This book was definitely more darker in tone and the case was one that proved very complicated and dangerous for both Flora and Jack. They almost didn't survive solving it!

I received an e-Arc of the book from the publisher Bookouture and the author Merryn Allingham via NetGalley.

Murder at St. Saviour’s is the fifth Flora Steele cozy mystery by Merryn Allingham. Released 21st Nov. 2022, it's 258 pages and is available in paperback, 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, as are the rest of the books in 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 female bookstore owner drawn into another investigation with her friend Jack when they're asked to assist the official investigation into a newly-appointed church curate's death. Flora and Jack, who functions as her sidekick here, seem to go directly from point to point with very few distractions or false clues. 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 and the climax and denouement were satisfying and included a few twists I didn't see coming.

Four and a half stars. This is an enjoyable historical British cozy. Fans of the genre will find a lot to like here. Despite being the fifth book in the series it works well as a self-contained standalone. The series continues to go from strength to strength and with so many books extant currently, it would make a great choice for a binge/buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I love this series and this doesn't disappointing. The characters are well written with wonderful setting and story.

Highly recommend this series.

Flora and her beau, Jack, find themselves involved in another sleuthing mission. But, of course, what else is there to do to keep busy in a small town? With that said, our main stars have busy lives even when people in Abbeymead aren't being knocked off.

Flora runs a bookstore she inherited from her aunt Violet, and Jack is a crime novelist. The two of them certainly make an excellent pair of curious minds. When the bells of the local church sound in an odd manner, the two of them put off their plans to check out what's going on. They end up stumbling on the scene of a murder--but they are not the only ones. There are others present, but do any of them have motive to want the church's bell-ringer dead?

What follows is a search for the truth as the duo sleuth around the small town and even take to the streets of London trying to solve the mystery. It soon becomes clear that people are keeping secrets, but which one resulted in murder? And will Flora's and Jack's nosiness get them into trouble with the killer?

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Cozy mysteries are my new go to genre - really enjoying the gentle who done its. Merryn has written some cracking characters in this series.

Merryn Allingham continues her exquisite 1950s cozy crimes series featuring bookseller Flora Steele and crime writer Jack Carrington with the latest enjoyable installment, Murder at St. Saviour’s.

When Flora and Jack arrive at the beautiful church of St. Saviour’s, the last thing they are expecting is to find the lifeless body of curate Lyle Beaumont. Having been found sprawled on the floor of the belltower clutching a mysterious note in his hand, Lyle seemed like the least likely person anybody would want to murder. However, when Flora meets the eccentric coterie of bellringers present at the old church, she cannot help but wonder whether any one of them could be a cold-blooded killer! Might local butcher Mr Preece have blood on his hands? Or the busybody local mistress Dilys Fuller? Or could newcomer to the village Stephen Henshall have something to do with Lyle’s murder? As Flora and Jack begin to do some sleuthing of their own, it transpires that there plenty more secrets to be uncovered at St. Saviour’s!

Flora and Jack have no time to lose. They must act fast to ensure that a dangerous killer does not get away with murder. But when one of the suspects is found dead and troubling accidents begin to unfold all over the village, Flora and Jack find themselves completely and utterly stumped. Can they get to the bottom of this case? Or will their quest for justice end up putting them in the killer’s firing line?

Murder at St. Saviour’s is a fun cozy mystery perfect for Agatha Christie fans. Brilliantly paced, deftly plotted and wonderfully atmospheric, Murder at St. Saviour’s is a gripping crime novel that is sure to delight genre addicts and readers new to the Flora Steele series.

"The hints have always been there, but not strong enough. Separately, they came to nothing. Together they built a picture"

...

Oh! My Goodness, this has to be Jack and Flora's most complicated and dangerous case to date and just goes to show that perhaps living in a small village full of busybodies, where everyone knows everyone else's business, may not be such a bad idea after all. Especially when suspicions are already heightened, as there are an unusually large number of strangers around, all at the same time. It was just a shame that our crime author and bookshop owning, amateur sleuthing duo, picked on the all the wrong misfits as suspects in this complicated case and almost didn't survive the investigation to boot!

But I am getting ahead of myself somewhat, so a short recap is in order...

...

It is November 1956 in the picturesque fictional Sussex Downs village of Abbeymead. Bookshop owner Flora and crime writer Jack, have turned amateur sleuths on several occasions over the past couple of years, to successfully solve a rather inordinate amount of murders for such a small community. Their personal relationship has also been flourishing over that time, although with both of them having been hurt romantically before, neither are in a rush to move things forward too quickly.

As the young couple are about to leave the village on a date night at the cinema in Worthing, the bells of St Saviour's ring out - well, a single peel from one bell, to be precise. A strange enough event for Jack and Flora to miss their film and rush to the church, along with several of the village bellringers, for whom it also happens to be practice night. The sight which greets them is not a pretty one, as the new curate, Lyle Beaumont, has met his end and lies at the foot of the bell tower. But did he fall, or was he pushed? With the local constable firmly out of his depth yet again, Inspector Alan Ridley is called in from Worthing to take charge of the investigation. The Inspector has been a great help to Jack over the years, when he has needed technical information for one or another of his crime thrillers, and in return Jack and Flora have been the unofficial eyes and ears of the police in Abbeymead when Ridley cannot be there.

Jack and Flora have noticed that there have been several other new arrivals in the village recently and this in itself raises more than a few questions, especially when the curate is not only confirmed as a murder victim, but, it transpires, is also not who he claimed to be. Connections are discovered which link the apparently disgraced imposter curate, to more than one of his fellow newcomers and the suspect list begins to shape and grow, along with the multitude of transgressions and crimes they have collectively committed. Flora literally brushes shoulders with one of the suspects, whilst her young delivery boy, Charlie Teague, is forced off the road while riding the shop bicycle, narrowly escaping injury. The ante is certainly being upped by someone.

Enquiries lead Jack and Flora to connect the deceased 'curate' with his family in Dorset and also with known acquaintances in the celebrated Knightsbridge area of London. They both take a weekend break to Dorset, where as well as discovering the true identity of their mystery body and his very chequered past, they also move their relationship one, very painfully slow step, further forwards. As Flora cannot leave the shop unattended and Jack is awaiting edits to his latest crime buster, he decides to make the journey to London alone, which may have been a blessing in disguise, as the murderer needs to tie up his loose ends now, and Jack almost loses his life, only surviving thanks to the goodwill of a complete stranger. When a very battered Jack returns to Abbeymead, Ridley requests a meeting with him, however, before they have the chance to actually exchange information, Flora goes missing and is discovered by the two of them, mercifully having escaped death by a hairsbreadth, in a place where she usually feels at her safest and happiest.

When one of the suspects in the original murder case, is subsequently murdered, Flora, Jack and Ridley realise that they are running out of time to make an arrest, before the body count rises any further. When Jack and Flora find themselves in a baited trap and left hoping that Ridley will follow the trail, arriving in a timely fashion and with backup, everyone is surprised by the identity of the true perpetrator, although 'stranger, danger' means that none of Abbeymead's latest arrivals, are left without questions to answer and sentences to be served.

Can Jack and Flora get to celebrate a peaceful Christmas together, and what does the New Year hold for them?

...

This traditional 1950s murder mystery series, is still as compellingly addictive with each new episode, which continue to work well as standalone stories, with the backstory being deftly woven into the narrative and dialogue without detracting from the detail of the current investigation. However, Jack, Flora and all their new found village friends, are growing and developing into their roles all the time, so it's probably best not to leave it too long to join the journey.

This series definitely improves with age in many respects, although I might have been just a tad disappointed that Jack and Flora never  really solved this case in the way that they have so many others before. However, in all fairness, the police were just as far from uncovering the genuine protagonist too, and if it hadn't been for the miscreant showing their hand, it is anyone's guess whether they would have been caught before they managed to make good their escape. There were so many crimes and suspects, many of which were inter-linked, that unravelling all the multitude of twisted strands was beginning to become very unhealthy for our intrepid amateur sleuths and they may not have escaped the melee unscathed if it had continued for much longer.

It was good that Jack and Flora were both set free from the confines of the village for a short while, when they visited Dorset, as the respite did them the world of good, both physically and emotionally. The definition to their romance is clearly becoming more open and accepted, both to them and to their close friends, and author Merryn Allingham certainly didn't leave her readers and followers of their story in any doubt about which way the wind was blowing, by the end of the book.

