Reviews

Chapter and Curse is the first book in Elizabeth Penny's new Cambridge Bookshop Series and I found it to be a wonderful start. We meet Molly Kimball and her mother Nina, who move from Vermont to Nina's native England. Molly's father has passed away and Nina receives a request for help from her aunt to run the family bookstore. These women make for very likable protagonists. The storyline moves along at a solid pace and I thought the author did an excellent job of balancing the amount of backstory mixed in with the current mystery. Once in Cambridge, Ms. Penny surrounds her protagonists with a cast of secondary characters that add dimension and enjoyment to the story.

I found the mystery to be complex enough to keep me engaged. The author provides enough information and clues that the reader is able to make an educated guess as to the killer's identity. While I did figure out the killer and motive by about 2/3rds of the way into the book, I enjoyed the journey as Molly reached the same conclusion. I am so rarely correct in my guesses that the fact that I was right this time did not take away from the enjoyment of the book. The story and the characters kept me engaged.

I am looking forward to more to come in this series. I loved the location and the fact that the series involves a bookstore that is a national treasure in small-town England. I will be back for future installments.

I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

constancepsych's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a Avery good start to a new cozy mystery series. One of those weeks where all I wanted to do was read it and couldn’t, life right? Overall, great character development, atmospheric and felt as if I were a part of the group. I wanted nothing more than to be in the kitchen of this shop gathering with this group of lovely characters. Definitely recommend to all for a cozy comfort.

jcl9094's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Simple, light cozy mystery. Molly and her mother Nina travel from Vermont to Cambridge to help Aunt Violet with her old book shop. Not even to the halfway point and I already knew who did the murder and why. I’ve read this plot line before. The American saves the rare bookstore with her knowledge of the internet and instagram. Yeah, kind of hokey. Also, the way the author kept breaking into the story to define simple British words was a bit unusual. Very fast read.

abbybee's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

More...