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The Open Book Mysteries #1
Murder in the Margins
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.
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.
299 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 27, 2020
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October 27, 2020A fun mystery that puts Penelope Parish, a bestselling American writer, as a writer-in-residence at a community bookstore in a small English village called Upper Chumley-on-Stoke.
There is a gathering, organized by an obnoxious woman who ends up dead. Penelope ends up running a parallel investigation to that of the handsome Maguire, who is in charge of the case.
It's a fun story during which the suspects come out in all their colorful idiosyncrasy one by one, until the exciting end. There are a lot of loose ends, but I expect some of that is due to series setup. The structure might seem a bit on the perfunctory side for those who read a lot of cozies, but it is enjoyable, a good thing at this time of year.
Copy provided by NetGalley
There is a gathering, organized by an obnoxious woman who ends up dead. Penelope ends up running a parallel investigation to that of the handsome Maguire, who is in charge of the case.
It's a fun story during which the suspects come out in all their colorful idiosyncrasy one by one, until the exciting end. There are a lot of loose ends, but I expect some of that is due to series setup. The structure might seem a bit on the perfunctory side for those who read a lot of cozies, but it is enjoyable, a good thing at this time of year.
Copy provided by NetGalley
February 25, 2021
This cozy mystery takes place in England. The protagonist moves there, from America, to take a Writer’s in Residence type position at a bookstore. The book had its pros and cons for me. The cons: a lot of character dumping in the first chapter or two, lack of detail in the opening set up of the story, the protagonist really had no stake in solving the murder, and I’m not a fan of stories that take place in other countries (just my personal preference). The pros: once you got to know the characters, the story line with them was easy to follow, the murder mystery itself was good, and with the writing you did get to feel as if you were there with the main character living in England, and there was a furry companion, Mrs. Danvers, the protagonist’s cat. I haven’t decided if I will continue the series yet, maybe 🤔😊📖📚
February 13, 2022
You need to put this cozy mystery series on your list to read or listen to very soon! The narrator did an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life so I will be adding this series to my must listen list! A fantastic cast of characters starting with an intelligent American writer who has gone to England to be a writer in residence at a local bookshop filled with great local characters! So we have a bookshop with tea shop inside, books, authors, new friendships, angsty family relationships and of course murder and intrigue all wrapped deliciously into one fabulous story! Threre is definitely more meat on the plot than your average cozy so I am delighted to have found this series! I can't wait to listen to what is happening next in this quaint town of characters!
October 22, 2020
Murder In The Margins is the first book in The Open Book Mysteries series by Margaret Loudon.
Penelope(Pen) Parish was happily pleased and surprised when her first book hit the bestseller list. But now that she is starting work on her second book, she faces the “sophomore jinx” and is having a severe case of writer’s block. But good fortune must have been on her side when she saw an ad in Writer’s magazine for writer-in-residence at the Open Book bookstore in England. Pen was very happy when she received an email telling her she got the position and that they were looking forward to working with her.
When Pen arrives in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, she notices that the annual Worthington Fest will begin the next day. The Fest will be held on Lord Worthington’s estate and will be a chance for the attendees to meet Worthington’s fiancee, Charlotte Davenport, an American romance author, and view the estate. The fest has opened, and Pen and Mabel Morris, proprietor of the Open Book bookstore, have their stall ready to greet visitors. Pen hears a scream from near the step to the lower level and soon finds Gladys Watkins screaming that there is a dead body in the basement. Pen and India, a friend and customer of Open Book, proceed to the basement and find the body of Regina Bosworth in a walk-in freezer.
Regina Bosworth was the chairwoman of the Worthington Fest. Mrs. Bosworth has a reputation in Chumley as opinionated, snobby, and bossy. Also, she has been very vocal that she thought her daughter should be the one marrying Lord Worthington.
Pen and Charlotte have met before. They had attended the same writer’s conference and sat on a panel together. So, when Charlotte becomes a person of interest with the police, she asks Pen to do some sleuthing. Pen soon finds no shortage of possible suspects, ranging from Regina’s husband to other residents and Charlotte’s secretary.
I really liked this book. I felt the story was well-written and plotted. I thought the characters were all well-developed, believable, and engaging. I’m looking forward to learning more about the bookstore and its customers. I found a couple of the Open Book’s lady customers to be immensely entertaining. I’m also interested in seeing if anything will start to develop between Pen and Detective Maguire.
I’m eagerly awaiting the book in this beautiful new series.
