Blog Tour: Murder by Firelight (Flora Steele #12) by Merryn Allingham

It’s my stop today on Murder by Firelight by Merryn Allingham Books on Tour. Many thanks to Sarah Hardy of Bookouture for the invite, and for NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book.

📚 About the book

No one can hold a candle to amateur detectives Flora Steele and Jack Carrington as they ask the burning question… Who is the killer walking the cobbled streets of their historic little town?

Sussex, November 1959. There’s a chill in the air at the Lewes bonfire celebration. Carnival floats fill the narrow streets, fireworks crackle overhead, and Flora and Jack feel the heat of the burning torches lining the streets. But when Trevor French, chief of the Grove Bonfire Society, tumbles from his parade float, they know something is afoot. Trevor didn’t just fall – and amidst the crowds, his killer slips away through the smoke-filled night.

But who would want the respected Trevor dead? As Flora and Jack question the vying bonfire societies, they find a surprisingly competitive underbelly at play. Did Edwin Brooker, former chairman, stoke the flames of rivalry too far? Or are the tears of the victim’s friend, Leo Nelson, faked to keep himself safe?

Just as the sleuths believe they’ve figured it out, the body of a key suspect in the case is found dead on their hearth rug, and Flora and Jack realise that no one is safe – including themselves. Together, can they smoke the murderer out? Or will their chances of survival go up in flames?

A completely addictive and absolutely charming cozy mystery novel. Fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis will adore this unputdownable series!

📚 My thoughts

🔥 Here we are, back with our favorite amateur sleuth couple, Jack Carrington and Flora Steele. Not long after coming back from their honeymoon-turned-murder-sleuthing in Venice, Jack and Flora are settling back to their routine in Abbeymead - Jack with his crime novel writing, and Flora with the All's Well book shop. Jack is in his last term teaching at the college in Lewes, and Flora - who has never been keen on staying at the their apartment - is expecting their full time stay in Abbeymead. In the meantime, they attended a bonfire festival in Lewes. It was a ritual celebration usually held around November 2nd, to mark Guy Fawkes Night. And during this festival, a man fell down, dead, from a parade float. It seemed like a usual incident, but Jack found out that the man, a Trevor French, had actually been stabbed. It's not an accident, it's a murder!

🔥 For once, it was Flora who isn't keen on involving in the investigation, while Jack, feeling adamant that Leo Nelson, who rented Overlay house (Jack's old home before moving to the cottage with Flora), was one of the suspects. This time, it is Jack that is eager to seek the truth - usually it's the other way round. Moreover, his friend, Inspector Ridley is on family leave, and his replacement is less incapable, prejudiced man, of whom Jack cannot trust. But it turned out to be a tough case; the stabbing happened during a festival, when people could be moving around on the float, and they were wearing costumes. The motives are also insufficient; would Edwin Brooker (the former chairman of Grove Bonfire Society) kill Trevor French (his new replacement) out of spite? Or could Leo Nelson possibly did it because he wants to renew his old love affair with French's wife?

🔥 Jack and Flora were struggling to build their case throughout the story; no evidence or motive are strong enough to focus on anyone. Meanwhile, dangers are lurking from anywhere; electrocuted door bell, for instance; and then, another murder occurred. This time I guessed the murderer correctly from very early of the story, and I was a little surprised that this murderer didn't raise any suspicions from both Jack and Flora. All in all, it was a fun cozy mystery to read, with satisfying ending. I loved that Jack and Flora were back in Abbeymead; I've been really missing the village life, and the interaction of the inhabitants - Jack and Flora's circle - it feels like a warm blanket in which I could take comfort every time I need it. The Friday suppers of Flora, Alice, and Kate are usually full of delicious mouthwatering dishes. Charlie Teague is now a chef - albeit still a part timer - can you believe it? He's still helping Flora delivering books to buyers' houses from time to time, riding Betty. Old Betty - how I missed 'her'! ;) And of course, the All's Well book shop, the one that made me fell in love with this series in the first place! I wish the next book will be closely connected with the book shop - maybe another murder at the book shop? ;)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 Author bio

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

https://merrynallingham.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites
https://twitter.com/merrynwrites

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📚 Buying links

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F6Y558JXsocial
You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you'll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo


Be sure to check out other stops on the tour to see what others thought. Happy reading!