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The Bookshop Murder: An absolutely gripping cozy mystery (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 1) by [Merryn Allingham]

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Merryn Allingham

The Bookshop Murder: An absolutely gripping cozy mystery (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Merryn Allingham (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

2,972 ratings

Book 1 of 6: A Flora Steele Mystery

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‘Wonderful book! I absolutely adored this… had me reading and finishing the book in no time! I highly recommend…!!! ... I was drawn into the murder mystery plot instantly.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, daydreamer 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 itbecomes 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!

Readers love The Bookshop Murder:

‘Gosh I really loved this cosy murder mystery… Really charming… I raced through it in a day. Good for fans of Miss Marple or Osman’s Thursday Murder Club. Delightful.’ NetGalley, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I absolutely love this book! I was so captivated by Flora and Jack that I could not out this book down… I absolutely loved the way that this book twists and turns… I cannot wait to read more of the Flora Steele Books!’ NetGalley, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a joy… fabulous village setting… a totally fantastic tale… I highly recommend this outstandingly fabulous book.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wonderful book! I absolutely adored this book!... had me reading and finishing the book in no time! I highly recommend this book!!!... I was drawn into the murder mystery plot instantly.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this book. Flora is the ultimate amateur sleuth; she is fearless, funny, determined, and defiant. I had a lot of fun trying to solve the mystery with her… a cozy, heart-warming, fast read. It felt like Scooby-doo meets Agatha Raisin. I am here for it!... delightful.’ Frosta Wings It, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Love… The story twisted along, with everyone becoming a suspect… A fab read, that I devoured in a day.’Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic Cozy mystery!... fun to read… This author knows how to keep the reader’s attention from the first chapter!’Books and Benches,⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Pace moves along as you keep turning the pages to find out whodunit. You’ll find yourself rooting for Flora and Jack in more ways than one. I can’t wait for the next book!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A lot of twists and turns, this cozy mystery holds readers attention. The Bookshop Murder is a page-turner till the last page.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Print length

248 pages
Language

English
Publication date

26 July 2021
File size

2105 KB
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Total Kindle Price ₹697.00 inclusive of all taxes

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Next 5 for you in this series See full series

Total Kindle Price ₹1,195.00 inclusive of all taxes

Sold by: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited

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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B094XPQD8N
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (26 July 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2105 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 248 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #48,696 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,645 in Crime, Thriller & Mystery (Kindle Store)
- #6,827 in Crime, Thriller & Mystery (Books)

Customer Reviews:
2,972 ratings

About the author

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Merryn Allingham

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Bestselling author Merryn Allingham was born into an army family and spent her childhood on the move. Unsurprisingly, it gave her itchy feet and in her twenties she escaped an unloved secretarial career to work as cabin crew and see the world. The arrival of marriage, children and cats meant a more settled life in the south of England, where she’s lived ever since. Having gained a PhD, she taught university literature for many years and loved every minute of it. What could be better than spending one’s life reading and talking about books? Well, writing them perhaps.

Six Regency period romances followed, then those itchy feet kicked in. The Regency was abandoned and Daisy's War, a wartime trilogy, found its way to the top of the Amazon charts, followed by the Summerhayes books—a saga of romance and intrigue set in the Sussex countryside during the summers of 1914 and 1944.

But itchy feet never rest and in 2020 she finally went over to the dark side! The crime series, the Tremayne Mysteries, is set in locations around the world and features Nancy, a feisty 1950s heroine, turned amateur sleuth.

Keep in touch with Merryn via the web:

Website: https://www.merrynallingham.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/merrynwrites

PS Love a FREE book? Sign up to receive Merryn’s newsletter at https://merrynallingham.com/free-book/

Along with your free ebook, you’ll get her latest news and updates, insider exclusives, plus book recommendations. Happy reading!

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

2,972 global ratings

5 star		49%
4 star		32%
3 star		14%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from India

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Kavita R

Loved this cozy mystery!

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 30 July 2021

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.

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 1 August 2021

Set in the sleepy town of Abbeymead in 1955, Flora Steele, a young bookshop owner, is shocked when the reclusive crime writer Jack Carrington discovers a dead body in her old store. The police call it a natural death, but Flora is doubtful. When rumors spread about the bookshop being haunted, Flora starts to lose her business and savings.
Having no one to call her own after Aunt Violet’s death, Flora is determined to unearth the mystery behind the death. After all, how can a healthy young man die of a heart attack? Why was he in her bookshop, and when did he even enter?
Flora enlists Jack’s help to get to the bottom of the mystery, only to stumble upon more deaths in the process. Why are people related to the Priory dying, and why is the new owner not bothered about it?
The list of suspects keeps changing, and Flora is even determined than before. How can she let the killer get away? So what if the police are least interested?
The Bookshop Murder is the first book in the series and an engaging cozy mystery set in Sussex. Flora is a 25-year-old single woman, running her deceased aunt’s bookshop (now her own), All’s Well. She has a simple and routine life with the dreams of traveling the world to keep her company during the lonely days.
Jack is a recluse who had no choice but to step out to collect his books from All’s Well when the boy running errands falls sick. He discovers a dead body during his visit to the store, and there starts the story. Torn between writer’s block and the unexpected feeling to help Flora, Jack teams up with her to solve the mystery.
The book stays true to its genre and gives us an enjoyable mystery to solve. It’s neither complicated nor silly. Flora and Jack balance each other rather well. Neither of them is always right or wrong. They have their strengths and weak points.
As the first book in the series, the story gives us quite a bit of detail about the lead characters’ pasts. This adds to the character arc. The subsequent books are likely to have a budding romance between the leads, and yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
The case is solved in this book, and we have a definite ending. Picking it up as a standalone, and you’ll still enjoy it.
Overall, The Bookshop Murders is an engaging book with books, deaths, and amateur sleuths. Don’t expect much except for a nice little crime, and you’ll enjoy it more.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Bharath Ramakrishnan

Decent cozy read

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 15 December 2021

The story piqued my interest – a dead body found in a bookstore. I liked the characters and the descriptions of the village where it is set (Abbeymead), though the story had more potential.

