Clever cozy mystery. Nice twist to the usual cop telling woman not to investigate the murder. Terrific series. Pleasant reading. Nice variety of characters. Are they friends or frenimies? Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Caught on the Book is the fourth book in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series.

Jenna Quinn is the owner of the Twice Upon a Time bookstore. She has set up a booth at the annual fishing festival in Hokes Folly, North Carolina. This is a huge event which give Jenna a chance to sell specialized books about fishing. A famous and local author is found dead in his booth on the second morning of the event.

All gossipy fingers point to Frank Sutter, a former detective with the police department. His soon-to-be ex-wife had been dating the victim and Frank had a loud argument with him the previous day.

Keith Logan, Jenna’s boyfriend and detective with the local police, has been removed from the case and asks Jenna to solve the case. Frank was Keith’s former partner and had tried to pin more than one murder on Jenna. Frank doesn’t want Jenna’s help any more than Jenna wants to help him. During her investigation she finds more people with stronger motives than Frank and will find herself in danger.

This was a fun cozy mystery. The small town has plenty of busybodies and gossips with quirks to entertain the reader. This was a quick afternoon entertaining read.

I enjoyed this fourth trip back to Hokes Folly, North Carolina and the Antique Bookshop Mystery series, where it is time for the annual fishing tournament and festival. Jenna has decided to rent a booth to see if she can sell some of her books, especially the books concerning fishing. Sales are great but the real excitement is when former detective Frank Sutter and former partner of Jenna's boyfriend, Keith, shows up and makes a scene with his estranged wife Emma and her new boyfriend, who is an author. When the author's body is found a day or so later, Frank is the only suspect and is arrested. But Frank has some blanks and doesn't remember some of the events that took place. Keith is not allowed to investigate and enlists Jenna's help. What she found is that there are many who would want the man dead, and her work is cut out for her. This is another good read in the series and a real page-turner with break=ins, danger, and adventures. I had an idea of whodunit, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment. Fun ending with surprises.  
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

I have been following this series from the start and have loved the first three installments. If I have to compare this book with the previous ones, I will say it's a tad below my expectations.

I loved the plot-to-story development. Jenna is an excellent amateur sleuth, no doubt about it. When the murderer learns that Jenna is poking her nose into their business, things start going sideways and Keith doesn't like it. Though he had asked her to investigate, now he's backing out and Jenna doesn't take NO for an answer.

The ending - well, I didn't like it much. Cliched, obvious suspect, and shaky motive. Somehow, I felt the ending didn't do justice to all the red herrings (which were plenty) and suspense built from the start.

Having said that, I love Laura's storytelling. Characters are likable too and we have a surprise at the end - something to do with Jenna. *wink wink*

I am looking forward to reading the next installment. I am eager to see how the surprise ending pans out in the next book.

3.5/5

My thoughts on…

THE PLOT: This book hits all the notes of a cozy mystery. We meet our cast of characters, they are placed in a situation where readers experience tension and can predict which character will be the “victim,” and then Jenna, our amateur sleuth, is put to work. The development of the story unfolds at a solid pace – not too slow and not too fast. It’s just right for the reader to drink in the story. As the summary states, a local author is found murdered, and the suspect list is long, y’all. Deservedly so. And this is where the story really takes off. There are several who have motive – and opportunity – and it’s up to Jenna to shift through all the pages of false leads to come up with a final solution. For me as a cozy reader, this worked.

THE CHARACTERS: This book has a solid cast of characters. Jenna Quinn as the amateur sleuth works well. She’s just nosey enough – and knows the right people – to get the job done. Her detective boyfriend, Keith Logan, is a staple cozy mystery detective. But for this particular story, he is sidelined in investigating because he is too close to the accused. They play off one another well; there’s no forced tension between the two. These two characters as a couple just work for me as a reader. The other supporting characters play their role well in the story. There’s the helpful store manager who keeps things running while Jenna investigates, her BFF who offers advice as needed, minor characters that offer Jenna tidbits of information for her investigation, and then the suspects. All of them blend well in the story to provide solid storytelling.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I have not read the previous books in this cozy series, but after reading this one, I have added them to my TBR cozy list. This is a solid cozy mystery, especially for book four in a series. Sometimes the characters lack development and become static, but I did not feel this way while reading this one.

WHO WILL WANT TO READ THIS: This book will appeal to cozy readers in general, but most especially to those who enjoy book-themed cozies.

The book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I love a good cozy mystery, and this was a great read. I was hooked from start to finish, and wasn't able to guess to killer.

This was a fun and entertaining read, and can't wait to check out some more of this series.

Jenna and Frank put their difference aside to clear Keith when he's the lead suspect in the murder of Greg the man who is currently seeing his not-quite-ex wife. Frank, partner of Jenna's love interest Keith, has put Jenna on the spot before because she always seems to be around when a body is found but this time he needs her- especially since Keith is prohibited from working on the investigation. What does fishing have to do with murder? No spoilers from me but this is a new angle for Jenna, a bookseller. This is classic cozy territory and while it's the latest in a series, it will also be fine as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black, the fourth in the Antique Bookshop mystery series, is a delightful cozy mystery that transports you to the charming town of Hokes Folly, North Carolina. Set against the backdrop of the annual fishing tournament and festival, this book combines the allure of a small-town setting with an intriguing murder mystery. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn, the owner of Twice Upon a Time bookstore, stumbles upon the murder victim setting her on the path to solving a captivating puzzle that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. (I received an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.) With well-crafted characters and a cleverly woven plot, Caught on the Book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with a touch of Southern charm.

This is such a fun, well written series! The characters are well developed and very likable. The relationships are a strong component of the series and offer a feel good quality even in the midst of murder and mayhem. The mystery offers several suspects providing many avenues of investigation. This series has all the components that cozy mystery readers love - mystery, friendship, community, pets and a little romance.

I adored this cozy mystery! The group of characters were fantastic, and I loved the setting. I enjoyed the plot twists and the mystery. It was well paced and well written!

4/5 stars: It’s nice to return to Jenna’s North Carolina bookstore and all of Black’s well written and incredibly likable characters in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series. I very much enjoyed the mystery; Black deftly weaves the clues, red herrings and suspects to leave you guessing. In addition, it was great seeing Jenna and Keith's relationship flourish, I look forward to where things are going next. Oh and one must never forget the adorable cuteness of Jenna's dog Eddie. This is fourth book in this Literary Cozy Mystery series, so to start at the beginning pick up For Whom the Book Tolls, book one.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

In the past former detective Frank Sutter has tried to pin several murders on Jenna. Now that Frank is a murder suspect and her boyfriend Keith is being kept away from the case, Keith has asked Jenna to prove that Frank is innocent.

The characters are well written and there were enough suspects to keep the mystery interesting even though I found it a bit implausible that Keith would ask Jenna to get involved. Even though this is the fourth book in the series it can be read as a stand alone.

Jenna has brought all of her used fishing books to the annual fishing trip. When a local author is stabbed to death and Keith's former partner Frank Sutter is arrested for the crime, Keith asks Jenna to investigate since he can't without compromising the police department. Jenna is reluctant since Frank has made her life in her new town very difficult. Jenna was acquitted of murder but Frank thinks she was really guilty and was determined to find something on her.

Jenna also has to deal with a group picketing outside her shop and looking for signatures on a petition to force Jenna out of town. Then there is the local writers' group who is looking for a new venue for their meetings. Only a number of them are better suspects than Frank for the author's death.

Jenna investigates her suspects and finds things that help the police with their investigations. I liked her persistence and determination to help a man who had been at all nice to her because her boyfriend asked her to.

This was an entertaining story with interesting characters and a nicely twisty plot. I really liked Jenna's dog Eddy and I liked that a friend was trying to push her into adopting a kitten too. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this story.

3.25 stars
This fourth entry in the Antique Bookshop series is likable, if not plausible. Main character Jenna has settled into her new life running the bookstore she inherited from her uncle in the first book. She has a terrific police detective boyfriend and good friends and neighbors.

She is staffing her shop's booth at a local fishing tournament/festival when a dead body is discovered. When the main suspect turns out to be her boyfriend's retired partner, she can't help but investigate.

When you read cozies, you usually have to give them a lot of room for plot fancifulness and factual flexibility, but there was too much here for me to buy. Having her boyfriend beg her to investigate the murder just didn't ring true. And Jenna constantly meeting suspects by herself, committing blatantly illegal searches and then removing evidence, etc. etc. stopped me from really appreciating the story. The bookshop itself doesn't play much of a part, and Jenna is a remarkably absentee business owner.

But if you just want to read an amiable cozy with pleasant characters in an interesting setting, you might enjoy this one. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lots of fun this book! The mystery was great and very zippy. I really enjoyed them shedding new light on Frank and seeing all the characters continue to evolve. This has definitely gotten better ever book and it’s always great to see growth and not a repeat of the same formula every book.

It started out strong with a great deal of suspense and a riveting mystery about stolen manuscripts. I just found that it really was dragging in the last quarter of the book. Also, it sounded quirky at first but I soon grew tired of the repetitions of "crap on a cracker" and "holy hot pickles"... Something that may render fine on a tv show but doesn't work as well in a book at least for my taste.

I adore the Antique Bookshop Mysteries by Laura Gail Black! "Caught on the Book", the latest installment in the series follows Jenna as she is unwillingly roped into sleuthing for the truth in yet another murder. The accused murder is none other than the police officer who has had it out for her since she moved to Hokes Bluff. Though she is very reluctant to get involved, the request for help comes from her boyfriend, Officer Keith. Can Jenna lay aside the hurt and dislike for the former officer who had it out for her in order to find the truth? Or will he be found guilty of a murder he didn't commit? Come join Jenna, Keith, Rita, Mason, and Eddie as they sniff out the truth to hook the real murderer!

I didn’t read the previous book so I felt a little lost. The mystery was interesting and well thought out. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and Keith and Jenna’s relationship seemed odd to me.

Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black due to be published October 3rd 2023 is the 4th book in the antique bookshop mystery series.
Jenna Quinn is looking forward to a pleasant three days at the Hokes Folly fishing festival running her booth selling secondhand books, and her plan seems to be working until a body is found nearby Jenna is amazed when her old nemesis, ex-detective Frank Sutter, is identified as a main suspect, meaning her boyfriend, Keith Logan, can't run the investigation. Soon knee deep in suspects will Jenna discover the killer or will she end up playing with the fishes?

This is the first book I’ve read in the series but I’ll definitely be going back and reading the first couple books! I absolutely love the storyline!!

Thank you Netgalley, Laura Gail Black, and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me this great opportunity to read this ARC.

Jenna Quinn is looking forward to a pleasant three days at the Hokes Folly fishing festival running her booth selling second hand books and her plan seems to be working until a body is found nearby. Jenna is amazed when her old nemesis, ex-detective Frank Sutter, is identified as a main suspect meaning her boyfriend, Keith Logan can't run the investigation. Soon knee deep in suspects will Jenna discover the killer or will she end up playing with the fishes?

I have loved this series from the start but have a feeling book four could be the last with no loose ends remaining in this very enjoyable read. Jenna, her friends, and foes, are here once again alongside the new victim and suspects all of whom are entertainingly well-written.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Crooked Lane Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. I hope there will be more adventures to come as this is a lovely cosy crime series which is easy to recommend. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.