Vicki Delany has given us another entertaining cozy in The Cat of the Baskervilles, the third Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery. A Sherlockian actor who is well past his best acting days and a drunkard is discovered dead at the base of a cliff. Gemma, the owner of the Sherlock Holmes bookstore, as usual , gets involved in whodunit. Her best friend's mother is a suspect and the police tell Gemma to stay out of their way. Many suspects, the play version of the Hound of the Baskervilles as a setting and lots of red herrings. Clever plotting. Read and enjoy.

This was my favorite of Gemma Doyle's adventures so far. Vicky Delany makes it appear as if the crime is solved, but then a shocking twist and boom! Murderer and motive finally revealed. Add Moriarty, the cat who loves all but Gemma and a couple of love twists, this makes for a great third book in this series!

Princess Fuzzypants here:
When a famous actor, well past his best before date and thoroughly unpleasant, arrives to star in a play that had been one of his earlier famous roles, the town is atwitter. The excitement dulls quickly when he manages to bungle things up so when his body is found at the bottom of a cliff, it could have been murder, suicide or just an accident.
The normal Holmes connection to the store is heightened when Jayne’s mother is suspected of killing the actor. It turns out she has plenty of reasons but so do a lot of other people. Gemma feels obliged to investigate with her impeccable Sherlockian logic. Despite the hisses and the slashes, she is aided by the store cat, Moriarty. I love the way he is a charmer to everyone but Gemma. Maybe he wants to live up to his name and be her nemesis.
It’s an entertaining tale that manages to pull a surprise at the end. I give it four purrs and two paws up.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Sherlock based Cozy! Even though this is the third installment, this story can easily be read as a standalone. I always enjoy a good cozy that involves books and this story surely delivered. The mystery was somewhat easy to figure out but overall this was a good read and I would recommend to cozy lovers.

Cat of The Baskervilles is a Holmesian cosy that will leave fans purring.  Gemma Doyle makes her living selling Holmesiana - books and all other things related to the great detective.  But she has more in common with Sherlock than she likes to believe - an ability to observe minutiae and make deductions based on her observation.  

When Sir Nigel, an actor past his prime and well into a relationship with the bottle, is cast as Holmes in the West London Theater Festival, many are overjoyed, remembering finer moments earlier in his career.  But when he takes a topple soon after flopping his lines at a promo event - an event where he was seen arguing with Leslie Wilson moments before - the initial verdict is murder.  Gemma knows Jayne Wilson’s mother is innocent, but as she is unwilling to tell the truth, things look bad. To top things off Louise Estrada, a detective who resents Gemma’s past interference, is determined to make a quick arrest.  Gemma has to act quickly if she is to find the truth and keep Jayne’s mother out of jail.

The Cat of the Baskervilles is a cute cosy tribute to Sherlock Holmes. My only complaint is that the cat of the title had only a walk on part - and that is simply personal preference.   I liked the array of quirky West London characters. They made this book memorable.

4 / 5

I received a copy of The Cat of the Baskervilles from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

Vicki Delaney does not disappoint with the third book in her Sherlock Holmes bookstore series, The Cat of the Baskervilles. The town of West London is preparing for summer tourist season and the theatre season, which is a huge tourist attraction. Famous but washed up actor Sir Nigel Bellingham is cast as the lead in the feature piece, The Hound of the Baskervilles. At an afternoon tea PR event, he turns up dead, and it is uncertain whether his death was accident, suicide or homicide. Gemma and the police get to work solving another West London mystery.

This is fantastic read - a page turner with a well developed and complex mystery that kept me guessing until the end, a delightful cast of character, and wonderful prose and pacing. The setting of West London and the Sherlock Holmes Emporium and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room is enchanting, and I look forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good mystery and those who enjoy a more complex cozy mystery.

Thank you to Crooked Lane and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for review.

I’m still enjoying my occasional dips into cosy mysteries set in bookshops or libraries, and it was nice to be able to nab a copy of the third installment of this series, from NetGalley. We first met Gemma Doyle – no relation to author Sir Arthur however much her own uncle Arthur would like to claim – in Elementary, She Read and then Body on Baker Street. Londoner Gemma has moved to the picturesque seaside town of Cape Cod, North America, following the break up of her marriage. She now runs a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookstore, with her best friend Jayne managing the coffee shop next door. She’s got a tangled past with the local police force, as her powers of deduction rival those of the great detective himself – unfortunately making it look like she might have just a little too much information about various crimes.

