Murder at Primrose Cottage is the third book in the Flora Steele Mystery series, set this time in Cornwall. Flora and Jack are comfortable in each other's company and are looking forward to their research stay in a Cornish village. Their relationship remains in the friendship zone, but there are hints of a possible romance. Finding a body means that the amateur sleuths led by Flora have to investigate, and the story is full of danger, suspects and twists.

I enjoyed the realistically created late 1950s ethos and the well researched Cornish connection with WW2, which gives the story depth and intrinsic interest. The suspense intensifies as the mystery deepens with a climactic ending.

A charming, well-written cosy mystery that is enjoyable and informative to read. I am eagerly anticipating the next book.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Flora Steele has got another challenging case on her hands in Merryn Allingham’s riveting and entertaining new 1950s mystery, Murder at Primrose Cottage.

Flora thinks she is going off on a peaceful holiday with handsome crime writer Jack Carrington in the countryside to a lovely little cottage. Only, when they get to Primrose Cottage, they find themselves stumbling upon a dead body. Unable to resist a mystery, Flora and Jack begin to do some sleuthing of their own and discover that the dead man was Roger Gifford. Roger was very popular in the village and had plenty of friends – who are all shocked by his untimely demise – so how did his body end up in Primrose Cottage’s overgrown orchard?

Who could have possibly wanted Roger dead? And who could have murdered him? Could it have been his estranged wife Beatrice? Or his brother Lionel? Or might mysterious newcomer Mercy Dearlove have something to do with Roger’s murder? When a second man is found dead, this already challenging case gets even more complicated – especially as a puzzling set of clues end up leading Flora and Jack to an intriguing wartime mystery connected to Jack’s estranged father.

As long-buried secrets come to light which end up placing the crime writer directly in the line of fire, will Flora manage to solve this case in time and save Jack from danger? Or has Flora come up against a ruthless killer who will manage to outsmart her?

Merryn Allingham’s Murder at Primrose Cottage is a charming whodunnit packed with twists and turns, red herrings and exquisite period atmosphere that will make readers feel as if they are back in the 1950s. As always, Flora and Jack are a terrific double act and readers will enjoy seeing them unravelling the tangled threads of this case and trying to catch a killer before another body is found.

A fun mystery that is absolutely delightful, Murder at Primrose Cottage by Merryn Allingham is a must for historical cozy mystery fans.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder At Primrose Cottages' by Merryn Allingham.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Merryn Allingham, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 18th March 2022.

This is the third book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in the 'Flora Steele Mystery' series. I have previously read 'The Bookshop Murder' which is the first book in the series and 'Murder At The Pier' which is the second book in the series and which I highly recommend, although this can be read as a standalone.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis for this series stated that this series is 'Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis!.' I am a huge fan of all three of those authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Merryn and if this is half as good as 'The Bookshop Murder' and 'Murder On The Pier' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 30 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Gloucester and Cornwall, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in Gloucester and Cornwall on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Flora Steele ad Jack Carrington. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

Another fantastic success by Merryn!!! Absolutely devoured this book in one sitting!!

This book was extremely well written and I do believe alot of research went into it as everything linked correctly in with the era it was set in which was 1955. It is a real bug bear for me when I read a historical novel and the author hasn't done their research and gets basic information mixed up so well done Merryn!! It was very well written and I found the synopsis and the cover fitted the storyline perfectly, The descriptions were great and it really felt as if I was in the storyline along with Flora and Jack.

Well I must say this is yet another explosive book in an absolutely addictive series!!! The storyline was very interesting and very fast paced. I absolutely love the fact that the main characters (Flora) owns a Bookshop and Jack is an author. There is just something about a book where there is a lot of emphasis on books for me and this book was packed with them!! I really enjoyed that it was set in the past and the storyline really suited that. It really is a nice cozy mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. At no point did I suspect who was doing what or why so another huge well done there Merryn!!! I have read many a mystery and find that I am working out the killer/perp quicker every time and there's nothing worse than working out who did what when your need even half way through a book. I loved that this book is based in Gloucester and Cornwall as the atmospheres suit the book perfectly. Not only is this a suspense and action filled mystery but there was just the right amount of quirkiness, laughter and attitude to give it a nice mix!!! A fun, addictive, unputdownable cozy crime mystery.

