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.

Fans of cozy mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this delightful series set in a 700-year-old bookshop in Cambridge. Similar in some ways to Paige Shelton’s Scottish Bookshop mysteries (attractive, young American woman transplanted into a UK bookshop gets involved in solving mysteries) but different enough that readers will be captivated by the warm relationships that form the bones of this series.

The story in this third entry features a serial poisoner and a lost Madame Alexander doll worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. It is set in the toy shop of everyone’s dreams at the most magical time of the year (Christmas), and moves at a quick pace but keeps the readers interest easily. The murderer was fairly easy to guess, but the story threads were clever enough to keep me engrossed in the story.

While this is the third in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone, although I have recommended the first two in the past. They are quick, enjoyable reads for wintry afternoons.

It's Christmas in Cambridge but that doesn't mean there can't also be murder, as Molly discovers in this latest in an engaging series that can also be read as a standalone. Molly and her mom have befriended Charlotte who just inherited the local toy shop-and a load of trouble. A very valuable doll has gone missing, there's a poisoner afoot, and well, murder! It's nicely atmospheric and the characters are good. There's a fair amount of family drama too which makes this a bit deeper than the usual cozy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I might as well be honest right up front--I love this series. Madrigals and Mayhem is the 4th novel in the Cambridge Bookshop series. The mysteries are always nicely plotted and the characters engaging. Christmas is the backdrop for this cozy mystery, Madrigals and Mayhem, which will capture readers' attention. The setting is small village life, with Molly working inside the family's 700 year-old Thomas Marlowe Bookshop, even as she works to solve crimes. Daisy's tea shop, Kieran's bicycle shop, and a new addition, Charlotte's toy shop, help to fill out some of the background in the small village.

In this 4th installment of the Cambridge Bookshop series, author Elizabeth Penney's focus is on a family inheritance, the suspicious death of an elderly shop owner, a missing and quite valuable toy doll, and several deaths by poisoning. There are the usual red herrings and suspicious characters to fill in the plot, The theme of doll houses is just perfect, and as Penney has done before, there is a short novel within a novel, which always creates clues for readers to explore. In spite of the murder mysteries, each novel in this series has at its heart, been about family.

Madrigals and Mayhem is a fun, fast read that will hold the attention of readers. I absolutely do recommend this novel.. Thank you to Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for sending this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Madrigals and Mayhem is the 4th installment in the Cambridge Bookshop series, set in Cambridge, England. Molly Kimball is our amateur sleuth. She's running her family bookshop. When the owner of another shop is accused of murder, she puts on her sleuthing hat. The mystery is well thought out and plotted with lots of twists and several suspects. The holiday season and atmosphere add charm to the book. Holiday family drama adds a deeper layer to the story. We can all relate to that! I couldn't put it down! It kept me glued to the pages from the very beginning. Elizabeth Penney has a real talent for drawing me in immediately. Don't miss this one!
Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for my advanced reader copy. Release date is 11/26/24.

I always enjoy a visit to Thomas Marlowe, the bookstore in Elizabeth Penney's Cambridge Bookshop series. Add that we are visiting Molly and company during the holiday season, and it just adds wonderful charm to an already delightful series. Molly, her mother and great aunt, are decorating for the holidays, enjoying increased sales, and looking forward to the holiday season. Molly is charmed to see that the toy store across the street, that has been closed since she arrived, looks like it's ready to open. Molly and Daisy meet Charlotte, the new owner and granddaughter of the previous owner, the only problem is that someone had broken into the toy story, and Molly and Charlotte find Charlotte's grandfather's step grandson sick and possibly dying inside the shop. What follows is several interesting mysteries, a treasure hunt, and much family drama. In order to help her new friend, Molly even joins in for the holidays Madrigal and Mayhem performances. With the holidays swirling around them can Molly, with her family and friends, figure out what's going on and stop a killer so everyone can enjoy Christmas? It's definitely a read that will help any mystery lover get ready for the holiday season! Many thanks to #Netgally, #Minotaur, and the author for a chance to read. #MadrigalsandMayhem #CambridgeBookshopMysteries #ElizabethPenney #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

A well-crafted Christmas mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. May drag on a little too long, but worth the read.

Madrigals and Mayhem is a fun and interesting 4th book in The Cambridge Bookshop series, set in Cambridge (England). It's Christmas time in Cambridge, and ex-pat Molly is excited to be celebrating the season with her family and friends. When she notices a local toy store is, she decides to check it out, and walks into a mystery.

