I enjoyed every second of this one!!! It takes some real talent to take a basic premise that has been done multiple times and then somehow still make it unique.

A well written, intriguing, and gripping historical mystery that kept me reading and guessing.
Great atmosphere and storytelling, solid mystery.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Wax Flowers For Gloria by Pat Flower.
A Sydney detective has his work cut out when murder strikes on the shop floor…
Sydney, 1958
For Gloria Spink, other people are mere steppingstones on her personal path to success. Smart, sophisticated and utterly selfish, the wife of Spinks Store’s managing director has made an enemy of virtually every employee — and a few other people besides.
So when she’s found brutally murdered in the hair salon of the renowned department store, discovering how Gloria met her fate looks set to be an uphill task.
Enter Detective Inspector Herbert Swinton, whose laid-back exterior conceals a sharp mind and a strong sense of moral justice. And with a list of suspects including long-suffering staff, secret lovers and even Gloria’s own husband, he’s going to have his work cut out identifying the guilty party…
As Swinton begins to learn more about Gloria’s world of wealth, glamour and decadence, a complex puzzle takes shape … but the pieces don’t quite fit.
Someone is lying about what really happened … but who? Can Swinton bring Gloria’s killer to justice before they strike again?
Or is he about to be outsmarted for the first time ever?
Really good read. Hope there is more to come. 4*.

Well written with a compelling storyline and well develped characters. It hooked me right from the very start and held me all the way through

This is a murder mystery set in Australia during the 1950's, and from the description, I thought it sounded like something that I might enjoy.

I found the cover design quite interesting. It was an eye-catching design, but I felt that the colours, fonts and illustration looked typical of a modern thriller, but this book was set in the 50's, and for the most part, it felt like a cosy mystery.

At the very beginning of the story, we are introduced to the character named Gloria, and told that she is 'hated'. This was something that caught my attention right away. Who was Gloria, and why was she 'hated'? That sparked my interest right from the start.

I felt the story moved at a leisurely pace, but it was still enough to be an entertaining read, and it wasn't too long or overly drawn out. I didn't really relate to or identify with any of the characters, but they still felt real and believable.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a free copy to review.