Penelope(Pen) Parish was happily pleased and surprised when her first book hit the bestseller list. But now that she is starting work on her second book, she faces the “sophomore jinx” and is having a severe case of writer’s block. But good fortune must have been on her side when she saw an ad in Writer’s magazine for writer-in-residence at the Open Book bookstore in England. Pen was very happy when she received an email telling her she got the position and that they were looking forward to working with her.
When Pen arrives in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, she notices that the annual Worthington Fest will begin the next day. The Fest will be held on Lord Worthington’s estate and will be a chance for the attendees to meet Worthington’s fiancee, Charlotte Davenport, an American romance author, and view the estate. The fest has opened, and Pen and Mabel Morris, proprietor of the Open Book bookstore, have their stall ready to greet visitors. Pen hears a scream from near the step to the lower level and soon finds Gladys Watkins screaming that there is a dead body in the basement. Pen and India, a friend and customer of Open Book, proceed to the basement and find the body of Regina Bosworth in a walk-in freezer.
Regina Bosworth was the chairwoman of the Worthington Fest. Mrs. Bosworth has a reputation in Chumley as opinionated, snobby, and bossy. Also, she has been very vocal that she thought her daughter should be the one marrying Lord Worthington.
Pen and Charlotte have met before. They had attended the same writer’s conference and sat on a panel together. So, when Charlotte becomes a person of interest with the police, she asks Pen to do some sleuthing. Pen soon finds no shortage of possible suspects, ranging from Regina’s husband to other residents and Charlotte’s secretary.
I really liked this book. I felt the story was well-written and plotted. I thought the characters were all well-developed, believable, and engaging. I’m looking forward to learning more about the bookstore and its customers. I found a couple of the Open Book’s lady customers to be immensely entertaining. I’m also interested in seeing if anything will start to develop between Pen and Detective Maguire.
I’m eagerly awaiting the book in this beautiful new series.
August 23, 2023
I think this series has potential... The beginning was rough, but it gained traction as it went. As a side note: the narrator does a terrible English accent. Really, just dreadful.
July 4, 2021
I really enjoyed this! One of the best, most entertaining and well-conceived cozies I've read.
First off the author gets points for:
1) Having the reason the main character is in the requisite small - in this case, British - town where a murder is going to happen be something other than being dumped or left by a man. I get weary of that almost always being the setup, so having Penelope go to England to try to get over her writer's block by taking a writer-in-residence role at a bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke (which is a hilarious name for a town and I loved it!) was creative, and fit in well with the rest of the plot and story.
2) Coming up with a reason for the main character to end up in danger from the murderer also be creative and NOT be because said main character does something incredibly stupid to put herself into danger of dying. That pretty much needs to happen in a cozy, but this author has proven that it is possible to come up with a reason that fits the character, gets her where she needs to be for the suspensful conclusion, but doesn't make her a TSTL character (which Pen actually references in writing her book within-the-book as part of the storyline).
Overall, I liked Penelope, and the supporting characters very much. I enjoyed the town and the running of the bookstore and the cafe within it, and I will definitely look for more books in this series. It was quite a good read!
First off the author gets points for:
1) Having the reason the main character is in the requisite small - in this case, British - town where a murder is going to happen be something other than being dumped or left by a man. I get weary of that almost always being the setup, so having Penelope go to England to try to get over her writer's block by taking a writer-in-residence role at a bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke (which is a hilarious name for a town and I loved it!) was creative, and fit in well with the rest of the plot and story.
2) Coming up with a reason for the main character to end up in danger from the murderer also be creative and NOT be because said main character does something incredibly stupid to put herself into danger of dying. That pretty much needs to happen in a cozy, but this author has proven that it is possible to come up with a reason that fits the character, gets her where she needs to be for the suspensful conclusion, but doesn't make her a TSTL character (which Pen actually references in writing her book within-the-book as part of the storyline).
Overall, I liked Penelope, and the supporting characters very much. I enjoyed the town and the running of the bookstore and the cafe within it, and I will definitely look for more books in this series. It was quite a good read!
November 22, 2022
I have not read many cozies in England, but this one was super good!! I started with a physical book but ended up switching to audio and the narrator was perfect! I was totally sucked in. I loved the idea of starting over and really enjoyed following Penelope as she adjusted to this new adventure. Figuring out everyone's secrets and the murder was fun. I am looking forward to listening to book 2.
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May 7, 2023Meh.
December 30, 2022
I couldn't resist the thoughts of an author experiencing a writer-in-residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England.
