For whom the book tolls

Black's promising debut and series launch introduces Jenna Quinn, who gladly accepts her uncle Paul Baxter's invitation to come to Hokes Folly, N.C., to help him run his bookshop, having recently been acquitted of embezzlement and murder, crimes she didn't commit, in her hometown of Charlotte, Va. But the morning after Jenna arrives in Hokes Folly, she finds her uncle lying dead in his shop. Det. Frank Sutter, one of the investigators on the case, learns of Jenna's alleged crimes and seems determined to prove that Jenna killed her uncle; that Paul has left her everything in his will doesn't help her. Fortunately for Jenna, Det. Keith Logan, Frank's partner, is convinced of Jenna's innocence. If Jenna can find a lost antique diary, she may discover who's willing to kill to get their hands on a hidden treasure. An appealing heroine, an old bookstore, and a picturesque small-town location make up for some clichéd characters and a couple of improbable plot twists. Cozy fans will be satisfied. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Agency. (Aug.)

A desperate North Carolina woman leaps out of the big-city frying pan into a small-town fire. After she's acquitted of murder in Charlotte, Jenna Quinn hopes that life might be rosier in quiet Hokes Folly, where her widowed uncle, Paul Baxter, who owns an antique bookstore, has invited her to stay. Arriving at his apartment late at night, she quietly goes to bed. In the morning, she arises to find Paul dead at the bottom of the stairs to the bookstore and herself suspected of his murder. Although sexy Detective Keith Logan gives her the benefit of the doubt, his partner obviously thinks her guilty, especially once he learns that she's inherited Paul's considerable estate. Jenna's money troubles may be over, but the post-mortem discovery of an overdose of sleeping medication in Paul's system forces her to turn sleuth or go back to jail. Paul's friend and her new neighbor Rita Wallace is a tower of strength who not only believes her innocent, but is willing to help straighten up the messy store. Paul had several enemies and a big secret: a Hokes Folly family diary he bought at a sale that may hold the key to a treasure. More trouble arrives in the form of an obnoxious man claiming to be Paul's son and rightful heir. All Jenna has to do is prove him wrong, find the diary, fix up the store, and unearth a killer. Piece of cake. An appealing debut peopled with believable characters and a well-ordered mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.