Bella Winter is an engaging character! She is my type of unconventional sleuth. She is very impulsive and clever, a great combination though she was mostly too quick for me. I don't mind because after a while I fortunately did get it. I thought the setting was gorgeous as well, and I am totally curious about her developing relationship with Matt -- I did think that might have progressed more in this second installment of the series :) I mean t this rate they will both be 110 before any sparks fly. If you are after a cozy mystery in a gorgeous setting, with a story that keeps you on your toes, this one is for you. The reason I m giving it 4 stars is that I thought it was a good read, just a tad complicated.
Thank you, Bookouture for providing The Cream Tea Killer for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Bella's determined to figure out who killed Mary. This British cozy set in the village of Hope Eaton will be familiar has lots of red herrings-and characters. It's the second in a series about Bella, who moved back from London to open her own antique store but who seems to spend most of her time solving crimes-and it will be fine as a standalone. There's more to Mary's story than Bella knows at first but there's also more to Hope Eaton. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This is book 2 in the series and I hadn't read book 1. I didn't feel like I knew much about Bella other than her father's job or the characters about her but that would probably be a result of not having read book one. The mystery is twisty and there are quite a few red herrings involved as well. The reveal and conclusion are good and everything concludes well. However the Antique store didn't seem to feature much considering the title suggests things should resolve around that. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Nice enough!

Hope Eaton, the cozy little town, is all geared up for May Day to climb the hill to Sweet Agnes’ Spring and watch the first days of sunlight bless their land. Bella Winters, the owner of the new antique store, joins the group and feels the effort was worth it. She also sees one of the residents, Mary Roberts bullied by a young man. Mary seems to take the legends seriously even if Bella thinks it is all nonsense.
However, the threat is real when Mary is found dead in her home, the cottage she was ready to sell. A statue of Sweet Agnes is missing from her home. Bella decides to investigate since the police are too busy. There is no lack of suspects after all! Soon, Bella realizes there’s a lot she needs to find out before the clues lead her to the killer.
The story comes in Bella’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone but it might help to read the first one as well (there are too many characters to track).
In some ways, the book is good. The mystery is twisted and has many threads. There are quite a few red herrings, too. The reveal and conclusion are solid. They make sense and bring everything together.
However, what I loved in the first book was missing here. The FMC does run her shop, but we get very little detail about the antique pieces or sales. Moreover, she is more worried about the case than her livelihood. She may be her father’s daughter (her dad was a sergeant) but even she needs money to live and that wouldn’t come if she had to shut the store. A bit of balance would have helped.
The slow pacing continues but I got better at reading the writing style. Still, I wish it was a bit lighter and flows faster. I like dark cozies but this is just heavy in text and not really dark.
The side characters are a part of the series. John seems to be a little better. Matt has a bit more space in this one, and I hope we get to see him more. He does sound like an interesting guy, never mind the FMC’s judgmental tone whenever she thinks/ talks of him.
I did enjoy the conversations with the DI. It is frustrating for the character but fun in a twisted way, especially since… no spoilers!

To summarize, The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder is a slow-paced cozy mystery with many red herrings and twists. While I liked it enough, I can’t say I love it. That said, I’ll read the next book to see how things go.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A cute cozy mystery with a small town charm.
I did feel the beginning was a bit confusing (yes I read the first book) trying to keep the characters straight. The plot, while good, was a little slower than I like cozy mysteries to flow. I enjoyed the few twists in the plot and the red herrings that kept it interesting. I look forward to the third book, although I enjoyed the first better than the second.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder” the 2nd instalment in The Bella Winter Mystery series by Clare Chase set in Hope Eaton, Shopshire England. I enjoyed book 2 much more than the first and will definitely continue with the series. May Day should mark the start of spring. But this year, it means murder… Fortunately antique store owner and amateur detective Bella Winter is on the case!

All paths lead back to the spring itself… but does it hold answers or more danger?And can Bella track the killer down before she’s cut off at the source?
I really like how Bella and her circle of friends find out information and gather insights into the crime and the people involved. I thought it strange that Bella didn’t investigate why business at the store was so slow until nearly the end of the story as I thought it would be something she should care about more. The story deals with trust issues, greed, local folklore, and community.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself but I was right on who the killer was.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for book 3!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Bookouture and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full of small-town traditions and conflict among various characters, The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder by Clare Chase, introduces readers to the May Day pilgrimage to Sweet Agnes’ Spring by the residents of Hope Eaton, England. The idea is to greet the dawn, leave tokens, and welcome the start of spring.

Bella Winter, the owner of Vintage Winter, walks up the hill with her friend and employee John Jenks. When she notices one of the offerings is a doll stuck with pins and looks like Mary Roberts, who lives nearby, Bella is determined to find out what is happening. It turns out Mary is trying to sell her house, but someone is trying to prevent that from happening, plus Mary tells Bella she’s being watched by someone in a cloak at the edge of the woods. Bella discounts much of this until Mary is found dead. Ruled as a heart attack, not murder, Bella decides to investigate herself.

Bella is fair when she makes offers for goods for her store, and then prices the goods to sell. Her father had been the town’s police officer when it still had one and was well-liked in the community. She has some of his investigative instincts and loves solving puzzles and wants to fix things when they go wrong. The supporting characters are reasonably well-defined, especially John and his family.

The premise was good, but the story’s pacing felt slow. The author did a great job of making the town come to life as well as its characters. The way Bella draws in a circle of friends and associates to find information and get insights was enjoyable. However, I felt somewhat annoyed that Bella didn’t investigate why business at the store was so slow until nearly the end of the book. The novel is full of threads related to trust, connections, greed, local folklore, and more.

Overall, this book has twists and red herrings and is an enjoyable cozy mystery. This is the second book in the series.

Bookouture and Clare Chase provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for January 17, 2025.

This is the second in this new series, featuring Bella Winter who ten months earlier moved from London to Hope Eaton in Shropshire to run her own antique store, Vintage Winter. The opening chapter sees Bella participating in the annual tradition of a pre dawn pilgrimage to the sacred spring on Kite Hill. Adrian Fitzpatrick, the new and not very popular headmaster is leading the way along with Mary Roberts the school secretary. There is a sense of underlying local tensions emphasised when a young man violently collides with Mary and puts a voodoo doll bearing her likeness by the spring. The foundations are set for conflict and murder with a number of potential victims.

The characters are nicely developed, particularly the Jenks family members who are an established local family involved in numerous aspects of life in Hope Eaton which makes a useful way to draw in local gossip and insights. The story has good pace with some interesting twists and red herrings.

Bella Winter, an antique store owner with a knack for sleuthing, finds herself entangled in a series of eerie events that precede the death of Mary Roberts. As Mary was recently terrorized, whispers of a prophecy or curse surrounding her demise begin to circulate. Determined to uncover the truth, Bella delves into the town’s folklore, hoping to find answers.

What starts as a promising May Day event takes a dark turn when Mary’s death is revealed. The townsfolk are left feeling uneasy, and Bella’s quest for the truth becomes even more pressing. As she investigates, she uncovers a web of secrets and discovers that more than one person may have wanted Mary dead.

This second installment in the Bella Winter Mystery series showcases Bella’s unwavering determination and formidable nature. Despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting natural causes, Bella refuses to give up, her stubbornness driving her to uncover the full extent of the mystery. This series has definitely caught my attention, and I eagerly anticipate the next chapter in Bella’s adventures.

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

Bella Winter believes that Mary Roberts death is a murder especially after she finds a doll with pins stuck in it. Soon she discovers more secrets and mysteries. A fun mystery series.

Second in the series, but you don't need to have read the first because the author catches you up with what's happened.

Bella Winter owns the antique store and grumbled about getting up early with the rest of the villagers to greet the dawn at Sweet Agnes' spring on May Day - but once she's there she enjoys it. Until she notices that one of the offerings at the spring is a doll stuck with pins, and it looks like Mary Roberts, one of her neighbours. Strange things are going on in the village, but Bella thinks Mary is imagining it... until she's found dead and looks as if she was scared to death. Another villager goes missing, a house is graffitied with a warning, and Mary's carving has also gone missing - what's the connection between them, and can Bella work out the truth before the killer strikes again?

