Murder on the Pier (Flora Steele #2) by Merryn Allingham

Murder on the Pier (Flora Steele #2) Reviews

• 
  Brenda

  Flora Steele was accompanying Jack Carrington and young Charlie to the pier where the horror show, theatre and other activities had enticed the boy. But when Charlie’s shocked voice called to Flora and Jack, they didn’t expect to see the body of Polly Dakers floating in the ocean below the pier. Polly was a friend of them all and was soon to move back to Abbeymead where Flora had her bookshop – All’s Well – and Polly’s uncle and cousin lived. When the police decided Polly had either committed suicide or slipped on the ice at the end of the pier and fallen in, Flora was adamant it was murder.
  
  With a reluctant Jack at her side, Flora’s investigations saw few suspects. But when Flora herself was attacked, Jack’s reluctance moved to belief in Flora – but his concern for her safety as she embarked on reckless pursuits, had him trying to keep her safe. But the danger worsened for Flora and Jack as they edged closer to the truth…
  
  Murder on the Pier is the 2nd in the Flora Steele Mystery series by Merryn Allingham and it was fun and entertaining. I love a mystery with a bookshop involved, and as Jack is a crime writer as well, there’s plenty of intrigue in the plot. I’ll be looking for #3 when it comes out in the near future. Highly recommended.
  
  With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
  
• 
  Phrynne

  Book two in the Flora Steele mystery series and Flora gets herself into some pretty deep water - literally!
  
  There is another murder in the village and of course Flora becomes involved and drags Jack into it as well. Unfortunately the unknown murderer does not care for Flora's investigations and she suffers several attacks on her life. Luckily Jack is there to save her at the last moment.
  
  The mystery is interesting and there are plenty of suspects, especially when Flora lets her imagination rip. Jack tries hard to keep her safe but she seems determined to only see what she wants to see. I must admit she irritated me once or twice when she refused to acknowledge common sense!
  
  It is a good story though with a very pleasant setting, lots of good food, a book shop and many enjoyable characters. I like the romance developing so slowly between the two main characters and I am looking forward to more in book three.
  
  My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
• 
  Bharath

  When I read the first book of the author featuring Flora Steele & Jack Carrington, I had an expectation mismatch. It was a cute story in nice settings book lovers will enjoy, but the sleuthing felt amateurship. ‘A cozy crime novel’ as the description says at the end is absolutely the right categorization for this book though – it is a gentle & charming story with likeable characters in Flora & Jack.
  
  In the first book, there is a dead man right in Flora Steele’s “All’s Well” bookshop in Abbeymead. This time it is a young lady – Polly Dakers found dead in the waters off the pier. There is nothing to suggest foul play and most, including law enforcement, assume it is case of an accidental fall or even suicide, but most likely the former. Flora is not convinced though, and decides to dig deeper with Jack (a novelist). There are a number of characters who Flora meets, and finds that Polly was in the midst of a complex circumstance. There is Raymond – who loves hers, there is Harry – who she is currently dating and is cheating on his wife Evelyn, a night club owner Frank Foster, each of them and others seemed to have things to hide.
  
  I did have some inkling of who the (unexpected) murderer would be, but the book does well to keep the suspense till the end. The plot is not very sophisticated but it is a very relaxing read (also good for teens).
  
  My rating: 3.75 / 5.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture & the author for a free electronic review copy.
  
• 
  Ewa

  Ale to było fajne!
  Pierwszy tom był git, ale nie zrobił na mnie większego wrażenia. Za to tutaj bawiłam się wyśmienicie! Mam wrażenie, że mogliśmy lepiej zapoznać się z bohaterami, akcje były czasem poplątane, ale ma to swój urok.
  
  To nie jest wymagająca książka. Raczej jedna z tych lekkich i przyjemnych. Słuchałam w audio i miło spędziłam czas :)
  Już czekam na kolejne tomy!
• 
  Srivalli Rekha

  **Happy Publication Day**
  
  *****
  
  3.8 Stars
  
  One Liner: Works as a breather and a timepass read.
  
  Flora Steele is back in action dragging Jack with her to solve yet another crime. Set in 1955 in Sussex, the story continues a few months after book one ended. Flora is busy managing the book store, All is Well, while Jack somehow completed the draft of his seventh book.
  
