If you love Sherlock Holmes, this is the cozy mystery for you! Gemma Doyle is the part owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in New London, Massachusetts. She is originally from England, but has been living in the USA to help her Uncle Arthur run his bookshop. Gemma enjoys Sherlock Holmes but is not fanatical about him. Her Uncle is the one who is the big fan, and for the duration of the book he is away traveling the United States.

One day, after a large tour group leaves her shop, Gemma finds a very rare copy of a magazine, containing the first published Sherlock story, tucked into one of her shelves. She thinks one of the women in the group has left it behind, whether or not by accident is unknown. She tracks down the woman she thinks left it, and goes to her hotel. Once there, she finds the woman has been murdered! Gemma finds herself the prime suspect and is determined to solve the mystery and clear her name.

Gemma is an interesting character. There are a lot of references to her English accent, and her love of tea. But the main thing about her is she has an almost Holmesian level of observation and deduction. This can cause her to appear rude in other people's eyes. The policewoman running the investigation develops a hatred of her. I am not sure exactly why.

There are lots of suspects available, as the story delves into the world of Sherlock collectibles, and many people are on the hunt for that rare magazine copy. Gemma's best friend, Jayne, runs the tea shop next door, and is always willing to give Gemma a hand. She is a nice character, and helps balance out Gemma's logical personality.

My favorite part of the book were the scenes set in the bookshop. It seems like such a nice, happy place to work. Who knew there were that many Sherlock items in the world. Although to be fair, the shop seems to sell any book with even a loose connection to Sherlock Holmes. It makes me wish I could have a little book store too.

This is the first book in the new Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. If this book is any indication, I think this series is going to be a great success!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There’s nothing new about bookstore owner mysteries, but I was drawn to Elementary, She Read because of its subtitle: “A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery”. And I was entertained by how Vicki Delany gives an appropriate set of characteristics to her lead character.

Gemma Doyle is English but living in Cape Cod so she can manage her uncle’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. She’s not a huge fan, but she likes the seaside town and her life there after leaving behind an ex-husband. She’s added plenty of memorabilia to the shop’s stock, attracting more customers with DVDs and collectibles, which account for many of the amusing Holmes references made in passing.

Gemma’s also very observant, which gets her in trouble. She has a Sherlock-like ability to assess people at a glance, but it affects her relationships and causes her to become a murder suspect. (She seems to know too much, which makes detectives suspicious.) Which is why she starts trying to figure out what happened on her own.

The mystery revolves around a copy of the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes, the Beeton’s Christmas Annual that contained A Study in Scarlet. If it’s authentic, it could be worth over half a million dollars. But the woman who hid it in the bookstore (trees in a forest, right?) is found dead. Other suspects include a rare book dealer, a collector looking for bargains, and several litigious heirs with financial issues.

Gemma’s assisted by her best friend Jayne Wilson, a baker who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, so there’s food, and of course, as required in a cozy mystery, there’s a romantic angle. Gemma’s ex-boyfriend Ryan is the lead detective until his co-worker finds out about their past and gets him removed from the case.

I liked the details that captured the feel of the town and the retail business, and I liked more that Delany gives Gemma the observational aspects of a Holmesian character without the anti-emotion pieces that so often go along with them. Too often a Sherlockian detective is one who thinks they have license to be a jerk. By giving Gemma an emotional life as well as an intellectual one, she works as an allusion to but not a copy of the Great Detective.

Oh, and there’s a dog named Violet and a cat named Moriarty, and a nice emphasis on how to tell a true collectible from things that aren’t necessarily worth a lot. This is labeled a “series debut” — I’m eager to read the next one already! (The publisher provided a digital review copy.)

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

First off I must say, Vicki Delany is great! This is an auspicious beginning to a new cozy mystery series. I love the way that the author was able to portray a quaint little town and make me feel as though I was actually there, living in the moment and a part of solving of this mystery.

