A Treacherous Tale is the second book in the wonderful Cambridge Bookshop cozy mystery series by Elizabeth Penney. Set in a generations-old bookshop in Cambridge, England, this is fast becoming one of my favourite series.
Title: A Treacherous Tale
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Series: Cambridge Bookshop Series #1
First Published: August 23, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley
*** Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
Lately, bookshop owner Molly Kimball 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.
A cozy mystery with a charming built-in fairy tale
I was very excited to get my hands on this book because the first book in the Cambridge Bookshop series, Chapter and Curse, was one of my favourite reads of 2021 (you can read my review of Chapter and Curse here). This series has everything to make me fall for it – an English setting (Cambridge), historical buildings, an old bookshop that was opened in 1605, cute British guys, and even a retired spy.
There’s always a tiny worry that the sequel won’t live up to the first book but this truly isn’t the case here. In fact, A Treacherous Tale managed to thoroughly charm me and made me fall in love with this series even more.
One of the things that make A Treacherous Tale stand out among all the other cozy mysteries I’ve been reading is the inclusion of The Strawberry Girls – the children’s book that the mystery revolves around. The reader is introduced to The Strawberry Girls in bits and pieces – a chapter is included every so often – and while I was really enjoying the mystery that was unfolding, I almost couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter of the charming fairy tale. It’s a book within a book and it worked incredibly well.
The main character, Molly, starts to settle in
Molly Kimball is a great protagonist and amateur sleuth. She doesn’t make too many impulsive decisions and she has surrounded herself with a solid support system of loyal friends, loving family, and friendly townspeople. But she’s not perfect and her humility and insecurities make her someone you’d love to be friends with.
In fact, there probably isn’t a bad character in the entire book. I love seeing the side characters growing into their own, including Molly’s mother who may or may not be embarking on a romance with the local detective. And of course, Kieran – Molly’s boyfriend (YUM!) – who is both protective and supportive, and accepts Molly as she is.
The murder mystery itself was well-paced and there were lots of suspects, both from the past and in the present. I must admit that I was so enthralled with The Strawberry Girls that the murder mystery almost took second place and I wasn’t trying too hard to figure out whodunnit because I was just enjoying myself so much.
And while you can read The Treacherous Tale as a stand-alone, I highly recommend you start with Chapter and Curse, to get the enjoyment of following Molly’s arrival and growth in Cambridge. I love this series and I can’t wait for the third book!
Quote from A Treacherous Tale
