Really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The author did a great job keeping on theme and incorporating the details that made it unique.

Body on Baker Street is book two in the Sherlock Holmes bookshop mystery and I do enjoy this series as it gives me Sherlock Holmes vibes without being a direct retelling. Cause Sherlock is hard to do right. But Gemma is good stand in.

Okay. I thought I liked these characters more than I do. Or Gemma, the main character, was off her meds in this one. She was pretentious, arrogant, and overbearing. She reminded me a lot of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory in that she felt smarter than everyone else in the room.

Anyway, Gemma owns a shop that caters exclusively to Sherlock books and items or books set in that time that are similar to Sherlock (and how does she make a living with such a narrow focus?j, and when an author of alternative Sherlock books is killed, and her acquaintance arrested, she has to solve the murder because the police are completely incompetent in her mind. Even the one she would like to be romantically involved with.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

Great characters. I liked the setting and all of the interconnected plot lines. Can’t wait to read the entire series.

RATING: 4 STARS
2017; Crooked Lane Books

Gemma and her bestie, Jayne are back at solving mysteries in West London on Cape Cod. Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea is buzzing with the upcoming book signing of controversial author, Renalta Van Markoff. Renalta writes a mystery series about Holmes and Hudson that causes the longtime customer, and very dedicated Sherlock Holmes fan, to verbally attack her. Renalta, not to take it lying down, fires back and humiliates him publicly. When Renalta dies on the table, Donald is the first one to be suspected. He asks Gemma to help clear his name. She has her work cut out for her, as there are several people who wanted Renalta dead!

Body on Baker Street is a great sequel to Elementary, She Read. I love Gemma's awkwardness and Jayne's sweetness. What really makes this series work is the cast of quirky secondary characters. They add a great balance, and provide humour and lightness. I also like Gemma's banter and chemistry with her ex-boyfriend who is also a police detective. She is always getting in the middle of his investigation, but he respects her quick mind. You don't really have to read these in order, but if you like seeing character development I highly recommend starting with book one.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

Gemma Doyle runs the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop. Jayne Wilson runs Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. The two are good friends and often help each other out. When a visiting author drops dead, Donald Morris, a friend a both women, is the top suspect. Her begs Gemma and Jayne to use their problem solving prowess to prove him not guilty. They agree.

"The game's afoot" says Jayne. (This is my new favorite statement and I plan on trying to use it)

While the overview states that both Gemma and Jane work together to solve this murder mystery, I really felt that Gemma did most of the investigating. There is so much to like about Gemma. She has a wicked sense of humor. She has that unique Sherlockian ability to make observations that most of us would never see. She is honorable and very smart.

It turns out there are several suspects. Gemma works her magic to go through the list. Not surprisingly, things are not what they seem upfront. There's lots of secrets being kept and Gemma subtlely gets everyone to reveal their truths.

I was thoroughly entertained by this second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. I liked it so much, I've already jumped into book three!

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books Books and Netgalley.

A book signing by a reclusive author results in death. Book shop owner Gemma Doyle investigates. No shortage of suspects from a deluded fan; a devoted Sherlockian; and a woman claiming plagerism by the dead author.

Narrated to a certain extent by Gemma (in this second outing) as she sets out to investigate on her own - and she is obnoxiously observant when it comes to crime which puts her offside with the local police.

Its a standard fare cosy mystery, in this instance with many Sherlockian references; the plot is not overly complicated; there is no huge cast of characters you need to keep track of; the clues are drip-fed; occasional back-story for the main local residents to add to the authenticity.

Enjoyable book. The theme for the store was very interesting and a nice addition to the store/tea room book genre.

Body on Baker Street by author Vicki Delany is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series. I am enjoying this series and recommend you read the first one to get the back story on these wonderful characters. Gemma Doyle and her Uncle Arthur Doyle own the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop in West London, Massachusetts. Uncle Arthur is travelling as usual, and Gemma is running the bookshop and emporium, as well as assisting in the operation of the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, which they co-own with Gemma's best friend, Jayne.

Gemma gets a call from Linda, the assistant to bestselling author Renalta Van Markoff, asking to set up a book signing that weekend. Gemma agrees and quickly set it all up. When Renalta is murdered during her book signing at the shop, and West London resident Donald is arrested, Gemma agrees to help Donald clear his name. There are a lot of suspects, including family members, and Gemma is quite astute in getting information. Having an amazing power of observation and ability to interpret clues she is soon deep into the investigation.

Gemma is very well developed and I liked her, even though she can be a bit abrasive. The police in this series contrast each other nicely. There is the seasoned detective who has a certain affection for Gemma and the younger investigator who has a very antagonistic relationship with Gemma. This offers a bit of humour and some insight into Gemma that we don't otherwise see. The story kept me guessing while reading and I changed my suspicions several times while reading. I have to say that I love the setting, a small town, a bookshop and tea emporium. There are some fun and quirky characters in the story that I enjoy, although they are definitely secondary characters. Overall this is a great perfect cozy story and I look forward to the next in series. I tried to listen to this one on audio, but did not like the narrator at all, so switched to reading it. I would recommend this story to cozy mystery lovers, but unfortunately do not recommend the audio version.

Things have been going good for Gemma until she gets a call from Linda the assistant for the famous Renalta Van Markoff. The author is an author of a controversial series that puts Sherlock Holmes in a relationship with a very different version of  Mrs. Hudson. Gemma sales the books but they want to plan a signing in a very short time and Gemma wasn't sure how it would go. She pulls it off though and everything was going well until the author dies.

