This is my first book in the #FloraSteeleseries, but I didn’t feel like I couldn’t follow! So this works as a stand alone, but I want to get to read the rest of the series, too, as this is such an intriguing book!

Thank you, Merryn Allingham, bookouture & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

A gripping book that I struggled to put down. Brilliant plot with a host of interesting characters, I will definitely read more by this author.

Returning to the sleepy village of Abbeymead in Sussex, MURDER AT THE PRIORY HOTEL is the fourth outing for amateur sleuths Flora Steele and mystery writer Jack Carrington. Having returned from their research sojourn to Cornwall, where they were faced with yet another murder (of course), the dynamic duo are looking forward to some down time...especially since Jack has a deadline to meet and Flora still has the All's Well bookshop to run.

The Priory, which had been converted into a hotel and then had to be shut down after the sudden death of its owner, is now under new management. Flora's friend Sally Jenner, who'd kept the All's Well running whilst she and Jack were away in the seaside climes of Cornwall, has sunk all of her inheritance from her parents and her savings and purchased it alongside new business partner and potential love interest Dominic Lister. Having undergone a major revamp, the Priory is now ready for its grand opening for which a marquee has been set up, a scrumptious spread of food laid out and an up and coming rock and roll band Tutti Frutti is providing the entertainment.

Flora and Jack are front and centre as events unfold as well as being on hand for any assistance required to help their friends. Guests have started arriving, the band is beginning to play and the lead singer Beverly Russo makes her entrance in a sparkling number and takes hold of the microphone stand to begin the afternoon's entertainment. With her mouth open, her body convulses...and Jack yells for the power to be shut off. Then Beverly falls to the floor...dead.

The police are called as Beverly's body is removed from the public's view before being taken away for a post mortem to determine the cause of death. However, Jack doesn't need a PM to tell him it was electrocution..and neither did I, to be honest. I saw the same thing happen in a Midsomer Murder episode in which Suzi Quattro's character was bumped off in the same way. At any rate, everything had to be examined closely as Beverly had a diagnosed heart condition for which she took medication before it could be ruled out.

Sally cannot believe this has happened to her grand opening. Almost at once she goes to Flora and begs for her and Jack to investigate but for once Flora is reluctant, citing it's best left to the police. And in a complete role reversal, it is Jack who is keen to intervene and help their friend but Flora believes the police have everything under control. She couldn't be more wrong and the wheels of investigation turn much too slowly before she is eventually drawn in, taking Jack with her.

Teeming up, they hash out possibilities and motives and opportunities of all the likely suspects. Bit by bit, the eliminate them or rule them back in till even they feel as if they are headed nowhere. It seems the victim wasn't very well liked, causing trouble where ever she went, and there are no shortage of suspects.

But can Flora and Jack uncover the villain before they can escape justice? And save Sally's fledgling business in the process?

MURDER AT THE PRIORY HOTEL is an easy read reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and her own sleepy village St Mary Mead. It's a delightful cosy series that is lighthearted and easy to read, with a little humour peppered throughout and this time there is even the hint of romance. I really enjoy this series, though it may be a little far fetched at times, it is just something light to pop in and out of if you're too busy to devour an edge of your seat read in one sitting.

As with all books in this series, MURDER AT THE PRIORY HOTEL is perfect for relaxing and enjoying a revisit to Abbeymead and all the regular characters we have come to know and love.

Overall, a nice gentle easy read perfect for cosy mystery fans.

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

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The fourth in the Flora Steele cosy mystery series sparks into action, with almost no preamble, as opening day for the recently refurbished Priory Hotel meets with disaster when the lead singer of the hired band is electrocuted. When the chief inspector is called away, the investigation falters, leaving Flora and her handsome crime writer friend Jack to delve into the case themselves, unearthing slimy talent agents, band members’ delinquent backgrounds, simmering hostility, and rumours of missing girls. A keen amateur sleuth, Flora is like a dog with a bone once she settles on helping her proprietor friend, who has sunk every last penny into the now-infamous hotel.

