A story within a story, one for adults and one for a child’s book -- working in concert to reveal those involved in two murders.

The timeframe confused me. The book is supposed to be the current day, but occasional word usage came across as lingo from decades ago. Additionally, Elizabeth Penney is heavy-handed and redundant when describing the general area leaving the reader scanning until something new appears.

Cozy Mysteries/amateur sleuths aren’t for everyone, but I like the mental break after a hectic week.

Fairies, a talking fox, a princess needing rescue and two girls on an adventure. It sounds like a fairy tale. Well it is, sort of. It is a story within a cozy mystery. The story is charming but it is tied to a not so pleasant murder and it is up to Molly and her cohorts to solve it before the author they have lined up for a reading and a signing at the struggling Cambridge bookshop is charged with murder.

A light and fun read. There were some surprise twists, a bit of romance, a bit of adventure, good characters and a touch of whimsy. I would definitely read more of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

It was fun to go back and visit with Molly, her aunt Violet and her mom in their amazing Cambridge, England bookstore. I love that Molly and Kieran are officially dating and can now double with Daisy and her boyfriend Tim.

This was a mystery full of twists and red herrings. I suspected someone kinda early but wasn't sure why, but it turned out to be right. When a local antiquities dealer was killed and the daughter of a new good friend went missing, Molly was eager to investigate again especially since they had Sir Jon on their side. How cool was that to know an ex-M16 agent who's also a lawyer?

When Molly used a book a local author had written to help her with clues, the search for the missing woman Poppy took a really fun type of creepy vibe since they searched all through an old castle-like house and grounds. After Molly discovered whodunit and the gang was left to their own devices, they plotted a cool getaway and a great trap for the killer. I love the way they were thinking!

The author event finally got to happen and handyman George was back from his vacation. Hey George, you missed all the fun this time! I'm eager to read more in this perfectly cozy cozy mystery series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin Paperbacks via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

I loved this story. Actually, both stories because this is an unusual one in that it is a story within a story. You have the main tale—a cozy mystery about murder, theft, kidnapping, and illegal goods. Then you have a secondary tale—a children’s book called “The Strawberry Sisters” whose characters turn out to be the people in the main tale. Don’t worry, it’s not as confusing as it sounds. In fact, if you read closely, you can figure out what’s going on in both tales at the same time. The characters are well-done and the imagery is wonderful with old English bookshops, villages, manors, and more.

This is not the first book in a series, but you do not have to have read the others in order to know exactly who is who and what’s going on. The author has a very light—and talented—way of drawing in the back story so you aren’t lost.

Recommendation: Highly recommended. For an entertaining read that’s both a cozy mystery and a fairy tale all in one, definitely pick this up. You won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Schuster for providing this ARC. I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

“A Treacherous Tale”, the second in the Cambridge Bookshop series, is quite delightful. This installment finds our bookseller and amateur sleuth, Molly Kimball, investigating the death of an antiquities dealer in the village of Hazelhurst.

I loved the setting of the English village in this series. It’a a charming place and so small that many people don’t drive but walk or bike. The shops in the village include Thomas Marlowe bookstore, where Molly and her mother work and the tearoom and bakery across the street. The author describes the village setting so vividly that I had no trouble picturing it.

The central mystery is the murder of Robin Jones, the antiquities dealer, but it turns out to be intimately intertwined with the children’s book The Strawberry Girls. The author of the book, Iona York, is releasing a new edition of the book and her daughter’s disappearance becomes a focal point of the investigation. In re reading the book, Molly realizes that there are clues in the story that relate to the present day mystery.

Molly is a likable character and she has lots of wonderful friends, including Daisy, the proprietor of the tea shop; Tim, who owns the bicycle shop, and Kieran, her boyfriend. They make a very appealing group and I would love to live in Cambridge and stroll the streets for an afternoon, stopping in at the tea shop and the bookstore. Until then, I will be content with reading Elizabeth Penney’s wonderful series.

A book about a bookshop owner,,who helps to solve a Crime. A childrens Book gives clues and slowly they discover the thruth.

4.5/5 Stars!

I had the chance to read Chapter and Curse
The Cambridge Bookshop Series (Volume 1). I really enjoyed reading it. It was a new series with a new cast of charming characters, setting, and story. I'm happy to say that Elizabeth Penney did an even more wonderful job with A Treacherous Tale!

If you are looking for a different, cozy read, check out this series.

My thanks to St. Martin's for a digital copy of this book for my review. I look forward to more of The Cambridge Bookshop Series!

I wasn't completely sure how I felt about the first book in the series but felt it was worth pressing on when the second came out. But I think I can better express why I probably won't continue on after this. To start with, the main character, Molly, is just so weak. Personally, I prefer my mystery detectives to be less papery-thin and more willing to push through disturbing situations. She all but falls apart every time she has a sudden flash of inspiration about the case. Her friends and family are always noticing the unhappy expression on her face and coddling her as she tells them the sudden realization.

