Who killed the nasty Sir Nigel? To complicate matters, several suspects all with good reasons to get rid of the actor have appeared, including Leslie, the mother of the protagonist's best friend.
An easy-to-read book, excellent to spend a pleasant afternoon, although in my case at least, it was obvious who was to blame... because the butler did it, or not?

Great book, love this author and how they can keep my attention to the end! The plot is well developed, characters are believable and they obviously paid attention to detail to make the story worth your time to read.

Great addition to the Sherlock Holmes Mystery series!

In this third book, it is up to Gemma to clear Jayne’s mother’s name in the murder investigation of Sir Nigel. The West London Theater Festival is putting on a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Sir Nigel Bellingham, cast as Sherlock, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff during a celebratory tea. Is it the odd cast of characters from the production or is it Jayne's mother, Leslie? And what is the secret she's keeping and is it worth murdering for?

This cozy took a little time before the murder but kept you entertained the entire time with all of the interesting characters and with Gemma's complicated love life. The only frustrating part for me is the continued animosity between Estrada and Gemma. Can't we move on?? The both need to show a little more respect to each other.

Excited to see what happens in book four.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

RATING: 4 STARS
2018; Crooked Lane Books

I love the cover of the third instalment and it was a great mystery! West London, Cape Cod are putting on a production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham comes to the small town to star in the stage play, but not everyone is excited. Sir Nigel wants the fame, but would rather be drinking than remembering his lines. During a fundraiser party put on by Jayne's mother, and supplied by Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, Nigel is found dead. Now it is up to Gemma to clear Jayne's mother and find a killer.

This is a great example of a cozy mystery and why I am so here for them now. Gemma is smart but awkward and real. The murder is not gritty, but the mystery is solid. I am enjoying the chemistry between Gemma and her ex, Ryan. I am really rooting for them! If you have not read this series, I would recommend you do.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

I definitely enjoyed this one! While the theme is a bit niche, and it wasn't quite as spectacular as the first book in this series, this is definitely a fun and unique cozy series. I recommend it!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The West London Theater Festival is staging a production of The Hound of the Baskervilles starring legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham. This is great for Gemma’s Sherlock Homes Bookshop. Everyone will be shopping for Sherlock memorabilia. They have also been asked to cater a fundraising tea for the theater. Sir Nigel himself stops by the shop and Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. Gemma can see the aging star is no longer up for the role especially when she observes his cane is also a flask for liquor.

The afternoon of the tea Gemma, Jayne and their crew arrive. Gemma is a little distracted by the home and its library but Jayne gets her back on track and the tea is quite a success. As the guests take their leave Sir Nigel is not to be found. A search is quickly organized and the lost man is found, dead at the bottom of a rocky cliff. Accident, suicide or murder? Jayne’s mother was seen arguing with Nigel so he becomes the prime suspect. Gemma decides to do her own investigation with Jayne and cast a wider net for suspects than the police. West London’s Sherlock and Watson will do all the can to put the real killer behind bars.

I love Gemma but this time I was not entirely happy with her methods. She finds a piece of evidence at the crime scene and removes it. She also tramples all over the area to see if she can help the man who was clearly dead. She has many talents, a keen intellect, and wicked strong observation skills. She is independent, strong-willed and can be very blunt. I know she took the evidence because she thought she was protecting Jayne’s mother, but it just felt beneath her stature to do something so wrong.

Jayne is a great counterbalance to Gemma and the perfect Watson to her Sherlock. She is friendlier and more easygoing than Gemma and is able to smooth over any ruffled feathers. That being said when it comes to her tea shop business she is super dedicated to getting everything just right. From the tea to the scones and finger sandwiches, she knows what she wants and how she wants it. She doesn’t let Gemma run roughshod all over her and I loved seeing this side of her.

The title to the story had me thinking Moriarty, the bookstore cat would play a larger role in the story, but I love that cat even though he clearly hates Gemma.

The story builds slowly as we get to know the new characters and how they fit together. The murder takes about midway into the story which I liked because we get to know the victim and everyone he is involved with to give us insight when looking at the suspects and their motives. The interplay between Gemma and detective Louise Estrada is interesting because the really don’t like each other. Gemma would much rather deal with detective Ryan Ashburton and it is easy to see why. This case had me completely in the dark and was surprised by the final reveal.