In this third installment, Gemma’s determined not to get involved in yet another mystery – but of course, it wouldn’t be much of a story unless she does! So when a once-famous actor arrives to play Holmes in an amateur production of Hound of the Baskervilles, the in-fighting of the theatre crowd stirs up something quite deadly…

This was a very quick and easy read, and enjoyable enough, but perhaps not quite as good as the first two in the series. I did think for a little while that the plot from the previous book was being recycled, but things are changed up ‘enough’. I wasn’t entirely sure I was okay with Gemma’s meddling being borderline criminal, right enough! There is a bit of progress on the personal lives side of the stories, but this is kept to background material rather than overwhelming the main plot and mystery.

Book four is due out in the autumn, and I think I’m glad about that – while at the same time hoping the author isn’t rushing too many of these out at the expense of quality.

West London, MA is gearing up for the tourist season. The West London Theater Festival will feature the stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, starring an aged British film star, Sir Nigel Bellingham. Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookstore and Emporium, and her friend Jayne, who runs the Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room next door, volunteer to help with fundraising and publicity for the Festival. At an afternoon tea fundraiser catered by Jayne, Sir Nigel is obviously drunk and completely flubs his lines during an short performance for guests. After the fundraiser, Sir Nigel can't be found. The actor is found dead at the bottom of a nearby cliff. Could he have been drunk enough to fall? Or did someone push him over the edge? Sir Nigel was obviously a cantankerous, alcoholic, washed up actor....but did someone have enough of a grudge against the old man to kill him??

I enjoy this series. I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan, so I like the idea of a Sherlock themed bookshop and tea room. The Hound of the Baskervilles is also one of my favorite Holmes stories. The mystery in this latest book moves along at a nice pace and there are plenty of suspects and plot twists, including Jayne's mother Leslie being a prime suspect. I like the background theme and the characters (although I think Gemma ia a tad on the rude side). Moriarty the shop cat is awesome and shows much cattitude. The background characters are all quirky and interesting. I like how the two main characters complement each other. Gemma is direct, very organized and details oriented,and very observant. Jayne is a bit ditzy, tends to fall for the wrong type of men, and is more flexible and impulsive. As best friends and business partners, they work very well together. Where one is weak, the other is strong. All in all, a nice entertaining cozy mystery!

The Cat of the Baskervilles is the 3rd book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Vicki Delaney is the author of many mystery novels, including the Year-Around Christmas cozy series and the Constable Molly Smith series.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This book is the third installment in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries. This is the first book of the series that I have read but was able to read as a standalone novel.

The main Character, Gemma Doyle is co-owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room next door. Located in the small touristy town of West London Massachusetts, the bookshop sells all manner of Holmes. . The Tea Room is run and co-owned by Gemma's best friend Jayne. As this begins, the community is excited to learn that a well-known but aging stage actor, Sir Nigel Bellingham, will be in town to star in a local theater production of Holmes's "The Hound of the Baskervilles." As rehearsals begin, organizers decide to hold a fund-raising English tea at the home of one of the well-heeled theater-loving ladies - and Jayne convinces Gemma that their shops should handle the catering. Gemma is less enthusiastic, but she agrees. After all, it's a private event for about a hundred local hoity-toits - what could possibly go wrong?

I don't want to spoil the story but this book is fantastic!! I recommend reading this and getting aquatinted with Jayne and Gemma!!

Good cozy mystery with Holmes setting.

Gemma Doyle is co-owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room next door. Located in the small touristy town of West London Massachusetts, the bookshop sells all manner of Holmes books and miscellany. The Tea Room is run and co-owned by Gemma's best friend Jayne.

West London is also home to a small repertory company rehearsing Hound of the Baskervilles. The company has brought the famous (30 years ago) actor Sir Nigel from England to star. While hosting a pre-premiere tea party, Gemma finds Sir Nigel dead.

