The John J. Hokes Bass Fest is underway in Hokes Folly, North Carolina.  Antique bookshop owner, Jenna Quinn, has setup a booth displaying fishing books to join in the festivities. The event is going well until a nasty argument between retired Detective, Frank Sutton, and thriller novelist, Gregory Hurst, comes to blows. Greg is dating Frank’s ex-wife and Frank threatens to kill him. When Greg is later found stabbed to death, Frank becomes the prime suspect in CAUGHT ON THE BOOK, the fourth novel in the Antique Bookshop Mysteries by Gail Black.

Jenna knows what it's like to be accused of a crime you didn’t commit, so she is determined to help Frank clear his name, even though the two have a complicated past. Jenna’s boyfriend, Detective Keith Logan, welcomes Jenna’s help as Frank was his former partner and Keith has been taken off the case. When Jenna starts investigating, she learns the famous novelist may have been pilfering manuscripts from others and claiming them as his own, earning him a slew of enemies. Furthermore, Greg was also writing an expose about cheaters at the fishing tournament. The suspect list is full including vengeful writers, former love-interests, cheating fishermen, and an angry ex-husband.  Can Jenna figure out who the killer is and reel them in before they cause more destruction?

CAUGHT ON THE BOOK is an exceptionally good cozy mystery, well-written with a strong plot filled with red herrings and several viable suspects. The pacing is spot-on and the drama that occurs in this small town is highly entertaining, including a secondary character’s showdown with a stepmother. There’s quite enough to keep readers engaged, including the audacity of the unscrupulous novelist, angry authors, a blackmailer, dead fish in the lake, break-ins, a door egging, a missing notebook, and threatening notes. The characters are enjoyable and the story has the perfect mix of small-town drama, murder, romance, and friendship. The ending is perfect with the harrowing suspect reveal, and Jenna’s heart-warming plan to help a fellow local.