Journalist Eve Mallow is invited to review a short break in a renovated cottage on a country estate. But tensions and love affairs lead to a murder and Eve changes her article to an obituary...
Mystery at Hideaway House is the 14th book in the Eve Mallow series of amateur sleuth cosy murder mysteries set in the English countryside.
Hideaway House is a perfect destination for a retreat. But Duncan cannot enjoy his successful project as he is striving to relaunch his TV career and that of his estranged secret daughter, as well as keeping his affair with the local landowner's wife from public knowledge.
Unsurprisingly Duncan is the first victim. Eve is keen to find out the truth to clear his wife's name. There are a whole host of secrets and lies to uncover to reveal the various motives of the suspects. Eve and her friends gather regularly to update each other and consider the relative degree of suspicion for each suspect.
The author has established her plot formula, characters and setting over the series. I like how Eve now has a support network to bounce ideas around. The mystery is well sustained over the course of the book and kept me guessing.
Mystery at Hideaway House is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Clare Chase for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Mystery at Hideaway House coming out May 7, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read a couple books by this author. I thought the characters were really interesting. I really enjoyed the plot. I would definitely check out more books in this series and other books by the author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Book fourteen sees the return of amateur sleuth Eve and her side kick Gus and the charming community of Saxford St Peters for another cosy mystery that sees Eve in the thick of things yet again I must say she is an extremely unlucky lady, having said that there is a host of regular characters that are always a delight to catch up with.

Another Steller edition to this charming cosy mystery series!

Lots of interesting architecture in this episode of the Eve Mallow Mysteries.
This time Eve is not writing an obituary, at least not at the start of the book. She has been invited to write an article about Hideaway House, an interesting old building that has been transformed in a holiday rental with lots of original details by a famous architect and restore who has had a TV program for a long time.
But as thing usually go wherever Eve is staying, the architect is soon found dead and what should have been a romantic getaway for Eve and Robin is cut short. The article that Eve was supposed to write is converted to an obituary. Unsurprisingly the victim count is rising when Eve starts to dig into everyone's dirty secrets. And lots of the suspects turn out to have a couple of those.

I love the way that Eve and Robin are working more and more as a team, supported by the "gang". The whole village has started sleuthing it seems. Absolutely love the antics of Gus, the faithful dachshund.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Al opinions expressed are my own.

Eve Mallow has promised to write a review of a beautiful rental property situated on a country estate. As Eve and her husband Robin consider it a perfect getaway for the two of them, they find themselves once more involved in solving a murder when things are not as picture perfect as they first appear. As usual there are plenty of suspects and twists and turns to keep you engaged through to the end.

This is book 14 in the series! Eve and new husband Robin take a mini vacay, yet murder follows them! As they try to sort who would want Duncan dead. As Eve starts asking questions for the obit, she soon realizes more is going on than they realized. With her trusty dog at her side, she looks into the local gossip to see where a killer might be. A fun cozy, with the right amount of red herrings, it's a quick read and welcome addition to the series, and easy for new readers to get into as well.

Favorite Quotes:

He looked at Eve as though she was something he’d just sneezed into a tissue.

He wore a smart suit but still managed to look slightly dishevelled. His hair stuck out at odd angles and his glasses looked as though they’d been dropped recently and possibly sat on.

My Review:

This was a complicated and well-plotted mystery that kept me looping around in circles. I was chasing my tail as I pondered so many suspects and what seemed to be red herring clues. Ms. Chase is a clever one and may well be an evil genius, as I marveled at how well she dovetailed all her brilliantly scattered pieces together in a realistic fashion.

HGTV meets cozy mystery in a historic building, this book was so good! It was a cozy mashup we need to see more of! 5 stars!

Eve is on holiday with Robin, her husband, and Gus, the dog, and she has to write an article on the historical renovation and a review of the holiday home. Threatening notes and vandalism spoil her break, and Eve's discreet enquiries reveal historic connections and dark secrets. When the owner dies, Eve has to find out why. Eve's methodical investigation, interview skills, and village connections help her discover the truth. I enjoyed the investigation, the characterisation and the atmospheric setting.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

A holiday cottage in which to stay
For a much needed break and holiday.
Eve and Robin, her new husband, are going to see
It's renovations and how nice it can be!

