Mystery at the Abbey Hotel 
Clare Chase
April 12th 2021
Eve Mallow’s stay at the luxurious Abbey Hotel takes a turn for the suspicious when the owner is murdered – leaving Eve surrounded by suspects!
Saxford St Peter is Eve Mallow’s beloved home, but she can’t resist the chance to spend a weekend in the nearby Abbey Hotel, famed for its glamorous owner Debra Moran and an array of celebrity guests. For a confirmed people-watcher like Eve, it’s perfect: she can observe the rich and famous while sipping tea in the gardens, her faithful dachshund Gus by her side.
But her relaxing break takes a shocking turn when Debra is found lying dead in the shadowy woods around the hotel. One of Eve’s fellow guests didn’t come to the Abbey for fine food and delightful décor – but to kill.
When the investigation gets underway, Eve finds herself trapped with a wide range of suspects. Could it be Debra’s new friend Harper, who inherits everything? Her ex-husband Chester, still seething over their messy divorce? Or her estranged sister Amelia, who came hoping for reconciliation, only for Debra to shut the door in her face?
As Eve roams the hotel, searching for clues and hunting down alibis, she uncovers a whole host of secrets. But can she find the truth before the killer brings her holiday to a deadly end?
A completely unputdownable page-turner, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Joy Ellis.
My Review:
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Once again I’ve jumped into a mystery series without reading the first 4 in the series – and I’m okay with that! I really appreciate how this one jumped right into the story and added tidbits of the backstory later. This allowed me to connect a few dots but right away I was interested and knew where our main character was for this story and got the action drawing me in immediately. The power of a stand alone in the series is strong with this book, which I personally really appreciate.
The main character Eve is a witty and quirky obituary writer and everything about her just clicked, especially her adorable sidekick Gus, Eve’s dachshund. Now to the story, I will say it was full of intrigue and mystery. This one pretty much checked all of the boxes for me right off the bat.
I was interested in the characters and figuring out the mystery and I absolutely loved the setting. A bed and breakfast in the countryside where everyone seemed to have a reason to escape the city and come to to enjoy the scenery. The mystery of the murder of Debra certainly has many suspects, all with motives to kill. This one kept me guessing until the end.
Mystery at the Abbey hotel gave me vibes of Clue and a Midsomer Murder that was a winning combo in my opinion and I will certainly be reading more in this series.
Author Bio:
Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
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Clare Chase
Thank you so much for this lovely review, Jenn! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the book!