Bound by Murder
Book 3 in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series
by Laura Gail Black
Bound by Murder summary from Penguin Random House:
The birds are singing, books are selling, and the Hokes Bluff Inn has begun to host weddings on its property. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn loves the romance in the air—until her ex-fiancé, Blake Emerson, walks in with his bride-to-be, Missy Plott. Blake continues to profess his love for Jenna if she’ll have him back, no matter the consequences. And the consequences are grave, indeed, when Missy turns up dead.
 
All evidence points to Blake, who was the last one to see her alive. He begs Jenna to help him clear his name. Blake’s mother, Gwendolyn, is also bent on exonerating her son. Jenna doesn’t believe Blake could have killed Missy, and she starts digging for suspects. It could have been Missy’s ex-boyfriend, who proclaims a love for her he says only death could sever. Or might it have been Missy’s bitter little sister, who was secretly besotted with Missy’s ex.
 
Evidence turns up that links Missy's death to embezzlement and another murder—crimes that had falsely implicated Jenna herself less than a year ago. As Gwendolyn continues to beg Jenna to help prove her son’s innocence, Jenna wonders if Blake could truly be innocent.
 
Jenna has to choose whether to risk it all—her reputation, her growing relationship with her boyfriend, and maybe her life—or let a possibly innocent man go to prison.

My Thoughts
I was drawn into this story the minute Jenna’s ex-fiancé, Blake Emerson and his new fiancé, Missy Plott, walked into Jenna’s antique bookstore, Twice Upon a Time. These two characters bring Jenna’s backstory into the present and it’s a whopper. A slow revealing of the past occurs because Jenna is reluctantly drawn into solving Missy’s murder. The tension increases because Jenna’s boyfriend, Detective Keith Logan, can’t get past Jenna trying to help Blake, the man who abandoned her when she most needed him. 
Jenna’s backstory is what really drew me in to this novel. Traveling with Jenna as she began to unravel not just Missy’s murder, but her own past kept me reading. Keith Logan’s attitude regarding Jenna and her history with Blake got a little old, but I laughed when one of the other characters (finally) set him straight. 
I enjoyed reading Bound by Murder. Recommended. 
Other books in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series:
For Whom the Book Tolls
Murder by the Bookend

Publishing Information:
Crooked Lane Books
Hardcover: ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10: ‎ 1639100962
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1639100965
Publishing Date: Sept. 6, 2022

This series is so uneven for me.  The first book in the series was weak, but the second one was much improved.  Now 'Bound by Murder'  resolves some of the issues, but the characters reverted to being unlikeable to me, so much so that I don't mind if this is the end of the series.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I enjoy a good cozy and this fit the bill.  Jenna runs a bookstore and is shocked when her ex-fiance Blake waltzs in with his new fiance Missy.  This is the same man that abandoned Jenna when she was accused of embezzeling money and killing a executive from their mutual company.  The Missy is a nasty piece of work.  She is mean to everyone and is a bridezilla who has earned that reputation thoughout the town.  When Missy is found murdered, Blake is suspect number 1.  His mother wants Jenna to help clear his name.  Jenna's boyfriend, Keith is a police detective.  He is jealous and wants her to stay out of the investigation.

I thought the mystery was engaging.  I'm a sucker for a cozy with animals the books or hobby's.  This writing style is easy to read and the characters are quirky and fun.

I am quite happy to have been given the opportunity to read an ARC of #BoundByMurder by Laura Gail Black through #NetGalley!
Although I wasn't familiar with this author, I was drawn in by the bookish title and setting of the book. Black crafts her story with such skill that one need not have read the first two books in the series in order to enjoy book number 3. Background information is provided in a concise manner to support this story without intruding on it with too much of what has gone before.
The characters are complex and relatable, the setting is interesting, and the mystery itself has many twists and turns that keep you guessing as to who the culprit is right to the very end.
I am particularly pleased that the author and publisher have not jumped on the bandwagon that sees pets taking up the majority of the cover, even though the dog found within the pages has an important role to play. 
I enjoyed this page-turner of a book and enthusiastically recommend it.

This was a great cozy mystery! Jenna is a great protagonist, and I enjoyed "solving" the mystery with her. The writing is great, and the mystery was well done!

Jenna Quinn has had a traumatic recent past but her late Uncle's antiquarian bookstore is now her sanctuary where she can enjoy the beautiful books whilst getting used to her new life, new job and new relationship. Unfortunately her peace is shattered when her ex-fiancé turns up in the store with his new fiancée on his arm. 

Missy Plott is not a nice woman, and has no hesitation in expressing her displeasure towards anyone who dares to disagree with her. Ex-partner, Blake however is soon expressing his undying love for Jenna even though he's getting married at the weekend! 

With her new boyfriend and local police detective Keith Logan struggling with the arrival of Blake and Missy things get even more complicated when Jenna and her dog Eddie discover a body on their evening walk! Someone also appears to have a vendetta against her store and Jenna knows she has to work out who is attacking her as well as looking for the killer. Nothing is as it seems however and as Jenna discovers devastating secrets she isn’t sure she can even begin to deal with everything that's happening to her.

This is the third in Laura Gail Black’s excellent Antique Bookshop Mystery Series and definitely the best so far. The main protagonists are all present and correct, there is intrigue, romance and, of course, murder to keep the pages turning along with a surprising ending I didn't see coming. 

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and happily recommend it.

They say the past always catches up to you and that is certainly the theme of this book! Jenna's life is running smoothly when the past rears its ugly head and collides back into her life. Add in mean girl drama, nightmare ex's, fabulous friendships and a murder and you have the perfect recipe for a delightfully entertaining book! I absolutely love this series as the characters are so realistic that you forget that they are just characters in a book for a few hours. I loved this book as it cleaned up the main character's past and brought it into her current life so that her future could be brighter. I really am looking forward to future books now that the main character has firmly put her past in the past! I can't wait to see where the author takes us in the next book!

Interesting cozy mystery. It's the third book in the series, but I think there's enough backstory for new-to-the-series readers to be able to follow along. I liked the characters and the mystery. There were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing whodunit.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Jenna is happy. Her Antique Bookshop is doing okay. She has friends. She has a boyfriend. Jenna can leave her unhappy past behind. Life is finally good again. Until … Blake shows up. Blake, the snake. Jenna's former boyfriend and his new bride-to-be are in town to get married. But not all is as it seems. Secrets from the past do not only mar Jenna's new-found happiness, but also cast a dark cloud over the wedding day. A stalker, who won't take no for an answer, a fire that threatens the very bookshop and a murdered bridezilla threaten everything Jenna holds dear. Even Keith, Jenna's new detective boyfriend starts doubting her. With the support of her friends, Jenna starts to unravel the threads that bind her past to her present. 

A great ensemble of characters and surprising plot twists make “Bound by Murder” a nice read for a cold and wet weekend or a holiday trip, even if it is a little short at 200 pages.

I did not read the first two books in this series etc etc etc. There are two problems with this book: one, that the main character is dating a really insecure cop. Two, she has to prove the innocence of this guy she used to be married to, but he’s a real jerk. Also, there’s sex in this book, which like. Come on. Not a cozy mystery trope! LASTLY. The murderer isn’t revealed until Literally the Final Chapter so it feels like it wraps up way too quickly. Which is fine I guess because there’s no recipes in the back! This book gets a solid three stars from me.

Bound by Murder by Laura Gail Black is an interesting murder mystery.   The main character, Jenna seems to have a good life with her boyfriend, her dog, friends and a book store.  Then everything goes from bad to worse when an old boyfriend shows up in the town she lives in to get married.  Before the wedding there are issues about the bride that set the stage for the book.
This is the third book in the series and I had not read the first two.  At first I enjoyed the book - getting to know the characters was fun.  Then once things started going wrong for Jenna you realize that this has been going on during the first two books.  
I read over half of the book and finally gave up.   The author spend so much time trying to convince me that Jenna was an awesome women that bad stuff just kept happening to.  I read all the good reviews and maybe this author is just not for me.  I do not like giving up on a book but I have so much stuff to read and listen to right now.

Newbie to the series, but I mostly enjoyed it. Her running straight into to danger was a bit annoying, but I liked the self awareness right after she did it. The mystery was intriguing and fun to follow along with, with a nice cast of friends and a few meanies thrown in. Will definitely be reading the next one.

Thank you Netgalley and Laura Gail Black for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series and this third installment is nothing less than amazing as well! I loved it.

Everything is going well for Jenna Quinn, that is until her ex-fiancé Blake Emerson shows up with his new bride to be Missy. Blake confesses he still loves Jenna which sends everything spiraling, especially when Missy is found.... dead. All points to Blake, but somehow, even though her huge hatred against him, Jenna does not believe he is guilty. Blake’s mother, Cordelia, also asks Jenna to help prove his innocence. 

What I loved is that I had no idea who did it and why! Also the revelation on the case that had falsely implicated Jenna (which we learn about in the first book, but is also mentioned in the second and this book) due to which she had to spent time in jail for was amazing. It all rounded up! I still love the characters, especially Jenna's help Mason who is highly in love with someone and it's just so cute! I hope this series will continue as it is a really good one! Highly recommend!

