I love this series and it once again was a great read! Whilst 9th in the series you don't need to have read the previous books to be able to get to grips with the plot and characters as each book is a standalone.

Thank you for the arc of this cosy mystery.

This is my first book by this author. I wasn’t able to really get into the book. It was a good mystery but seemed to drag on for me.

Eve Mallow is asked to cater a Founders Day event at Southwood School. This is a prestigious and secretive school for girls and Eve can’t wait to get inside.

Natalie Somerson is an ex-pupil of the school and now hosts a gossip show where she reveals scandals. She is not well liked but holds some sway at the school.

When Natalie is found murdered, the school is shocked and there seem to be a lot of suspects, including Eve’s boyfriend, Robin. Eve is determined to prove he is innocent and investigates herself. Will she help find the killer before someone else dies?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Eve Mallow is thrilled when she and her best friend Viv are asked to cater Founders’ Day at Southwood School. It has a great reputation and she is curious to see in the inner workings even if Viv, a former student, has less than fond memories. However, she soon realizes that things are not well at the school and when Natalie Somerson, ex-pupil and infamous talk-show host, is murdered while there as a guest, she quickly becomes involved in the murder investigation – especially since boyfriend Robin is the main suspect. She needs to clear Robin’s name – quickly – but will she be able to before time runs out?

“Mystery at Southwood School” (the ninth book in the Eve Mallow mystery series) is a nicely done mystery. I have not read any of the other books in the series but, while I do wish I had read some of the earlier books to have a bit more background about Eve and Robin’s relationship, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The boarding house is a nice setting and provides plenty of atmosphere as well as suspects. And there are plenty of suspects – not everyone is as they seem and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on with several of the characters (some more likable than the others). My one issue is that the prologue gave a little too much away and narrowed down the suspect list a little too much right from the start.

“Mystery at Southwood School” is a nicely done mystery.

Eve Mallow is an obituary writer and part time sleuth. Along with trusty side kick and business partner, Viv, she seems to stumble across more murders than anyone living in the Causton and Midsummer areas.. Although this is the 9th book in the series, it’s definitely a stand alone read, as this is the first of the authors books I’ve read, and did find it easy to follow. It’s a good cozy murder mystery, plenty of suspects, red herrings and, apart from the murders, what feels like a nice village. Although I did guess the murderer fairly early on, this didn’t spoil any of my enjoyment. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author. A nice easy, entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book would be well received by new readers but as a long term follower I am finding it monotonous. The characters are quite similar to some of the previous books and they seem to be getting enmeshed. I feel the author should give a break and restart the Tara Thorpe series instead.

Eve and her best friend, Viv, are asked to cater Founders' Day at Southwood School. Eve is also an obituary writer. Well, when the guest of honor Natalie's body is found, Eve puts her detective skills to use. Everyone is a suspect but there is a particular interest is in her boyfriend, Robin. What really happened at the school and will Eve solve the crime?

This was book #9 in the Eve Mallow series. It can be read as a stand-alone, as this was my first book in the series. If you enjoy a good cozy mystery, then I would recommend this one for you. It was something different from my normal books that I read and I did really enjoy it. I would pick up another book by Clare Chase in the future.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

When Founders’ Day at Southwood School turns deadly, Eve Mallow, part time obituary writer, baker and full time sleuth, is at hand to investigate. She and tea room owner Viv have been asked to cater desserts for the event and Eve has no idea what a tangled web of secrets, resentments, threats and lies and she is walking into. The “old girl” honored and selected to give the opening address is Natalie Somerson, an abrasive TV talk show host. She seems to be no one’s first choice. After her speech, it’s easy to see why. What happens next brings many long suppressed feelings to the surface and leads to more violence. Eve’s secret partner Robin Yardley is involved and Eve is desperate to clear him before the police look into his past.