I feel that ‘Moriarty’ is the absolute best name for a shop cat where the majority of the inventory is based on Sherlockania (all things Sherlock Holmes – not just books but memorabilia as well). Moriarity hangs out at Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, which is co-owned by Gemma Doyle (an Englishwoman from London) and her uncle Arthur and is located at (you guessed it) 222 Baker Street, West London, Massachusetts. Moriarty also has ‘attitude’ towards Gemma; reminiscent of my daughter’s cat towards all of humankind….so I definitely could relate to this cat.

The cast for this book certainly had character! I loved how they interacted and was fascinated by how they interacted with Gemma, given her unusual way of seeing and relating with the world herself. In fact, you could say that Gemma was a female Sherlock Holmes. Socially awkward, highly analytical and wicked smart.

It all begins when a stranger leaves an old Strand magazine that is not part of the store’s inventory hidden among the other magazines. Gemma thinks back and does recall a woman that was separate from the travelling bridge group that attended the store earlier in the day. Gemma stumbles across the white bag the woman left in the store among the stacks, containing the valuable Strand magazine. Gemma’s first step was to put this valuable magazine in a safe place – her home safe. From there, Gemma (along with pal Jayne) manage to track down where this woman is staying in town. Unfortunately for this woman, Gemma and Jayne are just a few minutes too late and thus discover the woman has been killed – the first murder victim of the story.

As Gemma stumbles across the murder victim, she is of course the first suspect to be considered by the local constabulary. Gemma thus steps up to try and prove her innocence and pinpoint the actual killer. She methodically supports each suspect in such a way that you are totally on board with her deductions….at least until they are proven wrong. There are numerous twists and turns. These kept me guessing right up until the end.

There is a love component….Gemma used to date (and was in love with) the police detective in charge of this case – Ryan Ashburton. Throughout their interactions, Ryan still had great respect to Gemma’s analytical thought process. I felt they were trying to reconnect and figure out where all had gone wrong. Will there be a future for them? I hope so, but will have to read future books in this series to satisfy this question.

An promising beginning to a new series. We have a great amateur sleuth, which I am sure will be involved in more murders. Hopefully we see more of Jayne as well as Uncle Arthur in the future. I can’t wait to see where this new series takes me. Thank you Vicki Delany for writing a fun, fast paced, cozy mystery…just what I needed to read!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This new cozy series by Vicky Delany is a delightful read. It is a very well crafted plot and a wonderful sleuth. Gemma Doyle is the manager of her families Sherlock Holmes theme bookstore on Cape Code. She finds a copy of the magazine that first published Holmes left behind by a visitor to her bookstore. She realizes how invaluable it is to collectors and decides to find the woman to return it. She finds the woman murdered and our sleuth begins. I love the introduction of a police detective that may be a love interest for the next book or not . The supporting characters are done to perfection. All in all a very enjoyable cozy read and the addition of the Sherlock Holmes elements are very well crafted. I look forward to the next in series. Thank you for the ARC that did not influence my review. This is a fun new series and a grand sleuth, I look forward to the next book. This review is cross posted on Amazon.

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Elementary, She Read
A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery
By Vicki Delany
Reviewed by Lyn Seippel

Crooked Lane Books, March, 2017

British divorcee Gemma Doyle is offered an investment she can’t refuse when her eccentric great-uncle invites her to the US to run his bookstore in the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod. The Sherlock Holmes Bookstore and Emporium is located at 222 Baker Street. Her uncle bought the real estate, formerly a hardware store, for the address. The shop specializes in everything Sherlock Holmes, including busts and posters of famous actors playing Holmes, DVDs of the movies, mugs, towels, playing cards, salt and pepper shakers and thimbles, plus current book series spinoffs featuring Sherlock and his relatives. The shop cat is called Moriarty and Gemma’s friend Jayne runs Miss Hudson’s Tea Room at 220 Baker Street.
At the end of a particularly busy time at the store, Gemma finds a rare magazine that doesn’t belong to the shop. In the crush of customers, someone slipped a priceless copy of Beeton’s Christmas Annual on the current novel’s bookshelf. The magazine features the first printing of “A Study in Scarlet” by A. Conan Doyle.
Gemma and Jayne set out to find the owner of the magazine, stumbling on her body instead. Gemma has Sherlockian observation and deduction skills and they are put to a test as she works to find the killer because the police arrest her for the murder.
Elementary, She Wrote, the first of The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries is a fun series that will appeal to cozy lovers. It’s told in first person by Gemma, a distant relative of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and includes lots of twists and turns to keep readers guessing.
Vicki Delany also writes the Constable Molly Smith series which takes place in Canada. That series is edgier and includes multiple points of view.

