4 Brilliant Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

What a fabulous start to this new series! Really loved everything about it the plot, the characters, and especially the setting.... it was a new refreshing twist on a police procedural. because you also got the investigative journalism insight .... and I really loved the academic setting...

A professor is found murdered in a fountain at the school, without any clues... Tara is an investigative reporter and assigned to write a story about the victims life... DI Burke is assigned to solve the murder of the same victim.... what I found so brilliant about this is how each of these characters approached the investigating and questioning differently... because this book was told from each of these characters points of view we really got to see the victim from many different angles.... and Samantha was not a well liked woman! So many suspects, I truly had no idea who done it....

Also really loved the dynamic between Claire and DI Blake.... The characters weren’t quite as well developed as I would have liked, but there are more books to follow for that.... i’m also very curious to see what happens with these characters in the future! So thrilled that the next book comes out in October!

Absolutely recommend to fans of the crime thriller with a bit of a different twist!

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

What a great start to a new upcoming series that I looking forward to reading! Hello DI Garstin and hello Tara. Tara takes her career very seriously but with her life at risk will she be able to cope and keep going?

Cleverly written, fast paced and easy to read! Murder on the Marshes kicks off this series brilliantly introducing the characters and setting. A real who dunnit with plenty of twists and turns for the reader to endure.

I enjoy reading this one and I look forward to book two already! A well deserved four stars and highly recommend!

This mystery had everything I look for in a mystery: great characters that I can feel invested in, intrigue, and a fast moving plot with twists.

Wow what a book! I love this author's writing and with this book she has surpassed all expectations, setting the standard exceptionally high! One of the best mysteries I have read! Loved it from start to finish and couldn't put it down! A masterpiece! Plotting perfection! The writing is brilliant and flows off the page, the characters stay with you. A thoroughly satisfying, absolutely stunning book! I cannot wait to read more by this amazing author!

Murder on the Marshes introduces us to journalist Tara Thorpe and DI Garstin Blake. Tara arrives home to find that she has been sent a package that contains a small doll with a noose round its neck and a note stating “This is a warning”. With her past history the first thing she does is contact the police. When a Cambridge professor is found strangled, initial investigations uncover that she too was sent a similar doll. When the professors assistant is also murdered the race is on to find the killer and find out what links the murder victims to Tara.
Tara has been tasked by her editor to write a story about Professor Samantha Seabrook only he is not aware that there is something that may connect them. Her investigations into the story means that she keeps coming in contact with DI Blake who seems to have a bit of a soft spot for Tara and is genuinely concerned for her safety.
Tara has quite a way about her and manages to get all the people in Samantha’s life to open up to her. Despite having to constantly look over her shoulder she is determined to find the real Samantha. The more she investigates the more she finds that the professor may not have been quite the stand-up citizen she appeared to be on the surface. There was certainly no love lost between her and some of her colleagues.
DI Blake is dealing with his own issues at home and is sometimes distracted by this but he is determined to catch the killer. He finds that by sharing some information with Tara, she in turn shares bits of information with him that gives him slight insights into potential suspects and their motives. I am not sure however that he really likes the fact that sometimes Tara seems to be one step ahead of the police when it comes to gaining information.
I am not naturally a gushy person but I have to say that I loved this book. The two main characters work well together despite being in professions that would normally rub each other up the wrong way. The setting in and around Cambridge gives the author plenty to play with when setting the scene for Tara and her stalker. With so many potential suspects the reader will be kept guessing to the end who murdered Samantha Seabrook and why. This is certainly a fantastic start to the series and I can’t wait to see what awaits Tara in the next book.

I have always been intrigued by books set in the exclusive university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, especially detective books, and especially ones that provide a glimpse into the exclusive and archaic world of the elite universities that most of us never get to see. My love was initially sparked by the brilliant novel Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers and prevailed through my abiding devotion to the great Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter. I think I have found another fabulous series to add to my favourites if this book is anything to go by.