If you haven’t read Claire Chase’s Eve Mallow series, this is the time to start. The characters are well described, delightful and quickly become your friends. The quirky little village of Saxford St. Peter makes you want to visit. The plot is paced for suspense, with all the mystery you’ll need. This intelligent, cozy mystery series will leave you wanting more! 5 stars.

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

I was gripped right from the start and couldn't put it down, I read it in one very short sitting. The story was utterly compelling and the characters were intriguing.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

Eve Mallow mysteries are always a good read, and this one did not disappoint.
Eve and Viv go to Viv's old school to cater an event. While there, they meet several unusual people from Viv's past, especially Natalie. Natalie has a TV Tell All Show, and she has returned to school to cause trouble. There are a lot of moving pieces, took me a minute to get all the characters straight. But when not one, but two people are found dead, there is a lot of speculation, finger pointing, and motives. This mystery will take Eve a bit extra sleuthing to figure out.
I also love the turn Eve and Robin's relationship takes at the end of this book. Can't wait to see what happens next.
Love this series, highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Bookouture and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Lovely story that’s hard to put down.

It’s never been more important for Eve to solve a mystery that’s fallen into her lap than this one. She and Viv are catering the desserts for a dinner at a prestigious boarding school that Viv had attended as a child when a much disliked alumni is murdered. Eve’s secret beau has become a suspect, and they need to figure out who the killer was before he’s arrested, or his past becomes known. The author writes with such great detail you can imagine the scenes and characters, I only wish she would include a few recipes from the cafe.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy of what has become one of my favorite cozy series. The setting in small town England, the cafe, the pub, and of course Gus make for an enjoyable mystery with a variety of suspects. I highly recommend the series!

I really liked all the other books in this series and that was the case with this one as well.

I loved getting to read about Eve again and other familiar characters

Mystery at Southwood School is the ninth book in this delightful series. Eve Marlow and her best friend Viv have a catering job at Southwood boarding school. Natalie Somerson, former student and famous talk show host, is the guest of honour.. The tension is thick as Natalie is not well liked by most of the teaching staff. When Natalie is murdered, Eve's boyfriend is a suspect. Eve is hired to write Natalie's obituary, which gives her the perfect opportunity
to do some sleuthing by interviewing the school staff, Natalie's husband and ex-husband's, and her colleagues. There are plenty of red herrings in this book with lots of twists and turns. This was a fun quick read and absolutely perfect for cozy mystery lovers like me! I can't wait to read the next one! Thank you for the advance copy netgalley!

unputdownable, small-town, small-business, murder-investigation, murder, dachshunds, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, England, cosy-mystery, journalist, extortion, ex-cop, tv-personality, friendship, boarding-school, secrets*****

The author drew the "victim" so clearly that I couldn't WAIT for her to get murdered! The characters are always so well drawn, the twists diabolical, and the red herrings inventive. 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. She also has a day job working part-time in her friend's tea shop and a romantic friend who is a former police detective who is in a protection program.
This is not an unbiased review as I love this series!
I requested and received an uncorrected advance review e-book copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the walls of a private boarding school? Mystery at Southwood School by Clare Chase gives us an insider’s view. Eve gets her chance when a Natalie, a famous school alumnus, is murdered at the school. Being an obituary writer for a famous magazine has its advantages and Eve uses them to interview all the people that may be involved. She finds that no one really liked Natalie, but why then, was she elected to represent the school for a year? Who killed her? It seems everyone is keeping secrets, and everyone had a motive, but it is not until Eve’s boyfriend is named as a suspect that she intensifies her search for the killer.
I do not usually pick up a book in the middle of a series, but the description brought me right in from the first page. A very addictive read. Can’t wait to read the others. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

A Secretive School,,,
The ninth in the Eve Mallow series of mysteries finds our sometime amateur sleuth protagonist returning to her school days. Founders’ Day at Southwood School has arrived and Eve is delighted to be attending. It’s one of the best schools around but Eve knows that it’s also one of the most secretive. When the day arrives, things seem to go from bad to worse culminating in the murder of a former pupil - a seemingly universally disliked one. Eve needs to find a killer. Let the investigations begin - but with a veritable plethora of suspects to choose from, it’s not going to be an easy task. With a well drawn cast of characters, an enjoyable narrative and a likeable protagonist this is another entertaining addition to this series.