  It’s winter, and the villagers have gathered in the wake of Bernie, the no-good missing husband of Kate. He was missing for months when his body was finally found. Polly arrives at the wake, all dressed up in riches.
  
  However, she’s soon found dead and floating under the pier. The police, of course, call it an accident or a suicide. But Flora has other ideas. She knows Polly was murdered and intends to find out who the killer is. Jack has no option but to tag along. As the list of suspects increases, will the duo solve the case on time? How will they fare when the killer decides to target them instead?
  
  I requested the ARC the instant I saw it. The first book was entertaining, and I was eager to read the next installment in the series. Murder on the Pier works pretty well as a standalone, though it can be a little confusing to remember all the characters.
  
  The flow is decent, and so is the storyline. Flora is an amateur sleuth, and it shows. However, she’s got a brain and uses it well (at least half the time). There’s slight progress on the personal track, which is artfully woven into the main plot.
  
  The sleuthing is interesting, and I could guess the killer halfway through. Since I don’t mind guessing it right, I was still curious to know how Flora and Jack would come to the conclusion. My once ruse is that the book didn’t feel as charming as the first one. It’s good, but not what I’d call great. Still, I’ll be reading book three and hoping that it would be set in Cornwall.
  
  To sum up, Murder on the Pier is a light cozy mystery and works as a great timepass read.
  
  Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
  
  #MurderonthePierAFloraSteeleMysteryBook2 #NetGalley
• 
  Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore

  My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
  
  Murder at the Pier is the second in the Flora Steele series of cosy mysteries by Merryn Allingham set in 1950s England, the first of which I’d read and reviewed a few months ago. Twenty-five-year-old Flora Steele lives in the small village of Abbeymead in Sussex, where she runs a bookshop, the All’s Well which she inherited from her aunt who’d brought her up. In the first book, The Bookshop Murder, the body of a young man was found in her bookshop by reclusive mystery writer, Jack Carrington who lives in the village, and had ventured out of his house on that occasion to pick up his order. The police dismissed it as a natural death but Flora was unconvinced and teamed up with a reluctant Jack to solve the case.
  
  In Murder in the Pier, we pick up a little while after the events of the first book when Jack and Flora decide to take Charlie (the young boy from the village who does Jack’s errands and helps in his garden) out for a treat for it was he who had helped save Flora in the previous mystery. They have a reasonably fun day out in Brighton, though they must settle for a Harlequin show instead of the pantomime they had originally planned. When they are out walking on the pier, poor young Charlie makes a grisly discovery—the body of a young woman floating in the waters below. And this isn’t an unknown woman, but Polly Dakers from their own village who used to work in the manor-house-turned-hotel, The Priory, and had left to make her career as a model. The police in the form of detective Inspector Alan Ridley decides this was an accident, may be suicide (the medical evidence does not indicate otherwise), and is happy to leave things at that but once again, Flora doesn’t agree. Polly was a young woman with dreams and plans, thus unlikely to have jumped, and on the last occasion Flora saw her at the village, she had been afraid of someone she saw.
  
  Jack is as usual reluctant to become involved but Flora manages to drag him in all the same. Soon it emerges that there were many who may have wanted Polly dead—Frank Foster a menacing club owner from London who seemed to scare her though he claimed to be in love with her; Raymond Parsons who was her cousin Sylvia’s boyfriend but had been seeing rowing with her; her current beau/’sponsor’ Harry, or even Harry’s estranged wife, Evelyn who may have reached her limits bearing his indiscretions. Flora and Jack talk to Polly’s family and trail the suspects trying to figure out what actually did happen, and as always, there are attempts on their lives which suggest that they are on the right track.
  
  Meanwhile we also follow developments in the village where The Priory had shut down after the events of the first book because of which some of Flora’s friends lost their jobs; the lives of other characters including Kate Mitchell who runs the Nook, a small café in the village and also Flora and Jack’s relationship which is under a bit of threat when his former love Helen appears unexpectedly in the village.
  
  This was an enjoyable entry in the series which I ended up liking a little bit more than the first book. While the mystery in this book is complete in itself, because of the fact that we were introduced to and given the background of some of the characters including the victim Polly Dakers in the first book, I felt perhaps reading in order would make a little more sense.
  
  The mystery in this book I liked better than the one in the first book, and while I did manage to guess whodunit someway in (confirmed by something that happens as well), I still enjoyed following the investigation to see how it tuns out. Even though the mystery was a fairly straightforward one, there were secrets aplenty which we learn as we go along and which made it interesting to read.
  
  In this one the police once again wash their hands off the investigation attributing Polly’s death to an accident (or suicide), but don’t look into it much further. In the first book, this same attitude seemed hard to digest but here I somehow managed to look past it—perhaps because I had gotten used to it (as a device to enable Flora to investigate) but also may be since here, there weren’t additional suspicious circumstances which were there in the first (at least on the face of things).
  
  Besides the mystery, I also enjoyed following the stories of the characters in the village, Flora’s friendship with Kate, and Alice who was cook at The Priory, and of course, Flora and Jack’s relationship. The characters seem almost like old friends now so it was fun seeing how things were going with them.
  
  I am certainly looking forward to picking up the next one in the series, all the more so because Jack and Flora plan to travel to Cornwall where Jack’s next mystery book is to be set!
  
  3.75 stars rounded off to 4.
• 
  Pamela

  troche flaki z olejem
• 
  Kinga (oazaksiazek)

  Polecam najpierw zapoznać się z "Morderstwem w księgarni", ponieważ sporo tutaj nawiązań do pierwszej części serii.
  
  Zimy i zimowego klimatu nie ma zbyt wiele - zimna woda, w której znaleziono zwłoki, nieco mrozu za oknem i tyle. Na to się zatem nie nastawiajcie.
  
  "Morderstwo w zimowy dzień" podobało mi się mniej niż pierwsza książka tej autorki, głównie dlatego, że za dużo było w niej "romantyzmu" i naiwnych, nieodpowiedzialnych zachowań głównej bohaterki.
  
  Klimat małego miasteczka był znów mocno wyczuwalny, dużo lokalnych sekretów i działań po znajomości. Sprawca zbrodni był jednak łatwy do odgadnięcia, więc przy niektórych tropach przewracałam oczami z nudów.
• 
  shubiektywnie

  To było tak fajne! Znalałam MOJE cosy mystery <3
• 
  Dana-Adriana B.

  Flora Steele walking along the pier found a body in the cold water, it is young Polly. Police and family think that Polly's death was an accident, but Flora thinks otherwise and now she needs to look into this suspicious death.
  Nice cozy mystery, thanks to Netgalley.
• 
  Książkomanka

  4.5/5 ⭐
  
  Jest jeszcze lepsza niż 1 tom! Tyle przygód, zwrotów akcji i zakończenie! Od razu sięgam po trzeci i nie wiem co zrobię, jak już go skończę i będę musiała czekać na następny! To moja nowa ulubiona seria kryminalna! Te kryminały są takie wciągające i komfortowe! A klimat angielskiej wsi lat 50tych - cudo! Kocham Florę Steele! No i odczułam ogromną satysfakcję, bo odpadłam przestępcę!
• 
  Robin Loves Reading

  Flora Steele and Jack Carrington make a fine pair when it comes to solving murders. In fact, they proved quite successful once before. Jack is a crime writer with the intent of getting back to his next novel. Flora has a bookshop to run. However, not only has another murder occurred, Flora knew the victim. She just has to get involved. Quite naturally, Flora has every intention of getting Jack’s help once again.  
  
  As before, there is no shortage of suspects. Meanwhile, just as it seems that Flora and Jack are actually drawing closer together, someone from Jack’s past comes into the picture and upsets the fine balance he and Flora have found. Will they be able to push past hurt feelings and focus on the murder at hand?
  
  If Flora had already experienced danger once before, the stakes are even higher this time. Flora will leave no stone unturned even if it means upsetting more than a few people as she doggedly pursues the truth. 
  
  Murder on the Pier is the perfect sophomore book in this terrific cozy mystery series. I love Flora and Jack together as they make a fine pair of sleuths. I look forward to see their romance blooming. This book could do well as a standalone but if you are like me and like backstories then you might enjoy the first book in this series,  The Bookshop Murder, as I did. I am eager for the next book in the series. 
  
  Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
• 
  aska_taka_ja

  Lata 50-te, niespieszne Abbeymead i zagadkowa śmierć młodej Polly. Tak w skrócie można opisać to co spotka Was w książce pt. "Morderstwo w zimowy dzień". Wyjadacze kryminałów nie nastawiajcie się jednak na wartką akcję z błyskotliwych gliniarzem, tylko na spacery i domysły pary mieszkańców Abbeymead. Flora i Jack, właścicielka księgarni i pisarz, to właśnie oni doprowadzą do rozwiązania sprawy.
  Miłośnicy zbrodni w latach 50-tych czy samych lat 50- tych nie nastawiajcie się na spacery brukowanymi ulicami czy na szukanie śladów za pomocą szkła powiększającego. Tego tu nie ma w ogóle nie czułam klimatu tamtych lat.
  Śmierć Polly tylko na początku wydaje się zagadkowa. Jeszcze przed płową książki jest taki fragment który w sposób znaczny może nasunąć czytelnikowi rozwiązanie sprawy.
  A tak w ogóle w trakcie czytania doszło do mnie, że czytam drugą część bez poznania pierwszej. Okazuje się jednak, że nie było to problemem.
  Podsumowując nie jest to zła książka dla nowicjusza, może dać się wciągnąć
  Dla mnie była jednostajna nie wzbudzała we mnie tylu emocji i nie wyzwalała tylu myśli ci prawdziwy, rasowy kryminał.
  Książkę poznawałam (dokładnie) w połowie jako ebook, a drugą połowę przesłuchałam. I ta druga opcja zdecydowanie wygrywa przy tym tytule.
• 
  Booklover_bl

  Przyjemna lektura do posłuchania przy pracy. Podobała mi się nieco mniej niż pierwszy tom, ale ma fajny klimat. Będę słuchać kolejnych 🙌
• 
  Bookworm86

  BLOG TOUR REVIEW
  
  Review for 'Murder On The Pier' by Merryn Allingham.
  
  Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Merryn Allingham, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
  
  Publication date 10th November 2021.
  
  This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Flora Steele Mystery' series. I have previously read 'The Bookshop Murder' which is the first book in the series and which I highly recommend, although this can be read as a standalone.
  
  
  I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis!.' I am a huge fan of all three of those authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Merryn and if this is half as good as 'The Bookshop Murder' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
  
  This novel consists of 33 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
  
  This book is based in Gloucester and Brighton, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in Gloucester on many occasions including this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
  
  This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Flora Steele ad Jack Carrington. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
  
  This book was very well written and I do believe some research went into it as everything linked correctly in with the era it was set in which was 1955. It is a real bug bear for me when I read a historical novel and the author hasn't done their research and gets basic information mixed up so well done Merryn!! It was very well written and I found the synopsis and the cover fitted the storyline perfectly, The descriptions were great and it really felt as if I was in the story.
  
  Well I must say this is yet another explosive book in an absolutely addictive series!!! The storyline was very interesting and quite fast paced. I absolutely loved the fact that the main characters (Flora) owns a Bookshop and Jack is an author. There is just something about a book where there is a lot of emphasis on books for me and this book was packed with them!! I really enjoyed that it was set in the past and the storyline really suited that. It really is a nice cozy mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. At no point did I suspect who was doing what or why so another huge well done there Merryn!!! I have read many a mystery and find that I am working out the killer/perp quicker every time and there's nothing worse than working out who did what when your need even half way through a book. I loved that this book is based in Gloucester and Brighton as the atmospheres suit the book perfectly. Not only is this quite a suspense and action filled mystery but there was just the right amount of quirkiness, laughter and attitude to give it a nice mix!!! A fun, addictive, unputdownable cozy crime mystery.
  
  Although this is the second book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
  
  
  I am really invested in the characters and really enjoyed meeting Flora and Jack again both with their fantastic and quirky personality!!! In fact all of the characters had their own individual personalities which worked really well with each other. I am definitely looking forward to meeting Flora and Jack again and some more of the villagers. The community was really close knit which is realistic in small communities and I enjoyed getting to know them.
  
  Congratulations Merryn on yet an absolutely fantastic book in an absolutely epic series!! I am really looking forward to see what Flora and Jack get up to next!!! Here's to your next success 🥂
  
  Overall 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!!!
  
  Genres covered in this novel include Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Murder Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.
  
