Murder on the Pier- Book Review

Murder on the Pier by Merryn Allingham

Flora Steele Mystery #2

Publication Date: 10th Nov 2021
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Works as a breather and a timepass read. 

Flora Steele is back in action dragging Jack with her to solve yet another crime. Set in 1955 in Sussex, the story continues a few months after book one ended. Flora is busy managing the book store, All is Well, while Jack somehow completed the draft of his seventh book. 

It’s winter, and the villagers have gathered in the wake of Bernie, the no-good missing husband of Kate. He was missing for months when his body was finally found. Polly arrives at the wake, all dressed up in riches. 

However, she’s soon found dead and floating under the pier. The police, of course, call it an accident or a suicide. But Flora has other ideas. She knows Polly was murdered and intends to find out who the killer is. Jack has no option but to tag along. As the list of suspects increases, will the duo solve the case on time? How will they fare when the killer decides to target them instead? 

I requested the ARC the instant I saw it. The first book was entertaining, and I was eager to read the next installment in the series. Murder on the Pier works pretty well as a standalone, though it can be a little confusing to remember all the characters. 

The flow is decent, and so is the storyline. Flora is an amateur sleuth, and it shows. However, she’s got a brain and uses it well (at least half the time). There’s slight progress on the personal track, which is artfully woven into the main plot. 

The sleuthing is interesting, and I could guess the killer halfway through. Since I don’t mind guessing it right, I was still curious to know how Flora and Jack would come to the conclusion. My once ruse is that the book didn’t feel as charming as the first one. It’s good, but not what I’d call great. Still, I’ll be reading book three and hoping that it would be set in Cornwall. 

To sum up, Murder on the Pier is a light cozy mystery and works as a great timepass read. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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