Perfect for lovers of cozy mysteries centered around books (bookstores, libraries, writers). The start to a series that promises to be full of deception, great characters and lots of books.

Penelope Parish accidentally wrote a best-selling book. No one was more surprised than she. Now her editor expects her not only to do it again but to finish the book by its deadline. Panicked, Penelope can’t pen a word. On a whim, she submits her application to be writer-in-residence for a small bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England. While she hopes the change of scenery will reignite the plot for book two, she’s shocked when her application is chosen. Now, in addition to oddities like blood pudding which is really a sausage, crisps that are really potato chips, and driving on the wrong side of the road, she’s dealing with a long-distance relationship she’s no longer sure she wants.

You’d think a small village like Chumley would be a quiet little burg. After all, you can walk pretty much everywhere. There’s one pub, one nice restaurant, a fish and chips place, the butcher shop, and the post office is inside the sweets shop. The biggest news is the Duke is engaged to be married. The scandal is, his fiancé Charlotte, is American and a romance novelist to boot.

Regina is the local boss-of-everything. She’s a social climber, overbearing, and in charge of the Fest. Unfortunately, this year’s Fest is her last. She’s found dead in the basement of the manor. Eager to find someone besides a neighbor guilty, villagers are quick to point a finger at Charlotte. Penelope is the only person who would understand what it’s like to be an outsider. At Charlotte’s request, Penelope agrees to nose around for clues to prove Charlotte’s innocence. All that Penelope knows about Britain comes from watching episodes of The Crown. Now she’s sort-of-friends with a soon-to-be-duchess!

Penelope is a fun character. She’s appalled at blood pudding, addicted to pasties, in charge of a book club and a writers group. She has a cat, Mrs. Danvers, and new friends. Most of all, she’s away from a judgmental family and a snob boyfriend. I’m hoping for many more adventures with Penelope. After all, as a writer, she understands the TSTL theory many heroines have and studiously avoids it. (TSTL is ‘too stupid to live’, code for main characters who take unnecessary, dangerous risks.)

This is the first book in a new series. Look for book two, Fatal Footnote, coming in July, 2021, available for pre-order now.

As Peg Cochran, she’s written three each of the Gourmet De-Lites mysteries, Cranberry Cove series, Farmer’s Daughter books, and the Murder, She Reported, an historical series set in the ‘30s Manhattan, plus five Lucille mysteries. As Meg London, she’s penned three Sweet Nothing Lingerie books.

Title: Murder in the Margins

Series: An Open Book Mystery

Author: Margaret Loudon

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Format: Paperback, 311 pages, $7.99

Published on: Oct. 27, 2020

Set in: England

Read an excerpt: here

A degree in Goth Literature was getting Penelope Parish nowhere in life so she focused her time and creativity in writing a Goth novel. To her surprise, “Lady of the Moors” became a bestseller. Now comes the challenge of writing a second bestseller. But first she has to get past the serious obstacle of writer’s block. The best solution was applying for a writer’s-in-residence position at the Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England. She is fortunate to get the position and heads overseas.

Except for remembering to drive on the other side of the road, Penelope settles in her cottage and her new position in the English bookstore. There’s the fair at Worthington House coming up where she’s been invited to speak and there’s bookstore programs which keep her busy. She writes whenever she has free time. Her life now revolves around Mabel Morris, owner of the Open Book bookstore; Gladys Watkins; India Culpepper, a distant cousin of the Duke; Regina Bosworth, chairman of the Worthington Fest, and Figgie, who runs the teashop in the bookstore.

One relationship seems to have earned the attention of all the women in town. That would be the Duke of Upper Chumley-on-Stoke is marrying American romance author Charlotte Davenport. The relationship has disappointed quite a few mothers, since they had high hopes that their daughters would marry the Duke.

Penelope is aware of their disappointment, but life goes on. When the day finally comes for her to do her reading, a scream fills the manor and everyone turns to find a frantic Gladys. She explains that she went down to the basement to get some of her pasties and she found Regina’s body in the freezer in the cellar. Penelope and India go downstairs to investigate her claim and find Regina dead just as Gladys stated. They announce that there’s been an accident and call the police. Shortly after, Constable Cuthbert and Detective Maguire come around. Gladys is already taken to the hospital because of her nervous reaction. The fair continues as planned outside. At the bookstore booth, Lady Evelyn Maxwell-Lewis approaches as well as another woman who seems to think she knew Evelyn at St Agatha’s. Evelyn denies it. And that’s where the mystery begins and it grows more intense when an even bigger clue is found.

Murder in the Margins is filled with secrets and clues that reveal them. Anyone that Regina learned a secret about could have killed her and there’s always the spouse. Her husband was frequently seen with a younger woman. But, only one person did something about it. Penelope’s writer’s instincts guide her to dig deeper to learn the truth. She’s very clever.

Some issues I noticed: Penelope is chosen to be the writer-in-residence and the story jumps to two weeks later. I turned the page to see if I’d missed something. I don’t know if it was a writing or editing issue, but I really missed her first two weeks settling into another country and a new job. Then there’s the fest continuing on even though someone is found dead. I think the police would have stopped it immediately as everyone on the grounds were suspects. I’d love to know more about Penelope. Her personality and background has to be further developed.

Favorite character in the book is Figgie. I hope that Penelope can find happiness and a possible relationship with a certain man in uniform later in this new series.

three and a half romance books out of five

Denise Fleischer

gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com

Feb. 6, 2021

Penelope "Pen" Parish is a bestselling author, who is experiencing writer's block, so she decides a change in scenery is needed. Pen accepts a writer in residence position at a charming English Village bookstore. Things are going well in her life, making new friends, flirting with a possible love interest, and living happily with her trusted companion and beloved cat Mrs. Danvers. Surprisingly, Pen finds herself writing again without distraction, until the murder of a town busybody diverts her attention from saving the heroine in her new gothic novel to saving herself.

Murder in the Margins is really a delightful cozy mystery. I enjoyed getting to know Pen and her ecclectic group of friends. I liked how Pen lived a full life and was not obessesed with the murder but was always cajoled into finding the killer. The mystery was well done, although the author had left clues as to whom the killer may be, you had to really think to put the pieces together. If you enjoy cozies set in charming English villages with some modern twists this would be perfect for you.

Murder in the Margins is a fun, quirky mystery set in one of the most dangerous locations in literature: a small, English village. The lead, Penelope Parish, was likable, and the characters fun. The story moved quickly with only a little drag. My only complaints were the author's tendency to tell, rather than show, and the rather convenient nature of some of the major plot points. For example, it seems highly unlikely and rather convenient for Charlotte, who doesn't really know Pen very well, to ask her to find out who is the murderer.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, but don't think I'll continue with the series.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Murder in the Margins, the first in the Open Book Cozy Mystery series, is full of English ambiance and colorful characters with a diverting murder to solve.

American Penelope Parish has found success with her debut gothic best seller but needs a change of pace to conquer writer’s block. She takes a position as writer-in-residence at the Open Book Bookstore in Chumley-on-Stoke, not far from London. Things are going well until Regina, the chairwoman the local fest, is found murdered in the Duke’s cellar. All eyes turn to the Duke’s American fiancée Charlotte Davenport, a fellow romance author, as the prime suspect, and she turns to Pen to solve the crime. Regina has a reputation for being bossy, condescending, and good at ferreting out secrets people would rather not come to light. Pen sets out to find the truth.

I really like the premise of this new series. An author as a protagonist, somewhat of a fish out of water, in a charming village with quirky characters is great fun. Pen is a logical and down- to-earth amateur sleuth. I like her bookstore coworkers Mabel and Figgy, as well as Detective Maguire, and the other supporting characters add eccentric yet stereotypical (in a good way) variety to the cast. Readers do not get to know Regina very well, but she is sufficiently unlikable and makes a good victim. There are plenty of people around the village with deep secrets that make good suspects, and these keep readers on their toes throughout. There is also a potential romance brewing.

Murder in the Margins kept me guessing and engaged with its easy writing style and interesting mystery. The series has a lot of potential, and I look forward to reading more about Pen and visiting Chumley-on-Stoke

Murder in the Margins is the first book in a new series by Margaret Loudon. Penelope "Pen" Parish is in England for a spell to clear her mind and hopefully eradicate a serious case of writer's block. She'll never meet her book deadline if she can't unfreeze her brain. Pen believes taking a writer-in-residence position in Chumley-on-Stoke will be just what she needs.

What she doesn't need is to deal with the suspicious death of the Worthington Fest chairwoman, Regina Bosworth. Deal with it, Pen does, however, and she finds herself donning an amateur sleuth's cap to assist Charlotte Davenport. Charlotte is set to wed a Duke and is now a strong person of interest in the murder. Pen finds no shortage of suspects who could have taken Regina's life but figuring out the motive is harder than she expected.