A Wedding and Murder await readers in Bound By Murder by Laura Gail Black!

The protagonist, Jenna Quinn is an Antiquarian bookseller. Jenna 's  ex-fiance Blake Emerson arrives with his bride-to-be Missy Plott. Dispite being engaged, Blake is determined to try and win Jenna back, no matter what. When Missy turns up dead, he is the prime suspect. Jenna takes up the case. But the case won't be easy, with a list of people would wanted Missy dead.

I found this book a good read, and the characters enjoyable to read. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a digital copy of this book for my review!

The short of it is that this is a fun cozy mystery on the formulaic side. 
The book is third in the series but it is better than the first two.

Bound by Murder is the third installment in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series.  I was fortunate to read the two previous installments but believe this one can be read as a standalone.  I highly recommend and while I have enjoyed all three books, I believe they get stronger and more enjoyable as the series progresses and Jenna has made friends and has met a guy she loves and who loves her in return.  This one has a bit more angst as Jenna faces "demons" from her past.  The mystery is solid and well plotted.

Jenna Quinn landed in Hokes Folly after she was acquitted of murder and embezzlement in Charlotte and is abandoned by friends and her fiancé.  She inherits the bookstore when her beloved uncle is murdered shortly before she arrives.  She has settled in and enjoying her life-making friends and with a love interest.   

The Hokes Bluff Inn has become a destination for period weddings and her best friend Rita works there doing makeup and hair.  Missy, a bridezilla that Rita had worked with the day before comes into the bookshop along with her groom to be who happens to be Jenna's former fiancé, Blake.   The whole engagement seems off, Blake is trying to get Jenna back and doesn't seem happy to be with Missy.  He continues to stalk her and at one point forces Jenna to use some self-defense moves to get away from him.  It appears Missy has some hold over him.  

Missy gets drunk at the rehearsal dinner and she and Blake have a loud fight outside before Missy storms off.  She is reported missing, and Jenna and Rita find her body the next day.  Blake is arrested for Missy's murder and Jenna doesn't believe he's capable of it which causes a rift between her and her police detective boyfriend who thinks that means Jenna is still in love with Blake.

As Blake's mother pleads with Jenna to help prove Blake is innocent, other things come to light that shake Jenna and seem to support Blake's being the murderer.  

But no spoilers so I'll stop there.

 I received an ARC from the publisher, but the opinion expressed is my own

I’m not really into cozy mystery with bedroom scenes. I hadn’t read the other books in this series or I might have known not to request this book. The description gave no hint that this would be a part of this book. Although it wasn’t  descriptive and some would say it was done in good taste I’m not comfortable reading books where the characters have sex .

I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed here are my own .

In her third Antique Bookshop Mystery, Laura Gail Black devises a wonderfully deceptive mystery. Blake Emerson surprises his ex-fiance Jenna Quinn when he shows up with his new fiancé Missy, a few days before their wedding is due to take place. Missy and her bride’s maids try to set Jenna’s bookshop on fire, and then Jenna discovers Missy dead in the alley behind her store.

Lots of activity, red herrings, twists, and general mayhem abounds as Jenna and her friends, Rita and Mason, try to get to the bottom of the confusing chaos that arises.  The good news is that Jenna’s current boyfriend is Keith Logan, a detective with the Hokes Folly police department.

Ms. Black concocts a stunning plot that keeps readers turning pages at a rapid clip. The author also adds perfect relief in the form of Jenna’s feline companion, Eddy.

Everything comes to full circle in the latest enstalment of the Antique Bookshop Mysteries.  Weddings are all the rage at Hokes Bluff Inn, bringing in more visitors to the historic town.  Unfortunately for Jenna Quinn owner of the Twice Upon A Tme Bookshop this also brings to town her ex-fiance and his new soon to be bride.

I love everything about this series it has fun characters and true friendships. I especially like the new edition to the local cast of Characters Shelby. She fits right in with Rita and Jenna. I really enjoyed the chapters with the 3 of them interacting. It has a real feeling of sisterhood and how friends can become your family.

I also like how this book answered alot of questions that the first book left open and wasn't answered in the second book. It was funny because after reading the second book and not having those questions answered I had a theory as to how they should be answered and it would make a great plot to a book and here is exactly what I thought should happen, happened in this book  (sorry don't want to give any spoilers you have to read the book to find out what I mean) it was great seeing that the author had the same idea as I did.

I really enjoyed this book It's definitely my favorite of the 3 and I just didn't want to stop reading.

I liked the antiquarian connection but this wasn't one of my favorite cozy mysteries. It felt formulaic and didn't grab me enough to keep reading at long periods of time. Meh.