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Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #12
A Murder Most Irregular
Not yet published
Expected 5 Jan 27Bookseller Gemma Doyle follows the killer’s trail after finding a body on the beach in national bestselling author Vicki Delany’s twelfth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.
Jayne Wilson is excited for the visit of a prominent food and travel blogger to Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The blogger, Brianna Lombard, is charming and friendly, but Jayne’s business partner, Gemma Doyle—owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium—notices tension between Brianna and her staff, all of whom are her relatives.
The next morning, when at the beach for her regular swim, Gemma comes across the dead body of a member of Brianna’s circle. When the police focus on Brianna herself, Gemma decides to come to the aid of her new friend. She soon discovers that the world of influencers is not always an easy one. Brianna begins getting threatening messages, not only on her social media pages but to her personal phone number. Is someone trying to reduce—or remove—Brianna’s burgeoning influence on the world of food influencing, or is the crime far more personal? And what about Brianna’s feuding family, with a distant father, a bitter mother, a squabbling divorced couple, a half brother the same age as her, and lazy, but greedy relatives?
Meanwhile, Donald Morris decides to set himself up as a Sherlock influencer. Can Gemma avoid his pleas to get involved?
Jayne Wilson is excited for the visit of a prominent food and travel blogger to Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The blogger, Brianna Lombard, is charming and friendly, but Jayne’s business partner, Gemma Doyle—owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium—notices tension between Brianna and her staff, all of whom are her relatives.
The next morning, when at the beach for her regular swim, Gemma comes across the dead body of a member of Brianna’s circle. When the police focus on Brianna herself, Gemma decides to come to the aid of her new friend. She soon discovers that the world of influencers is not always an easy one. Brianna begins getting threatening messages, not only on her social media pages but to her personal phone number. Is someone trying to reduce—or remove—Brianna’s burgeoning influence on the world of food influencing, or is the crime far more personal? And what about Brianna’s feuding family, with a distant father, a bitter mother, a squabbling divorced couple, a half brother the same age as her, and lazy, but greedy relatives?
Meanwhile, Donald Morris decides to set himself up as a Sherlock influencer. Can Gemma avoid his pleas to get involved?
- GenresMysteryCozy MysteryCrime
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 5, 2027
About the author
Vicki Delany
74 books2,010 followers“It’s a crime not to read Delany,” so says the London Free Press.
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most varied and prolific crime writers.
She is the author of four cozy mystery series: The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane and the Year Round Christmas series from Penguin. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she writes the Lighthouse Library Series.
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com , www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor, and twitter: @vickidelany
Vicki is part of Mystery Lovers Kitchen (http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Killer Characters (http://www.killercharacters.com)
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most varied and prolific crime writers.
She is the author of four cozy mystery series: The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane and the Year Round Christmas series from Penguin. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she writes the Lighthouse Library Series.
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com , www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor, and twitter: @vickidelany
Vicki is part of Mystery Lovers Kitchen (http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Killer Characters (http://www.killercharacters.com)
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder Most Irregular continues the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series by Vicki Delaney. This series is always delightful and this book does not disappoint at all! It's always a delight to read about Gemma and her friends and see what they are up to now. This time an influencer comes to town and murder follows. Ms. Delaney writes a great story and I loved solving the crime along with Gemma. It was really interesting to get a behind the scenes view of influencers and all they go through for a little fame. It was also fun to read about a family with a truly messed up group of family members. It makes me grateful for my normal boring family! Readers are sure to enjoy this latest visit to Gemma's bookstore and Jane's patisserie.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.
October 25, 2026
I feel like I spent my time reading this hoping the killer wasn’t someone I liked. I should have taken that time to figure out who did it. I wasn’t really shocked after finding out who it was because the build up to the reveal left only one person.
I requested the arc without knowing it was part of a series and then someone said it could be read as a standalone and I agree. A lot of people were desperate in this it was actually entertaining to read.
I don’t think I will be picking up the earlier books of the series but I will be sure to check out more books from the author.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this arc.
