Murder on the Pier by Merryn Allingham (A Flora Steele Mystery No. 1)

Again this can be read as a stand alone though there are references to the earlier story (also in the same genre). Flora is a bit of a day dreamer, also a amateur detective also owner of a bookshop which she inherited from her aunt. She loves her job, she loves her village but like the Midsomer Murder series, this idyllic village area harbours very vicious people. When Polly a beautiful girl from the village is found murdered and discovered near a pier by Flora and Jack, who are out for a day outing with the boy Charlie the detection has to start on the part of Flora because the Detective Inspectors assigned to the case call on it as an accident if not suicide. They are not willing to even admit to the fact that Polly had her life in front of her and it could never be considered suicide - or the theory of Flora's that it was no accident but that the girl was pushed. When Flora herself is pushed at the same pier and escapes a gruesome death, very narrowly Jack is convinced that someone is trying to cover up Flora's enquiries because she is the only person who is pursuing the line that Polly's death is murder. Jack and Polly have a way to go to uncover clues because the murderer is someone whom they least suspect. In this case there are plenty of suspects but the final closure is different. A very nice cozy. Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.