  
  I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie, Dee MacDonald, Fliss Chester and anyone looking for a historic cosy mystery!!
  
  
  270 pages.
  
  This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
  
  Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
  
  Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
  
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• 
  Ola | Ms.Fairytale

  3,5⭐️
  Jakoś tak nie wiem, mniej mi się ten tom podobał 🤷‍♀️
• 
  Clare Chase

  I absolutely love the sleuthing partnership of Flora Steele and Jack Carrington! They’re such a great counterbalance for each other and the other series characters are warm and wonderful to come back to as well. As for the mystery, I whizzed through it – there was lots of satisfying focus on the clues but plenty of action and drama too. The first book in the series was thoroughly enjoyable and if anything, I appreciated this one even more. A perfect period cosy.
• 
  Rude Kadry

  "Morderstwo w zimowy dzień" autorstwa Merryn Allingham to powieść, która przenosi czytelnika w nostalgiczny nastrój mroźnych dni, oferując jednocześnie urok otulającego kryminału w stylu cozy. Choć słowa "otulający" i "kryminał" pozornie mogą do siebie pasować, to gwarantuję Wam, że tak właśnie tak jest. Autorka doskonale balansuje między subtelnością a napięciem, kreując opowieść, która wciąga od pierwszych stron. Jednym z najważniejszych atutów tej powieści jest sposób, w jaki Allingham podejmuje temat kryminalnej zagadki. Zamiast opowiadać o krwawej zbrodni, skupia się na wyważonych opisach, co sprawia, że lektura jest zarówno intrygująca, jak i przyjemna. Czytelnikowi pozostawiane są subtelne wskazówki, prowadzące go przez zawiłą intrygę, a sama rozgrywka staje się swoistym łamigłówkowym doświadczeniem.
  
  Niezwykle ciekawym aspektem jest także kreacja bohaterów, szczególnie Flory Steele, właścicielki księgarni All's Well, oraz pisarza kryminałów, Jacka Carringtona, detektywów-amatorów. Ich relacja, choć pozbawiona romantycznych wątków, jest głęboka i autentyczna. Dialogi między nimi, przekomarzania oraz wzajemna troska sprawiają, że czytelnik połączy się z postaciami na emocjonalnym poziomie, co dodaje powieści nowego wymiaru. Warto również podkreślić, że chociaż książka nie skupia się na romantycznych wątkach, to relacja między głównymi bohaterami jest bardzo wciągająca. Autorka zręcznie pokazuje, jak dynamika między postaciami może by�� centralnym elementem opowieści, nawet bez elementu romansu.
  
  Fabuła powieści płynie nieśpiesznie, co nie oznacza, że jest pozbawiona dynamiki. Zawiłe wydarzenia, opisowe fragmenty oraz otulający styl tworzą atmosferę, która jednocześnie kojąca, a jednocześnie wzmagająca czujność czytelnika. Ta równowaga między opisowością a napięciem jest jednym z największych sukcesów książki. Autorka nie obarcza czytelnika szczegółami krwawej zbrodni, wszelkie opisy są bardzo subtelne, wyważone. Sama zagadka kryminalna jest niezwykle ciekawie skonstruowana, Allingham cały czas zostawia czytelnikowi wskazówki, choć te są na tyle niejednoznaczne, że łatwo je przeoczyć - sama dopiero po połowie książki doszłam do tego, kto jest sprawcą, choć identycznie jak Flora Steele - zmieniłam się w chodzącą podejrzliwość.
  
  "Morderstwo w zimowy dzień" to idealna lektura dla miłośników klasycznego kryminału, zwłaszcza tych, którzy cenią sobie styl cozy. Urokliwe opisy, świetnie skomponowana fabuła oraz fascynujące postacie, prowadzące amatorskie śledztwo, sprawiają, że powieść ta zasługuje na uwagę zarówno fanów gatunku, jak i czytelników poszukujących odskoczni od bardziej brutalnych kryminałów. To retro-kryminał, który wplata wątki zagadkowe w otoczenie pełne uroku, tworząc niezapomniane doświadczenie czytelnicze.
• 
  Elaine - Splashes Into Books

  If post-war cosy mysteries are what you crave
  Read this one, I'm sure it'll make you rave!
  Set in a Sussex village in 1955 you'll meet
  Lots of folks you'd like to actually greet.
  
