Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney

Reviewed by Jeanne

Imagine being a bibliophile librarian in Vermont and being told that your family owns a classic bookshop in Cambridge, England.  That’s just the “pinch me, I’m dreaming” moment that Molly Kimball is living right now.  Her English mother had always been very reticent about her past, so Molly grew up in the U.S. without knowing about any of her British relatives.  Then the letter from Aunt Violet arrived at just the most opportune moment: Molly’s job is about to be downsized out of existence and both she and her mother are grieving the death of Molly’s father.  The offer to help run a bookshop across the Atlantic and maybe a fresh start seems too good to be true.

It is—and it isn’t.  The bookshop is on shaky ground, and a cousin is trying to take control to sell the property to a chain bookstore.  Molly is determined to bring the shop into the twenty-first century while maintaining its charm and sets about creating social media and promotional events.  She scores a coup with a poetry reading by a world-famous poet at the release of her new book.  Unfortunately, a woman is found dead right after the reading—with one of Aunt Violet’s knitting needles stuck in her heart.

Now Molly also has to clear her aunt’s name as well as save the bookshop.

This is a charming first in series book.  I liked the characters, especially because there is a mix of ages and that the older characters are interesting and energetic.  The mysteries of Molly’s mother’s past and her relationship with her family play a role in moving the plot along. I loved the Cambridge setting, and there are a couple of cute cats which is a sure way to my heart. There’s also a love interest and lots of author name-dropping which I enjoyed.

I read a lot in the cozy genre, and this is a definite keeper book. Some aspects remind me of another series book with a similar set-up but the characters in this one are more fun.  Somehow for me Penney is able to take what should be clichés and make them seem believable.  To say more would lead me into mild spoiler territory, and I’d like to avoid that.

 The second in the series, A Treacherous Tale, is out already and I’m anxious to read it.