When a body is discovered at their local country fair, amateur detectives Flora and Jack Carrington agree this death smells suspicious – and it’s not just the killer cheese. It’s the scent of murder…
Sussex, 1960: It’s the perfect day for Abbeymead’s autumn fair. The village green has been transformed into a riot of stalls and tents, and Flora and Jack are keen to sample all the local produce. But when local cheesemaker Gilbert Barrow crashes into the fair, he brings the festivities to a dead halt.
Flora rushes to the van and finds Gilbert slumped over the wheel, killed by his prize-winning round of cheese, which has broken free of its bonds. Flora is immediately alert – surely Gilbert would have been more careful with his treasured prize… and with his life?
Certain there’s more to this than just a tragic accident, Flora and Jack begin investigating Gilbert’s close circle – his jealous cousin, Bea, his corporate dairy rival, Reginald, and his estranged wife, Vivienne. When Gilbert’s new girlfriend is attacked, the race to find out who had the biggest motive heats up faster than fondue. But can Flora and Jack sniff out the killer – or will their investigation crumble before the murderer strikes again…?
I'm delighted to be taking part in the Murder at the Country Fair Books on Tour today. Many thanks to Sarah Hardy from bookouture for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
Like all the books in Merryn Allingham's long-running Flora Steele series, it isn't long before somebody meets an untimely end in Murder at the Country Fair. This time the unfortunate victim is Gilbert Barrow, a new local cheesemaker who is already winning awards. In the best tradition of cosy crime, his demise is ironically brought about when he is crushed to death by a large wheel of his prized Barrow Blue cheese. Of course, this being Abbeymead, Gilbert's death isn't a tragic accident; something Flora immediately notices when, first on the scene, she realises the straps holding the cheese appear to have been cut.
It quickly becomes apparent that poor Gilbert had enemies despite seeming to be a good man himself but the Inspector Alan Ridley faces a conflict of interest due to one of the main suspects, Reginald being a golfing buddy. Reginald works for Consolidated Dairies, a large corporation who have been buying up all the small dairies around Sussex. Gilbert's refusal to be bought out has been a source of frustration to Reginald but enough to lead him to murder...? As a crime author, Flora's husband, Jack has called upon Ridley for advice many times but over the course of this series, their relationship has changed and in spite of the danger they almost inevitably find themselves in, the Inspector respects their amateur sleuthing acumen. Therefore, despite being an unusual move for a senior police officer, it's perhaps not surprising that he enlists their help in looking into Reginald's dealings to determine whether he could be the culprit.
A few people certainly believe him to be culpable and there is evidence to suggest he could be guilty but Flora and Jack soon realise this isn't going to be a simple case to solve. With an estranged, demanding ex-wife, Vivienne, a jealous, vengeful cousin, Bea and a girlfriend who by all accounts was utterly determined to marry her man, there are plenty of people who could potentially have a motive for Gilbert's murder. I never mind if I manage to guess the killer in a crime novel and have been successful when it comes to some of the Flora Steele Mysteries but this time I was stumped! The death count is lower than in previous books but there is still a sense of danger and a few characters are at risk of serious harm, including, of course, our protagonists, who never seem to escape without their share of cuts and bruises.
Murder at the Country Fair can easily be enjoyed as a standalone but it is perhaps more satisfying for returning readers who have a better depth of knowledge regarding the characters and so I would recommend reading the series in order if possible. It's always a pleasure to be reunited with Flora, Jack and their friends and this series is always a heartwarming read. There's a lot going on in the village beyond the murder investigation too; Kate and Tony are expecting their second child, young Charlie Teague is coming on in leaps and bounds as a pastry chef and Sally has finally found love. It's a poignant time for Flora as she and Jack leave the cottage she grew up in with her Aunt Violet to move into the old School House. Meanwhile, there are some anxious scenes involving another character and a reminder that a number of years have passed since the start of the series.
Merryn Allingham always ensures she seasons her plot with little titbits of history to ensure the her books feel authentic and in Murder at the Country Fair, there are mentions of the scandal regarding the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover while To Kill a Mockingbird is flying off the shelves at Flora's bookshop. Meanwhile, her descriptions of village life feel vibrantly real, and having grown up in a small country town – albeit a decade or so later – there's a touching familiarity in reading about the communal gatherings that mark the changing year.
Murder at the Country Fair is a delightful cosy mystery and is perfect for anyone who enjoys entertaining character-driven stories filled with warmth, humour and a little danger. May mysterious murders continue to happen around Flora and Jack for some time to come!
Murder at the Country Fair by Merryn Allingham is published by Bookouture and can be purchased here.
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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