And speaking of those realizations, half the time they are pretty obvious things for her to suddenly realize. Like Molly herself, the mystery was also weak, especially to me as the reader, because the narrator practically spoon-fed me every bit of information, even making detailed connections for me (some of them more than once), so I certainly couldn't help but follow along (or, in some cases, get ahead of her). And including the entire text of the fictional book involved in the story was a good idea in theory, but in the end, I didn't see how it really added to the story. I kept expecting it to provide some kind of major insight for both Molly and me. I also kept expecting some kind of surprise twist about what was REALLY going on, because it was pretty bland and simple overall. This makes it all the more unrealistic that the police can't figure out who really did it and need Molly to lead them to the bad guys. Even the brilliant ex-MI-5 agent needs Molly to tell him that they should keep a discovery a secret, so as not to alert the bad guys to the discovery (after which Molly proceeds to tell everyone she knows about it).

In the end, what I did like about the first book didn't give me as much enjoyment this time. Everyone that Molly likes is almost too perfect (especially her boyfriend), and the few people she doesn't like are mostly alike in their flaws and are thrown under the bus. The descriptions of every meal or snack eaten and every outfit worn dragged the story down for me. I am confident in saying that there are a lot of people who will enjoy the setting, characters, and mystery in this book/series more than I do, but for me, it's over.

Such a fun time reading this series! I really enjoyed the first book after getting a bit burnt out on cozy mysteries, but I looked forward to the next in the Cambridge Bookshop series. It didn't disappoint, and it held the same cozy setting and feeling as the first book. I mainly enjoy that the other happenings and goings on in the books don't take over the mystery part. I very much enjoy Penney's writing style as well so good things all around and looking forward to the next! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed the first book in this new series so I’m ecstatic to get an early copy of book two. This time around we’ve got gardens & children’s literature & an old crime, connected to a new crime. The latter being one of my personal favourites when it comes to mysteries. Molly gets to investigate the past & there’s even an archaeological dig! She is a wonderful lead character to follow, she’s kind & clever. She has a delightful way of solving the crime without being overly nosy & brash.

Besides that the absolute best thing about the series is it’s setting of a bookstore in England……one of the best kinds of locations to set a series in!

Chapter and Curse, the first book in the Cambridge Bookshop Mysteries by Elizabeth Penney got a rave review from me. While I still really enjoyed one of the main elements in this cozy, the descriptions of the town and/or food, the other two, the characters and mystery just didn’t have the same wow factor the first book did. But even with this playing a part in my review, it was still so well written that I still give it a high rating and am curious to see if her third book in the series will bounce back.

Once again, the descriptions of the small English town’s beautiful countryside and wonderful shops really makes this book shine.

The characters though, while well developed, just didn’t stand out in any way. George, and his patient ways, was missing for most of the book. Daisy, Molly’s BFF, was mainly there to progress the shopping of a dress to meet Molly’s boyfriend’s rich parents. Sir Jon made a few appearances to help the mystery along.
We did get a lot of new characters though, and they too were well developed…. But the only ones that stood out were because they were so mean, which is fine, but in a cozy mystery I would like more of the characters to stand out because they are quirky or sweet.

As for the mystery, I think most people will have a feel for what’s going on pretty early. I don’t want to say too much about the mystery to keep some of the suspense. It is a bit different than most cozies, which I did enjoy. And while there’s lots of new characters to be suspects, I felt like it made the mystery that much easier to solve.

This is just my opinion. You may love this book. As stated above, it really is well written and this one miss (for me) won’t stop me from reading the next one in the series.

This is such a good cozy series set in a picturesque English village in a gorgeous sounding old bookstore. I love Molly and her enjoyment in learning how to navigate life in England after growing up in Vermont and gets to know the part of her family that has been an ocean away most of her life. Molly is also getting to know her mother better as they explore the area she grew up.

The mystery was an interesting one. Just what was an antique dealer doing up on the roof of a cottage being rethatched and how does it connect with an accidental death that happened years before. And what does all of that have to do with a missing college student? Interwoven into the investigation is the text of "The Strawberry Girls' a fairy tale-esque children's story that takes place just where the murder does. The reveal was interesting and a bit unexpected.

This is a wonderfully cozy English mystery with likable main characters and a bit of history thrown in.

Another great cozy mystery by Elizabeth Penney. "A Treacherous Tale" was a quick, fun and mysterious read.

Molly and her mum have moved to Cambridge to help Aunt Violet run a family bookstore. A local author is re-issuing a classic children's tale, The Strawberry Girls. Molly and her mum go to visit the author with the idea of getting her to do a reading at the store. They discover a man's dead body in the garden after falling off the author's roof. Around the same time, the author's daughter has gone missing from an archeological dig. Are these incidents connected? This is a well-developed mystery with enjoyable characters and I really enjoyed the book-within-a-book aspect of having chapters of The Strawberry Girls in the novel.

Elizabeth Penney has created a delightful cozy in an enchanted setting. Molly is thrilled with her job at her aunt's bookstore and happy with her relationship with bike shop owner, Kieran. She's discovered a wonderful book, The Strawberry Girls and is excited about the reissue of a new printing. But the author's daughter goes missing and Molly gets caught up in rescuing Poppy from the hands of the kidnappers. This literary tale of deception and discovery is a delightful read. I liked the characters and the setting. If you enjoy cozies, I think you'll want to read this one. I received a free copy. My opinions are my own.

This is a charming second in series of the "Cambridge Bookshop Series". I have read the first in series and enjoy this well crafted cozy series with fun charcters, a intriquing sleuth and fun setting of a bookstore . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

We return to the bookstore in Cambridge to Molly, her Mother and her Aunt who they co own the store with. Molly and her Aunt are visiting a children's author when they find a body in the garden. The intripid Molly is determined to solve the case with the help of her family , her boyfriend and friends in the village. Her sleuthing skils prove to be insightful as she finds red herrings and clues abound.

This is a fun new cozy series. I highly recommend this series for all cozy readers. The charcters, the bookstore and small English village are delightful.

I really enjoyed the setting of the English countryside and a small town book store. The mystery was very intriguing when Molly and her Aunt go and visit a local author that will be doing a reading of her book. When touring her garden Molly and Iona (the author) discover a dead body. He looks to have fallen off the roof. Or could it be something more sinister, as he had no reason at all to be up there?

When suspicion turns to her Uncle Chris, then Iona's daughter asks Molly for help, because she loves a good mystery Molly agrees to look into the death. Between all the people it could be the story that really keeps you guessing, and every time a new clue is found, or a new suspect makes an appearance, it makes you rethink who you think is behind it.

This was an enjoyable fun cozy mystery that kept me guessing. I would definitely like to read the first book in the series.

Molly has settled in happily working with her great-aunt Violet at the family bookshop and in her relationship with Kieran. So when she visits Iona, the author of the Strawberry Girls, with Violet and a body is found, well, things get interesting. Turns out this is not the first man to fall off the roof- the first was Iona's husband- and now one of Iona's daughters has disappeared as well. There's a fair amount going on in this cozy because of the two mysteries but that made it a better read. These are terrific characters and I like the settings. Thanks to Netgallwy for the ARC. It's the second in the series and entirely enjoyable as a standalone.

What a delightful read! A story within a story! The main character Molly Kimball is a person with an inquisitive mind and a keen eye! I found the book flowed at a great pace. Loved the characters. A well written whodunit. Kudos! Thanks #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

4.25 stars! A dark fairy-tale of a cozy mystery. And an absolute pleasure to read.

This is the second book in The Cambridge Bookshop Series by Elizabeth Penney and I was so excited to read it, especially after enjoying Book 1 - Chapter and Curse. They both have their charm and Book 2 was an absolute delight to read. I loved learning about the mysteries that cat lover and bookshop part-owner Molly Kimball gets pulled into along the way.

This time, Molly is meeting with Iona York, co-author of The Strawberry Girls to discuss her latest book, The Strawberry Girls. While visiting, a family acquittance of Iona's, Robin, has tumbled off her roof to his demise. Additionally, Iona's daughter suddenly goes missing and is nowhere to be found. Was Robin's death an accident? Or could there be a link between the two events, and perhaps to a crime committed in the past that still leaves questions to this day? Molly, yet again, is left to uncover the truth.

This book will have you hooked and wanting to know more after the very first chapter. In fact, every chapter leaves on a bit of a cliff-hanger, encouraging you to keep reading which I absolutely love. Molly is a character that truly seeks to support her friends and family and is fiercely loyal to them, and I think that acts a powerful driving factor as to why she is so invested in helping to investigate these cases, despite not being a formal investigator herself.

I loved the mysteries in this book, which had a scavenger hunt feel to them at times, but I truly loved one element which is the incorporation of a story-within-a-story. The Strawberry Girls was co-written by Iona's former, Nate, who also had a similar suspicious death to that of Robin. Passages of the book are incorporated into the novel, and I absolutely loved that! It really helped set the stage and evoked mystery and intrigue in the story, while also making you feel as if the real-life characters of the book were in their own dark fairy tale.

Cats Puck and Clarence are always a joy to read, and we hope to see much more of them in future instalments!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced eGalley of this book. All opinions are my own.