I really enjoy mysteries set during the holidays, and this cozy did not disappoint. It's interesting and flowed really well, and the main characters are people I'd want to know and solve mysteries with.
I've enjoyed every book I've read in this series and can't wait for more.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Read if you like:
🎄 Christmas murder
🎄 quirky characters
🎄 small town (Christmas) setting
🎄 family drama

This is marketed as a cozy mystery, but honestly it read more like a thriller to me! So much stuff happened and it was super twisty and exciting…. I literally could not put it down! I was sucked into the story right from the very beginning.
One of the most important things about cozy mysteries is the group of characters…. and these ones were wacky 🤪🤪 I really enjoyed all of these characters and would definitely love to live in town with them 🤣
The only negative I can possibly say about this book is that it just didn’t feel very Christmasy.
I did not see the end coming! That’s the one thing I really ask for in a mystery story. There was also a bit of romance in here which only added to the story 🙃
I had not heard of this author before but I really enjoy her writing style and can’t wait to read more by her in the future 💕

"In Madrigals and Mayhem, the fourth in Elizabeth Penney's charming Cambridge Bookshop series, Molly Kimball finds that even the holidays can come with a healthy dose of mystery.

Molly 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 and 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.

To get closer to this treacherous family, Molly and her boyfriend Kieran go undercover by volunteering to act and sing for a madrigal dinner directed by Althea and her daughter at St. Hildegard's College. Molly must help her new friend clear her name while searching for the missing doll and wrangling her own family during the chaotic holiday festivities at the bookshop."

I mean, here for the British Christmas mystery, but also oddly here for the Madame Alexander doll... I might have a collection...

British Literary Cozy Mystery featuring an American librarian who works at her family's English ancestral bookshop who turns sleuth to catch a killer bent on ruining Christmas

5/5 stars: This is the fourth entry in Penney's Cambridge Bookshop Series, which is a British Literary Cozy Mystery that's set in Cambridge, England and features an American librarian who works at her family's English ancestral bookshop with her British mother and Great Aunt as she turns sleuth after the local toy store's new owner's accused of poisoning her former step-cousin. She soon discovers the woman's former step family is fighting over the inheritance, that a valuable doll has gone missing and worst of all the shop owner may have been the intended victim and her grandfather was likely murdered. She'll have to figure out who in this family's a killer before her first English Christmas is her last. With plenty of twists and turns, Penney has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Penney's writing and character work are stellar; the main characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's so much fun to catch up with Molly and her family at Thomas Marlowe and the friends on Magpie Lane. I especially adore her relationship with her boyfriend Kieran. Oh and there are two of the best cats around: Molly's black stray, Puck, and her Aunt Violet's tabby, Clarence. Additionally, I adore the lovely English holiday-filled atmosphere and cheery vibes throughout the book and the inclusion of snippets from a children's book and the scavenger hunt that helps solve part of the mystery. Penney touches on some serious subjects; so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Chapter and Curse. A great holiday literary read, highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Molly, her mom, and her aunt are busy at the bookstore, getting ready for a busy holiday season. Molly is happy to meet Charlotte, who has inherited the nearby toy store, and will be a part of their street. When giving Molly a tour of the toy store, they find Charlotte’s cousin ill in the back room. It turns out he was poisoned and the mystery begins. Was Charlotte the intended victim or the poisoner?
Molly can’t help but get involved in the mystery and the more she learns, the more complicated the picture. There are two antique dolls, a fantastic dollhouse, dollhouse books, and difficult family members. Good news also abounds and Kieran and Molly are growing ever closer. In a lovely Christmas setting in Cambridge, the story is fun to read and I enjoyed the characters and the mystery.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I liked this book, although I found it a bit frustrating that they knew who the killer was but couldn’t do anything without proof. I do wish the characters were more developed, they felted a little flat. The plot is interesting & it doesn’t feel slow. #MadrigalsandMayhem #NetGalley

This book brought me back to my Nancy drew days!! The entire time I was guessing who the killer was and acting as if I was Molly the sleuth myself. Loved this cute read and can’t wait for the next book in this series! Cute read around the fall season for that spooky sleuth vibe! (I’m a mood reader, so this went hand in hand!!) Will be recommending this book to others once it’s out!!

Dolls and doll houses and not-so-nice family members are dominate themes throughout. A new toy store is opening near Molly's bookshop and Molly is determined to make Charlotte, the store's owner, welcome. Molly and her mother operate the Thomas Marlowe-Manuscripts and Folios bookstore and she's quick to see where she can tie her shop into not only the Christmas season but with Charlotte Pemberly's shop, which she inherited from her grandfather. Molly is immediately charmed by an intricate dollhouse which comes to play a role of sorts in the story. She's not so happy to stumble across and nearly dead man in the toy shop's back room. Seems Barnaby has been poisoned by sweet treats supposedly from Molly's friend Daisy's shop. Needless to say, both Charlotte and Daisy are suspects. As it turns out, there's a long list of suspects, many related to Charlotte's grandfather, Arthur.

