Book Description:
Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, day dreamer and amateur detective as she tackles her first case!
Sussex, 1955: When Flora Steele opens up her bookshop one morning she’s in for the surprise of her life! Because there, amongst her bookcases, is the body of a young man, with a shock of white-blond hair. But who was he? And how did he come to be there?
Determined to save her beloved bookshop’s reputation and solve the baffling mystery, Flora enlists the help of handsome and brooding Jack Carrington: crime writer, recluse and her most reliable customer.
The unlikely duo set about investigating the extraordinary case, following a lead across the sleepy village of Abbeymead to The Priory Hotel. When the hotel’s gardener dies suddenly, and they find out their victim was staying there, Flora’s suspicions are raised.
Are the two deaths connected? Is someone at the hotel responsible – the nervous cook, the money-obsessed receptionist, or the formidable manageress?
As the trail of clues takes Flora and Jack all over the village it becomes clear there’s more than one person hiding secrets in Abbeymead…
But does Flora have what it takes to uncover the truth – or will her amateur sleuthing put her in harm’s way?
Love Agatha Christie, Midsomer Murders and T E Kinsey? Then this brand-new cozy crime series featuring bookshop owner Flora Steele is just what you need!
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Bookshop Murder' by Merryn Allingham.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Merryn Allingham, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 26th July 2021.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Flora Steele Mystery' series.
I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover and gripping sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis will love this perfect cozy murder mystery novel' . I am a huge fan of Agatha, Faith and Joy so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 30 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Gloucester, England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in Gloucester on many occasions including this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Flora Steele ad Jack Carrington. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book was very well written and I do believe some research went into it as everything linked correctly in with the era it was set in which was 1955. It is a real bug bear for me when I read a historical novel and the author hasn't done their research and gets basic information mixed up so well done Merryn!! It was very well written and I found the synopsis and the cover fitted the storyline perfectly, The descriptions were great and it really felt as if I was in the story.
Well I must say what an explosive start to what promises to be an addictive series!!! The storyline was very interesting and quite fast paced. It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead characters but those surrounding them too. Well I'm extremely happy to say that this was definitely not a problem in this case!!! I absolutely loved the fact that the main character (Flora) owned a Bookshop and a lot of the mystery was surrounded by books too. There is just something about a book where there is a lot of emphasis on books for me and this book was packed with them!! I really enjoyed that it was set in the past and the storyline really suited that. It really is a nice cozy mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. At no point did I suspect who was doing what or why so another huge well done there Merryn!!! I have read many a mystery and find that I am working out the killer/perp quicker every time and there's nothing worse than working out who did what when your need even half way through a book. Not only is this quite a suspense and action filled mystery but there was just the right amount of quirkiness, laughter and attitude to give it a nice mix!!! A fun, addictive, unputdownable cozy crime mystery.
I am really invested in the characters and really enjoyed Flora and Jack and their fantastic and quirky personality!!! In fact all of the characters had their own individual personalities which worked really well with each other. I am definitely looking forward to meeting Flora and Jack again and some more of the villagers. The community was really close knit which is realistic in small communities and I enjoyed getting to know them.
Congratulations Merryn on an absolutely fantastic start to what promises to be an absolutely epic series!! I am really looking forward to see what Flora and Jack get up to next!!!
Overall an addictive perfect mix of mystery, crime, suspense and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night!! An explosive start to a new series!!!
Genres covered in this book include Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Murder Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie, Dee MacDonald, Fliss Chester and anyone looking for a historic cosy mystery!!
256 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
@MerrynAllingham @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.
Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
https://merrynallingham.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites
https://twitter.com/merrynwrites
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3rhXaJ4
Thank you for a fabulous review, Kirsty. Hugely appreciated. 😊
Merryn