Very likeable characters, lots of twists and red herrings, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for the ARC.

'The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder' by Clare Chase.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall I enjoyed this book. Even though it was second in the series I was able to easily jump into this one and not be confused. It did take me a little while to guess who the murderer was, it was a very well thought out plot. It gave me Ms Fisher vibes (amazing detective show). Can't wait to read the next one.

Everyone in Hope Eaton climbs the hill to Sweet Agnes’ Spring on May Day, to greet the dawn and leave tokens among the flowers. Antique store owner Bella Winter grumbles about the early start, but she has to admit that watching the sun rise over the flower-strewn grove is worth it. And her interest deepens when she sees that one of the offerings this year is a little doll stuck all over with pins… a perfect replica of Mary Roberts, who lives nearby.
Determined to find out what lies behind this bizarre threat, Bella dives into a murky mess of strange events. Mary’s house is up for sale, but someone’s trying to wreck the deal, leaving rotting weeds on her front step. And Mary claims she’s seen a cloaked figure watching her from the woods…
Bella’s half convinced this is all nonsense, but then Mary is found dead, her prized carving of the spring stolen from her dresser. The police say it was a heart attack, but was she literally scared to death?
Soon Bella has uncovered a string of further mysteries. Why is Mary’s nearest neighbour missing? Who graffitied her boss’s house with a warning the night she died? And why would anyone want Mary’s carving?
All paths lead back to the spring itself… but does it hold answers or more danger? And can Bella track the killer down before she’s cut off at the source?

Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.

Bella Winter is establishing herself and her business in the small English community. She has a nose for murder following in the footsteps of her deceased father with whom she had an up and down relationship. Bella finds that May Day brings a murder to the village. She sees clues that the police do not want to pick up on. There is Noah--the delinquent, Adrian--in charge of the school, his wife, and the murdered Mary and her ex. Who did Mary in and why? Found it a bit confusing with all the characters and a bit slow in exposing the murderer. It is a very safe read. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

This is the second book in the series and though it has a very interesting mystery(s) I felt Bella pushed a little too much and a little too hard in a case where she really didn't have an investment. Some of the things that I really enjoyed about the first book, the antique store setting, the secondary characters, and the small town ambiance, are missing or not as well represented in this book. That said, I do like her personal sense of style, the fact that she wants to fix things for people, and that she is very sharp. The mysteries are multi layered and intertwined and do come together well in the end. I just hope she tones things down a little in the next book and that we get to spend more time in the antique shop! Thanks to #Netgally, #Bookouture, and the author for an opportunity to read. #AntiqueStoreDetective #MayDayMurder #ClareChase #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Bella Winter is still learning about the various customs and rituals of her new home town of Hope Eaton. On May Day, as spring starts, everyone climbs up to Sweet Agnes' Spring to arrive at dawn. When one of the village tributes is anything but Bella is determined to discover who tried to ruin the celebrations, but it becomes far more serious after a body is discovered. As the mysteries increase, can Bella rely on her own detecting talents and those of her new friends, or will the killer discover her first?

Book two of Clare Chase's new series, unfortunately didn't do it for me. Although I like that Bella is very different to her other main protagonist, Eve Mallow, I couldn't warm to her in this story and found myself not enjoying it very much.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me, .but I still love the Eve Mallow Mystery Series.

May Day is a fun, busy day in Hope Eaton. It's full of ceremony and a time to share old beliefs and lore. It's not a time for murder. So, who was taunting and basically terrorizing Mary Roberts the school secretary? A former student is openly taunting her with little doll meant to resemble Mary and call to mind a frightening legend. When she's found dead the next day, suspicions flare. Who'd kill the somewhat reclusive woman? But, wait. Was she killed or was it natural? Is it murder if you frighten and terrorize someone to the point they die?