I won't detail the plot, which seems to focus on the disappearance of a valuable collector's doll, and the hostility of the family to Charlotte. They believe she's stolen their inheritance. Of course, there is much more to the story, including family squabbles, budding romances, playful pets, and the delightful scenes of Cambridge during the holiday season. Heck, Molly, despite some initial stage fright, even gets involved in a madrigal. She has an alternative motive, however. Well, beside doing it with boyfriend, Kieran. In the process of trying to sort of the murders, yes, plural, you'll learn quite a bit about not just Christmas in England but the history of doll houses. For instance, Queen Mary's Doll House in Windsor dates to the early 1920's and was a gift at a time doll houses were not cheap. Think pre-mass production methods.

Bottom line, while a bit mystified by Molly's immediate obsession with the investigation since she'd barely met Charlotte, I enjoyed the book. Loved their secret code. Grin. The characters, even the not-so-nice ones, are fairly well-rounded and the regulars, of course, continue to evolve and become only more likable. Molly's family ties are complicated but we see that relationship evolving, too. The pets are even nicely rounded although I won't share their antics here. As for whodunit, I sort of knew but didn't know, which makes little sense until you read the book. Give it a read. It flows and is well written with great characters in a lovely setting. My thanks to #St.Martin'sPress - #Minotaur for giving me an early peek at Molly and Kieran's first Christmas in Cambridge. Heck, we even got to spend some time hobnobbing with students at college.

When the local toyshop reopens after the death of the owner, Molly is pleased to make a new friend in the owner's granddaughter Charlotte who has taken over the store. However, neither of them expects to find a gravely ill intruder when Charlotte gives Molly a tour.

Molly soon gets involved in solving a mystery as Christmas nears. Charlotte's relatives were angry that her grandfather left everything to her including the clues to the location of a very valuable doll. But no one thought they were angry enough to try to kill her.

As Molly investigates, she finds herself stumbling onto clues and additional crimes. Meanwhile, she is busy finding books about dollhouses for a display that echoes the historical dollhouse in the toy store's window. The book within a book in this episode deals with a grief-stricken child and the dollhouse figures who try to ease her sorrow.

I enjoy this series which is set in Cambridge. I like that Molly and her mother are making a new life for themselves in England working in a bookstore that has been in the family since the 1600s.

"Madrigals and Mayhem” the 4th instalment in The Cambridge Bookshop Mystery series by Elizabeth Penney set in Cambridge, England. I love this series and always preorder Elizabeth’s books. Molly Kimball finds that even the holidays can come with a healthy dose of mystery.

I absolutely loved this story, and read in one day! I liked seeing how Molly and Kieran’s relationship has progressed. I love the addition of Charlotte Pemberly owner of toyshop Pemberly’s Emporium and she really fits into the streets family. I really like Molly, Kieran, her mum, aunt Fiona, Daisy and Tom it’s enough to make you wish you were part of their little community or street.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself but I was right on who the killer was.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for book 5!

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from St. Martins Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Madrigals and Mayhem is the fourth book in the Cambridge Bookshop Mystery but could probably be read as a standalone since the mystery is solved in this book. Molly is excited for the holidays and the next door toy store opening backup with a new owner. Charlotte Pemberly inherited her grandfather’s whole estate but her step family wants the valuable doll that they believe they are owed. Charlotte’s step cousin is poisoned in her story and she becomes the main suspect. Molly jumps into the investigation to the point of joining the madrigals for a performance to clear her friend and find the missing doll. Fast paced while keeping you guessing, the mystery is easy to read with interesting and entertaining characters for a good cozy read. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

When Molly goes to England she fixes up a bookstore which she thoroughly enjoys. So0n an old toy store is reopened by a woman named Charlotte, She inherited the shop from her father - much to the ire of her step-family.

When an attempt to poison Charlotte fails suspicion falls partly on Molly.

A cozy mystery with characters who are written sharply and in details that pulled me in and kept me reading the book in one sitting.
With a madrigal program, an enchanting town, and a mystery that takes a while to come to a conclusion before I could guess who-dun-it, this book is highly recommended. Especially for the Christmas season

Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney is a great cozy mystery that is the fourth book in The Cambridge Bookshop Mystery series.

I have really enjoyed this series thus far. Set in the historic academic town of Cambridge, the author really brings the feel of the town into the novel.

I have always liked the character cast and Molly is a fun MC and amateur sleuth to hang around with.

I liked the Christmas and festive feel and the murder/mystery was an easy thread to follow. I will continue to read this series.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 11/26/24.