Cleo Marbeck, local businesswoman, is found dead in a fountain on the first day of Saxford St. Peter’s garden tour. This shocking event naturally ends the inaugural garden event and begins the involvement of local sleuth and obituary writer Eve Mallow. As usual, Eve wraps her investigation in her planned obituary for a local paper. While Cleo’s success impressed most villagers, Eve discovers several suspects who might have wanted her dead. There’s Abby Porter, who Cleo promised an important position in London, then changed her mind and Stevie, the fiancée of Viv’s son. Stevie’s beloved aunt had died from an accidental fall twenty five years earlier and Stevie believes Cleo was involved. This decades old case dominates the investigation and the plans for the wedding. Soon Eve is searching for a killer from the past before she becomes the next victim.

Mystery on Meadowsweet Grove, the twelfth in the excellent Eve Marrow series is different from its predecessors. This mystery is Eve’s story. Although Robin and Viv appear, they do not play major parts. Neither does the bustling village of Sanford St. Peter. Eve and her dachshund are on their own here. Eve bounces questions off her friends but this is her investigation. Of course, this is a 5 star read for Eve’s fans, new to the series or regular readers. 5 stars.

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

I've been a big fan of this series since the beginning and Mystery on Meadowsweet Grove is no exception. I particularly like the way the village group of mystery solvers has expanded. This story has no shortage of suspects but Eve is soon certain that the answer to Cleo Marbeck's shocking death lies in the past. Delving into long-held secrets is dangerous business as Eve and the rest of group soon find out, I'd love to see the Eve Mallow mysteries made into a TV series and soon please!

Twelfth murder mystery for Eve to solve, with a new cast of suspects doing their best to hide potentially incriminating secrets.
This time, the victim is a ruthless buisnesswoman that part of the village even believe guilty of pushing a friend down the stairs in what passed as an accident years ago. So Eve finds herself investigating both the recent murder and the old case that everyone's talking about.
As usual, I greatly enjoyed following her as she interviewed people for the victim's obituary, gathering clues along the way.
And once again I would advise new readers to start with book 1 but think that those who don't mind partial spoilers could enjoy this one even without having met Eve and her friends/neighbours before.

<i>I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This is the 12th book in the series - time flies! And I still love all the characters.

I did think it would've been good to have a few more characters but overall a quick, easy cosy read.

Thank you for the arc.

I adore this series and each and every one of them is the reason why I love British cozy mysteries.. This entry is a great place to start if you haven’t yet read one in the series. Each one reads fine as a stand alone, but you’ll want to read them all as you get caught up in the lives of the recurring characters and beloved protagonist.

I've read quite a few in this series and enjoyed them - the main characters are beautifully drawn (including Gus, Eve's dachshund) and Saxford really feels like a place you'd like to live.

In this one, the village is having an open garden day - but then jeweller Cleo Marbeck is found dead in her pond. What's the connection between her death and that of Honor, 25 years before? And why does Stevie, Honor's daughter, have a flashback to her mother's body at the foot of the stairs in a different house to the one where she was found?

There are lots of suspects and lots of red herrings - along with some excellent misdirection. Very enjoyable read and I'd recommend it highly.

Mystery on Meadowsweet Grove (An Eve Mallow Mystery Book 12)

This is a charming English cozy with well drawn out characters and a very twisty plot. While Eve is touring the gardens during Open Gardens Day with her good friend Viv and Viv's soon to be daughter-in-law Stevie, Stevie has a flashback of her aunt's murder that happened twenty-five years ago. A local business woman is murdered shortly after the flashback and Stevie becomes the main suspect. Eve is sure these murders are somehow connected and questions all the suspects while gathering information for the victims obituary. The victim was not well liked so there are multiple suspects. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in this engaging series.

Summer is painting Saxford St Peter in its prettiest colours. There are weddings to plan and, for the first time, an open gardens competition to enter. Local obituary writer, Eve Mallow, is secretly delighted that fiance, Robin, is on the judging panel and she can't enter! That is probably a good thing because her best friend, Viv, is arranging her son Jonah's wedding and her future daughter-in-law, Stevie, is visiting so Eve is needed to help prevent panic prevailing!

When Stevie has a frightening flashback picturing a body lying broken at the foot of a flight of stairs everyone is concerned for her. Concern turns to suspicion however, when just a short time later a body is found and once again a killer is sought in the small picturesque village. Eve, determined to prevent any threat to the forthcoming marriage, begins to investigate immediately but, with an unpopular victim, and possible links to a decades old accident, nothing proves simple, instead, for some residents, it is downright dangerous!

Book twelve in this wonderful series is like a warm hug with old friends with a bit of added jeopardy! There are a lot of people in this story and it took a few chapters to get them all in their right places but once sorted it flowed along brilliantly. With a new series by this author released later in the year I wonder if Eve's story might be winding down. If so, this is an excellent book to pave the way.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is easy to recommend, as is the whole series which always provides a brilliant reading experience.

The latest entry in the Eve Mallow series sees Eve wrapped up in the death of a local businesswoman with plenty of critics. Eve begins to investigate with her friends as part of writing the dead woman’s obituary, and more deaths and surprises ensue. I enjoy this series, and reading the books feels a bit like catching up with old friends. I did notice with this one, though, that it felt a little like it was following a formula. While the regular characters are well-drawn, it was harder to develop as much of a connection with the victims and suspects. The lack of connection means it’s harder to be emotionally invested in the outcome or to believe the risks that Eve takes in trying to solve the case. Still. enjoyable overall and a good series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. I chose to provide this review and all opinions are solely mine.

Saxford St Peter is having an open gardens day! But one of the villagers has murder, not marigolds, in mind… And now Eve Mallow needs to unearth a killer.I’ve always enjoyed this author and this book is no exception. You feel like you’re part of the story and no matter how many characters there may be in a book you feel like you’re a part of that world and invested in these characters as well as the murder.