Member Reviews

Vicki d.s stories are great and her characters makes to story interesting and readers wanting more. The locations and backdrop help bring the story to life.. finding the cat through becomes challenging but Gemma helps to find snowball. Gemma can’t resist through when it comes to helping to girl get her mom out of trouble.

Was this review helpful?

Always a nice cozy with this author. Not intense but nice. Lauren’s involvements brings the sweetness factor and you always have to appreciate Moriarty.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Was this review helpful?

Hooray! Another visit with Gemma Doyle and the Sherlock bookshop she manages. I say hooray because I have been picking up a lot of cozies and putting them down after a few chapters. So many of them right now seem to feature ridiculously over-the-top side characters and overblown writing. What a relief to read a well-written and thoroughly enjoyable cozy.

In this outing, Gemma finds a cat, finds a murderer, and even finds out new things about herself and her relationships with Jayne, Ryan, and children. It's tightly plotted, funny in parts, and a delight to read. Can't wait for the next one!

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

As a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, I adore these books!! This is another great addition to the series! I devour each one and anxiously await the next. I love the characters, the setting and the mystery is always top notch. Definitely read this book!! Go...now!!

Was this review helpful?

Who could resist a little girl asking for help to find her kitten? While Gemma tries, but Violet has other ideas. Finding and returning the kitten sets things in motion for solving the real mystery. Interesting characters and plot keeping the reader engaged, very enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

I received an e-ARC of this book on NetGalley for an honest review.

I normally enjoy cozy mysteries, and this one was no exception. Gemma is part owner of a Sherlock Holmes themed bookstore and tea shop in a small town in Massachusetts (sounds like a place I'd visit!) who finds herself involved in solving crimes, whether she likes it or not. In this fifth book of the series, this time it's the murder of a local gardening celebrity.

I haven't read the previous books (yet!), but everything is so well written, I can imagine the characters and setting with ease. I was sucked into the story and trying to solve it, and for one of the few times I didn't solve it before the sleuth. I definitely recommend this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

A decent cozy mystery with all the cozy necessities. The dog the cat the best friend the good looking cop etc etc. The mystery was easy o figure out. I enjoyed but I can not give it my highest recommendation.

Was this review helpful?

I've read another book in this series, so I was looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint. What is there not to enjoy with a Sherlock Holmes-themed cosy mystery? The plot was engaging and I didn't guess who the culprit was until the end, even if it was pretty obvious in a sense. I also liked several of the characters.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

This series just keeps getting better and better. Gemma and Jayne have the kind of friendship you can only envy, and always have each other's backs when tracking down mysteries, although it looks like Jayne may have some distraction in her future. Gemma also falls back on Donald a lot in this one, and interesting and unique character who I loved reading about.

The mystery itself was really good, and the eventual culprit was so obvious that I didn't see them at first. I had my suspicions on other characters for most of the novel, and this was exactly as the author intended. The very last reveal and tying up of the mystery was my favorite though!

These are a fantastic cozy series with some great characters, unique settings and situations. If you're in the mood for a cozy, pick up one of these! Five stars.

Was this review helpful?

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked LaneBooks, in return for an honest review. While this is the 6th book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. This is a fun riff on the Sherlock Holmes genre. Gemma Doyle, transplanted Englishwoman, co-owns the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. Her reputation for clear and thoughtful problem-solving has grown in her new hometown of West London, Massachusetts. Add in her bookstore’s focus on all things Sherlock Holmes and it's no wonder young Lauren wants to hire her to find Lauren’s missing cat. The book opens with Gemma telling Lauren that she’s not a consulting detective (great opening line!). Succumbing to Lauren’s woebegone state, Gemma promises to do what she can. Using deductive reasoning and a bit of luck, Gemma finds Snowball and returns her, cementing her status in Lauren’s eyes. When Lauren’s mum is accused of murdering a fellow master gardener after a public debacle, Lauren returns to Gemma and asks for help with the much harder task of clearing her mum, Sheila. Gemma and her best friend, Jayne, end up in the thick of things to deduce whodunit, much to the chagrin of her detective boyfriend, Ryan.
Ms. Delany writes several series and her deft ability to tell a solid cozy story and keep it both entertaining and interesting is evident again. While I didn’t find Ryan a convincing significant other, Gemma and Jayne make a great team. Adding the interesting neighbors, handsome gardener, suspicious husbands and all the members of the garden society, you’ve got lots to choose from when deciding who committed the murder. Ms. Delany writes each character very clearly which is a wonderful trait when keeping track of so many possibilities. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Was this review helpful?

I really like this series, and the previous book (the fifth) was the best yet. Unfortunately, A Curious Incident doesn't quite live up to that, though I still enjoyed it. Gemma is a likeable character and does a good job of actually investigating rather than just stumbling into clues like so many amateur sleuth MCs tend to do. The garden club was a good setting for a petty rivalry and murder, but I'm afraid the actual killer was pretty obvious to me from the beginning. Kind of a letdown to be proven correct at the end. Still, I liked it okay.

Was this review helpful?

Gemma is keeping busy in the emporium when she is asked to "take on" a private case since she has had such good luck in the past helping solve cases. As much as she doesn't want to get involved, it seems she is destined to be dragged into this one too! The characters have really blossomed in this series and you find yourself not only wanting to like them, but actually connecting with them. Connecting with characters makes the plot that much better for the reader and I'm happy to say that this series has gotten there! This is my favorite book of the series so far as you start to see Gemma as a human rather than a mechanical machine. Even the side characters are extremely well developed and you definitely either dislike/like as the author intends. I'm quite intrigued to see where the characters go next!

