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The Avid Reader
, August 15, 2023
(view all comments by The Avid Reader)
A Deadly Dedication by Margaret Loudon returns readers to Upper Chumley-on-Stokes where Penelope Parish finds herself investigating the latest murder in the village. The mystery is straightforward. The guilty party could be easily identified early in the story. I wish the whodunit had been more complex. I would have liked some action (the story desperately needed it). The mystery is neatly wrapped up at the end. We get to follow Pen as she goes about her day-to-day life. She works at the Open Book bookstore, chats with friends, works on her latest manuscript, enjoys tea and scones, and spends time with her boyfriend. The story moves along at a leisurely pace (I believe snails move faster). The author captures life in a small, English village. Her vivid descriptions allow readers to visualize Upper Chumley-on-Stokes and its characters. There is some romance as Pen spends time with her boyfriend, Detective Maguire. A Deadly Dedication is the fourth book in The Open Book Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone. I wanted to give this series one more chance before saying adieu. I am not a fan of Penelope, and the series is just ho hum. I feel the series needs a jolt of humor and action. I also do not see where the characters are developing. A Deadly Dedication is a culinary cozy with scrumptious scones, upset shopkeepers, Guy Fawkes celebration, a deceased Simeon, a surplus of suspects, and vast quantities of tea.
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