This is a cosy, almost friendly, murder mystery, it has a sedate pace and characters that are pleasant stereotypes of village life. Bella investigates the affairs and uses her friends as help to uncover the blackmail and threatening actions against Mary, the solitary and almost reclusive villagers. The plot in interesting in a gentle way, and perfect if you fancy an unchallenging read.

This was a strong sequel in the Bella Winter Mystery series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall improvement from the first book to this. Clare Chase has a great writing style and was invested in the story. It had that mystery element that I wanted and was glad I read this. I hope there is more in this series and from Clare Chase.

Great premise, but the writing and the characters didn't work for me. I'd still like to check out more from this author, there is lots of potential here. Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I couldn’t keep going with this unfortunately.

While I appreciate the cosy mystery vibes this book is clearly trying to evoke; the writing just wasn’t good enough in my opinion.

Conversations ended abruptly, a new scene would start just as quickly leaving an unfinished feeling.

I really like the concept and characters but the writing would need to improve for me to fully engage and continue reading.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for arc in exchange for honest review.

This was a light cozy mystery, clean reading that you can share with your mom or your daughter and not worry about any content.

Bella Winter lives in a charming small town where everyone knows everyone’s business sort of town. Her father, who has passed, was formerly a detective in Hope Eaton. As you would imagine, Bella has an innate level of curiosity as a detective’s daughter, so when a neighbor is found dead of natural causes she is suspicious.

At the start of the book you are introduced to several characters and townspeople, several that become Bella’s accomplices in her amateur sleuthing, while she tries to maintain her antique business that is also suffering from local gossiping.

The story is very much a string of Bella’s thoughts and conversations as she puzzles out the mysteries surrounding Hope Eaton. There’s a little lull about 2/3 the way through when it switches gears from all the puzzle pieces being laid out to Bella organizing them to the unfold, the last 1/3 unfolds quickly with it being a surprise to how it all is a tangled web leading back to one villain!