Princess Fuzzypants here: Jenna’s life is full of wonderful things including her business, her friends and her love life. So when her ex struts in with his new fiancée, who is sporting the ring he bought for Jenna, there are a lot of unresolved feeling that bubble to the surface. Like how he failed to stand behind her when she was falsely accused on embezzlement and murder, how he kicked her to the curb when she was exonerated and how shabbily he treated her in general. Her disbelief is ratcheted into the stratosphere when he tries to convince Jenna that she is the only one for him and he wants her back. In spite of his stalking her all over town, she is not in the least interested. So when his fiancée is murdered why are her bridesmaids targeting her for some mean girl revenge?

Even though she is never truly considered a suspect, her cop boyfriend is having all sorts of issues with the ex showing up. While Jenna has no use for her ex, she does not believe he murdered the woman. His arrest drives a further wedge between Jenna and her beau and brings her ex’s mother to her door to beg her to intervene on his behalf. Try as she might to stay out of the investigation, she is doomed to be drawn in. In the meantime she becomes a victim when her store is attacked twice.

There are no surprises when the culprits are revealed. And I must confess, I had the other crimes pegged pretty well too- including the murders and the embezzlements. But it did not detract from the story. In fact, I found it to be an entertaining read. Four purrs and two paws up.

It was so good to return to Hokes Folly and catch up on the lives of Jenna, Keith, Rita, Mason, and others. This time, Jenna's ex-fiancé comes to town with his new fiancée. Jenna and Keith's relationship is tested when Jenna works to prove that Blake did not kill his new fiancée. Along with the murder mystery, we finally get some more information on the murder and embezzlement case that sent Jenna fleeing to Hokes Folly in the first book.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to start by saying that I very much enjoyed the previous book that I read in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I was disappointed in this installment. A lot of the action was rather mad-cap and over the top. Of course, the cozy genre should not be thought of as necessarily realistic, but these plot lines seemed more pushing the envelope than I like. In addition, part of the plot centered around a group of women who gave off Mean Girls vibes. Those types of characters really bother me.

I do think that this is a case of the book not being for the reader rather than a badly written book. The book is well-written. I gave this book three stars. I would recommend this book to readers who like a bit more craziness in their mysteries than I do.

This is another fun cozy mystery centered around a bookstore. This episode of Jenna's adventures contains more relationship drama as she and her boyfriend have a disagreement that makes us wonder if their relationship would survive.

One aspect of this mystery I liked was something not usually seen in a cozy mystery. A group of ladies try to get Jenna to leave town because of her involvement in so many murders. This brought some harsh reality to a series where the same woman repeatedly is involved in and solves murder mysteries. Other cozy mystery series generally ignore this issue and I was glad to see Black include it.

I liked this entertaining mystery with an emphasis on relationship issues, both with a current boyfriend and an old one.

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

In this book we finally get some answers into what happened in Jenna's past. Her ex-finance shows up with his new soon to be wife in tow; when Missy is found dead all fingers point to Blake.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and didn't realize I had missed the second book, I'm reading it now, but I was still able to enjoy this book and didn't feel like I had really missed very much.

Now that the past shouldn't keep cropping up on Jenna I look forward to seeing what happens to her next.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a fantastic cozy read/listen for me! I loved the mystery of it-it was so well done and I enjoyed that it pulled in the events that brought Jenna to Hoke's Folly several months before. I loved pretty much everything about this story. There were a couple small things I didn't like but overall this was a great read!

I enjoy reading this series. I like the characters and the town. The mystery kept me guessing, and I was really hoping one of the suspects was not the murderer. I hope there are many more in this series.

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

This is the third book in the series. Bookseller, Jenna Quinn has waved goodbye to her hometown of Charlotte and has inherited her Uncle Paul's bookshop, now called Twice Upon A Time, located in the small town of Hokes Folly, North Carolina. She is surprised when her ex-fiancé turns up with his new bride-to-be, Missy Plott. Hours later he tells her that he wants her back and that he never stopped loving her. When Missy Plott turns up dead Jenna decides to investigate in spite of her detective boyfriend, Keith Logan's warning, who she met during her sleuthing in book one.

With great characters, including Rita Wallace, her next-door neighbour and a supportive close friend, it was a pleasure to continue this new cosy mystery series. This book was such a fun read and I was on a merry-go-round of doubt as I puzzled over the suspects. The mystery itself was very well executed, with snippets of humour and abundant red herrings to sustain my interest. With a cute dog named Eddy in the mix, I will certainly be returning to see what Jenna is getting herself into next in the fourth 'An Antique Bookshop Mystery'. A very highly recommended, fantastic whodunit.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is a good series and I like Jenna and the cast of characters. This a well plotted mystery full of twists that kept me guessing.
I think it's better to have read the rest of the series because what happens is related to things in the past.
A well plotted and entertaining story that I recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An interesting story. Since this is several into a series that I have not read, the earlier one are worth a read. This one could be understood without having read the prior ones.

Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn is having a good day until her ex-fiancé, Blake Emerson, walks in with his bride-to-be, Missy Plott. He only has eyes for Jenna and continues to profess his love. But then Missy turns up dead. All evidence points to Blake, who was the last one to see her alive. Blake’s mother, Cordelia, asks Jenna for help. Jenna doesn’t believe that Blake could have killed Missy, and she starts digging for suspects. Although Jenna’s boyfriend would like her to stay away from the investigation. Then, the police find evidence from a cold case years before, a case that had falsely implicated Jenna herself. Can she find the truth about both cases?
This is a great cozy mystery to curl up to in a comfy chair and a cup of hot chocolate. Jenna is a very likeable sleuth with a keen eye and a way to get people talking. The plot is full of twisty red herrings that will keep you guessing whodunnit. The romantic subplot is another reason this story is so good. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Another fun installment in the Antique Bookshop mystery series. I am so glad that Jenna finally got some closure on why Blake was such a colossal jerk after she was accused of theft and murder back in Charlotte. I love the group of friends that Jenna has built for herself in Hokes Folly is fantastic, I love how supportive they are of each other. I am hoping the twins get to come over and play with the dog on Saturday's in the future.

Looking forward to book #4!

Bound By Murder is the third book in the Antique Bookshop Mystery by Laura Gail Black.

Jenna’s bookstore is doing well, has a dependable employee in Mason, and has a love interest, Detective Keith Logan. Blake, Jenna’s ex-fiance, comes into her shop with his new fiancee, Missy. Missy is quick to add that they will be married in five days. That evening as she was locking up for the night, Blake pleads with Jenna to let him explain. He begs Jenna to take him back as he realizes he made a terrible mistake. Jenna sends him on his way with a definite NO. The next day she watches a young man, Tom Jackson, profess his love for Missy and proposes. She rudely tells him no. The Friday before Missy and Blake’s wedding, Jenna and Mason witness Missy, highly intoxicated, having a very intense argument with Blake. The following day, Jenna’s dog, Eddy, breaks away, heads down the alley, and soon finds Missy’s body beside a dumpster.

Once the police start their investigation, they center on Blake, who is soon arrested. After Blake is arrested, Jenna and Keith discuss his arrest and Jenna expresses her feelings that the wrong person was arrested. This discussion caused a heated argument between them. Jenna decides to handle her own investigation, not to clear Blake’s name but to find the killer. Jenna soon finds many other suspects.

The book is well-written and plotted. Most of the well-developed and exciting characters are back again to Jenna's investigation. There were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing about the killer until the end of the book.

I will be watching for the next book in the series.

With a slow start, the usual boyfriend detective, and a relationship conflict midway through, Laura Gail Black takes her readers back to Hoke Foley, the bookstore, and an unexpected visit from Jenna’s ex-finance. The same ex who discarded her when she was accused and eventually acquitted of embezzlement, causing her to leave Charleston and start over in the bookstore she inherited from her uncle.

A few chapters in, the body appears, and Jenna, once again, is both suspect and amateur sleuth. The book follows the same predictable cozy mystery pattern and could have benefited from a subplot or two and fewer repetitive descriptions and actions.

As the book lumbers along, the reader may find themselves skimming. Then the last ten percent answers all the questions yet leaves the lingering question --- is this a series they would want to continue?

For some reason, I never got around to reading book 2 of this series, but I did read the first book in 2020. Everything as far as characters started coming back to me, and I love how Rita's taken Jenna under her wing like a mom or big sister. Add Keith to that (they had a few ups and downs in here but nothing that can't be remedied!) along with a new friend and business owner named Shelby, and you've got an unstoppably cozy quartet of friends. I loved how they all talked about the case and supported each other, mainly the ladies since Keith most of the time couldn't talk about it.

Oh there was the funniest part when the subject of Det. Sutter came up. I know he really had it in for Jenna in the first book, but he was so close to retirement in a couple weeks, he didn't dare step outta line. It was hilarious what Keith told him he'd make him do if he pulled anything like wrongly accusing people. I'm pretty sure Jenna might want a frow row seat to that if it happened!

Now I really have this need to go back and read the second book because that sweet little Eddy pup stole my heart and I want to know his whole story. The author did a great job of catching readers up but not to the point of being repetitive or letting any spoilers out. If you've read neither first or second books, I think you'd enjoy this, although I do recommend at least reading the first book to get a firsthand experience of just what a jerk Sutter was as well as how Keith and Jenna got together and Jenna's friendship with Rita started. Another great character was Jenna's employee Mason who'd come a super long way from the first book! He was so cute with the girl Lily he wanted to date!

