This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. I love that the setting is in a small, quaint town in a bookshop!❤️
The author did a fantastic job on this novel and kept my attention from the first. What a surprise ending! I didn't see that. I can't wait to read more in this series.
Jenna Quinn left Charlotte, NC after being wrongfully charged for a crime she didn't commit. Her Uncle Paul, who she hasn't seen in years emails her with an offer to come to Hokes Folley and stay with him and work in his antique bookshop. She arrives late at night and goes to bed only to wake in the morning and find him at the bottom of the stairs dead. And she's their number one suspect. Will she find out the truth of what happened?


Thank you Crooked Lane and NetGalley for the eARC

For Whom the Book Tolls: An Antique Bookshop Mystery by Laura Gail Black captured me with its charming, down-home setting. Each time I opened the book to read, I felt I was transported to Hokes Folly and into the lives of the characters as if right there beside them during all the action.

The mystery was solid, and I had no clue who the murderer was until the reveal. I enjoyed each of the characters (both good and bad), and the atmosphere of the small town was developed well. I love the cover. I hope the author writes more about these characters and this town.

#ForWhomtheBookTolls #NetGalley

The main character in this book is Jenna Quinn. After personal and legal troubles in her home town Jenna accepts her uncle's gracious invitation to stay with him in small-town Hokes Folly, NC. In exchange, she'll help him with his 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. The police suspect Jenna of murder, especially when they learn that she's the inherited almost everything her uncle owned. Soon a second murder cements Jenna's status as the prime suspect in both deaths.

Jenna needs to decide whether to leave her new Hokes Folly home and bookstore, or stay and try to solve her uncle's murder.

This was a great read with interesting characters. I hope Laura Black continues to write about these characters

For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black is the first in a new cozy mystery series that was an interesting read.

The plot is smoothly paced with a few twists but no red herrings. Ms. Black took her time in the first few chapters introducing the characters and the small town of Hokes Folly which is necessary in a first book; but I felt that some of that could have been done as the story progressed. However, the mystery kept me guessing and I was completely surprised by the reveal.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.

I quite enjoyed For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black. I don’t know if I’ve just read too many cozy mysteries lately but they all have seemed to have the same basic story. I was delighted to find that Ms. Black’s book was fresh and original. Surprisingly, when I went searching for other books by this author there didn’t seem to be any. This may be not only the debut novel in the series but, possibly, Ms. Black’s first published work. The care and attention to detail in this first book shows that she has honed her skills. I applaud her skill and effort and look forward to the next book in the series.

Jenna Quinn has had a rough time lately so her Uncle has invited her to spend some time with him so she can start fresh. When Jenna arrives at 2 AM she finds the key her uncle hid for her and hits the sack. The next morning, ready to start her new chapter, she heads down stairs to her uncles antique book store and finds him sprawled at the bottom of the steps.

Finding that Jenna had arrived at night, with her uncle’s body laying there through the night, the police look at her as their main suspect, Especially after finding out she had been arrested for murder in Charlotte before heading to Hokes Folly and finding that she inherits everything from her uncle. Even though Jenna had been released and charges dropped, she won’t let anyone pin something on her again when she is absolutely innocent. Being new in town, Jenna doesn’t know who was friend or enemy to her uncle, but she soon finds out who here friends are and sets out to seek justice for her uncle and herself.

What I love most about our protagonist is that she had a bad experience in Charlotte, but she is not going to let that deter her from living her life and starting over. Jenna refuses to become the scapegoat yet again. No poor me or whining, just her taking action and standing up for herself. You can’t help but cheer her on. I’m looking forward to spending more time in Hokes Folly with future entries in the series.

The main character is believable as is all of the characters. Anytime the main character gets into a danger situation, I just want to say: "really? would anyone walk into a dangerous situation after being warned by friends, etc.?" Jenna Quinn, the main character, gets an invitation for her uncle to come and stay with him for a while. She just got acquitted in Charlotte, N.C. for a murder she did not commit and was down to her last dime and no friends. She finds her uncle dead and is accused of killing him. She makes friends with her neighbors and begins to clear her name. Along the way, her uncle's "son" shows up demanding his inheritance. Another murder takes place, and once again Jenna finds herself accused of the second murder. I like the way Jenna stumbles on to the real murderer.
This is a delightful mystery, full of good characters, and a believable story line. I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend this book as it is easy to read with a good story line, and interesting characters.

Jenna Quinn left Charlotte, North Carolina due to something that occurred recently and left her without a job, home, or boyfriend. Her Uncle Paul owns a bookstore in Hokes Folly, and has invited her to stay with him and help him out while she decides what she wants to do. Since she arrives early in the dark of the morning, she goes to bed without waking him. But the next day she can't find him, and when she goes to the bookshop, she discovers his dead body on the staircase. While half of the homicide detectives think she's committed the crime - Frank Sutter - the other half doesn't - Keith Logan. With a little help from Paul's next door neighbor Rita, Jenna knows to keep her own self out of jail she needs to find who killed her uncle and why...

This is the first book in a new series, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I like the fact that this time out the protagonist isn't someone who's going to have to struggle nor drives a beater of a car (not that there is anything wrong with that, but really, it gets tiresome). I also like the fact that Jenna isn't stupid enough to take raw chances without telling other people where she's going to be. She knows when to ask for help (as in asking Mr. Grimes the attorney) and doesn't run off on tangents.

