I feel really awkward in giving this a star rating because I didn't finish it. I requested it for a change from my usual dark & gruesome mystery/thrillers. I was hoping to like or at least enjoy a cozy mystery, but unfortunately, I did not. I can't fault the book, the author, or the writing. Cozy mysteries are just not for me.

First in a new series. Jenna goes to spend time with her uncle after being found innocent of stealing from her old job. He has invited her to come stay with him and help run his antique bookstore. Upon arrival she finds her uncle dead in his store. As his only beneficiary and with her past she becomes the number one suspect. Along with her new neighbor and friend she begins looking for the person and reason for his death.
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What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

I love these little cozy mystery stories. Filled with suspense, mystery & good endings. Thanks for opportunity to read this book net galley.

Jenna Quinn has had some setbacks - being on trial for murder and embezzlement may be more than setbacks - but being found not guilty has "freed" Jenna to search for a place to regroup and start again. Her uncle offers his home but Jenna won't get three until late. Jenna finds the key that he left for her and she settles in for the night certain that she can catchup with her uncle in the morning but setbacks keep following her - Jenna finds her uncle dead at the bottom of the steps the next morning.

The police determine that it was murder and because of Jenna's past and her subsequent inheritance, target her as the most likely suspect. Needing to clear her name once again has Jenna determined to solve the murder.

This was a really good start for a new series - the central character was very well defined, however, the secondary characters needed more fleshing out.
The setting was very appealing so I'm looking forward to another installment.

I love when I discover a new mystery series and For Whom the Book Tolls did not disappoint. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong--which I love! Lovely small town setting and great characters. I also love the hint of romance!

I didn't love this cozy unfortunately, I found Jenna to not be a good heroine who doesn't seem to use her intelligence and doesn't learn or grow from her experiences. I think the author was trying to show her as an optimist who sees the good in people but she really just came across as naive and a little flaky. I'm also a little bit over the trope of cozies portraying cops as unable to do the job or lazy. It just seems like that's all I see in cozies these days and it's a little tired. The pacing was a little slow and the mystery was fairly predictable as well.

The one thing I did enjoy was the setting. It was vivid and interesting and made me want to visit the fictional NC town. I did also enjoy some of the secondary characters.

So while not for me personally, I will recommend this to readers looking for a small town cozy who read for place, who want optimistic main characters, and who aren't tired of the lazy cop trope.

It's actually 3.5/5* for this. I dropped it a star because of the very eye-rolling and uber-convenient arrival of the police at the end. It's only about a paragraph or two, but it was going so well up to that point!

I enjoyed this first book in a new series very much, however. A wide variety of characters are well written and the town is drawn well, too. Although I do query the position of 'Director of Antique Books' at a community library. How big is Hokes Folly?? And, even supposing a community library had infinite funds, why would they acquire and house antique books that are likely worth a (small) fortune? That is definitely a specialist field. So, suspension of belief is complete, at least in that instance.

Jenna is a very sympathetic character. She doesn't whine, doesn't fuss or complain. She's unhappy that she's been more or less driven away from her home in Charlotte, NC, but she takes the welcome hand that her Uncle Paul extends to her gratefully and makes the best she can of the situation she finds herself in. It's not perfect, certainly, she hadn't expected to find her Uncle dead at the foot of the stairs in the book store, but she keeps her head, and with the help of her new friend, Rita, who lives next door, and her Uncle's lawyer, Horace Grimes, she assists the police in clearing her name and solving Paul's murder.

Quirky small town characters both assist and hinder the ongoing investigation, and while I feel the second murder felt a bit convenient/shoehorned in, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be keeping my eyes open for the second one.

I could not finish this one. It was so slow to get to any kind of point. Yes a "murder" happens in the beginning but then nothing else happens for chapters but talking about said "murder". Also the relationship between the uncle and niece goes from non-existent to "she must solve his murder" in like .5 sec........really?

What an incredible way to start off a series!! I am blown away that this was a debut novel.

If you love books about books or with a bookshop setting, this is the place to be.

Jenna Quinn leaves her hometown of Charlotte after being in a rough place. Her uncle has invited her to stay with him in small-town Hokes Folly, NC. In exchange, she'll help him out in his antiquarian bookstore. Just after she arrives, she finds him dead. To add on to that, she learns she is his sole heir and with her past, she becomes the sole suspect as well.

With the help of her new friends in town, she sets out to prove her innocence, find the killer, and save her uncle's legacy.

With many characters and plot twists, this fast paced novel kept me guessing until the end. This was a one sitting read/listen for me.

I cannot wait for the series to continue. Book 2, Murder by the Bookend, is set to release September 2021.

I had both a digital copy of this book awarded from Netgalley and the audio verison of this book. The narrator, Susan Boyce, was incredible and really adds to the story. Highly recommended this book.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Book 1 in a new series.

In a typical first, we meet the main character, Jenna, as she stumbles upon a murder. We learn about her as the book goes on. I had trouble connecting with Jenna, she doesn't come off as super likeable. And the bully police detective didn't help me like the book any more. Too bad, because I love bookstores and this should be a wonderful series.

I'm going to chalk most of the issues up to being first in the series and hope that subsequent books are more likeable.

I really enjoy biblio mysteries and this one did not disappoint. Jenna is down on her luck and her Uncle Paul has invited her to stay with him and help out at his bookshop. Unfortunately someone murdered her just as she arrived. Now that she has inherited the shop and his apartment she is the prime suspect. To avoid taking the fall she sets out to solve the crime. I really liked the town and the supporting characters. I am hoping that as Jenna learns the book business there is more book background. The mystery was good with plenty of suspects. The writing was good and it was a quick read. I look for word to reading the next book.

