Chapter and Curse

Cambridge Bookshop Series, Book 1

By: Elizabeth Penney

Narrated by: Henrietta Meire

In Elizabeth Penney's Chapter and Curse, Molly Kimball is used to cracking open books...but when a poetry reading ends in murder, she must use her skills to crack the case.

Librarian Molly Kimball and her mother, Nina, need a change. So when a letter arrives from Nina's Aunt Violet in Cambridge, England, requesting their help running the family bookshop, they jump at the chance.

Thomas Marlowe - Manuscripts and Folios, is one of the oldest bookshops in Cambridge, and - unfortunately - customers can tell. When Molly and Nina arrive, spring has come to Cambridge and the famed Cambridge Literary Festival is underway. Determined to bring much-needed revenue to the bookstore, Molly invites Aunt Violet's college classmate and famed poet Persephone Brightwell to hold a poetry reading in the shop. But the event ends in disaster when a guest is found dead - with Molly's great-aunt's knitting needle used as the murder weapon. While trying to clear Violet and keep the struggling shop afloat, Molly sifts through secrets past and present, untangling a web of blackmail, deceit, and murder.

©2021 Elizabeth Penney (P)2021 Tantor

Sweet and cozy

Just the right amount of interest level for a cozy read. It feels like a Hallmark movie in a book

Plot is ok, nothing original.

Would not be possible for anyone to be born, raised and finished 16 years of education in the States and speaking with a British accent.

I find the main character to be annoying know it all, too typical.

A Delightful Find

In this first-in-series, Librarian Molly Kimball moves from her native Vermont with her British mom to help revive the family's historic bookstore - the oldest bookstore in Cambridge. What ensues upon their arrival is the start of a beautiful cozy mystery series, complete with an amazing bookstore, welcoming relatives, estranged family members, new friends, the hint of romance, a touch of humor, old school rivalries, and the obligatory murder. Molly, her mom, and great-aunt handle it all with aplomb. These are wonderful characters with great world building and enticing stories.

The narrator does a great job with the various English voices and a decent job with Molly's American accent. I enjoyed listening.

Cozy Cambridge Mystery

Charming mix of murder mystery and romance. Author does a great job of transporting us to a very charming, modern day Cambridge.

Enjoyable

Nice first book in a new series. Although moving from America to England was fuss free (no visa woes) the story and characters were interesting . The mystery was a bit apparent. Will listen to the next in the series.

Great setting and Story

Book lovers will enjoy this plot and characters. Cambridge is an ideal place for interesting happenings with historical as well as intellectual endeavors.

So so …

Started with a good premise but really didn’t take it anywhere. Not sure I will continue the series

The narration was beyond bad

The story was really quite good. But the narration was the worst I've ever heard in an Audible Book, It was like a woman with a strong English accent was just reading out loud. Every character, situation and commentary sounded the same.

Nice twists

Good listen. Narrator brings story to life. Story was good. Good description of area. Ready for the rest of the series.

Wasn't a bad listen

If the narrator had been better, I'm sure this would have been a better listen, I did figure out who did it before the ending, but all in all, it was a pleasant listen.