A delightful cozy mystery! I enjoyed it very much. If you enjoy mysteries or stories with an amateur sleuth, and do not need the graphic reality with descriptions of gore and violence, this is a good choice. You can follow the clues to solve the mystery without any threat of nightmares.

A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany is the sixth novel in the A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, starring Gemma Doyle, her friend Jayne Wilson and her police detective boyfriend Ryan Ashburton.
Although Gemma always claims "I am not a Consulting Detective," she ultimately always finds herself involved in the crime of the moment; This time at the request of young Lauren Tierney, who asks him to help prove that her mother is innocent of the murder of her former friend and gardening partner and rival Anna Wentworth.
As always, Vicki Delany offers us an entertaining story, loosely based on the adventures of the Great Detective.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

Vicki Delany is one of my favorite cozy authors. Do yourself a favor and pick up the first in this series and (and all the others) and dive into the world of Gemma and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium to find Snowball the cat..and a murderer.

I have read all of the books in this series. I enjoy the location of Cape Cod, MA. Even though I have never read any of the Sherlock Holmes novels and have only seen the very old black & white movies, I enjoy the references to current and past books and films. I have a list of items mentioned and hope to read and watch everything on it at some point. Anyway, I enjoyed this book much more than the previous one. In this one, Gemma seemed to use a little more common sense when “poking” around.
There were a few red herrings, but the ending was satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my copy of A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany in exchange for an honest review. It published January 12, 2021.
Although this was my first book in this series, I felt like the author did a very good job catching me up to speed and introducing the characters. The writing about them, and the location were so well-done, I felt like I knew everyone fairly well.
I thought the mystery was very interesting, and I loved the quirkiness of the Sherlock Holmes themed store, and all that went along with it. Plus, I learned a little bit about botany!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Is Gemma Doyle a Consulting Detective? A lot of people sure think so. Including 10-year-old Lauren Tierney who wants Gemma to find her missing cat which she did with a big assist from her dog Violet. So when her mother needs help Lauren comes back to Gemma. Her mother, Sheila, is part of the Garden Club and was predicted to take home the trophy but someone had ripped her garden to shreds a few hours before the competition was to begin. She knows Anna Wentworth, her former friend and gardening partner is the one that vandalized her garden. She tracks the woman down and voices loudly her outrage, the two had to be separated before punches were thrown and hair was pulled. Later Anna Wentworth is found dead and Sheila is the prime suspect. So Lauren begs Gemma to save her mom. Ryan Ashburton, Gemma’s detective boyfriend isn’t happy when Gemma and her best friend Jayne start investigating and find there is something very curious about the whole incident.

Vicki Delany creates such strong characters. They are well-developed and continue to grow. Gemma’s relationship with Lauren was a great addition. We learned more about Gemma and are introduced to Lauren who really needs a person like Gemma in her life. I think Lauren has helped soften Gemma’s staunch behavior. Her relationship with Ryan was different this time, he had a few iffy moments that were troubling. I had liked them as a couple but now I am on the fence. I do enjoy Gemma’s neighbor Mrs. Ramsbatten, she has lived a very interesting life. The other new characters in this story developed nicely over the course of this story too.

The mystery was very well-plotted and written. Gemma really has a knack for piecing the clues together or twisting them as the case may be. Very like Sherlock Holmes. She asks the right questions and notices things other people miss. I am always delighted to tag along as she investigates. This time I was kept guessing right up to the end.

I appreciate Ms. Delany’s descriptive writing style. She sets a scene with an expert hand. It is so easy to visualize Gemma’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and Jayne’s Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. She also really brings life to her characters. They feel so genuine.

A Curious Incident is a wonderful addition to this series. I was entertained from the first page to the last.

Now, I am curious to see what these fantastic characters will get involved in next. A Three Book Problem is screaming at me from my TBR stacks. I promise to get to it soon.

A Curious Incident is the 6th Book in the series A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery where Gemma Doyle helps a 10-year-old Lauren Tierney find her cat snowball. Well, really Violet, Gemma's dog found her! Gemma part owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. But that's not the only the mystery that Gemma get involved in. Shelia, Lauren's mother is accused of murdering Anna, Shelia garden club and Lauren is back to see Gemma with ten dollars in hand, wanting to hire, Gemma. Gemma and Jayne are again getting involved despite the disapproval of Gemma's boyfriend, Ryan her police detective boyfriend.

Vicki Delany wrote a wonderful story and I really enjoyed this book! Can't wait for the next one. Thank you to NetGallery for giving me an advanced copy to read!

In A Curious Incident, the sixth instalment in Vicki Delany’s excellent A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, bookshop owner and reluctant(ish) sleuth Gemma Doyle is once again called upon to solve a murder in the otherwise quiet town of West London, Massachusetts. What starts with a request by ten-year-old Lauren Tierney that Gemma find a missing cat, leads to a commission to clear Lauren’s mother of murder when she becomes the prime suspect in the death of a fellow member of the West London Garden Club. Sheila Tierney had been the odds-on favourite to win the Garden Club trophy before her garden was vandalised and she blamed Anna Wentworth, the dead woman, for the damage. The two had argued, but Sheila insists that she is not the murderer. To her secret delight, the game is once again afoot and Gemma must team up with best friend Jayne Wilson to unravel yet another curious incident.
Vicki Delany has come up with another intriguing mystery for Gemma Doyle to solve in A Curious Incident. While all the evidence initially seems to point to Sheila Tierney, there are actually plenty of twists and turns, to say nothing of danger and suspense, in store as Gemma attempts to discover who aside from Sheila had reason to wish Anna Wentworth dead. Gemma is an excellent and engaging detective, and her regular supporting cast as all on top form too.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This was a good mystery from a great series. I recommend for cozy mystery readers.

The author gives us a wonderfully written mystery that has tons of clues, a handful of suspects, red herrings, twists and turns that will have you trying to solve the mystery until the suspense filled conclusion. The characters are well written and well developed and they continue to grow and develop with each new book in the series. The author does a nice job of using her descriptive skills to bring the town and the characters to life.

I really enjoy all of the references to Sherlock Holmes be it - the character, the books, and even the actors who have portrayed him Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Robert Downey Jr. I liked the addition of the new character Lauren Tierney, she brings out the softer maternal side of Gemma which we really haven't gotten to see until now. I really enjoyed that Gemma never realized that Lauren had started acting and talking like her and that Jayne had to point it out to her. The one thing that I really didn't like was how Ryan was treating Gemma, he often rushed around her while investigating, he treated her poorly, and he didn't return Gemma's I Love You which is sometimes hard for her to even say. I look forward to reading the next book A Three Book Problem to see what kind of mystery Gemma gets involved in and to see if her and Ryan's relationship is back to how it was in the previous books.

I received an ARC of this book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley for my honest review.

This series ranks in my top 10 favorites and this newest book didn't disappoint. I'd be hard pressed to find anything about the book I didn't enjoy. I don't think you can go wrong with this well developed cast of characters and the well written storyline. Who doesn't love a Sherlock themed bookstore and tea shop?!

Gemma Doyle may be the last person in West London to discover she is, indeed, a consulting detective. When she accidentally finds Lauren Tierney's missing cat, Lauren immediately tries to engage her services when her mother's nemesis from the Garden Club, Anna Wentworth, is found dead. Lauren's family may not seem like they are worth saving on the surface, but if Shelia didn't do it, Gemma will be the one to figure it out. I really enjoy the main setting of the bookstore and adjoining Mrs. Hudson's tearoom.

A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany. Although this is book six in the series, it is the first one for me. Since I have read numerous other books by this author, under this name as well as under the name Eva Gates, I feel comfortable with her style. And since I am crazy about cozies, especially with pets and I’m a big sucker for Sherlock spin-offs, this was right up my alley. I have to confess that the police officer boyfriend is not my favorite character but otherwise it was very enjoyable. Maybe now I will read back down the series from five to one, unless I go forward first. Decisions, decisions.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

This is the sixth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, but only my second. I look forward to catching up.

Gemma Doyle is manager and part owner of The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. She often finds herself assisting the police with a local murder.

Gemma is approached by 10-year-old Lauren Tierney to find her kitten. Even though Gemma explains that she's unable to help, she happens to find (and return) the kitten. When Lauren's mother is accused of murder she naturally turns to Gemma to find the killer.

While “A Curious Incident” is part of a series (#6 in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series), I had no trouble figuring out who was who and was able to get interested quickly in the story. I did think that the idea of a bookstore specializing only in Sherlock Holmes (books about him, books about the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, mugs, puzzles, etc.) seemed a bit odd and not a good business plan. But since the location is in a tourist town on Cape Cod, perhaps the tourist trade would be enough to keep it in business.