This is an entertaining mystery in which the crime takes a back seat to the delightful protagonists. The world of the mid-1950s is well portrayed, and the many occasions in which food plays a part serve as pleasant contrast to the memory of the austere post-war years. There’s an added attraction for those who like a bit of romance, as it looks as though Flora and Jack are becoming more than just friends.

“Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, and amateur detective – as she faces her most puzzling case yet!”


There are so many different strands to the books in this series and I am enjoying the individual and unique journeys they are taking me on, and the ways in which they draw together in each new episode. The budding friendship between Jack and Flora is probably the most frustrating aspect, as I really am itching to give the pair of them a good shove in the right direction. The developing synergy between our new amateur sleuths and their fellow villagers is proving to be quite satisfying, as they seem to be fitting in remarkably well now that they have accepted that none of their personal business is ever going to stay private for very long. And of course, the murders themselves, which seem to be overly abundant for such a small and insular community, and are becoming more convoluted, complicated and dangerous, each time one occurs.

So, down to the business at hand…

...

1957 – Somewhere in Sussex – Crime writer Jack and bookshop owner Flora, are both hard at work trying to make ends meet, however that doesn’t stop them agreeing to help out Sally, one of the friends they have made in the village, who is much closer to them in age and who has taken the brave step of sinking all her life savings and a very large bank loan, into resurrecting and breathing new life into one of the local landmarks, the Priory. Since the passing of the last titled owner of the impressive building, it has fallen into commercial ownership and has had a couple of failed attempts at re-inventing itself as a profitable business opportunity. Sally and her new business partner Dominic are planning on opening the Priory as an exclusive privately run hotel and restaurant, and today is the grand opening. Dominic is the latest newcomer to the village and the jury is still very much out, as to his suitability either as resident material, or Sally’s beau.

A band has been booked to play at the opening garden party for the locals, although the row going on between the four group members, is very loud and public. No sooner have they reluctantly taken to the stage than the lead singer Beverly, literally drops dead in front of everyone, which brings proceedings to an abrupt close before they have even begun. Dominic chooses this exact moment to do a disappearing act of his own, leaving a bereft Sally with tons of food to try and salvage and with bookings already being cancelled, as the police insist that the Priory must remain closed until their investigations are complete. Despite it being common knowledge that Beverly had a minor heart complaint, Flora and Jack are both convinced that this was not the cause of death, so despite the police’s usual reticence to take heed of their advice, they decide to open up their own investigation into events, in the hope of helping Sally re-open the hotel as soon as possible.

In fact, after a very few frustrating days of getting nowhere, Inspector Alan Ridley, who is heading up the investigation and who also, on occasion, has been known to provide Jack with a little technical assistance to authenticate his crime novels, is only too happy to take whatever ideas Jack and Flora can bring to the case. He even, rather tongue in cheek, also floats an idea which the pair themselves had fleetingly considered – that they should set up their own detective agency. The suspect list is extensive and the more digging they do, the more Flora and Jack realise that no one is above suspicion and everyone seems to have something to hide; from the morally corrupt locum doctor, to every member of the band who have each had their own brush with the law previously, their agent one Max Martell who is a sleaze-ball to his core and soon dumps the band once Beverly is no longer around, right through to Sally’s partner Dominic who has lied to her almost every step of the way. The one thing they all have in common though, is that Beverly has used, abused and blackmailed them all at some stage and eventually even Flora and Jack come to the conclusion that no one is really sorry that she has gone and that she probably got what she deserved in many respects. But that in no way exonerates the murderer from being brought to justice.

The investigation is all but wound down after a week or so, with the cause of death eventually having been established, but with the police as yet none the wiser about the identity of the perpetrator. Jack and Flora have followed several leads, one even having Jack drive from Sussex down to Hampshire on his post-war, meagre petrol rations, but all to no avail. The couple have befriended a young lad from the village, one Charlie Teague, who has proved to be very hard-working and loyal, and will do just about anything asked of him for pocket money. On the very day when the band are to be allowed to leave the Priory, leaving Sally to open the doors to paying guests at last, he tracks down Jack in a very flustered state, saying that a body has been found in the woods behind his school and that it has something to do with Beverly’s death. Rushing to the scene, Jack ascertains that the victim is Max Martell and this time the way he has died is very obvious and particularly brutal…

But when is a murder weapon not a murder weapon?