I requested the arc without knowing it was part of a series and then someone said it could be read as a standalone and I agree. A lot of people were desperate in this it was actually entertaining to read.
I don’t think I will be picking up the earlier books of the series but I will be sure to check out more books from the author.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this arc.
Read
October 30, 2026Gemma is so hard to like sometimes lol. But I love this series, the setting and cast of people makes this fun every time. This cozy felt very modern in certain ways with blogger/influencer, mentions of AI, etc. Jayne is great so I am happy that she was really involved in this mystery. I don't think the mystery was that complicated but it was an interesting investigation. I love the setting of the joint bookstore and tea shop. Love the shop cat as always. Loved this as always.
5/6 stars
5/6 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Title: A Murder Most Irregular
Author: Vicki Delany
Series: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #12
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: January 5, 2027
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pages: 288
This is 10th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Although the characters are recurring; I believe it can be read as a standalone.
Setting: West London on Cape Cod.
Gemma Doyle- a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium,
Story starts when Jayne Wilson (Gemma’s best friend and business partner) is preparing for the visit of a prominent food and travel blogger Brianna Lombard to Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room.
Ms. Brianna Lombard is charming and friendly, but Gemma Doyle—owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and amateur sleuth notices something going on between Brianna and her staff, who are her relatives.
Gemma finds one of the relatives dead on the beach.
~ SO is now on the search as to whodunit and why.
Now Gemma is into her investigation mode when one of Ms. Lombard’s relatives’ dead bodies is found on the beach.
~ Now the search is now as to whodunit and why.
Later we find out it is Lisa Lombard a cousin.
As always, I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes theme and would love to go to the Bookshop’s tearoom. I would dress up and wear a fascinator-I don’t have one but my daughter and granddaughter have had High Tea in England so could borrow theirs!
BTW: I once did a Google search for “Sherlock Holmes Tea Set” and Yes, they are available!
Although not a super exciting mystery – whodunit was a surprise but why seems rather weak to me but I love the viv of this story and believe Ms. Delany delivered another enjoyable read.
As always, I am looking forward to the next adventure of Gemma and friends!
When I read “Elementary She Reads” which was the first book in this series back in 2017 I had no idea I would still be enjoying this series nearly ten years later.
Ms. Delany is the author of four cozy mystery series: In addition to this, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane, The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, and the Year-Round Christmas series from Penguin she also writes the Lighthouse Library series under the pen of Eva Gates. I also love that series!)
Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 5, 2027.
Author: Vicki Delany
Series: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #12
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: January 5, 2027
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pages: 288
This is 10th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Although the characters are recurring; I believe it can be read as a standalone.
Setting: West London on Cape Cod.
Gemma Doyle- a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium,
Story starts when Jayne Wilson (Gemma’s best friend and business partner) is preparing for the visit of a prominent food and travel blogger Brianna Lombard to Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room.
Ms. Brianna Lombard is charming and friendly, but Gemma Doyle—owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and amateur sleuth notices something going on between Brianna and her staff, who are her relatives.
Gemma finds one of the relatives dead on the beach.
~ SO is now on the search as to whodunit and why.
Now Gemma is into her investigation mode when one of Ms. Lombard’s relatives’ dead bodies is found on the beach.
~ Now the search is now as to whodunit and why.
Later we find out it is Lisa Lombard a cousin.
As always, I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes theme and would love to go to the Bookshop’s tearoom. I would dress up and wear a fascinator-I don’t have one but my daughter and granddaughter have had High Tea in England so could borrow theirs!
BTW: I once did a Google search for “Sherlock Holmes Tea Set” and Yes, they are available!
Although not a super exciting mystery – whodunit was a surprise but why seems rather weak to me but I love the viv of this story and believe Ms. Delany delivered another enjoyable read.
As always, I am looking forward to the next adventure of Gemma and friends!
When I read “Elementary She Reads” which was the first book in this series back in 2017 I had no idea I would still be enjoying this series nearly ten years later.
