Vicki Delaney
Crooked Lane Books
From Goodreads...
Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room in anticipation of the store's upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlock's legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table--dead. Donald insists he didn't do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author's bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta's depiction of the Great Detective. It's up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man in Body on Baker Street...Everyone has a pop culture vice, whether it be Dr. Who, The Real Housewives, or in my case, Sherlock Holmes. I'm not sure how it started, but I can tell you it was Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock that did me in. I haven't finished reading all the original Sherlock Holmes stories yet, but I have been loving them, as well as devouring the Sherlock TV series many times over. So naturally, the next logical step for me was a cozy mystery series that was Sherlock related. This series by Vicki Delaney is the jackpot for any Sherlock Holmes fan because not only is Gemma Doyle obviously Sherlock in this imagination of the famous detective, but there are references to all different kinds of Sherlock. I mean, she has a life size cutout of Benedict Cumberbatch in her store! Her shop sounds like a dream come true and I would love to eat at the bakery next door.
This is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. Gemma's skills as an amateur detective are enviable, as is her goodwill. She loves her friends fiercely and will do anything for them. Although Donald isn't exactly her bosom buddy, Gemma knows he must be innocent and sets out to prove it by finding the real killer. It's the mark of a good mystery to me when I think I know who the murderer is half a dozen times before the end and I've been wrong every time. When the whole story came together in the end though, it made perfect sense and once again I find myself jealous of the writer's skills to craft such a mystery!
Fall is the perfect time to cozy up to a new cozy mystery series, and if you're any kind of Sherlock Holmes fan, this is definitely the series for you! I know I have loved every second of the first two books and I'm looking forward to the next, due out in February.
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