Shelves:
British divorcee Gemma Doyle is offered an investment she can’t refuse when her eccentric great-uncle invites her to the US to run his bookstore in the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod. The Sherlock Holmes Bookstore and Emporium is located at 222 Baker Street.

Vicki Delany's Elementary, She Read is quite possibly the coziest mystery I've ever read. Cozy mysteries aren't my go-to genre; however, Delany's tale has helped open up a whole new world of books for me. I'm highly anticipating the follow-up to this, the first in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series!

I mean, seriously, what's not to love about a protagonist who owns a cozy bookstore focused on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as books and items related to Sherlock Holmes in general? I had so much fun reading Delany's story that I completed in less than two days.

The characters are so lovable, yet flawed, and very well-developed. I adore the main character, Gemma Doyle, who lives in the sleepy Cape Cod tourist town of West London. Gemma is lovably snarky, absentminded, smart, witty, and superbly observant, making her the perfect amateur detective.

Gemma's best friend and owner of the tea shop adjoining the Sherlock Holmes Bookstore and Emporium, Jayne, is an excellent foil for Gemma. Put together, organized, and gorgeous, Jayne fits the role of Gemma's best friend perfectly.

I really like that Delany's book focuses on the mystery at hand and character development more than romance. While there are a few dates scattered throughout the story, as well as some teasers regarding Gemma's romantic past, I love that the mystery doesn't get bogged down by the minutiae of attraction between the sexes.

Furthermore, I enjoyed the easy, playful dialogue between the characters and the flow of Delany's writing style. The mystery at the center of the book is intriguing and I didn't come close to guessing which character is the culprit.

I have never delved into Sir Doyle's work or into the world of Sherlock Holmes, but after reading Elementary, She Read, I am incredibly looking forward to doing so.

"Elementary, She Read" is the first volume of a series about Gemma Doyle, a young woman who has a Sherlock Holmes specialty book store and is very similar to the famous detective. She is an attentive observer and sees much that escapes others (even the police), which leads to her being a bit arrogant when interacting with them. For her, the observations and the conclusions drawn from them are more than obvious and she does not understand how they can doubt that which leads to her alienating people. I have to admit that I found this a bit annoying. Gemma was not dislikeable to me, but occasionally she got on my nerves. Nevertheless, she is a very interesting character and her abilities are impressive, even though she occasionally overlooks something or is wrong (which I thought was good and realistic). The potential for further volumes is definitely there, especially if one considers her complicated relationship with law enforcement.

The case itself was quite compelling and well written. I guessed the killer early on, but it was still interesting to see how the puzzle was solved one step at a time. Notably was of course that the police suspected Gemma of being involved in the murders; as a reader, one knows that she's innocent, but it was quite understandable why the police came to that conclusion, and the protagonist's attempts to find the true culprit got extra weight because of that. Unfortunately, the way the detective reacted to Gemma was too extreme, because she seemed almost obsessed with this theory and thus not really professional. Hopefully, in the second volume, if the narrator is not again a suspect, that will be more balanced. Apart from that, I thought that all characters were well written and I especially liked Jayne, Gemma's best friend, and her ex-boyfriend Ryan. All the references to the books and films about "Sherlock Holmes" have also appealed to me and they gave the book a special note.

I'd rate this book 3.5 / 5 stars. I liked it a lot and the case was interesting, but Gemma was not one hundred percent sympathetic, which is why I took half a star off.

ELEMENTARY, SHE READ (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #1)
In this brand new series which is a cozy mystery Gemma Doyle and her Great Uncle Arthur own a bookstore that is also a gift shop specializing in Sherlock Holmes books and gifts. Emma's best friend Jane who runs the adjoining coffee shop and bakery called Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, owns half of the Tearoom business. One day a busload of bridge players takes a tour to visit their business. In the same time frame Gemma notices a woman come in with a white plastic shopping bag.

While Emma is fixing the books on the bookshelf she finds a valuable magazine hidden between the books. It is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first installment published. (no relation) Emma and Jayne go to the woman's hotel to try and return the magazine to the mysterious women and they find a dead body. They call the police and report it and soon Emma is the number one suspect. Emma is very observant and uses deduction to guess a lot of clues to various things.

The book is really a good mystery and the writing and characterizations are well done. I particularly liked the character of Jayne. Emma is pretty good as well. There are a lot more things that happens as this story progresses. You learn all that I have wrote in the first few chapters. Emma tries to clear her name but refuses to back off from investigating on her own. There is no graphic violence but plenty of action taking place in a Cape Cod town. This was a highly enjoyable read with the gentleness of a small town with people going about their business.
Five Stars. Highly recommended. It is not overly long, it can be

Title: Elementary She Read
Author: Vicki Delaney
Genre: cozy


I have to be honest when I initially saw this title, I was fairly certain it wouldn't be for me because I am not much of a fan of Sherlock Holmes, however I am pleased to say I was wrong. You do not need to be a fan of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy this book.
Elementary She Read is a charming cozy .. Vicki Delaney does such a brilliant job of setting the scene i I can picture myself browsing through The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop & Emporium and spending time with Gemma and Moriarty, and then popping into Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room for a spot of tea and a scone.
Without giving away spoilers or the plot , I throughly enjoyed the mystery and killer and the wrap up were well thought out and believeable (as far as cozys go).

I definitely recommend this one, even if you don't like Sherlock Holmes!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher

I always forget how much I enjoy a good cozy mystery! Almost as much as I enjoy finding a new to me author. This has all the earmarks of a classic mystery/who done it. Delany keeps it fresh, clever and engaging from start to finish. What book lover doesn't love a story set in a bookshop? My dream job. Enjoyable and will have you looking forward to the next in the series.

Elementary, She Read is the first book in a new series from the extremely prolific Canadian crime author, Vicki Delany. As I am a fan of her Constable Molly Smith series, I was delighted to have a chance to read this new effort. Gemma Doyle is the part-owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London, MA on Cape Cod. Oddly enough, Gemma is not a particular fan of the Sherlock canon. It's the other part-owner, her great-uncle, who is the true fan. But when Gemma's marriage fell apart and her great-uncle offered her the opportunity, she jumped at the chance to leave her native England and make a new start on Cape Cod. Five years in, she has made a success of the shop and expanded into the next door space with Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. Her best friend, Jayne, is the baker and owner of Mrs. Hudson's, along with Gemma.

When a large tour group arrives Gemma and Jayne are welcoming and expecting brisk business. In the tumult of shoppers, Gemma notices a woman who is clearly not with the group. She seems distraught and furtive, not behaving normally. Gemma is a person who notices everything going on around her but she loses sight of the woman. In the clean-up after the group leaves, Gemma finds a what appears to be a bound and cellophane wrapped magazine copy of A Study in Scarlet stuffed into one of the shelves. If this is an original copy, signed by Arthur Conan Doyle himself, it could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gemma thinks that the odd woman could have left it and sets out to find her. The problem is that when she finds her in a low-rent hotel, she is dead. Gemma is less than pleased to find that an old flame, Ryan Ashburton, is leading the investigation and that she is the chief suspect. Word gets out about the magazine and Gemma is quickly inundated with book collectors, greedy relatives and sensation seekers in general. Gemma and Jayne must spring into action to clear her of suspicion.

Gemma is a mixture of recklessness and an ability to reason in a very "Sherlockian" way. She can be an uncomfortable person to be around, I think, as she seems cold and dispassionate at times. But Jayne, her "Dr. Watson" and she are a formidable investigative team. I enjoyed Elementary, She Read and am looking forward to the next in the series. I hope that we actually get to meet Gemma's globe-trotting Uncle Arthur in the next book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 3.5 Stars

I enjoyed reading this fast paced cozy mystery. The characters had their quirks, but were likable. At times a bit far fetched, but a fictitious story that keeps the reader entertained. Just enough mention of Sherlock Holmes without being overkill.
Looking forward to reading what happens next~

Elementary, She Read
Vicki Delany

I loved the cover.