The same could not be said for Jack's solo expedition to London unfortunately, as that was almost his 'swan song' moment, but for the fortuitous intervention of a stranger. We did however, get to know more about his personal background and latter childhood years, although his father is still not exactly the most paternal character you might wish to meet and I suspect that Jack is rather pleased with the hand life has recently dealt him. He has met another lone character in Flora, who has no family left to speak of and they live in a lovely place, which, although it can sometimes be a bit too up close and personal, with everyone knowing everyone else's business; is, on the whole, a very caring and supportive community, once you have been accepted and your face fits, that is!

Each new book is like catching up with old friends and it is always good to see how everyone is getting along. The core cast of characters are all wonderfully authentic, well defined, easy to invest in and quite able to tell their own story. In fact they are more than willing to tell their story to anyone who will listen, so probably not best to let slip to any one of them anything in confidence and which you don't want spreading far and wide, although for getting the word out there about their current investigation, Jack and Flora find the 'jungle drums' invaluable. There is a real sense of community growing around Jack and Flora, now that they have finally been accepted into the fold and knowing that someone will always have your back in times of crisis, is invaluable. However, I did think that there might have been a few too many 'extra' characters introduced this time around, who all stood out rather like a sore thumb. It was just a case of working out which of them were the rotten apples in the barrel, not easy as it turned out, but all the same perhaps a little too obvious and confusing.

Albeit that there is a mix of real and fictional places in the storyline, for any 'armchair travellers' like myself, the author uses her palette to paint enough descriptive detail to set the backdrop of a scene more than adequately, which, when taken together with the vivid details of everyday village life in the late 1950s, offers a realistic sense of time and place which is most satisfying.

Another entertaining riveting read featuring duo Flora and Jack, finding the body of the curate in the bell tower of Saint Saviours church is at first what looks to be an unfortunate accident but as the curate turns out to be a man of mystery is it really an accident

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc

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

Murder at St Saviour’s is the fifth entry in the Flora Steele series of historical cosy mysteries by author Merryn Allingham. Set in Abbeymead, a small (fictional) Sussex village in the 1950s, the series follows Flora Steele, a twenty-five-year-old woman who runs a bookshop the All’s Well, which has been left to her by her aunt Violet who’d brought her up after her parents’ death. Her partner in crime solving is Jack Carrington, journalist-turned-mystery-novelist who was something of a recluse till in the first book, his errand boy, Charlie Teague’s illness brought him to Flora’s bookshop where he found a body. By this point in the series, the local Inspector Alan Ridley has begun to work with Flora and Jack, using them as extra hands. On the personal front, Flora and Jack have acknowledged their feelings for each other, though they are taking things slowly.

Murder at St Saviour’s opens with Flora waiting for Jack to pick her up to go watch a movie, while she’s also looking out for the new curate Lyle Beaumont, who is to fetch the rather expensive book he’d ordered. When the latter doesn’t appear, the two start out for the theatre only to hear the bell ring strangely at St Saviour’s. Jack wants to investigate and they arrive at the church to find the bell ringers also brought there by the strange bell (on a non-practice night), and the curate Lyle Beaumont dead—murdered! Soon it turns out (slight spoiler) that the man who claimed to be Lyle Beaumont was actually an impostor. The three bell-ringers (Dilys Fuller, the postmistress; Mr Preece, the butcher, and recent addition Harry Barnes who can’t quite get the hang of the job) are suspects but attention is turned to the fact that there are suddenly many strangers about the village, including Stephen Henshall, staying with Harry, and in the village to advise Sally Jenner and her partner Dominic at the Priory hotel. Also, a luxury car has been seen about the village and even knocked little Charlie Teague off the road; Flora encounters a third strange man, and a couple of other newcomers have recently moved in. The man pretending to be Lyle Beaumont had done badly by many people in his past life, any of whom could well have wanted to do away with him. But which of them did? As Flora and Jack start to investigate, they find that some of their suspects can be very nasty indeed, and their own lives could be in danger!

I found this to be a very enjoyable entry in the series with an interesting mystery throwing up many lines of inquiry; a set of suspects and connections of whom anyone could have been the murderer; and the flavour and setting of a small country village (which of course impacts the way the mystery plays out, while we also follow developments in village life as always), with a couple of trips which Flora and Jack make, adding colour.