Eve Mallow's 9th sleuthing adventure confirms that I'm far from tired of the series. I was happy to see her and other familiar characters again, and the boarding school's staff made an interesting set of suspects for the murder of a former student. I still love the way Eve uncovers secrets about the people she interviews (officially for the obituary she writes, really for both that and her no-longer-very-secret investigations), and how she imagines what could have happened with different people's possible motives and opportunities, until all the pieces fall into place to make her certain of the killer's identity.
For those who haven't read the previous books yet, this one wouldn't spoil the ending of either 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 already have this one, can't buy the others immediately and really don't mind partial spoilers.

Southwood School has a history of being both secretive and matriarchal while  producing famous and popular alumni alongside those glad to leave its confines and begin to flourish. Obituary writer Eve Mallow's best friend, Viv, is one such ex-pupil; her schooldays weren't happy but Southwood's home economics facilities sparked a love of cakes and baking, enticing her to stay. Now the successful owner of Monty's Café she and Eve have been asked to cater the Founders' Day celebrations and going back as an adult is bound to be a different experience isn't it?

Also attending is another old girl, controversial television chat show host Natalie Somerson, whose reputation definitely precedes her. Also present, but in a purely professional capacity, is Eve's secret beau Robin, covering for Southwood's sidelined head gardener. When a body is found in an isolated area of the school everyone comes under suspicion, although some more than others, especially if they remove the focus from the school itself. Asked to write the obituary Eve finds herself in the right place to investigate the vicious murder but as Robin’s past threatens to jeopardise their future she finds it easy to get sidetracked. With danger drawing ever closer could Eve have finally taken on too much?

Book nine in this brilliant series is absolutely my favourite so far and way up amongst the best I've read this year. The location and school staff felt instantly relatable and right with characters to root for as well as dislike, just as in any real educational institution. The story kept me engaged throughout and I was sorry to reach the end. The main protagonists are old friends now and welcomed with open arms while the more minor characters are also a familiar and necessary part of each storyline. Viv's mother-in-law, Sabina, who is brilliantly awful, has now been added to this group and will hopefully return in the near future.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This was a pleasure to read and review and comes very highly recommended.

How far would you go to protect loved ones?

Eve Mallow and her friend Viv are catering a Founder's Day event at the Southwood School, a boarding school for girls. Quite frankly, even before we get to the murder, the place sounded dismal. Ironically, aside from the head girl, the student body gets little attention as the story focus is on the adult staff members for the most part. They are an interesting, even odd bunch who, quite frankly, don't seem at all happy with the choice of former student Natalie as guest of honor. Natalie, now a rich and famous talk show host, seems to create not just tension but anger. No surprise, she is the murder victim. Who killed Natalie?

Why was she even invited given that most seem to find her appearance unwelcome? Why does Eliza seem to openly hate her? Why is she so cutting to head girl Scarlett? Who were the people Eve saw outside her window at night meandering about? Are they connected to the murder? Gasp, did Eve see the murderer? And, hey, how did Natalie know Robin, Eve's boyfriend who is incognito and definitely doesn't want to attract police attention? How will Robin's story tie into it all, if at all? Who stood to gain from Natalie's death? As an obituary writer for a high profile magazine, will Eve find herself in danger as she snoops, er, interviews various suspects (and there are many) for the obituary? I bet you know the answer to that one. Eve may write obituaries but she doesn't want to write Robin's or, for that matter, her own. Why....oh, more than enough teasers. Read the book.

Thanks #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the invite to Founder's Day. As always, it was fun to practically see Eve's brain cells whirling as she tries to unravel the crime and protect Robin. Let's hope the future is less stressful for them.