{"id":31669,"date":"2025-02-03T09:44:51","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T13:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=31669"},"modified":"2025-02-03T09:45:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T13:45:20","slug":"review-madrigals-and-mayhem-by-elizabeth-penney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/03\/review-madrigals-and-mayhem-by-elizabeth-penney\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \ud83d\udd0d Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-31669\" data-postid=\"31669\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-31669 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_0dtl316 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_z9fr316 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_q1f8316 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"1048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=640%2C1048&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-31670\" title=\"madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney\" alt=\"madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?w=916&amp;ssl=1 916w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=183%2C300&amp;ssl=1 183w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=625%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 625w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=768%2C1258&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=400%2C655&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_ebeq316 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Molly is eager to experience her first English Christmas with family and friends now that she&#8217;s adjusted to her move to Cambridge and her restoration of her family\u2019s ancestral bookshop, Thomas Marlowe\u2014Manuscripts and Folios. When local toyshop Pemberly\u2019s 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\u2019s sole heir.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Arthur&#8217;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&#8217;s gone missing. When Althea&#8217;s grandson is poisoned by cakes from Tea &amp; Crumpets, Charlotte becomes the top suspect. Molly believes Charlotte was the intended victim and investigates the Pemberly\u2019s home, only to discover that Arthur had been murdered.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_y4s1316 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_y2bt316  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25879 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-top-pick-banner-1-2.png?resize=296%2C72&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Nov 26, 2024<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Cambridge Bookshop<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>4<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $9.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year will be Molly Kimball\u2019s first English Christmas since she and her mother moved from Vermont to Cambridge. They both love their new life in England, where they help Molly\u2019s great-aunt run the family bookstore. Molly gets involved in an attempted murder case when a new friend is being framed for trying to kill a disgruntled relative. Molly is determined to help Charlotte clear her name and solve another mystery at the same time.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is the fourth book in the Cambridge Bookshop series, but the first one I\u2019ve read. I had no problems getting to know and like the main characters. It\u2019s wonderful how well Molly, her mother, and her aunt all get along, in the bookstore and at home. I also liked Molly\u2019s relationship with her boyfriend, Kieran Scott. It was romantic, and I could feel the chemistry between them.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When it comes to the \u201cmystery\u201d part of the book, Molly goes all in to prove Charlotte, who just took over her grandfather\u2019s toy shop, isn\u2019t a killer. The investigation is intriguing and sometimes sad. I enjoyed the treasure hunt for a valuable doll using clues that Charlotte\u2019s grandfather left for her. There is also a charming children\u2019s story about a magic dollhouse included in the book that fits in well with the main plot.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The solution to the various crimes occurring in the story wasn\u2019t a shock to me, but I still found the book to be engaging, with a nice, cozy holiday feel. The themes of family, friendship, and new beginnings come together for a heartwarming ending. New and returning readers will equally enjoy this book and I will be on the lookout for more books in this series.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine\u00a0\u00a0<\/em> <\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_8wv6316 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4aKbUqM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3CAMbEv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney\/1144473202?ean=9781250344137\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/madrigals-and-mayhem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Elizabeth_Penney_Madrigals_and_Mayhem?id=0YnoEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Molly is eager to experience her first English Christmas with family and friends now that she&#8217;s adjusted to her move to Cambridge and her restoration [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,89,128,48],"tags":[153,223,367,404,405,485],"class_list":["post-31669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berkley","category-christine","category-penguin-group","category-reviews","tag-4-5-stars","tag-cozy-mystery","tag-mystery","tag-recommend","tag-recommended-reads","tag-top-picks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \ud83d\udd0d Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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\ud83d\udd0d Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","name":"Smitten by Books","description":"Where HEAs are guaranteed","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Smitten by 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Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d","name":"beverley","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"beverley"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/author\/beverley\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?fit=916%2C1500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"builder_content":"<img src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg\" title=\"madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney\" alt=\"madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?w=916&amp;ssl=1 916w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=183%2C300&amp;ssl=1 183w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=625%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 625w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=768%2C1258&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney.jpg?resize=400%2C655&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 916px) 100vw, 916px\" \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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\u2019s ancestral bookshop, Thomas Marlowe\u2014Manuscripts and Folios. When local toyshop Pemberly\u2019s 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\u2019s sole heir.<br \/><br \/>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 &amp; Crumpets, Charlotte becomes the top suspect. Molly believes Charlotte was the intended victim and investigates the Pemberly\u2019s home, only to discover that Arthur had been murdered.<br \/><br \/>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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-top-pick-banner-1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Nov 26, 2024<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Cambridge Bookshop<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>4<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $9.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year will be Molly Kimball\u2019s first English Christmas since she and her mother moved from Vermont to Cambridge. They both love their new life in England, where they help Molly\u2019s great-aunt run the family bookstore. Molly gets involved in an attempted murder case when a new friend is being framed for trying to kill a disgruntled relative. Molly is determined to help Charlotte clear her name and solve another mystery at the same time.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is the fourth book in the Cambridge Bookshop series, but the first one I\u2019ve read. I had no problems getting to know and like the main characters. It\u2019s wonderful how well Molly, her mother, and her aunt all get along, in the bookstore and at home. I also liked Molly\u2019s relationship with her boyfriend, Kieran Scott. It was romantic, and I could feel the chemistry between them.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When it comes to the \u201cmystery\u201d part of the book, Molly goes all in to prove Charlotte, who just took over her grandfather\u2019s toy shop, isn\u2019t a killer. The investigation is intriguing and sometimes sad. I enjoyed the treasure hunt for a valuable doll using clues that Charlotte\u2019s grandfather left for her. There is also a charming children\u2019s story about a magic dollhouse included in the book that fits in well with the main plot.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The solution to the various crimes occurring in the story wasn\u2019t a shock to me, but I still found the book to be engaging, with a nice, cozy holiday feel. The themes of family, friendship, and new beginnings come together for a heartwarming ending. New and returning readers will equally enjoy this book and I will be on the lookout for more books in this series.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine\u00a0\u00a0<\/em> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4aKbUqM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3CAMbEv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/madrigals-and-mayhem-elizabeth-penney\/1144473202?ean=9781250344137\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/madrigals-and-mayhem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Elizabeth_Penney_Madrigals_and_Mayhem?id=0YnoEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31669"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31675,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31669\/revisions\/31675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}