Compared to previous entries, I thought the mystery in this one was front and centre with the other elements (like Flora and Jack’s relationship, developments in the village, and settings) adding to it, and this was something I really liked. I was engaged from the start, and enjoyed following Flora and Jack as they looked into the people involved whether it was the victim (whose identity we do learn early on) or suspects, as secrets and possible motives are revealed, though the answer seems to elude them. For a change Inspector Ridley and Flora and Jack are collaborating, but Flora still has an urge to beat him out, leading her to not always reveal everything they’ve found out. The solution when it was revealed was indeed a surprise (I hadn’t seen it coming; even though part of the motive becomes clear a little earlier), and readers aren’t the only ones surprised.

The village atmosphere I thought was nicely done in the book, with gossip playing its usual role (in fact even when Jack is making some inquiries in London, it is gossip again that helps). Likewise, as everyone knows everyone else, strangers stand out like a sore thumb, and in this story, the village seems to be teeming with them, giving rise to talk and suspicion. Jack by now has lost his reclusive ways and fully immersed in village life, so he too, first considers the strangers.

While the story is essentially set in Abbeymead, Flora and Jack travel to Dorset to make some inquiries, also visiting Lyme Regis, and with them we walk in the footsteps of the characters from Persuasion, and also see some of its famous fossils, which was fun.

On the personal front, Flora and Jack are taking things forward but slow; we also get to see more of Jack’s father, get to know something of his mother’s whereabouts, and learn a little more of Flora’s past, opening up a new mystery which I think will be the case they will tackle next!

This is a series I’ve been following from the start, and I’m looking forward to the next entry, which I’m sure will be out soon, for Allingham seems to be writing them faster than I’m reading them 😊

How lovely it is to return to the Sussex village of Abbeymead for the fifth book in the Flora Steele series. However, as much as I enjoy each visit, it has to be said that it isn't the safest place to go, and despite its quaint charms, it isn't long before yet another murder is committed. This time the victim is the new curate, Lyle Beaumont who appears to have been invited to the belltower of St Saviour's church – and subsequently to his death.
Flora Steele and Jack Cunningham are among the first on the scene and so their joint instincts for sleuthing means they inevitably start investigating, despite the local police building a case of their own. There isn't really any reason for the pair to become involved but when one of her friends reminds her that murder is for the police to solve, she observes, "sometimes we get to hear things they don't." That's really the key to this reliably engaging series; we know that the murderer will be somebody in the relatively small cast of characters and the fun comes from following the clues to see if we can work it out before Flora and Jack.
It's certainly a twisty mystery this time; the victim turns out to be a man with plenty of secrets and there are a number of people who may have had reason to kill him – indeed, some even openly admit they are happy to see him dead. It's not as straightforward as things may first appear, however, and I enjoyed being led this way and that before the reveal, which wasn't entirely unexpected because the clues are there. That doesn't mean the culprit is obvious; the list of potential suspects is long and with several new faces in Abbeymead, Flora and Jack are kept busy trying to figure out the truth.
As the series progresses, it's as much a treat to follow the development of the recurring characters as it is to discover whodunnit – and why. Merryn Allingham perceptively captures the essence of a small village and both the sense of community that means people look out for one another and the gossipy, rather judgmental attitudes of locals resistant to change are described so well. The period details are excellent and the immersive authenticity of the series is particularly captivating in Murder at St Saviour's because events take place in the lead-up to Christmas.
The inclement weather and the gradual preparations for the big day are effectively woven into the plot which takes on a decidedly sinister tone at times. This is a cosy mystery and is packed with wit and warmth but there is still a murderer at large, and there are some bruising encounters, proving once more, that solving crimes can be a dangerous business.
The real highlight of this series, of course, is the relationship between Flora and Jack. It's such a pleasure to see the development of both characters as the series progresses and I love that their partnership so cleverly reflects the changing values of the times. They are products of a time when people were expected to conform but change is in the air, and the fiercely independent Flora epitomises that juxtaposition beautifully.
Murder at St Saviour's really is a delightfully engrossing seasonal mystery, I highly recommend it.

This story sees bookshop owner Flora and her author friend Jack getting involved in another murder investigation when the new curate is found dead.

During the investigation it appears that someone doesn’t want them to find out the truth about the curate and are both involved in suspicious incidents.

