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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
60 books2,001 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
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
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
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
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews