Thursday, February 23, 2017

Review: Elementary, She Read (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #1) by Vicki Delany







  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Print Length: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (March 14 2017)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01MT6H7O1

Book Description

 Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street--specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.

The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will delight in the sleuthing duo of Gemma and Jayne in Elementary, She Read, the clever and captivating series debut by nationally bestselling author Vicki Delany.


Praise forElementary, She Read:
 
Vicki Delany'sElementary, She Read is an absolute delight. A perplexing mystery with a refreshingly intelligent and witty amateur sleuth, I enjoyed every well-crafted word of this Sherlock Holmes infused tale. A must read for lovers of all things Sherlock Holmes."
-Jenn McKinlay,NYT andUSA Today bestselling author ofBetter Late Than Never

"Vicki Delany is one of my favorite mystery authors and with Elementary, She Read, she has outdone herself. This first book in her intriguing new series features Gemma Doyle, a wonderfully appealing protagonist who runs the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, where delightfully quirky characters and fascinating old books flourish. I loved everything about this story! The Cape Cod setting was enchanting and the intricate mystery kept me turning pages late into the night. Easily one of the best new mystery series on the market."
-Kate Carlisle,New York Times bestselling author of the Fixer-Upper mysteries and the Bibliophile mysteries

"Elementary, She Read is a delight, fast, fun, and full of Sherlockian lore. Cheers for a charming, intelligent heroine as observant as The Great Detective himself."
- Carolyn Hart,New York Times bestselling author ofWalking on My Grave

"Thoroughly delightful. I defy anyone to read this book and not fall in love with the uber-observant Gemma Doyle. She may or may not be related to Sherlock Holmes' creator, but she's certainly kin to his most famous detective. The best new cozy series of the year."
- Laura DiSilverio, bestselling author of the Readaholics Book Club Mysteries and the award-winningThe Reckoning Stones

About the Author

 “It’s a crime not to read Delany,” so says the London Free Press.

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most varied and prolific crime writers.

She is the author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane and the Year Round Christmas series from Penguin. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she writes the Lighthouse Library Series.
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com , www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor, and twitter: @vickidelany

She blogs about the writing life at One Woman Crime Wave (http://klondikeandtrafalgar.blogspot.com)

Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com



My Review

 Elementary, She Read is the first A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery by Vicki Delany. This is the first book in this series but I have read many other books by Delany and enjoyed them all.

I thoroughly enjoyed Elementary, She Read. While I am not a big Sherlock Holmes fan, that did not matter at all to my enjoyment of this book. I loved the small town setting of West London on Cape Cod. It was very well written. That is always a pleasure when reading a cozy mystery.

The mystery itself was fascinating. There were lots of twists and turns and I didn't really suspect the actual murderer until close to the end. Gemma is initially pegged as being a suspect by the female detective in charge of the case so Gemma ensures that she stays on top of the mysterious goings on. Everyone is after a rare magazine that Gemma discovers in her shop, Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium.

While the story progressed, we learned a little bit about Gemma...she is divorced, she is from England and she left England mysteriously. I am sure we will find out more as this great new series progresses.

Mystery fans will enjoy Elementary, She Read. Highly recommend.

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