Was this review helpful?

Gemma "I'm not a consulting detective" Doyle just can't help herself as she become involved in yet another case in West London. Gemma is gifted (or cursed) with a keen sense of observation and readily makes deductions that would make the great Sherlock Holmes himself proud. It's really not surprising that she often ends up following a string of clues to solve the crimes that she stumbles across. Great series, and fun to read as Gemma tries not to get in the way of her police detective boyfriend!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

I have found a new author to follow! What a delightful take on the Sherlock story - Gemma is an amazing woman, and a good detective to boot, and is, much to his chagrin, a great help to boyfriend Detective Ryan in his search for a murderer. Lots of gardens, women's groups and fun characters in this one. I look forward to the rest of the books in this series. Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for my copy of A Curious Incident.

Was this review helpful?

A Curious Incident is the sixth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series written by Vicki Delany and set to be published in January 2021. I've read all the previous books and when the latest became available on NetGalley, I scooped it up. I always enjoy Delany's cozy mysteries and really like being able to stay current with a few of her series. This one is no exception.

In A Curious Incident, Gemma and Jayne kick off the book with a missing persons... ummm... missing cat case. Poor pre-teen Lauren has lost her kitten, the only thing in her life that seems to love her very much at all. Lauren's mother is a mess. Her father might be having an affair and is never home. Gemma refuses to get involved, as the police will arrest her if she ever does try to solve a case again. If you haven't read the series, just know she seems to thrust herself into every murder investigation around town -- not always intentionally. This is no exception! Gemma finds the cat, and then the next day, Lauren is back again. "I need your help. My mom might've killed someone." And the new mystery begins!

Oh, what fun! Lauren is a great addition, and I had a curious notion that Gemma might need to adopt her. I won't give away any spoilers, but I will say her mother is a prime suspect in the death of a former friend / now enemy who might be the woman breaking up her marriage. There are also a few other garden club members, including an elderly neighbor who takes care of Gemma's garden. My vote was the hunky gardener in the beginning... then I decided on someone else. I won't spoil the surprise, but it has a wonderful side story and keeps you guessing til the end. Speaking of which... what a surprise we got at the end too! I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.

I do like this series a lot. Characters are very strongly written. Gemma is direct, and her arguments with the police are always amusing. I think she gets away with it because she's British, and her tone is often misunderstood. That said it might also be due to the fact that she's dating Ryan, a detective on the force in this small Massachusetts town. My only moment or two in this book where I struggled was in Ryan and Gemma's relationship. In the past, even with their banter, there was a spark between them. This time, I thought Ryan treated Gemma poorly. He didn't return her "I love you" and he often rushed around her while investigating. I wonder if a triangle might open in in the next book... I like him, but he wasn't as strong as usual, in this latest book.

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this series. The mysteries are always well written and curious... a solid word for the book's title. Easy 4.5 stars and a bunch of sadness because I'll have to wait a year for the next one. Good thing I know the Christmas book in another of her series will be out soon too!

Was this review helpful?

Murder during a gardening competition? Was someone so jealous of a beautiful yard that they destroyed everything? Gemma searches for clues like her bookshop namesake Sherlock Holmes, and helps to solve another bookshop mystery.

Was this review helpful?

This is the 6th installment in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series. Gemma Doyle runs a bookshop but has been involved in solving some mysteries in the past but she is shocked when a little girl comes in wanting her help to find her missing kitten. Gemma agrees and along with her dog Violet they find the kitten and case closed. Not so fast. Lauren the little girl comes back and wants to hire Gemma to solve a murder her Mother Sheila has been accused of. Sheila previously won the West London Garden Club trophy and is devastated when the night before the garden tour her garden is vandalized and she accuses her former partner and friend Anna of doing the deed. They get in a terrible fight and the next day Anna takes home the trophy and later is found dead. Sheila is the prime suspect and Lauren wants Gemma and Jayne of course to figure it out and save her Mother. Of course, Ryan her boyfriend is against her doing this. Gemma and Jayne do their normal sleuthing and I really love their friendship. This was a good solid mystery. This is a good series.

Was this review helpful?

For lovers of all things Sherlock Holmes and cozy bookstores, A Curious Incident is the perfect light summer read. This latest installment of Vicki Delany’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series follows Gemma Doyle, the proprietor of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium (and definitely NOT a consulting detective) as investigates a missing pet-turned-murder case in West London. Though the dialogue is at times unrealistic and the winding writing sometimes hard to follow, the plot and intrigue are entertaining enough to keep the reader engaged.

Was this review helpful?

A youthful "client", a missing cat and a garden club rivalry that may have led to murder present dangerous and unique challenges for Gemma and Jayne. When young Lauren asks Gemma to find her missing cat, little does Gemma know it will lead her to discovering a murderer!

I enjoyed this book because we learn more about the characters. We see a side of Gemma, in her dealings with Lauren which are sweet and unexpected, Jayne has several shocks, the lovable next door neighbor, Mrs. Ramsbatten has a very interesting past and even Violet has changes in her doggy life!

The mystery was well plotted and I had an idea who the villain was but at the last minute I found I was wrong. I loved all the red herrings! I wonder what Gemma will be up to in her next sleuthing adventure? I'm already impatiently waiting for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. I like the characters, including the main character Gemma and how they interact with each other. I liked that in the end Gemma gets the dog from the humane society. I thought the mystery of who killed Anna was very interesting and was surprised by who the killer was. I enjoyed the investigating. #ACuriousIncident #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?