I have written before of the inadequacies of Kingsbury and her portrayal not only of the time but of the ability to write an effective mystery. What do we need for an effective mystery? A body perhaps. Well we get that, but late in the game and we get a kidnapping also.

A kidnapping where the victum, the napped, we at first do not have sympathy for but in the scene before the disappearance we do look fondly at the child.

We have in the Pennyfoot a dozen characters all fighting for time on stage. There is our prime sleuth, the owner, and her love interest, now manager of the hotel. She has two friends who real are one dimensional despite any efforts the author takes to make them more robust. Below stairs we have the chef and chief housekeeper. The chief maid, the groomsman, and two undermaids. Then the village doctor and fumbling, always, constable.

Thankfully with all these people that Kingsbury tries to give some clue at sometime, not to mention the guests, like the Colonel who almost always contributes a clue, Kingsbury took the failed subplot of her sleuths son out of the picture but had to mention him several times. Distraction from giving the heroine time to think of her boyfriend, rather the manager.

Oh there was a mystery, right. One of the new hotel employees is dead. Oh and the kidnapping. Aren't they all just after thoughts? Yes they are. The Pennyfoot is supposed to be a former manor house. It would have either more staff, or less clientele. And the ill used cameo of Broadway great Jerome Kern, that was just over the top.

Again, not ever. Thankfully I am down to my last one. I learned my lesson, just because the first book of series is good, don't go and buy everything under the sun. ( )

To tell the truth, I'm finding this series is getting simplistic and hurried, even for a paperback cozy. The characters aren't as true to life as they could be either. I will keep reading for awhile, but I'm figuring out the mystery even before I get half way through it seems. I can't help comparing this series to the Mrs. Jeffries series, and this one I'm afraid comes up short somehow. But there is potential, so that will keep me going. ( )