She owned a bookstore. Since I am a huge reader of all things book it seems an obvious choice to read this book. I like the idea of all thinks Sherlock Holmes as the bookstore theme. And how cool to have a door to the tea room. There was no way to predict the ending. And Ryan did not give up on romance. I enjoyed the book and the steps taken to figure out who did it. A good read!

A Scandal in Scarlet is my first Vicki Delany book and what a doozy. Loving Sherlock Holmes, I really enjoyed a book about a bookstore based on everything Sherlock Holmes. Just bringing up Benedict Cumberbatch gave me a hankering to watch BBC's Sherlock. Gemma lives and breathes Sherlock down to the amateur sleuthing and deducting she does. When the local museum burns, the town throws together a fundraiser to get the museum back on its feet. The fundraiser's organizer is murdered and the list of suspects seems to be endless. Gemma's hands are full as her deductions twist and turn the case into a complicated debacle. A second murder follows on the heels of the first and Gemma's sleuthing seems to put her life in danger. A smoothly moving and fast paced mystery, the story drew me and kept my attention with its colorful characters and unique sherlockian hook. This book is a good read with the light-heartedness I love in my cozy mysteries that always keeps me coming back for more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

A Scandal in Scarlet is the 4th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop cozy series by Vicki Delany. Due out 14th Nov, 2018 and published by Crooked Lane books, it's 213 pages and available in hardback, ebook and audio formats.


One of the things that a lot of pastiche bookshop/library cozies have in common is title dropping. This series is no exception but it's fine with me since I've honestly found a number of authors with whose work I was previously unfamiliar because they're mentioned in these books. It does add verisimilitude for fictional librarians or bookshop owners to be able to recommend titles to their patrons. I just jot down notes whilst reading and go back at the end and sample the mentioned books. I've found a lot of new favorites that way. That's a little bonus.

The pacing is good and the story arc is entertaining and readable. The dialogue is well written.

This book can easily be read as a standalone. It's an undemanding read and full of 'cozy'. Suitable for all audiences, the language wouldn't make anyone blush.

Four stars.

amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, cosy-mystery, pets, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, suspense, murder

Gemma owns and operates the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium at 222 Baker Street in West London Massachusetts next door to Mrs Hudson's Tearoom, has a bookshop cat and a household dog. She also has an interesting relationship with her former boyfriend, a town detective whose superior officer wholly disapproves of their association. Gemma also has the mindset of a detective but is not hampered by the constraints imposed upon police.
First the local historical society building goes up in flames at night, then during a charity auction held to pay for restoration comes the first murder! Lots of sleuthing ensues and Gemma continues to get in trouble. See publisher's blurb for further clues, but do read this book!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thanks!

This is the 4th title in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Bookshop proprietor Gemma Doyle seems a little softer in this outing, although she is still very nosy. Perhaps the reconciliation with her policeman beau has affected her more than she would like to admit. The mystery here involves members of the local museum and boating clubs, as well as the charming tea room next door to the bookshop. I enjoy visiting the seaside town of West London, MA, and the cool Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The mystery kept me guessing to the very end, which is a good sign. When Gemma helps her customers find new books to read, I am always able to add a few new titles to my own TBR pile. Very entertaining!

Vicki Delany is my spirit animal. I want to be her when I grow up. She writes about so many things in her various series that I'm interested in - libraries, lighthouses, bakeries, Christmas, books, Sherlock Holmes - that I'm always excited to see what she comes up with next.

One of the things I appreciate about this series is Delany didn't try to make Gemma too "Holmes-ish." Yes, she's observant; yes, she's matter-of-fact; no, she's not obnoxious. I find a lot of authors who write Holmesian books make the mistake of trying to recreate the master detective and overdo it. I find Gemma to be a nice balance; she's got Holmes-esqe qualities without being a caricature.

I particularly liked the inclusion of the local museum in this volume. The museum enthusiasts were a fun group of characters, and added a lot of color to the story. As always, Jayne is a breath of fresh air, and provides a fun perspective on Gemma's wild schemes. In this story, we see West London's museum, yacht clubs, and more of the town, which is wonderful.

I love this series, and this was a fun addition.

Absolutely one of the best cozy mysteries I’ve read this year. This book has terrific characters and dialogue; a plot with many suspects and intriguing clues; good pacing for a book of this length; and a great setting revolving around a small town bookshop. There’s no foul language or embarrassing scenes, which adds to the charm of this book—-it doesn’t need it to keep your interest. That’s what good, solid writing can do for a book. I’m looking forward to reading more books by Vicki Delaney.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is the 4th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, and it's another strong entry. I've read the previous books and the characters continue to grow and progress.

In this book, Gemma finds a body during an auction. The victim was the chairman of the board of the West London Museum but wasn't particularly well-liked in the community. There are a wealth of suspects, and no matter how hard Gemma tries not to get involved, her natural detective instincts lead her to investigate with her friend Jayne.

As in the previous books, the plot is solid and the characters are charming. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

July 17th, for “The Cat of the Baskervilles” I wrote, “I love this series, but really did it have to end the way it did? Can I have the next book now?” and the book gods delivered with an advanced galley of “Scandal in Scarlet”. It’s a series set in a small Cape Cod town of West London where Gemma Doyle and Jayne Watson are co-owners in the Sherlock Holmes Emporium and Mrs. Hudson tea room. Gemma Doyle is smart and notices things that others don’t, much like her shops namesake.

The fourth book in the series focuses on a woman who is murdered in Mrs. Hudson’s tea room. Gemma is recruited by her awful neighbor and shop owner of Beach Fine Arts at 221 Baker Street to investigate and clear her name. Like the previous three books this is a light entertaining read, and if she writes more I’ll gladly read them.

