I’m really grateful to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book which i’ve rated three stars for the clever writing and humour but it just didn’t really draw me in enough to want to keep reading-not one for me.

When I started reading this book I thought I was not going to like it but its cozy story gradually turned my opinion round. It is set in the 50s and I enjoyed the contrast between the police force then and now. I t hought the story line was good if a little complicated. The main characters were well drawn. Spoiler alert, I didn't like the ending which is why I have reduced my rating.

To my surprise I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. The plot was very interesting and twisty enough without being too far-fetched for me, the setting in the 50s was beautifully realised, and the tone of the story was brilliantly humorous and ironic. I part read and part listened to the story and again the narrator – Impressive Tom Turner – made the experience once more twice as enjoyable. Or possibly Grasby and indeed Juggers are growing on me? Certainly Juggers was an amazing addition to the story, despite what his poor suffering underling would say… The book tells yet another story form Grasby’s files, involving the indomitable duo stranded by the winter weather in a village full of Christmas cheer, strange going ons involving dead bodies and a surprising amount of stockings, and the perspective of the Christmas Day in the company of Grasby Senior, and his love interest. Altogether, a great Christmas caper.

I really wanted to love this book but at times I did find it confusing as to who was who. The story takes place in Uthley Bay and we follow the story of Grasby, a Police Officer, who is trying to work out the Stocking murderer. I did enjoy the book but sometimes had to go back and find out who particular members were.

Carrying on from Murder at Holly House, we meet Frank Grasby and a host of other characters from that book, with a new murder investigation.
Like the first book, I enjoyed the writing and the character of Grasby, but struggled to stay interested throughout the story.

Although I hadn't read the first one in this series it really didn't matter. This funny cozy mystery was brilliant and although it mentions Christmas in the title it wasn't over the top. I really enjoyed this one and will look forward to reading more in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of The Christmas Stocking Murders.

This is the second book in a series, however I didn't feel I missed out on much by not reading the first. Quite enjoyable, more than I initially thought it would be. Dry humour and wit, good if not slightly unbelievable storyline, would recommend.

I do love a cozy, funny crime book that is packed with quirky characters and this gave me all of that!

It’s Christmas 1953 and Frank Grasby and his boss Juggers (who I love!) are heading to Uthley Bay to investigate the mysterious death of a fisherman who has washed up on the beach strangled by a stocking along with a number of packets of stockings!!!

Frank’s Father Grasby SNR turns up with Hetty Gaunt (who was a very interesting character in “Murder at Holly House!) and things go from bad to worse with well known members of the community meeting a very sticky end, wild weather and more!

If you love a festive crime caper packed with humour and larger than life characters then this one is absolutely for you!

I am a Denzil Meyrick fan and really enjoy his DCI Daley books, but unfortunately I could not get into this book.

I like a cozy crime, and like nothing better than snuggling down to read one on a wet afternoon, but this one I struggled with.

I found the characters annoying, story line was just so slow, didn't engage me at all.

Not for me, sorry!

t’s December 1953, Christmas is just days away and the snow has fallen over Uthley Bay, a small Yorkshire fishing village. There’s a dead body and the local Bobby has been driven out of the area, leaving no one to investigate.

Travelling slowly by car, our dynamic crime busting duo are on their way to crack this case. They start with a local fisherman who is reluctant to talk to them about anything let alone a murder. This is a small village and someone must know something.

Inspector Frank Grasby and his Superintendent boss Arthur Juggers only know that a man has been strangled to death by a stocking, not a Christmas one. The question is, is there more to this? The answer comes with another body.

Once at the hotel, Juggers and Grasby attempt to be incognito. It takes less than an hour for them to be found out. Dot, who does almost every job in the hotel is having non of it. She’s a little power house and won’t stand for nonsense. There’s also Wilf and the very tall chef Tommaso who lifts Jugger’s very heavy trunk up 3 flights of stairs to their room in no time. Saves poor Grasby having to struggle with it. But these 3 are a mystery. Could they be involved?

This is a classic whodunnit. You meet other interesting characters that are written so well into the underlying story, that you just can’t help but wonder if any of them are guilty too.

I found myself laughing at the interaction between Grasby and Juggers. The way they converse is witty and believable. Juggers is most definitely in charge and even though his ideas don’t always work, he manages to play them out stylishly or just blame Grasby.

I read this in my head in a Yorkshire accent which made a lot of the text even more fun. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of the Rev Grasby, Frank’s dad and his companion who have booked into the same hotel for Christmas. The Trout Hotel is also full for Christmas with the promise of entertainment thrown in and its other staff and owner bring their own share of eccentricity which is also humorous

I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the murderer was, however, I wasn’t surprised. This would work well as a festive TV show and the book is cozy crime so whilst you’re guessing I would recommend snuggling under a blanket with a warm drink, maybe at the end of Christmasit’s calmer and you want to relax.

There is a twist in the plot which I didn’t expect but enjoyed. It made the story deeper and for me worked well overall.

This is the second Frank Grasby book, which is written in the style of his memoirs. I have purchased that one but not yet read it and I don’t think you need to have read it to enjoy this book.

This is also a new author for me and one that I will happily return to. Think a good Christie thriller with a lot of comedy thrown in.P

I really enjoyed this book and although it's a Christmas book, it's not just for Christmas.
I loved that it's set on the Yorkshire coast, it was beautifully described and so atmospheric.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Denzil Meyrick’s The Christmas Stocking Murders is a cosy yet complex Christmas mystery set in the bleak, snow-covered seaside village of Uthley’s Bay in 1953. The story follows the delightfully inept Inspector Frank Grasby and his boss, Superintendent Juggers, as they try to solve the murder of a fisherman found with a stocking around his neck. What begins as a simple inquiry takes on darker tones as a violent storm traps the detectives in the remote village and the body count starts to rise. Despite the dire circumstances, the book brims with Meyrick’s signature humour, largely from Grasby’s sardonic observations. His clumsy but well-meaning investigative style makes him a charming and relatable detective, offering not only apprehension but also moments of levity amidst the tension.