With suspects and motives aplenty, this cute cozy keeps the reader guessing until the end. The Cat of the Baskervilles is the third in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. However, it can read as a stand-alone. This book would have rated 4 stars except for two issues. The Cat in the title and even the Bookshop play almost no part in the story. Both held a more prominent role in the two earlier series entries. Secondly, a major clue to the denouement is reserved until the final few pages making it difficult for the reader to prove, rather than just guess, what happened to Sir Nigel.

Thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I have long written reviews about Vicki’s books being just a cornerstone of the cozy genre. The Cat of the Baskervilles is just that in this series and I am delighted that Crooked Lane picked up this series for the first three books. In this story you are guessing the killer till the end and I had absolutely no idea and gasped when the killer was revealed! Gemma Doyle who owns the Sherlock Holmes Emporium is just so clever and knows how to get herself in and most importantly out of sticky situations. I think she is probably one of the strongest female protagonists in the genre. Her cunning deductions and resources keep you turning page after page after page. While this could be read as a stand-alone since there is a lot of backstory covered I think the best way is to start with Book 1.
I always enjoy how cozy authors can make a character so unlikeable and then flip and make them likable I enjoy with this book that Vicki is not afraid to constantly evolve her characters personalities. I will admit I am still not liking Estrada. I would like to see more of dear Uncle Arthur in the future. Maybe he could be home instead of traveling. He is such a mystery!

Synopsis: Legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham arrives on Cape Cod to star in a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles put on by the West London Theater Festival. When Sir Nigel, some of the cast, and the director visit the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop at 222 Baker Street, Gemma Doyle realizes that Sir Nigel is not at all suited to the role. He is long past his prime and an old drunk to boot.
The cast, in particular the much younger actor who previously had the role, are not happy, but the show must go on.
Before the play opens, Leslie Wilson, mother of Gemma’s best friend Jayne, arranges a fundraising afternoon tea to be catered by Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The tea is a huge success, but when it’s time to leave, Sir Nigel has gone missing―only to be found at the bottom of the rocky cliff, dead. Along with the dead body, Gemma finds evidence incriminating Leslie Wilson. When the police, in the presence of handsome detective Ryan Ashburton and suspicious detective Louise Estrada, focus their attention on Leslie despite the numerous other suspects, the game is once again afoot and it’s again up to the highly perceptive Gemma and the ever-confused but loyal Jayne to clear Jayne’s mother’s name.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and decided to write a fair and honest review

I have so enjoyed reading each book as they released in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delaney and have been waiting in anticipation for THE CAT OF THE BASKERVILLES! This third book in the series doesn’t disappoint and kept me glued to the pages as I caught up with protagonist Gemma Doyle. Gemma is such a refreshing, unique heroine. She lives in her own carefully organized world and doesn’t quite understand people who aren’t attuned to details like she is. Especially people like the police whose job it is to see details and solve crimes. This brings plenty of conflict with the investigating detectives when she finds herself in the midst of the murder of a famous actor who is in town to play the lead role in The Hound of the Baskervilles. With the town gearing up for the West London Theater Festival, the pressure is on to solve the case. And when all clues point to Gemma’s best friend’s mother, Leslie, Gemma ignores the detectives’ warnings to not get involved.

Jayne, Gemma’s best friend, runs Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room which is adjacent to Gemma’s shop, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. Jayne is darling and just a bit ditzy but a steadfast sidekick to Gemma’s intellectual investigations. They work well together and their interaction provides humorous fun to the book. Ms. Delaney writes witty banter and her descriptive use of language makes the reader feel and see everything that happens on the page. I loved Gemma’s use of British expressions (she’s a transplant from England) and the comparisons between U.S. English and British English words. It’s quite humorous! The mystery is well thought out with a nice pace while the conclusion was quite surprising -- I never even considered the suspect. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this delightful, charming series!

Gemma and Jayne are back for the third offering of A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone or as part of the series, so well does the author inject a bit of background on characters and store. The mystery will keep every armchair sleuth on the edge of their seat as we look at another classic Holmes story, this time set for the theater.