One of the best things about this series is that it has opened a whole new reading list for me. Gemma Doyle, being the owner of a bookstore, regularly recommends books to her customers. These books are real and on more than one occasion I have bought said books to read.

I'm gonna try my luck - can I have the next book now please?

This is the first of Vicky Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries I have read and I would be happy to read more. I liked main character Jemma Doyle, bookshop owner and amateur detective, along with her sidekick friend Jayne. I liked Jemma's laid back attitude about getting involved in pretty much nothing, besides her shop, until it comes to solving a crime. Then nothing or no one can hold her back. She has a good sense of humor and had me chuckling out loud throughout the book, part of what takes the edge off the seriousness of the murders. A good character that makes all of the plot worthwhile.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Press for providing me with an advance reading copy of this book. The views expressed below are my own.
A fire in a small Cape Cod museum starts a chain of events which has British amateur detective Gemma Doyle investigating a couple of suspicious deaths amongst the population of West London. Gemma is a co-owner of a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookstore and the neighbouring tea shop. Gemma gets involved when one of the deaths occurs in the tea shop during a fund-raising auction for the museum.
Her best friend and business partner Jayne Wilson acts as Doctor Watson to her Sherlock Holmes as she goes about "asking questions" about the deaths. Gemma is a resourceful and intelligent investigator, continuing to learn the detective trade. She can be "in-your-face" with some of the people she interviews: she's no shrinking violet, but not as offensive as that other Brit detective, Agatha Raisin. In this story, Gemma also takes a leaf out of Sherlock Holmes' methodology by disguising herself as an older socialite in order to get into an exclusive yacht club. She does it so well that she manages to fool Jayne! This book can be read as a standalone even though it's the fourth in a series.
The Sherlock Holmes theme is prominent in the story, but I sense it is getting tired and a bit worn. The connections with Holmes are getting more remote. However, the theme remains a good hook for the series. It also provides an opportunity for the author to recommend other mystery novels for further reading.
It's an entertaining whodunit that is easy to read, there's plenty of potential suspects and several interesting characters (for example, the town grump, Maureen Macgregor, who cheeses off everyone she meets). West London would be a pleasant place to visit, despite Ms. Macgregor and all the murders that happen there.
Recommended.

This was my first experience with the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. I was very pleased. It was a great cozy mystery with a good amount of characters and suspense. I will definitely be reading more in the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read it before release.

Good mystery, good setting. Good entry in the series.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma Doyle is the proprietor of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop, and always seems to get to play detective in these novels. When I read a previous novel in this series, I really disliked Gemma. I thought she was too pushy and mean. She seems to have softened a bit in this novel and is much more likeable. She and her friend Jayne are hosting an auction to raise funds for a historical society when the coordinator of the event is murdered in Jayne's tearoom. Gemma and Jayne set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, a police detective. Pretty standard cozy mystery, but it's an enjoyable read. I also love the addition of the cat and dog in the story!

Two residents of West London are murdered within a week - one of them at Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room!!! - and despite her boyfriend Detective Ryan Ashburton's wishes, Gemma Doyle puts on her deerstalker (figuratively, of course!) and sets out to solve the crimes. With her trusty bestie Jayne by her side, Gemma infiltrates rival yacht clubs and a historic home to get to the bottom of the case. In Vicki Delany's fourth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery her characters and their relationships continue to develop along with the series, and A Scandal in Scarlet is one of those rare books that I couldn't put down once I started. Delightful and fast paced, it's a perfect cozy mystery! Loved it! p.s. I did NOT guess the murderer, always a plus in my book!

I've read other books from this author she is very enjoyable
Another great story is a perfectly executed series! I love how the author never varies from what made the first book in the series so easy to love. The main character, I love her so much. Trying so hard to help, curiosity getting the best of her, while trying not to offend and give to much away with how her mind works. The mystery was well thought out and was very easy to follow without giving away too much too early.

Another great entry in the A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. We are treated to an eventful tea and silent auction at Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room when the auctioneer is found murdered in the storage room. Accusations fly while angry and shocked auction goers are held for questioning. Gemma and Jayne get into the usual scrapes while on the hunt for a killer and trying their best to keep the police from finding out about their investigation. Detective Ryan Ashburton returns with a side of romance to add to the mystery. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is Vicki Delany's fourth book in A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. A Scandal in Scarlet has Gemma Doyle solving the mysterious death of the recently appointed museum board chair Kathy Lamb. Some liked her, many didn't. In order to catch the rightful killer Gemma along with her best friend Jayne will follow the clues to conclude this mystery.

If you have not read any of Delany's other novels in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, I suggest you do (this is my first novel from Delany). By A Scandal in Scarlet the main characters are already established and/or introduced. Though a brief introduction is given, in order to understand their connections (for instance Gemma and the police) you might want to be familiar with the characters.

Gemma is definitely an acquired taste. I found some of her actions or words a little off putting at times then other times they were funny and entertaining. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will find the little connections to the original stories cute and entertaining (never thought of naming a cat Moriarty but now I need to go adopt one just so I can). There are many nods, not just in the names of characters or the subject matter of the bookstore, peppered throughout the novel.

For a weekend cozy mystery this novel hit all the spots. An enjoyable read with a little sleuthing.

This was a beautifully crafted cozy mystery which kept me engaged until the last page. I love the characters and look forward to the next installment. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to author/publisher for giving me a copy of the book to read and review.

This is my first book of this author and i thoroughly enjoyed it. The book store setting in itself is awesome to top it off its a sherlock speciality bookstore. There is no way it could go wrong with mystery lovers.

Liked the way how all the characters blended in and could all have been killers. Emphasizes that sometimes the simple solution staring at us is the correct one. Looking forward to reading other books in this series.