I started suspecting whodunit eventually and wow what a showdown! Even little Eddy pup got in on it. I can't wait for the next book, so in the meantime, I'm definitely planning to read that second book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Release Date: September 6, 2022

📖📖📖📖

Jenna is loving her life, her bookshop is doing well and her growing relationship with Keith is looking up. However when Blake, her ex fiancé, shows up with his new bride to be, Missy, Jenna is really for anything. We’ll almost anything. She is not ready for Missy to turn up dead and for Blake to be accused of her murder. Jenna knows what it’s like to be falsely accused so she sets out to help Blake clear his name. However the more Jenna digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Is Blake innocent or is she backing the wrong horse?

This is the third in the #antiquebookshopmystery series. You can read this as a stand-alone (I did) and not be lost. Jenna is very likable and has a great cast of supporting characters. I feel like Jenna was vindicated this book and enjoyed her working through that. I would recommend this book and I may even go back and read the first two in the series!

#boundbymurder #lauragailblack #hokesbluffinn #antiquebookshopmystery #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #cozymysteryseries #crookedlanebooks

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review

When Bridezilla ends up dead, no one is really upset about it. Missy really is one lady that you won't like.

Throw in an ex who wants you back, a mother who wants answers and a cast of suspects, Bound By Murder is a cozy mystery that will keep you guessing.

I had an idea of whodunnit, but there were red herrings thrown in and enough suspicious characters that until all was revealed, I was not 100% sure.

I enjoyed the townspeople and enjoyed the story. This was my first read by this author, but I will read more in the future.

This is the 3rd AntiqueBookshop mystery. As a reader who never finished the 1st book, I was certainly swept away by book 3. This is a book you could pick up on book 3, because the author gives you plenty of background as this book unfolds on past events.
Jenna Quinn is blindsided when her former fiancé walks in to her store with a new fiancé by his side. Missy is one mean woman. How did she get together with Blake?
Blake is trying to get Jenna to come back to him, but she has moved on. Keith is a much better guy than Blake ever was, and Jenna’s life is going well. Until Blake and Missy show up. Then there is all sorts of drama, a fire, vandalism and then Missy winds up dead.
The author did a good job of concealing the guilty party. I went along with the red-herring suspects. They seemed plausible.
After the vandalism, Jenna’s friends and fellow shop owners gather to help her. There is a section that follows that is beautiful - “I realized this was what life was about. It wasn’t jobs and bills and events and groceries and housework. Life was about the moments when the people you loved came together in support, whether for good times or bad.”
This mystery ranks pretty high on my list for 2022. Give it a try.
Thanks to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review this gem.

Bound by Murder is the third book in Laura Gail Black's Antique Bookshop Mystery series. In this installment, protagonist Jenna Quinn's relationship with her current boyfriend Keith Logan becomes threatened when her former fiance comes to town to supposedly get married but begins stalking Jenna and later his new girlfriend ends up dead the day of their wedding and Jenna is convinced that he could not have killed anyone.

The author provides enough background and history for the characters to enable the reader to read this book as a standalone but due to the interwoven mysteries throughout the series, I highly recommend that they be read in order to fully understand the intricate details of the various subplots. The character and storyline creation throughout this series has been excellent with multidimensional victims, motives, crimes and culprits. This particular story not only resolves the current mystery but also the mysteries that have haunted Jenna's past throughout the series and finally establishes true resolution of all questions posed to date. I hope that this is not the end of the series as I believe that now Jenna has been vindicated, she and Keith have many more stories and adventures in Hokes Folly to share with the readers.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bound by Murder by Laura Gail Black is an engrossing and completely entertaining cozy mystery. I was hooked on to the story from the start and could not put it down until the end. I have read the previous installments and have enjoyed reading them. The same goes for this latest installment too.

I love Laura's storytelling. Characters and their side stories, murder mystery, amateur sleuthing, suspects, a dash of romance, long-lasting friendships and loads of fun - a fantabulous combination!

Ex back in town (and wants to be back in Jenna's life), his murdered fiancé, his annoying and pestering mother, Jenna's relationship with Keith in troubled waters, gosh! Jenna had a lot on her plate. If this wasn't enough, Jenna learns Missy (the ex's fiancé) had something to do with the embezzlement for which Jenna was wrongly arrested and imprisoned eight months ago.

As the story ended, Jenna gets closure, alright. From her ex and also for her wrongful arrest. It felt quite good to see Jenna getting justice finally. Some improvement on the romance angle between Jenna and Keith. I am curious to see how this new development will be explored in the next book.