Not knowing of the latest events, Flora and just about everyone else from the village, are at the Priory, giving a very apologetic Dominic, to whom Sally has decided to give one more chance, and the rest of the staff, a hand to clear up the aftermath of the police investigation and prepare to open for business. Flora is cleaning out some of the rooms the band members have been using and has come across a couple of items which she keeps aside to show Jack, as they seem rather conspicuously out of place. Jack hotfoots it to the Priory much sooner than Flora had anticipated, to let her and Inspector Ridley know about Max’s death. The murderer, realising that the game is up, tries to make a run for freedom, however a very recklessly brave Jack and Flora, make a heroic stand until Ridley can organise his men and the person is apprehended. Still everybody’s money is on the wrong person, until Flora remembers her valuable evidence and then the game is really well and truly up for someone!

...

This traditional 1950s murder mystery series, is fast becoming compellingly addictive and growing in depth, with each episode also working well as a standalone story, the backstory being deftly woven into the narrative and dialogue without detracting from the detail of the current investigation, which comes to life on the pages as I am reading, transporting me back in time, immersing me in the action and making me part of the village life, if only for a short while, until I get rumbled by the long standing residents, who demand to know my credentials.

Despite the fact that the author has chosen to use fictitious place names, making it difficult for any confirmed ‘armchair travellers’ such as myself, to track the action and plan their journey, plenty of wonderfully assured observational and descriptive narrative, together with some excellent conversational dialogue, offers a really good sense of time and place, which more than compensates.

As I have come to expect from author Merryn Allingham, this well structured, multi-layered and highly textured storyline, was fluently written over many concise, easy to navigate and well signposted chapters, which kept the action fast-paced and seamlessly evolving, with literally never a dull moment. It is usually the case that the longer an investigation goes on for, the more the suspect list is honed and refined; but for Jack and Flora, the more dirt they dig looking for answers, the more names are added to their notes, and all with plausible motives. The suspect list was lengthy, the twists and turns just kept on coming and even Jack’s usually well-ordered mind, struggled to correlate the facts in any meaningful way, so what chance did I stand!

Merryn has created a multi-faceted, well drawn and defined cast of characters who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic to the times and genuinely believable in the individual roles which have been created for them. Drawn from a diverse cross-section of society, they are relatable and easy to connect with, with some excellent dynamics and synergy ensuing between them. Although naturally, you have to pass the all important ‘do you fit into the community?’ test and be prepared to have your lifestyle examined to the nth degree first. The characters have then been given a strong enough voice, that they are able to direct and guide the storyline, with just the gentlest of author nudges every now and then.

Jack and Flora make a great team within the wider community, balancing each other out, as they play to their individual strengths, and working their way logically through all the possibilities of a case which was always believable. Evidence, if any was necessary, that they would make a howling success of their own Detective Agency, but only if they can overcome certain personal inhibitions first. Flora definitely hasn’t been quite as inquisitive and forthright as usual during the course of this investigation, not I suspect, because she has lost any of her enthusiasm for solving crimes that she would otherwise only be reading about in one of the novels she sells in her bookshop, but because she is desperately trying not to be thrown any closer to Jack than she needs to be, as she strives to keep their relationship on a ‘friends only’ footing. Both have previously had bad experiences in the romance department, compounded in Jack’s case by the age gap between himself and Flora, which he believes she might live to regret in a few years time if she commits now. Basically, it’s a case of ‘one step forwards, two steps back’ – or is that all about to change? I’m not counting my chickens or holding my breath though!

In this story, revenge is definitely a dish best served cold!

This book and series definitely ticks all the right boxes for the reasons I read and how I want to feel when I have finished the last word and closed that final page. Thank you for taking me on another lovely journey, Merryn.

