REVIEW: The Library Murders by Merryn Allingham

The Library Murders (A Flora Steele Mystery #8) by Merryn Allingham

Genre: Cosy Mystery, Historical fiction

Read: 20th February 2024

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Published: 20th February 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Bookshop owner and amateur detective Flora Steele and her fiancé, crime writer Jack Carrington, discover words can kill as they solve their most puzzling case yet…

It’s a sunny morning in Abbeymead as Flora cycles through the village and knocks on the door of the local library, planning to deliver a gift to librarian Maud Frobisher to mark her retirement. But Flora is shocked when she finds Maud slumped in the corner, and even more startled when she recognises the man holding the murder weapon – an enormous hardback book.

Flora’s known Lowell Gracey since her college days, but what is he doing working for Maud and now the main suspect in her murder? Suspicion mounts when Flora and Jack discover that Lowell is heavily in debt, and that a priceless rare first edition has recently gone missing, but Lowell is adamant that he’s innocent, and Flora believes him.

The pair are once more drawn into an investigation, but who would kill a beloved librarian? Perhaps Rose Lawson, a mysterious newcomer to Abbeymead known to be in dire financial straits? Or pompous bestselling author Felix Wingrave, who rumours say would do anything to get his hands on a valuable book for his collection?

Then the village is rocked by the discovery of a second body. Flora and Jack realise a vital clue lies in the pages of a novel – but the plot is thickening and the killer is closing in…

Flora and Jack are determined to solve this fiendish case by the book – but will this be the end of their story?

A completely page-turning and addictive cozy crime mystery. Fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis will adore this unputdownable series!

MY THOUGHTS:

Abbeymead is once again awash with crime as it hosts it very own crime writing festival to rival Bloody Scotland!

As a bookshop owner, Flora Steele has been asked to host a stall at the event which is sure to garner much publicity and loads of sales for the All's Well. And as a crime writer in situ, Jack Carrington is well placed to help Basil Webb, founder of the Dirk and Dagger society, host the event and introduce its variety of crime writers. 

What no one expects is to find elderly librarian Maud Frobisher dead in her mobile library van on the morning the conference is due to start! And found by none other than amateur sleuth Flora! But then this is Abbeymead...

Inspector Ridley is called in from Brighton and it appears to be an open and shut case in his opinion but Flora is not so sure. Yes, she knows the person who she found standing over the body with a bloodstained copy of "Lord of the Rings" but she finds it difficult to believe that he is the killer. And so with Jack's help, she endeavours to dig deeper to find the real culprit.

It isn't long before another body turns up, this time in the Cross Keys pub, wrapped up tight like a mummy. Significant? Maybe. But what is even more surprising is the identity of the anonymous guest, now body in situ.

Flora and Jack must work doubly hard to prove the police's current suspect's innocence by digging deeper to uncover the real motive and real killer. But can they do so before it's too late? And with their own wedding to plan in their midst?

Another entertaining addition to this delightful cosy series in which Flora and Jack, and even Charlie Teague, endear the reader to become firm favourites that warm the heart. Another wonderful read that was quick to devour and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

Can't wait for book 9 and the prospect of Flora and Jack's upcoming nuptials. A murder at the wedding I see coming...

I would like to thank #MerrynAllingham, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLibraryMurders in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

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