Chapter and Curse - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Chapter and Curse (Cambridge Bookshop Series #1) by Elizabeth Penney

Rating: Liked It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Librarian Molly Kimball and her mother, Nina, need a change. So when a letter arrives from Nina’s Aunt Violet in Cambridge, England requesting their help running the family bookshop, they jump at the chance.

Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, is one of the oldest bookshops in Cambridge, and—unfortunately—customers can tell. When Molly and Nina arrive, spring has come to Cambridge and the famed Cambridge Literary Festival is underway. Determined to bring much-needed revenue to the bookstore, Molly invites Aunt Violet’s college classmate and famed poet Persephone Brightwell to hold a poetry reading in the shop. But the event ends in disaster when a guest is found dead—with Molly’s great-aunt’s knitting needle used as the murder weapon. While trying to clear Violet and keep the struggling shop afloat, Molly sifts through secrets past and present, untangling a web of blackmail, deceit, and murder.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  It involves a bookstore in England.  How could I resist it?

My Impression: This is another new series that I'm so excited for.  I love Molly, her mother Nina, and Aunt Violet.  I also really enjoyed the atmosphere of Thomas Marlowe bookstore.  I really loved the community and the friends that Molly makes.  

The mystery was solid.  Pretty much as soon as the body is discovered, Molly, her family and a few friends immediately form a group to investigate.  I love a team effort when it comes to an investigation and while this wasn't as fully used as I would have liked I loved when they would all get together and discuss new leads and whatnot.  As the investigation continues the question changes from who would have wanted to kill the victim to who WOULDN'T want to kill the victim.  The chase to the reveal was entertaining with just enough clues and red herrings to keep me me guessing.

Because this is the first book in the series there is quite a lot of setup.  Penney has to explain why Molly doesn't know anything about her mother's family and why she hasn't been back as well as setup just who everyone is on this small lane in Cambridge.  I found all of this interesting and enjoyed getting to know the characters.  However, the setup did slow the pacing down just a smidge.  

I'm excited to see where this series goes and I'm looking forward to spending more time with Molly, Nina, Aunt Violet, Kieran, Daisy and the rest of the group.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I really enjoyed this one and would love to read more from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy bookish cozies this is one you should definitely pick up.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *