boy claims he saw someone else in the window at the time she fell.
Eve inveigles herself into the investigation as she gets the job of writing Verity's obituary, giving her an in to interview friends, family and witnesses. Indeed, her own conversation and interaction with Verity just prior to her death threw up uncertainty as she was clearly acting troubled. Her endeavours start to throw up many suspects but can she whittle them down to find out the truth?
This series started with a bang for me and has continued in the same vein. I really love that the main character is an obituary writer which gives her carte blanche to talk to all and sundry when she has an interesting murder to try and solve. She is surrounded by friends from the village which gives her all the gossip to complement the facts she is trying to unearth. When I started this book I was happy to reconnect with old friends that I had grown to love along the way.
But characters are nothing without a good plot to bring them to life. Something we also definitely have here, as with the previous books. Eve has her work cut out for her as she meets an eclectic mix of suspects and witnesses, all just as well drawn as the continuing cast. The plot thickens as much as it intrigues spinning Eve this way and that, also putting her in danger. And then when all was revealed, we had a finale that both satisfied and exhausted me.
Pacing is perfect and there is no superfluous waffle to distract, so the story gets on with itself very well.
All in all, a great addition to what is shaping up to be an excellent series. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Eve Mallow, a professional obituary writer, is helping set up the cakes booth for her newly adopted villages’ annual fete on the grounds of Seagrave Hall, all part of her second job at a local tea shop. When the intended guest of honor dies in a fall from the third floor window of the manor house, and a young boy says someone was behind her, Eve becomes involved as she interviews those who knew the young woman, she’s been hired to write an obituary. So starts the story, with plenty of suspects and motives to be sorted out. Third in a series, this is my favorite so far. The author adds just enough detail to make Eve likable and relatable, from details about her outfits, the delicious sounding cakes, neighbors, and the lovely sounding area she now calls home, and of course her dog Gus. An enjoyable cozy series, the characters are realistic and the plot twists believable. Left me guessing until the end. I was so happy to be introduced to this series through NetGalley, and the publisher, who provided me with a free Advanced Readers Copy. I’ll be looking for the next in the series!

Another fantastic read, I'm really enjoying a reading this series. A grwell written story which had me guessing till the last page .
Looking forward to the next one.

Eve Mallow and best friend Viv, owner of Monty's Teashop, are setting up their stall for the local village fair held annually at the imposingly grand Seagrave Hall and Eve is delighted to have the chance to chat with the special guest, Verity Nye. Now engaged to the heir to the Seagrave estate, they had met once in Eve's old life in London and she is delighted to feel an empathy with the young, daring, underwater explorer even if she does appear troubled.

The pleasant, relaxed atmosphere changes just a few hours later when Verity inexplicably falls from a third floor window to her death. Having seen the tragedy from a distance and been horrified when a little boy says someone pushed the lady, Eve offers her services to write the explorer's obituary knowing she will be able to do some clandestine investigating alongside her main work. When another body is found and secrets exposed, danger is never far away and once again Eve finds herself front and centre when the killer begins to cover their tracks.

This is book three in a wonderful series and definitely the best yet. Eve is a worthy protagonist, written as a conscientious, friendly woman who wants to see the best in everyone but can't help investigating when the situation arises. Having moved from police procedural novels to this more cosy series of books Clare Chase is quickly becoming one of the best writers of this genre and I can't wait to read more.

I also enjoy the more everyday moments in these books including Eve's dachshund, Gus, the beautiful properties on the front cover and, of course, Eve's friend, Viv. Who can fail to love a woman who dyes her hair the same colour as this season's tablecloths in her teashop? Viv is just great!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review. I would recommend it to lovers of this series or anyone who enjoys a less frenetic approach to the murder mystery genre.

Eve Mallow is excited to be a part of her first fair until Verity Nye falls from a window. Was it an accident or murder? Eve is tasked with writing the obituary and goes about interviewing her family and friends and does a little sleuthing on the side. A nicely written cozy mystery.

This is not the first book in the series and I had no problem having not read the previous books.

Mystery at Seagrave Hall is set in a small village in the south of England. The main character, Eve Mallow, is an obituary writer and sort of an amateur detective. When she is putting up her stall in preparation for the annual village fete she watches the village celebrity and fiancé of the son of the manor owners, Verity Nye, tumble to her death from one of the hall's windows.
Eve starts interviewing people for the Verity's obituary and in the progress gathers some information that eventually will lead her to Verity's killer, but not before there some more deaths.

I enjoyed reading the book which has a rather cosy, laid-back feeling. The genre is a kind of cross-over between miss Marple and Midsomer murder. So, if you like either or both of those, this book and indeed the entire series is definitely for you.

Thanks to the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the Arc I received in exchange for my honest review.
3,5 stars, well, the benefit of the doubt, I'll round it to 4 stars

Third outing for obituary writer Eve Mallow wherein the guest of honour of the village fete is murdered in front of so many people. This series is getting better and so many doubting and dilly dallying of the previous books are absent in this one. Thumbs up to the author. The narrative moves in its own pace with small clues sprinkled on the way. Everything is neatly tied up in the conclusion. A cozy adventure