Murder on the Marshes is the first in a new crime series set in Cambridge and I absolutely loved this book. I have read it cover to cover in less than a day and I cannot wait to get my sticky mitts on the second book.

The central character in the book is Tara Thorpe, a journalist working for a sensationalist online paper. When a successful, young, glamorous and attention-seeking professor from the university is found murdered on college grounds, Tara is tasked with getting the in-depth story. She has an added interest in finding out who might have killed Samantha Seabrook, as it seems the same killer may have Tara in his sights.

This book grabbed me by the throat from the opening chapter and refused to let go until the very end. It has absolutely everything connoisseurs of the classic crime novel could want and I am seriously excited to have discovered this great new writer. The story was a fantastic puzzle, filled with twists, turns, red herrings, esoteric clues, dubious characters, tensions, rivalries, all set against the beautiful backdrop of Cambridge and the menacing emptiness of the surrounding Cambridgeshire fens. The author uses the setting and landscape to great effect in the book and it really ramped up the atmosphere. I loved the way she made the flat emptiness of the fens feel claustrophobic, as this is something I have felt myself when visiting that area.

As well as having a great setting and plot, the characters in this book are most appealing and really make the book the compelling read it is. Tara Thorpe, who has a difficult and unresolved past, is very likeable and is a great character to carry the series. I was really involved in her family history and her moral dilemmas and personal struggles and enjoyed the way that the author has left certain issues open to be developed and resolved in future books while at the same time giving this novel a satisfying conclusion, it is very neatly balanced. DI Garstin Blake is also a complex and interesting character and a nice foil for Tara and I really hope that we see more of him in future books and that their relationship develops further.

I have nothing negative to say about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was an accomplished crime novel and I really look forward to reading the next one.

It was really interesting to see the story play out especially from both a journalist and detective's perspective. It gave this story an added edge as people reacted differently to the two people asking the questions. Although to be honest this could be down to Tara and her ability to put people at ease. Both Blake and Tara were intriguing characters especially Tara who has a few secrets of her own from her past. You could feel Tara's fears and worries over the threats she receives, something that is just lurking out of sight waiting to step out. I was never sure what would happen next which made this story all the more intriguing. I thought Clare Chase gave the right bits of information at the right time making sure that there was still tension there to keep me invested along with keeping me on my toes.

I was intrigued not only with Tara's life but also Samantha as her life is slowly unravelled by Blake and Tara. Making sure I couldn't get a handle on who could be behind it all, it was like a giant puzzle just waiting for that last piece to fit!

In a way the setting is a key player in this story as it is described in a way to make you feel as if you are right there. It is a seemingly peaceful place but with some flawed characters and one in particular who you wouldn't want to cross. The pace is pretty steady throughout although not necessarily always moving at a fast speed. However this gives the reader chance to digest what they have read along with getting a feel for Tara and Blake's characters. Which is perfect as this is the start of a new series and I'm already looking forward to seeing what is in store for them in the nest book.

Tense at times and unpredictable!

With thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for my copy.

This was quite an unusual book in that a journalist is working with the police to solve crimes. I enjoyed it, it was a tad slow in places, but the end was good. Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for the ARC.

Well done. Told in the alternating voices of Tara Thorpe, a journalist, and DI Garstin Blake, this mystery set in Cambridge is about the murder of a professor who has been stalked. Tara too has experienced stalking and she received a note similar to that sent to the victim. Both Tara and Garstin have darkness and secrets = but not too much. This is a locked garden problem and the answer will surprise you. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm curious where Chase will take this series next.

This is a great ‘who-dunnit’ story.
Tara is a journalist and contacts the Police when she receives a threatening note, along with a strange doll.
A body is then found and it transpires that the victim had received a doll with a noose round it's neck a few weeks ago.
Detective Blake speaks to Tara and takes the threat against her seriously. With her link to the death of the woman she starts investigating her death as a story. Blake asks her to share what she finds and she agrees as she knows he will look out for her.
Tara and Blake form a good working relationship and find out more about those around the victim between them.
Someone is still watching Tara though and soon her life is in danger.
There’s a real race against time to stop another murder happening and it will have you on the edge of your seat.
This is a gripping read and a great start to a new series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

My first book by this author, and also this is the first book in the Cambridge Mysteries series. I was particularly drawn to this book for several reasons but the stunning cover was a main one, and the Cambridge link was another. The blurb for me seemed very ‘Morse’ (yes, I know that was Oxford, but you know what I mean!), full of quaint university courtyards and murderous mysteries!

