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A review by peggyemi
Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney
4.0
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.
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.