This story revolved around a local garden club, and jealousy between members. One of the members has her garden trashed the night before a competitive garden tour and another member is found dead. Gemma, the bookshop owner, has a reputation for being very observant, like her hero Sherlock Holmes, and gets involved in trying to figure out what happened, of course, since this is a cozy mystery series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Gemma and Jayne are at it again in this 6th installment in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series and the adventure is as fun as the first 5. A Curious Incident does not disappoint!

Gemma Doyle is back investigating, even though she insists she is not a consulting detective! Gemma is engaged by young Lauren Tierney to find her lost kitten Snowball, which Gemma tells Lauren she may not be able to do. Unknowingly, Gemma's dog has found Snowball trapped in a neighbor's shed and Gemma appears to have saved the day. Because of this success, Lauren solicits Gemma's help again in proving her mother is innocent of a murder for which she is the prime suspect. Even though Gemma insists she's not a detective, she and Jayne become involved in solving the crime for Lauren's sake. Of course Gemma's boyfriend police detective Ryan Ashburton is not pleased that Gemma is involved. Just as the police have hit a dead end, Gemma puts the pieces of the puzzle together and solves the crime, assisting the police in bringing the murderer to justice.

A Curious Incident contains everything you would want in a cozy mystery and more - well-developed characters, unique and puzzling crime, well-described setting and engrossing story. The combination bookshop / tea room setting with a Sherlock Holmes theme is unique in itself, making Gemma and Jayne somewhat of a Holmes/Watson duo. Holmes' nemesis Moriarty is even present in the form of a cat that lives at the bookshop and definitely does not like Gemma! Ms. Delany's writing reminds you of a modern-day Conan Doyle as Gemma's thought processes and behavior are very much like those of Sherlock Holmes. This is a book you cannot put down until you know who committed the murder!

I highly recommend this book and await Gemma and Jayne's next adventures.

After reading other books in this series, I knew I would probably enjoy "A Curious Incident," and I definitely did. I think the Sherlock-themed bookshop in Massachusetts is a brilliant idea for a cozy series, and it's fun to see the sorts of individuals who end up at the shop. This tale launches with a request from a young patron, and I absolutely adored the character of Lauren, who is in search of her missing cat.

Since a rivalry in the local garden club is the focus of this book, the garden info is fun to read, and Delany does her usual great job of planting red herrings and keeping readers hopping. This is one of the most fun series I read, and I look forward to future installments.

Genre

Booksellers/Bookselling; Cozy Mystery

-Opening Lines

“I am not a consulting detective.”

“Can’t you at least say you’ll try and help her?”

“That would be unfair to her, Jayne. I can’t give the girl false hope.”

“I suppose you’re right. Poor thing, I wish there was something we could do.”

I glanced across the room. The little girl perched on the stool behind the sales counter watching us, all wide eyes, knees, and elbows, long sun-kissed golden hair and hope.

-Your one sentence description

Gemma Doyle became Lauren Tierney’s hero when she and her dog Violet stumble on her missing cat Snowball, but try as she might, Gemma can’t convince Lauren that proving her mother innocent of murder is best left to the police.

-How it made you feel

Like visiting with old friends.

-Favorite part

In addition to the bookshop and tearoom which I love, I liked how for most of the book, Gemma is reluctant to insert herself in the investigation. It doesn’t do much good, as the murderer has it in for her in the end. My second favorite part was Gemma’s connection to young Lauren. This is a side of Gemma that we haven’t seen before. More of Lauren please! (There is a 3rd favorite part but I can’t tell you because SPOILER).

-One-word description

Unexpected (I like how Delany turns the tables a bit and gives us a Gemma that doesn’t want to solve a murder and feels a connection to Lauren).

-Would you recommend?

I have to stop saying I don’t have favorites. Because this series is a favorite, and this is an excellent addition to that series. Fans of cozy mysteries, mysteries with food and bookstore connections, will love this. I agree with a review of an earlier book, while there is no Sherlock character, fans of Sherlock/Sherlock pastiche will enjoy.

A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany is the sixth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Gemma gets asked by 10-year-old Lauren to find Snowball, Lauren's missing cat. Even though Gemma refuses the job, she finds and returns Snowball. When Lauren's mom is suspected of murdering a garden rival, Lauren goes to Gemma for help again. Gemma, who cannot resist a mystery, is on the case. Gemma as a main character is not for everyone. She is meant to be a modern, female Holmes. She is blunt and a bit cold, but it works for the series. I enjoyed the twist at the end. Overall a great addition to the series.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get into this book. Hopefully someone else will enjoy this book. I may try to read it again