She's writing a review about their stay
But it will be honest, that much she can say.
It's been renovated by Duncan, a TV renovations show star,
Who is hoping the review will attract guests from afar.

A threatening note, secrets from the past,
Overheard conversations, the truth - perhaps - at last?
Then Duncan is found murdered, but by who?
Eve will try to find out aided by Robin and the village crew!

So many secrets have been concealed,
What happens when they are revealed?
An enthralling case with suspects galore
And danger for others as the clues they explore.

For my copy of this book I say a huge thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Obituary writer and irrepressible detective Eve Mallow returns in Mystery at Hideaway House, the 14th in this excellent series. Eve, accompanied by her new husband Robin, has come to Hideaway House, a luxurious country getaway restored by Duncan Blake, star of TV home shows. He is renovating other buildings on the property and hopes that Eve will write a glowing review. He hasn’t told her that he’s having financial problems to that a vandal has targeted his work. Eve will discover that and more when Duncan is murdered.

Mystery at Hideaway House is an intelligent, cozy mystery, filled with interesting characters, none of whom can be trusted. The remote area makes an excellent location and the plot is satisfyingly complicated. 5 stars.
This series is not to be missed! 5 stars.

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

Eve Mallow has an unusual job and for an amateur detective a great reason to interview people close to some who has been killed that the police can't complain too much about: she is an obituary writer. Her latest case unexpectedly her way when she goes to a nearby rental to do a review and someone shows up dead. Luckily, the man is somewhat famous and she can easily turn this into an obituary for some news outlet. Plus, it is nearby her local village so she can get help investigating with her local Scooby gang. And she will need it for there are plenty of suspects and plenty of red herring that kept me guessing until the end.

And as usual, the book ends with the obituary of the victim. Eve does a good job of giving a fairly balanced view of her subjects even though most of them are not always stellar human beings, after all someone hated them enough to kill them. She mentions any difficulties that they may have had that turns them into the people they are and often makes their action as part of the human foibles we all have. Some just take them to extremes. At the same time she doesn't sugar coat these people as being up for a humanitarian reward.

There were some parts that dragged a little bit that could have moved a long a bit quicker but overall a good book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The fourteenth book in the Eve Mallow Mystery series finds Eve and her husband enjoying a short break staying in a rental cottage on a country estate. Eve has the job of writing a review for the property and all seems to be going well until the first dead body is found. Luckily for Eve they are not too far from home so her sleuthing back up team of friends are still around to help her investigate.

The mystery was good and I always enjoy the characters, especially Gus. There were a number of suspects and I occasionally felt that the book became bogged down by too much discussion about who was the most likely candidate. Three stars from me because I felt the need for a bit more action to keep things moving along.

As an obituary writer, Eve Mallow has the freedom to ask questions, even if they might be perceived as intrusive to others. However, she has taken matters into her own hands as an amateur sleuth on numerous occasions. For now, she is away on a holiday with her new husband, Robin.

Their host, Duncan Blake, is genuinely hoping that their holiday destination, Hideaway House, will receive a rave review from Eve. But even before Eve, Robin, and her beloved dachshund, Gus, can settle in, Eve finds a chilling note that warns of Hideaway House’s dark history and the potential for unpleasant events. Is this a mere coincidence, or is foul play the intended outcome?

This very question becomes the central focus of Eve’s mind when she and others are shocked to discover that their host, Duncan, has tragically fallen to his death. A myriad of questions immediately surface in her mind, demanding answers to the question of who killed Duncan and why.

Determined to get to the bottom of things, questions of resentment and revenge arise when Eve considers the other guests that are there. Eve knows from past experience that digging too deeply could land her in danger, but she is relentless in her question to find answers.

This latest book (14!) in the Eve Mallow series is a true delight, just as all of the previous books in the series have been. I love that Eve and Robin are now married, and that his past and present work quite well in the happy life he is now sharing with Eve.

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

Hideaway House has it all - gothic feels, creepy and cozy.
Eve attempts to relax with Robin, enjoy a visit at the Hideaway to write a supportive article about the renovations. With the murder of Duncan - the smarmy owner and partner of her friend Angela, Eve's plans become more complicated.
The cast is spectacular - secretive, vulnerable and likable. Great twists had me hooked until the end!

