I really wanted to love this book as I was so excited for it, but it didn't deliver in the way I expected. I've been awaiting Pippa and Grant's wedding for quite some time and have also been awaiting learning more about Gemma's ex-husband and their relationship, but the book wasn't very satisfactory in either area. Pippa and Grant's wedding was glossed over in the beginning and while Gemma's ex-husband was the victim of the story, we didn't really get to glean much about Gemma from everything that happened. It almost felt like Paul was just another person that she was trying to find justice for, not that she actually had cared for him once upon a time.
I will continue reading this series because I do really enjoy Gemma and Jayne and Ryan, but I hope that the future books have a bit more to do with character building and a focus on the characters I've come to love--not just the mystery.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This exciting mystery takes Gemma and her American friends adventuring throughout London! Gemma and her West London, Massachusetts friends, Jayne and Donald have returned with her to attend her sister Pippa’s wedding, visit her parents, and play tourist. Gemma grew up in London, moving to America when her Uncle Arthur opened the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, then wanted her expertise to run the shop. They are partners in the thriving bookshop and in Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Shop, which they co-own with Gemma’s best friend Jayne, who manages it with excellence. Ryan, Gemma’s boyfriend, and Andy, Jayne’s fiancé have joined them.

Gemma is an enigma who sees the world differently. When the series began, I found her hard to like or even find mutual commonalities. I enjoyed the mysteries and other characters, then Gemma demanded my attention so much that I began to understand and like her. Her brilliance, pragmatism, and finely-honed skills of observation bring to light what even police detectives miss. Gemma genuinely cares about others, and uses unconventional means to find the bad guy.

Pippa’s and Grant’s wedding ceremony was brief with the reception held at an elegant hotel restaurant in central London. Gemma was leaving the reception early until her ex-husband called her name. She had not seen Paul in several years, and preferred to keep it that way.

While married, they bought a bookshop and Gemma did most of the work. When his affair with one of their clerks resulted in their divorce, she sold Paul her half of the shop. She since heard it wasn’t doing well and that he was in serious financial trouble.

Paul claimed he heard about Pippa’s wedding, and waited at the hotel to see her. He said he still loved her. He also wanted to talk with her and show her a book that might be the “real deal”. He wanted a ballpark estimate despite her lack of knowledge of collectible books. Finally, she agreed to meet him at the bookshop the next day.

Gemma invited Grant, her new brother-in-law and rare books dealer to join her at the bookshop. His beautiful, workaholic bride was working at her mysterious government position. Donald, a proper Sherlockian, joined them in hopes of finding a gem in the used book area. When Gemma and her friends went to Paul’s office, he was somewhat seated at his desk, head thrown back, and strangulation marks around his neck.

Detective Inspector Patel was not happy to see them. Gemma and her friends had been to London some time ago for a Sherlock Holmes convention, and a murder was committed. Gemma’s father, a retired Detective Chief Inspector, was accused of the murder by the detective Patel worked for. Gemma determined to get him off the hook, and did. Gemma, then Donald, reintroduced themselves to DI Patel. Gemma wanted to make sure Paul’s killer was apprehended, and was planning who to converse with for answers.

The characters are a big part of why I enjoy this series! They are described beautifully through their realistic conversations and behaviors. I was delighted when Pippa married Grant. She and Gemma get along much better than in the past, especially since Grant and Pippa met through Gemma. Pippa has a highly classified government position, yet claims to be an admin assistant.

Donald, knowledgeable of most things Sherlock, has a Sherlockian-track mind. He dresses as the Great Detective did, and his eccentricity makes him the comic relief of many scenes. His friends love him for who he is, a good-hearted, gentlemanly, former attorney who now pursues his passion and always wants to help protect Gemma when she looks into murders.

I don’t think anyone could write this series better than Vicki Delaney, so cleverly designed are these challenging mysteries! At first, there were few suspects. Gemma and her friends first considered debt collectors attached to the stacks of unpaid bills. They considered several possible suspects, but neither they, nor I, had definite thoughts of who really killed Paul and why. The killer thought themselves to be clever, but Gemma had a mind that rarely stopped chewing on a case. I enjoyed this cozy mystery very much, and am very pleased with the resolution. I highly recommend this novel and the rest of the series.

This is one of my favourite cozy mystery series – Gemma is a fun, smart amateur sleuth & I love that she’s back in London, solving a mystery with her friends. Not only is Gemma one of my current favourite main characters but the cast of secondary characters in this series also stand very well on their own.

I was especially excited when I learned that Gemma and her group were headed back to London because that meant that we would see more of Gemma’s sister, Pippa. I’m a huge fan of Pippa’s! LOL. While Gemma loosely reminds readers of Sherlock (super observant, good deduction), Pippa is definitely Mycroft (secretive, high-level government job) and she’s one of my favourite side characters in the series.

