Some of my favorite cozy mysteries lately are from Elizabeth Penney’s The Cambridge Bookshop series. With a wonderful cast, plenty of literary themes (I mean a large part of the setting is in a bookshop after all), adorable cats, and a story-within-a-story, this series has always had plenty to offer. The same goes for the latest installment called The Fatal Folio.

I had a great time delving into this latest adventure with Molly, her family, her friends, and the new characters as well.

The mystery gets off to a running start with the death of a student from a nearby college. There were plenty of suspects, and each of them had a legitimate motive and the potential means to commit the crime. The set up was pretty solid, and I liked the steady progression of the mystery as it happened alongside a series of gothic literature themed events.

There was some progression with the relationships in the series. There were some steps backward, but it was offset by communication, especially between Molly and Kieran.

The build up to the reveals was quite detailed. It took its time getting there, but I honestly didn’t mind it. Part of the reason was The Fatal Folio, the titular book featured prominently in this mystery. There were plenty of pages dedicated to recounting its story in full, and, honestly, those were some of my favorite scenes in the book. So I was pretty invested in Molly’s sleuthing as well as the story she was reading. However, my only little disappointment was how quickly everything was wrapped up. Other than that, the ultimate explanation was a relatively good conclusion to all that had happened.

Overall, this was another good addition to the series. If you’ve read Chapter and Curse and its sequel, A Treacherous Tale, then I highly recommend The Fatal Folio too.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (St. Martin's Paperbacks) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

This is another story within a story. There is the discovered novel (A Fatal Folio) contained within this mystery.

I enjoyed Molly's mother, Nina, and her Aunt Violet. Her boyfriend Kieran owns a bike shop but his parents are Lord Graham Scott and Lady Asha which intimidates Molly. I like Kieran so far but feel I didn't get to know him much in this, my first outing without reading the previous books.

There are plenty of suspects and I had an inkling of who the killer was. There are plenty of atmospheric touches that I really liked. The killer reveal was quick and over and not very tense. I found this was an enjoyable read.

Rating: Good - A fun read with a lot of atmosphere

If you’re going to commit a murder, do it on a night when mask-wearers abound.

During Guy Fawkes celebrations, student Thad Devine is murdered on the grounds of St. Aelred, one of Cambridge, England’s, oldest and smallest colleges. The prime suspect is Oliver Scott. A professor up for promotion, Scott held a grudge against Devine. Oliver Scott is also cousin to Kieran Scott.
Kieran is Molly Kimble’s boyfriend, and she has a knack for stumbling into murders. Having her boyfriend’s cousin the prime suspect in Devine’s murder isn’t a spot she wants to be in, but here she is.
Before Molly can make any headway on the murder, the priceless manuscript The Fatal Folio is stolen during the Gothic Literature symposium, and Molly finds herself in the middle of mystery #2.
As Molly investigates both cases, the circle of suspects widens beyond Oliver, but not by much. All of Molly’s murder suspects either work for or are students at St. Aelred’s and also have ties to the symposium, meaning not only are they murder suspects, but suspects in the theft of The Final Folio. Will her investigating lead to a murderer? Will she recover the stolen manuscript before it’s sold to the highest bidder on the black market?

My Thoughts
The Final Folio is a quick and easy read. The number of suspects kept me guessing about the murderer’s identity and the murderer’s motivation. Another plus was the inclusion of an old library. Molly was hired to catalogue the library at Hazelhurst House, the Scotts’ ancestral home and that was a definite plus in my book. (Pun intended.) If you like old libraries, rare manuscripts, and murder, then this novel may be for you.


Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing a free copy of #TheFatalFolio for review. All opinions are my own.

Molly Kimball is settling well into her new life as a part-owner of a Cambridge bookstore that has been in her family for generations. Her new boyfriend Kieran's noble family has hired her to update the catalog for their family library and Molly is looking forward to seeing what treasures the collection holds.

She does know that the family holds the original manuscript for A Fatal Folio by Selwyn Scott - a pseudonymous member of the family. The story is a gem of Gothic literature and will be featured at the conference on Gothic literature to be held at the home and organized by Kieran's cousin Oliver who is hoping to use the conference to cement his promotion to full professor at his Cambridge college. But complaints by Thad, one of his graduate students, threatens to scuttle his chances.

When Molly, Kieran and some of their friends stumble onto Thad's body while going to a meet-up with Oliver, Molly gets involved in the case. Kieran wants her to help clear his cousin's name but Molly isn't quite so sure of his innocence. And then the manuscript of The Fatal Folio is stolen...

Molly is researching the identity of Selwyn Scott and discovers that there might be a second manuscript by Selwyn Scott. She's hunting for it and for a murderer. She has lots of suspects as she learns that Thad was almost universally disliked.

Interspersed with the modern story is the text of The Fatal Folio which was entertaining. I enjoyed this cozy mystery with its lovely setting and modern and book-loving main character.

