FOR WHOM THE BOOK TOLLS

Book 1 in the Antique Bookshop Mysteries

by Laura Gail Black

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.

FOR WHOM THE BOOK TOLLS is the first book in the Antique Bookshop Mysteries. It can sometimes be hard to start and get into a new series. Especially one by a new author. The first couple of chapters grabbed me and I was really enjoying the story. But there were a few spots where it felt a bit drawn out, and I wished those scenes had been a little shorter.

As for the characters, I enjoyed getting to know them. Like in real life, I clicked with a couple of them, and a couple of them not so much. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series to see how author Laura Gail Black fleshes continues to flesh them out.   

I’ve seen a mixed bag of reviews on, FOR WHOM THE BOOK TOOLS. I’m on the side of, give this book a chance. It may not end up being your favorite of the year, but you’re going to be happy you read it.

About Laura Gail Black

Laura Gail Black writes cozy mysteries on the beautiful shores of Lake Marion in South Carolina, where she lives with her husband and four rescue dogs. She began collecting antique books when she worked in a used an antique bookstore in college. Today, Laura's bookshelves contain many antique books, some of which are close to 200 years old. When not writing or playing with her dogs, Laura creates her own jewelry, crochets, cross-stitches, spends time on the water with her husband, and enjoys all things tea.

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 

upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click"View web version". Then follow the above directions.