Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Bound by Murder is the third installment in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series set in the small town of Hokes Bluff and featuring bookseller, Jenna Quinn. The town is buzzing with guests now that the Hokes Bluff Inn is marketing itself as a destination wedding resort, and Jenna is hoping her new shipment of wedding planner books will bring even more customers into her shop, Twice Upon a Time.
Jenna's best friend Rita Wallace is the director of hair and makeup at the Inn and she has her share of bridezilla stories, Jenna's employee Mason is mooning over the new Weeping Willow waitress across the plaza, and Jenna is enjoying her new relationship with police detective Keith Logan. Love is in the air - that is until Jenna's ex Blake Emerson strolls into the bookstore with his bride to be Missy on his arm.
Jenna hasn't gotten over the way that Blake didn't stand behind her when she was accused of embezzlement from her former company, accused of murder and spent months behind bars until she was found innocent. She also can't believe that Missy is wearing the ring that Blake bought for her, but even more shocking is when Blake comes back alone later in the day saying he has something important to tell Jenna AND that he's still in love with her. Missy and her bridesmaids are the stereotypical mean girls and half the town is complaining about them, but when Jenna stumbles upon Missy's dead body behind the dumpster she needs to act quickly to clear her own name as a suspect.
A fast paced plot with the return of series regulars and the addition of a few new faces and a furry companion who saves the day. This is a great addition to the series, and readers will be happy that details from Jenna's past are finally resolved. I look forward to many more adventures in Hokes Bluff.
Jenna's best friend Rita Wallace is the director of hair and makeup at the Inn and she has her share of bridezilla stories, Jenna's employee Mason is mooning over the new Weeping Willow waitress across the plaza, and Jenna is enjoying her new relationship with police detective Keith Logan. Love is in the air - that is until Jenna's ex Blake Emerson strolls into the bookstore with his bride to be Missy on his arm.
Jenna hasn't gotten over the way that Blake didn't stand behind her when she was accused of embezzlement from her former company, accused of murder and spent months behind bars until she was found innocent. She also can't believe that Missy is wearing the ring that Blake bought for her, but even more shocking is when Blake comes back alone later in the day saying he has something important to tell Jenna AND that he's still in love with her. Missy and her bridesmaids are the stereotypical mean girls and half the town is complaining about them, but when Jenna stumbles upon Missy's dead body behind the dumpster she needs to act quickly to clear her own name as a suspect.
A fast paced plot with the return of series regulars and the addition of a few new faces and a furry companion who saves the day. This is a great addition to the series, and readers will be happy that details from Jenna's past are finally resolved. I look forward to many more adventures in Hokes Bluff.
Bound by Murder by Laura Gail Black is the third An Antique Bookshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I like the author's writing style which makes the story easy to read. There is a great cast of characters that includes Jenna, Keith, Rita, Mason, and Jenna's adorable canine. The characters are friendly, realistic, relatable, and developed. I love Jenna's shop. It is a place where I could spend hours browsing through the shelves of books. I enjoyed the description of her wedding themed window display. Like Jenna, I am a fan of the Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney (I have a vintage copy of the book). The mystery gave us several suspects who could have done the deed. There is misdirection to lead armchair sleuths astray. I picked my guilty party out early and then joined Jenna on her investigation to see if I was right. There are various events that keep things lively as well as clues to help readers solve the crime. I enjoyed the tense reveal. There is mild foul language in the book (just a little bit). There is romance in the story. Jenna is dating Detective Keith Logan. Their relationship is progressing nicely, but the road to happily ever after does have a few potholes. Mason, Jenna's shop manager, is smitten with Lily Monahan who works at The Weeping Willow. I enjoyed reading Bound by Murder, and I am looking forward to returning to Hokes Folly in the next An Antique Bookshop Mystery. Bound by Murder is an entertaining tale with a frustrating ex-fiancé, a cuddly canine, a bridezilla with her band of bridesmaids, a wasted witch, a furtive fire, a smitten store manager, and a distressing discovery.