The opening book for this series features investigative journalist, Tara Thorpe, who is asked to write an article on murder victim, Professor Samantha Seabrook. Whilst doing this, she comes head to head with Detective Inspector Garstin Blake and between them they begin to investigate what happened to the Professor.

I found this book to be a refreshing change. It wasn’t just the police working out who the murderer was, but the police working proactively with a journalist to try and work it out together. Usually books featuring journalists tend to portray the journalist as being a hindrance rather than a help! The story was well planned and well thought out. The pace flowed well, if not a little bit slowly at the beginning, and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested throughout. I liked the characters, particularly Tara Thorpe, and felt all the characters worked well together.

The location was the big one for me. I’ve never been to Cambridge, but the descriptions of the setting was absolutely spot on and bought such vivid pictures to my mind. Overall, a great opening book of the series, and I’m really keen for book two to come out to continue the story of Blake and Thorpe.

Excellent story. Wonderful characters and plot line. I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book.

The storyline in this book is good. There are some really good parts to the plot. There is however a lack of suspense throughout most of the story. I felt that it was hard to keep reading to the end. I like a faster pace and a lot of suspense in a thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Clare Chase for an ARC copy of the book. As always, an honest review.

Murder on the Marshes is a fast read that pulled me in right from the beginning. The action is written so there's plenty of it to move the story forward, but not so much to be over the top ridiculous. In general I enjoyed the writing style. The color descriptions and imagery are wonderful. They paint quite a picture.

I also really liked the setting. Many of the main characters are college professors, so it's set on and near a college campus. There's something about getting a behind the scenes look at college life through the eyes of the professors. Maybe it's just me, but these types of books are really appealing. I could read an entire book about this alone, completely taking out the murder mystery aspect. Although that was intriguing as well and gave the plot structure.

I would recommend the book for the great writing, college professor characters, and also the mystery.

What an awesome book! I loved DI Banks, Tara is a good heroine, very realistic, great characters, I read it in one sitting, it was worth it! When is the next one coming out? I hate hangovers, where we have to wait for a Happy Ending! Yes, I know these were murders, and it is scary, especially if you have ever had a stalker, and I have. This is why we demand our 2nd Amendment Rights! I told my husband about not being able to carry a knife in your purse! That's what is wrong with the U.K. , the Queen, Charles, William, Kate, Harry, and now Meghan have 24 - 7 security with guns, an average citizen cannot even carry a knife for self defense!? This study they were working on, made me nauseous! I grew up with a violent alcoholic father, he had a good job, but drank it all! Then, we were beat from the time we were little, I have never killed anyone, nor cheated on my husband, if you want to look for excuses, these are extremely easy to find. I liked the twist, and turns of the story, I figured it out, the night she ran into him, I will not say where. However, I am a huge mystery fan, there were many red herrings.
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!

This is the third book I have read by Clare Chase and they keep getting better and better. There’s a feel of Morse here despite that fact that we’re in the other ‘Bridge’, university town. Chase has a knack of dragging the reader, kicking and screaming from the comfort of their lounge and into a different place, a place that’s not always comfortable but glamorous all the same. Most of the characters are drawn from the higher echelons and who amongst us doesn’t enjoy a tale about the privileged? Think Downton meeting Agatha and you’ll get the gist.

The main character, journalist Tara, is well drawn as we follow her steps as she tries to puzzle just how someone managed to murder visiting professor, Samantha Seabrook. The side kick, Blake, the lead detective is an enticing introduction, a character I’m sure we’ll be hearing from again.