Well, I seem to one of the few readers who had a hard time really getting into Murder in the Margins. I can't put my finger on the problem but I typically devour cozy mysteries and this book took me over a week to get through. I did find there were blunt shifts in thoughts, conversations, and actions so maybe those were my issues. The characters were fine, the mystery was well-thought out, and Pen didn't make too many rookie mistakes. I just wasn't as engaged in Murder in the Margins as I usually am when it comes to cozies.

I plan to continue with the series and hope I am able to be more engaged in the next book.

As the first book in a new series Murder in the Margins is fun and cozy mystery, reminiscent of M. C Beaton Agatha Raisin series. The characters were likeable, I also enjoyed that our heroine Penelope was from America and moving to England to get over her writers block and is experiencing the quaint and British eccentricities first hand, I found her actions and the towns reactions to her were very accurate and appropriate. The mystery was well thought out even though I guessed who it was in the beginning. Overall Murder in the Margins is promising first book to a hopefully long and cozy murder mystery series.

Murder in the Margins is the first in a series. I found it entertaining once I sorted the many characters and adjusted to the unexpected changes within chapters.
An example, Penelope arrives from the U. S. and is driving into the village where she's to be writer-in-residence at a bookshop.
In the next scene she forgets that she should be on the left and nearly has a head-on crash.
This is followed by a description of the bookshop.
The reader(at least this one)Is still under the assumption she's just arriving but that turns out not to be the case. She's been in town for two weeks; a fact that isn't made clear until later in the chapter.
On the trail of the possible killer of a body in the freezer, she goes to another town where she's following a clue and intends to go the local library to check newspaper archives. When she returns home and relays the details of her visit the library search isn't mentioned although tourist sites are.
I could be a stickler and fault the author for not mentioning details of how a U.S. citizen was cleared to work in the U.K. so quickly.
Once I adjusted to startling changes within chapters I enjoyed the book. A bit of proofreading would have helped.

This was a really fun, cozy mystery! I wasn't able to guess the killer ahead of the reveal which is always a massive plus when reading a mystery. Looking forward to reading more mysteries from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the DRC.

This was a fun start to the series. The premise is fantastic, Pen is sympathetic and interesting, and the village is full of quirky characters with rather vivid backstories. Throw in a bit of a romance and what's not to love. Though honestly my favorite part was the kind of behind the scenes bits of Pen working on her book. I really enjoyed watching her figure out the hows and whys of her story.

But back to the mystery! Really no one in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke is asking to get murdered more then Regina and there are more people wo aren't sorry to see her gone then will miss her. I'm not sure I 100% bought why Pen got pulled into the investigation but that's pretty minor when it comes to amateur sleuths. It was fun to watch the investigation progress and all the secrets unravel. Really the only thing that kept this book from being a Really Liked It is that there are so many characters and I didn't quite fully feel like I really knew them all. I'm thinking this is a first book issue and I am fully expecting for the 2nd book to be a favorite read next year.

3.5 Stars

Penelope Parish has written a bestselling Gothic novel, but then gets writer’s block when working on her follow-up book. Pen leaves New York behind and accepts a writer-in-residence job at a bookstore in an English village. Pen is getting to know her co-workers and regular customers and is invited to deliver a talk at a local festival at a duke’s castle. Just as she begins to speak, a scream interrupts the presentation. Someone has discovered a dead body in the castle and it looks like murder. When the duke’s fiancée, also an American author, becomes a suspect, Pen agrees to do some digging and help prove Charlotte’s innocence.

This is a light mystery that is a quick read that is perfect for a Fall evening with a cup of tea. The pace is somewhat uneven especially in the beginning and middle of the book before it really picks up toward the end. However, even in the slower parts, there is something to enjoy. I really like when Pen is leading a writer’s or book group. It shows how knowledgeable she is and she seems most confident in these situations. I would have liked more of these scenes and more of her actually writing her book, and maybe even some excerpts at the beginning of some of the chapters to highlight the fact that Pen is an author. A few of the side characters just blurred together for me. I did, however, enjoy Mabel, who owns the bookstore where Pen is working. She’s smart, practical, and unlike some of the village residents, non-judgemental. She and Pen make a great team in the bookstore and in the investigation.

I never felt like I got to know Regina, the victim, or many of the suspects which made the book less enjoyable than it could have been. I do like that Pen is able to discover quite a few people with a motive for the murder. She even finds some evidence to support Charlotte, the woman she is trying to help, as the killer and that makes things interesting. Also interesting is the way Pen keeps crossing paths with Detective Maguire, who is investigating Regina’s murder. There is a definite attraction between the two of them and I think it would be fun if they teamed up and actually worked together on an investigation in the future. A pleasant author for a main character, a reliable friend, a small English village, and an attractive love interest are all elements of a great cozy and I think this new series has a lot of potential. Fans of Marty Wingate should enjoy getting to know Pen.

