Murder by Firelight by Merryn Allingham - Book Review
Series: Flora Steele Mystery#12
Publication Date: 04th Sep2025
Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0F6Y558JXsocial
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232435224-murder-by-firelight
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery
4 Stars
One Liner: Good!
Book Blurb: No one can hold acandle to amateur detectives Flora Steele and Jack Carrington as they ask theburning question… Who is the killer walking the cobbled streets of theirhistoric little town?
Sussex, November1959: There’s a chill in the air atthe Lewes bonfire celebration. Carnival floats fill the narrow streets,fireworks crackle overhead, and Flora and Jack feel the heat ofthe burning torches lining the streets. But when Trevor French, chief ofthe Grove Bonfire Society, tumbles from his parade float, they know somethingis afoot. Trevor didn’t just fall – and amidst the crowds, his killer slipsaway through the smoke-filled night.
But who would want therespected 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 thevictim’s friend, Leo Nelson, faked to keep himself safe?
Just as the sleuths believethey’ve figured it out, the body of a key suspect in the case is found dead ontheir hearth rug, and Flora and Jack realise that no one is safe – includingthemselves. Together, can they smoke the murderer out? Or will their chancesof survival go up in flames?
A completelyaddictive and absolutely charming cozy mystery novel. Fans of Agatha Christie,Faith Martin, and Joy Ellis will adore this unputdownable series!
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My Thoughts:The story comes in Flora andJack’s third-person POVs.
So, we are in the twelfth bookof the series. The story can work as a standalone, though you might enjoy itmore if you read at least a couple of earlier books.
After complaining about theFMC’s overenthusiasm in the previous books, it’s a relief to see her reluctantto take on a new case in this one. Of course, it’s the MMC who has the itch toknow what happened. That said, they solve it together, as they often do, so allis good. November’s winter plays a goodrole in the story and elevates the plot as well as the setting. Thedescriptions of the bonfire night, the costumes, etc., are well done withoutslowing the narration.
The mystery is quiteinteresting, with some twists and turns and a few red herrings. I did figureout who the killer was and the reason for it. Easy, since all the clues areprovided to the reader. We are not kept in the dark to maintain suspense.
As always, the side charactersadd extra charm to the story by appearing a few times here and there. Not a lotof developments in that area, but there are a few. Though the FMC’s clinginessto the past could create some trouble for the couple in the future.
I think I can guess what thenext case is likely to be. Let’s see if I’ll be right!
To summarize, Murder inFirelight is a quick cozy mystery that will keep you hooked from start tofinish. It’s a small book and can be finished in a couple of sittings.
Thank you, Sarah, NetGalley,and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honestopinion about the book.
#NetGalley
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About the Author –Merryn Allingham
Merryn taught universityliterature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to beginwriting herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historicalfiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas, and timeslip novels, all ofwhich have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it wasonly a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cozy crime seriesset in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.
Merryn lives in a beautifulold town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keepfit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
Follow the Author:
Website: https://merrynallingham.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/merrynwrites
Sign up to be the first tohear about new releases from Merryn Allingham here: https://www.bookouture.com/merryn-allingham
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This has been a pitstop on theblog tour for #MurderbyFirelight by Bookouture (@bookouture). Thank you forstopping by!
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