Margaret Loudon

A Deadly Dedication is the fourth book in the An Open Book Mysteries series by Margaret Louden.

Upper Chumley-on-Stoke is getting ready to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, and Penelope(Pen) Parish is looking forward to attending her first one. But there is unrest in the little community of Upper Chumley, wealthy businessman Simeon Foster is proposing to open one of his fancy gourmet shops in Upper Chumley. Many of the local shop owners fear this new shop will put them out of business.

On the evening of Guy Fawkes Day, Pen and her friends from the bookstore where she works set for the site of the celebration. As they set out their blankets and food, they notice that Simeon Foster is also in attendance. As a firework goes off, Pen takes a step back to get a better look when she bumps into something; when she looks down, it is the body of Foster. It will soon be learned that he died from eating some poisoned chocolates.

Pen, unable to pass up a mystery, will begin her investigation. Experience has shown Pen that people will more likely speak with her than the constables. She intends to share information with Detective Maguire, her boyfriend, hoping he will do the same. Pen will find no shortage of suspects to check out.

The book is well-written and plotted. The characters are well-developed and believable; I would love to call them my friends. The book reads at a nice pace. There were plenty of red herrings that I kept guessing until the end as to who the killer was. Ms. Loudon writes very descriptively that I felt I was actually there.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book to see what Pen might be up to next.… (plus d'informations)

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. Simeon Foster wants to open a high-end gourmet shop in the village which has the shop owners up in arms. Penelope finds Simeon dead during the Guy Fawkes Night celebration. There is no shortage of suspects. Pen must sift through the clues and dig into the suspects’ lives. 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 (an example is Pen or her sister, Beryl Kent). It is evident that I am not the right audience for this series. I suggest you download a sample to judge for yourself. 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.… (plus d'informations)

Penelope Parish is a gothic romance writer who is the writer-in-residence at The Open Book in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke. She convinced the owner of The Open Book to have a paint and wine party to promote Odile’s (local artist and teacher) new book. The evening is a success until Odile collapses. She is later pronounced dead at the hospital. Figgy, baker extraordinaire, is worried that the police believe she poisoned the victim. Penelope decides to do a little snooping and stumbles upon a quite a surprise. Peril on the Page by Margaret Loudon is the third installment in The Open Book Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Peril on the Page has a quaint English village, a charming bookshop, quirky characters, and fun mysteries. I like Margaret Loudon’s writing style. It is casual, friendly, and easy to read. The story moved along at a good pace. The mystery involved a local boarding school art teacher who drops dead after a paint and wine event. While I was able to solve this whodunit quite early, I still had fun following Penelope as she gathered clues and asked questions. I like that she has a friendly relationship with Detective Maguire. There was more than one mystery in Peril on the Page. There is the death of Odile, jewel thefts, an alcohol issue at the school, smashed store windows, and a missing first edition from the boarding school. All of the mysteries are resolved by the end of the book with help from Penelope. Penelope does have some close calls (she really needs to be more careful). There is humor sprinkled throughout the story. There is one scene that had me laughing out loud (it is hilarious). It is nice how the romance between Penelope and Detective Brodie Maguire is developing. I am glad it is progressing slowly. I love the Britishisms in the book (butty and jammy dodger are two examples). I appreciate that the author takes the time to explain the unusual ones. I enjoyed my latest visit to Upper Chumley-on-Stoke. I look forward to returning soon for Penelope’s next adventure. Peril on the Page is tickety-boo with a writer in residence, a paint party, a departed artist, nicked trinkets, a filched first edition, wrecked windows, pupils purchasing plonk, and a dedicated detective.… (plus d'informations)

Peril On The Page is the third book in the Open Book Mysteries series Margaret Loudon.

Penelope(Pen) is a writer in residence at the bookstore, Open Book, owned by Mabel Morris. Pen and Mabel are getting the store ready for an author signing by Odile Fontaine Fontaine of her book You Can Paint. Odile is an art teacher at Oakwood School for Girls.

As part of the signing, the attendees will be painting, and Odile will be walking around offering suggestions and comments to the painters. As she makes her way around, she suddenly collapses and is rushed to the hospital. She passes soon after her arrival, and the cause of death will be poisoning from ingestion of nightshade.

The next day Pen is to head a seminar for the students on Gothic Literature. She had decided that since she would be on campus, she might as well begin to investigate Odile's death. Pen will find the headmistress, Maribel, very willing to work with Pen’s investigation. Pen soon finds that Odile wasn’t particularly well-liked at the school. She also learns that several things are going on at the school that if Odile knew who were involved might want to silence her. Odile might know who has stolen a priceless first edition book or who was involved in an extramarital affair, or maybe who is providing students with alcohol.

It’s always wonderful to visit the residents of Upper Chumley. They all work together and watch out for each other. I felt the interaction of the students and the school staff was very realistic. The story is well-written and plotted. The writing is quite descriptive and makes one feel they are actually in Upper Chumley. It reads at a swift pace and was hard for me to put down. There were plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the murderer was revealed.

I will be watching for the next book in this wonderful series.… (plus d'informations)