Amidst the smell of sherry trifle and the sound of lively music, the guests raise their glasses. But as a loud scream interrupts the toast, amateur detectives Flora and Jack Carrington learn that not everyone is in the party spirit…
Sussex, 1960: Flora and Jack are delighted to be invited to the welcome party for Ambrose Finch’s long-lost son, finally back home after disappearing ten years ago. They’re eager to meet the young man they’ve heard so much about – and perhaps learn why he left in the first place… But when Ambrose’s maid goes to fetch the cake from the kitchen, her screams interrupt his big toast.
Flora and Jack are horrified to find the cook hired for the occasion lying unmoving on the flagstone floor. The sickly-sweet smell of cyanide is their only clue, but the poor cook had no enemies. There are plenty at the party who do, though: Ambrose’s new secretary, Robin – at war with his former employer, a fellow guest – and his business rival, Chester, whose appearance at the party is suspicious in itself. Ambrose seems to have drafted the guest list to cause maximum conflict. But why? the poison intended for someone else?
Flora and Jack can’t resist investigating, in an afterparty they never saw coming… And when another of Ambrose’s employees is found dead, they must work out why all roads lead back to the Finch family. But can they uncover whose past sins have come home to roost, before it’s too late?
It's my pleasure to be hosting the Murder at the Homecoming Books on Tour today. Many thanks to Sarah Hardy from Bookouture for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel, received through Netgalley.
Murder at the Homecoming is the thirteenth book in Merle Allingham's Flora Steele Mysteries series and after following Flora and Jack through the post-war changes of the 1950s, we have now reached the 1960s – but some things stay the same and it isn't long before the couple find themselves at another murder scene in the quiet Sussex village of Abbeymead. It isn't necessary to have read any of the previous novels as this is a standalone mystery. However, as with any long-running cosy crime series, much of the pleasure in reading them comes from the familiarity of the returning characters. Returning readers will enjoy catching up with the married amateur sleuths but also with their friends in the village.
Ambrose Finch is a relative newcomer to Abbeymead and has mostly kept to himself but he wishes to share his joy at being reunited with his estranged son and invites the villagers to a party to celebrate. It comes as no surprise when the evening comes to an abrupt halt following the macabre discovery that Rita, the woman hired as Jessica Fletcher or Jonathan and Jennifer Hart! It's quickly obvious, however, that poor Rita was not the intended victim – so who was the killer's real target and who at the party is guilty of murder? As well as celebrating his son's return, Ambrose also had another reason for his get-together and while his intentions may have been admirable, not everybody there was as ready to forgive and forget. Even before Rita's death, the party has already been interrupted by a dramatic scene and it's soon obvious that Merryn Allingham has peppered this mystery with potential suspects and red herrings.
After their recent traumatic experiences in Murder by Firelight, Jack and Flora are understandably reluctant to involve themselves in another murder case but they are unable to resist the impassioned requests from two of their friends, particularly as the police have another murder investigation on their hands. It's interesting to see how their feelings towards sleuthing have changed over time; Flora, in particular, was once excited to be involved in another case but both have found themselves in too many dangerous predicaments to find murder thrilling any more.
Despite the rising body count, this proves to be a frustrating investigation for the pair and they struggle to find any promising leads for some time. There are a few suspects but this time I was able to figure out the culprit fairly early on. This didn't spoil my reading of the book, of course and I enjoyed following Jack and Flora's enquiries as I waited to find out if my suspicions would be proven correct. It's the characterisation which really keeps me returning to Abbeymead of course, and there's a poignant but welcome development later in proceedings here as Flora finally makes a decision which has been hinted at for some time.
Meanwhile, the changing lives of their friends also feature strongly and with young Charlie Teague's training to become a chef, Alice's increasingly busy workload at the Priory Hotel, Kate's second pregnancy and Rose and Hector's housing woes, there is much to enrich the warmly compelling plot here. It wouldn't be a Flora Steele Mysteries book without the couple winding up in danger on a few occasions and there's one dramatic scene which had my heart in my mouth and fearing the worst.
With its gentle humour, appealing sense of time and place complementing the absorbing mystery, Murder at the Homecoming is another entertaining instalment in this reliable cosy crime series.
Murder at the Homecoming is published by Bookouture and can be purchased here.
See below for more reviews from the tour.
About the Author
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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 and one last cat, Bluebell. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
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