And while Gemma’s boyfriend, Detective Ryan Ashburton is usually there beside her, this time around it’s Pippa’s husband Grant who is with her when things get murdery. I like the change, and it makes use of character’s we’ve known from past books to give the story a fresh feel. Grant was introduced earlier in the series as a friend of Gemma’s (they bonded over rare books) but he had re-located to London after Gemma introduced him to Pippa.

As usual, the story itself is well-plotted with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. I found it very evenly paced and there weren’t any obviously slow sections. I usually find I can’t put books in this series down until I’m done reading and this was the case again.

While The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime can definitely be read as a stand-alone, it’s definitely much more enjoyable when read in series order, as you get to ‘grow’ with the characters and appreciate their relationships and actions in this book.

Overall, this was a fun, light mystery packed with great characters and definitely a book/series that I highly recommend.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with an ebook via NetGalley for review purposes. ***

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany has Gemma Doyle and her friends in London for Pippa’s wedding. Naturally, a murder occurs, and the victim is none other than Gemma’s ex-husband. Gemma, Jayne, and Pippa set out to learn what Paul became involved in that got him killed. I love the characters in this series. They are an amusing bunch except Pippa who is more serious (and has excellent connections). I enjoyed the descriptions of London and the various places that the group visited. It was obvious that the author enjoyed writing these sections and I liked reading them. The whodunit is one that can be solved not long after DI Patel (she received a promotion) arrives at the dusty bookshop. The reason for the guilty party committing the murder is weak. This was a satisfactory story, but it is not my favorite installment in the series. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime is the tenth A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. We get a teaser at the end of what is going to occur in the next book. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime transports readers to London with a delightful wedding, an incommodious ex-husband, a grubby bookshop, curious clues, a bar brawl, a troublesome tail, and distressing news from West London.

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime is book #10 in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany.

Gemma Doyle and friends are in London for her sister’s wedding. There are troubles from the start, but she couldn’t have predicted who she would run into. It was great having Gemma’s sister and parents in this book. There was a scene in a club that I never would have expected. I suspected several characters but none of them were right. This was a very entertaining book. I recommend it and the whole series.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Gemma, along with Ryan, Jayne and Donald are in London for the wedding of her sister Pippa and their friend Grant. Uncle Arthur is minding th3e shop back in West London, MA. Gemma, on her way out runs into Paul, an ex, who says he wants to show her a book the next day at their old bookshop. When she and Jayne arrive at the bookshop, they find him dead in his office. Who would have wanted to kill Paul and for what? Gemma once again finds herself in the middle of a murder that might also have international consequences.

This is the 10th book of this series, and I have enjoyed them all. This one was a stumper at first and I even have to admit I was surprised at the end. I like how Gemma's character has softened., I think making her more likeable. Donald and his obsession with Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes has to be my favorite, followed by Uncle Arthur. I personally don't think we see enough of Uncle Arthur.

A great way to spend a cold winters day with a blanket and cup of tea.!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

While Gemma was supposed to be having fun in England after her sister got married, she ended up sleuthing another case like the last time she was there on a pleasure trip. Her Sherlock fan friend Donald was pretty stoked at just being in London again let alone getting to tag along on a case with Gemma and Jayne. He came in pretty handy when they all visited an exclusive club and things kinda went crazy there.

In her usual way of intelligently observing and not purposely pestering the police, Gemma finally had the answer and who the killer was just when their time in London was ending. I was halfway expecting a special question from Ryan to her but more craziness from home could've been what interrupted. And there was definitely mayhem going on at home as well. Uncle Arthur couldn't make it to the wedding so he hung out at the store. I got the feeling Gemma wished she could've swapped places with him and avoided the headaches she was coming home to lol. Always tons of fun with this group of characters!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime being the 10th book in A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series, the reader is well familiar with the complex mind of Gemma Doyle. She is a great fictional detective.
This time the whole gang is in London for Pippa’s wedding. The night of the wedding Gemma runs into her ex-husband Paul. I think I missed something along the way. I don’t remember knowing that Gemma was once married…hmm, well maybe.
Paul doesn’t survive long, and Gemma feels compelled to look into things.
The author artfully crafts an intriguing story with implications that extend beyond a used bookstore and one man’s death.
There were a number of laugh out loud moments. I love the mystery surrounding what Pippa does. I love the characters in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this mystery, and highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series continues to delight with this tenth book, The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime. Readers may not get to meet Gemma's illusive Uncle Arthur who's left in charge of the bookshop back on Cape Cod, but they do get to meet her ex-husband, Paul, who certainly proves how right Gemma was in divorcing him.

