‘Mystery at Hideaway House’ by Clare Chase

Published by Bookouture,
2 May 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-83618336-5 (PB)

Eve Mallow is offered the opportunity to take a short holiday with her new husband Robin in the recently refurbished Hideaway House in exchange for a review of the house as a holiday let. The house is an old folly resembling a miniature castle hidden in the depths of the vast Kesham Estate. Duncan Blake is well known for his TV documentaries restoring old buildings. Restoring the bijou Hideaway House with its tiny cosy rooms, complete with a four-poster bed and roof terrace to its former glory has been a labour of love for Duncan because he grew up on the estate. The project has taken him nearly a year, plus a small fortune to accomplish.

Eve is a little reluctant to accept Duncan’s seemingly generous offer and the note she discovers on the table when she moves in – If you stay here, you have blood on your hands – doesn’t help.

Soon after, Duncan’s body is discovered at the bottom of a ditch.

There are several suspects – Duncan’s wife Angela who works with Eve and her friend Viv in Viv’s bakery and tea shop; Lord Edward and his wife Fifi, owners of Kesham Hall; Hattie, Duncan’s young assistant and even Jack – who used to live in one of the other houses on the estate that is on Duncan’s list of Kesham properties which he plans to restore – and its current occupant, Byron.

Clare Chase is a prolific author and Mystery at Hideaway house is the 14^th novel in her series featuring obituary writer, Eve Mallow. She is a master at creating memorable characters. Each of her suspects is so brilliantly drawn, the reader doesn’t want any of them to be found guilty of such a heinous act. In addition, all the lovable characters, including the village gossips Moira and Margery, who are always keen to help Eve in her investigative exploits, are back.

In the true whodunit tradition, Clare Chase weaves a plot full of twists and turns that keeps the reader turning the page in an attempt to unpick the tangled web before it builds to a satisfying conclusion.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick  

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations. 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. 

www.clarechase.com  

Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness’ sake!’ Judith’s latest book is Journey to Casablanca  

http://judithcranswick.co.uk/