Book Review: Vows and Villany by Elizabeth Penney

  Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from St Martins press via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own

Vows and Villainy is the fifth book in Elizabeth Penney's delightful Cambridge Bookshop series set in Cambridge, England, where celebrations are about to commence.

Synopsis:

It’s wedding season in Cambridge, and Molly Kimball is thrilled that it's almost time for her best friend's special day. With the help of her boyfriend Kieran Scott, she is determined to be the best maid of honor for Daisy and Tim. Daisy’s heart is set upon a Shakespeare-themed wedding to be held at Hazelhurst House, Kieran’s family’s home. The Scotts are also hosting a Shakespeare troupe for the summer, and the actors have kindly agreed to be part of the festivities.

But all goes awry with the discovery of Sir Nigel Peck, a famous actor with a checkered past and present-day misdeeds, floating dead in the moat with flowers strewn around him, à la Ophelia. When Kieran’s brother Alan becomes a top suspect, Molly and company must investigate to uncover the ugly truth behind this picturesque scene . . . before more bodies pile up.

Can Molly solve the murder before Daisy and Tim say “I do”?

Review

This is the second book of the series I have read, and the characters are all still charming and it's great to see both Molly and her Mom settled and happy in their new homeland and bookshop. Molly has branched out to help her beau's family with a Shakespeare presentation at their estate while a theatre production is going on. The same troup will be helping with her besties' wedding. But when the main actor ends up deceased on the estate, found by Molly no less, then it's up to her to find some clues among the pigeons, as she works from the estate. Defining a cozy mystery in earnest, this charmer will have you smiling throughout and remembering all the Shakespeare you learned in school-it's a fun quick read, that will have you checking out the rest in the series.

About the Author:

ELIZABETH PENNEY is the author of more than two dozen cozy mysteries, including the Apron Shop, Cambridge Bookshop, and Ravensea Castle series. The first in the Cambridge Bookshop series, 

Chapter and Curse, was a 2022 Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee. Elizabeth spent her early years in England and France and now lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things.