Jacquelyn G. Black Books

For fans of Ellery Adams and Paige Shelton, the wedding can’t go on when the bride is found murdered—but can love still win the day in this third installment of Laura Gail Black’s cozy series.The birds are singing, books are selling, and the Hokes Bluff Inn has begun to host weddings on its property. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn loves the romance in the air—until her ex-fiancé, Blake Emerson, walks in with his bride-to-be, Missy Plott. Blake continues to profess his love for Jenna if she’ll have him back, no matter the consequences. And the consequences are grave, indeed, when Missy turns up dead. All evidence points to Blake, who was the last one to see her alive. He begs Jenna to help him clear his name. Blake’s mother, Cordelia, is also bent on exonerating her son. Jenna doesn’t believe that Blake could have killed Missy, and she starts digging for suspects. It could have been Missy’s ex-boyfriend, who proclaims a love for her he says only death could sever. Or might it have been Missy’s bitter “best friend,” who was secretly besotted with Missy’s ex. Then, the police find evidence from a cold case years before—a case that had falsely implicated Jenna herself. Cordelia continues to beg Jenna to help prove her son’s innocence. Could Blake truly be innocent? Jenna’s life is on the line in a final confrontation that will either prove Blake’s innocence—or damn them both.

In this cozy series debut, Jenna Quinn discovers her uncle murdered in his antique bookstore, making her the prime suspect due to her status as his primary beneficiary. Seeking refuge from troubles in Charlotte, Jenna had planned to help her uncle in Hokes Folly, NC, but her arrival quickly turns tragic when she finds his body at the base of the staircase. The shock deepens as Jenna learns she has inherited not only the bookstore and apartment but also a substantial amount from his savings and life insurance policy, totaling over a million dollars. This unexpected fortune raises suspicions, especially after a second murder occurs, further entrenching her in the investigation. Faced with the choice to flee and risk further trouble or stay in Hokes Folly to uncover the truth, Jenna grapples with her decision. Despite the danger, she has formed meaningful friendships and feels a sense of belonging in the small-town community. However, the killer is still at large, and Jenna must navigate her new life while trying to solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim.

Black has been a best-selling textbook for several editions due to its informal writing style and enlightening examples. The result of years of teaching and investigation, the authors student-centered writing style provides students with the background they need to truly comprehend lectures and classroom discussions. This text is appropriate for mixed major biology courses, allied health, agriculture and food sciences.

Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn sleuths again when a pair of glass bookends puts an end to a librarian's life, in this second installment of Laura Gail Black's cozy series. The quaint warehouse district of Hokes Folly, NC, is hopping despite the drizzly November chill. The occasion? The mountain town's beloved antiquarian bookstore, Twice Upon a Time, is throwing a bash for its grand reopening. But bookseller Jenna Quinn's peace of mind is shattered when the local library's Director of Antique Books turns up dead in the parking lot--his head bashed in by a glittering pair of vintage glass bookends. As they examine the murder scene, Jenna and her police detective boyfriend happen upon the only witness--the victim's dog, who flees the scene leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind. If only dogs could speak, Jenna might be able to make quick work of the murder case and get back to stocking her bookcases. Alas, finding the killer won't be so easy, even though this is not Jenna's first murder investigation--indeed, she inherited Twice Upon a Time from her slain uncle. The suspect list is voluminous--the late librarian had not-so-friendly run-ins with numerous guests--but suspicion eventually centers on three unsavory individuals who left the party shortly before the victim did. Now, Jenna must edit her inventory of suspects from three names to one, before the bloodthirsty bookend-wielder becomes the author of Jenna's demise.

For fans of Ellery Adams and Paige Shelton, in Laura Gail Black’s fourth novel in the Antique Bookshop mysteries, Jenna Quinn is going to have to go all out—hook, line, and sinker—in order to catch the killer. The annual fishing tournament and festival in Hokes Folly, North Carolina, is the high-water mark event of the year. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn, owner of the Twice Upon a Time bookstore, is ready to catch some new customers with her fishing-themed book display at the festival. That is, until a local author is found dead in his booth. All 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 been seen having an argument with him earlier that day. When Keith Logan, Jenna’s boyfriend and detective with the local police, asks Jenna for help to solve the case, she’s shocked. Frank was Keith’s former partner and someone who had been determined to pin more than one murder on Jenna. Frank doesn’t want Jenna’s help any more than Jenna wants to help him, but the two will have to put aside their animosity for each other if they want to reel in the killer. This bookselling sleuth knows she will have to cast a wide net in order to catch the killer, even if means dangerously luring them in. Will her novel idea help her catch the killer, or is she bound for a more deadly ending?