annieb123
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
A Treacherous Tale is the second Cambridge Bookshop cozy by Elizabeth Penney. Released 23rd Aug 2022 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 283 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
This is a fun and engaging bookstore cozy set in Cambridge. This installment follows on from book one and protagonist Molly is appealingly intelligent and well rendered. Some of the plot developments in the early part of the book were a bit over-the-top, but not too outlandish given the genre setting and characters.
The book's admittedly formulaic, but it is quite well written and fun and full of the whimsical amateur cozy vibe which keeps readers of the genre ticking over the pages. I liked Molly's enthusiasm and honesty. It's less of a "whodunit" and more an untangling and exposé on the way to the denouement and satisfying resolution. There were a few twists on the way, and I liked the ending. There's a strong tie-in to the sentimental children's books of yesteryear and it was sweetly nostalgic to read about them.
Four stars, entertaining and full of whimsy.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.