The Bookshop Murder- Book Review

The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham

Flora Steele Mystery #1

Publication Date: 26th July 2021

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery

4 Stars

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.

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