As a Sherlock Holmes fan, I get excited each time I pick up a book in this series. Ms. Delany knows how to tell a story. Her characters are unique and complex and are wrapped up in a mystery that kept me guessing.

Another entertaining tale from Vicki Delany! A fine addition to this series.

This is the third book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series, and I was happy to see that this book was as enjoyable as the first one. The book can be read as a standalone, but it is always good to read a series in order to get all the back story.

The West London Theater Festival is gearing up and and Sir Nigel Bellingham will be reprising his role to star in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Jayne is catering a fundraising tea at the beautiful estate of one of the Festival Founders. Gemma Doyle is helping her friend Jayne cater the party. When Jayne finds Sir Nigel dead at the bottom of the cliff, Jayne's mother, Leslie looks like the perfect suspect, after all, she was the last one to see him alive. Gemma decides she has to do some private investigation in order to come to the truth. Some think that Sir Nigel committed suicide after his horrible mishap of making a fool of himself during the tea when he was asked to recite some of Hounds. Gemma gets Leslie to open up about her previous relationship with Sir Nigel and tries to convince her to tell her family and the police. Her friend Grant, who owns a rare book shop is around to help her at times and there seems to be a bit of a romantic interest developing between them. Meanwhile Police Detective Ryan and his partner Louise are on the case, with heads butting as usual. As the story goes forward, there is an inkling, that perhaps Ryan is still interested in Gemma.

I really enjoy the characters in this story, especially Gemma and Jayne. They have a great relationship, almost like sisters instead of friends. It is interesting to see how Gemma sees things and using this unusual gift just like Sherlock Holmes. Alicia, the young lady who works in the Emporium for Gemma is hilarious. I love hearing about what she wears to work each day and how it reflects her feelings about all the antics in the book. The story was well written with the plot flowing well and keeping me guessing. It took me awhile to figure things out though I did figure it out just a little bit before Gemma! There was just so many good suspects to ferret out. This was a true Sherlock Holmes ending with Gemma coming up with that aha moment. I am not crazy about triangles, so I hope now that Gemma realizes that Ryan is still interested in her, she will not get together with Grant. The idea of the bookstore and adjoining tea room is a great concept that is a great setting for these stories. I am looking forward to the next on in this series.

This is the third book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series and just as enjoyable as the first two. I really like Gemma and her friends.

The West London Theatre Festival is coming and one of the plays they are doing is The Hounds of Baskerville and Gemma's friend Jayne is doing a little volunteering since her mother is also a volunteer. It's going to be good for business since Gemma runs a bookshop that is all about Sherlock. She is not wanting to volunteer though but she gets roped into helpy Jayne when she is asked to cater a fundraiser for the theatre. The Hounds of Baskerville have actually secured a famous actor, Sir Nigel Bellingham, whom has been in the play before and played Holmes and knows it really well. 

During the fundraising afternoon tea Sir Nigel is found dead and there are a fair amount of suspects including Leslie, Jayne's mother, who new Nigel a long time ago and was seen walking with him towards the wood. Some think that Sir Nigel committed suicide after his horrible mishap of making a fool of himself during the tea when he was asked to recite some of Hounds. Gemma is afraid that Leslie isn't being forthright with all the information and she does everything she can to try and figure out what she is hiding and who might have killed Sir Nigel. 

Sir Nigel seemed like a horrid man who wrecked his life and was left with a shell of the man he once was, it would have been easy to think he committed suicide but of course when it comes back he might have had help, Gemma has a few suspects. Nigels assistant, she has seen how he is  treated, several of the actor/ess have good reason, then Leslie who has a past with him. Of course she is told to stay out of things and Estrada would love to find a way of making Gemma a suspect and Ryan knows she knows something she is not telling and it's aggravating him. :)

The characters in this series are a lot of fun. Gemma and her unusual way of seeing things and is sort of like Holmes. Jayne who runs the tea shop and Gemma's best friend. Moriarty the cat!! Violet the dog!!! It's also fun to see how mad Estrada can get when Gemma interferes with the investigation as she really hates Gemma. And we can't forget Ryan, the ex, who is the lead detective and who still has feelings for her and she is not sure how she feels about him.  :)

The mystery was pretty good and it took me a lot longer to figure things out though I did figure it out just a little bit before Gemma did! There was just so many good suspects! 