Thank you to bookotoure for an eArc of this book! This is the perfect slow burn cosy mystery. An enjoyable read with interesting and well fleshed out characters that kept me guessing at every turn. Every time I thought I had the mystery worked out, another plot twist was thrown in, and it all worked perfectly! The pacing was great and even though this is the 14th in a series it is not essential to have read the others, I read this as a standalone and found it easy to follow along with and understand what was happening.
A definite recommend for anyone who loves a good cosy mystery novel!

I’ve been following this series from the start, and I know it's a great one—I absolutely love it. This installment was the best so far: one of those mysteries you begin with a 'let’s take a look' mindset, only to find yourself trapped in 'just one more chapter' mode, leading to inevitable sleep deprivation.
I was drawn into the story right away—the complex background, the fascinating descriptions of the building, and the sense of a dark undercurrent hidden beneath an otherwise stunning place. That was just the beginning, and I wasn’t disappointed—the twists and ultimate solution lived up to the story's gripping start.
Highly recommended! Many thanks to Bookouture for this digital copy—all opinions are my own.

Well... here we are... book 14 and still as fresh as the proverbial! Obviously, for maximum enjoyment, especially wrt the characters, their backstories and progression, you'd be better off starting from the beginning of this, most excellent, series, although the main story herein is self contained.
So... we start this time with Eve adding another string to her journalistic bow. That of holiday home reviewer, and it is the titular Hideaway House which is her first property. It is situated on an estate and has been lovingly restored by Duncan Blake who is famous for his restoration TV show. So... she, Robin, and Gus up sticks and move in. But this book would be a very short and boring one if the holiday went according to plan... no, soon after moving in, she finds a threatening note. There's more to come on that theme, as you will no doubt expect if you've read this series before. Also, the characters, well... there's definitely a healthy splodge of secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour, and more from pretty much all of them. As Eve discovers from her Eve's-dropping (see what I did there, #notsorry) and from what she also gleans from her spies - the usual suspects.
And then Duncan is found bludgeoned to death...
And that's enough to whet your appetite... suffice to say that it's shenanigans all the way through, as you would expect, with Eve hot on the trail of whatever in the heck is actually going on. She really excels herself in this book, especially her tracking and following skills!
Gus, as usual, plays hit part too. I do love the wee fellow and he is so good at what he does, what he adds to the books. And I am loving the fact that Eve and Robin can now investigate together :)
As with all this author's books, there's a lot going on. But she juggles everything with the greatest of skill, matching pacing with narrative all the way through. And with no superfluous waffle or padding, it all gets on with itself rather well.
Series characters all progress nicely, as per usual, and the episode ones are well crafted and play their parts well too. I especially love reconnecting with the other villagers that Eve ropes in to help her investigations. And the ending, when we eventually get there, is perfect!
All in all, another winner from one of my favourite, go-to, authors, and series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

4.5 Stars
Nestled among the trees of a gorgeous country estate, Hideaway House is the perfect place for a holiday – complete with roof terrace, cosy fireplace and four-poster bed. It’s been a labour of love for charismatic Duncan Blake, who shot to fame thanks to his TV shows restoring old buildings, and he’s hoping his hard work will pay off with a good review. Eve has been asked to write a review of the holiday let so she packs up Robin and dachshund Gus and heads to Kesham. Things don’t turn out as planned, when Duncan is found dead at the bottom of a ditch.
The fourteenth book in the series & I’ve loved every one of them & this was no exception. I love Eve who is nosy to a fault, I also love the cast of regulars especially Robin, Viv & of course Gus. There aren’t too many suspects but there are twists, turns & red herrings. I honestly didn’t want any of the suspects to be guilty after the second murder as I liked them all & felt the bad guys had been the ones to suffer. I didn’t guess who the killer was & when they were revealed felt sympathy for them & felt, in many ways they’d been driven to it. A well written engrossing cosy mystery
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I enjoy all of the regular characters in this series. The MC has a great relationship with her husband and are very supportive of each other. I love Gus.
The mystery kept me guessing. I enjoy seeing the path the MC follows to get to the who done it.

Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.