A death threatens to ruin the fishing festival in Hokes Folly. Jenna is not the most likable main character. Her investigating style is a bit lax even by cozy mystery standards. However, if you are looking for a quick read that does not require you to think to much, this is an acceptable option.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Laura Gail Black

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Laura Gail Black continues her Antique Bookshop mysteries with Caught on the Book. Jenna Quinn, owner of the Twice Upon a Time mystery bookshop keeps falling over bodies in her small lakeside town. This time the victim, a sleazy writer who has published others' manuscripts as his books is found dead after being threatened by Frank, the retired police partner of Keith, boyfriend of Jenna. Can she find the real murderer after Frank is arrested? Many suspects, lots of canoodling; read and enjoy.

I loved everything about this book! I will go read the first three in the series. I will also be waiting for the next one to come out.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
I was able to get the audio version through my local library. I have read another book from this serious. This was a fast easy who done it murder mystery. I enjoyed the story and didn't get bored with the story or the characters. Highly recommend if you love cozy mysteries.

Caught on the book. This is the first book I have read by the author. Laura Gail Black I was able to pick up the characters even though I haven't read any of the first books. Jenna Quinn does an amazing job of trying to find the killer. even though the killer practically finds her mistakenly not knowing it is her. I had the suspicious feeling that it was but until the end of the book when it came out, I was surprised because each time I thought it was someone else. It was an enjoyable read.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

Caught on the Book: An Antique Bookshop Mystery
By Laura Gail Black
Crooked Lane Books
October 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s the John J. Hokes Bass Festival in Hokes Folly, North Carolina, and Twice Upon a Time antiquarian bookstore owner Jenna Quinn is hoping that her booth of fish-themed books will attract a new customer base. While she’s there she has a confrontation with retired police detective Frank Sutter, the former partner of her boyfriend Keith Logan and who has determinedly attempted to arrest her a number of times. Frank angrily accuses them both of being the cause of his forced retirement, which resulted in the loss of his house and his new wife. They’re not the only ones to face his wrath though, as Frank later punches out the Gregory Hurst, a visiting novelist who also happens to be dating Frank’s estranged wife. When Emma Sutter later finds Greg’s body stabbed to death with a cheese knife, Frank immediately becomes the prime suspect and Keith is shut out of the case. To Jenna’s disbelief, Keith still believes in Frank’s innocence despite the recent erratic behavior and goes so far as to ask Jenna to investigate. That Frank doesn’t want her help isn’t that much of a surprise, but after a series of medical incidents land him in the hospital and even Emma stands by his side, Jenna doesn’t feel that she has a choice.

Once Jenna begins looking into Greg’s past it doesn’t take long to discover a plethora of candidates with reasons to have wanted him dead. It seems that the writer had a history of taking advantage of young women seeking his mentorship and advice, not only lying to them but stealing their manuscripts entirely. While librarian Emma may not have been as susceptible to his manipulations, others were not so lucky and retaliated by stalking, harassing him on social media, and egging his property. When similarly attacked, Jenna steps up her investigation by blatantly snooping through people’s homes in order to discover evidence and reveal the killer.

This fourth in the series delivers a satisfying mystery that blends together crimes in the publishing world, blackmail, and competitive fishing scandals. Always ready with a quirky food-related explicative - bologna on a bagel and chocolate dipped okra on a taco are just a few examples - Jenna has a chance to use a number of them when caught tampering with evidence on her mission to find the truth. Emma’s unhappiness as a cop’s wife only reinforces Jenna’s own concern over her relationship with Keith, although she believes that she is far more prepared for life with a law enforcement officer. Jenna’s bookstore employees and friends all have their own moments to shine, often enabling her snooping and adding their own comedic viewpoints. This is a very fun read for mystery fans looking for an entertaining adventure that delves into the darker side of publishing.

The annual fishing tournament and festival is coming up in Hokes Folly, North Carolina. Hoping to sell some of her books from her antique book shop, Jenna Quinn gets a booth at the festival. Things, however, don’t go as planned. First Jenna’s boyfriend, Keith’s, ex-partner Frank shows uncharacteristically up drunk to the festival on day 1. Next morning, a local author’s body is found. Frank is the chief murder suspect, but Keith doesn’t believe Frank did it. As Jenna begins to investigate, someone begins targeting her. Frank is in jail, who is really after her? Who killed the author? Can Jenna figure out the mystery before it’s too late?