Penelope Parish, an American gothic writer, entered the ad in "Writer" magazine on an impulse, and her answers to the creative questions led to her selection. On arrival in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, Penelope learns that the bookstore owner, Mabel Morris, is a former MI6 analyst, and that's only the opening to the delights of this cozy!
I can't wait to read more of this series and will investigate other series by the author. Peg Cochran has written the Cranberry Cove series, the Farmer's Daughter series, the Gourmet De-Lite series, A Lucille Mystery series, the Murder, She Reported series, the Open Book Series (written as Margaret Loudon), and the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London). As the author shared during a FB event, "Meg London is a pen name, but Margaret Loudon is actually my name. Margaret is my official name—Peg is a nickname. And Loudon was my name before I remarried."
The Open Book Mysteries are also a delight for all who loved A Writer's Apprentice Mysteries by Julia Buckley or were sad that the series ended. If you're not familiar with the series by Julia Buckley, you have even more titles to add to your tbr list.
Penelope Parish, an American gothic writer, entered the ad in "Writer" magazine on an impulse, and her answers to the creative questions led to her selection. On arrival in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, Penelope learns that the bookstore owner, Mabel Morris, is a former MI6 analyst, and that's only the opening to the delights of this cozy!
I can't wait to read more of this series and will investigate other series by the author. Peg Cochran has written the Cranberry Cove series, the Farmer's Daughter series, the Gourmet De-Lite series, A Lucille Mystery series, the Murder, She Reported series, the Open Book Series (written as Margaret Loudon), and the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London). As the author shared during a FB event, "Meg London is a pen name, but Margaret Loudon is actually my name. Margaret is my official name—Peg is a nickname. And Loudon was my name before I remarried."
The Open Book Mysteries are also a delight for all who loved A Writer's Apprentice Mysteries by Julia Buckley or were sad that the series ended. If you're not familiar with the series by Julia Buckley, you have even more titles to add to your tbr list.
March 4, 2022
3 1/2 stars rounded down.
October 27, 2020
This is the first book in this series which is set in a small town in current day England. Penelope Parish is an American, who has unexpectedly written a best selling Gothic novel. She is having problems with writer’s block and looks for a change of venue to help with it. That is, not to mention getting away from family and friends who, simply, are not helping.
She applies and is accepted to be the author-in-residence at the Open Book bookstore in Upper-Chumley-On-Stoke. It seems to do the trick and gets her writing again.
She has made friends with people at work and has writer’s and book groups at the store. She gets involved in the local fest and someone turns up murdered. Penelope is pulled into helping solve the crime.
It was really amusing to read, especially when Penelope starts writing again and we get a peek at what the book will involved. I also laughed every time I read the name of the famous romance writer’s book. I won’t spoil the fun by divulging it.
As with most first books in a series, there is a bit of background involved. I didn’t find that it distracted me from the story as it put forth in a very amusing fashion. I’ll be looking forward to reading the next in the series and seeing what the residents of Upper-Chumley-On-Stoke get into next.
I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Edelweiss.
She applies and is accepted to be the author-in-residence at the Open Book bookstore in Upper-Chumley-On-Stoke. It seems to do the trick and gets her writing again.
She has made friends with people at work and has writer’s and book groups at the store. She gets involved in the local fest and someone turns up murdered. Penelope is pulled into helping solve the crime.
It was really amusing to read, especially when Penelope starts writing again and we get a peek at what the book will involved. I also laughed every time I read the name of the famous romance writer’s book. I won’t spoil the fun by divulging it.
As with most first books in a series, there is a bit of background involved. I didn’t find that it distracted me from the story as it put forth in a very amusing fashion. I’ll be looking forward to reading the next in the series and seeing what the residents of Upper-Chumley-On-Stoke get into next.
I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Edelweiss.
June 5, 2021
Forse non sono 5 stelle piene, ma il libro mi è piaciuto: idilliaca l'ambientazione, simpatica la protagonista (potrei quasi identificarmi con lei, solo che, invece di un romanzo, io scriverei un saggio storico), buona la storia. Mi ci è voluto un po', ma alla fine avevo capito chi fosse il colpevole e il suo movente. Leggerò con piacere i libri successivi, sperando che siano numerosi.
July 15, 2025
Not a bad debut to the series. It got convoluted at times but it all tied together in the end.
May 23, 2021
Murder In The Margins is the first book in The Open Book Mysteries series by Margaret Loudon aka Peg Cochran. Great start to a new cozy series.
Overall the mystery was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I did guess the killer before Pen. I’m looking forward to book two and see where it goes ...
Overall the mystery was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I did guess the killer before Pen. I’m looking forward to book two and see where it goes ...