Molly Kimball, while busy helping her family run their bookshop and cataloguing an enormous library belonging to her boyfriend's family, finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving an old manuscript. The Fatal Folio, both the name of this cozy mystery and the Gothic novel that exists within the book, becomes the basis for this story.

On Guy Fawkes Night, Molly, Kieran, and their friends find a body. However, the man who was murdered had previously been arguing with Kieran's cousin who becomes the prime suspect. Later, the original manuscript of The Fatal Folio goes missing. She knows the two are intertwined, but she isn't sure how. Will she be able to find the manuscript and solve the murder before the killer finds her?

This is the third book in the Cambridge Bookshop series. However, the author writes in such a way that you can jump into the series without reading the first two books and still know what's going on. Ms. Penney does a wonderful job of weaving a Gothic mystery story into her writing. This was a hard book to put down!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book.

How have I managed to miss this great series until now? I definitely have some catch-up reading to do although, quite frankly, this worked wonderfully as a standalone. The characters were nicely introduced, as well as their relationships to one another, and, oh, my, I'm in love with the setting. I kept wishing I somehow had the ability to twitch my nose and transport myself to Cambridge in time to catch up with Molly, Kieran, and their families and friends. True, I might want to skip a Guy Fawkes Night celebration but would love to tag along on the tours they were able to get. Heck, I'd settle for seeing the tree grafted from Newton's original apple tree from his childhood home although, well, who wouldn't want to explore an ancient cemetery, listen to tales of headless monks, or learn about Black Shuck, the dog that inspired Doyle's Baskerville hound?

I'm a sucker for character driven books which this one showcases, plus it adds history, books, and lore and the fun of being a virtual tourist. The characters are likable and the plot is well-crafted and moves along smoothly. We even get insight into what makes the suspects tick. I won't detail the mystery (see the blurb) but it's intriguing. In fact, there's more than one mystery, both old and new. As for the new, who killed Thad Devine? It isn't like there isn't a host of suspects. He seemed to have the knack of annoying just about everyone from his lodging mates to professors. There's even some romance, which appears to be one that has slowly built over previous books, and Molly and Keiran seem to make a lovely pair that we'd all say were "perfect together". Speaking of books, after all this is a bookshop mystery, lots of titles and author names pop up, a feast for us bookaholics. And, hey, don't forget the cats! And wait till you hear about Kieran's childhood home, er manor. Ancestral, with family portraits dating back centuries. And, oh, it had a moat. Yep, rather fancy. Molly describes its library as a "window into history", in fact.

Bottom line, I loved it and have added this series to my "must read" list. Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for introducing me to Molly and all those about her. I'll definitely be catching up asap and then waiting for the next adventure.

Thomas Marlowe Manuscripts and Folios, is Molly Kimball’s familys ancestral bookshop.

Molly moved to Cambridge, England, to run the shop and so far, she is loving it. And while she isn’t quite sure if she is in love with Kieran, she is definitely in love with his familys library!

Going through the huge library, Molly has found an original manuscript of a Gothic novel. It’s a huge find and Kiran’s cousin is hoping to publish a paper on it before one of his students files a complaint against him.

When they find Thad dead, stabbed during the Guy Fawkes fireworks! Of course Oliver is a suspect but boy are there a lot more!

Molly has her work cut out for her with this one.

I enjoy the style of writing this author has. It’s easy and the subject matter is always good!

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s, Minotaur, October 24, 2023

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’m truly enjoying my cozy mystery era and I thought this was a fun addition to my growing cozy mystery collection. I had a blast spending an afternoon reading this one and couldn’t put it down. Elizabeth made it easy to get into and I enjoyed it!

I was so impressed by The Fatal Folio, third in the Cambridge Bookshop mystery series by Elizabeth Penney, that I went back and read the first two. They’re great cozy mysteries, particularly for Anglophiles.

The atmosphere is what really attracted me, the idea of a literary life with plenty of family and friends around. Although these are murder mysteries, they’re firmly in the cozy tradition, with little violence or threat, just a mystery unspooling. I've already told several mystery fans this should be the next series they read!

This is the first book in this series that I have read and I definitely want to check out the previous stories now. I love the the wonderful descriptions of Cambridge and the insights into university life that are sprinkled through the book. This cozy mystery was made even more special by having a book within the book as it explored the Gothic genre by including a Gothic story at the heart of the mystery. Overall a great read with a satisfying ending. If you like cozy mysteries set in England, this will be a favorite! That you for allowing me a early peek at this upcoming book.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley, and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Molly is working to update her boyfriend’s family catalogue of books. She stumbles across an original manuscript for a gothic novel called A Fatal Folio. The discover has Kieran’s cousin a professor who wants to publish a paper on it before a troublesome student threatened his long-waited promotion.

Guy Fawkes festivities are in the air but a stray firework leads to a gruesome discovery as a body is found. It turns out to be the troublemaking student was stabbed. Suspicion is pointed at the professor as Molly will have to figure out things before her boyfriend’s cousin serves time,

It is one folio that will need to be read in this fascinating series.