This was a very enjoyable story. Most of my reading is darker thrillers. This was fun, had wonderful characters, a tangled plot, and a real Sherlockian mystery.

Gemma Doyle is the delightfully refreshing propritor of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. She also has a extrodinary memory and a store cat that hisses at her. The setting is the town of East London on Cape Cod.
This is the first book in the series and I hope there are many more. Well crafted with lovable characters and lots of Sherlock Homes trivia. You will fall in love with these delightful characters as they try to solve a very tangled murder mystery . I loved it, made me laugh and feel good.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

"Elementary, She Read" by Vicki Delany is the first of a new series... A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. It is a classic "who done it". Gemma Doyle is part owner (with her Great Uncle Arthur) of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London on Cape Cod. Adjoining her bookshop is her best friend Jayne's tearoom. After a bus tour, Gemma finds a valuable copy of a Sherlock Holmes magazine hidden amongst her book offerings.

While trying to return the magazine to it's rightful owner, Gemma and Jayne stumble upon a body and Gemma becomes the primary suspect. Gemma is gifted with noticing things that other people do not, as did Sherlock Holmes. The book takes you on her journey to find the killer. Lots of interesting characters are introduced, including an ex-boyfriend, hunky antique books expert and other own residents.

This book was an enjoyable and quick read. It is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading some of her previous books and later books in this series.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I really didn't much care for it

First in the series.

This book just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I've enjoyed Ms. Delaney's other books and I loved the idea of a Sherlock bookstore, but I disliked the reality. Mostly, because I didn't really care for Gemma. There were a lot of little nit-picky things that all added up to make me dislike her. She was snooty and came off as condescending several times. I get that she's supposed be kind of a female version of Sherlock, but it's just too much. On and on she goes and then, "I only wanted to point out the obvious facts." Which of course I imagined being said in a really snarky voice. Plus she's one of those people that never orders their own food, just says, "I'll have some of yours." UGH.

Add in the extremely unpleasant police officer and I finally just ended up skimming through the story

The various iterations that have (and continue) be created around the Sherlock Holmes canon are amazing.
A high percentage are, in my opinion, quite well done.
This is a clever twist on the idea.
The main character has sharp powers of observation and rational thinking. she seems to notice things that a "invisible" to others.
The in and outs of the mystery are cleverly done.

Elementary She Read by Vicki Delany. Durring a busy bus tour visit, a magazine of possible untold value is found by our Heroine Gemma Doyle. Knowing full well that the item in question is not part of her inventory she and her friend Jayne attempt to return it to the "owner". Sneeking past the hotel desk, Gemma finds herself a murder suspect, having found the body. Read on as Gemma, pulls together all the detailed observations she has made to solve this labyrinth of a mystery. As a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I enjoyed the attention to detail and the Holmes like way of comunication. Definitely worth the read.

A charmingly quaint new entry into the cozy mystery genre where an Englishwoman, Gemma, transplanted to Cape Cod, to run her Great Uncle's Sherlock Holmes themed bookstore, uses her own whip smart deductive reasoning skills to solve crimes. The rest of the cast of characters are delightful individuals who interact with Gemma in one way or another to bring the story a dimension not often seen within this genre...believability.

The author has a winning combination in the mixture of snappy dialog and banter, just enough tension to keep things real and interesting, and a few expected quirky characters who provide comedic relief...let's not forget the animals who also bring with them their own brand of personality, the bookstore cat aptly named Moriarty (who likes anyone, but Gemma) and sweet Violet, Gemma's Cocker Spaniel (who loves everybody). All in all a winning combination of which I hope to see more of and read in the future.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Wonderful selection for mystery fans - especially Sherlock lovers! Truly an entertaining read that has me thinking, "Yeah! A new series!"