Once again, the interplay of all the characters is one of the best things in this book (and the entire series). A fight scene that includes the unlikely weapons of a handbag and an umbrella had me laughing out loud. In addition, a wicked plot twist had me smiling and rethinking my solution to the mystery.

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime is definitely what my British husband would call "more-ish". I look forward to Gemma's next adventure. It can't come soon enough.

If you're looking for a cute little cozy mystery as I personally am just getting into them, they can either come off as annoying or cute. However, I really enjoyed this one I thought it was rather cute and definitely cozy. Gemma, her sister Pippa's wedding is being celebrated in London with a few of her friends and relatives. While Gemma is leaving the wedding, she encounters her ex-husband, who persuades her to come see him the following day at the bookshop they used to own together, claiming he has something to show her. She takes her new brother-in-law, a book trader, and her friend Donald, who is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, because she believes he wants to show her a valuable book. They contact the police shortly after arriving after discovering Paul's body in his office.

The plot and relationships were easy for me to follow, even though this is book 10 in the series, and I hadn't read any of the other ones. I felt like this book was okay as a standalone. It wasn't labeled as part of a series when I requested this book.

An enjoyable new addition to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. Gemma and her friends are off to London in this book and we get another visit with Gemma’s sister Pippa. Delany balances the sisters’ characters and personalities well. Worth the read - the series is consistent and adds enough new intrigue with each book to further the story lines, but also revisits familiar characters to keep us feeling like we’re back with friends.

Gemma and Ryan are in London for her sister Pippa's wedding. What are the chances Gemma would run into her ex husband? Fairly good when there is a mystery to solve. Vicki Delany has written another fun story that makes the reader feel they are walking the streets of London and solving crimes with a flair alongside Gemma Doyle and her friends. It does help to have people in power on your side also. Most visitors would see only the tourist areas, but in this series you visit the lesser known hotspots. Fun read for a weekend inside.

Gemma Doyle is in London for her sister's wedding. When Gemma find someone from her past dead. His death is believed to be linked to a rare missing book. Because this person was someone from her past she feels she has to find out who killed him and why.

I really enjoy this book. Each book can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes you will enjoy this book, Gemma has a lot of similarities to Sherlock. I really enjoyed this book and Gemma being back in London and with her family and Grant her new brother-in-law. The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of twists and turns. This was a quick read for me, and is one of my favorite in the series.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sherlock Holmes fans are sure to love this mystery series that first grabbed my attention back in 2019 or 2020.. When I was requesting this book, it looked a little familiar to me, and when I looked back on my digital library borrows, I discovered I had checked out the first volume of the series! Back then, I was only rating and not reviewing the book, so I checked out the first book again to get a feel for the series. I discovered that despite it being the most recent installment, this book can be read as a standalone.

In this volume, Gemma Doyle travels to London instead of the action taking place in West London, Massachusetts. Ostensibly, she’s there for the wedding of her sister, Pippa, and is with her friends Ryan, Jayne, and Donald. Gemma’s sister has some sort of hush-hush government job that no one is supposed to talk about, much like Mycroft Holmes. It’s little touches like this that make this book series a real love letter to Sherlock fans.

Gemma’s ex-husband Paul shows up for the wedding reception and it’s clear life has not been kind to him. He asks her to take a look at a rare book he’s acquired, and while Gemma is a book seller, she typically does not deal in rare books. For Paul, though, she makes an exception and plans to meet with him the following morning. When she arrives, she finds him dead. Let the murder mystery commence!

This was a satisfying cozy mystery read that even the most casual of Sherlock Holmes fans would enjoy. And like any good Sherlock mystery, the ending might not be one you’d expect. I’ll be looking for more of the back catalog and checking out more of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 (3.5 rounded up)

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime, (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #10) by Vicki Delany from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

In the tenth entry in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, author Vicki Delaney gives us another thrilling adventure from Gemma Doyle.
This time around Gemma is back in London for her sister Pippa’s wedding with Ryan, Jayne, and Donald Morris in tow. At the reception and ready to call it a night Gemma’s ex-husband Paul Erickson makes an unexpected appearance in the lobby. Awkward as it can be, Gemma notices that life hasn’t been kind to Paul and he seems defeated. Paul confesses that he misses her and begs for her opinion on a rare book. Although reluctant, Gemma agrees to meet with him in the morning at their old shop. As usual with Gemma, nothing can ever be easy. Taking Ryan as moral support, they arrive to find that Paul has been murdered and the mysterious book is missing. Of course, Gemma and friends get pulled into the middle of a murder investigation, which appears to have ties to a high-profile international incident that Pippa is involved with. Gemma, Jayne, Donald and Ryan travel throughout London and Yorkshire, dodging tails searching for answers and end up being learning that a distant relative could be involved.