July 1, 2025
Fun read
I enjoyed getting to know Penelope and her friends in this first in s new series.
Penelope hopes that being a writer in residence will help with her writer's block. It seems someone is blackmailing local residents and when a murder takes place, Penelope has the urge to investigate.
I enjoyed getting to know Penelope and her friends in this first in s new series.
Penelope hopes that being a writer in residence will help with her writer's block. It seems someone is blackmailing local residents and when a murder takes place, Penelope has the urge to investigate.
September 18, 2021
Penelope has written one successful Gothic romance, but needs to get away from her critical mother, perfect sister, and frankly boring boyfriend to meet her next deadline. She receives a job as "writer in residence" at a quaint village bookstore in England, which seems to help her writing, but which also lands her in the middle of a murder. The fellow-American writer who's engaged to the local duke (to the displeasure of the local ladies) is also suspect in the murder of a gossipy, manipulative local woman. She begs rather naive Penelope for help, but the handsome Irish police detective on the case would rather she stay out of it.
September 26, 2023
Murder in the Margins is a finely crafted cozy mystery with a well thought out plot. Unlike many recent books in this genre, there are no glaring plot holes. The main character is a mystery author and with a wink to the genre tropes she is careful to make sure that her protagonist is not TSTL (too stupid to live) and doesn't plunge into danger at every turn. Mirroring that character, she tries to be careful too, but that doesn't stop her from investigating. The repeating characters are interesting and likeable. There were plenty of red herrings to keep most readers guessing. However, an important clue was not quite subtle enough for this mystery glutton.
November 26, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book. I like the setting. I like the writing style. My favorite characters are Mabel Morris and Mrs. Danvers the cat.
January 19, 2021
As with most cozy mysteries this is a cute, quick read with a variety of characters, and events that are really just there to move the main character from place to place. My main issues were that there was no depth to the main character (we learn next to nothing about her in the entire book!), the issue of domestic abuse is completely shrugged off after it's introduced, and the constant use of 'but she's American' as the reason for everything.
May 14, 2021
Really about a 3.4. It was a rocky start for me; you can tell by how long it took me to read it. I just wasn't motivated. Pen is an American living in an English village but it seemed to rock back and forth on how acclimated she was. She still can't remember which side of the road to drive on (which of course led to a sort of "meet cute" moment, but I wasn't as charmed as I should have been) and yet she seems to be familiar enough to spout off relationships between the villagers. She is in awe of a soon-to-be Duchess who invites her to tea and worries about how as an American she might do the wrong things but aforementioned Duchess candidate is also an American. Just little things that put me off. Part of it, I think, was that I had read another series by the same author (though under a different name) and the first book had been a very smooth intro to the series. This one was wasn't terrible but there were too many places where I felt stopped short by an explanation or something that made me pause and puzzle. I like Mrs. Danvers the cat, the plot was certainly decent, and I wouldn't be adverse to reading another.
August 13, 2020
Murder in the Margins is a pleasant mystery with a likable protagonist and a few good red herrings to distract the reader. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the remote English village setting of Upper Chumley-on-Stoke. Making the main character, Penelope Parish, an outsider - a bestselling American writer-in-residence at the community bookstore, Open Book - was a nice touch. My only quibble was the writing, with its repetition of overused phrases - Penelope's boyfriend being "out of sight, out of mind" and one of the suspects noted for "ferreting out other people's secrets" were two examples.
My preference is for darker, more literary thrillers, but Murder in the Margins will appeal to fans of cozies, bookstores, and all things British, and a diverting read for a rainy afternoon.
Note: I was grateful to receive a free advance copy of Murder in the Margins from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
My preference is for darker, more literary thrillers, but Murder in the Margins will appeal to fans of cozies, bookstores, and all things British, and a diverting read for a rainy afternoon.
Note: I was grateful to receive a free advance copy of Murder in the Margins from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
March 3, 2021
Early on I was hooked as soon as I read this description of a character: her "Miss Marple-like appearance and demeanor belied her former career as an M16 analyst." Alas, she ended up having a much smaller role than anticipated.
It is interesting how one character, and not the one described above, manages to find enough secrets to attempt blackmail in a town where everyone appears to know everyone else’s business. Were these too obvious attempts at misdirection?
Initially I liked how Penelope, the main character who writes Gothic mysteries, talked about wanting to avoid the To Dumb To Live (TDTL) trap and yet she makes many TDTL decisions in this book. She even muses about it at the climax: “Was she being too stupid to live, like the heroine in a poorly written novel? Why was the door unlocked? Was this a trap? She laughed. This wasn’t fiction—this was real life.” Nope, it is not and yes, she is indeed TDTL.
