Gemma Doyle and her friends have packed their bags and headed to London for her sister Pippa’s wedding. Waiting for her in the hotel lobby is none other than Gemma’s ex-husband, Paul Erikson. Paul has a rare book he wants her to see—calling it “the real deal”—so Gemma agrees to meet him at their old shop, Trafalgar Fine Books, the following day. But when Gemma arrives, accompanied by Grant, a rare book dealer, they find Paul dead in his office. Paul had been down on his luck, but Gemma never expected this. Had he borrowed money from people he shouldn’t have? And where is the valuable book he was so anxious for Gemma to see? It’s nowhere to be found in the shop. Because of their previous relationship, Gemma feels she owes something to Paul and vows to find his killer.

This is a marvelous cozy series by Vicki Delany. I have read all the previous ones and always look forward to a new installment. Ordinarily taking place in Scotland, this entry takes place in London and gives the reader more insight into Gemma's mysterious sister, Pippa. As Gemma and her friend Jane try to find out what happened to Paul and what happened to the mysterious book, they find out about Paul's past since he and Gemma split. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request for this book. It was a welcome relief from some of the big nonfiction books I had been reading, but, as always, well written with wonderful descriptions of London and further information on Pippa.

This was a fun, cozy mystery. I love that Gemma is attending Pippa's wedding when this mystery starts, Gemma cannot do anything without stumbling on a mystery. Pippa's job sounds super cool and I want to be her when I grow up! I love that Uncle Arthur could not manage holding down the fort, for the short time Gemma was gone, without multiple things going wrong.

Looking forward to reading the next book in this series when it has been written and published.

Once again Gemma is at the center of a mystery and is bringing her friends and family along to help solve it! Gemma and crew are on the road, well plane actually, to visit London for her sister's wedding, but of course there must be a body for her to stumble across! Another well-crafted mystery with lots of Sherlockisms woven throughout to delight mystery lovers of all sorts! I do highly recommend that you read the books in order to better connect with and get to know the characters, their personalities, their quirks and interpersonal relationships. This will strengthen your connection to the readers as Gemma is a bit different in how she interacts with the characters, so it takes a book or two to better understand her. However, by the time you reach this book, you will also be enthralled with how the mysteries are untangled and the unique personality quirks that the characters possess that help them to see the clues and snag the guilty party! I have to say this has quickly become a favorite series of mine and I look forward to more to come!!!

What a fun romp through London with all of our favorites!!

* Pippa and Grant's wedding!!
* More about Gemma's past that brings about unexpected conversations and consequences.
* SO. MUCH. TEA. ;-)
* The writing in this was, for me, the best its been in some time and that made the overall story even more enjoyable. This book is a perfect example of why I have loved [most] of this series from book 1!!
* That was one excellent, twisty, topsy-turvy mystery that kept me guessing until the end [even though I had wondered about one thing but then brushed it off *eyeroll* because I am apparently a doofus!].
* I am still struggling with the narration for these books. Her British "voice" is superb, but her American "voice" [especially the men] leaves a lot to be desired. Being set in England, there was less American "voices" than normal, so it wasn't as difficult for me as usual, but there was still a struggle anytime anyone who wasn't British was speaking. It is just unpleasant and off-putting for me unfortunately.
* THAT ending. Ohhhhh boy!!

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I was left really looking forward to the next one!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Vicki Delany, and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I would have noticed this was in a series. It left me a bit confused in places because I was missing the back story. Had I had previous exposure to this world, I would have had a better time with the story.

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime is the tenth! in this series by Vicki Delany. The books star Gemma Doyle, shared owner of a Sherlockian book store. And it’s a wonderful followup to the fifth book, There’s a Murder Afoot.

In that previous volume, Gemma and her friends go to London for a conference, where we meet her older sister Pippa, who does something mysterious for the government and always looks beautifully turned out in power suits. In this newest book, it’s back to London for Pippa’s wedding!

Also attending are Gemma’s boyfriend Ryan, her best friend Jayne Wilson, Jayne’s boyfriend Andy, and Gemma’s customer Donald, a dyed-in-the-wool Sherlockian. Unfortunately, part of Gemma’s English past rears its ugly head: her ex-husband Paul tries to get her attention, only to turn up dead.

In between tourist visits, shopping (Gemma has the worst luck with airplane luggage processes), and catching up with family members (her mother’s second cousin once removed is the Earl of Ramshaw, who has opened the family pile to the public), Gemma manages to find out exactly what happened and why, which involves exploring her ex’s business and love life.

It’s a nice twisty mystery in a wonderful setting with plenty of humor and excitement.

How is it possible that I enjoy this series so much when I can’t stand Gemma?!!! She comes off as obnoxious, overly abrasive and unfeeling. I get that this is supposed to be like Sherlock Holmes (who I am not a fan of either), but she is so unlikeable. Fortunately, the setting of the quaint New England town, or in this case, London, the secondary characters, and the mysteries themselves, carry this series for me. Each mystery is well plotted and has just enough clues to keep you guessing to the very end. Likewise, the other characters draw you in with their charm and eccentricities, making the series more appealing.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime is the tenth book in Vicki Delany’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series. In this story we find Gemma Doyle, her boyfriend Detective Ryan Ashburton, her business partner Jayne Wilson and her fiancé Andy Whitehall, and friend Donald Morris in London to attend Gemma’s sister Pippa’s wedding to West London, MA transplant Grant Thompson.

Exhausted from a day of travel, shopping to replace her clothes for the wedding when her luggage is lost, and jet lag from getting no rest due to her shopping trip, Gemma leaves the hotel wedding venue for her parents’ home to get some rest. On her way through the lobby she is accosted by her ex husband Paul Erickson wanting to talk to her about the worth of something he has found. She puts him off saying they will come to his shop the next day, only problem is Paul will no longer be breathing when she arrives.

This story takes Gemma and her friends through London, cross country to York, and extremely close to an international incident. Again, a well woven mystery with twists until the end and a colorful cast of characters to engage the audience throughout the story. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

This book was so good! The story moves fast, the characters were compelling, and the mystery was challenging. I liked Pippa a lot. I had a lot of fun reading this book. I haven't read the other books in the series, nor do I don't think it is necessary to read them, but you can understand the characters better if you do. Donald provided comedic relief throughout the story the way he was with facts about his favourite fictional sleuth and his author. The reactions of those around him, after spending hours listening to his ramblings, made me laugh throughout the book, as did descriptions of his manner of dressing while in London. I really enjoyed The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime. If someone likes mysteries and amateur sleuths, this is the perfect book.

Vicki Delany takes the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries to England in The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime. Genna Doyle and her friends and hamily are in England for the wedding of her sister Pippa, who is a problem solver for the government in a department no one knows. Gemma meets her divorced former husband at the wedding and is asked to meet him at his bookstore. She does go and finds him murdered. Whodunit?
Blackmail, multiple suspects and high society. What could go wrong? Read and enjoy.

Gemma is headed back to London for her sister Pippa’s wedding. Much of the crew from New London has joined her. They have finally arrived with much delay and the loss of Gemma’s luggage. As Gemma leaves the rehearsal dinner early with jetlag, she runs into her ex-husband. He asks to meet with her the next morning regarding an old possibly valuable book. Gemma grabs a few of her friends and they drop by her old store only to find her ex dead. The pre-wedding festivities now include solving a murder. This is a fun story as we learn more about Gemma’s family and solve a mystery with a surprise. Highly recommend.