If you love cozies I recommend this series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. Well developed and likeable characters. Enough of a twist of plot to keep it interesting. Will definitely get the other books in the series and read them

In this installment, Gemma finds the body of Sir Nigel Bellingham, a once-upon-a-time-popular actor, on a beach at the bottom of a cliff. He'd been brought over by the West London repertory group to star in their production of Sherlock Holmes's 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' but hadn't endeared himself to anyone. There are plenty of suspects, but Gemma doesn't get involved until her friend Jayne's mother becomes the prime suspect.

I liked the story and the idea of an all-things-Sherlock-Holmes bookstore, although I'm not sold on how feasible it would be. It's a unique idea and if marketed properly could be very successful, but Gemma seems reluctant to listen to suggestions from her one and only staff member, Ashley, about it.

I read this in a couple of days, so the storyline and plot grabbed me firmly enough to keep me interested and while I started out liking Gemma, by the end of the book I wasn't as keen on her. Her outspokenness verged on rude more than once, and she just started rubbing me the wrong way.

I've read one of the author's other books in her lighthouse library series and wasn't really a fan but liked this one enough that I'd like to start back at the beginning of the series.

I am enamored with the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. I love the concept of a bookstore that caters to lovers of Sherlock Holmes. I'm not a devoted fan but I do love me some Robert Downey Jr. and his portrayal of Holmes and Jude Law's Watson. A bookshop of the nature would be very interesting to visit.

The Cat of the Baskervilles a wonderful third book in a series that just keeps getting better with every book. The book is full of quirky characters, red herrings, and twists and turns. The reader is kept fully engaged and sitting on the edge of their seat as they meet the cast of the theater production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. The lead is none other than famous star, Sir Nigel Bellingham. Except, Sir Nigel isn't at all who one would expect to be playing such a prominent part in the production. He's an alcoholic and quite rude.

When an elaborate tea party is organized on his, and the rest of the cast's, behalf, Sir Nigel disappears and is later found dead in what appears to be anything but normal. Statements are made and suspects are gathered, including Leslie, who happens to be Gemma's business partner Jayne's mother. There is evidence to indicate she was in the vicinity but as Gemma explores the murder, it appears others have motive. There are a multiple threads within the mystery and many characters who could very well have taken Sir Nigel's life. The author does a great job weaving the mystery in a way that doesn't clue the reader into who committed the act.

The character development continues in The Cat of the Baskerville. Gemma is painfully observant to the point that she tends to alienate herself and the people around her. She does so without malice and that's what makes her character quirky and lovable. The supporting characters really round out this great cozy mystery. Gemma's best friend Jayne is her reluctant partner-in-crime but in the end she has Gemma's back. Ryan is one of the police officer's assigned to the cases in all three books in the series. He and Gemma have a history that sometimes gets in the way of the investigation. The chemistry between them is strong, undeniable, and believable. I enjoy their dynamics and love romances that don't take over the book but are there in the background. It makes the characters more realistic to me.

The plot was laid out well and the world building was as great in this book as it was in the first two. I was able to visualize everything that was described and I felt like I was there at the bookshop, tea room, and tea party. The author did a great job masking who committed the murder and bringing in other contenders who had motive. I really enjoyed The Cat of the Baskervilles and highly recommend the entire series to lovers of cozy mysteries.

I was given a copy of the book to read.

“The Cat of the Baskervilles” earns 5/5 Deerstalker Hats…Elementary Fun!

What a delightful twist for fans of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy! In “West London,” Massachusetts, Gemma “Doyle” owns the “Sherlock Holmes” Bookshop and Emporium at 222 “Baker Street” with her shop cat name “Moriarity,” and next door her BFF Jayne Wilson owns the “Mrs. Hudson’s” Tea Room. All delightfully fun references sparking my interest to read more! But, my newbie status was not a handicap, I was engaged from the start with enough references to background without spoilers and revisiting character connections. Delany gives us a quaint town excited about the West London Theater Festival set to perform a favorite Holmes mystery, “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” and an aging British actor Sir Nigel Bellingham is set to star. Not the best casting, Gemma thought, when his drunk state is an embarrassment at a fundraising event catered by Jayne. But is being drunk, flubbing lines, and being an all-around arse a motive for murder? Maybe. But, when Nigel is found dead at the bottom of the cliff and evidence implicates Jayne’s mother Leslie, Gemma and Jayne must take an active role in the investigation to find other suspects and motives.

The Sherlock Holmes’s hooks got me involved, but Delany’s well-written, steady-paced story kept me engaged. She wove an entertaining story with twists and turns that led to a “Wow” ending for which I literally dropped my jaw! Gemma and Jayne, like Holmes and Watson, compliment each other’s personality and investigative style. Gemma is straightforward, detail oriented, sometimes a know-it-all, while Jayne is more flexible, but these opposites work well. Unlike the literary Holmes and Watson characters, Gemma and Jayne find success as amateur detectives often by circumventing law enforcement providing for some entertaining conflicts and predicaments. Beyond the murder mystery and the investigation, Delany does well with her description, but doesn't rely on a narrative style; the dialogue adds humor and illustrates personality and emotion…very enjoyable! I highly recommend joining Gemma and Jayne.

Fun series. Great characters. New author (to me) Vicki Delaney has a hit!! Was given a free book through Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books. My review is freely and honestly given

The Cat of the Baskervilles is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany. While reading the series in order gives readers a better grasp of characters, and their dynamics in the small town, I think that newcomers to the series could enjoy this book almost as much as those that have read the first book in the series.

Legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham arrives on Cape Cod to star in a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles put on by the West London Theater Festival. When Sir Nigel, some of the cast, and the director visit the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop at 222 Baker Street, Gemma Doyle realizes that Sir Nigel is not at all suited to the role. He is long past his prime and an old drunk to boot. The cast, in particular the much younger actor who previously had the role, are not happy, but the show must go on. Before the play opens, Leslie Wilson, mother of Gemma’s best friend Jayne, arranges a fundraising afternoon tea to be catered by Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The tea is a huge success, but when it’s time to leave, Sir Nigel has gone missing—only to be found at the bottom of the rocky cliff, dead. Along with the dead body, Gemma finds evidence incriminating Leslie Wilson. When the police, in the presence of handsome detective Ryan Ashburton and suspicious detective Louise Estrada, focus their attention on Leslie despite the numerous other suspects, the game is once again afoot and it’s again up to the highly perceptive Gemma and Jayne to clear Jayne’s mother’s name.

The Cat of the Baskervilles is a thoroughly entertaining read. I did feel like there was a little more build up before the death of Nigel than I really expected, however the groundwork laid in those chapters was important for the rest of the book. It just made the start feel a little sluggish for me. I enjoyed Gemma's personality and character, as I always do, because she stays true to form and focused on the tasks at hand, or at least those most pressing in her mind. I also liked that friendships and relationships ran as an undercurrent, effecting the story but never overwhelming the plot or pacing once the book really got moving.The twists and story elements surrounding Jayne and her mother were a well evolved story line and I thought it was handled perfectly. I found the final reveal to be very well done, and am glad to say that I was unsure of the culprit until it was laid out for me. There were a ton of secrets and plot elements, but despite the sheer volume of details, it never felt overwhelming or like anything was a red herring or tossed in on a whim, which sometimes happens when this volume of details are at play.

The Cat of the Baskervilles is just as entertaining and full of twists and turns as the first book in the series. I enjoyed the read and will be following this series as it continues.

Since The Hound of the Baskervilles has always been one of my favorite Holmes stories I've been particularly excited for this third title in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery to be released. Excitement at Gemma's bookshop and best friend Jayne's tea room next door revolves around the West London Theater Festival, summer stock for the Cape Cod set. Sherlock Holmes fans are expected to descend upon the shops in droves thanks to the production of The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Sir Nigel Bellingham. But when Sir Nigel and his entourage make an appearance at the bookshop it becomes quite apparent that he's not the man he used to be, and he doesn't make a much better impression at the fundraising tea catered by Jayne. When the tea is over Nigel goes missing, and straight out of a scene from Holmes' classic tale, he's found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Worse yet, even though everyone in Nigel's inner circle had reason to want him dead, Jayne's mother Leslie becomes the main person of interest thanks to evidence found at the scene and her mysterious past with the dead actor.

As in previous installments, Gemma isn't the most likable protagonist. She's blunt and abrasive, yet she somehow manages to get people to spill their deepest, darkest secrets. Her familial ties to the legendary character are apparent in her keen mind and powers of observation, and she uses them to maximum effect in uncovering the real killer. My only complaint with the series is it needs more of Moriarty, the bookstore cat. His apparent dislike for Gemma while turning on the charm for everyone else is quite humorous, and I'd love to delve into his feline psyche to find out just why that is! Plus this book starts with Gemma cleaning up his muddy paw prints that have been tracked through the shop even though he's an indoor cat, yet we never find out what he's been getting into. Don't leave us hanging, Moriarty!

