Madrigals and Mayhem is the fourth book in the Cambridge Bookshop Series by Elizabeth Penney. The mystery series is set in Cambridge, England and features bookseller Molly Kimball.
Title: Madrigals and Mayhem
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Series: Cambridge Bookshop #4
First Published: November 26, 2024
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher
*** Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes. ***
Molly Kimball 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.
Another fantastic holiday cozy mystery
The Cambridge Bookshop mystery series is one of my current favourite cozy mysteries and every book has been just as strong as the previous one. The mysteries are always well-written, with even pacing, fantastic characters, memorable stories and a charming setting.
Molly Kimball continues to be a great main character – she is smart, capable and generous, and her desire to help others is what drives her to look into the murders that involve her friends, new and old.
Madrigals and Mayhem does introduce us to a lot of new characters, including toyshop owner, Charlotte Pemberly, and the many members of her estranged family and their allies. This influx of new characters means that a lot of the regulars from the past books take a backseat this time and while I missed them, it did keep things from getting too crowded. All the new characters also meant there were lots of suspects to deal with and they all have their own motives.
Molly’s boyfriend Kieran is quite involved in this adventure and I love the development of their relationship throughout this series. The romance is kept light so doesn’t interfere much with the mystery aspect.
A book within a book
One of the most charming aspects of the Cambridge Bookshop series is that Elizabeth Penney will create a “book within a book” and Madrigrals and Mayhem was no exception. As part of the plot, Molly pulls out story from her childhood, ‘Charlotte’s Dollhouse’ and we get to read it along with her. Every time that Penney does this, I’m as much charmed by the mini story as I am by the larger murder mystery going on around it. ‘Charlotte’s Dollhouse’ reminded me of a few stories from my own childhood and I loved it.
Overall, this was a twisty, complicated mystery that somehow also felt light, evenly paced and lots of fun. While this could be read as a stand=alone, I highly recommend reading the series from the start because it’s all really enjoyable.
I’m loving diving into so many holiday-themed cozy mysteries as I head into December and Madrigals and Mayhem had just the right amount of holiday cheer to keep things fun and light.
Quote from Madrigals and Mayhem