  Flora Steele and Jack Carrington are friends who
  Seem to accidentally get involved in a mystery or two.
  In this one a trip to visit Brighton and the pier
  Is where they discover Polly Dakers, she's dead, I fear.
  
  Is it a suicide, an accident or murder? They have to know!
  So again it is off investigating that they go.
  There are secrets, surprises and so much more
  That they'd discover as they start to explore.
  
  With a plethora of clues and danger around both of them
  Will they survive investigating yet again?
  WOW! I thoroughly enjoy reading about the village and times
  As well as these two endeavouring to solve the crimes.
  
  It is a series I hope to return to in future to read more
  About Abbeymead, the folks and times I adore.
  I admit I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there's a chance
  This sleuthing couple will develop into a romance!
  
  For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
  I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.
• 
  Anna Myszkowska

  -Intrygująca powieść kryminalna osadzona w scenerii angielskiej wioski Abbeymead. Idealna dla fanów Sherlocka Holmesa i Herkulesa Poirota-
  
  Ciekawy i lekki kryminał, który przeczytałam w zaledwie kilka godzin.
  ❗️
  Flora, bohaterka książki znajduje w wodzie ciało młodej dziewczyny. Nie spodziewa sie tego, że jest jedną z jej znajomych. Prosi o pomoc Jacka, pisarza kryminalnego, aby rozwikłać zagadkę morderstwa. Chociaż było podejrzenie, że to samobójstwo, to Flora nie dała temu wiary i za wszelką cenę chce dowiedzieć się prawdy i dopaść zbrodniarza.
  ❗️
  Książkę "Morderstwo w zimowy dzień" możemy zaliczyć do raczej tych spokojnkejszych, bez rozlewu krwi, bez gonitwy, na spokojnie. Z dnia na dzień prowadzący śledztwo są bliżej rozwiązania, i złapania sprawcy, który sporo ma na sumieniu.
  Sprawca jako przebieraniec nie okazał się takim spryciarzem jakim by chciał. Jedna mała rzecz, który zgubił okazała się być silnym dowodem na jego winę.
  ❗️
  Myślę, że dla co niektorych rozwiązanie samo się nasunęło, ale warto doczytać do końca, aby się upewnić na sto procent co i jak !!!
  ❗️
  Cieszę się, że miałam przyjemność przeczytania książki bo bardzo mi się podobała.
  Ciekawa, przyjemna w czytaniu, połączona z obyczajówką, i godna polecenia bo warto po nią sięgnąć.
• 
  Julia cinnamonstranger

  dużo słabsze niż pierwsza część, bo wcześniej chociaż ci bohaterowie wzbudzali sympatię, a w tej nie wnoszą nic nowego i są zwyczajni nudni
  
  akcja też nie porywa, kilkukrotnie powtórzono ten sam schemat, te same sytuacje, według jednego modelu
  
  rozwiązanie przewidywalne
• 
  Aleksandra (aalexbook)

  2,75
• 
  smajjjll

  3.5
• 
  Paula &#x1f9a5;

  3.75/5 ⭐️
  
  Kolejne przygody Flory i Jacka spodobały mi sie bardziej niż te z pierwszej książki. Czy rozwiązanie było przewidywalne? Owszem, tak jak w poprzedniej książce rozwiązałam zagadkę zanim zrobili to bohaterzy, ale nie wyklucza to faktu że przyjemnie i szybko się czytało.
• 
  Cathy Cole

  I'm happy to report that this second Flora Steele mystery is just as enjoyable as the first, The Bookshop Murder. This time readers are taken to the seaside town of Brighton where Flora and Jack deal with a theatrical group and a line-up of suspects that includes a sugar daddy, a spurned wife, an unsavory character from London, and others. Flora's business has yet to fully recover from what happened in the first book. She is trying to drive sales up by various means, but her investigation here in Murder on the Pier kept her away too much yet again. Either Flora is going to be a detective, or she's going to be a bookshop owner. So far the two occupations aren't blending together well. I'm looking forward to seeing how the author deals with this in future books.
  