This cozy mystery series starring a Connecticut bookshop-owning, ex-pat British woman with Holmesian powers of observation and logic has been a favorite of mine since I read the first one a year or two ago. This book fell a little flat for me, however. I didn’t see the solution coming, in part because neither Gemma nor I really had all the clues. That’s always disappointing; half the fun of a mystery is trying to figure out whodunnit, and without all the facts, that’s pretty hard to do. I’m perfectly happy to have the author confound me, hide clues in plain sight, or trick me into swallowing a red herring, but I like to have a fighting chance at solving the mystery.

On the other hand, The Cat of the Baskervilles was an entertaining read. I do enjoy heroine Gemma Doyle, as well as some of the other recurring characters: her best friend and business partner Jayne, with her propensity for falling for the wrong guy; Grant the antique book dealer, who may be interested in Gemma; police detective Ryan (who is also Gemma’s ex-boyfriend); and even Moriarty the shop cat, who seems to love everyone but apparently loathes Gemma for reasons that escape both Gemma and me. (Oddly, given the title of this book, Moriarty doesn’t play much of a role; he’s just sort of there.) Jayne’s mother Leslie plays a bigger role in this mystery than in previous ones, and I enjoyed getting to know her better as well. I do get a little tired of the overt hostility shown by the other police regular, Louise Estrada. I know that an adversarial relationship with the police is common in cozy mysteries, but Estrada’s hostility is deep-seated and belligerent.

The new characters, most of them actors or otherwise related to the theater, are interesting as well, and provide a certain amount of scope for suspicion. I kept wondering if Sir Nigel, the victim, might be based on Sir Alec Guinness; they do share the experience of stardom resulting from a movie they are rumored not to like (though Guinness changed his mind after he saw Star Wars: A New Hope.) Unlike Sir Nigel, however, Sir Alec was never a lush, and his star stayed ascendant throughout his later years. The other characters… well, my small experience with professional actors leads me to conclude that some are certainly as, um, self-centered as a few of these characters. Others, of course, are perfectly normal, charming people.

In addition to my disappointment over not having enough clues, the pacing of the book seemed a bit off this time around as well, and it didn’t draw me in quite as well as the previous two books. And Gemma, while still observant, didn’t seem to pull off as many amazing deductions as usual. I don’t want to imply that I didn’t like The Cat of the Baskervilles, because I did, but I don’t feel it was as strong as the first two. If you want to read the series, you should really start with the first one.

4.5 rounded up.

I've been excitedly awaiting this one since I found out it was coming out last September! It didn't disappoint! I liked this one the most so far in the series. This whole series has been terrific, but this is my favorite so far!

The characters in this series are great. I really enjoy reading about them and their relationships with one another. Gemma occasionally gets on my nerves, but she's somewhat designed to do that. Jayne is my favorite along with Ryan. :) I just love the two of them. The characters are all very well-developed and complex characters. Characters are what keeps me reading a series and these are definitely some of my favorites!

This plot line was a little more complex than it seemed on the surface. I definitely don't always agree with the way Gemma investigates, but what I see as somewhat reckless, she sees as the logical option in the moment. I really had no idea about the villain until it was revealed. I was looking at the right group of people, but I wasn't sure who out of that group was actually the guilty one.

If your a fan of Sherlock Holmes or just a good mystery in general, this series is excellent! Vicky Delany's writing is smooth and easy to read. It's entertaining and each installment in this series is a joy!

The West London Theater Festival is excited to have the legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham reprising his role of Holmes in their stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. But when Sir Nigel, some other cast members, and the director visit the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop, Gemma Doyle realizes that Sir Nigel is well past his prime and a nasty old drunk. Before the play opens, a fundraising afternoon tea is arranged and catered by Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The tea is a huge success but Sir Nigel is missing until he is found dead at the bottom of the rocky cliff. Along with the dead body, Gemma finds evidence incriminating her friend's mother, Leslie Wilson. Detective Louise Estrada seems focused on Leslie as a prime suspect so Gemma and her friend Jayne Wilson work to clear Leslie.

This is another enjoyable book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

The Cat of the Baskervilles by Vicki Delany was the first that I have read in this series. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to readers of cozy mysteries....I will continue to watch for forthcoming books in this series to see how the story line develops.