The mystery is extremely well done, and there aren't so many suspects that you can't keep track of them. My only complaint is Sutter. He's a nasty piece of work, even for a police officer. I do hope in the future he 'calms down' a bit. Even homicide detectives need to keep a level head when they're working. I don't care that he doesn't like her, but he's the kind of guy you never want to invite to a social gathering. I hope you get my drift.

I also like the secondary characters, even if they weren't fleshed out in this book. Rita is the kind of woman everyone should have as a friend, and Mason is certainly an energetic twenty-year-old; I like the fact he's not sullen nor sits on social media all day.

Everything about this book is a breath of fresh air in the cozy world; not only do we have an excellent mystery, we have a protagonist that is intelligent, attractive, and willing to trust others even though she's had a rough go of it; and the author doesn't 'hold us hostage' as to the events in Jenna's past. I absolutely love that we don't have to wait for the next book to discover what occurred.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it's a bit of a surprise and makes us realize the lengths people will go to just to get what they want. It was believable and unfortunately, it left a bit of sadness in its wake, not only for the needless loss of life of Paul. When all is said and done, I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

I was a little disappointed. I love the cover and the story itself is good, but the characterisations let it down. They were more caricatures of good and bad people. I would have loved a twist such as one of the nice people turning out to be the murderer, but it was all bit predictable and it could have been so much more.

Laura Gail has created a place that I want to live in, this is such a beautiful story with a beautiful setting and great characters to boot!

Jenna Quinn is down on her luck, charged with a crime she didn’t commit, dumped by her fiancé and without a place to live. When she accepts an offer from her Uncle to come and live with him, work in his antique bookstore and just chill for a while, she thinks she might finally have the chance for some breathing space. But when Uncle Paul dies mysteriously on the very night Jenna gets to the town of Hokes Folly, she finds herself the number one suspect.

I loved the beautiful setting of Hokes Folly and I loved all the characters in this book so much! You know the authors done a great job when you want to go and live inside the book!! The writing was intelligent and complex and I loved the way the town and community aspects are really at the fore. Jenna is a complex character with a lot going on and this adds to the story well.

A brilliant debut in the cosy mystery genre and I’m hoping to visit Hokes Folly again soon!

A Timely Invitation.....
The debut book in a new series - The Antique Bookshop - and a promising start. Jenna Quinn has accepted an invitation from her uncle to assist in his antiquarian bookstore. It’s a timely invitation for Jenna and she eagerly accepts. However, Jenna is soon embroiled in murder and mayhem when her uncle is found dead and with an inheritance looming Jenna becomes murder suspect number one. Can she find the real killer? Entertaining cosy mystery with engaging characters.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series and I was excited because it was set in a bookshop in a little town. The mystery was interesting and the protagonist has a legitimate reason to get involved in the solving of the mystery as she is the prime suspect. However the story itself was pretty predictable with lots of conversations and sleuthy action but not much interesting happening. In the end, the heroine pretty much stumbles on the solution - it was also disappointing as there was nothing much about the bookshop itself and no real reasons given for why some people are trustworthy and others aren't with some being almost caricature-like like the police detective. Overall standard cozy mystery but nothing special.

My interest in this book started with the cover and the title. From there it progressed nicely with a clever first book in a new series. I think this series has excellent potential and can't wait to read more.

Enjoyed this book a lot. Will definitely be reading the rest of this fun cozy mystery series. Very interesting and likable characters.. Thank you!

A fun cozy mystery! The central characters stumbles upon her dead uncle when visiting him after a series of troubles. Given she is the sole heir of his will, suspicion is immediately cast upon her and she must clear her name. I enjoyed The creative backstory of the main character and the “who dunnit” caught me by surprise. I’d enjoy more in this series.

i really enjoyed this book. The writing is taut and fast paced. The story is interesting and the mysteries even more so. I really liked the characters and didn't like the villains of the piece. I felt angry when one of the bad guys tried to con Jenna out of her inheritance, and glad when he got his comeuppance. I was surprised by the reveal of the murderer and I think the treasure ending is great. Definitely worth the read, I hope there's more coming. #ForWhomtheBookTolls #NetGalley

A new series that promises big things. After an unfortunate incident in her home town Jenna Quinn is invited by her uncle Paul to move and live with him while working in his bookstore. Although she hasn’t seen him In years, she accepts and arrives in the middle of the night. Looking for him the next morning Jenna finds him dead in the bookstore, and as his surprised sole beneficiary the police are looking at her as the prime suspect.
A good mystery, good writing, with a cast of interesting characters, I can easily see this series continuing to delight.

As soon as I saw the cover and title of this book, my heart raced a little bit. The vivid colors of the cover and the cute title were 2 of the 3 things I looked for in a cozy mystery. The third thing? A likable protagonist, and Jenna Quinn fits the bill! Returning to Hokes Folly to help her uncle is just the respite Jenna needs, and she's looking forward to reuniting with him as well.
When Jenna finds her uncle, crumpled at the bottom of the stairs, she has no idea she would become the prime suspect.
With the help of her neighbor, Rita, Jenna begins to look for clues to her uncle's death, knowing she won't stop until she finds the answers.

As a first in a new series, For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black is a great start to what I hope will be a long running series.
All the characters feel real, and the situation Jenna finds herself in is well written with plenty of twists and turns.