#Blogtour Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison.

About the Author

Anita Davison is the author of the successful Flora Maguire historical mystery series. Previously published by Aria, she is writing a new cosy mystery series for Boldwood, the first title of which, Murder in the Bookshop, will be published in August 2023. Follow @anitasdavison on Twitter, @Anitadavison3740 on Instagram.

About the book

Someone’s been read their last rites…

1915, London: Working in the dusty bookshop that her Aunt Violet mysteriously inherited, Hannah Merrill is accustomed to finding twists in every tale. But discovering her beloved best friend Lily-Anne – with a paperknife through her heart – in the middle of the bookshop, is not a plotline she saw coming.

The case is anything but textbook. With the discovery of a coded German message, and Hannah’s instinct that Lily-Anne’s husband is keeping secrets, she determines to get to the bottom of it.

She can’t do it alone though. To crack this case, Hannah will need the enlist the help of her outrageous, opinionated, only-occasionally-objectionable Aunt Violet.

They think they’re making progress until one of their chief suspects is found dead. And Hannah realises that she is herself now in the murderer’s sights. Will the final chapter be the ending of a killer… or just a killer ending?

A totally addictive, WW1-set cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey, and Agatha Christie.

Review

Running a bookshop in the middle of London, as the bombing of the city by the Germans begins in earnest, isn't a simple task. It's also slightly more difficult to run a business when someone decides to commit a murder in said bookshop. Everyone starts to look like a suspect even Hannah and her Aunt Violet.

It reminded me of Christie's Tommy and Tuppence, the Miss Scarlet series with the slightly rebellious Aunt Violet giving a bit of Miss Fisher vibes. Set in 1915 with Britain finally coming to the realisation that there is no end in sight when it comes to the war, in fact the real devastation is only just beginning.

There are plenty of personal tragedies and perhaps what is the most tragic is the way the remaining men, regardless of age, are treated with such disdain for not volunteering. This is before they have no choice and the thoughtless cruelty of their own friends, neighbours and fellow countrymen and women poisons their country. 

I enjoyed the way the author combines historical fact with the comfortable feel of characters inviting you in for a look into their lives and keeps the story on a never quite even keel by introducing death, betrayal and suspicion into the mix.

Buy Murder in the Bookshop at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: Boldwood Books; pub date 22 Aug. 2023. Buy at Amazon com. Buy here.