Because Donald was loudly arguing his disdain for the author and her books he is the first suspect and Gemma knows the man is weirdly obsessed with the cannon but she doesn't think him capable of murder. So she decides to look in on things even though she has been told to stay away from things. It doesn't help that her ex-boyfriend she still has feelings for is one of the detectives and that she has a way of rubbing the other one the wrong way.

Renalta wasn't at all what she seemed so Gemma finds there are a lot of different suspects to try and weed out. There is a crazy fan, a lady who says Renalta ripped off her book idea, the publicist, the assistant, the publisher, and anyone who thought her books were blasphemous to the Sherlock cannon. Gemma has her work cut out for her and it also seems that murder is good for business.

I really liked Body on Baker Street it was a really good second book in series. I like Gemma, though sometimes she goes a bit to far on her quest to solve a murder. It's a good thing that Ryan knows how she thinks and stops her before she gets in trouble. Ryan knows how well Gemma is with her attention to detail but he also doesn't want her interfering with his investigation. She also doesn't want him to get thrown off the case because she is involved like last time, but she still is determined.

I thought it had a very good mystery and the author was very good at making me second guess my suspects and who I thought it was and though I wasn't surprised at who it was I didn't guess it until about the same time the MC did.

If you love cozies then you really need to try this series! I can't wait to get started on the next one! :)

What’s not to love about this series – a Sherlock Holmes themed bookstore, a tea shop, and murder! Gemma and Jayne return for another adventure in this second installment of this wonderful series. Gemma is just as boisterous as always, but Jayne keeps her in check as they try to discover who really killed Renalta Van Markoff.

Second in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series and I would say the better of the two. Characters have been introduced in the first book so we can get right into the action. Interesting side characters, great mystery and envious locale make a strong cozy series. Will recommend for those who love a cozy mystery and an interesting female protagonist who isn't more concerned with trivial matters than the mystery itself. Although there is a small amount of romance, it doesn't take away from the mystery. Well done!

How can I not be thrilled to have read this novel? It is seriously the best definition of what a cozy mystery should be. It was like visiting a dear friend, whom I haven't seen in awhile. It was filled with descriptive moments, characters that will become your dear friends and a mystery that rivals Sir Conan Doyle's writing.

Body on Baker Street by author Vicki Delany is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series. This is a outstanding cozy mystery series and I do highly recommend the first in series.
Gemma Doyle and her Uncle Arthur Doyle (possibly related to the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) own the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop in West London, Massachusetts. Uncle Arthur is travelling and Gemma is running the bookshop and emporium, as well as their half interest in the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room (which they co-own with Gemma's best friend, Jayne).
Bestselling author Renalta Van Markoff is murdered during her book signing at the shop, and West London resident Donald is arrested. It's up to Gemma to clear Donald's name. She has a masterful way of finding suspects and soon finds her clues abound in this case.
The sleuth is very well crafted and kept this avid mystery reader guessing until the end. I love the bookshop, the location and the unique fun characters in this series. Overall its the perfect cozy read and I look forward to the next in series with great anticipation. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Gemma has definitely toned down, or become more aware of her biggest fault--seeming like an observant know it all. I liked how the bookstore managed to snag a big time author of a Sherlock Holmes pastiche series, and how an unlikable character is the murder victim. The mystery was littered with red herrings--stolen ideas or manuscripts would certainly be something to kill over, along with stalkers, enthusiastic fans and under appreciated assistants.

As someone who was once so hooked on the TV series Sherlock, Body on Baker Street immediately caught my attention. It is my first from this author so I don’t know what to expect. I’ve always enjoyed a good cozy mystery story and I’m so glad this one has been so much fun to read. It is the second book of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery and despite not reading the first book, the story is pretty much easy to follow as it can be very well read as a standalone.

I love the plot, the characters, the setting, the twist, the mystery, the wit. All of it. I really did have fun reading Body on Baker Street and I’d say it can easily be one of my favorite cozies. It is a well-written, fast-paced, entertaining read that will appeal to cozy mystery lovers out there as well as fans of Sherlock. I sure will look for the first book and will watch out for the third installment.

One of my favorite things about this series is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is a lot of subtle humor going on – Moriarty the cat, Gemma’s quirks, her employee’s ever-changing style, the Benedict Cumberbatch lifesize cutout. All while honoring the Great Detective (in all his forms) at the same time.

Subtle wit, great characters, well-plotted mystery and nods galore to everyone’s favorite Baker Street detective – these are the qualities that make Body on Baker Street a must read. Gemma is relatable, even in her social awkwardness, and the book store is stocked with items and books that will have bookworms twitching for a visit. Even though this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

I love this series! I love Gemma and her quirky little bookshop selling Sherlock Holmes books, merchandise, anything connected with Arthur Conan Doyle, along with lots of other mystery books set in Sherlock's era. She is clever and witty and sometimes too clever for her own good which lands her in trouble some of the time, especially with the female detective colleague of her ex-boyfriend.

This time Gemma has to deal with a rude and very flamboyant author who, at short notice, demands a book signing in the Emporium. Of course Gemma rustles up the publicity in her organised way and it should all go smoothly ......... but no-one anticipated the author's murder on the day.

Lots of suspects all go to make this an entertaining read as Gemma's clever brain works overtime working out the clues and the motives. With a well-thought out plot, this can be read on its own but I also highly recommend you check out the first in the series Elementary She Read.