I read this a month ago and remember nothing. Which says one thing about the plot but it also means that nothing about the book pissed me off to the point that I would remember it with burning vengeance. If the book sounds interesting to you then I would recommend reading it.

Loved this wonderful mystery. Charming and thoroughly enjoyable. Very well written. I cannot wait for the next in the series.

It's Sussex 1955. This is the introduction of Fiona Steele, bookshop owner, and amateur detective as she investigates her first case.

Opening up the bookshop one morning, she and another customer find the body of a young man next to a broken into window. She recognizes his white-blond hair as belonging to a gentleman driving a fireman-red car .. that nearly ran her over.

The medical examiner comes back with findings of a heart attack .. although he was young, and his medical records showed no problems whatsoever.

Flora decides that there had to be more than what they know. Enlisting the help of Jack Carrington, a crime writer, and the customer who was in the store with her, to solve the case and learn the truth.

What starts as questioning one or two people leads to more people. Fiona and jack find that there are many secrets in their small village. And then there's another death.

Are these cases connected? Who would want these men dead?

The more they investigate and the closer to the truth they get, the more danger they face ...

This is a cozy mystery set in a small village full of all sorts of residents .. some are quirky, some are flirty, many are secretive, and some are downright dangerous. It's well written with likable characters. And being an avid reader, how could I not reach for book with BOOKSHOP in the title? The ending was fast, and largely unexpected.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this cozy mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A quiet English Village in the 1950s, the South Downs the backdrop. You could almost be forgiven for expecting to see Miss Marple appear.

But let me introduce you to Miss Flora Steele, the young woman who owns the local bookshop in Abbeymead. Inherited from her aunt, she is determined to keep this legacy going.

When reclusive crime writer Jack Carrington enters the shop, he finds more than books – he finds a dead body. The police think it is nothing but a man breaking in and suffering an unfortunately timed heart attack. Nothing more to report. Everyone must get on with their lives

For Flora, she knows there is something not right about this and she wants to find the answers so at least she can help the shop to survive. She enlist Jack Carrington in her help to find out the truth, reluctantly he seems drawn to this spirited young woman. When another death occurs, it seems that Flora may well be onto something.

This is a lovely (not that murder is lovely) start to what is to be a series of books. Flora Steele lives up to her name and whilst she may be to some a flowery girl, she has a determined strength that makes me think that she might end up in some scrapes in the future! Let’s hope the mysterious crime author is always on hand.

For fans of all that is cosy about crime fiction, this book is for you.

The Bookshop Murder (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 1)
by Merryn Allingham
Bookouture
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 26 Jul 2021


I am reviewing a copy of The Bookshop Murder through Bookoture and Netgalley:



A young man with a shock of white-blond hair lay spread-eagled on the floor, surrounded by fallen books. His hand was reaching out as if he was trying to tell her something .


Who is this young man? Why would someone kill him in in Flora’s ordinary little bookshop? Flora finds out he was staying at the Priory Hotel, and when the gardener suddenly dies in its beautiful grounds only a few days later, she is certain that something untoward is happening in her quiet village by the sea.



Are the two deaths connected, the Gardner of the hotel, along with this guest? Is someone at the hotel responsible – the nervous cook, the money-obsessed receptionist, or the formidable manageress?


In order to solve the mystery and determined to save her beloved bookshop’s reputation, 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 baffling case, guilty faces greet them at every door. And they soon realise there’s more than one person hiding secrets in Abbeymead…



If you are looking for a good, fun mystery read, full of questions and revelations, I recommend The Bookshop Murder.


I give The Bookshop Murder five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

English cozy setting that has the potential to grow into a delightful series I will be happy to return to with each new release. Interesting characters and story that kept me entertained.

A good fun, cozy murder mystery. Set in 1955, Flora is upset to find a dead Australian in her bookshop. It's as though he'd travelled all that way, just to have a heart attack after breaking in to the shop. No way is this natural causes.

Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

A cosy mystery by Merryn Allingham took me into the sleepy town of Abbeymead. Set in the 50s it was refreshing to see the story unfold by sheer human ingenuity n intelligence with not much involvement of gadgets etc.

Flora Steele is a bookshop owner and is surviving barely but when a young man's dead body is found in her shop one morning the negative reputation takes a hit on her business. She teams up with Jack Carrington, an author of mystery books to look for clues and solve the case to bring back the business to the shop.

It was an evenly paced story interspersed with the right amount of twists and turns and a great friendly chemistry between the protagonists. I loved the feel of the story. It truly is a mystery that you can snuggle up and read with not too much of action or anything extra.

If you live to read cozy mysteries with very sweet protagonist then this book is for you.

I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC and the opinions expressed are mine alone.

This is the first installment into the Fiona Steele Cozy mystery series.

It's set in the 1950s and it happens in a bookstore that is owned by Fiona Steele.

The storyline runs along smoothly with the characters that are enjoyable to read about until the end.

I can't wait to read more from this author

This is a debut novel by Merryn Allingham about Flora Steele, bookshop owner. Flora opens her shop one morning and finds a body inside. Flora's shop, which she inherited, needs a shot to perk up sales, and Flora decides solving the murder will do just that. She teams up with Jack Carrington, a reclusive author, who writes about solving mysteries, to offer his "expert" experience,
The story is paced well, and the characters interesting. The plot is tight and keeps you guessing whodunit. Another death occurs....are the two related? You have to read this well written cozy mystery to find out. I will be awaiting the next book in the series. Thank to Net Galley for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham.

Set in the 1950s, The Bookshop Murder is the first in a new series for Allingham, set in a sleepy Sussex, seaside village and featuring Flora Steele, a bookshop owner, along with her sidekick, Jack Carrington, an antisocial crime writer who seemingly only enjoys his own company. Jack discovers a dead body in Flora’s bookshop and, after the police write the death off as natural causes, they investigate the death together. Along the way, there appear to be many suspects, but Flora and Jack, with the natural inquisitiveness needed, set out to discover what really happened.

I found The Bookshop Murder fairly slow, to begin with, but to be honest, I find a lot of cozy mysteries begin this way and gradually become more fast-paced as we move through the story. I guess because of this; I wasn’t as invested quite as quickly as I usually like to be in a book. However, Flora and Jack bounced off each other and they are both great characters finding a way into my heart by the end. It will be interesting to see what happens between the two of them in future stories.

There are a variety of other characters in the book who play their own part as the story progresses and I particularly wanted to visit Katie’s Nook and relax with coffee and cake! Merryn Allingham is adept at drawing readers into the lives of her characters and I could envisage myself in many of the situations which are described so well.

I would recommend The Bookshop Murder to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery. If you’re an Agatha Christie fan or enjoy M.C. Beaton and her Agatha Raisin series, you will enjoy this.

I loved the ending. A surprise that filled me with joy for Flora. I knew the book was coming to a close as the murderer was found and loose ends were being tied up, but out of the blue, there it was. Flora’s a sweet young woman and deserves the best that life has to offer. She’s receiving it with this unexpected invitation, and I’ll be glad to hear how that unfolds for her.

The mystery was interesting, loads of suspects with good motives for a murder or two, three? Can’t say for sure, the third victim might be out there somewhere, fearful to return to the havoc he created.

I think I might have liked to hear more about life at the bookstore. But frankly with sales down due to the body being found, I understand why she needed to solve the murder to save Violet’s bookstore. No need to stay at an empty store, waiting for the police who weren’t going to do it.

Her background with her Aunt Violet was endearing and I enjoyed hearing about the memories of her younger life. Great friends in the village. And of course, Jack – they rescued each other.

This is the debut book in the Flora Steele Series by author Merryn Allingham . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own . This is a charming series with a wonderful setting and fun charcters. I love English village cozies set in bookstores and this has all the right elements for a great series.

