Murder in the Bookshop: The start of a totally addictive WW1 cozy murder mystery from Anita Davison

Written by Anita Davison

Narrated by Oona Beeson

‘A lovely mystery evocative of the period from a talented writer’ Helena Dixon, bestselling author of the Miss Underhay mysteries

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.

Readers love Murder in the Bookshop:

‘Wonderful!! I had high hopes for this novel and it did not disappoint. Once I began I could hardly put it down. I am excited to read Ms. Davison’s next installment’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I couldn’t put this book down, I just wanted to keep reading. The story kept me guessing all the time and the ending was unexpected. Can’t wait for the next book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘What a fabulous setting for a murder Aunt Violet's dusty bookshop is!… If I could have read it in one sitting, I would have done. A brilliant plot with some clever twists! I think I've found a new favourite series. I can’t wait for the next instalment. Highly recommended!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘A fabulous historical novel that entertained me from the start… Reminiscent of Miss Jane Marple… I loved the inclusion of Bartleby, the bookshop cat who was very much a character in his own right’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I loved this book. Hannah and Aunt Violet are wonderful characters and I liked them from the start. The surrounding characters are well imagined. The setting is interesting. I enjoyed the references to literature and the way books were a part of the story line… Very entertaining and I highly recommend it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Set against the backdrop of the war in 1915, with the very real fears of invasion and bombings, the characters are beautifully drawn, especially the wonderfully bold and rather scandalous suffragette Violet who carries a few secrets of her own and who I immediately loved. This is a great start to a new cosy crime series and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next to the amateur sleuths and their friends’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Fascinating characters, scandals, espionage and murder…Kept me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen to Hannah and her delightful feline companion’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boldwood Books
• Release date: Aug 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781785133053

Anita Davison

Anita Davison is the author of the successful Flora Maguire historical mystery series.

[Davina Ramirez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Three stars is a little generous to be honest, but the reader was good, so let's go with it.

I had two issues with this book. First was the unlikeability of every single character. They all seemed to dislike each other; the level of rudeness, bitchiness and outright abusive behavior was jarring and unpleasant to listen to. I felt my stress levels rising for all the wrong reasons while listening. Second, malapropisms. Hair that's "sartorial"? Perhaps you meant "saturnine." Being found innocent of a crime is "vindicated"? Surely you mean "exonerated." And of course, these characters would never refer to "throwing up" when they mean to say "being sick." And so on.

Main character feels very Mary Sue, but I could forgive that. In addition to the problems above, though, not so much.