This is Laura Gail Black’s debut novel For Whom the Book Tolls (Antique Bookshop Mystery 1).

Jenna Quinn, Is looking forward to a fresh start staying with her uncle Paul above his bookstore. Upon her arrival she finds him dead. Jenna then begins to try to solve not only the mystery of who killed her uncle but also what’s really going on in the town of Hokes Folly.

The story was wonderfully well written, and left me stunned to realize this was the authors first book! Fans of Jenn McKinlay, Maddie Day and Ellie Alexander to name a few will love this new series. I can’t wait for book two!

For Whom the Bell tolls was a great first book for new cozy mystery series!

In this book we follow Jenna Quinn who has just moved to Hokes Folly, NC to start a new life after her old life in Charlotte fell apart. Jenna is invited by her uncle Paul who she has not seen in years to help run his antique bookshop. She arrives late at night and when she wakes up in the morning, she finds her Uncle dead. After finding out she is the sole inheritor of his estate she becomes a prime suspect for his murder. Can Jenna escape her past in Charlotte, fit in in Hokes Folly and find out who killed Uncle Paul before it to late?

The Author, Laura Gail Black, did a great job at setting the stage for the town, and characters we will meet through out the series. Her attention to making sure all the characters were fully developed made me rely on the in-story clues to discover the whodunnit. I enjoyed the diverse background of the Main Characters (different ages, genders and backgrounds) inner sleuth circle and look forward to where the mysteries go from here.

Personally, I was not a huge fan of the good cop/bad cop characters in this novel. The “bad cop” was a little heavy handed and too interested in arresting Jenna for the crimes in Hokes Folly and things that happened in the past then solving the crime. I also found the pacing to be off at times as the book tried to manage multiple characters and plotlines.

All in All, this was a solid start to the series! I’m excited to see where the series goes from here especially if the crimes don’t revolve around our Main Characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book to read for my honest review.

For Whom The Book Tolls is the debut novel from Laura Gail Black. In this first book in the Antique Bookshop Mystery we get to know Jenna Quinn, just stepping out of a nightmare situation into a fresh start. Jenna’s Uncle Paul has offered her a place to stay while she works to pick up the pieces, but on her first morning in town she finds Uncle Paul dead at the bottom the stairs that lead to his book store from his upstairs apartment. Jenna immediately finds herself at odds with the local detective who seems bent on proving Jenna guilty. As Jenna try’s to prove her innocence and get to the bottom of the mystery her uncle had mentioned in his email inviting her to stay she discovers that maybe the small town of Hokes Folly may be somewhere she wants to settle down.
The story captivating and well written, and I was surprised to discover this was the authors first book. Full of clever twists and turns the mystery kept me guessing. I loved getting to know the neighbors and other members of town right along with Jenna. The town is full of vibrant possibilities for expanding the series moving forward and I look forward to reading more from Laura Gail Black in the future.
4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed reading this new cozy mystery! Jenna Quinn is escaping her hometown where she was put on trial for murder and then proven innocent. She runs to her uncle who owns a bookstore in Hokes Folley. When she finds her uncle dead in his shop, can she solve the crime before the detective in charge of the case is able to arrest her for a crime she didn't commit?

I really liked reading about Jenna. She was a super fun character to get to know. I liked getting to know everyone in the small town and getting to see all of their quirks. I really felt for Jenna and felt a sort of kinship. Not that I've ever been suspected of murder but I totally saw myself in her. She is a really likable character! I honestly did not see the end coming at all. It took me completely by surprise! I totally thought that I knew who committed the murders, but I could not have been more wrong! I can't wait to read more from this series!

I think this series has a lot of potential and I liked the characters.
Unfortunately I found that the mystery wasn't solid and it didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Jenna has moved to the small town of Hoakes Folly for a new start after being wrongfully accused of a crime. She is moving in with her uncle and is going to work in his bookstore. Instead of a new start Jenna gets more of the same when she finds her uncle dead and herself accused of the murder. The mystery was weak, but the characters have potential. I will give the series another try.

For Whom the Book Tolls is a great start to a new series. Jenna was down on her luck so she takes advantage of her uncle’s generous offer of a job and a place to live. When she finds her uncle’s dead body, it’s up to her to find the murderer. I loved this mystery. Jenna was very likeable. When another person becomes the suspect, she takes him under her wing. Her new friend, Rita, didn’t back away and stuck by her side through the whole ordeal. I also liked Keith Logan, one of the cops. The story had quirky characters and I love the historical setting. Naturally, I loved the setting of the bookstore. I’m excited to read more in this series. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Title: For Whom the Book Tolls
Author: Laura Gail Black

Ch: 36

Pg: 364

Series: An Antique Bookshop Mystery book 1

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

For Whom the Book Tolls is the first book in the An Antique Bookshop Mystery series by Laura Gail Black. This cozy mystery is set in small town Hokes Folly North Carolina. I have to say that this one was a fairly quick read. I finished this one in a day. That while this one wasn't my favorite, I'm starting to thank that I'm getting burnt out on cozy mysteries set in small town and bookshops I did enjoy it. Plus I guess the suspect before the book was even finished. But I guess that's to be expected when you read a lot of cozy mysteries. I do however love the puny titles cozy mysteries have.

For a first book in the series the plot didn't drag and the character development was pretty fast. And I like most of the characters. Expect for the one who turned out to be the villain. I guess that played a part in me figuring out who done it before the amateur sleuth in the book did. I do look forward to the next book in the series to see what else Jenna Quinn and the gang get up to.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.