Bookshop owner Flora Steele is our Protagonist. She runs a bookstore in the English village of Abbeymead. Flora loves books and her store is well liked by locals. She finds a body in her bookstore one day and is shocked to soon find out a second murder has occured. With the locals suspecting her and her business suffering she jumps into a investigation with the help of a local writer. Soon clues and suspects abound in this small village as secrets and lies are found among the locals.

This was such a fun read. The author created the perfect classic English village and mystery. I loved the charcters and the sleuth. I look forward to the next in series. Well done to the author ! Review cross posted.

How could I resist a book with the title 'The Bookshop Murder'?! However, I have to admit that it was the front cover that originally caught my attention as the cobbled hill pictured on the front is Gold Hill (also known as Hovis Hill) in my home town of Shaftesbury. The novel is actually set in Sussex rather than Dorset but although there are mentions of nearby towns, Abbeymead itself is an archetypal English village and the ideal setting for a cosy mystery.
I tend to read darker crime fiction but every so often I enjoy a lighter read and The Bookshop Murder fitted the bill perfectly. Introducing Flora Steele, it's a fabulous introduction to what I hope will be a successful series, particularly if Jack Carrington continues to feature alongside her. A cosy mystery with a period setting is bound to attract comparisons to Agatha Christie and fans of her Tommy and Tuppence characters will find much to enjoy here.
Set in 1955, Flora is the owner of the All's Well bookshop having been left it by her beloved Aunt Violet who also raised her after the tragic death of her parents when she was a young child. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that although she treasures the shop, her loyalty to her aunt and her sense of duty have cost her dearly. Flora is a bright, charismatic young woman who once longed to travel but circumstances have meant she is tied to a business that is barely staying afloat. Then a body is discovered in the bookshop which leads to whispered gossip about strange happenings there and people become reluctant to shop there. Flora realises she has to find out why the healthy young man died so suddenly. The police and pathologist are happy to accept that it was an unlikely heart attack which killed him but Flora isn't so sure and her suspicions are shared by reclusive crime writer, Jack Carrington.
Although this is an intriguing murder mystery, it's also an engaging character driven novel and the two main characters are both likeable people with interesting back stories which meant I was as fascinated by them as I was by the whodunnit. Flora is intuitive and impulsive whereas Jack is more measured and objective. They make a great team and I loved their growing friendship and hints of a romantic spark between them. There are, of course, a number of potential suspects around the village and although it's obvious that the dogged amateur detectives will eventually uncover the truth, it's immensely entertaining following them as they get to that point. There are moments of danger too and though I always knew that things would work out, the change in tension works well and I was glued to the pages waiting to find out what would happen.
The period setting allows for some lovely little details such as Jack's enthusiasm for ham sandwiches, due to meat still being a novelty following years of rationing. It also means Merryn Allingham can explore what postwar life was like, particularly for women; as Flora notes they proved their worth during the war but are now being pushed back into the kitchen and the nursery. Flora wants more and as the ending of the novel suggests, it looks as though she may just get what she wants. More gentle murder mysteries are perennially popular and even though this is just the first Flora Steele case, I'm already willing to state that I would love to see it televised. The Bookshop Murder is a truly captivating cosy mystery and I thoroughly recommend this delightful book.

It's always good to pick up a series from the very start and this one, The Bookshop Murder is no exception to that. Flora Steele owns a bookshop called "All’s Well" that she inherited from her Aunt Violet. All's Well is located in Abbeymead, a picturesque, quiet English village in Sussex. She finds excitement through her reading until one morning when a young man is found dead in the shop. The man is an Australian Kevin Anderson, found by customer and crime writer Jack Carrington. The police believe that Anderson died of a straightforward heart attack, but Flora isn't convinced, so she engages Jack's help to get to the bottom of the incident.

