Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Murder at St. Saviour’s is the fifth Flora Steele cozy mystery by Merryn Allingham. Released 21st Nov. 2022, it's 258 pages and is available in paperback, 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, as are the rest of the books in 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 female bookstore owner drawn into another investigation with her friend Jack when they're asked to assist the official investigation into a newly-appointed church curate's death. Flora and Jack, who functions as her sidekick here, seem to go directly from point to point with very few distractions or false clues. 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 and the climax and denouement were satisfying and included a few twists I didn't see coming.
Four and a half stars. This is an enjoyable historical British cozy. Fans of the genre will find a lot to like here. Despite being the fifth book in the series it works well as a self-contained standalone. The series continues to go from strength to strength and with so many books extant currently, it would make a great choice for a binge/buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reviewed by annieb123 on
Reading updates
- 28 May, 2023: Started reading
- 28 May, 2023: Finished reading
- 28 May, 2023: Reviewed