Mystery at Southwood School

I do love a good English cozy! Clare Chase delivers with Mystery at Southwood School. Here we find Eve and her friend Viv hired to assist with catering for Founders Day at the prestigious Southwood School. Eve can't wait to see the school for herself, as it has quite the reputation. But she finds that all isn't pomp and circumstance in the halls of academia. Former student Natalie Somerson is also there for Founders Day, and while she may be well-known, she is definitely not well-liked. In fact, she seems to delight in stirring up trouble.

When Natalie is found dead, suspicion falls on Robin, Eve's clandestine love and a former police detective in deep cover to avoid men who would do him harm. He was seen with Natalie, and as a fill-in gardener at the school, he's a convenient scapegoat for the (rather inept) detective in charge. Eve knows that she has to figure out the truth before Robin's cover is blown.

I really enjoy this series! Eve is a wonderful character. As an obituary writer, she has the opportunity to interview potential suspects legitimately, and she can often unearth details that people might not mention to the police. This usually leads to her coming up with some idea to find out more by putting herself into precarious situations, which leads to some tense moments and a whole lot of mystery fun.

We learn a bit more about Robin here, and the potential threat to his identity and possibly his life (and Eve's!) is an interesting story arc. I really like Eve and Robin, and I was holding my breath to see how this thread would play out.

Chase kept me guessing as to who the guilty party really was. There were several people cast as the potential killer – the headmaster's wife, possibly jealous of Natalie's interest in her husband; the head girl, whose feelings for Natalie seemed to run hot and cold; Natalie's current husband, who may or may not have accused her of an affair. But each time I thought I'd figured it out, the story shifted, and the murderer was not who I expected it would be!

Murder at Southwood School is a lot of fun to read. It does what a good cozy should – it entertains, it lets you step outside your normal life for a bit, and it keeps you guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more in this series, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a British cozy.