I was so surprised when, expecting a cozy mystery, I ended up reading this sometimes dark and gruesome story which kept me interested the whole way through. I absolutely loved the main character and the premise of her setting up shop. A very interesting, well written book which will surprise many.

This book has got a solid framework. The synopsis was very interesting, very promising. The execution, however caused dismay in my part.

I wish there was less internal banter and more movement in the book. Less words, more action. That would've helped with the pace.

Jamila A. Stone created satisfactory side characters but I did not like Diane Gates, unfortunately. A subjective thing.

The plot was very good. Kudos to that. Less thought through than most but with a certain degree of intricacy which makes it appealing.

I found the typographical errors in this book a tad too frustrating. Certain words did not fit with statements, some were missing and paragraphs lost phrases in between lines. I owe a bit of that to the fact that I receieved an ARC copy (which I apologize for reviewing far later than expected).

Gate’s Bookstore by Jamila A. Stone  is the first in the Diane Gates mystery series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Black Glory Publishing , and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Information:

Diane's love of books prompted her to open a bookstore.  She left her career in criminology behind, but her friend Vivien desperately wants her back in the field.  As an ex-forensic scientist, Dr. Diane Gates is a force of nature.  She is still grieving the death of her father.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Diane hired her friend Catherine to help out in the bookstore.  She felt Catherine's love of books and her poetry writing would be a perfect fit.

However, when the bookstore is broken into, and only Catherine's possessions are stolen, it seems strange.  A second break-in leaves a body, which is more than Diane was prepared for.

When another body is found, the police are sure they have their murderer, and the cases are closed.  Diane refuses to admit this.   Teaming up with Detective Eric Barnes to solve a murder may or may not be her best decision.

When evidence starts pointing directly at Diane, she realizes she will have to return to the work that she had vowed to leave behind....to save her own skin.


My Opinions:   

Okay, I loved the premise of this story.  The plot was really good, as was the pace.  Yes, it was a little wordy at times, but not a big deal.

However, certain phrases "where on heaven are you headed",  calling Eric Barnes both "Detective Barnes" and "Detective Eric" and other grammatical errors were very annoying.  Missing/incorrect words like "arrive at the cabin before too dark",  and "she saw something it didn't use to be in the room" made it a somewhat frustrating read.  Then there are areas where continuity was an issue. In Chapter 15, Diane is mulling over Christine while in the bookstore, and the next paragraph she is entering a police vehicle....makes no sense.  I am assuming that since this is an ARC, these types of errors were picked up before publishing, but I don't think I've ever read an ARC this bad.  However, all that being said, I am not going to use any of this as part of my rating of the book.  As far as I am concerned this is the publisher's fault, and not that of the author.

So....back to the book.

I wasn't that fond of the characters.  Diane was a little obnoxious, very full of herself, and a little too aloof to run a bookstore.  Catherine's constant "cheerful personality" just annoyed me.  Eric's stepping in to try to save the day was too typical.  But, in the end I got used to the characters.  That being said, I like to be able to whole-heartedly root for the good guys, and I struggled with that.  I hated the relationship between Diane and Eric, and I think the strong reactions during the fight would not lead to a reconciliation in my book.

I really wanted to love this book.  A bookstore and crime....what more could I want.  Apparently, a lot.  I really struggled to give it the second star, but since my one star rating means I didn't finish it.....

Oh, and I hated the ending.  So....this one was not for me.

A murder occurs in a bookstore that is owned by former forensic investigator, Diane Gates. An attractive detective, Eric Barnes, is assigned the case and he and Diane work together to solve the gruesome murder. With false leads, cover-ups, and corrupt cops, it looks like Diane herself may be guilty of this murder and other crimes. The race is on to prove her innocence. Is there enough time to out maneuver the mastermind behind this plan or will Diane end up in prison unable to prove her innocence?

This book is 31 chapters and the plot doesn’t involve a lot of tension until you get to chapter 26. Like some other reviewers, I felt this story got bogged down by unnecessary words that dilute the chance of tension building. The transitions from chapter to chapter were okay, but the transitions from one paragraph to another in parts of the book, left me confused and wondering how I got to where I was. But even more annoying, in the edition I have, was the incorrect use of words here and there. For example, the use of the word maul instead of mull. There were numerous sentences I had to reread due to this and where the addition of a simple comma would have made for much easier and more pleasurable reading.