  Once again, the telling little details about the era add depth to the story. I think most Americans, if they're even aware that there was rationing in this country and in the United Kingdom, believe everything snapped back to normal immediately after World War II ended. It snapped back a lot faster here in the United States, but it took years for rationing to end in the United Kingdom. Meat rationing had ended just the year before (1955), and now Flora lets us know just how precious a brand-new pair of shoes is. Besides, her main source of transportation is Betty, her bicycle.
  
  Readers learn more about Jack in this second book as he and Flora become even more comfortable with each other. When Jack's old flame arrives on his doorstep, I narrowly avoided rolling my eyes, and I'm glad I did. I really like how Jack dealt with the situation. The repartee between Flora and Jack is one of the strongest parts of this series. That and the presence of a young boy named Charlie. With Jack feeling ever more protective of Flora, I do believe he should formulate some sort of fitness regimen to build up his strength and endurance. Why? Because he spent a lot of time dragging Flora out of some hair-raising situations in this book-- none of which were what I call TSTL (Too Stupid To Live).
  
  Interesting characters? Check. Strong setting and historical detail? Check. Fun dialogue? Check. What about the mystery? Well, it's a good'un, too. Although I was blinded by the light of deduction before Flora, she was nipping close at my heels. So yes, I'm looking forward to my next visit to Abbeymead to see what Jack and Flora (and Charlie) get up to next.
  
  (Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
  
• 
  Nina

  Zanim piękna Polly Dakers doczekała się od podstarzałego sponsora obiecanych funduszy, jakie umożliwiłyby jej start w konkursie na modelkę, znaleziono jej zwłoki dryfujące obok przystani w Brighton. Odkrywa je Flora Steele, spacerująca po molo, i tylko ona nie wierzy, że dziewczyna wpadła do wody przypadkiem lub popełniła samobójstwo. Niedowiarkiem jest nawet Jack Carrington, co nie znaczy, że zaniecha wykonywania śledczych pomysłów Flory, usiłując przy tym zapewnić bezpieczeństwo amatorskiej pani detektyw i sobie. Nie do końca skutecznie.
  
  W Sussex panuje podobna atmosfera jak w poprzednim tomie. Jedenaście lat po wojnie ludzie nadal borykąją się z przyziemnymi życiowymi kłopotami, na dodatek coraz częściej docierają do Abbeymead wieści o nowych, „normalnych” przestępstwach i o kandydatach na ich sprawców, zarówno spośród mieszkańców lokalnej społeczności jak i osób napływowych usiłujących wkraść się w ich łaski poprzez zapewnienie im lepszego bytu. Współczucie i życzliwość wydają się powszechne ale nigdy, nawet wsród przyjaciół, nie przekraczają granic prywatności.
  
  Najbardziej ta angielska wstrzemięźliwość uderza w relacjach między Florą i Jackiem, coraz bardziej zakrawając na emocjonalną i fizyczną oziębłość. Jest to zjawisko z jednej strony ujmujące, znajdujące wyraz w eleganckiej słownikowej brytyjszczyźnie, lecz z drugiej anachroniczne i z lekka irytujące. Ciekawe, czy Merryn Allingham pozostaje mu wierna w kolejnych tomach serii.
  
  Mimo że w kwestii morderstwa na przystani nie można Florze Steele odmówić detektywistycznej intuicji, czytelnik znacznie szybciej niż ona zyskuje pewność co do tożsamości sprawcy. Czy są to konsekwencje przyjętej przez autorkę konwencji, czyli braku wnikania w psychikę przesłuchiwanych przez Florę ludzi? Zwłaszcza że analiza śladów materialnych odkrywanych w związku ze śmiercią Polly i tak przyniosłaby wówczas, w roku 1956, znacznie skromniejsze wyniki niż byłoby to obecnie.
  
  Najsprawiedliwszą oceną książki byłoby 3.5.
• 
  Karren Hodgkins

  It still feels like this could be a great series. as Flora and Jack. make for an interesting leading couple.
  
  This time there was just too much I found implausible and the behaviour, and at times, a little reckless, putting people in harms way unnecessarily. I worked out who the murderer was early on, the motivation behind the killing took a little longer.
  
  I'm looking forward to seeing if the series gets back on track in the next book, with this unlikely duo.
  
  My thanks to #Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my honest opinion in exchange for my Advance Reader Copy
• 
  daria

  super cosy (as far as a murder mystery with couple of dead bodies can be)
  
  but please, i beg you, make them smooch in the next one