The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allinham is the first book in her historical cozy mystery series, Flora Steele Mysteries. This is a good beginning to this series. The storyline is quite intriguing. The characters are realistic although the main character, Flora Steele could be annoying at times. I enjoyed following along as the mystery was solved.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I absolutely love this book!

I was so captivated by Flora and Jack that I could not out this book down.

I loved the concept of the Bookshop being the crime scene of a murder and the reason behind why he was murdered was something I needed to know!

I absolutely loved the way that this book had twists and turns and I had to know what this 'legend' was as it played a key part in the whole story!

I needed to know what happened so I read this book in one sitting! I wish there was more between Jack and Flora, maybe a budding romance, but this story was amazing either way! I cannot wait to read more of the Flora Steele Books!

1955 several years after WWII and things are starting to look brighter, Flora Steele bookstore “All’s Well”, that she has inherited from her aunt, is slowly seeing people buying books again. All is well until Jack Carrington (hermit, crime author, living in the village) finds a body of a young man in one of the stores rooms. Official verdict is heart attack, but rumours are going around town that the building has quite the history of unexplained things, and so sales plumet … Flora needs to solve this mystery before she will lose the store, and she recruits a reluctant Jack.
Great start of a new cozy mystery! Looking forward to more Flora and Jack adventures.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an early read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really like historical cozy mysteries set in England and this book ticks all those boxes. Set in Abbeymead, Sussex in the 1950s, our protagonist Flora runs the village bookshop where she discovers the body of a young man. With her new acquaintance Jack, a writer of mystery novels, she dives into the mysteries that arise after this suspicious death.

I really liked the main characters. This was a fun read, a book I could easily finish in the busy time that is the end of schoolyear. It might be interesting to see where the author will take Flora and Jack next. I would love to see even more details about life in the ‘50s in her novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I picked this up since I love books and I thought a mystery around a bookshop should be good.
I enjoyed the setting and the idea of an old bookshop which has been handed down through the family. However, I did not connect with the main character (honestly I found Flora annoying) and I confess I skimmed through much of it. Perhaps it was just a personal reaction so I hope that doesn't prevent others from trying this book out.

This story was interesting and I really enjoyed the characters. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, I hope it will be a long one.

Flora owns a bookshop inherited from her aunt, the woman who took her in when her parents died when she was still a child. Located in a quiet English village, the bookshop is barely managing to survive from the tourist trade and orders from a few avid readers in the village. When the dead body of a visiting Australian, a guest at the local luxury hotel, is found her bookshop, with no obviously apparent cause of death, the village rumour mill gets going, and the belief that the building itself is the cause (the hypotheses go from ghost to something toxic in the walls) endangers the bookshop's survival. Flora doubts the official cause of death - heart failure - because of the deceased's youth and lack of preexisting medical condition, so she decides to investigate in order to prove foul play and save her bookshop's reputation. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy mystery. It is set in the 1950s, with the aftereffects of the war stil visible (the end of rationing, the loss of life, the trauma of the men who returned) and the societal changes that were happening. Flora is a modern young woman, she went to university and dreamed of travel, but ended up stuck in this little community by her aunt’s illness and death. She is driven, a bit obstinate, and very independent. The murder and subsequent investigation almost seem like an escape from the tedium for her. Other women are similarly stuck, either in a bad marriage or in a kind of financial arrangement in exchange for companionship for an older man (we would call this a “sugar daddy” nowadays). 

The cast of characters is interesting, including Flora’s investigative partner, a local mystery novelist who lives like a recluse, the chatty cook at the hotel, and an urchin who does odd jobs and provides invaluable help in the investigation. The mystery was excellent too, with the amateur detectives suspecting just about everyone, the conclusion is suitably nerve-wracking, and the pieces fit together well. There is even a hint of romance that may develop in any further books. 

I highly recommend this book if you like historical cosy mysteries, and am looking forward to Floras further adventures.

Nora is running the bookshop she inherited from her Aunt when a reclusive author stops in and promptly finds a dead body. Thus begins the first book in this new series. Set in an English village in the 1950s, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Nora and Jack have a great future

When a dead body is found by a customer collecting reference books in Flora's bookshop All's Well, Flora didn't realise how much her life and the customer author Jack Carrington's life would become involved by the dead man Kevin Anderson. They found he had come over from Australia and was staying at The Priory a local hotel that Kevin Andersons uncle had inherited and sold. While trying to solve the mystery of what he was doing in the shop it seemed there were more questions than answers.
I really enjoyed this book by Merryn Allingham it was based in 1955 where there was a different way of life which has been captured in the book.

This feels like the start of a great series. I wasn't sure in the beginning just how I'd feel but as the story progressed I became more and more invested in the lead characters., Flora and Jack. They make for an interesting couple..

I do enjoy learning new things as I go. It's really hard to believe the longer-term impact WW11 is still having in 1955. It seems that meat had only just come of rationing. Wow!

The murderer is not hard to work out, but the motivation and the back story are most intriguing. It was definitely worth the read.

My thanks to #Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my honest opinion in exchange for my Advance Reader Copy.

The Bookshop Murder is the first book in a historical cozy fiction series. In this book we meet Flora Steele a young bookshop owner who dreams of being somewhere else other than in Abbeymead running the book shop that was her Aunt's she''s barely getting through the days until one day, to her surprise, not only does she meet the Famous but reclusive crime writer Jack Carrington but Jack stumbles upon a dead body laying on the floor of her bookshop. When the medical examiner gives the official cause of death it doesn't quite sit right with Flora; Worse than that her shop is going down hill fast as the community catches wind of the murder. Desperate to uncover the truth of how this young man died she enlists the help of the hesitant crime writer, dragging him along as she investigates with the goal of clearing her shops negative image.

