For Whom the Book Tolls
Series: An Antique Bookshop Mystery Book #1
Author: Laura Gail Black
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Page Count: 264
My Rating:
Book Summary
In this cozy series debut from Laura Gail Black, Jenna Quinn finds her uncle murdered in his antique bookstore, and Jenna–his primary beneficiary–becomes the prime suspect.
Trouble follows Jenna Quinn wherever she goes. Fleeing some unsavory doings in her hometown of Charlotte, Jenna accepts her uncle’s gracious invitation to stay with him in small-town Hokes Folly, NC. In exchange, she’ll help him out in his antiquarian bookstore. But soon after she arrives, Jenna finds her uncle’s body crumpled at the base of the staircase between his apartment and the bookstore.
Before the tragedy even sinks in, Jenna learns that she’s inherited almost everything her uncle owned: the store and apartment, as well as his not-so-meager savings and the payout from a life insurance policy…which adds up to more than a million dollars. This is all news to Jenna–bad news, once the police get wind of her windfall. An ill wind, indeed, as a second murder cements Jenna’s status as the prime suspect in both deaths.
Jenna can hit the road again, taking her chances that she can elude trouble along the way. Or she can stick it out in Hokes Folly, take over the bookstore, and try to sleuth out her uncle’s killer. On the one hand, she’s made some wonderful new friends, and she feels she can thrive in the genial small-town environment. On the other hand, trouble knows her address–and so does the killer, who is determined to write the final page of Jenna’s story.
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Jenna Quinn (age 26)
Business: Accountant for a Marketing firm, turned Bookshop owner of Baxter’s Book Emporium
Pet: None
Sidekick: Rita Wallace
Love Interest: Keith Logan, local detective, white male with chocolate brown eyes
Family: Mother and Father, long distance, and Aunt & Uncle (both deceased)
Location: hokes Folly, North Caroline (formerly from Charlotte, North Caroline)
Time of year: August (late summer)
Diversity? Not so much. Most everyone appears to be white Caucasian, however, the very adept family lawyer, Horace Grimes, is an African American male. He’s not a main character, but he definitely has a significant role in this book and is in many chapters. He’s represented really well and not stereo typically which is always a plus in my book. Progress not perfection.
My Review
Gads! I had a great time reading ‘For Whom The Book Tolls’, book 1 in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series by Laura Gail Black. Jenna is new in town after beating a set of false murder and embezzlement charges. Now that her Uncle Paul is discovered dead shortly upon her arrival, things are already not looking good for her – again. Inheriting his entire estate isn’t helping her look anymore innocent. With the help of a couple of new friends she’s searching high and low through thousands of books for one that may solve what really happened, and lead to a long lost treasure.
This book is such a fun read! For starters, there are many over the top characters that send the red herrings into full motion. Who’s really bad? And who’s really good? This book is a carousel of doubt as we work to piece together the mystery. A bookstore, spiral staircase, townies, family secrets, lost loves, old diaries, hidden treasures, and a touch of romance are just a few of the special ingredients in this cozy mystery, and they guaranteed a great time.
I really enjoyed the town created in this book. The local history was really fun and the way it tied in with the plot was delightful and unexpected. It truly all came full circle in the end and provided a really nice balance. It’s always fun when the past can interact with the present and inform the story.
The only thing I couldn’t quite get a handle on was the time of year in this book. The main sleuth said it was late summer, which makes me think August, but she also kept wearing light sweaters which makes me think September. It’s just one of those really tiny details that I hoped to clarify at some point, but alas. Late summer/early fall is good enough for me. This is the first book in the series and I would very much like to read the next release.
I received an eARC from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley.