This is the 5th book in the series and Flora and Jack have moved on from friendship to a tentative romance. Both are a little wary and unsure. It feels very natural and is a nice development.

This can be read as a standalone, though I think easier to understand the main characters if you’ve read some of the previous books.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this story. This is my unbiased review.

I very much enjoyed the 5th instalment of this cozy crime series and the gentle romance that is building between our main characters book store owner Flora and writer Jack.

A murder occurs at St Saviours and Flora and Jack are once again in the thick of the investigation, aiding he police and unearthing clues, this time both coming close to being victims themselves.

Tense storyline and good build up to the resolution of the mystery, which was a great twist.

I am looking forward to reading more in this series and seeing how the romance between the amateur detectives plays out.

Easy to read and a good way to spend a few hours in an indulgent past era.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Flora and Jack find themselves embroiled in another murder when the new curate is found dead at the bottom of the church's bell tower. The police suspect one of the bell ringers but the curate was living under an asumed name...
Murder at St Saviour's is the 5th book in the Flora Steele series. It is not necessary to have read the previous books although her personal relationship with Jack has developed over the earlier murder cases.
The murder occurs in the first chapter so we are straight into the action. The curate Lyle Beaumont is found dead at the bottom of the bell tower but he had taken his cousin's identity. Flora and Jack need to unpick why Lyle was living a lie and who knew the truth.
I enjoyed the historical and village setting although the pair do travel around to collect evidence and interview suspects. Flora and Jack uncover a host of secrets that put them in danger too but they are determined to find out the truth.
Murder at St Saviour's is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery novel with a really easy to like main pair of sleuths.

For whom the bell tolls and it tolls unexpectedly in Abbymead and it draws Flora and Jack to church. Here they find the bell ringers, and the body of the curate, recently joined the church, fallen from the bell tower.

Surely it must be a tragic accident. But something seems off to Jack and Flora and with past experience of discovering bodies and solving mysteries it seems that there initial thoughts may be true.

It gets even more complicated when they discover the dead curate, isn’t really the dead curate and strange faces in the village start to make the duo question everyone and their motives. Then the lead suspect is found dead, is it one of these mysterious faces that is guilty or should they be looking closer to home.

Alongside the investigating the relationship between the two main characters is developing and the gentle courtship adds to the gentle pace of these novels, despite the dead bodies! Of course there is much we don’t know about Flora and her background and it seems as this series progresses we are going to find out more if the ending of the book is anything to go by.

Perfect series for those who want that Midsomer Murder vibe but set in in the past.

Bookshop owner Flora Steele hardly has time to define her relationship with crime writer Jack Carrington. The pair have solved several murders, and the more time they spend together, the more they are drawn to one another.

When Flora and Jack were going to visit a church, they were shocked to discover that the new curate was dead, and he had a note in his hand. It seemed as if he was there to meet someone in the bell tower. With quite quite a few people there on the scene, it’s a question to Flora as to which one of them killed the curate. So Flora does what she does best - she starts talking to everyone that could have been present. she quickly finds out that they all had issues, and they all actually had a good reason for wanting the curate dead. Grudges, disagreements, money issues, and other things that make discovering who had a motive to kill the curate very unclear. And then as Flora gets even deeper into the situation, she finds out the curate isn’t who everyone thought he was in the first place. Flora wants to know what is going on, why he was killed and who did it.

When the inspector approaches the scene, he actually encourages Jack and Flora to see whatever they can find out about the murder. Quite naturally, the closer they get to the right answers, the closer they find themselves to danger. Meanwhile, the question about their relationship and their future starts to become clearer.

This is an enjoyable series, and this latest installment was a joy to read. I love the timeframe, which is mid 1950s in Sussex, and the setting seems quite lovely. And then when you factor in the relationship growing between Flora and Jack, it makes this book and series even that much better. With just the right level of intrigue, Murder at St. Saviour’s was a very entertaining read. If you love Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, then this book would be a perfect fit for you.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/zyX70UpBulw

This was a very enjoyable book! Jack and Flora attempt to find out who killed the new Abbymead curate, Lyle Beaumont. It turns out that there were many suspects as the curate was very unpopular and was not all that he seemed. The story takes many unexpected turns. It was engaging , offered intrigue and some romance. I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers. I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley, and the opinion expressed is strictly my own.

I enjoyed reading this book. The mystery kept me guessing. I liked the setting and the characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series has definitely become an auto-read for me. Murder at St Saviour’s is the fifth book in the Flora Steele Mystery Series and I have enjoyed every single one.

This mystery is multi-layered and had me guessing all the way along. The hints are all there, but I still couldn’t quite pin it down, so it made for a very satisfying ending.

Allingham has created a whole world in Abbeymead so you get to know the recurring characters as well as protagonists Flora and Jack.

This mystery has a little bit of everything, and Flora and Jack have to work hard to piece everything together.

The new curate is found dead at the bottom of the bell tower and the police believe he was pushed. Suspicion falls on village newcomer, Stephen Henshall, a businessman who has some secrets of his own.

It’s hard to say too much without spoiling the mystery, but Flora and Jack’s investigations mean they are asking too many questions if the wrong people and find themselves in danger.

Flora and Jack’s relationship continues to develop as they move from friendship to romance. With both of them struggling to commit – Flora has her own business to think about, and Jack still seems somewhat reluctant to completely immerse himself in village life – the village is desperately waiting for wedding bells.

This ends with a real cliffhanger and Flora’s own family mystery – the fate of her parents. I, for one, will definitely be reading the next book to find out what happens next.

The story opens with new curate Lyle Beaumont falling to his death from the bell tower at St. Saviour’s. The bell ringers were on their way there for rehearsal. Another man, Stephen Henshall, a stranger to Abbeymead, was also on the scene. At first, this appears to be a tragic accident. But it soon turns out that the curate is not who he purported to be, and in fact, was not a curate at all. A note clenched in his hand suggests that perhaps his death was not accidental after all. What secrets did “Lyle Beaumont” hide that someone is now willing to kill to keep secret?

I simply love visiting Abbeymead! Merryn Allingham gives us a charming village filled with interesting characters, and a good mystery to boot.

Flora and Jack are in the thick of the investigation, and I love seeing them working together to solve the mystery. Their relationship is progressing, and while they may not be ready to commit for a lifetime, neither of them seems to be fighting their feelings any longer. That makes me happy, because I think they’re just adorable together. I also liked seeing more of Investigator Ridley on the case, and I liked that he brought our amateur sleuths into the loop as much as he could.

There was no shortage of potential suspects. Turns out quite a few folks had reason not to like Mr. Beaumont-that-wasn’t, and they were open about the fact that his death didn’t grieve them too deeply. But which of them had the dead man offended enough that they were willing to kill over it? And kill more than once, as the primary suspect was found murdered, and Flora and Jack found themselves in harm’s way due to their digging.

The nasty winter weather was almost a character in itself. Roads were treacherous, the chill was brutal, and it made me want to wrap myself up in a warm blanket while reading, even though the weather is much nicer here!

Merryn Allingham has another winner here. Her historical detail is impeccable, her characters are likeable, hateable, or somewhere in between, and Abbeymead is a delight. Highly recommended for reading while curled up with a blanket, a cat, and a hot cup of cocoa.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Murder at St Saviour’s is another the Flora Steele/Jack Carrington series. She’s been running late for their date to see “Giant,” and so heard the single stroke of the church bell. It didn’t sound right so they decided to check on it. They had been right. At the base of the church bell tower lay the curate, Lyle Beaumont. He had only been in Abbeymeade for six weeks, surely too soon to have made an enemy. The police had been called and arrived shortly. No “Giant” tonight. Of course, Flora’s curiosity got the better of her and she started asking questions. She also overheard some interesting information. Then Jack went to London to do some research and got hit by a car. Flora didn’t like it. Next came the fire at Pelham Lodge, where the primary suspect had been staying. He died in the blaze and that made everything even more curious.

Jack and Flora had, only fairly recently, recognized their relationship for what it was. Neither had any idea where it was going, but both acknowledged that, if nothing else, they were good friends. They enjoyed investigating but each had other jobs: Flora owned the bookshop she had inherited from her aunt, and Jack wrote novels, although he had bee struggling of late. She had helped him to restart his career and he had just finished his latest and sent it off. He was fully committed to the investigation, although worried about his well-being and that of Flora as things kept happening. It just convinced Flora they were getting closer. A well-written intriguing English mystery series set in the late 1950s. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder at St Saviour’s by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #MerrynAllingham