Source: Publisher
Description: Penelope Parish has hit a streak of bad luck, including a severe case of writer's block that is threatening her sophomore book. Hoping a writer in residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, will shake the cobwebs loose, Pen, as she's affectionately known, packs her typewriter and heads across the pond.
Unfortunately, life in Chumley is far from quiet and when the chairwoman of the local Worthington Fest is found dead, fingers are pointed at Charlotte Davenport, an American romance novelist and the future Duchess of Worthington. Charlotte turns to the one person who might be her ally for help: fellow American Pen. Teaming up with bookstore owner Mabel Morris and her new friend Figgy, Pen sets out to learn the truth and find the tricks that will help her finish her novel.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: A murder mystery in a bookshop in a place called Upper Chumley-on-Stoke? How could I resist?
My Impression: This was a fun start to the series. The premise is fantastic, Pen is sympathetic and interesting, and the village is full of quirky characters with rather vivid backstories. Throw in a bit of a romance and what's not to love. Though honestly my favorite part was the kind of behind the scenes bits of Pen working on her book. I really enjoyed watching her figure out the hows and whys of her story.
But back to the mystery! Really no one in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke is asking to get murdered more then Regina and there are more people wo aren't sorry to see her gone then will miss her. I'm not sure I 100% bought why Pen got pulled into the investigation but that's pretty minor when it comes to amateur sleuths. It was fun to watch the investigation progress and all the secrets unravel. Really the only thing that kept this book from being a Really Liked It is that there are so many characters and I didn't quite fully feel like I really knew them all. I'm thinking this is a first book issue and I am fully expecting for the 2nd book to be a favorite read next year.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm expecting the next book to be absolutely fantastic!
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy bookish cozies this is definitely a good one to pick up. I think it's the beginning of a fantastic series.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm expecting the next book to be absolutely fantastic!
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy bookish cozies this is definitely a good one to pick up. I think it's the beginning of a fantastic series.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
This sounds good Katherine. I hope to finish up my first cozy in years today. It's good too.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like so much fun.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to giving this series a try! It sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound good and I love the cover. Will certainly mark it to read.
ReplyDeleteThis definitely sounds like fun, and I love the UK setting!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any bookish cozies yet. I'll definitely keep this one in mind. It sounds like lots of fun!
ReplyDeleteOh! Adding this to the TBR.
ReplyDelete