Gemma and her uncle own the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and Gemma’s best friend Jayne is their business partner at the adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The setting is West London, on Cape Cod. Jayne does most of the baking at Mrs. Hudson’s, so her life begins at four in the morning and ends early in the evening.

Jayne is catering afternoon tea at a fundraiser for the West London Theater with help from her mother, Leslie, and Gemma. Theater people are very different, as they quickly see. Sir Nigel, a big-name actor of the British stage is going to play Sherlock. A much younger man, Eddie, is his understudy who develops a liking for Jayne from the first time he sees her.

Sir Nigel is tipsy when he arrives at the tea. Nigel’s priority is to impress everyone and stay as tipsy as possible. He insults Jayne’s mother loudly, as well as an actress who insults him. Nigel is asked to share a quote from The Hound of the Baskervilles, which he played in for many years in London. He couldn’t finish it, so Eddie finishes it while Sir Nigel sits for a bit. The theater backers begin to leave, and Gemma sees Leslie assert herself with Nigel. Nigel is nowhere to be seen when the van comes to collect the actors for the hotel. Gemma and Grant, a friend and fellow bookseller, take one path to look for him as others search the grounds. Not only does she find a piece of the ruching Leslie had added to the servers’ aprons snagged on a branch, she finds Nigel – at the foot of the cliff, with the ocean tide coming in around him. Even though Gemma pocketed the ruching, Leslie is still a prime suspect.

Gemma is the kind of woman who doesn’t make new friends easily, as she is very observant, and very blunt about her observations and resulting deductions and opinions. Being observant is sadly not something we learn in classrooms, and being blunt needs to be tempered with kindness. Jayne is a loyal friend, however, and a sweeter young woman would be hard to find. Sir Nigel has few social graces, and is hateful even to Gerald, who has stood by as his personal assistant for several long years. We also see and learn more about local Sherlockians.

Gemma’s skills of observation are put to the test, even though she has an enemy on the police force who doesn’t want her help. The mystery is very well-written, and all clues point to Leslie except for one little hidden detail that only the police knew. One that, had she known earlier, Gemma would have known who the bad guy was. It is enjoyable to watch the personalities interact as well as Gemma’s detection work. She learns a few secrets about the late actor, but nothing that would point to the murderer. I did not guess who the bad guy was – will only say it was one of the last people I would have thought. I highly recommend it to those who like surprising cozy mysteries served with a bit of classic literature, history, dry humor, and good friendships.

From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher and NetGalley, and here is my review.

I'm pleased to say that Gemma is back to her slightly abrasive, blunt self in The Cat of the Baskervilles after a slight digression into the land of cookie-cutter cozy heroines who are nice beyond the realm of possibility and would never say anything outrageous aloud. I like the fact that Gemma has a bit of an edge to her personality every bit as much as I like her breaking and entering outfit, her set of lockpicks, and the fact that she's OCD about the stock on the shelves of her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop.

I'll even repeat myself about the resident cat who hates Gemma with a passion: Moriarty would be licking his whiskers in a land far, far away if I were Gemma, and Gemma's dog Violet would be the four-legged resident ensconced in the bookshop. There's only so much hissing and shredded skin that I'm willing to put up with.

Gemma's friend, Jayne, surprised me a bit in this book. She's quite demanding and very good at ordering Gemma around-- but then her mother is a suspect in a murder investigation. That might make me a bit bossy, too.

As you can tell, I do enjoy the characters in Vicki Delany's series-- even Uncle Arthur who's yet to make an appearance because he's too busy globetrotting. (Not bad for a man in his nineties!) But this series isn't just about a finely-tuned cast of characters. There's a good mystery to solve as well and color me smug when I picked up on a clue that even the sharp-eyed Gemma didn't. Did that mean that I had the mystery solved ahead of time? No, but I still gave myself a bonus point for noticing it.

Delany's series is among my favorite cozies for its cast of characters, the bookshop setting, and the investigations. It also doesn't hurt that I smile every time I recognize the stock in Gemma's shop. When you read this author's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries, you're not only reading good mysteries, you're being given recommendations for others, too!

This is book 3 in Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. The character descriptions, and even most past associations between them, were so well described that I never felt lost; it works well as a standalone.

