Three Tomes Bookshop

At forty-eight, Jacqueline Finch has a nice, easy life with few responsibilities: she's been a librarian in Chicago for twenty-five years and she's just coasting along. That is, until the Universe (helped by three old crones) has other ideas. All at once, Jacqueline's staid (and boring) life is upended, and the next thing she knows, she's heading off to Button Cove to start a new life as the owner of Three Tomes Bookshop. The bookstore is a darling place, and Jacqueline is almost ready to be excited about this new opportunity . . . until Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers show up. Things start to get even more strange after that: Jacqueline is befriended by three old women who bear a startling resemblance to the Witches Three from Macbeth, an actual witch shows up at her bookshop and accuses Jacqueline of killing her brother, and the two women who own businesses across the street seem determined to befriend Jacqueline. And then there's the police detective with the very definite hot-Viking vibe who shows up to investigate the dead body . . . The next thing Jacqueline knows, her staid and simple life is no longer quiet and unassuming, and she's got crones, curses, and crocodiles to deal with.

Jacqueline Finch is a lifelong book lover, which is why it was a literal gift from the Universe when she inherited Three Tomes Bookshop. But she's had a few adjustments to make along the way, including the fact that her bookshop seems to be a haven for literary characters to come alive and to stick their noses into things that aren't any of their business. And then there are the three old ladies down the street, whose resemblance to Macbeth's Witches Three cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, Jacqueline is happy and everything seems to be going well, even when she discovers that Dickens's the Artful Dodger has come to life. She manages to keep Dodger under wraps until a young woman bursts into the shop claiming her husband is trying to kill her. Jacqueline springs into action, but it turns out the young woman wants a specific kind of assistance that Jacqueline has no idea how to provide. Things get even worse when Cinderella shows up at the shop and the Artful Dodger falls for her . . . and neither of them have any intention of returning to their books. Jacqueline's got her hands full, but with the help of the three crones and her two best friends, she's determined to muddle through.

Jacqueline Finch and her mystical, magical bookshop is back in this third entry of the bestselling Three Tomes Bookshop series! Spring is in full swing in lakefront Button Cove, and Jacqueline is embracing her new life-her friends, her new home, the crones down the street, and especially the detective with a hot-Viking vibe. It's not half bad, considering the fact that she has the bickering literary characters of Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock's landlady) and the dour, creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca "helping" her to run the bookshop, and her nemesis Egala Stone is opening her own store down the block. And then there's the handsome new undertaker-er, mortician-who's taken over the town funeral parlor and who has all the women ga-ga over him-including Jacqueline's friends. Things get a little weird when Detective Massermey's daughter seeks out help from Jacqueline, but surely she can handle that . . . right? But when an old book falls off the shelf, signaling the arrival of yet another literary character Jacqueline has to deal with, and strange accidents and thefts begin to happen in Button Cove, Jacqueline once again finds herself in a big, fat mess.

Jacqueline Finch's lovely little bookstore is a special one. Not only is it brimming with books and has a cozy tea shop, but it comes staffed with two unique employees: Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock Holmes's landlady, and Mrs. Danvers, the creepy and disagreeable housekeeper from Rebecca. Despite the fact that other literary characters tend to pop out of books on a daily basis, Jacqueline loves her life, running the bookshop and hanging out with her two new friends. She even enjoys the three old ladies who live at the end of the street, and who are definitely witches. (Which sometimes comes in handy.) But just when a holiday weekend and the beginning of tourist season commences, Jacqueline discovers that someone has been breaking into the shop at night. All evidence is that they're doing some sort of conjuring or witchcraftery in her store, and that worries her. But things get a little more tense, and confusing, when Jacqueline's ex-fiancé shows up in town, wanting to make amends. This could put a real damper on her budding romance with the town detective. Yet, Jacqueline has it all under control... until a woman comes into her store, wanting Jacqueline to put a hex on her ex-husband. The next thing Jacqueline knows, she's got a bunch of very angry women hellbent on getting revenge on their exes, and anyone else who gets in their way... including Jacqueline.