Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

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.

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

Publication Date: 8th July 2022

3.8 Stars

One Liner: Good continuation to the series; light cozy mystery

Sussex, 1957:

Flora Steele and Jack Carrington are back in the fourth installment of the series. The Priory Hotel is being reopened by Sally and Dominic, her business partner. On the day of the reopening, the lead singer, Beverly, of the rock n’ roll band Tutti Frutti drops dead in front of the crowd.

With a not-so-positive history, the hotel suffers from canceled bookings. Sally is worried that her investment will sink into nothing. When Flora and Jack have no option but to investigate the case, they come across information that puts just about everyone on the suspect list.

Will the duo solve the case and save Priory Hotel from losses? Are they putting themselves at risk yet again?

My Observations:

We are back at Priory Hotel, but the book keeps the case interesting. Despite the same setting (as in the first book), the story doesn’t feel repetitive or boring.

Flora and Jack have a slight change of characters, with Jack being more eager to solve the crime. Of course, we need Flora to find the clues for us.

The writing seemed a little slower than in the previous books. It could also be that I was more tired (which I was), and that affected my reading.

We have enough red herrings and suspects in this one, but the danger quotient is slightly less. I like how it has been incorporated into the story.

There’s a development in Flora and Jack’s friendship, and I’m hoping it will continue in the coming books.

As always, we meet the recurring characters, and some of them have developments in their lives. I always like it when side characters’ lives are also given importance.

The book works as a standalone, but the reader might be confused about the range of characters introduced in the first few pages. There are references to previous cases, though none of them affect the current case.

To sum up, Murder at the Priory Hotel is a light cozy mystery and a little less dangerous than the previous ones. Looking forward to the next book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #MurderatthePrioryHotel

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.

It took me a couple of books to get used to the writing style and characters. This is the 4th book in the Flora Steele – Jack Carrington series, and is yet another cozy mystery.

The Priory hotel has new owners in Sally and Dominic, who have raised considerable money to renovate and launch the hotel with a new look. Flora Steele (book shop owner), Jack Carrington (writer), and much of the town is at the inauguration. The lead singer of the band engaged for the inauguration, Beverly, suddenly totters and falls, as she holds the mike. Those in attendance are shocked to find that she is dead immediately. A heart attack, poison or electrocution? – all seem possibilities. As with the previous books, the police make no headway, and Flora & Jack step in to help Sally. There are a number of suspects as they consider the possibility of foul play.

The sleuthing as in the previous books is casual & easy. I found the story and plot to be good, though a touch far-fetched with a more complex plot in comparison to the previous books. This is a good book (as the previous ones) to relax with as Flora & Jack are loveable characters, there is no bad violence and the pace is decent.

My rating: 3.75 / 5.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture & the author for a free electronic review copy.