Murder in the Margins by Margaret Loudon is the first book in the NEW “Open Book” cozy mystery series, coming October 27, 2020.
The plot thickens for American gothic writer Penelope Parish when a murder near her quaint British bookshop reveals a novel’s worth of killer characters.
Penelope Parish has hit a streak of bad luck, including a severe case of writer’s block that is threatening her sophomore book. Hoping a writer in residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, will shake the cobwebs loose, Pen, as she’s affectionately known, packs her typewriter and heads across the pond.
Unfortunately, life in Chumley is far from quiet and when the chairwoman of the local Worthington Fest is found dead, fingers are pointed at Charlotte Davenport, an American romance novelist and the future Duchess of Worthington. Charlotte turns to the one person who might be her ally for help: fellow American Pen. Teaming up with bookstore owner Mabel Morris and her new friend Figgy, Pen sets out to learn the truth and find the tricks that will help her finish her novel.
Dru’s Musing:
I love the small-town and cozy atmosphere of this delightfully charming new series. This well-crafted whodunit had a solid plot, a lovable cast of characters, engaging dialogue and a nice little murder mystery that I could not put down until all was said and done. The author did a great job in setting this up with the right number of suspects and a few red herrings. I loved how we met the various characters and through their action, told the story of who did what to whom and it was ferreting out the clues that revealed why the victim met their untimely demise. This was nicely executed, and it was fun watching it all play out, as one by one, the only person left standing was the killer.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher
Many thanks and so glad you enjoyed it!