Set in the 1950s, this intriguing mystery had me guessing until the end. Flora and Jack made a great team and I am keen to see where Merryn Allingham will go with their relationship. The secondary characters were good in their respective roles, whether they were villagers or other odd bods and, of course, Betty must have a mention.

I really enjoyed meeting Flora and Jack and my visit to Abbeymead and I hope to be back there soon in book two. If you love a historical cozy mystery, I recommend giving this series début a shot.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Sussex, England in 1955 and bookshop owner Flora Steele opens her bookshop for business one morning and hidden within the bookcases she finds the body of a dead young man. Not knowing who he is and how he got there, she has to save the reputation of her her bookshop and solve the mystery. Flora asks Jack Carrington, a crime writer, and friend, to help her solve the crime. They follow a lead to Abbeymead, and when they find the hotel where their victim was staying, they also find that the gardener for the hotel suddenly dies. They are very suspicious and they have to find out if the two deaths are connected. A cozy murder mystery that takes place in a bookshop, I love the idea. The detailed description of the village was very intriguing, and the plot twists and turns of this story make it a rapid page turner. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, it was a fabulous read.

Thank you Merryn Allingham for such a wonderful, well written cozy mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were relatable and I highly recommend this book. I look forward to the next installment in the series…loved it.

This is book 1 in a new cozy mystery series, based in the mid 1950’s. In it we are introduced to our sleuths, bookstore owner Flora and mystery writer Jack, who meets Flora one day when he finds a body in her bookshop.

The two team up, Jack reluctantly at first, making a good investigative duo the story is well paced and vividly described. The story line was interesting although I found some of the detail in the search for the missing book and treasure a little mundane.

I liked however the way that Flora and Jack used their personalities and individual strengths to solve the murder and root out the baddie and there were some good other characters building in the background that I am sure the reader will learn more about in future novels.

I am sure that this will grow into a well developed series and I look forward to meeting Flora and Jack again in another outing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful start to a new series! While the mystery itself took more of an easy pace and wasn’t full of many twists and turns, I found that it kept me on my toes throughout. I don’t always need (or want) and hint of romance in my cozies, but I did think the budding relationship between Flora and Jack felt natural and I enjoyed their banter. Time will tell if their mutual admiration of one another will turn into something more, but either way, I’m excited for more of their adventures.

Travel back to Sussex in 1955 and meet Flora Steele
In this new murder mystery series where she seeks to reveal
Just what the truth is, aided by Jack, her new friend.
Can they both survive safely till the very end?

One day she’s fetching author Jack Carrington’s book
When he makes a discovery that leaves them both shook.
He discovers the body of a young antipodean
Hidden in the bookcases, hard to be seen.

So what really happened to this young stranger
And will seeking the truth put Flora and Jack in danger?
They discover secrets galore as they investigate
But can they reveal the murderer without tempting fate?

What was he doing in the bookshop
And what happened to kill him and cause him to stop?
The dynamic duo don’t know each other well
But both are suspicious and together seek the truth to tell.

I really enjoyed this is a great cosy mystery
Complete with its references to 50s history.
The setting is a community, close knit and small
Where everyone knows everyone who comes to call.

I requested a copy of this book
From Bookouture and NetGalley for me to take a look,
Having read the story and written my honest review
I have chosen to share it here with you.

Set in the 1950s and trying to keep the diction straight, Merry Allingham introduced readers to a first in a series volume surrounding Flora Steele and her new ownership of her recently deceased aunt’s bookshop. With the body of a man found in her shop, neighbors begin to chat about ghosts and other oddities; this is when a reclusive author retrieving peculiar research materials enters her life. Flora may be in desperate need of a long and much-denied vacation, but first, she must find out why her shop was broken into before her business dries up, leaving her with nothing.

Other than the strained attempts to fit in expressions and phrasing, I found myself enjoying The Bookshop of Murder. Following the tried-and-true approach of returning home to a family business, a new possible love interest, and interesting neighbors, Merryn Allingham has found a new home in the historical-cozy genre to coincide with her tenure in the romance field.