Author: Elizabeth Penney
Published: November 26, 2024 by Minotaur Book
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 288 Pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: The Cambridge Bookshop Series (#4)
Blurb: Molly is eager to experience her first English Christmas with family and friends now that she's adjusted to her move to Cambridge and her restoration of her family’s ancestral bookshop, Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios. When local toyshop Pemberly’s Emporium reopens, Molly is excited to meet the new owner, Charlotte Pemberly, who is determined to make the toy store a success after unexpectedly becoming her grandfather Arthur’s sole heir.
Arthur's new wife Althea Winters and her unpleasant family loathe Charlotte for inheriting what they believe was theirs and have set their sights on a valuable Madame Alexander doll that's gone missing. When Althea's grandson is poisoned by cakes from Tea & Crumpets, Charlotte becomes the top suspect. Molly believes Charlotte was the intended victim and investigates the Pemberly’s home, only to discover that Arthur had been murdered.
To get closer to this treacherous family, Molly and her boyfriend Kieran go undercover by volunteering to act and sing for a madrigal dinner directed by Althea and her daughter at St. Hildegard’s College. Molly must help her new friend clear her name while searching for the missing doll and wrangling her own family during the chaotic holiday festivities at the bookshop.
My Opinion: This book should have been a DNF by chapter three. I was convinced that it had to get better. There had to be an unpredictable twist. Nope.
From the moment an object is mentioned twice in rapid succession, any seasoned amateur sleuth reader already knows where this is headed. And as for the grand "whodunit" reveal? Let’s just say narrowing down the culprit required about as much effort as finding the salt shaker on the kitchen table. Predictability doesn’t always spell disaster, but when the story treats it like a twist, well… that’s where things start to crumble.
Then there’s the fluff—oh, the fluff. Chapters padded with unnecessary detours, characters who seem to exist purely for window dressing, and the utterly exhausting "book within a book" gimmick that quickly loses its charm. And let’s not forget the romantic subplot. The main character’s relationship with a spare heir, blessedly free from the weight of actual aristocratic responsibility, tries to convince readers he’s just a regular guy who just so happens to own the bicycle shop next door. Except, no, he isn’t. The effort to make him relatable feels forced, making the whole thing more tedious than intriguing.
Which brings me to the bigger question: Why do authors in this genre keep writing protagonists who assume their readers are as oblivious? The logic leaps, the conveniently ignored clues, the way characters constantly need things spelled out—it’s enough to make a mystery lover want to grab a red pen and start fixing things mid-read.
Maybe my tastes have evolved, or maybe some books just aren’t meant for certain readers. Either way, continuing this series isn’t in the cards. This book is best left to those who enjoy yawning with their predictability.
Arthur's new wife Althea Winters and her unpleasant family loathe Charlotte for inheriting what they believe was theirs and have set their sights on a valuable Madame Alexander doll that's gone missing. When Althea's grandson is poisoned by cakes from Tea & Crumpets, Charlotte becomes the top suspect. Molly believes Charlotte was the intended victim and investigates the Pemberly’s home, only to discover that Arthur had been murdered.
To get closer to this treacherous family, Molly and her boyfriend Kieran go undercover by volunteering to act and sing for a madrigal dinner directed by Althea and her daughter at St. Hildegard’s College. Molly must help her new friend clear her name while searching for the missing doll and wrangling her own family during the chaotic holiday festivities at the bookshop.
My Opinion: This book should have been a DNF by chapter three. I was convinced that it had to get better. There had to be an unpredictable twist. Nope.
From the moment an object is mentioned twice in rapid succession, any seasoned amateur sleuth reader already knows where this is headed. And as for the grand "whodunit" reveal? Let’s just say narrowing down the culprit required about as much effort as finding the salt shaker on the kitchen table. Predictability doesn’t always spell disaster, but when the story treats it like a twist, well… that’s where things start to crumble.
Then there’s the fluff—oh, the fluff. Chapters padded with unnecessary detours, characters who seem to exist purely for window dressing, and the utterly exhausting "book within a book" gimmick that quickly loses its charm. And let’s not forget the romantic subplot. The main character’s relationship with a spare heir, blessedly free from the weight of actual aristocratic responsibility, tries to convince readers he’s just a regular guy who just so happens to own the bicycle shop next door. Except, no, he isn’t. The effort to make him relatable feels forced, making the whole thing more tedious than intriguing.
Which brings me to the bigger question: Why do authors in this genre keep writing protagonists who assume their readers are as oblivious? The logic leaps, the conveniently ignored clues, the way characters constantly need things spelled out—it’s enough to make a mystery lover want to grab a red pen and start fixing things mid-read.
Maybe my tastes have evolved, or maybe some books just aren’t meant for certain readers. Either way, continuing this series isn’t in the cards. This book is best left to those who enjoy yawning with their predictability.
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