
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!
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?
A completely delightful English mystery, full of cozy charm and cunning clues. Fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love The May Day Murder!
MY THOUGHTS
May Day Murder is the second in the Antique Store Detective series featuring Bella Winter. Published by Bookouture, it is available in ebook (including Kindle Unlimited), audiobook and paperback formats (17 January 2025). My thanks to the publisher for my place on the tour and copy to review via Netgalley.
I hadn’t read the first book in the series and whilst I would like to reassure that this could easily be read as a standalone, personally I struggled getting to grips with all the various characters, especially their relationship to one another and I did feel disadvantaged by not reading the first. This is my perception however and this may not bother someone else.
Bella Winter with her quirky dress sense and owner of the antique shop in the village is a tenacious and engaging character. Her late father had been well respected as its village policeman and it seems that Bella has inherited his nose for investigating with her determination to solve a mystery not getting in the way of personal danger. The small village of Hope Eaton features the annual Sweet Agnes Spring hill walk on May Day and this dawn excursion sets off a chain of events that has Bella and her village friends speculating as to the who, the how and the why. There is clearly some badness in the village. A woman with a reputation for regularly reporting people and deeds to the police is found dead and there are several dodgy characters whose actions attract Bella’s attention.
Whilst I found the plot a little convoluted I was intrigued and, like Bella, wanted to know who was responsible for causing so much angst and death in this sleepy village. It was clear that not everyone could be trusted and there were several suspects in the frame. There is a clear community vibe here and Bella’s friends were invaluable for their support and perspective in attempting to solve the different strands to this story. As well as the main mystery to solve, Bella has another problem when her reputation and business is put at risk. Somebody wants her out of the village.
This was an entertaining and well written cozy mystery on the lighter side of crime, but still awash with suspicion and surprises.


Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
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. You can find Clare’s website and blog at www.clarechase.com
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Great review!
Thank you Jo 🥰
Thank you so much for your review, Karen, and for taking part in the tour. I’m so sorry I didn’t spot this and comment earlier!
No apology needed Clare, thank you so much for commenting x