The Cape Cod Conundrum

Penny Spring and Sir Toby Glendower #10

by Margot Arnold

A classic Margot Arnold Penny Spring and Sir Toby Glendower mystery. Someone has arranged the body of teacher Clara Bacon at her desk in a fashion to direct her discoverers to specific clues. And the corpse, though perfectly preserved, has been dead for over a month.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

*Marguerite Marie Dominique Monro Arnold (1879-1969), British novelist.
aka
Margot Arnold.

*Petronelle Marguerite Mary Crouch Cook (1925-2016), British-American novelist, author of Penny Spring and Sir Toby Glendower Series
aka
Petronelle Cook and Margot Arnold.

Reviews

[Laura Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good puzzle, although the main subject of real estate dealings proved fairly boring. I like that Margot Arnold has jumped ahead in time and the twins are already 3-year-olds and have personalities. A good thing since there are only two books left. That said, I also like how Alex and Sonya and their family were neatly removed from the picture for a good chunk of the book so Penny and Toby could concentrate on the mystery.

I did like the ending where the joke was on our erstwhile detectives this time around. I also liked the more serious part where Penny reflects on so many old people who won't be missed when their time comes and how lucky she and Toby are to have Alex, Sonya and the grandchildren. A satisfying addition to an enjoyable series.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay mystery which I picked off the sale rack at a local independent. I read it because it took place on the Cape, the place of my tenderest childhood memories. However, I found the sleuth pair quite annoying and it was very stupid that the author kept playing up that they were 'Sir Toby Blah-Baddy-Blah' and Dame Penny What's-Her-Name.' Despite the writer's assertions that peripheral characters were 'awed' or such by the titles, it is in fact, complete poppycock! Virtually no one in America knows about British 'Titled' people (except the royal family) and most certainly not will not care nor treat them with some special regard.

Upshot, I will not be reading one of Margot Arnold's mysteries again... even if I did love the Cape scenes depicted and the memories that came back.

[Frankie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book to read while on a vacation trip to Cape Cod. It didn't grab my attention so I only read a few chapters while on the trip. Months later, I picked it up to finish. I've read a lot of so-called "cozy mysteries" and liked them. But not this one. Very little action; too much talk (read that as badly written dialog). People don't speak in paragraphs unless they are a professor in front of a class.

[Elizabeth Kennedy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one was hard to get through. I thought it might be good because it took place on the Cape, but truly, the mentions of places I have been were the only things I enjoyed. I was offended by the description of Provincetown though, to be honest. The mystery was boring and I am not sure if I am supposed to think Toby and Penny even like each other, if they are marries or what. The writing was well done though, and the body's staging was inventive.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery set in Cape Code seems like a sure win. Alas, it was a bit stuffy and slow. The writing was impeccable and I appreciated the vocabulary. I'd say this would be more appealing for a more mature audience (retirement age and above).

Toby flinched, "Good God! Don't tell me we've got to listen to that all through dinner!" [said in reference to piano music in a restaurant...]

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the banter between the two amateur detectives and grandparents but lost interest in the convoluted, improbable plot.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun characters, but the language is a bit dated. I liked the twist in the end after the mystery had been solved.

[Alexis(Andra) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written fun mystery. 3.5. Loved having an English archaeologist come to Cape Cod. Great description of the cape. Mystery well tied together .

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penny Spring and Toby Glendower plan to spend a vacation on Cape Cod with their twin grandchildren, but an unexpected case of chicken pox spoils their plans. Then the local police ask for help about the murder of a community college teacher, whose body reappears months after her killing. Penny is outraged that no one realized the woman was missing, but Toby is more curious about the pile of books left with the woman's body. Another delightful adventure.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice mystery My mother would like. Cute Cape cod Mystery. Perfect for summer reading... The beach house anyone??

[Nicholas George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant cozy mystery, with two (and in this case, a third) lively elder protagonist/detectives. Arnold effectively paints a rich picture of Cape Cod life.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penny Spring and Sir Toby Glendower.
Elderly relatives solve murder.
Community college murder.
Good.

[Amy Paget]

Too much plot; too little character development. Plot was really ingenious, but would have been better revealed in a book of greater length.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Cape Cod Conundrum" - written by Margot Arnold and published in 1992 by W W Norton & Company. An easy reading mystery with a great cover.