I have read the earlier books in this series and enjoyed them. I found this one a little harder to get into - it felt like too many characters and too much background given too quickly for the first few chapters. Once that was all out of the way, the story became more compelling and the mystery more engaging.

Readers of the previous books will like the interactions of a lot of the recurring characters, although I wish a little more time was spent making Robin feel like a more complete, complex character. Still an engaging, enjoyable series.

Tragedy Mars Open Day…
The eighth in the Eve Mallow series of mysteries finds our sometime amateur sleuth at an open day in Lovelace Manor. Lovelace Sunday has arrived, where the whole village attend the Manor House to celebrate its’ history. This year a spectacular hot air balloon stunt is to take pride of place. Tragedy strikes when the balloon falls from the sky and Eve is convinced that this is no accident. The trouble is that she has a veritable plethora of suspects to choose from. With a well drawn cast of characters, an enjoyable narrative and a likeable protagonist this is another entertaining addition to the series.

Lovelace Sunday, the traditional holiday celebrated at Lovelace Manor, commemorates the romantic history of the manor. Beautiful heiress Louisa Lovelace, the sole heir, eloped with gardener Seth Pickford years ago. Now the day is celebrated with costumes, engagements, and helps support the expenses of running a large country house. All goes well until Cammie Harrington, a popular TV historian who has been researching the Lovelaces, plunges to her death from a flaming hot air balloon.

It’s an ideal case for Eve Mallow, obituary writer, amateur detective and tea room manager. She’s also a Lovelace volunteer and witness to the tragedy. Of course, she’s assigned the obituary and begins to interview all those connected to Cammie. There are many: Diana Pickford-Jones, owner of the Manor, and her half-brother Sebastian, Raven Allerton, a storyteller with a mysterious background, gardener Josh Standish, old boyfriend Ralph Roscoe and more. Other deaths follow and Eve is close to solving the case before she realizes the danger she is in.

An intelligent cozy mystery with a charming setting, Mystery at Lovelace Manor has a twisted plot, a surprising conclusion and is full of the well described characters we expect from Clare Chase. This series is not to be missed! 5 stars.

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

Eve Mallow fascinates me. On the one hand she lives a buttoned up life as she keeps her private life and growing romance with Robin shrouded in secret. On the other, she's outgoing, well known and liked as a community friend, worker, and volunteer. She definitely more observant than the average person. I mean, who else would spot a tiny hole in a juice bottle? Or think that a discarded gum wrapper might lead to a meaningful clue? An excellent writer and interviewer, her obituary writing job gives her the perfect excuse to ask questions without being looked askance at. She displays dogged determination to find the truth, even when it puts her in danger, too.

I loved the fact that in her quest to find the truth behind the murder of celebrity dare-devil Cammie, that there were no big reveals. Yes, she gets tiny bits of information here and there, but it's up to her to put it all together. It's fascinating to watch. Death by hot-air balloon isn't exactly a common murder tactic, you have to admit. Toss in a grand, stately home, competing personalities, and the possibility money and prestige is involved and Eve is in the midst of a volatile situation. Then the dead bodies start piling up. What secret could be so dangerous, so harmful, that it has lead someone to commit murder to keep it from being revealed? Or, hmm, was it all about money? Maybe love, or rejected love?

It seemed like for every legitimate clue Eve found, it only lead to more questions. What, if anything, had Cammie discovered in her research? Was Raven friend or foe? Could Diana be involved? How about successful model Sebastian? How could someone ignite the leaking gas from the balloon from the ground? Why was Ralph Roscoe insistent he jump into the balloon basket with Cammie? As the murders pile up, so do the suspects but, then, so does the business for the funeral director. Was he for real? Was he trying to ask Eve for a date or to buy a casket? And....oh, so many more questions, all of which we ponder both on our own and inside Eve's mind as we read.

Despite a deceptively slow beginning as the hot-air balloon murder plot plays out, the plot moves along quickly as Eve pursues gathering info for the obituary she's to write on Cammie. The twists, turns, and misdirection kept me guessing until the end. I liked Eve and Robin, not to mention Eve's little dog Gus. I loved the plot and pace, which kept my attention. Even though I didn't guess "whodunit", it all made sense at the end. Nicely done, Clare Chase. I highly recommend "Mystery at Lovelace Manor".

Thank you #NetGalley and #Bookouture for inviting me back into Eve's world. You can almost see the wheels turning in her brain, even when running for her life.

Mystery at lovelace Manor by Clare Chase.
An Eve Mallow mystery book 8.
Lovelace Manor has a famous past… but when a historian becomes history at its annual open day, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow is on the case!
A brilliant read. I love this series. Eve is my favourite. Had no clue but plenty of suspects. 5*.