Gemma made some blunders such as keeping the knowledge of her previous marriage from her boyfriend Ryan, not letting him go with her on a vaguely mysterious rendezvous with her former ex, and thinking she had all the answers about how their meeting would go if she took him with her. She was too much in the me and I alone lane. Outside of those quirks, it was an intriguing, engaging puzzle, filled with excitement. It was a great and enjoyable read.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Gemma Doyle’s sister Pippa is getting married and she and her friends arrive in London for the wedding. After the ceremony, Gemma runs into Paul Erickson, her ex-husband and former partner of Trafalgar Fine Books. He tells her he has a book she needs to see. He says “It might be a real deal”. She tries to put him off but agrees to meet him at their old store the next day. She refuses to meet him alone so her new brother-in-law Grant who happens to be a rare book dealer, and huge Sherlock Holmes fan Donald tag along with her. They arrive at the rundown shop to find Paul has been killed.

Everyone wants Gemma to leave the case to the Metropolitan Police but she jumps right in feeling it is something she must do for Paul. So while her dad, her boyfriend Ryan, and Jayne’s fiance Andy take off on a fishing trip, Gemma and Jayne work to piece together what they can of Paul’s recent life. The game is truly afoot as clues begin to fall into place and what they have been looking there is found but they may need a little help to close the case.

Gemma is her true self wanting to enjoy her time with her family and friends but feels the tug of a good murder mystery. Jayne feels compelled to play Watson to her Sherlock. I was surprised that Ryan left her to go fishing because he knows her and knew she was not going to sit idly by. Same with her father. What I found especially intriguing was that we learned more about Pippa’s mysterious high-power job. She barely had time to get married handling one crisis after another. She even told Gemma to leave Paul’s death alone. Ten books in and these characters continue to surprise me.

While everyone is in London Uncle Arthur is holding down the fort at home and not doing a very good job. He does have Ashleigh at the store to attempt to curb anything major happening there but even she cannot control everything. Mrs. Ramsbatten can only do so much at home. A skunk smell, a quick fix gone wrong, a power outage – Gemma may have her hands full when she gets home.

Ms. Delany has penned a complicated mystery that tested this reader. The plotlines were intricately twisted together. My suspect list was always in fluid motion. When I thought I cleared one I put them back a few pages later. She really challenged my armchair detective skills. I was surprised by everywhere Gemma and her friends traveled and the entities they interacted with, especially their little foray at a nightclub where they interacted closely with people. I may have been laughing out loud.

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime has a lot of moving parts and twisty plotlines. I had a great time touring around London with Gemma and her cohorts. I am looking forward to doing it again next year.

Already the tenth in the series, but my first. It was easy to step in to; any required background knowledge was explained along the way (and not in a big info dump at the beginning).

I like Gemma, though I feel she treats Jayne more as her assistant than as her friend. Jayne doesn’t seem to notice or care though.

I don’t care much for Donald. He’s constantly causually throwing Gemma under the bus.

<blockquote> “As I’m sure Ryan and Henry can tell us, ex-spouses are often the most likely suspects,” Donald added helpfully, “and for good reason.”</blockquote>

And for that matter, can we put that myth to bed already? When a woman is killed, the most likely suspect is a husband or boyfriend. When a man is killed, it’s most likely a criminal business contact. (Of course authors needed to use more variety concerning murder victims and their killers, but it would be nice if characters didn’t keep repeating the same nonsense.)

The book feels well researched, though I think the text painted on the street says “look right” rather than left (unless it was a one way street or they were halfway across the street already), because traffic is coming from the right first.

I continue to be so impressed by the quality of story and writing we get from Vicki Delany, whose books are a huge cut above most of what you get in the cozy mystery subgenre.

This series has been consistently good (as has her Christmas series), and I’m impressed by both the subtle humor and the well-structured mystery of this installment.

The characters are charming and likable, and the story didn’t seem to suffer at all from being away from the bookshop central to the series. If anything, the time away in London and change of location made for a fun change of pace.

