Murder at Primrose Cottage by Merryn Allingham

Murder at Primrose Cottage by Merryn Allingham

Join Flora Steele - bookshop owner, bicycle rider, daydreamer and amateur detective - in her quest to solve a brand-new murder mystery

Cornwall, 1956: When Flora Steele sets off for a peaceful vacation with crime writer Jack Carrington in his little red Austin, the last thing she expects to find is a body at their pretty rental cottage

Shocked by the discovery, inquisitive Flora joins forces with handsome Jack to find out how the poor man came to such an untimely end in the overgrown orchard of Primrose Cottage. They discover Roger Gifford was a man with plenty of friends and the villagers seem devastated by his sudden death...

So why was he murdered? And who has blood on their hands - his estranged wife Beatrice, his wayward younger brother Lionel, or the suspicious newcomer Mercy Dearlove?

The baffling case gets even more complicated when a second man is found dead and a set of puzzling clues lead them to an intriguing wartime mystery connected to Jack's estranged father.

As old secrets emerge and Jack receives an unsettling letter, it seems the crime writer is in danger of a fate befitting his fictional characters. Will Flora be able to crack the case and save Jack? Or will this be one murder too many for Flora Steele?

Readers love the Flora Steele Mysteries:

'Wonderful book I absolutely adored this... Had me reading and finishing the book in no time I highly recommend ' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I absolutely love this book I was so captivated... I could not put this book down... I read this book in one sitting ... Amazing.' @thenerdandherbooks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Absolutely fantastic... An addictive perfect mix of mystery, crime, suspense and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night An explosive start to a new series ' Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A joy to read... Full of mystery and secrets ... Truly an unstoppable read And I loved every minute of it ' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I loved... A cozy, heart-warming, fast read. It felt like Scooby-Doo meets Agatha Raisin. I am here for it ... Delightful.' Frosta Wings It, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Fantastic cozy mystery ... Fun to read... This author knows how to keep the reader's attention from the first chapter ' Books and Benches, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Love... The story twisted along, with everyone becoming a suspect... A fab read, that I devoured in a day.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

'What a joy... Fabulous... Totally fantastic... I highly recommend this outstandingly fabulous book.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Pace moves along as you keep turning the pages to find out whodunit. You'll find yourself rooting for Flora and Jack in more ways than one. I can't wait for the next book ' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Merryn Allingham was born into an army family and spent her childhood on the move. Unsurprisingly, it gave her itchy feet and in her twenties she escaped from an unloved secretarial career to work as cabin crew and see the world. The arrival of marriage, children and cats meant a more settled life in the south of England where she's lived ever since. It also gave her the opportunity to go back to 'school' and eventually teach at university.

Merryn has always loved books that bring the past to life, so when she began writing herself the novels had to be historical. She finds the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries fascinating eras to research and her first book, The Crystal Cage, had as its background the London of 1851. The Daisy's War trilogy followed, set in India and London during the 1930s and 40s.

Her latest novels explore two pivotal moments in the history of Britain. The Buttonmaker's Daughter is set in Sussex in the summer of 1914 as the First World War looms ever nearer and its sequel, The Secret of Summerhayes, forty years later in the summer of 1944 when D Day led to eventual victory in the Second World War. Along with the history, of course, there is plenty of mystery and romance to keep readers intrigued.
If you would like to keep in touch with Merryn, sign up for her newsletter at www.merrynallingham.com