Ms. Delany is the author of four cozy mystery series: In addition to this, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane, The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, and the Year-Round Christmas series from Penguin she also writes the Lighthouse Library series under the pen of Eva Gates. I also love that series!)
Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 5, 2027.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"A Murder Most Irregular" is the twelfth book in the series about Gemma Doyle who runs a Sherlock Holmes bookshop. Like the famous detective himself, she also investigates crimes and shares some personality traits with him.
It's been some time since I have read this series (my last book was volume 4), but I didn't have any problems re-connecting with the characters or following the story. The most important relationships are explained and while it was nice to see how they and the characters themselves had grown and developed since my last visit in this world, I believe that it would be possible to read the book as a standalone without much trouble.
It took me a little bit of time to warm up to Gemma again; she's very direct in her observations and can come across as rude, but that's not surprising for a Sherlock-like character and the author hits the mark with that. I also liked that she doubted her observations at times; her deductions were very logical and well-reasoned, but it made sense to me that she wasn't one hundred percent sure all of the time and it made it easy to empathise with her. Her personal life was also important and it was great to see how she interacted with the other characters.
The relationship to the police was especially interesting to me since it was quite different from earlier volumes, but I liked it - it makes a lot of sense that there would be changes over time. It definitely makes me want to pick up the books I have missed to see this came about. I have to say that some scenes were a little unbelievable for me, but I appreciate that the protagonist needs to be involved in the most important developments and for the most part, I thought that the author balanced this nicely.
The case itself was interesting. The victim is the cousin and coworker of a somewhat famous influencer. This line of work was portrayed in a nuanced way, which I appreciated. There were humorous moments, but the darker side of this job was shown too and played into the murder investigation. I enjoyed reading about Gemma piecing everything together and her deductions were believable to me, if a little farfetched at times. There was also a personal component that surprised me; it created some tension and intrigue, but the book is still a cosy read overall.
As always, I enjoyed the mentions of Sherlock Holmes and how the theme was present in the entire story, from the names of the characters to Gemma's personality and of course the bookshop and its products. I'm also interested to see if the development at the end of the book will serve as the setup of a later volume in the series.
All in all, "A Murder Most Irregular" was an enjoyable read and I would rate it 3.5 stars rounded up.
It's been some time since I have read this series (my last book was volume 4), but I didn't have any problems re-connecting with the characters or following the story. The most important relationships are explained and while it was nice to see how they and the characters themselves had grown and developed since my last visit in this world, I believe that it would be possible to read the book as a standalone without much trouble.
It took me a little bit of time to warm up to Gemma again; she's very direct in her observations and can come across as rude, but that's not surprising for a Sherlock-like character and the author hits the mark with that. I also liked that she doubted her observations at times; her deductions were very logical and well-reasoned, but it made sense to me that she wasn't one hundred percent sure all of the time and it made it easy to empathise with her. Her personal life was also important and it was great to see how she interacted with the other characters.
The relationship to the police was especially interesting to me since it was quite different from earlier volumes, but I liked it - it makes a lot of sense that there would be changes over time. It definitely makes me want to pick up the books I have missed to see this came about. I have to say that some scenes were a little unbelievable for me, but I appreciate that the protagonist needs to be involved in the most important developments and for the most part, I thought that the author balanced this nicely.
The case itself was interesting. The victim is the cousin and coworker of a somewhat famous influencer. This line of work was portrayed in a nuanced way, which I appreciated. There were humorous moments, but the darker side of this job was shown too and played into the murder investigation. I enjoyed reading about Gemma piecing everything together and her deductions were believable to me, if a little farfetched at times. There was also a personal component that surprised me; it created some tension and intrigue, but the book is still a cosy read overall.
As always, I enjoyed the mentions of Sherlock Holmes and how the theme was present in the entire story, from the names of the characters to Gemma's personality and of course the bookshop and its products. I'm also interested to see if the development at the end of the book will serve as the setup of a later volume in the series.
