Wednesday, August 24, 2022

A Treacherous Tale - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  A Treacherous Tale (The Cambridge Bookshop Series #2) by Elizabeth Penney

Rating: Really Liked It! (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she's reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.

Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children's tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona's tumbles off her roof to his death.

Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:   I enjoyed the first in the series and this one sounded too good to resist!

My Impression:   This is such a good cozy series set in a picturesque English village in a gorgeous sounding old bookstore.  I love Molly and her enjoyment in learning how to navigate life in England after growing up in Vermont and gets to know the part of her family that has been an ocean away most of her life. Molly is also getting to know her mother better as they explore the area she grew up. 

The mystery was an interesting one.  Just what was an antique dealer doing up on the roof of a cottage being rethatched and how does it connect with an accidental death that happened years before.  And what does all of that have to do with a missing college student?  Interwoven into the investigation is the text of "The Strawberry Girls' a fairy tale-esque children's story that takes place just where the murder does.  The reveal was interesting and a bit unexpected.  

This is a wonderfully cozy English mystery with likable main characters and a bit of history thrown in.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like cozy English mysteries this is a fantastic read that I think you'll really enjoy.  

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

5 comments:

  1. I love the sound of this series with the English village and the bookstore. And a good mystery!

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  2. This sounds really good. I like it when the big reveal is unexpected.

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  3. I haven't read any English cozy mysteries, but I would like to.

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  4. This sounds delightful. Lovely review Katherine. Love the setting.

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  5. I really want to read this series. It sounds great.

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