Flora Steele has got another case to solve in Murder at the Priory Hotel, the latest gripping installment of Merryn Allingham’s fabulous historical cozy crime series.

Flora and handsome crime writer Jack Cartwright are enjoying a day out attending the grand re-opening of the Priory Hotel in the beautiful village of Abbeymead. However, the celebrations are cut short when the sultry flame-haired singer in the band drops dead in front of all the guests! Never one to resist doing a bit of sleuthing, Flora decides to look into the unexpected death of Beverly Russo, the spirited singer with the big voice. Could her missing ruby ring be a clue which could lead Flora to unmasking the killer? With the detective leading the investigation worse than hopeless, Flora will leave no stone unturned to find out whodunnit…

Beverly had her fair share of enemies who all had a very good reason for wanting her dead. From her former beau Tommy to jealous love rival Sally and the local doctor who seems to be up to no good, Beverly seemed to have a penchant for rubbing people up the wrong way. Flora wonders whether she will be able to solve this case – especially when one of the main suspects is found dead with a rather unusual weapon: a musical instrument!

Flora has no time to lose. She must find the killer before anyone else ends up dead. But someone is watching her and they are not liking the fact that she is getting far too close to the truth. Is Flora going to end up the murderer’s next victim? Or can this investigation finish on a high note?

Merryn Allingham’s Flora Steele series is absolutely delightful and Murder at the Priory Hotel is another captivating entry that will keep readers guessing and eagerly turning the pages. Full of vividly described period details and plenty of red herrings, twists and turns and bucolic intrigue, Murder at the Priory Hotel is a fun, riveting and engrossing historical cozy I couldn’t bear to put down!

Murder At the Priory Hotel returns the seat of the action to the Priory Hotel which now has a new owner in Sally Jenner and her business partner Dominic Lister. Sally's hope for a grand reopening turns into a grand debacle when the lead female singer of the band hired to perform at the opening dies of electrocution.

I have so far only read the first book in the series. I do have books 2 and 3 but have not read them which I hopefully will before the fifth book publishes. What I do remember from the first book is how good a sleuthing team Flora Steele and Jack Carrington made and they prove it yet again in this book. There are quite a few red herrings in this plot and it is only right at the end of the book that the real culprit is unmasked mainly due to Flora's meticulous skills at connecting the dots. At one point in the book, the detective sergeant who is clueless at how to proceed with the investigation, hints that Jack and Flora should become private investigators and frankly, they should!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Merryn Allingham for the e-Arc of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I count myself lucky to be able to read such lovely cosy crime series such as this one, but there is a fear that they may well all merge into one. I think the key is to find the uniqueness and in this series it is the fact that are two main protagonists are Flora Steele, bookshop owner and author Jack Carrington.

In the village of Abbeymead where they both live, they are invited to the reopening of the Priory Hotel. What is meant to be a celebration is turned on it’s head when Beverley Russo, the stunning female singer of the band dies in front of Flora and Jack’s eyes.

Things are not always as they seem and Flora is convinced that there is a third party involved in this tragic event. With the police not always content with their interference Flora and Jack investigate what has go on rather surreptitiously. First up is why does the gorgeous ruby ring Beverley was wearing suddenly turn up somewhere where it shouldn’t?

It seems that Beverley was not particularly liked by everyone and old animosities are reignited between members of the band. But then how does the local doctor feature? And what has Portsmouth got to do with any of it? I was particularly intrigued on how my home city was going to be featured, pretty much accurately I would say!

As the list is suspects grows and the body count doubles, it seems that the police are going to have to rely on what Flora and Jack have learnt to be able to solve the mystery. Spending all this time together foes mean that their affection for each other perhaps grows and potentially in subsequent books it may well develop.

For fans of cosy crime with a village vibe, that gives it that almost unique Britishness that probably wouldn’t work anywhere else!