The plot-to-story development is well-written, but a little predictable. The characters continue to grow from the other books in the series. However, Keith as a boyfriend is a jerk in this book and may upset loyal readers. The world building is intriguing and pulls the reader into the mystery. Fans of the series, cozy mysteries, and small town setting books may want to pick this one up. Recommended for library collections where cozy mysteries are popular.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.

Definitely enjoyed this one! The mystery was excellent and all of Jenna's silly phrasing made me giggle. Fun read.

A solid mystery! I quite like cozies, and this one was a great addition to the genre. Jenna was a good sleuth but was not annoying and reckless about it like some amateur sleuths tend to be. I am looking forward to reading the first few books in this series as I wait for book 5.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The next antique bookshop mystery finds Jenna investigating to help clear her boyfriend Keith’s former work partner from a murder charge.

Another good entry in this series! I like that Jenna actually investigates and finds clues. Some cozies don’t lean into the mystery part, but this one does! We also see some good character development here, especially for some side characters. Can’t wait for the next one!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's an entertaining novel and you will surely love it if you like this series. It's entertaining I was glad to catch up with the characters.
I found that the mystery requires a bit of suspension of belief and I was kept wondering why Jenna was involved. I appreciated the solution and will surely read other books in this series
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery with its plethora of suspects! It kept me guessing who did it and why. I really liked the characters, especially Jenna. My favorite thing about the book was the funny sayings Jenna said; like "Pepperoni on a popsicle" or "Pickled pumpkin on a doughnut." They brought humor to the story and made me chuckle. I also loved the relationship between Jenna and Keith and their joyful moment at the end of the book. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoy this series. I like the characters, and I liked how Jenna helped Frank in the end. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an entertaining cozy mystery but not the best in the series. I like Jenna but in this novel she does things like meet suspects alone and fuss with evidence. I was disappointed that the bookshop itself was not more central in the plot. The plot was fun to follow with surprises along the way. This novel is a good read of an evening.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Jenna had a keen sense of perception when sleuthing and sniffing out clues, with her being such a nosey body. Jenna found herself helping the very ex-officer who tried to put her in jail, but no matter, she couldn’t resist staying out of the investigation. I have to say this story was good, with a funny twist. Imagine being hoodwinked by a cunning and improvising elderly lady.

Twice upon a time bookstore owner Jenna Quinn is looking forward tonHokes Folly,s annual fishing tournament,until a local author is found dead. The prime suspect is Jenna’s boyfriend former partner and friend Frank Sutter , when Jenna is asked to help solve the murder can she and Frank put their mutual hatred aside to find the real murderer .

I liked this book but also found it difficult to get through having not read the other books in the series. I found the characters likable and the plot interesting. I do suggest reading the series in order .

I just reviewed Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black. #CaughtontheBook #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. This is my first book from the author and the 4th book in the series.

Jenna Quinn, bookstore owner, has a booth at the Hokes Folly, NC fishing festival and all is is going well until a local author is found dead in his booth. The main suspect is Frank Sutter, a retired police officer, whose estranged wife is dating the victim. With Jenna's boyfriend Keith, Frank's former partner, being unable to investigate, he calls on Jenna to help clear Frank.

I struggled with this one. The story and characters didn't pull me in. I quickly figured out the killer and slogged through to the end. The pacing felt slow, and the plot was a little disjointed at times. The internal monologue of Jenna was a bit much at times.

I won't be exploring this series further. All opinions expressed all solely mine and freely given.

"Caught on the Book" the 4th instalment in the "An Antique Bookshop” Mystery series by Laura Gail Black. This is one of my favourite series. Jenna Quinn is going to have to go all out—hook, line, and sinker—in order to catch the killer.

I really loved this story, things are going good for Jenna at the store with Mason, and even better in the romance department with Keith. We had enemies turn to friendship, betrayals along with a little murder. What’s not to like!

The mystery moved at a good pace, was interesting and I thought well plotted. I loved the characters living in Hokes Folly especially Jenna’s BFF Rita and Shelby. 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 5 to find out what Jenna does next.

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