Elizabeth Penney

This mystery novel with gothic overtones is set in fascinating Cambridge, England. Molly Kimball lives in Cambridge with her mom and her aunt, and together they manage the Thomas Marlowe bookshop. Molly jumps at the chance to use her library skills to catalog the library at the stately mansion of her boyfriend Kieran. When a murder occurs and a rare manuscript is stolen, Molly gets more than she bargained for as she becomes part of a gothic story herself.

This novel contains a story within a story that adds interest to the main plot. Readers who enjoy a cozy mystery with twists and turns will enjoy the Cambridge university setting with its many bookshops and quirky characters. This novel is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (més)

I'm happy to see that there are already two more books in this series, with another to be released in November. I enjoyed the first very much. It combined the best characteristics of the cozy mystery with what I call "not-so-trashy trashy novels" -- romances with strong heroines who are passionate about their work. In this case, Molly Kimball is passionate about books, having worked as a librarian in her native Vermont. When her mother receives a request from British Aunt Violet to help run the old family bookshop in Cambridge, England, the two leap at the chance, even though Molly's mother has heretofore been silent about her British family.
Molly's delight at being in Cambridge, surrounded by books, is tempered when, during a literary festival, a local woman who is part of the small community around Magpie Lane is found murdered in Violet's back garden. Molly's curiosity and stubborn need to find the truth lead to excitement and, finally, the true killer -- and there's romance as well. Highly recommended.… (més)

"When her husband is hired at the historian for an exciting project, documenting the wreck of the ship Celestial on the Isle of Palms, Evelyn Perry is excited to tag along. She's ready to finally take a vacation and spend time enjoying the sun, the beach, and the company of her husband when they are both off the clock. But things take an exciting turn when a second shipwreck is found - and not just any ship, but the famous Hannah B. The vessel is notorious for its famous female pirate, Polly O'Brien, who disappeared in the storm that fateful day." From the back of the book.… (més)

Molly Kimball is an American ex-pat living in Cambridge with her mom and Great-Aunt. They run the family's ancestral bookshop called Thomas Marlowe-Manuscripts and Folios. Molly has been hired by her boyfriend Kiernan Scott's family to update their family's library catalog. In addition to that, she's taken on the task of uncovering the true identity of the author behind an original manuscript of a Gothic novel called A Fatal Folio. It is especially of interest to Kiernan's cousin, Oliver, a professor at one of the local colleges, who plans to write a book about the manuscript and its author.

While on their way to meet Oliver one night, Molly and her friends stumble upon a man who has been stabbed. It turns out he wasn't a very well liked person, and Oliver is among the top suspects. It isn't long before Molly finds herself in the middle of trying to figure out who committed the murder and if and how it might be tied to the old manuscript.

Although this is the third book in the Cambridge Bookshop mystery series, it was my first. I imagine there is some background information about the regular characters I may have been missing jumping into the series here, but I never felt lost and still felt like I got a good sense of who everyone was. I love the setting--Cambridge and the bookstore. I especially love the library at the Scott's estate. So much history in the books on the shelves and tucked in the nooks and crannies there!

Within the novel, is another story, written as if we are reading A Fatal Folio right alongside Molly. It's an intriguing Gothic tale, and I found myself just as interested in finding out what happened to the characters of that story as I did to the main mystery. It complemented the main storyline and in no way overshadowed it.

Molly is smart and relatable. She has a good relationship with the local law enforcement officials, which I think worked to everyone's advantage. I would enjoy going back and reading the first two books in the series, perhaps seeing how Kiernan and Molly meet and reading about her first impressions of her new life in Cambridge. There are adorable bookstore cats who make multiple appearances. The Fatal Folio is just the kind of cozy mystery I love to cuddle up with.… (més)