Such a fun Christmas cozy! I adored the English setting and that the title coincides with a play in the actual plot. The dollhouse especially intrigued me. I never had one as a kid but Molly's reminiscing of dolls and dollhouses still made me a bit nostalgic. I also love that one of my favorite doll children's books got mentioned.

Christmas has come to Cambridge and Molly is looking forward to her first English Christmas. She is still a bit homesick for Vermont but happy to be in her family's bookshop and celebrating the holiday. She meets her new neighboring shopkeeper, Charlotte Pemberly, who is reopening the toy store across the way after her grandfather's death. Unfortunately, Charlotte has a whole host of awful step-family members to contend with, all of whom think she stole what is rightfully theirs by inheriting the toy shop and family home. They are looking for a rare doll to steal out from under Charlotte, suspected to be hidden in the toy shop. This family is so awful it will make Cinderella's stepmother seem like a fairy godmother.

I enjoy books that are set in bookshops and while this cozy was fairly straightforward, all the Christmas cheer made it special (except for the murders... obviously). To quote the Bard, The play's the thing that I think sets this cozy apart. What a lovely book to read leading up to the holiday and put me in a festive spirit.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PS I am absolutely buying a copy of this one!

Madrigals and Mayhem is book for in the charming Cambridge Bookshop series by Elizabeth Penney.
Another great cozy mystery that was so delightful.
The characters are so well written they just jump off the page. They become so real to the reader. I love the setting of this quaint little bookstore in this beautiful old town and all the history that is there.
I very much enjoyed the plot, and was intrigued that as the book progresses, the story of was very engaging with parallels to the mystery unfolding. I was completely immersed in the book, which is always the sign of a great author, in my book.

Thank you Elizabeth Penney ( @elizabethpenneyauthor ), St. Martin’s Press ( @stmartinspress ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read Madrigals and Mayhem (out November 26, 2024).

Molly Kimball is back with her friends and family in Cambridge, England, in this latest installment of the Cambridge Bookshop series. Set during the Christmas holidays, Molly helps a new friend —a friend who has family problems and is a murder suspect!

A holiday cozy set in Cambridge, England is perfect for this time of year. I am such a fan of Elizabeth Penney! This book was a cozy dream—a mystery, a murder, and a love story (or maybe more than one). I finished this book with a smile on my face and am already looking forward to the next one!



#MadrigalsandMeyhem #NetGalley #ElizabethPenney #StMartinsPress

Madrigals and Mayhem, the 4th in the Cambridge bookshop series by Elizabeth Penney, finds us again wrapped up in a cozy murder mystery, with the continuing feature of a story within a story. Molly's looking forward to her first Christmas in England, the bookstore is doing exceedingly well, romance seems to be in the air for her as well as her friends and family, the toy shop across the way is preparing to re-open with another young woman helming it - what could possibly go wrong? The toy store owner's family is not happy with the disbursement of an inheritance, there's a very valuable antique doll missing, and perhaps the local diva's 3 late husbands didn't expire without help - and Molly ends up wrapped up in all of it, as usual.

This series are lovely diversions. I can curl up with one and disappear to Cambridge (and I've been, so I do enjoy it when I can visualize exactly where the characters are). They are solidly written, if a little formulaic. The characters are likeable, although I wish we'd get the chance to get to know some of them better. At one point, one of the main crew is a serious suspect in an attempted murder, and I could have used a little more depth in her response to that experience. However, you know that all will end well, and that's part of the experience.

Penney often includes a parallel narrative in the form of a book within a book, in this case a children's tale about toys coming to life. I didn't find this episode's story as compelling as the last one - charming, but it didn't pull me in like the previous one did. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thanks to Minotaur books and NetGalley for the e-arc.

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.

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.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.

This is the Fourth release in the new "Cambridge Bookshop Series". I have read and enjoyed the previous books in the series. I enjoy the atmospheric setting of a small village in England and the culture the author so well describes for the reader. Our protagnist is involved in more then one mystery as well as poisenings in this next installment. Its exciting and a fun read as she traverses a ancient hidden mystery in a antique toy shop while managing her own bookshop and solving the mysteries of the poisening. The supporting characters are all adding to the rich background of the story and the descriptions of England are a delight. I look forward to the next in series.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this mystery. I like the characters and the setting. The mystery kept me guessing I look forward to more.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Fellow Reader,

Happy Thanksgiving! I wish you a wonderful holiday. May politics stay away from your tables and may your family time be peaceful.

Do you have Thanksgiving traditions? In our family, we always called Thanksgiving a sweatpants holiday. We don’t dress up – it is a casual comfortable day. Our big joke is that later on Thanksgiving, you can hear the Santa feet coming up from the basement. Yes, the Friday after Thanksgiving may mean shopping to some but to me it means getting out the Christmas decorations and going to town getting the house ready. I love it. At first… I will say that by December 25, I am usually ready to take it all down. But that Friday after Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times.

While you are relaxing Thanksgiving weekend, which I would think means you are reading, I have a new book for you. It is the fourth in the series but I think it works even if you haven’t read the prior books in the series. Last year I reviewed a previous book in the series, The Fatal Folio. (https://cecooney.com/2023/10/24/the-fatal-folio-by-elizabeth-penney/) I enjoyed that book so I was happy to read the next book in the series.

Madrigals and Mayhem takes us to Christmas time in Cambridge England with Molly Kimball and her first English Christmas. Molly has moved to England to help run her family’s bookshop, Thomas Marlowe – Manuscripts and Folios. Molly is anxious to meet her new business neighbor, Charlotte Pemberly. Charlotte has inherited the toyshop, Perberly’s Emporium from her grandfather, Arthur. She hopes to make it the success that her grandfather made it. But Charlotte didn’t expect to inherit the shop and those that expected to inherit (Althea Winter and her family) are not pleased.

As the book opens, Charlotte is taking Molly and her friend and tea shop owner, Daisy on a tour of her toy shop. They find Barnaby, Molly’s grandfather’s step-grandson, on the floor in the back of the store. He is sick and it appears he has been poisoned with tea cakes from Daisy’s store but the cakes have blue frosting a color of frosting Daisy doesn’t use. After Barnaby is taken away in an ambulance, Molly explains that her grandfather had married Althea Winter but had come to his senses and broken up with her. Right after the breakup, her grandfather got sick and Althea and her family moved back into his house to take care of him. They would only let Molly see him occasionally and never without one of them being in the room. Then when he died, they discovered that Molly had inherited everything and they were furious and instated legal action. They lost in court but they were trying to find a rare Madame Alexander doll that was very valuable. Molly’s Grandfather hid the doll and so far, no one has been able to find it.

It doesn’t take long for Molly to recognize that Charlotte was the intended victim of the poisoner. When Molly goes on a tour of the Pemberly’s home, she determines that Arthur was indeed murdered. To find out what happened, Molly and her boyfriend, Kieran go undercover by participating in a madrigal dinner that is directed by Althea and her daughter, Dorcas.

Molly has her hands full trying to find the missing doll, helping Molly clear her name, and working through her first family Christmas with her English family.

I enjoyed the story. I found the character of Charlotte a bit cold from time to time. The plot might be a bit unbelievable, but I liked it. I would read another book in the series. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Thanks for reading!

This is the fourth book in the Cambridge Bookshop series by Elizabeth Penney. When I was given the opportunity to read this ARC from the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, I hadn’t read the previous books in the series. I rectified that and read the first three before I read Madrigals and Mayhem. This was my favorite in the series. The holiday setting was so enjoyable - yes, even with the addition of murder and mystery. The characters are great and the mystery was entertaining. The addition of the text from the old book Molly is reading, which ties into the current mystery, adds a unique element to the overall storyline. This is a very enjoyable addition to this series.

Madrigals and Mayhem is the 4th book in Elizabeth Penny's The Cambridge Bookshop and it is as enjoyable as the others. The characters are very likable and you want them as friends. Molly Kimball and her mom now live in England with their Aunt Violet and they co-own Thomas Marlowe Bookstore. The new.toy store is opening soon. Molly.and.her.best.friend Daisy meet the new owner Charlotte. They hit it off and immediately become friends. Charlotte's relatives are awful and her cousin is poisoned at the toy store. Molly and Charlotte work together to find out what is going on. Molly is dating Kieran. The scenes together are nice but Kieran wasn't involved as.much as I expected. Charlotte makes a nice new.character. The.book Charlotte's Dollhouse is intertwined with the story. The.mystery kept me guessing but it isn't surprising who the.culprit is. There is enough going on to keep the reader's interest. This is a wonderful addition to the series! #MadrigaldAndMayhem #TheCambridgeBookshop #StMartinPress #ElizabethPenney

Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney is such a wonderful cozy mystery! It is the fourth book in The Cambridge Bookshop Mystery series, though it can be read as a standalone.

A trip to Thomas Marlowe, the bookstore in the Cambridge Bookshop series, is always entertaining. Also, having this one set during the holiday season adds even more charm to an already great series. The author always does a fantastic job at bringing the feel of Cambridge into the novel as well.

Molly is such an interesting MC and her adventures are always intriguing. Molly’s sleuthing skills are great and the supporting cast of characters really strengthen the book overall. The Christmas and festive feel along with the murder mystery made for a cozy mystery read that I’d definitely recommend to fans of the genre!

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of Madrigals And Mayhem.

Molly is happy running her family’s bookshop with her mother and great aunt. She meets Charlotte who is the new owner of the toy store when odd things start happening. Someone begins entering the toy store and rearranging things and leaving little gifts behind. Molly was hoping for an easy fun Christmas season with her family, friends, and boyfriend but instead she puts her detective skills to work again to help Charlotte.

This is the fourth book in this series and I do recommend reading the other books before reading this one because you get a lot of background on the characters. This book was okay but I do feel like it could be over descriptive at times which made certain parts of the story drag on.

Molly is getting settled into her new hometown and enjoying her time with her friends, family and boyfriend. She's excited to see that the local toyshop is opening up and is glad to get know the new owner. But the excitement is short lived when a man is found passed out in the back and Molly finds herself pulled into a tangled web of family feuds and stolen objects.

I loved the bits about the dollhouses and getting the store ready for Christmas. I also really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Molly's mom and her relationship with her family when she was young. It was also good to touch base with Kieran and Daisy and just to see how Molly's life was progressing.

The mystery was good though it took a bit to develop. We hear about what's going on with the Winters/Pemberly family and we meet Charlotte's cousin (who just happens to have been poisoned) fairly early on. However, I did find the mystery interesting, and I loved the scavenger hunt part. I would have liked some more Christmas-y aspects but overall, I enjoyed this mystery.

Elizabeth Penney’s Madrigals and Mayhem is a delightful holiday treat that combines the cozy warmth of an English Christmas with a gripping mystery. As the fourth installment in the Cambridge Bookshop series, this book further establishes Molly Kimball as a clever and endearing amateur sleuth while immersing readers in the charming world of Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios.

Molly's investigation into a missing Madame Alexander doll, a poisoning at a beloved tea shop, and an unexpected murder is perfectly balanced with festive cheer. Penney skillfully weaves the complexities of family dynamics, holiday traditions, and a trail of clues that kept me guessing until the end. Charlotte Pemberly, the new toyshop owner and a key figure in this story, is a compelling addition to the cast, adding intrigue and heart as she navigates the hostility of her late grandfather’s grasping relatives.

The setting is a character of its own, with its cozy bookshops, snow-dusted streets, and Yuletide charm providing the perfect backdrop for the mayhem. Penney’s evocative descriptions of holiday festivities and meticulous attention to detail transport readers right into the heart of Cambridge, making the story feel as magical as it is mysterious.

With its vibrant characters, intricate plot, and festive atmosphere, Madrigals and Mayhem is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and holiday tales. It’s an absolute joy to spend Christmas with Molly and her circle, and I can’t wait for the next chapter in this series!

Enjoyed this one very much, another fantastic cozy mystery from author Elizabeth Penney. Never disappoints, highly recommend

This fourth book in the Cambridge Bookshop series (though the first I've read) is a solid cozy mystery. After reading it, I am eager to start at the beginning of the series and read them all.

Molly is in England to help run her family's ancestral bookstore and eager to enjoy an English Christmas. A nearby toyshop reopens and Molly befriends, Charlotte, the owner. Unfortunately, Charlotte's family is feuding and there are murders and murder attempts, and Molly gets involved in trying to solve the cases.

This is a charming, engaging cozy mystery, full of music and theater (Molly auditions for the Christmas Madrigals and Mayhem show) and doll/dollhouse involvement.

I absolutely loved it!!

Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries and Christmas mysteries.

We are back in Cambridge, England with Molly Kimball who works in the Thomas Marlowe bookshop with her Mom and Aunt. As they are preparing for the holiday season. Molly notices that the local toy store is open and goes over to introduce herself. She gets to know Charlotte the granddaughter of the toy store owner. Her grandfather has recently died and she has inherited the store. They find an almost dead family member in the backroom and Charlotte is a prime suspect. Molly helps investigate to find the real culprit.

I really enjoyed this book and following the clues with Molly. I really want to go back and read the beginning of this series. I was able to read as a standalone. The writing hooked me right away. I loved the characters and I'm really excited to see what happens next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Elizabeth Penney for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Madrigals and Mayhem coming out November 26, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have a couple books in the series, but this is the first one I’ve read. Christmastime cozies are my favorite! Molly is a really fun character and her boyfriend Kieran is really great for her. I love the setting in Cambridge. It’s fun she gets to run the bookstore. I love the Austenesque references. I loved the mystery. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy Christmasy books!

It’s Christmastime! Molly is excited to spend the holidays with her mother and her aunt in their historic bookshop. The holidays become much more dire when someone attempts to murder her friend. And questions begin to arise concerning her inheritance.

The relationships in these stories continue to be my favorite thing! Seeing these women supporting each other, being kind and lovely to each other, and the inter generational friendships is absolutely lovely. And getting more of stories behind the side characters was a delight.

The pacing was a little off, and I didn’t really enjoy the inserted other story, but as a whole, the mystery kept me guessing, and I actually liked as fooled by one of the red herrings. And I loved the subplot of Charlotte’s treasure hunt. Clues from a loving grandfather hidden around a place that the two of them loved and shared? It made me miss my own grandfather.

I would happily continue on with this series! It’s a lot of fun!

Thanks to both NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc!

Another good book in the series. Seems to be a theme going with evil women though. While nothing wrong with that it made guessing the killer fairly easy in this one. Still though, a nice Christmas cozy mystery and did enjoy the characters. Would recommend.