The beginning is cute, though the prose is at times a bit clunky the majority of the story is a smooth ride. The plot unfolds at a decent pace, the characters evolving as the story progresses, becoming more loveable as the pages flip by. Though it's not completely historically accurate it is a sweet, cozy, and entertaining read.

In the past I have avoided cozy mysteries such as these in favor of the more hard crime horror cases, mistakenly believing that I'd quickly become bored with a book like this. While I can't honestly say I now prefer this sweet literary trend, I can say without a doubt I have changed my mind and will certainly be waiting for the next book in Merryn Allingham's series.

If cozy mysteries are your thing, this book rates around a 4 out of 5. You won't be disappointed in The Bookshop Murder, of that I am positive.

Thank you to netgalley, publishers, and Merryn Allingham for an advance e-copy of this book for me to read and provide my honest, unprompted opinion's. I'm happy to say this was another good book hitting shelves very soon!

I loved this cosy crime novel set mostly around All Well's Bookshop with owner, Flora and crime writer, Jack, doing the investigating when the police believe there is no foul play. With the duo set to travel together, I look forward to more of this series. Perfect for cosy crime fans!

I have so many patrons that love murders set in the English countryside, so I had to check this one out. It is well-written, the mystery kept me guessing, and the two main characters were lovable. I am learning that this setting isn't my favorite...but that's my problem, not the book's!

A nice and cute beginning to a hopefully long series. Cozy mysteries are great, fast reads, but in fact not the easiest genre for an author. You need to get the readers hooked on both the quirky characters, and the sweet small town. I didn't quite find my way there yet, but I absolutely think I'll get there in future books. I find like I will grow with the series and the characters. So, a good start, but not yet at the level I would call it great. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I absolutely adore the setting though. Brighton has a special place in my heart, and a village around there can easily steal my heart.

When a dead man is found in Flora's bookshop, the rumors spread about her shop being haunted. The man's death is ruled to be a heart attack but Flora isn't convinced it was, she has many unanswered questions about the man and why he would break into her bookshop. Engaging crime author Jack Carrington to help her investigate the pair begin until another body turns up.
A enjoyable mystery that takes you to 1950's England and a small village of Abbeymead. I enjoyed the story and the characters and look forward to the authors next book in this series. Flora is a lovable bookshop owner and her new relationship with Jack keeps you turning pages to find out what next.

The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham is the first book in a new historical cozy mystery.

A smoothly paced plot with likable characters, a legend regarding buried treasure, the murder of a tourist to Abbymeade and only a few suspects to investigate kept the plot interesting. It was somewhat slow due to introductions of the main characters and their backgrounds as well as the Abbymeade inhabitants but the twists as Flora and Jack investigate kept the story moving forward. All in all it was an entertaining mystery.

Will keep you guessing until the end! Love the country English setting and would like to revisit. The character Flora is highly likeable and quite spirited. Thanks #netgalley and #Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bookshop Murder takes place in the sleepy English Village of Abbeymead. Life was pretty ordinary for bookshop owner Flora Steele until one day when a dead body is found among the bookshelves. The police are not very experienced in handling a murder investigation as that does not happen often in this small town.

Flora finds out that the victim was staying at the Priory Hotel which is a very nice hotel in the town. A few days later, the gardener suddenly dies on the grounds of the Hotel. Flora wonders if the two deaths are connected. She is determined to solve the murder mystery. There is a handsome reclusive crime writer, Jack Carrington that lives in the village. Flora enlists his help in solving the mystery. He is reluctant to get involved but decides to help her. There are a lot of twists and turns as the investigation continues. I recommend this book..

4.25 stars

One day, a young bookshop owner comes to work only to find a customer waiting for her and a mystery man, dead among her bookshelves. No big deal, right? Just call the cops, and… Nope! Eager for adventure, Flora Steele somehow convinces her customer, writer Jack Carrington, that there is something fishy about this man’s death and decides that they should investigate it, of course! After all, the police seem to think this is an open and close case. Death by natural causes, boom.

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. The Bookshop Murder is a cozy, heartwarming fast read. It felt like Scooby-doo meets Agatha Raisin. I am here for it!

The main characters are delightful, and Allingham’s depiction of village life was everything I imagined it’d be. The Banter between Flora and Jack was very wholesome. I understand this book is set in the 50s, but I often caught myself forgetting it until I was reminded again. This book is one of those reads that could be set at any time because as it feels timeless, the focus is on the characters and plot; I love mysteries set pre-technology, and even though The Bookshop Murder hit all the spots, I hope to get more of the 50s atmosphere in future books!

I will be checking the next book in the series!

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Merryn Allingham, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Bookshop Murder (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 1).

Flora is the owner of a bookshop - inherited from her aunt - in Abbeymead. When she and author Jack find a young man in the store - dead - they decide to team up to find why and how he died. The story was quite intricate for a 'cozy' and I never guessed the culprit. Written very well I would not hesitate to buy the next one.

I was a bit dismayed in the beginning to find the story has a 50s setting. I do think that should have been somewhere in the blurb or on the cover. Not that I don't like the 50s, but I like more modern settings.

On to the next!