Flora, a bookshop owner, and Jack, a crime writer, attend the grand re-opening of the Priory Hotel, bet the day is cut short when the singer of the band drops dead.
This cozy mystery is book 4 of the Flora Steele series, but the first I read. It was a fun and easy read with great characters. A mystery with an added romance interest. I will definitely go back to the beginning of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Murder at the Priory Hotel by Merryn Allingham is another of her popular Flora Steele mysteries taking place in a village in rural Sussex, Abbeymead, in 1956. The deprivations of the war have finally waned and life is back to normal. Flora’s bookshop, All’s Well, is making money and Flora’s life is back to normal after the trip she and Jack took to Cornwall. There is something between them but both are gun-shy based on previous experience, so Flora has been keeping her distance. They are both helping their friend, Sally, at the grand opening of her hotel. It had been a lord’s home then was purchased and remodeled into a luxury hotel that had gone bust. Sally thought she and her partner, Dominic, could make a go of it. Today was the day the entire village had been invited for music and food. All was going well until the female vocalist grabbed the mic and electrocuted herself. Then things really got complicated.

There were so many threads to pull on this one. Jack and Flora weren’t sure they should get involved but, of course, they couldn’t resist and soon were neck deep in it. Flora had the ideas and got Jack to follow through one them, sometimes to his embarrassment. This is a good series. The mysteries, and this one is no exception, are well-plotted and full of interesting situations and characters. Jack is terrific in his persona of reclusive author, although since he met Flora he was much less reclusive. All the talk of his garden was endearing, as we don’t really see him as a gardener. Flora is all in at the bookshop and all in supporting her friends, whatever they may be doing. This hotel thing, though, was looking too complicated. She hoped Sally didn’t lose everything. My only criticism is that the whole thing was in italics. Thankfully the copy I checked on Amazon is not. This is a terrific historical mystery. I recommend you find out for yourself.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder at the Priory Hotel by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #bookoutre #merrynallingham #murderattheprioryhotel

This is a well written cosy crime, and an easy read.

This is the 4th in the Flora Steele mysteries, so Flora and Jack are more than amateur sleuths now..

I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series prior to this to fully appreciate the characters and know about their backgrounds.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this story to read and review.

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

Murder at the Priory Hotel is the fourth entry in the Flora Steele series of mysteries by Merryn Allingham set in 1950s England, and one of the few series I’ve kept up with from the start. Flora is a young woman in her twenties who lives in the small village of Abbeymead in Sussex and runs a book shop, the All’s Well, left to her by her aunt who had brought her up. In the events of the first book, a reclusive author of mysteries, Jack Carrington, had found a body in the shop when he arrived to collect his order as his errand boy was sick. This was a start of a ‘partnership’ between Flora and Jack who have since teamed up to solve other mysteries. Both have suffered heartbreak in the past, and so even while interested in each other, they have so far only remained friends.

While Flora and Jack’s last outing had taken them to Cornwall, where Jack was doing research for his novel, in this one they are back in Abbeymead and the scene of their first mystery. The Priory, formerly the village manor, had been sold and converted into a hotel in Murder in the Bookshop, after the events of which it had had to be shut down. Now, it has been purchased by Flora’s friend Sally (who helped run the bookshop when Flora was away in Cornwall), with a partner, Dominic Lister, whom Sally’s aunt (also Flora’s friend), and cook at the Priory, Alice doesn’t trust. The Priory is being prepared for a grand reopening; a marquee has been set up, a magnificent tea almost ready, and for entertainment, somewhat incongruent to local tastes, a rock and roll band, Tutti Frutti has agreed to play. Guests have assembled and the band is playing, as its lead singer, Beverly Russo, glamorously dressed, makes her way to the stage. But as she picks up the mic and opens her mouth to begin her song, she falls to the ground—dead!

The police are called and the body sent for medical examination. Flora believes that the death is natural for she knew that Beverly suffered heart trouble, but it turns out that this wasn’t the case and Beverly was in fact electrocuted. Sally, all of whose life savings are at stake in the hotel asks for help, but this time in a role reversal, it is Jack who is keen to help while Flora feels that since the police are on the case this time (unlike previously when they seemed to write murders off without looking into them), there is no need for them to get involved. But of course, the police don’t move at the pace expected and are also distracted by other matters, and Flora and Jack are eventually drawn in. There are numerous suspects for, while she had a beautiful voice, Beverly was constantly playing up to one or the other members of the band, stirring up trouble with the others. Nearly all of them bore her a grudge, and it wasn’t the band alone for she managed to make trouble elsewhere too. Who was it that killed Beverly? Do Flora and Jack find out and save Sally’s business?