This is the first book of this new series to me that I have read. Really good edgy cozy mystery. I felt like I was in London in a modern Sherlock Holmes mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It is always a pleasure to spend time with a Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery. Gemma Doyle, a co-owner of the shop, has been involved with a number of murders in New London, Massachusetts. This time, however, she has returned to her home in London, England to attend her sister Pippa’s wedding. Leaving the reception, she is approached by Paul Erickson, her ex-husband. They had owned a bookstore together, but their brief marriage was over when he had an affair. She was bought out of her share of the store and has not seen him for seven years. Now he is asking her help in evaluating a rare book. Grant, a dealer in rare books, and Donald, a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast, accompany her to Paul’s shop the next day, where they find Paul dead in his office. A quick search of the office offers no sign of the book and few clues to the assailant. The police are called and Gemma, her friends and the store’s two clerks are allowed to leave after giving their statements. Paul came to Gemma asking for help and now she feels an obligation to discover what led to his death.

Gemma arrived in London with a number of friends, including her boyfriend Ryan, her friend Jayne and her fiancé and Donald. Her father had organized a fishing trip for the men, leaving Gemma without Ryan’s help to keep her out of trouble. Instead she recruits Jayne, who has a way of making people open up to her. Donald also remained behind, often interrupting them with facts about Holmes and trying to organize tours to honor the great detective. With murder, blackmail, a bar room brawl and a cast of characters to love, Vicki Delaney’s latest mystery is a treat for her fans. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book.

Gemma Doyle – possibly a very distant relation to the famous author – runs a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookshop in her adopted USA. Although she’d deny it, she’s definitely a bit of a Sherlock herself and over the course of nine books has solved many crimes. Given she’s also quite oblivious to her own skills at times, and socially a bit awkward, I find it very easy to like the character a great deal – one reason why this is one of my favourite cosy mystery series.

The other reason is that the balance between the ‘mystery’ and the ‘cosy’ is kept firmly on the side of the former, and while there are plenty of elements of the latter they don’t take over – a complaint I have with most series.

For this tenth instalment of the series, Gemma is heading back to London for a wedding. As she leaves the reception, she’s approached by her ex-husband, Paul – yes, there are some personal shocks revealed here! – who has a story about a rare book and a ‘deal’ and how he needs her to visit his bookshop (one that Gemma once helped run) the next day. Against her better judgement, but too curious not to, Gemma arrives to find her ex a little, well – ex.

Part personal closure, part that super-smart brain’s need to know, Gemma – and business partner / best friend Jayne Wilson – are soon following a trail through Paul’s life. Family, friends, and enemies – this tale twists a whole lot more than anyone expected!

Absolutely pleased to report that the quality of this series hasn’t dipped in the slightest. Often a ‘foreign location’ instalment of a series can be a bit hit and miss, but honestly the London setting works really well (albeit I’m not a local) and added to the threads with Gemma’s past, really adds something extra. Absolutely this retains its place as my favourite cosy mystery series!

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime is the tenth cozy mystery in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Gemma Doyle and her friends are back in London for her sister Pippa’s wedding to their friend Grant. After the wedding Gemma runs into her ex husband, Paul, who says he has something show her. When Gemma turns up at Paul’s bookshop the next afternoon to see what it is she finds him dead. Unable to keep from sleuthing when she knows she can get clues the police can’t, Gemma gets down to business and starts to put the pieces together.

I love everything Sherlock and have enjoyed this series from the beginning. This book was a great trip with some of my favorite characters. Gemma is so perfect in this series and she couldn’t do it without Jayne. I enjoyed the trip to London in this mystery and thought it was a nice change of pace. I loved seeing Pippa again and learning more about Gemma’s past. This mystery kept me guessing the whole way through and I was surprised at how everything played out. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series and am ready to get back to West London. The books in this series could easily be read out of order, so don’t be afraid to pick this book up! It’s perfect for cozy mystery lovers and fans of Sherlock inspired mysteries!

This was an easy read! The writing is wonderful with lots of details which is why I gave it four stars. I liked the plot but it was a slow-burn read. Not much happens in the book despite Gemma running all over London looking for answers about her ex-husband’s death. The ending was a bit disappointing for me because it seemed to be leading up to something bigger than what was revealed. This is a great series to read if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan and love cozy mysteries. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!