Although this is the third book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.


I am thoroughly invested in the characters and really enjoyed meeting Flora and Jack again both with their fantastic and quirky personality!!! In fact all of the characters had their own individual personalities which worked really well with each other. I am definitely looking forward to meeting Flora and Jack again and some more of the villagers. I really enjoyed meeting Jessie who was a lovely lady with a huge personality and I'd love to see her visit Flora in the Alls Well soon. Some of the characters I was glad to see the back of but what fun would there be if we got along with them all. A perfect mix of strong and realistic characters to make an addictive storyline.

Congratulations Merryn on yet an absolutely fantastic book in an absolutely epic series!! I am really looking forward to see what Flora and Jack get up to next!!! Here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an page turning, perfect mix of mystery, crime, suspense and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night!! An explosive addition to an addictive series!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Murder Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie, Dee MacDonald, Fliss Chester and anyone looking for a historic cosy mystery!!


378 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Flora, finally gets a chance to travel, not to the continent as has been her dream but to Cornwall, with her friend and author Jack Carrington. This should be a relaxing trip for Flora, helping Jack with his research on a book, but a day after their arrival Flora finds a body in the back yard. The local police don’t seem to be considering this as a murder, but just a robbery gone bad. Flora thinks otherwise, and as Jack and her delve into the Cornish role into WWII, she figures there is a connecting.
Once again Flora goes full steam ahead and Jack keeps her grounded (or at least tries)
A great installment in the Flora Steele Mysteries series – looking forward to book 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an early read.

When Flora Steele and Jack Carrington head off to Cornwall in 1956, they get a lot more than bargained for.

Crime writer Jack is looking for inspiration for his latest book when they actually discover a brutally murdered

body. The peace and quiet for research is replaced with an array of suspects, clues, and red herrings.

The story is very atmospheric and keeps you guessing whodunit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book,

Flora and Jack are taking a break so that they can travel a bit after Flora's beloved aunt's death.
They set out to Cornwall so that Jack can finish the book that he has promised his agent.
But on their first day there their landlord's throat is cut.

With witches and secret passages, spies and an old old wrong, this is an entertaining mystery set in a lovely place.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Murder in Primrose Cottage is the third in the Flora Steele series of cosy mysteries by Merryn Allingham, which I have been following from the start. While this can be read as a standalone as the mystery is complete and we get enough background on the characters to follow their story as well, there are spoilers in terms of the victims in the previous books.

The series, set in 1950s England follows twenty-five-year-old Flora Steele who runs a bookshop which she inherited from her aunt, in the small Sussex village of Abbeymead. Also living in the village is Jack Carrington, a former reporter, and now writer of mystery novels, who is a recluse but emerges in the first book (and discovers a body) when his errand boy falls ill. The two have become good friends (and partners in solving crime) but while they are interested in each other, they don’t wish to take things further just yet, because of past heartbreaks. At the end of the previous book, Flora who hasn’t taken a holiday in ages had decided to accompany Jack to Cornwall where he is to do research for the first of a series of books he has undertaken to write. There they are to rent Primrose cottage, arrangements for which have been made by Jack’s agent.

They arrive at the cottage and meet Roger Gifford, their landlord who also lends them his housekeeper, Jessie Bolitho who is to keep house and cook for them. But the next morning when Flora goes out to explore the orchard behind the cottage, she finds Roger’s body, his throat slit. While Roger was generally a well-liked man, there were some who bore him grudges—his estranged wife and younger wastrel brother among them; also according to Jessie, he had an argument with the local ‘witch’ or peller Mercy Dearlove. The police have found Roger’s broken watch so believe it to be the work of a mugger, but Flora thinks otherwise. Meanwhile Flora and Jack also begin to visit different places in Cornwall, both of historical interest and those related to the war (which was more recent past in terms of when our book is set) in search of locations and background for Jack’s book, while he also deals with writer’s block of sorts, scrapping plots and tearing things up. But their trips and investigations into Roger’s death are clearly making the murderer nervous for they get targeted repeatedly. Will they manage to identify the killer before he gets them?