If you liked Midsomer Murders you’ll like this

Cambridge. University town. And the body of a wealthy young woman is found in an ornamental fountain.

The victim had received death threats. And so did Tara Thorpe the night the body was discovered....

I can't say that I particularly warmed to the characters, but there was nothing specific that I could put my finger on

Money might not give you everything you crave the most, but it sure helps you finding your way in the world. This does not necessarily mean a happy ending, does it ...

What I love about this kind of books is that you can awaken your inner cop and try and solve the mystery. Little by little, with the help of each interview, the case becomes clearer. I had to conclude,once again, that I would make a lousy DI ...
That means praise to the author for keeping the culprit hidden until the end.

The point of view was refreshing. The police and a journalist investigating the same case and revealing different kinds of information using different techniques. It's up to the police though to put one and one together but they seem to come up with three. When, finally, all the pieces fit together, it's all hands on deck ...

The story is fluently written and slow paced in the beginning, but you are swept up by a whirlwind towards the end.

I am looking forward to a sequel.

Thank you, Clare Chase, Bookouture and Netgalley.

I really wanted to like this book. I kept waiting for some suspense, some mystery and it just didn’t happen for me. The plot dragged for the first third of the book and then plodded along until the end. It wasn’t hard to figure out the who and by the end I didn’t really care about the why. I actually loved the title of this book and wanted to read it somewhat based on that but I’m not really sure how the title fits in. I wouldn’t recommend this and it doesn’t inspire me to want to read this authors other works at this point.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed this author's first three books published by ChocLit, I was quite intrigued to see what she could deliver next, now she has signed with Bookouture for this, her new series. Well, the verdict is in and, yup loved this one too!
In this book, set in Cambridge, we follow an investigation from two very different sides. On one we have DI Garstin (great name) Blake, the other journalist Tara Thorpe. I found this to be quite novel in delivery and very well executed. Working together, but not together, sharing information, mostly one way, chalk and cheese professionally and, on the whole, personally, they just complemented each other brilliantly! But, I get ahead of myself. The book opens with a murder. Professor Samantha Seabrook's to be precise. Found drowned in a college fountain with few clues as to who or why. Blake is assigned the case at the same time as Tara is assigned, by the magazine she works for, to write about Samantha's life following her death. There's another connection but I will leave that out of my review (spoilers). We then follow Blake and Tara as they interview much the same people but for very different reasons, obviously. Samantha is all about information for her article whereas Blake wants to find her killer. They have different questions and indeed methods for extracting information. Gradually they both build a picture of Samantha that leads to many suspects. Seems she had a bit of a knack for rubbing people up the wrong way. It's then a case of whittling them down to figure out who and, more interestingly, why?
Well... I have to say that, at about 3/4 through this book I had completely no idea which one of our suspects was the perpetrator. I'm not usually a fan of comparing but, it reminded me so much of certain episodes of Midsomer Murders or Lewis, both of which I love, so the fact that I had a big pool of suspects but no clue actually felt quite comfortable and familiar. To be honest, it was a very unusual position for me to be in considering I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out before the reveal. Made for a refreshing change indeed.
It also helped that I really connected with both Tara and Blake right from the off. Tara has a bit of a past which explains the way she behaves in this story. She has got where she is today both with her own guts and determination but also with a little help from family. Something that doesn't always sit right with some. Samantha also had a bit of a leg up so there is that knowing affinity between them that adds another layer to our puzzle. Blake is a bit of a typical cop, he has a broken marriage but not much more is given about his personal life. Together they rub along quite well. Obviously they have the usual spats between journalist and cop re sharing and divulging information but, on the whole, they muddle through.
Pacing is perfect and with no superfluous padding, the story got on with itself very well. There were action scenes, others which built up suspense very well, as well as the slower, more cerebral investigative side of things. All of which built up to expose the complete picture which left our characters with the rather exciting showdown. By that time, I had mostly worked out the who, but the complete why was still elusive.
All in all, a great opener to what looks like being a very promising series. One which I am very excited to see develop. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.