What I enjoy about this series of stories are that they are light-hearted and gentle mysteries with not too much blood and gore (may be a little), and keep the reader engaged. We also have fairly likeable main characters in Flora and Jack with a continuing storyline with developments in their lives (Flora with running her bookshop, and Jack struggling with writer’s block [wondering about a return to his former career as a journalist or even opening a detective agency], and a ‘romance’ thread), glimpses of country life, as well as side characters like Kate who runs a small café, the Nook, in the village, Alice, and Jack’s errand boy, Charlie Teague whom we keep up with as well.

This was the case with Murder at the Priory Hotel, too. We have an interesting mystery, with quite the list of suspects, both those who seem directly linked to Beverly as well as others who seem to have little connection but act suspiciously all the same. All of them have strong motives and one wonders which of them it could have been who did the actual deed. There are plenty of clues that Flora and Jack uncover, together and separately, and the one that I thought was relevant and worked out an explanation around didn’t turn out to be the right one after all, so I rather enjoyed the denouement.

In this one, as I mentioned, there is a bit of a reversal in roles initially with Jack more interested in solving the mystery, while Flora wants to concentrate on her bookshop since Sally made a rather good job of it when Flora was in Cornwall, and she wants to do the same. But soon, she gets involved and begins to be her usual self, browbeating Jack to take advantage of his police connections to investigate clues.

In the book, we also get a chance to travel with Jack to Portsmouth and Brighton, and while not a ‘proper’ tour of these places (as we got of Cornwall in the previous book), it was interesting learning about some of Brighton’s buildings and get a sense of Portsmouth as well. While in the previous books, I felt we didn’t get as strong or good a sense of time as we do of place, in this one, I thought the author has given us some feel of the period, with references to popular culture and social mores (for instance, Flora’s reluctance to wear jeans, etc.). I also enjoyed the look into village life that we get in the book, from Flora and Jack ‘competing’ over their gardens to village events like the Saturday market to raise funds for the church, and of course how fast ‘news’ spreads in a small place.

The ‘romance’ thread also takes a step forward in this one, with Flora and Jack acknowledging their interest to themselves, and then a development forward at the end, the consequences of which we will have to wait till the next book to see.

An enjoyable read overall, and I’m interested to see where their next adventure takes them!

It is the year of writing that draws me in to this kind of detective fiction. 1957 Sussex countryside very engaging characters - a small share of villains but generally everyone peaceful, minding their own business but at the same time being a village everyone knows everyone. A time that is not going to come back going by present day times. A certain innate sense of goodness seems to prevail in these stories.

A musical group has arrived for the opening of a renovated hotel and everyone is rooting for its success. The group is rather flashy but it is hoped that it will interest the youngsters to give the hotel a try. When the lead singer is electrocuted on stage at the opening song, it smells of doom for the hotel especially when it seems that it was deliberate and therefore a murder. Flora and Jack friends of Sally the present owner are amateur sleuths and they privately start looking around for clues as to how Beverley was murdered.

Like in their previous escapades, they have to work secretly so as not to get the local Constabulary all hot and bothered and the duo soon discover hidden depths to whatever was benign on the surface. Flora is the owner of a bookshop and Jack is a struggling crime writer and the relationship works well for detection alongside the other characters which appear in the series.

The story is a good example of a cosy mystery, set in a countryside atmosphere with engaging characters and good detection skills.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Each book in this series is better than the previous and this means this is the best so far.
I was glad to catch up with Flora and Jack, read about the evolution in their relationship, and travel to the quaint village.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the historical background is as vivid as usual.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A gentle cosy murder mystery is sometimes just what one is looking for and “Murder at the Priory” by Merryn Allingham delivers on that! Jack and Flora, as supportive friends, are drawn into another case and the interplay between them is as lovely as ever.