On a positive note, the cliff-hanger ending left me curious enough to wonder when the next book would be published.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this book.

Diane Gates is a retired forensic investigator who now owns and operates a bookstore along with her assistant. Not long after the assistant is hired, there is a break-in and some of her things were taken ... but no damage to the store. Diane thinks this is a one-off, but days later it happens again .. only this time she finds the mutilated body of her assistant.

Although retired from her earlier career, she decides that she will work this case ..and hooks up with Detective Eric Barnes. Between the two of them they discover there's a lot more to the case than they think. The more evidence they uncover, the more they find fingers pointing at Diane.

This is the first book in a new series, featuring Diane Gates. There's a strong female lead, an intricate plot, lots of action, a bookstore and a bit of romance. All boxes checked. The only con I have is it ends with a huge cliff hanger (one of my pet peeves).

Many thanks to the author / BooksGoSocial / Netgalley / Black Glory Publishing House for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Wow! This is a really gripping mystery. The plot twists and turns and it's mildly gruesome. I recommend this for a mystery lover, not a cozy mystery lover. The characters are interesting if not always likable. There is a cliffhanger and it's a big one. So now I'll anxiously wait for book 2.

Well written and entertaining mystery. Good plot and character dynamics. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Gripping story with lots of twists and turns and lots to be resolved/revealed.
Interesting characters who work well together to solve the murder.

This is the story of Dr. Diane Gates, a former criminologist who is mourning the death of her father while running her bookstore. Diane hires her friend Catherine to help run the store, but a break in occurs, and Catherine is found dead. Then Alan, the owner of the local coffee shop is found dead . Diane teams with Detective Eric Barnes to help solve the case. But the deeper Diane digs, secrets are revealed about her father which Diane cannot believe. I did enjoy this book but the ending was not what I expected for one of the characters. It leaves it open to continue as a series but there was no closure to the killing. Not a bad read though.

i actually didn't download this book in time but I did end up purchasing this book and really enjoyed the finished product. It was a good mystery novel and I really enjoyed reading it.

Review ⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Black Glory Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid little mystery. It was way more gruesome that most of these mystery books which was fine by me.

I didn't care for Diane she wasn't very likeable but that is just my opinion.

And the cliffhanger is a huge one! I would have never guessed this book would end like that. If you enjoy these little mystery books then I think you would enjoy this book.

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Bodies, a bookstore, and lots of twists and turns. Gates'Bookstore by Jamila Stone is a great book. Keeps you at the edge of your seat.

This book was provided to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you because it is a book I highly recommend.

Many thanks to Net Galley, BooksGoSocial and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Any mystery that happens in a bookstore is itself quite an intriguing aspect. Diane Gates is the owner of the Gates’ bookstore which she had started as an escape from the life of a forensic psychologist. When the things she has seen and the cruelty she had witnessed begin to give her nightmares especially after a dreadful past of her father’s murder, Diane finds solace in the bookstore like many of us escaping into the world of books to forget pain.
But fate has a different set of plans for her, as she finds the body of her friend and assistant Catherine, in the store. As evidence begins to mount against Diane and her relationship with the lead detective Eric Barnes muddles her thinking and the investigation seem to be frozen by the authorities, Diane has no choice but take matters into her hands.

As Diane along with Eric and her friend Vivian begins an enquiry, an explosive revelation comes to light and the story moves at a devastating pace to a shocking cliffhanger. There’s a thread of sadness that echoes throughout the story as Diane faces one hurdle after another. Her character comes across as strong and at certain places rude and emotionless which made it difficult for me to warm up to her. The romance between Eric and Diane was touching but there were parts of the story that felt discordant. For e.g., there’s a scene where Diane is in a coffee shop and talking to Catherine but in the very next sentence, she’s in a bar and having a tequila. I would have expected a much smoother transition of one scene to another.

A compelling and superb plot and with a climax that is open-ended, it is terribly hard to wait for book 2 in the series and know how everything would conclude and what the future has in store for Diane. Looking forward to it.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Deeply disturbing but yet heartwarming and also heartbreaking. This tale of friendship and a closeness never achieved because murder grips its icy hands unwittingly the star of the show. Sorrow unrepentant follows the main character and I would remind you to lock all windows and doors before immersing yourself in this novel because you never quite know who to trust.....