For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "For Whom the Book Tolls" the first instalment in the "An Antique Bookshop” Mystery series by Laura Gail Black. I thought this was a good start to a new cozy series.

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.

I really enjoyed this story, there was humor, history and murders.  What’s not to like!   I read almost in one sitting but finally succumbed to sleep with only a chapter left.  

The mystery moved at a good pace, was interesting and I thought well plotted. I loved the characters living in Hokes Folly especially Rita who befriends Jenna.  I did suspect whodunnit fairly early but was never 100% sure. Overall I found it to be a very entertaining read.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I’m looking forward to book two to find out what Jenna does with the bookstore.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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