~ Christine

3.5

A fun mystery that puts Penelope Parish, a bestselling American writer, as a writer-in-residence at a community bookstore in a small English village called Upper Chumley-on-Stoke.

There is a gathering, organized by an obnoxious woman who ends up dead. Penelope ends up running a parallel investigation to that of the handsome Maguire, who is in charge of the case.

It's a fun story during which the suspects come out in all their colorful idiosyncrasy one by one, until the exciting end. There are a lot of loose ends, but I expect some of that is due to series setup. The structure might seem a bit on the perfunctory side for those who read a lot of cozies, but it is enjoyable, a good thing at this time of year.

Murder In The Margins is the first book in The Open Book Mysteries series by Margaret Loudon.

Penelope(Pen) Parish was happily pleased and surprised when her first book hit the bestseller list. But now that she is starting work on her second book, she faces the “sophomore jinx” and is having a severe case of writer’s block. But good fortune must have been on her side when she saw an ad in Writer’s magazine for writer-in-residence at the Open Book bookstore in England. Pen was very happy when she received an email telling her she got the position and that they were looking forward to working with her.

When Pen arrives in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, she notices that the annual Worthington Fest will begin the next day. The Fest will be held on Lord Worthington’s estate and will be a chance for the attendees to meet Worthington’s fiancee, Charlotte Davenport, an American romance author, and view the estate. The fest has opened, and Pen and Mabel Morris, proprietor of the Open Book bookstore, have their stall ready to greet visitors. Pen hears a scream from near the step to the lower level and soon finds Gladys Watkins screaming that there is a dead body in the basement. Pen and India, a friend and customer of Open Book, proceed to the basement and find the body of Regina Bosworth in a walk-in freezer.

Regina Bosworth was the chairwoman of the Worthington Fest. Mrs. Bosworth has a reputation in Chumley as opinionated, snobby, and bossy. Also, she has been very vocal that she thought her daughter should be the one marrying Lord Worthington.

Pen and Charlotte have met before. They had attended the same writer’s conference and sat on a panel together. So, when Charlotte becomes a person of interest with the police, she asks Pen to do some sleuthing. Pen soon finds no shortage of possible suspects, ranging from Regina’s husband to other residents and Charlotte’s secretary.

I really liked this book. I felt the story was well-written and plotted. I thought the characters were all well-developed, believable, and engaging. I’m looking forward to learning more about the bookstore and its customers. I found a couple of the Open Book’s lady customers to be immensely entertaining. I’m also interested in seeing if anything will start to develop between Pen and Detective Maguire.


I’m eagerly awaiting the book in this beautiful new series.

Penelope Parish has a severe case of writer's block that is threatening her second book. Hoping a writer in residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, will shake the cobwebs loose, Pen, as she's affectionately known, heads to England. Unfortunately, life in Chumley is far from quiet and when the chairwoman of the local Worthington Fest is found dead, fingers are pointed at Charlotte Davenport, an American romance novelist and the future Duchess of Worthington. Charlotte turns to the one person who might be her ally for help: fellow writer Pen. Teaming up with bookstore owner Mabel Morris and her new friend Figgy, Pen sets out to learn the truth and finish her novel.

I am always drawn to books about books and bookstores so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I requested it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this new book in a series. I enjoyed it very much and could picture the village and characters the author so ably described.

A pleasant "cozy" mystery with a truly mystifying death, but the characters mostly seemed two-dimensional and I didn't care much about finding out who the murderer was.

First book in the new Open Book Mystery series. American author, Penelope, has writers block after her first Gothic mystery book is published. She moves to Chumley England to work in a book shop as an author in residence. All the best themes - book shops, writers, and an English setting. This is a lovely English village full of interesting characters.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I did guess who the murderer was (rare occurrence), but was still interesting to see how it was discovered and wrapped up. I look forward to more in the series.

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

Murder in the Margins is a pleasant mystery with a likable protagonist and a few good red herrings to distract the reader. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the remote English village setting of Upper Chumley-on-Stoke. Making the main character, Penelope Parish, an outsider - a bestselling American writer-in-residence at the community bookstore, Open Book - was a nice touch. My only quibble was the writing, with its repetition of overused phrases - Penelope's boyfriend being "out of sight, out of mind" and one of the suspects noted for "ferreting out other people's secrets" were two examples.

My preference is for darker, more literary thrillers, but Murder in the Margins will appeal to fans of cozies, bookstores, and all things British, and a diverting read for a rainy afternoon.