Caught On The Book by Laura Gail Black
Laura Gail Black gives us a perfect summer cozy mystery with Caught On The Book, the 4th installment in her Antique Bookshop Mystery series. The story opens with Jenna Quinn, owner of the Twice Upon A Time Book Store, setting up her booth at the Hokes Folly, NC annual fishing tournament and festival.
As soon as the festival opens, it’s an immediate success – brimming with locals as well as out of town tourists. But nothing screams summer like a good summer festival and nothing screams murder like a dead author found in one of the booths!
Luckily, law enforcement is manning their own police department booth and immediately takes action. Jenna’s boyfriend, Keith, is one of the detectives who has secured the crime scene and shut down the festival.
It doesn’t take the police long for Keith’s retired ex-partner, Frank Sutter, to become the top suspect! Sutter has a red hot temper and was previously seen threatening the victim in public. Keith is sure Frank did not commit this cold-blooded murder. But the icing on his cake: Keith was “too close” to Frank to be involved in this case. Keith is desperate to help clear his ex-partner of first degree murder, but can’t.
Poor Jenna, if only she had a crystal ball to warn her! She’s never been a fan of Frank Sutter. But Keith implores Jenna to investigate for him. What’s a girl to do? Answer: Go with your heart! Keith is the love of her life, and she’s not going to let him down!
Her sleuthing skills have her honing in on the local writer’s group. While Jenna’s familiar with most of the authors in the group, she doesn’t know much about the one that got murdered. But as she makes more and more progress on the case, the more she believes Frank Sutter is like a vintage painting that’s been “framed!”
Frank may be the primary suspect” but there are other authors brimming with motives. She’s dredging up a lot of jealousy, greed and vengeance.As she digs deeper, putting past differences aside, she’s absolutely positive Frank is just not the killer. Only one way to prove it. Unearth the real culprit!
This mystery is fun, festive and spot-on to give cozy mystery fans exactly what they want: A high-profile murder victim. An innocent suspect on the hot seat. A gaggle of suspects with probable motive. A twisty plot. An amateur sleuth that won’t let go. Cozy romance. A perfect summer setting.
Laura Gail Black’s Caught On The Book is a start-to-finish “super feel good” cozy that will have “you” caught and hooked! It’s a perfect read anytime of year, but has a wonderful summery flavor. I’m thinking beach read, poolside or comfy lounge chair with a tall glass of lemonade in hand!
A copy of this book and cover photo were provided by: Crooked Lane Publishing