This was a fun instalment in this series, and I think my favourite of the books so far. What I loved about this book the most was its setting and the war background. The setting in Cornwall comes through really well in the book with all the locations that they explore including Helston where Flora Day is celebrated every year (a spring festival); Tintagel and its Arthurian Castle; Henry the VII’s Pendennis Castle and the Lizard (and also the numerous pasties they eat; Jessie provides some delicious fare as well). I also kept looking up these sites online as I was reading. Then, there was also the historical background of the war and Signals units in Cornwall to which part of their mystery relates, a part which also links back to Flora’s village (not a spoiler since we know this from the start). I enjoyed exploring Cornwall with Flora and Jack, and also learning about its role in the war, about which like Flora and Jack I didn’t know much (or rather anything).

The mystery itself was interesting, but more than suspects (which we do have a handful), it is the motivations that keep one guessing—is it something to do with Roger’s personal life and problems or his research (which focused on the war efforts in Cornwall); once one makes up one’s mind as to that though, then the whodunit wasn’t so much of a surprise since we did get hints, and one is able to somewhat work out what happened (though not all). But nonetheless, it was fun reading and seeing if one was thinking correctly.

Flora and Jack are likeable characters, and in this book, we get more of a look into Jack’s past—his estrangement with his parents—as we meet his father. The police I am beginning to accept in this series, as being the kind that only appears at the last minute, and invariably is on the wrong track in solving the murders they are faced with. Back in Abbeymead too there are some developments which connect up with events of the past books, and the effects of which I think we will see in subsequent books, as we have a new character introduced in the form of Sally, the niece of Alice who was cook at the Priory (the manor-house-turned-hotel). There was also a fun reference to Enid Blyton, the second time one has come up in this series which I enjoyed being a fan of Blyton.

A fun read overall, in which I very much enjoyed the setting and historical background.

3.9 stars rounded up to 4.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder at Primrose Cottage.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Bookseller Flora Steele is taking a trip to Cornwall with Jack Carrington, crime fiction writer (prominently featured in the other books in the series). Immediately before leaving Jack gets a note not to go. Well, that never stopped anybody, certainly not characters in a mystery series. So off they drive to Primrose Cottage, meet the landlord, and settle in for the evening in the lovely spot.

And next morning while Flora is taking an early stroll she stumbles across a body. It’s the landlord. That didn’t take long. Boy, that note wasn’t kidding! Was Jack supposed to be the target? Flora thinks that might be a possibility, so of course she wants to investigate.

Well, we have a suspect right off the bat – the village “peller,” or witch in the local dialect. That’s someone who had an ongoing quarrel with Roger the landlord. The book is set in the 50’s, but you really don’t get a sense of it from the reading, although I guess superstition was still very prevalent then. But villages do have their prejudices, as anyone that reads in the genre will know. Soon, though, there’s another suspect, Roger’s younger brother. And a mystery woman is dogging their steps. And we mustn’t forget the missing will, a missing wife, spy doings during WWII; lots to work with in “Murder at Primrose Cottage.”

The book provides a Cornwall travelogue, too. That’s always a plus in a historical mystery, the revealing of the locality.

Finally, after a pretty thorough investigation, secrets from the war are found to be at the bottom of everything. Flora has the reader alongside her as she carefully uncovers the reasons for why Roger had to be killed. Not without some peril.

I enjoyed “Murder at Primrose Cottage,” although I could have done without the scenes with the “peller.” I’m not a fan of plotlines that include any kind of supernatural forces at work. But Flora and Jack make a great team, and the author has a deft hand with describing the building of their relationship while making sure the mystery plot is handled first and foremost.