All in all, "A Murder Most Irregular" was an enjoyable read and I would rate it 3.5 stars rounded up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely LOVED the Sherlock vibes in this book: the coffee shop named after Ms. Hudson, Moriarty the cat, and the bookstore, etc. I cannot believe I haven't read about this series before. I need to get myself up to date with this series.
My favorite thing is that the MC is a woman, Gemma, AND that she is related to Arthur Doyle. Perfection, I say. Since I haven't read the previous books, I was painfully aware that I've missed a huge part of the character building. But the story is written in such a way that it is easy to understand the bond between the characters and their main personality traits.
What I like about Gemma is that she is loyal, assertive, incredibly intelligent, and a bit awkward in social settings. My favorite parts are when she describes her relationship with Moriarty (the cat). It was so funny and cute!
The story is mostly plot-driven, and as usual, I did not see the plot twist coming. I would've never guessed who the culprit was. The plot is about a case in which Gemma is helping the police investigate the death of an influencer's cousin.
My favorite character, as usual, is not the MC, but a side character. Donald. He has one of those quirky personalities that, while it might be a bit too much at times, it's impossible not to love him.
This under-300-page cozy mystery takes place in a lovely setting, with lovable characters and an interesting cr1m3 for you to solve, will make your day, especially if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes.
My favorite thing is that the MC is a woman, Gemma, AND that she is related to Arthur Doyle. Perfection, I say. Since I haven't read the previous books, I was painfully aware that I've missed a huge part of the character building. But the story is written in such a way that it is easy to understand the bond between the characters and their main personality traits.
What I like about Gemma is that she is loyal, assertive, incredibly intelligent, and a bit awkward in social settings. My favorite parts are when she describes her relationship with Moriarty (the cat). It was so funny and cute!
The story is mostly plot-driven, and as usual, I did not see the plot twist coming. I would've never guessed who the culprit was. The plot is about a case in which Gemma is helping the police investigate the death of an influencer's cousin.
My favorite character, as usual, is not the MC, but a side character. Donald. He has one of those quirky personalities that, while it might be a bit too much at times, it's impossible not to love him.
This under-300-page cozy mystery takes place in a lovely setting, with lovable characters and an interesting cr1m3 for you to solve, will make your day, especially if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A reader of every title in the Lighthouse Library Series which Vicky Delany writes under the pen name Eva Gates, I thought I'd give another of her cozy mystery series a try. 'A Murder Most Irregular' is the twelfth cozy mystery in Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries. Reading it encouraged me to seek out the other titles in this series and read them so I may become more familiar Gemma Doyle, her great Uncle Arthur, the bookshop and emporium, her friends, and West London located on Cape Cod.
In this novel, Gemma meets a restaurant influencer on Instagram with a growing following and her entourage made of family members at Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room which is connected to her bookshop. The next morning, Gemma finds one of the relatives dead on the beach. Thus begins the mystery of who was the killer and why was the person killed. A quick and enjoyable read that left me with questions that reading the other titles in the series will likely answer,
Make your pot of tea, pull out your favorite reading throw, and dive in, preferably on a rainy afternoon. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read the ARC in return for an honest review..
In this novel, Gemma meets a restaurant influencer on Instagram with a growing following and her entourage made of family members at Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room which is connected to her bookshop. The next morning, Gemma finds one of the relatives dead on the beach. Thus begins the mystery of who was the killer and why was the person killed. A quick and enjoyable read that left me with questions that reading the other titles in the series will likely answer,
Make your pot of tea, pull out your favorite reading throw, and dive in, preferably on a rainy afternoon. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read the ARC in return for an honest review..
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“ A Murder Most Irregular” the 12th instalment in "A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop" Mystery series by Vicki Delany. It can easily be read as a standalone but I recommend reading in order. Bookseller Gemma Doyle follows the killer’s trail after finding a body on the beach.
Gemma is once again pulled into an investigation when a member of visiting influencer Brianna Lombard’s circle turns up dead. Suddenly there is no shortage of suspects!
