Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this opportunity to review “Murder at Abbeymead Farm.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Bookshop owner, Flora Steel and Jack Carrington, crime writer and “fellow sleuth” solve crimes in the 1950’s Sussex countryside and village of Abbeymead in this entertaining series by Merryn Allingham. “Murder at Abbeymead Farm” is the sixth book, and while they can be read as standalones, why would you do that? Always better to start with the first book to get a thorough understanding of the characters.

What’s that ominous prologue mean? I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, what we have is the “villagers against change” trope. Someone wants to make over a property, in this case to a hostel. Locals don’t want outsiders flooding in, et cetera. Well, you can pretty tell what’s coming… soon our proposed hostel-builder is dead. Well, Flora can’t let this stand, and with Jack’s help, she’ll figure out whodunit.

But who cares about that, what we readers need to know is who has it in for Flora? ‘Cause terrible things are beginning to happen around and to her. We know that Flora’s “nosy” nature (characters do like to mention that a lot) does get her into trouble, but this time, it’s really personal. She shoulders on with the murder investigation while watching over her shoulder. Jack’s involvement helps, of course.

Speaking of -- they’re definitely a couple now, but neither one is mentioning marriage. The author outlines the lots of reasons why not, especially on Flora’s part. An ongoing story, lots of fodder for future books.

So, who among these people (a grasping nephew, smarmy land agent, a ruthless consortium buying up land, and of course the villagers) did the deed? Ms. Allingham gives us plenty to think about -- you get your chance to decide which one you prefer. Oh, almost forgot -- we get another murder.

There’s a dramatic finish, and everything’s tied up very nicely. Flora thinks they might have missed this one, a bit. Still, they make a good team. “Murder at Abbeymead Farm” is a quietly entertaining read with two likeable characters that fit together very well. There’s plenty here to keep your attention, a twisty path of suspects and motives. And a glimpse at an English village of yesteryear, calming and quiet. Minus the bodies, of course.

Sussex, 1957: When Flora and Jack hear that Percy Milburn, a newcomer to the area who has ruffled more than a few feathers with his grand plans for modernising Abbeymead is missing, they’re determined to find him. But after scouring the village, Flora is shocked to discover the body of the poor man in the cellar of a deserted farmhouse. Flora and Jack get stuck into the case, but they don't seem to make any headway. Then if seems as though someone is targeting Flora in ways that hurt rather than harm her. When their prime suspect is murdered, Flora and Jack have their work cut out to find the culprit.
This is the sixth book in the series & whilst it's easily read on its own the author has brought the village of Abbeymead to life & the inhabitants feel like old friends. I love both Flora & Jack & love how their relationship has grown & developed although it’s going through a rocky patch in this book. A well written murder mystery with lots of twists, turns & red herrings. I actually guessed who the villain was, not from any clues but from the fact I found them to be chilling & they gave me the heebie- jeebies!
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

To be honest, I enjoyed this but found it pretty weak as a mystery. I cannot say that I often know who the culprit is early in a book. But this one seemed to telegraph the solution from the start. As a result, the whole books felt to me like a long time to wait to find out ai was correct.
Also, the Farm owner, and the nephew were a bit too shallow for me. At the end the author made some attempt to give them humanity, but by then it seems inconsistent with the two-dimensional characterization we had been given for the whole book. So the sort of moral awakening of the nephew seemed implausible.
I hate to post negative reviews for NetGalley books, so I haven’t posted this. But, I will if it is requested.

The sixth book in this great series and I have read them all.

It is 1957 in the English village of Abbeymeade and Flora Steele and Jack Carrington are crime solving again. More than one person dies, and Flora finds herself being harassed by someone unknown - just small things at first but getting more serious as the story progresses. When possible suspects for the first murder also die Flora starts to lose confidence in herself and her ability to solve crimes.

She should have asked me - I knew who it was! Anyway all was well in the end, and the pair even took one more tiny step towards becoming a couple. The author is determined to make us wait for this but at least it should mean there will be another book soon. I am looking forward to it.

After enjoying some of the previous books in the Flora Steele series, I was excited to read this one.

When I first took an interest in reading this series, I was very drawn to the cover illustrations, and I thought this one was beautiful too.

This was another very entertaining 1950s cosy mystery. I really like Flora as a protagonist, and I relate to her a lot. I enjoy the bookshop setting, and the references to books and authors, alongside the mystery itself. I would probably be interested in reading all of this series.

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

The delightful Flora Steele and Jack Carrington are back as this series continues to entertain us from the sleepy village of Abbeymead in rural Sussex. And once again they become embroiled in another murder mystery on their hands...this time with baffling proportions. I'm guessing they will soon have a bodycount to rival Midsomer!

Abbeymead, April 1957: Since the discovery of a body in her bookshop the All's Well the previous summer, Flora Steele has had several murder mysteries fall into her lap and that she has insisted on solving...with the help of her dashing crime writer/sleuth Jack Carrington. And this time it's no different.

Recently befriending newcomer Percy Milburn to the village, Flora is among the minority who like Percy. His plans for a nearby farm which he intended to turn into a hostel to enable those less affluent to afford to holiday in such a delightful village had locals raging. They didn't want any hostel cheapening or decimating their quiet village with riff-raff. So when he calls a meeting to discuss the plans in the village hall and then fails to attend, Flora is concerned. There is no way Percy would miss this opportunity to sell his idea to the villagers. So why didn't he?

Putting her thinking cap on, Flora began a process of elimination. Where was Percy last seen? Or rather, where was he supposed to be and also failed to show? A discussion of plans with the vendor at the abandoned farm at which Percy was a no-show. Or was he? Flora knows Percy wouldn't have ditched his plans so therefore something must have happened to him. And when she and Jack discover his remains in barrel of cider in the cellar of the old farmhouse, she is both shocked and dismayed. But she isn't surprised. Because she knew something had stopped Percy from attending both meetings at which his presence was expected. The question is - who?

And then a new buyer is miraculously found for the old farm...who has plans to build a new hotel, of which Abbeymead has no need. So what is really at play here? And whose palms are being greased to make this sale happen?

This case has Flora and Jack similarly stumped. Enquiries take Jack to London where he does a little digging of his own, uncovering from rather unsettling surprises. Meanwhile, back in Abbeymead, someone seems to have it in for Flora as her bookshop is broken into yet again this time all her stock is not only vandalised but decimated. And then the rowan tree her aunt had planted in the front yard of their cottage which held special meaning to her is destroyed during the night. Who is after Flora? And why?

MURDER AT ABBEYMEAD FARM is the sixth book in this entertaining cosy series which is a cross between Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Father Brown. Each one is a standalone mystery with a backstory that continues to evolve over time. As with each of the books, it is fun entertaining and a quick light read with plenty of twists. Though not my favourite of the series, it is still just as entertaining and just as much fun...and I cannot wait to rejoin Flora and Jack next time. Though I hope Flora isn't as troubled as she appeared in this one and soon makes peace with the news of her friend's upcoming wedding and that of her past.

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

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

It was 1957 in Abbeymead, Sussex, and Flora Steele was impressed with Percy Milburn's verbal image of the farm he was going to buy, turning it into a hostel. But not everyone was impressed with Percy's idea, and when a meeting called to iron out the differences was missing its main person - Percy - they all wondered where he was. But it was three days later that he was found, murdered. Shocked but determined to uncover the killer, Flora and Jack Carrington, crime writer and Flora's good friend - maybe beau - joined forces to once again discover the answers.

But this case was particularly baffling and it was one step forward and two back for them both. Plus someone was after Flora, damaging items she loved. Jack was worried, Flora was angry. And when another body was found - their main suspect - their frustration was immense. Would Flora and Jack find the evil doer before it was too late for someone else?

Murder at Abbeymead Farm is the 6th in the Flora Steele Mystery series by Merryn Allingham and I quite enjoyed it. Fun, entertaining with plenty of twists, I have no hesitation in recommending this cosy mystery to fans of the genre.

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

Another thoroughly entertaining read in the Flora Steele mystery series! Set in 1957 in a lovely and quant village, one gets the sense of perfection - until there is a murder. Highly readable!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Flora Steele and Jack Carrington are drawn into another baffling murder. They are considered amateur detectives in their little village. Can they figure out what is going on? It seems like every clue they get turns into nothing.
I enjoyed this cozy crime novel. It is fun seeing how Flora and Jack’s relationship may be going.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Percy Milburn asks Flora to display flyers in her book store All's Well for a meeting in Village Hall. He wants to get the town in favor of his wish to purchase the farm Birds Acre to build a hostel. The farm is owned now by Sir Frederick, whose nephew would like to turn the farm into a fancy hotel of which he would become the manager. However, Percy doesn't come to the meeting, and they soon find he has been seen for a few days. Jack and Flora find him drowned in a cider barrel at the farm.

Jack and Flora work hard to figure out who has killed Percy, and someone begins attacks on Flora, first somehow getting into All's Well and destroying her new books, then chopping her favorite tree, and then taking the picture of her beloved aunt from her house. For some reason, this person is picking only on Flora, and not Jack. Because of the acts against her, Flora figures it must be someone who knows her well, and not one of the possible murderers, who all had something to do with Birds Acre, but didn't really know Flora. When the prime suspect is found dead, they realize that they have been looking at the wrong people.

Meanwhile, Flora's friend Kate is engaged to be married, and Flora isn't sure she has found the right person. Flora herself is afraid to get too close to Jack, and he would really like to talk about marriage with Flora. The big question is whether Jack and Flora can figure everything out, before the killer strikes again, perhaps against Flora.

This is a great addition to the series. I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC in order to give an honest review.

Flora and Jack investigate who murdered a man with controversial plans for developing their small village. Lots of plot threads - some more realistic than others - that the author brings together in the end. Watching Jack and Flora develop as individuals and the progress of their relationship is one of the pleasures of the series. Thanks for the ARC from #NetGalley.

Flora and Jack are at it again - they have stumbled across the body of a developer, one who the villagers were not happy about. The two sleuths are working hard to solve the murder, but there appears to be many suspects and motives. Piecing that together will be a challenge, and they are dealing with some of their own obstacles as well.
Another enjoyable book in this series. Looking forward to what the future holds for Flora and Jack.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of my favourite series and I love the characters especially Jack. Flora can sometimes get annoying but the stories, setting and other characters make me overlook that.

It's a cosy crime with romance series so it's not for you if you want gruesome crime. It helps you understand the back stories of the characters if you read this series in order, however it's not necessary.

I really enjoyed this one. Would love to read the rest of this series too. Romance, mystery and everything I love in a book rolled into one...

I've enjoyed (with reservations) the Flora Steele books by Merryn Allingham so I was looking forward to Murder at Abbeymead Farm. Sadly, it brought back many of my reservations. The plot seems far-fetched, and the plotting is sparse. Having said that, I had the murderer sussed very early on. I struggled to find any rationale for the events and the story just felt flat. But it's the character of Flora that irritated me almost to the point of giving up. She had improved in the previous books and I had high hopes for her, but she's reverted to her old self here. If she were a man, she'd be described as a cad (I'm not sure what the female equivalent is) for the way she treats Jack! Here again she's reluctant to commit to a relationship but happy to take the support he gives. However, there are tantalising hints of something different to come and I'm looking forward to perhaps seeing Flora cross the channel...

I Adore this series so much. I could read them over and over again. This is a wonderful mystery series to read. This new book is the best in the series yet.
I just reviewed Murder at Abbeymead Farm (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 6) by Merryn Allingham. #MurderatAbbeymeadFarm #NetGalley
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The latest entry in the series has Flora and Jack trying to work through some personal issues while solving the murder of a friend of Flora’s. The victim was involved in a development scheme in the village, the intricacies of which provide the suspects and potential motives. Well written as always, with some potential clouds ahead for Flora and Jack. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A intriguing mystery with lots going on and lots of suspects where nothing is quite as it seems. An entertaining with likeable sleuths in Flora and Jack and an intriguing cast of secondary characters. While the killer was on my radar they never were on Flora and Jacks so they stumble to the answer rather than solve this which makes them seem more fallible. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What's a sleuth to do when one of their prime suspects is murdered, too? That's just one of the problems facing Flora and Jack this go-round. I was pleased that we seemed to be getting more of the story through Jack's eyes this time, with Flora unusually rattled by the death of a man she considered a friend, Percy Milburn. Given the vandalism to some beloved objects and, well, Flora is having a rough go of it. That's even without all the not-so-subtle hints that many expect to see Jack and her wed soon.

So, who killed Percy, a man determined to make changes to stubbornly unchanging Abbeymead? Honestly, I didn't see this one coming. Was it Sir Frederick, whose decision to sell a piece of proper started the whole mess, or maybe his nephew Piers who has his own ideas of what should be done with the same property? Or maybe the ambitious Colin, who stood to gain a fortune? Surely not sweet, mild mannered Minnie, Percy's maid? Or one of the many citizens who are rankled by Percy's plan to build a hostel and, in their minds, bring the wrong kind of people to Abbeymead? Most seem content that Abbeymead remain the same forever.

There's great deal going on in this installment. I've read the series from the beginning and have enjoyed watching the relationship between Jack and Flora develop. Hmm, will that mysterious letter push it along or throw more obstacles in the way? Well, like finding dead bodies isn't distraction enough. Oddly enough, one my favorite things about the duo is that they've proven to be fallible. That makes them all the more human in my eyes. Jack's willingness to go the extra mile to make Flora happy is definitely sweet and I'm rooting for him.

Thanks #NetGalley and #Bookouture for inviting me back to Abbeymead. Life was both more difficult yet more simple in so many ways in 1957.

Flora Steele has recently befriended a newcomer to Abbeymead, but as he intends to open a hostel for those tourists wishing to travel across the South Downs by foot, she is in the minority. When a meeting is called to discuss the plans and he fails to attend Flora and her boyfriend, popular novelist Jack Carrington, are dismayed to discover a body in the cellar of the farmhouse at the centre of the controversy.

As the two amateur sleuths begin looking into all those suspects with reason to commit murder Flora is unsettled by things happening far closer to home. Will she and Jack be able to discover the identity of Abbeymead's latest killer while facing the other problems head-on?

Book six in Merryn Allingham's lovely series sees changes afoot for Flora and her beloved home village. There is a lot going on but it was easy to follow the different storylines and additional characters. I thoroughly enjoy reading about life in the late 1950s and if there's a murder thrown in it's even better!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a great historical murder mystery series I happily recommend.