A riveting good read. Perfect for Christmas, but I'd have happily read this in July!
Set in the 1950s, the authors descriptive style takes you there. A great detective romp.
This is the 2nd book in this series, but works fellas a stand alone.

This is the second book in the series. I went into this book without having read the first. Although you can get away without reading the first in the series, I would recommend reading them in order as this book has references to and a reliance upon knowledge of events in the first book.

I found this book to be extremely hard to get into, and it didn't keep my interest, making it a very difficult read. I didn't find any of the characters to be likeable and often found the dynamic between Grasby and his superior Juggers off-putting.

There are inconsistencies in the storyline, such as it being established that Grasby's car is locked, Grasby's father throwing an overcoat on the backseat of the car, and then a sequence in which Grasby's father feels in all of his trouser pockets to find the keys to unlock the locked car he's supposedly just thrown the overcoat into.

With Grasby, and therefore the reader, being kept in the dark about much of the investigation and details that only seem to be picked up on by Grasby but not passed on to anyone else, I found this to be a rather slow, boring read that felt very rushed at the end, with most of the finer details being revealed in the last 5-10% of the book.

While there are people who will enjoy this book greatly, I am not one of them.

A jolly detective caper set in the 1950's with wonderfully described characters, some hilarious situations and a hint of intrigue.
Two police colleagues travel to a remote Yorkshire coastal town to find clues and answers to murder.
A classic pairing of an older detective who has to tolerate the idiosyncracies and annoyances of his younger assistant. There a plenty occasions of irritation between the two but there is obviously a bond between them, and they appear to be quite skilled at solving mysteries.
I enjoyed the writing style - easy to imagine this transcribed to a TV script.
The outcome of the investigation was slightly disappointing but the rollicking story kept me amused and interested throughout.
I will definitely look out for other titles by this author.

This book is the second in the series. I hadn't read the first, and felt this worked as a standalone.

It is Christmas 1953, and Detective Grasby and his boss Inspector Juggers are called upon to solve the murder of a fisherman found on a beach, strangled by a stocking. Hundreds of pairs of stockings wash up on shore shortly after, along with the murder of a local innkeeper, and Grasby and Juggers have to race against time (and the weather!) to solve the crime.

The story felt quite plodding to me a lot of the time, Juggers doesn't always tell Grasby what is going on and it was quite frustrating to read. I loved the descriptions of the scenery and the weather, it genuinely made me feel cold at times! A nice enough mystery, with some eccentric characters.

A smashing read, made me laugh out loud at times.So , very enjoyable, a must buy for avid readers makes you want to settle and read without any distractions,loved it

I really enjoyed this twisty mystery set in a small village at Christmas but it did make me shiver several times - not just because of the air of menace that ran through it but also because of the descriptions of the weather and taking a dip in an icy sea. Very interesting sub theme about toxic masculinity in the police force in the fifties and a main protagonist who is not ashamed of being vulnerable and not as hardbitten as he is expected to be by the general population.

Detective Frank Grasby is on the case again. He has been sent to investigate a puzzling murder in the remote village of Uthley’s Bay, Yorkshire. In this small fishing village a fisherman has been found dead on the beach. Risk of the trade you might say. However this poor man has been found dead with a pair of stockings wound tight around his throat. Not so accidental a death. So close to Christmas, the cheer in the village is most certainly not evident when Grasby and his boss, Inspector Juggers, arrive on scene.

Soon, hundreds of pairs of stockings, still in their cellophane wrappers, wash up on the shoreline. The village is further thrown into the humdrums when the local publican is murdered. Grasby is clutching at straws, and stumbling around in the snow looking for leads. He can’t place the presence of the stockings in the village. In a place where oilskins are the de-rigueur for fashion, why are stockings at the forefront of most people's minds. Why a murder weapon? Why are the villagers not being more helpful in solving now two murders in their midst?

To make matters even worse, Detective Grasby’s father turns up in the town, for the Christmas festivities in the hotel they are staying in. Father Grasby senior (retired) arrives along with his lady friend, Hetty Gaut, who Grasby rented rooms from during his last case. Why is his father here? A coincidence? And more than Frank can cope with, even thinking of his father with Hetty as a lady friend of all ‘ladies’. Shudder.

This is the second instalment of the Grasby memoirs. The first, Murder at Holly House, introduces us to Grasby, Juggers, Grasby Sr and Hetty Gaut, and you are definitely the better for it. That being said, this book will work stand alone. I do feel you will get more from it if you read it as a series. Learning who Grasby is, and his ability, yet ineptitude only makes this tale all the more entertaining. Understanding who the rest of the returning cast are, and the relationships at play will also make more sense. I loved seeing more of Inspector Juggers in this tale, as his ability to frustrate the situation (and Grasby), while also resolving matters in his own unique manner is hilarious.

There is a full cast of odd and eccentric characters in this story, which makes for some entertaining twists and turns, and some plot switches that I definitely did not expect, but very much loved the direction it took. This is a great book to curl up cosy on the couch and read, enjoy, laugh out loud to, and be thoroughly entertained by. A feel good murder mystery, what a juxtaposition!

* I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

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.