Flora Steele bookshop owner and amateur sleuth is back on the case. Flora is on a much needed and well deserved vacation with boyfriend and crime writer, Jack Carrington. The escape to Cornwall takes an unexpected turn when they find a dead body at their rental cottage. But Flora doesn’t waste any time jumping on the case. Flora’s first question is “why was he murdered?” And her second question is “who murdered him?” But during the investigation, another body is found. As the investigation continues, Flora and Jack link the two murders together. But when old family secrets surface, Jack feels way too close to the victims and the suspects, it’s too much to handle. This whodunnit is absolutely captivating. I enjoyed this story very much, from the first page to the last. This murder mystery is both engaging and intriguing. I really enjoyed the conversations between Flora and Jack and the visit to Cornwall was absolutely perfect. I enjoy this author’s writing style so much. I flew through the pages and couldn’t bring myself to put it down until I found out whodunnit. The twists and turns of the story kept me completely enthralled. This was the perfect addition to the wonderful Flora Steele Mystery Series. Cozy mystery fans need to add this to their must read shelf and don’t pass it up. This story can also be read as a stand-alone novel, but I’m sure you would enjoy the entire series.

Thank you Merryn Allingham for yet another amazing addition to the Flora Steele Series. I enjoyed this story so much and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the serie. Absolutely fabulous. I highly recommend it.

Flora and Jack have an adventure in Cornwall in this third installment of the Flora Steele Mystery Books. While Flora looks forward to a vacation and Jack to researching for his latest book, an ominous note arrives perplexing our protagonists. And of course Flora finds a dead body and the hunt is on! A truly delightful cozy mystery!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Another cosy Flora Steele mystery from Merryn Allingham - this time set on the Cornish coast.

This hit the spot in terms of comforting crime, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as it’s predecessors. I found Jack quite annoying and boring in this book, refusing to engage in the mystery and not good enough for Flora. I’m also not massively into wartime history, so I found some of that a bit of a slog.

That said, I thought the descriptions of Cornwall were gorgeous. I’m still enjoying spunky heroine Miss Steele, and there would some good characters (housekeeper and witch in particular). I’d have liked more time with each of the suspects (especially the ex-wife) and I predicted the murderer quite early on (even tho I hadn’t worked out why exactly).

A fun, quick read, and I’ll continue to keep an eye on the series, but not my favourite so far.

A nice cosy story to occupy a rainy day , how Flora solves these mysteries i don't know as this was wrong with the culprit
Roll on number 4

Set in the 1950s this book is a wonderful dose of nostalgia. But Murders still happen and of Flora and Jack cannot resist investigating. Set in Cornwall this is a wonderful old fashioned who done it.

Cornwall, 1956: When Flora Steele sets off for a peaceful vacation with crime writer Jack Carrington in his little red Austin, the last thing she expects to find is a body at their pretty rental cottage!
Shocked by the discovery, inquisitive Flora persuades Jack that they have to find out how the poor man came to such an untimely end in the overgrown orchard of Primrose Cottage. They discover Roger Gifford, a retired bank manager, was a man with plenty of friends and the villagers seem devastated by his sudden death. The baffling case gets even more complicated when a second man is found dead and a set of puzzling clues lead them to an intriguing wartime mystery connected to Jack’s estranged father. As old secrets emerge and Jack receives an unsettling letter, it seems the crime writer is in danger of a fate befitting his fictional characters.
This is the third outing for Fiona & it could easily be read on its own. I just love Fiona who is like a dog with a bone, once she’s got her teeth into something she won't let go. I also love Jack the reclusive crime writer who gets dragged into investigating alongside Fiona. I also love how their relationship is growing & changing. This book sees the pair on a research & writing trip to Cornwall but they no sooner arrive than Flora stumbles across the body of their landlord. Flora is sure there’s more to the murder than a robbery, Roger's watch is missing. The pair travel around Cornwall with Jack seeking inspiration but trouble seems to follow them. Another well written mystery with plenty of twists & turns plus red herrings, there are suspects & also a twelve year old mystery. I was engrossed from cover to cover & look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Flora and her companion, crime writer Jack Carrington, had set out from Abbeymead for Cornwall – Treleggan to be exact – Flora combining a long-awaited vacation while helping Jack with research for his current book. Primrose Cottage was a beautiful little rental, with an overgrown garden which Flora knew she’d delight in working in and when owner Roger Gifford talked about his research while showing them the cottage, Flora felt things were right in their world. But later, while making her way through the long grass of the garden, Flora was shocked to come across a dead body…

