Thanks to Bookouture publisher
and NetGalley for providing me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
π The seventh instalment
of Flora Steele Mystery series - a cozy mysteries set on the 1950s - follows
another sleuthing adventure of Flora and Jack Carrington, this time farther
away from their little village of Abbeymead. Flora is a bookshop owner, while
Jack is a crime writer, and through the previous six books they had been both
partners in crime and, ahem... a couple in the making.
π The story opens when
two women were crossing the busy street of Paris, when a black car suddenly
jumped from a traffic light queue, hit one of them to death, then drove away.
The survived woman is none other than Sybil Carrington, Jack's estranged
mother. She summoned Jack to come to Paris, as she's convinced the incident was
a deliberate murder, and SHE was the intended target.
π Stunned but intrigued,
Jack left for France, accompanied by Flora, who has her own unfinished business
of solving the mystery of her parents' tragic death in France when she was a
kid.
π Sybil lives in Provence
with a wealthy Italian count called Massimo Falconi. Lately she's been a victim
of various incidents, which she claims, done by the count's family, who want
her to leave him. Is this true? Or is it just a woman's paranoia? And Sybil's
friend's death, is it not pure accident?
π Staying at the count's
chateau in a small village in Provence, Flora and Jack feel the hostile
atmosphere of the household. Then small incidents start to happen. Even Jack
and Flora are now targeted for some of them. Are they just coincidences? Or is
there a murderer lurking inside the chateau? And what is the motive? Jealousy
from the ex-wife? Or inheritance?
π This was my second read
of the series. I've read the first one:
The Bookshop Murder in June, which I
loved very much, and ready to read more. But ever since, I couldn't find any
e-book of the rest (book 2 to 6). I don't know why, but it's pretty annoying! I
wish the publisher Bookouture would soon make the digital edition available.
π Anyway,
Murder in a
French Village is a very engaging read. First of all, due to several minor
incidents that scattered along the story, we are provided with a handful of suspects.
Moreover, with each incident, more clues are revealed itself. It was exciting
to keep guessing who could have done this and that, as we know little by little. more
secrets of everyone. Then another thing would happen, that the one we were
currently suspecting couldn't have done it, so we suspected another one, and so
on. Each suspect is equally explored, which made it more difficult to guess
whodunnit until the climax. At least, I couldn't guess, though I have suspected
the murderer earlier, along with the others.
π I also love how
Allingham explores Flora's personal struggle about her late parents. It adds a
deeper touch to this cozy mystery, and made me connected more with Flora and
Jack. Speaking of the couple, I love how their relationship also develops along
the story. I loved them from book one, they have a strong chemistry from the
start.
π Although I would've
preferred the mystery to be set in Abbeymead - a cozy mystery in a cozy English
village is always superb, n'est pas? - it is probably quite refreshing (and
necessary for the series development) to see Flora and Jack going abroad and
have more time with each other alone. Now I can't wait to read the next book,
which, judging from an exciting news that came in the end, would most probably
be set in Abbeymead, with a literary touch! I miss seeing Flora riding Becky
(her bike) to deliver books to her customers, or Jack typing manuscript for his
next book!
Rating: 4,5 / 5
**The Murder in a French Village
(Flora Steele Mystery #7) will be published on 30th October 2023.