The main character, Gemma, is from London, and I loved how small things from her background cropped up now and then like when she says, “Jayne’ll have my guts for garters”, an expression I have never heard before this book. Gemma’s thoughts on the differences between where she grew up and the place she lives now also comes into play when she thinks about how American scones aren’t anything like English ones, and she loves brownies because it isn’t a common treat where she came from. Things like this added depth to the character. Since this is a Sherlock Holmes book, I also like how the author created Gemma to be so observant and piece together little details about the people she meets. Her best friend, Jayne, is a nice counterpart to Gemma. The two have a very close relationship and can often sense unspoken things about each other.

The murder did not happen until after the first fourth of the book which added plenty of time to get to know everyone. While I’m not giving anything away about the outcome, I will say that it was neatly wrapped up in a believable fashion. There aren’t any odd, hard to believe endings here.

If you like well-written, clean mysteries, this is a series you will enjoy.

This is a great addition to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series. Sir Nigel is coming to the Cape Cod area theater to star in the summer production of Hound of the Baskervilles. When he turns up drunk and later found dead the cast and townsfolk are all suspects. Gemma thinks a busy season will have lots of tourist coming into her bookstores and the tea shop. An enjoyable read and a fans will be happy to revisit all the folks in West London.

In The Cat of the Baskerville's the third book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries by Vicki Delany Gemma Doyle no relation is sucked into helping her friend Jayne will an afternoon tea. To celebrate not only the town's theater putting on The Hound of the Baskerville but Sir Nigel a famous theater actor who's cast as Sherlock Holmes. However the tea doesn't go as planned and Sir Nigel ends up dead. At first the lead female detective is convinced that Gemma is the prime suspect as she is the one who found the body. But the other detective who just happens to Gemma's ex isn't convinced.

Gemma just has a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As well as seeing things and clues that others have a habit of missing including the police. Which has become a sore spot between her the detectives, and besides no evidence points to her. Instead the police have their eyes set on Jayne's mother Leslie as the prime suspect. Leaving Gemma and Jayne no choice but to figure out who the real suspect is.
The Cat of the Baskerville's isn’t your typical cozy mystery as Gemma isn't' really an amateur sleuth, she processes facts and clues much like Sherlock Holmes would do. It's what allowed her to solve two previous cases before the police. The first one to clear her name, the second to clear a friend’s name.
The Cat of the Baskerville's just like the first two in the series kept me guessing from the beginning page to the last page. Normally when I read mysteries I am able to figure out who done it before the end, not with this series. I personally like that in mystery, it keeps the surprises and the twist and turns going till the very end. I can't wait to see what the next book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries by Vicki Delany has in store.

I received a complimentary copy of The Cat of the Baskerville's by Vicki Delany from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This series is definitely growing on me. Gemma is a strong, yet flawed character who also knows that she has flaws. I really enjoyed the mystery and the backstory that was given with it.

This is the third book in the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series. I adore this series and do recommend each book in the series. This book can be read as a stand alone for any reader to enjoy.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Publishing and to the author for the opportunity to review this new release. The ARC does not influence my personal opinion.
In this delightful series our protagonist Gemma Doyle is funny, smart and outspoken. She is one of my favorite protagonist as she does not suffer fools and speaks her truth. She is successfully running her Sherlock Holmes bookstore when a production of "The Hound of The Baskervilles" sends the cast to visit her store. Gemma realizes the lead actor Sir Nigel is a drunk and past his prime. As the cast attends a tea given in their honor by her best friends Mother, Sir Nigel is found dead in a ravine. Gemma is convinced he was murdered and wants to clear her friends Mother from suspicion. She joins the investigation and soon is involved in multiple suspects and clues that abound throughout the townspeople. She is at odds with the police detective and with her growing feelings for him as the book progresses. The author sets a perfect stage for their budding romance .
I love the well crafted sleuth in this next in series and how each character adds depth to the story. Gemma is a wonderful protagonist who has a talent for solving murders and is full of energy . She is a fun sleuth to read and I always enjoy her adventures. The bookstore is a delight and every bibliophile will enjoy the rich
theme and descriptions of the Sherlock Holmes bookstore . A very enjoyable next in series of a favorite series.
I look forward to the next in series!