Plausibility isn’t something cosies are renowned for, a suspension of some reality is part of the package but the location, being a previous murder scene in the series, was a little too unlikely as was the ending, for me. I like a few more twists and turns and a little more complexity.

It’s a three out of five on the enJOYment scale and I hope the next one is a little more like the first couple in structure and depth.

Murder at the Priory Hotel is the fourth Flora Steele bookshop historical cozy by Merryn Allingham. Due out 8th July 2022, it's 269 pages and is available in audio and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free (along with the rest of the series).

I love small-town cozies, historical mysteries, and light British crime. This one ticked a lot of boxes for me. It's capably written with an intelligent and appealing young bookstore owner investigating a murder yet again in the company of her crime writer friend. The story is satisfyingly twisty with numerous disparate plot threads intertwining ever closer into a satisfying denouement and resolution. The action does move resolutely forward, and it never drags, so although simple, it's an enjoyable and engaging read. There is no bad language or triggering content. It has a nice historical nostalgic and safe vibe and was a relaxing and fun read.

Four stars. This is an enjoyable historical bookshop cozy. Fans of the genre will find a lot to like here. With four books extant, it also makes a good candidate for a weekend binge read. The mystery and resolution are self contained and the necessary back-story is written into the story so readers won't have any trouble following along with the plot if they hop in here.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Flora Steele owns a bookshop called "All’s Well" that she inherited from her Aunt Violet. All's Well is located in Abbeymead, a picturesque, quiet English village in Sussex. Sally Jenner, the niece of a good friend is re-opening the Priory Hotel, and a band Tutti Frutti will be playing from 2 o'clock after the speeches and the jellies and ice creams are ready. But it's not long before the band's female singer, Beverly Russo suddenly drops and collapses; is it an accident or murder?

Set in the 1950s, this intriguing mystery had me guessing until the end. Flora and Jack make a great team and I remain keen to see where Merryn Allingham will go with their relationship. The secondary characters are good in their respective roles and there's a trove of buried secrets to be unveiled and a missing ruby ring to be found. I really enjoyed spending time with Flora and Jack and I hope to be with them soon in book five. If you love a historical cozy mystery, I recommend giving this series a shot.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Flora Steele and Jack Carrington were attending their friend Sally's re-opening of the Priory Hotel, something that Sally was excited about. They had invited the whole village and along with a band - Tutti Frutti - they had table-loads of food for everyone. The lead singer in the band, Beverly Russo, had a wonderful voice, although she wasn't well liked. But it was as the concert was about to begin that Beverly collapsed in front of them all. She was dead...

Superintendent Alan Ridley was called away not long after the investigation began, so Flora and Jack, intrepid sleuths of previous cases, began to search for evidence. And when they found it, they handed it to the chap in charge while Ridley was away. But this case had many suspects, and Flora and Jack had trouble removing any from their lists. It was when a second person was murdered that Flora started to put things together. But could they get the perpetrator before it was too late?

Murder at the Priory Hotel is the 4th in the Flora Steele Mystery series by Merryn Allingham, and I enjoyed it very much. Jack and Flora work well together - Flora owns a bookshop "All's Well" while Jack is a crime writer, struggling with his next book. The few characters from the village who are in each episode are lovely to catch up with each time. Murder at the Priory Hotel is an excellent cosy mystery which I recommend highly.

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

Jack and Flora find themselves drawn into solving another death, this time at the grand opening of the Priory Hotel. As with previous entries in this series, this book is a good blend of village life, great characters, plenty of plot twists and turns, and finally, a bit of romance

Another great book featuring Flora Steele (bookstore owner) and Jack Carrington (author).
Priory Hotel grand opening, will it finally leave some of its bad days behind? You guessed it, during the grand opening one of entertainers drops dead, murder or accident. At first Flora really doesn’t want to investigate, it was just an accident, right? But things are not as a seems.
Perfect cozy to read, and keeps you guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an early read.