Murder in the Fens by Clare Chase
Rating:
Murder in the Fens by Clare Chase
Series: Tara Thorpe Mystery #4
Genres: Cozy Mystery
When the body of twenty-year-old Julie Cooper is found – her pockets stuffed full of wilting flowers – in an iron-age hill fort on the edge of the fens, Detective Tara Thorpe and her team are called in to investigate. The evidence points to an illicit affair gone wrong… but is there more to the story?
As always at the Cambridge Constabulary, the case turns personal. Detective Blake is exhausted after the arrival of a new baby with wayward wife Babette, and Tara is keen to put as much distance between herself and Blake as she can – both at the station and on the hunt for the killer. Charming rookie officer Jez is the perfect distraction… but is he a little too good to be true?
Then Tara makes a startling breakthrough when she finds an unsettling family heirloom hidden in the late victim’s bedroom – a golden statue of a sinister-looking cat with emerald eyes. As she traces its origins, Tara begins to realise that Julie’s murder is no one-off crime, but a sinister plot with its roots in a terrible secret that was covered up decades earlier.
An unputdownable page-turner, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Joy Ellis. Can be read as a standalone.
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I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you purchase using those links. All opinions expressed are my own. I receive no compensation for reviews.
A murder mystery that kept me on my toes. I did not see who it turned out to be.
Even though this was the fourth book in the series it is the first one I have read. It was so good! I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and let me tell you that Clare Chase is on par with Ms. Christie. As I said I didn’t see who the murderer turned out to be. In fact, the person wasn’t even one I had considered.
A young woman is murdered and Tara along with the other members of her team are on the case. The way they all work together (or not in the case of Tara and Megan are concerned) was interesting. I loved her dynamic with Blake.
We get almost every team member’s point of view in this book. At first I thought it may be too much but after finishing the book I can see how important it was and how much it helped the story. The only reason I didn’t give this book five stars was because I had wanted a little more from a couple of characters.
I have already ordered all of the other books in the series so look for those reviews coming soon.
About Clare Chase
Clare Chase writes character-driven mysteries set in the East of England, where she’s lived since she graduated with a degree in English Literature from London University.
Her Tara Thorpe and Ruby Fawcett mysteries are out now, and are set in the ancient university of city of Cambridge, but for her next venture – a new cosy mystery series – the action will move to coastal Suffolk. Clare loves the picturesque villages in the county, and the way they contrast with the wild North Sea and its beautiful but eerie estuaries and marshes.
The new series will publish in early 2020 and will feature Eve Mallow, who’s an obituary writer. The idea for her profession came after listening to some fascinating interviews with Margalit Fox, formerly of the New York Times.
In addition to her East of England titles, Clare is the author of a standalone thriller, You Think You Know Me, set in London. The novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, before Clare was first published, as well as an EPIC award in 2015. It was also chosen as a debut of the month by Lovereading.
Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) is currently on the shortlist for an International Thriller Writers award.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, especially Amazon. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to purchase a book or product using my link.
13 Comments
Beth Hern
I’m definitely going to have to get this book. Sounds like a good book to read.
Christina Gould
The colors on the cover are beautiful. Thanks for posting!
Nancy
I love a good mystery. Thanks for sharing.
bn100
sounds mysterious
ellen beck
I enjoy mystery books. I think too sometimes characters are ;eft ‘hanging’ so maybe in their next book they can be explored more deeply. This looks decent.
Angela Saver
I love mysteries and this sounds awesome!
Marie
This sounds like something I’d like. I loved The Lovely Bones so this will be great.
Calvin
Sounds cool, and kind of scary
Mary Gardner
This sounds like a great read! I really enjoy mysteries, especially those that I can’t figure out before the end.
Dianna
Murder mysteries are my favorite. This is a new author for me, might need to check out her books.
Mya Murphy
The whole series is bound to be winners.. I’ll try to find the rest of your reviews, too.
Audrey Stewart
Clare Chase is new to me, but I love meeting new authors. Thanks to this blog for the introduction. So many good books listed on Goodreads. That will do me for the rest of summer.
Antoinette M
I’m new to the series. This book sounds great!