One thing I really appreciated was seeing a more “feeling” version of Gemma as opposed to her usual hyper-focused, rational self and how this version of her interacts with and appreciates her friends quirks and all. As always, the author has given us a cleverly plotted cozy mystery with a fun and quirky cast of characters in a fast-paced story filled with twists, turns and plenty of red herrings. Being a devoted fan of the author and the series, although not my favorite in the series, I really enjoyed it just wished for more of a climax but nonetheless it was an entertaining read.

This book is a departure from the series in that it takes place in London, UK instead of West London, MA so the reader is left with a lot more big city drama than the usual closeknit cozy small-town. I think London itself was an actual character in this book because of the multitude of locations mentioned within the pages.

Gemma Doyle and her friend Jayne Wilson, her friend and bookstore patron Donald, Jayne's fiancé Andy and Gemma's boyfriend Ryan are all in the UK for Gemma's sister Pippa's wedding. Pippa does something high up in the British government that is a very hush hush position and her work affairs are not to be discussed with anyone. Gemma's ex-husband Paul shows up unexpectedly at the same hotel where Pippa's wedding takes place, claiming he wants to show Gemma a book that is "the real deal" and she should come to the shop they both owned while they were married. Except Gemma stumbles upon a dead Paul instead. Why was he killed? And what was the motive that Pippa's office is now involved?

Honestly, I struggle with British mysteries because I cannot keep all their nobility titles straight. Viscount this, Earl that... who outranks whom and why should I care? The nightclub scene with the many minor whatevers in attendance cause me a bit of frustration.

A good read but I prefer the ones set closer to Gemma's real home.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


Gemma is back home in London to attend her sister Pippa’s wedding. At the wedding reception Gemma runs into her ex husband who is waiting outside the hotel where the reception is held. Gemma and Peter were married until he cheated on her with a younger sales clerk at the bookstore they had together. Gemma is tired after being up for several hours since she wasn’t able to sleep because her luggage was missing and she needed to wear something to the wedding that she wasn’t traveling in. Peter tells Gemma that he has a book that he wants her to see so they agree to meet at his bookstore the next day around noon. Gemma and two of her friends arrive and talk to two of the saleswoman who don’t even know if Peter is their or not and when Gemma goes to his office to see if he’s there finds him dead. The police are called and Gemma decides to investigate. Gemma is able to figure out that one of the saleswoman whose son went to school with Gemma’s cousin at a private school killed Peter who found a letter where Gemma’s relatives paid a teacher off to ensure Gemma’s cousin wasn’t expelled and the saleswoman’s son is set to be a political officer who is rising through the ranks. This book was such a cute cozy mystery.

I love this series, and this installment is no exception. Gemma and friends have traveled to London for Gemma's sister's wedding and, after a chance encounter with Gemma's ex-husband, a body is found. These are interesting, fast-paced mysteries that hold the attention, and continue to bring in more details for future books. I have to admit, I enjoy the ones more when they are in the US at the bookshop/tea room, but England is so fun to visit and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy! All opinions are my own.

The tenth book in this series. I have read #1,6,7,8 and 9!

In The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime we find Gemma in London for her sister's wedding. She is accompanied by Jayne, Ryan and Donald who are all finding London amazing. Donald is in his element because Sherlock Holmes memorabilia is everywhere. Gemma is surprised to be approached by her ex husband, Paul, and even more surprised when he is found murdered the next day. Of course Gemma involves herself and all her friends in trying to solve the mystery.

I was especially pleased to see the return of Pippa, Gemma's sister who holds a high powered and mysterious position in the Government. Little links like this one with Mycroft in the Sherlock Holmes books are frequent in this series. Pippa is a great character who could probably support a series of her own.

I thought this was a very entertaining read with lots of red herrings, great characters and very effective descriptions of the setting.

Gemma Doyle is back in London! Her sister, Pippa, is getting married and Gemma is looking forward to a relaxing vacation - yeah right. Does that sound like the Gemma Doyle we know and love? Of course not!

The night of her sister's wedding, Gemma sees her ex-husband in the hotel where the reception is taking place. She is shocked, to say the least, but he insists he has something to show her. Resistant, at first, she finally agrees, only to find that he's been murdered!

Gemma is on the case with her friends to solve the crime before they head back to West London, where Uncle Arthur is "minding the store", but really throwing things into chaos.

Lots of London imagery, as one would expect, and Vicki Delany writes with such description, you can imagine all the places mentioned. A quick read, but a fun one - a great book to start out 2025 with!

4 stars.

*Mentioned Kings Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4, but the book says 12 3/4; not sure if this was on purpose for copyright reasons, but something to note if you're familiar with Harry Potter*

**Unable to post to Amazon currently**