As it turns out, there are several viable suspects, among them the young man in question and Mary's vindictive ex-husband. Main character Bella Winter doesn't let the little fact that the coroner says Mary died of natural causes detour her. As Barry Dixon, the police officer in charge points out, of course, they can't do anything based on suppositions. They need hard evidence. Mary was prone to report even the most minute of wrongdoings, so they are wary of rumors of her being recently harassed by someone. In fact, it sounds so far out, based on old, spooky legends, that some suspected Mary was losing her mind, so to speak. Not Bella. She's determined and begins snooping, er, asking questions and poking about. Her late father was a police investigator and she seems to have inherited his sleuthing genes. Will it lead her into danger? Oh, boy, will it.

I won't detail the plot further but will say that despite periodic lulls in the plot, the story mostly kept my attention. I didn't feel like I knew much about Bella other than her father's job or, for that matter, the characters about her but that would probably be a result of not having read book one. While I ultimately was able to sort things out, while it worked as a standalone, I might have been able to make sense of who was who much sooner if I had. Her friends, especially co-worker at the antique store John, are likable and I liked that while her interactions with Barry Dixon weren't genuinely positive that he also was painted in a likable way, including his family situation. One of the benefits of Bella's late father's job was that she did have some connections, an idea of who to call on for help, which was a bonus. The murder itself was cruelly done, quite diabolical, even without the murderer striking a blow. The ending was also quite tense, showing Bella's quick thinking on her feet when pressed as well as the fortitude of her friends and associates. Thanks #Bookouture for the early introduction to Bella and friends. Lots of twists and red herring after red herrings in this one despite the occasional lull in pace. I'll definitely make a point of checking out the next book in the series. Quite the intro to Sweet Agnes and Hope Eaton's May Day celebrations.

antiques, antiquity, small-business, small-town, amateur-sleuth, England, cozy-mystery, local-law-enforcement, local-legends, local-history, friends, friendship, town-gossips****

A nice soothing cozy with a few unusual twists and characters who are ever so real. It was pleasant to meander along with Bella and John as they outpaced the local law.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected advance review copy from Bookouture via NetGalley.
Avail Jan 17, 2025 #TheAntiqueStoreDetectiveAndTheMayDayMurder by @ClareChase_ #BellaWinterMysteriesBk2 @bookouture #CozyEnglishMystery

This is book 2 in the series, though it could be read as a standalone. As a series purist myself, I highly recommend reading the first one first though. I definitely enjoyed this book more than the first one as the mystery was more interesting and we got to know the characters more.

In the small town of Hope Eaton, May Day is celebrated as the first day of Spring, but unfortunately for Mary Roberts, it brings death. Having previously enjoyed Clare Chase’s first book in her Bella Winter Antique Store Detective series, I was looking forward to the sequel, The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder: A totally gripping cozy murder mystery

We learn quite early in the story that Mary Roberts has a history of reporting trouble to her local police, and she has one juvenile in particular whom she considers to be a nuisance, if not a lawbreaker. However, the authorities seldom take her complaints seriously. Thus, when Bella finds her dead inside her home, the police do not suspect murder.

Bella has other ideas. She is her father’s daughter; that is, her late father was a cop, and she has his genes, apparently. She seems to spend more time snooping – I mean, investigating – than she does in her antique store. Her employee, John, is her fellow investigator, and they have a host of friends and acquaintances who are more than willing to get involved.

Was this a “totally gripping cozy murder mystery”? No. At times, I was curious and followed with interest. At other times, however, I felt that the dialogue was overdone, the red herrings too frequent and redundant, and at about the 60% mark, I was ready to be finished. In the end, however, the murder scene was cleverly done, but the process of getting to the finale was overly dramatic.

I received an ARC copy of The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder: A totally gripping cozy murder mysteryThe Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author.

This is a fun cozy mystery which would appeal to readers who like to be able to figure out the solution with clues planted throughout the story.
Though I had not read the first in the series, this book could stand on its own. I would recommend this to readers of classic English cozy mysteries.