Between family drama, secrets, threatening messages, and plenty of motives, there was definitely a lot to unravel.
Loved trying to piece it all together with Gemma. Another great cozy mystery!
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gemma is once again pulled into an investigation when a member of visiting influencer Brianna Lombard’s circle turns up dead. Suddenly there is no shortage of suspects!
Between family drama, secrets, threatening messages, and plenty of motives, there was definitely a lot to unravel.
Loved trying to piece it all together with Gemma. Another great cozy mystery!
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Good cozy series featuring a Sherlock Holmes inspired bookstore and a quaint tea room that can be accessed thru a connecting door, or the regular outside doors. When a food influencer and her assistants come to the tea room the small coastal town is excited, especially for the extra tourists it can bring. Then, as always happens to the stories with Gemma Doyle and her best friend, Jayne, there is a murder that the pair most definitely will be involved; Gemma way more than her friend. And, as always, not to the pleasure of the local police detectives.
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After reading all 12 books in this series, I wish I could say I liked Gemma, or even that she is growing on me, but I cannot. She is the rudest, most annoying protagonist of any mystery series that I read. However, oddly enough, I love the series! All the other characters are fun and interesting, the locations are cool, and the town is charming. In this book, a famous influencer comes to town to film in the tea shop. Of course, Gemma horns in on the visit and ends up getting involved after she finds a dead body at the beach. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After a popular food influencer's cousin is found dead on the beach, Gemma investigates to find out who the murderer could be. Donald decides he wants to be a Sherlock influencer and Bunny gets her chance in the spotlight.
There were a lot of people to keep track of in Brianna's circle and most of them were suspects. I was not expecting the reason for the murder but at the same time I wasn't surprised by who the murderer was. The story moved quickly enough to keep me engaged and turning the pages to see if my guess was correct.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc.
There were a lot of people to keep track of in Brianna's circle and most of them were suspects. I was not expecting the reason for the murder but at the same time I wasn't surprised by who the murderer was. The story moved quickly enough to keep me engaged and turning the pages to see if my guess was correct.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's busy in West London with an influencer in town. She visits Jayne's tearoom along with her entourage, which is made up of various family members.
While heading out to take a dip in the ocean, Gemma finds the body of Lisa, the influencers cousin who was also her PA.
The story has plenty of twists and turns as to who could have killed Lisa and why. And of course Donald adds his personality to his latest scheme. It's a fun read that adds to the continued storyline.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Delany, and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
While heading out to take a dip in the ocean, Gemma finds the body of Lisa, the influencers cousin who was also her PA.
The story has plenty of twists and turns as to who could have killed Lisa and why. And of course Donald adds his personality to his latest scheme. It's a fun read that adds to the continued storyline.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Delany, and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gemma, owner of a Sherlock Holmes themed bookstore, discovers a dead body while swimming on the ocean shore. She calls the police and realizes that she knows the deceased. Soon, Gemma who shares characteristics of the esteemed detective Holmes, is trying to piece together clues as to who killed the cousin of an internet influcencer who had recently been in her friend's tea shop. This is a great addition to this cozy series. The author does a great job developing the characters who live in the seaside/tourist town. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another great read in this series! I love the way Gemma’s mind works and the relationship she has developed with Ryan. The characters were wonderful, and the plot kept me engaged throughout. I was genuinely surprised by the identity of the killer, and the twists throughout the storyline made the mystery even more enjoyable. I also appreciate how we continue to learn more about the secondary characters, especially as familiar faces from previous books make their return. Overall, another fantastic addition to the series! I look forward to reading more!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well this wasn't my favorite book. I did not enjoy the writing style. It was very blunt and to the point. I guess I read a little more flowery or descriptive writing. However, the story was good. I enjoyed the characters and the unexpected twists!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Holmes bookshop murders are always so delightful to read. The characters are engaging and I love following their adventures. Keeping up with the times, influencers are I included in this title. Good twist at the end.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews