For Whom The Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black
Publication Date: September 2020
Summary from Goodreads:
Trouble follows Jenna Quinn wherever she goes. Fleeing some unsavory doings in her hometown of Charlotte, Jenna accepts her uncle’s gracious invitation to stay with him in small-town Hokes Folly, NC. In exchange, she’ll help him out in his antiquarian bookstore. But soon after she arrives, Jenna finds her uncle’s body crumpled at the base of the staircase between his apartment and the bookstore.
Before the tragedy even sinks in, Jenna learns that she’s inherited almost everything her uncle owned: the store and apartment, as well as his not-so-meager savings and the payout from a life insurance policy…which adds up to more than a million dollars. This is all news to Jenna–bad news, once the police get wind of her windfall. An ill wind, indeed, as a second murder cements Jenna’s status as the prime suspect in both deaths.
Jenna can hit the road again, taking her chances that she can elude trouble along the way. Or she can stick it out in Hokes Folly, take over the bookstore, and try to sleuth out her uncle’s killer. On the one hand, she’s made some wonderful new friends, and she feels she can thrive in the genial small-town environment. On the other hand, trouble knows her address–and so does the killer, who is determined to write the final page of Jenna’s story.
Confession:
Cozy mysteries don’t always work for me, but this one was a hit. It was very cozy and the mystery was pretty hard to solve, with lots of suspects and even some red herrings. I really liked the main character and all of the supporting cast as well. There is even a light romance which just made the story sparkle even more.
Jenna is having a rough time and you feel for her from the start of the book. Running away from a bad situation and then finding her loving uncle dead, might have really put her over the edge, but she is a strong woman with a level head on her shoulders. I loved how accepting she was of her neighbor, Rita, and how she was willing to give a second chance to the young man who worked for her uncle and was accused of his murder. She has a kind heart and wants to see the good in others even when they don’t deserve it.
The small town setting was well done and I loved the cast of slightly quirky put not over the top of characters. There is the acerbic cop who really wants the murderer to be Jenna, and his kind and handsome partner, who ends up being a love interest. Two elderly sisters who are the descendents of the town founder, were great and I loved how opposite they were from each other. Rita, her neighbor was also wonderful and she accepted Jenna, without doubting her because of her past. All of them were wonderful and I hope many of them return in the next book.
The mystery was very well crafted and even kind of hard to figure out. There were a nice number of suspects, but not to many and the big reveal was only a slight surprise as I had only figured it out for myself a chapter or two before. The writing and the descriptions were nicely done and the pacing was perfect. The ending was great as well and I liked that the romance was only just starting for Keith (the handsome cop) and Jenna.
I ended up liking this one well enough that I am considering picking up the next book in the series the next time I visit the library. If you like contemporary cozy mysteries set in a small town, this is one you should consider adding to your list.
Confessions of a Serial Reader 
I do love cosy mysteries but sometimes they fall very flat so it’s good to hear that this one worked for you. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for it.
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