With the police seemingly quiet on the murder front, Flora and Jack decided to incorporate investigating into their itinerary. Flora’s imagination ran riot, as was usual for her, and as they ventured through Cornwall, the danger they were drawing followed them. Was their housekeeper Jessie’s conclusion correct? Or did Mercy Dearlove have the answers? With clues pointing to the war twelve years prior, Jack and Flora had many more questions than answers.

Murder at Primrose Cottage is the 3rd in the Flora Steele Mystery series by Merryn Allingham and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The delightfully rugged countryside in and around Cornwall was a character in itself, add to the mix some eccentric but wonderful people in Treleggan and surrounds and the entertainment level was high. This is a great series, and I’m looking forward to #4 already. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The beautiful countryside of Cornwall was a great backdrop to this mystery. There was so much I didn't know about the history and I really enjoyed how the WW2 history and the mystery wove together so beautifully. This thread kept me interested throughout (and improved my general knowledge) despite my working out the motive and the plot fairly early on. The 'guest appearance by the local witch added another dimension to the story. Wee done!

I definitely related more to this novel than I did to Book 2 in the series. And I enjoyed that one!

Jack's struggle with his career as an author and the wrap up to this conundrum towards the end was a little surprising!

I am wondering where this unlikely duo will get up to next.

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

This is my first Flora Steele Mystery. I went in completely blind, I should have read the synopsis to know about the timeline. I had assumed it was set in the 1950's but it was never stated in the book. Which made it a tad confusing for me. I had a hard time connecting with the story. I pushed through and finished the book. It might be better to read in order.

Flora and Jack are going to Cornwall for Jack to research for a mystery taking place there. The niece of Flora's friend Alice is going to take care of All's Well Bookstore for Flora while she is away. Just before they are to go, Jack comes by with a warning letter telling them not to go, but Flora still wants to go.

They drive to Treleggan and Primrose Cottage and meet the owner, Roger Gifford. He has hired Jesse to cook and clean and they settle in. The next morning, Flora finds Roger knifed with a knife from the cottage kitchen. Flora and Jack set out to find the murderer. Everyone in Treleggan seem to have liked Roger, and soon they have suspects in Roger's brother who always needs money, and his ex wife who is also financially strapped. Roger has been investigating the history that took place in the area during the war when there were several secret signal centers in the area. There is a supposed witch in the area whom the townsfolks don't trust and think may be the murderer, but Flora finds her benign and interesting. When Roger's brother Lionel is killed in the same way as Roger, Flora loses a suspect, but realizes that he must have found a clue in Roger's safe which had been broken into.

Flora suddenly figures out something, and convinces Jack go out to find a crucial clue. This adventure puts themselves in a very dangerous situation! The story is clever and gets very exciting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC allowing me to give an honest review.

3rd in a series but works well as a standalone. Flora accompanies Jack on a working vacation to help Jack write his latest crime novel. All seems normal until Flora takes a walk to explore the surroundings of their temporary home and finds their landlord murdered.

ARC via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

This is the third in the series and whilst I have read all 3, it isn't necessary to understand and enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed this book and the setting. Whilst I sometimes find Flora quite annoying with her occasional know it all attitude, I love the other characters especially Jack. Their friendship is a joy to read and I liked how we were introduced to Jack's father in this book.

I did not guess who the killer was in this book and thought it was a clever storyline. I really enjoyed the ending and look forward to the next book where I think we will have a grand reopening of The Priory.

This is a series I highly recommend as more of a cosy mystery series as opposed to gritty crime.