Meyrick crafts a sense of isolation, leveraging the brutal winter storm and small-town secrets to ramp up the suspense. As Grasby and Juggers encounter the strangely sinister villagers, including a bespectacled fellow who seems too interested in their investigation, the atmosphere becomes ever more claustrophobic and eerie. The interplay between Grasby and Juggers, along with Grasby’s strained relationship with his father, adds depth and humour to the narrative, emphasizing Grasby’s hapless yet intuitive personality. As stockings mysteriously wash ashore and the village’s obsession with fine hosiery takes on increasingly ominous significance, The Christmas Stocking Murders skilfully blends a festive mystery, com and even a dash of romance.

I haven’t read the previous book in this series but I was extremely interested in this book from the very start! It is set in the early 1950’s in a quaint North Yorkshire fishing village & features Inspector Grasby as the narrator. Now I don’t think this book will be for everyone as he does sound a bit like a cross between Bertie Wooster & Captain Hastings from Poirot & is written in this manner, but it’s certainly a good romp!

It’s a slow story but it doesn’t matter as it is so descriptive & humorous. Inspector Grasby & his superior Juggers have to investigate a strange murder in the village of Uthley Bay, a small fishing village.
There’s murder, snow, twins, guns, missing police constables, smugglers, Americans, a vicar & his seemingly inappropriate companion & Christmas!

All in all a throughly enjoyable story.

Christmas is fast approaching and Frank Grasby and his boss visit the Yorkshire coast to investigate the death of fisherman .
The fisherman is found with a stocking wound tightly around his neck .
There are a number of secrets and lies being told and plenty of suspects to choose from which makes the case challenging.
Grasby and Juggers make a great duo they are like chalk and cheese and this makes an entertaining read.
I enjoy the writing style of Denzil Meyrick , an easy read with added humour which is dark at times .
Plenty of red herrings to keep the readers interest and plenty of different characters.
A great addition to the series .
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers.

Firstly, I want to thank the author @denzil_meyrick the publishers @randomhouse and @netgalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

Ok, I'll be honest, I really struggled to finish this book. I probably gave up 4 times, but there was just something that kept drawing me back, I had to know how the story ended. Don't get me wrong, it's a great story, I just struggled with the language used. No, I don’t mean the Yorkshire accent as I lived up there for a while, more the use of it I think, due to when the story is meant to be set.

#TheChristmasStockingMurders #denzilmeyrick #NetGalley #frankgrasbymystery #arc #ebook #bookreview

This was my first introduction to Inspector Frank Grasby and whilst I don't normally read cosy crime I found this one to be a really engaging one.

As it not only delivered on the crime but the dark humour and the characters too.

Not to mention it had plenty of Christmas cheer and the period detail and setting was spot on and all together it made for a really enjoyable murder mystery. That I would happily recommend to others.

I was given an e-book copy of The Christmas Stocking Murders by Denzil Meyrick from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review of the book.

I really wanted to read this book after enjoying the first book in this series, Murder at Holly House last year.

Inspector Frank Grasby is despatched to the Yorkshire Village of Uthley Bay a few days before Christmas 1953 to investigate the murder of a local fisherman who has been found on the beach with a stocking wound tightly round his neck. This time he is accompanied by his Superintendent, Juggers who brings much humour to proceedings.

After checking into the only local hotel in the village which is filling up with Christmas tourists both officers set about trying to solve the murder. However, another murder is committed the day after their arrival and it becomes apparent that there is something pretty sinister going on in the village and the police (as well as the reader) just don't know who they can trust.

Plenty red herrings mean that the real culprits are not revealed until very near the end of the book which added to my enjoyment of the book.

This book could be read as a standalone but I would
recommend reading Murder at Hollt House first due to several recurring characters appearing in this second book.

I really enjoyed the pairing of Grasby and Juggers in this book and I hope that this duo will return in any future books in this series.

A thoroughly enjoyable cosy crime book and a great Christmas read.

I found this an easy-to-read, fairly light-hearted cosy crime that overall I enjoyed reading. But it didn't score higher for me as I felt it was trying really hard to be a bit Bertie Wooster and just couldn't hit the spot. I liked Grasby well enough, and perhaps if I already knew him from the first book I would like him more? But I wasn't entirely sure who he was, and whether he had any skills as a police detective, or if he just stumbled into solutions by accident a lot of the time. And the language is definitely on a Wodehouse incline, but it just lacked a bit of spark.

There are a lots of intriguing characters, and I wondered what was going on & so kept on reading, and then reading a bit more, to try to discover the ending. I liked the post WW2 setting too, so it had lots of good elements.

The second Frank Grasby mystery finds him investigating another mystery around Christmas, this time of a fisherman who was strangled with a stocking.

I thought the first Grasby mystery was ok, but I like giving series at least 2-3 books to see if I get more into the writing. Unfortunately, I just think the writing style here is not for me. I would recommend a reader read the first in the series first, just because they do reference the previous mystery.

I haven't read the first book in the series so started at a slight disadvantage but it did work as a standalone despite the references to previous events.
It is a humorous and entertaining book with good descriptions of people and places. It is obviously well written but the style is not what I am used to. It is set in the 1950s and narrated by Grasby himself with many wry asides. It is quite slow paced but the great detail makes up for that. Overall it's a decent read with quirky elements but not really my cup of tea.