Reviewed by Aimee
I’ve been on a bit of a cozy mystery kick lately, which has helped me find several new favorite authors, one of whom is Elizabeth Penney. Chapter and Curse is the debut novel in Penney’s new Cambridge Bookshop series, and I must say what a delightful debut it is! The cozy idyllic setting, relatable characters, and engaging plot, make this must-read for cozy fans everywhere. When Molly Kimball and her mother move back to her mother’s homeland of Cambridge, England to help Molly’s great-aunt run her bookshop, everything seems like a dream to librarian Molly, until a murder is committed at an author talk to bring business back to the historic shop. The plot thickens when the murder weapon just happens to be Molly’s great-aunt’s knitting needle, and the victim happens to have been her acquaintance. I absolutely love Molly’s budding friendships with some of the colorful locals, including a stray cat who hangs around the shop, the proprietor of the coffee shop across the street, and the owner of the bike shop next door who may just turn into more than a friend. Penney’s writing is so deliciously easy to devour that I read the book in almost record time! The next book in the series, A Treacherous Tale has just been released and I can’t wait to devour another helping of the Cambridge bookshop series!