The bookstore – All’s Well is owned by Flora Steele who inherited it from her diseased aunt. The dead man Kevin Anderson was discovered by a customer, writer Jack Carrington. Kevin was visiting from Australia and was staying at the Priory. On the face of it, the death seems the result of a heart attack but why would Kevin break into a bookstore of all places is a mystery.

The incident makes the financial situation of the bookstore worse, already being precarious. Flora seeks Jack’s help in finding out what could have led to this curious and tragic death. As they begin their enquiries, there is further tragedy in the village.

The suspense does hold went into the end sections. The amateur sleuthing engaged in by Flora and Jack lacks sophistication of articulation and style is more like a mystery novel for early teens. The story also had greater potential, though it is a nice (somewhat slow) read. Hopefully the next story in the series will be deeper.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

T. Wood

A Good New Series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 26 July 2021

Verified Purchase

Flora Steele runs a bookshop, not huge nor modern but in 1955 after years of war and rationing the Sussex village of Abbeymead isn't a bad place to be. Of course, it would be better if her beloved Aunt Violet was still alive but Flora inherited her cottage and the bookshop so, even if she is a little lonely, at least her future is secure. Or it would be if, alongside one of her regular customers, crime writer Jack Carrington, she hadn’t discovered a dead body in the second hand book section! With her clientele leaving in droves, and the police adamant no crime was committed, Flora has no hesitation in railroading Jack into joining her in finding the truth before her Aunt's legacy is just a memory.

Although I enjoyed what is the first book in this series I did have a few issues with it. Luckily I am a big fan of historical cosy crime mysteries because there was nothing to say that is what The Bookshop Murder is. The other problems include spoilers so suffice to say Flora, as an ex librarian, had a few gaps in her knowledge and some injuries seemed to be rapidly forgotten! I could however, be being a bit picky!

As for Flora and Jack, initially their relationship was strained, and although, in the storyline, they didn't connect at all, their thought processes and scenes together and apart worked well. There was also a gentle humour between them which always appeals. The way ahead looks promising, again with no spoilers, and I will definitely be on the look out for the next book in this series.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this book and think it will herald an ever improving series. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

14 people found this helpful

Lily Rose Reads

Murder mystery in a Sussex village

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 6 August 2021

Verified Purchase

When Flora Steele discovers the body of a young man in her bookshop, the police don't suspect foul play. But Flora thinks otherwise, and enlists the initially reluctant reclusive author Jack Carrington to help her as she turns amateur sleuth. There follows an intriguing story involving village folk-lore, buried treasure, secret documents, and even a priests' hole. The twists and turns kept me guessing throughout, and I especially enjoyed the Sussex setting as it's my home county. Lovely book.

8 people found this helpful

Happy Reader

A GREAT START TO A NEW HISTORICAL COZY CRIME SERIES

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 22 August 2021

Verified Purchase

What an enjoyable read! The story is set in the 1950’s where we are introduced to the protagonist, Flora Steele, who finds the body of a young man in the bookshop she owns. The police don’t suspect foul play but Flora thinks differently, and when rumour and conjecture about his death start to circulate in the village, affecting her business, she knows she needs to discover the truth about what happened if she is to have any chance at all of saving her beloved bookshop.
Enter Jack Carrington, a reclusive crime author in the village, who makes the mistake of being first on the scene when Flora discovers the body. Before he knows it, Jack has been reluctantly roped in as Flora’s accomplice, and as the two of them set out to solve the mystery, and the body count rises, they find themselves caught up in a situation more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.

This book is an absorbing blend of mystery, crime and suspense, with just a hint of romance that may or may not develop between Flora and Jack as the series progresses. A great read for cozy mystery lovers in what looks set to be a highly enjoyable and gripping new series

6 people found this helpful

Emma C

Grear start to a new series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 27 August 2021

Verified Purchase

This is the first book in a new cosy mystery and I will definitely be buying the next one.

Flora is intelligent and observant. Well-liked intelligent the village of Abbeymead, she is running a bookshop she has inherited from her aunt. The bookshop barely makes a profit and Flora’s dreams if travelling around Europe have been put on hold.

There’s little excitement in her life until one morning she finds a dead body in the bookshop. She finds an unlikely crime fighting partner in reclusive writer, Jack Carrington.

There is a lot of humour in this book – Flora is witty and charming and wins Jack over. There is a definitely a spark if attraction between them and it will be intersection to see how it develops.

The mystery that unfolds is clever and well-paced to keep the reader interested with a satisfying conclusion.

The writer also sets up the potential for further mysteries as Jack begins researching new a new crime series that will take him traveling around the country.

I’m so glad Twitter made me buy this book! And I can’t wait to see what happens with the characters in the future.

If you like cosy mysteries with a vintage twist then I recommend you give Flora Steele a try.

2 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Another mystery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 15 March 2022

Verified Purchase

Liked meeting Flora and Jack a bookshop owner and crime writer who is a hermit but Jack had to go into Flora's bookshop to collect some books and found a body while waiting for Flora to get his books. Jack left as quick as he could leaving Flora but she was determined to find out why the body was in her bookshop and went to Jack's place and got him out of the house to help her find who killed the man they investigated and discovered who and why he was killed. I liked this book very much and look forward to the next one and how Flora and Jack's relationship develops. It's a good mystery and will reread it again

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Merryn Allingham

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