In conclusion, well developed characters that need to take their own advice about writing mysteries. There is a lot of potential here so I will probably check what the author does with the next book in this series.
It is interesting how one character, and not the one described above, manages to find enough secrets to attempt blackmail in a town where everyone appears to know everyone else’s business. Were these too obvious attempts at misdirection?
Initially I liked how Penelope, the main character who writes Gothic mysteries, talked about wanting to avoid the To Dumb To Live (TDTL) trap and yet she makes many TDTL decisions in this book. She even muses about it at the climax: “Was she being too stupid to live, like the heroine in a poorly written novel? Why was the door unlocked? Was this a trap? She laughed. This wasn’t fiction—this was real life.” Nope, it is not and yes, she is indeed TDTL.
In conclusion, well developed characters that need to take their own advice about writing mysteries. There is a lot of potential here so I will probably check what the author does with the next book in this series.
November 20, 2020
Murder in the Margins is the first book in a new series by Margaret Loudon. Penelope "Pen" Parish is in England for a spell to clear her mind and hopefully eradicate a serious case of writer's block. She'll never meet her book deadline if she can't unfreeze her brain. Pen believes taking a writer-in-residence position in Chumley-on-Stoke will be just what she needs.
What she doesn't need is to deal with the suspicious death of the Worthington Fest chairwoman, Regina Bosworth. Deal with it, Pen does, however, and she finds herself donning an amateur sleuth's cap to assist Charlotte Davenport. Charlotte is set to wed a Duke and is now a strong person of interest in the murder. Pen finds no shortage of suspects who could have taken Regina's life but figuring out the motive is harder than she expected.
Well, I seem to one of the few readers who had a hard time really getting into Murder in the Margins. I can't put my finger on the problem but I typically devour cozy mysteries and this book took me over a week to get through. I did find there were blunt shifts in thoughts, conversations, and actions so maybe those were my issues. The characters were fine, the mystery was well-thought out, and Pen didn't make too many rookie mistakes. I just wasn't as engaged in Murder in the Margins as I usually am when it comes to cozies.
I plan to continue with the series and hope I am able to be more engaged in the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book to read.
What she doesn't need is to deal with the suspicious death of the Worthington Fest chairwoman, Regina Bosworth. Deal with it, Pen does, however, and she finds herself donning an amateur sleuth's cap to assist Charlotte Davenport. Charlotte is set to wed a Duke and is now a strong person of interest in the murder. Pen finds no shortage of suspects who could have taken Regina's life but figuring out the motive is harder than she expected.
Well, I seem to one of the few readers who had a hard time really getting into Murder in the Margins. I can't put my finger on the problem but I typically devour cozy mysteries and this book took me over a week to get through. I did find there were blunt shifts in thoughts, conversations, and actions so maybe those were my issues. The characters were fine, the mystery was well-thought out, and Pen didn't make too many rookie mistakes. I just wasn't as engaged in Murder in the Margins as I usually am when it comes to cozies.
I plan to continue with the series and hope I am able to be more engaged in the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book to read.
November 3, 2020
The premise of this book sounded like something I'd really like, so I read it, and I did. I love cozies set in English villages, especially in a bookstore too. The characters were all likable and believable. The plot wasn't hard to follow and made sense when the murderer was revealed. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
February 28, 2021
This is the first book in a new series written by Margaret Loudon aka Peg Cochran and Meg London. It's a cute cozy mystery set in an English village in a bookstore. Interesting that the Lord of the Manor the Duke of Upper Chumbley-on-Stoke who has red hair is marrying an American. The village population is upset that he is not engaged to a lovely English lass. There are secrets galore in the village which lead to the mystery and lots of suspects. I look forward to the next in the series. I want to see more of the detective
July 10, 2022
So dumb
September 2, 2022
Great start to a new series! Really enjoyable.
June 24, 2025
A light cozy mystery it moves a little slow but the characters are interesting and it’s funny to see how Pen adjust to the English way of life
April 25, 2022
I did not guess the killer on this one. Great mystery! Penelope is a visiting author in a small English town. There is a murder at the local Duke's home, and she finds some clues that she shares with the police. However, she does not think the police are following them, so she does it herself.
May 16, 2022
I liked Penelope and the rest of the Open Book crew enough to give this series a few more books. The mystery isn't super great, but I also really like that the cops were on to the killer before Pen stumbled on them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews