Madrigals and Mayhem

by Elizabeth Penney

Overview

In Madrigals and Mayhem, the fourth in Elizabeth Penney's charming Cambridge Bookshop series, Molly Kimball finds that even the holidays can come with a healthy dose of mystery.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250344137
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/26/2024
Series:	The Cambridge Bookshop Series , #4
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	80,215
Product dimensions:	4.12(w) x 6.75(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

ELIZABETH PENNEY is the author of more than two dozen cozy mysteries, including the Apron Shop series. The first in the Cambridge Bookshop series, Chapter and Curse, was a 2022 Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee. Elizabeth spent her early years in England and France and now lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Cambridge Bookshop series:

"Plenty of suspects combined with interesting background on gothic novels enliven this Cambridge Bookshop mystery."—Kirkus Reviews

"Penney adds to her list of popular, feel-good reads with the start of a new series . . . will please her fans and everyone looking for a diverting read with a pleasantly nostalgic British cozy, a keep-’em-guessing murder mystery, and a lighthearted romance."—Booklist

"A cozy mystery that will delight your booklover's heart and satisfy your hunger for intrigue—and crumpets!"—Paige Shelton, New York Times bestselling author of the Scottish Bookshop series.

"There's a lot to like about Chapter and Curse, beginning with its narrator. Penney has created a cast and setting worth returning to."—Portland Press Herald

"A brilliant new cozy mystery series . . . Once in a while, I enjoy a series-starter so much that the series goes right onto my 'Must-Read' list. This is one of those times."—Book Frolic

"A delight from start to finish."—Vicki Delany, national bestselling author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series and Tea by the Sea series

"More from Elizabeth Penney, please! Chapter and Curse is pure delight—a first class cozy mystery."—Molly MacRae, national bestselling author of the Highland Bookshop Mysteries and the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries

"A delight from cover to cover! An engaging cast, dream bookshop setting, and light touch of romance make this a cozy mystery to savor."—Shari Randall, award-winning author of the Lobster Shack Mysteries

"This delightful mystery has more twists than a pair of knickers."—Diane Kelly, author of the Paw Enforcement, Mountain Lodge, and House Flipper series

"Penney has spun a delightful web of intrigue and surprises."—Hannah Dennison, author of the Island Sisters and Honeychurch Hall Mysteries

From the Publisher