I enjoyed this book. I haven't read the previous books in this series yet and need to find them, but I was able to follow the story with no issues. Well-written, and the story kept my attention as I couldn't put the book down!

In this 5th book in the 'Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries', bookstore owner/amateur sleuth Gemma Doyle travels to London, where she gets involved in a murder investigation. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Englishwoman Gemma Doyle now lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and co-owns 'The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium' with her Uncle Arthur Doyle- a spry nonagenarian who likes to travel and romance the ladies.

As the story opens, Gemma is visiting London, having left the Cape Cod bookstore in the care of her assistant Ashleigh and her Uncle Arthur. Gemma is scheduled to attend a weekend conference called 'Sherlock Holmes in the Modern World.' There Gemma will give a talk about Sherlock Holmes pastiche and accept an award being given to Uncle Arthur for 'spreading the love of Sherlock Holmes.'

Accompanying Gemma on the trip are four American friends: Ryan Ashburton - Gemma's cop boyfriend; Jayne Wilson - Gemma's partner in 'Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room', next door to the bookstore; Grant Thompson - a dealer in rare books; and Donald Morris - a retired lawyer and Sherlock Holmes aficionado.

When Gemma and her cohorts arrive in London they check into the Bentley Hotel, then gather in the downstairs bar to meet Gemma's family for drinks. Gemma's mother Anne is a barrister, her father Henry is a retired Scotland Yard detective, and her older sister Pippa claims to have "a minor clerical position with the Department for Transport".....but probably works for MI5.

After drinks, the group is strolling out of the bar when Henry is approached by his wife's black sheep brother, Randolph (Randy) Denhaugh. This is a shock since Randy hasn't been seen for decades, since the day he stole his parents valuable Constable painting when he was a young man.

Henry brushes Randy off, but the black sheep doesn't stay gone. Randy has a booth at the Sherlock Holmes conference, selling his original Sherlockian sketches. Gemma sees her uncle as she's perusing the vendors, and notes that he's loudly told off by two separate women.

Later, after Gemma has given her speech and accepted Uncle Arthur's award, Randy is found dead in a meeting room at the conference, with Gemma's dad Henry beside the body. Henry has a large goose egg on his head and claims to remember nothing. This is a problem since the detective assigned to the case, Inspector Sam Morrison, is a no-talent yutz who hates his former colleague. Thus Henry is soon arrested for murder.

Gemma knows her dad is innocent and sets out to find the real killer. The amateur sleuth is assisted by her American friends and her sister Pippa - whose mysterious contacts are invaluable.

During her inquiries, Gemma learns that Randy was an art forger and exploitative friend who gave a bogus diamond ring to his 'fiancée' - so there are plenty of possible suspects for the crime.

As Gemma is investigating the murder with one or another of her friends, the others take the opportunity to go sightseeing at places like the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Black Museum, and so on.

As one would expect of tourists in England, the visitors drink myriad cups of tea and eat things like steak and kidney pie; steak and ale pie; croissants with strawberry jam; and a full English breakfast.

The most amusing scenes in the book occur when Gemma calls her assistant Ashleigh to check on the bookstore. Gemma hears that the shop's resident cat, Moriarty, peed on Gemma's laptop and on the shoes of a visiting author. Gemma also learns that Uncle Arthur's lady friend started a fire with her cigarette; and that elderly shoppers got into a brouhaha about Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays Sherlock Holmes on TV) and had to be thrown out.

This entertaining story has numerous allusions to the Sherlock Holmes canon, and would appeal to readers who like cozy mysteries and to fans of the legendary detective.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Vicki Delany) and the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) for a copy of the book.

What's a Sherlock Convention without mystery, intrigue and little bit of murder? Throw in a long, lost relative that you know nothing about, art forgery and you have the full experience, but when your father is accused of murder then you must go full Sherlock Mode to solve the crime and keep him safe! Gemma and crew are in London for a Sherlock Convention so they get to walk the same streets as the Sherlock would have had he been a real person. Excellent plotting with twists and turns to keep you intrigued and guessing who the real culprit is. This time all of Gemma's friends get involved in solving the crime including her beau, Ryan, but they need to solve the crime quickly because her father's old nemesis is determined to see him locked away for the crime. I do recommend that you read the entire series as it will really build the characters' profiles and help you get to know them much better which makes them much more relatable while drawing you into the storyline of each book more.

There's A Murder Afoot
(Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #5)
by Vicki Delany 

Kindle Edition, 336 pages
Expected publication: January 7th 2020 by Crooked Lane Books



Goodreads synopsis:
Just in time for Sherlock Holmes's 166th birthday, the fifth installment in national bestselling author Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery takes Sherlockania to the max with a Holmes convention and historic 221 Baker Street.

Gemma Doyle and her friends travel to London for a Sherlock Holmes convention--but will Gemma's father take the fall for a felonious forger's fatality?

The 6th of January is Sherlock Holmes's birthday, and lucky for Gemma Doyle, January is also the slowest time of the year at both the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. It's a good time for Gemma and her friends to travel to England for a Holmes Convention. For Gemma, the trip provides an opportunity to visit her parents, Jayne Wilson is excited about seeing all the sites London has to offer, and Ryan Ashburton just wants to spend some time with Gemma. But the trip is immediately derailed when Gemma's father Henry recognizes his brother-in-law Randolph Manning, who disappeared more than thirty years ago on the night he stole a valuable painting from his own parents.

Henry, a retired detective with Scotland Yard, has been keeping tabs on the man's career as a forger of Old Masters and he warns Randy to stay away from his family. Randy is at the conference selling his own art, a series of sketches inspired by the Holmes Canon. The ever-observant Gemma notes that he isn't exactly popular with some of the other conference attendees, but when Randy is found dead after the banquet with a dazed and confused Henry Doyle standing over him, the police leap to assume his guilt. It's up to Gemma, with the help of her friends, to plunge into the "lowest and vilest alleys" of London to save her father from prison.


***

5 Stars

Wow! What an awesome read! I am totally hooked on Vicki Delaney and her Sherlock series!

This is the fifth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany.

Gemma Doyle owns a Sherlock themed bookstore and tea room. She and her friends travel to England to attend a Sherlock conference so Gemma can accept an award for her uncle. While she is there, she meets an uncle she never knew about who was apparently a pretty shady guy. When her dad is found holding a rope to her uncle’s neck, Gemma and her sister Phillipa start investigation into who really wanted her uncle dead. And what they turn up is is a huge kettle of fish.

I found this book quite fascinating. I have always loved Sherlock and his stories. This is a cool twist on the theme. Gemma is the maybe relative of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The text wasn’t clear whether it was a fact or not. Gemma is very much like Sherlock in how she thinks. And her sister is sort of MI-5 like with a job no one really knows the description of. She works for the government is all you really glean but as the book progresses you realize that her boss is most likely the Queen herself.

The mystery really had me guessing all the way through. It was really unputdownable! I am definitely making this series a priority to read in 2020!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Gemma and her friends have traveled to London to attend a Sherlock Holmes convention. Ryan and Jayne are more excited to see London and spend time with Gemma but Donald doesn't want to miss one Sherlock Holmes related thing.

Things are going well until Gemma meets an uncle she didn't know she had who is soon found dead with her father standing over him. The police inspector assigned to the case has a long-standing grudge against her retired police inspector father and so Gemma knows that it will be up to her and her mysterious sister Pippa to find the real murderer and save her father.

I enjoyed the setting and the the characters. I liked that Ryan and Gemma's relationship seems to be prospering after some earlier setbacks. I liked getting to know Gemma's family and meeting her sister Pippa who works in some mysterious job for the British government.

This was an entertaining episode in a very engaging mystery series.

The fifth installment in the Sherlock Homes Bookshop series has Gemma Doyle and her friends travelling to London for a Sherlock Holmes convention to pick up an award for Uncle Arthur who has decided to stay back at the shop. Gemma is excited to see her parents and Jayne just wants to take in all the sights. Turns out there are some shady characters in Gemma’s family tree. Henry (Gemma’s Father and former Scotland Yard) sees his brother in law Randy who stole from his own parents years ago. It appears he is selling his own sketches this time but Gemma notices he is not a favorite at the conference and when he is found dead by Henry he becomes the prime suspect. Gemma again is stonewalled by the police in her investigation (imagine the police not wanting a civilian investigating lol) but her sister Pippa insists she continue. One of the best in the series.

There's A Murder Afoot is the 5th in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. I recently discovered this series and have been busy reading it from book 1 because that is the only way I read series. Gets too confusing for me and my old brain otherwise. Each installment has been just great. I have been slowly moving over to reading more cozies but finding it difficult to find an author whose writing style I can relate to. Also one who writes a story deep enough to hold my interest but not so deep as to have to make notes, outline characters and draw up a family tree. This series has all the good things, none of the bad. I read all 5 books without getting bored with them. In my search for good cozy series, I found another one that was really good. Oh! It's Ms. Delany writing under a different name. :)

I can recommend this for anyone who loves a great cozy mystery but always remember to start at the beginning.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley and Ms. Delany for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This series just keeps getting better. Gemma, Jayne, and crew cross the pond for a Sherlock Holmes convention in London. What a great change of venue for new adventures and new Holmes allusions. Meeting Gemma’s family adds an element that will, I hope, continue to bring depth and development to future installments. Well, done, Vicki Delany.

I have been so pleased with this series that I have been waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop and for it to have a stinker of a book. I am here to tell you that this book IS NOT THAT ONE!!! YAY!!
This is an excellent edition to the series and I really enjoyed it tremendously. If I had not almost fallen asleep last night, I would have been able to pull this out in one day - I just didn't want to put it down.

I really enjoy books set in London [my favorite city that I have never been to], and it was fun to see Gemma in her hometown and to meet her family and to hear about sites all over London. It was also fun to see the "cast" from America be in England and enjoy everything about it. It was interesting to see them all out of their element, yet enjoying themselves [more or less - a murder DOES tend to put a cramp in things] immensely. It was also interesting to see the relationship between Pippa and Gemma; as someone who has a rather difficult and strained relationship with her younger sister, I can attest that this felt very real.

So what kept me from rating this at 5 stars? I mean, it sounds like a 5 star read right? Because of one thing: WHO was murdered. You know almost immediately who the "bad person" is and you just *KNOW* that is who is going to end up dead. AND...you also know who is going to be accused of it. Even though the dead body didn't show up until almost 26% in [which is refreshing I must say], the way it is set up was really annoying. I'd LOVE just for once, to be surprised at who was killed. The reveal was very good [and fit in well with the whole story] and the only reason that I had somewhat guessed what was going on was because I was paying attention [much like Gemma] during several conversations and "thought-processes". Otherwise, I would have been pretty surprised.

Overall, this was an excellent [and quick] read and I am already looking forward to the next installment in this excellent series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun series. The main character, Gemma Doyle (depending on who you talk to no relation), is in London for a Sherlock Holmes event. Murder occurs during dinner, a relative is suspected and so Gemma and friends start tracking down who could be responsible. I loved the London location. I enjoy Gemma and friends and liked getting to know Gemma's relatives.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - One of my favorite series.

Although this book has all the hallmarks of a cozy mystery, the protagonist is annoying and very unlikable, which has been my aversion to the series since the first book.
This latest offering has a great premise with a Sherlock Holmes convention in London, but unfortunately. this series continues to be a disappointment.

There's A Murder Afoot is another Vicki mystery that you'll enjoy reading. Lots of twists and turns.. You'll enjoy how the characters interact and work together to solve this mystery, that's takes place at a Sherlock Holmes convention.

In this installment Gemma and her crew head for London. It is primarily for a Sherlock Holmes convention, but Gemma still has family nearby. It is interesting to see Gemma in her native land. And we meet her sister Pippa, who has a secret job that is only hinted at. There is a murder at the convention and it ends up involving Gemma's father, who is under suspicion. Gemma sets out to solve the murder along with her sister. They do some detecting throughout London with the crew even though they haven't completely apprised them of the situation. It is a good little caper that brings in a lot of action and develops the characters even further. It uses their personal development to advance the story line. It has a bit of a sweet ending that makes you want to read the next one to see what will happen.

This books review will go live on my blog December 5th at http://booksmoviesreviewsohmy.com.

In book 5 of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries the gang has landed in London for a Sherlock Conference!

Donald signed Gemma up to speak at a Sherlock Holmes conference without telling her and when she got the call about doing it she almost said no, but then she decided it would be nice to take a vacation back to her home country and visit her family. Jayne her friend wanted to go as well and of course Gemma's boyfriend detective Ryan got some time off to go, and Grant the rare bookseller thought it would be a good thing to go to to try and find some rare books in London for some buyers and of course Donald, the lover of all things Sherlock Holmes is going as well!

The conference was going really well until Gemma meets a man rude man who she finds out is the uncle she didn't know she had and her father gets into several confrontations with him. He has been estranged from the family since he stole a rare painting from the family thirty years ago. He has been in jail and is an art forger, so when he is found dead there are several suspects. 

The things is when they found him, they also found her father who had been hit on the head and was just coming too when a lady found them and screamed. Quickly, Gemma's sister Pippa, whom I have to think works for the government in some capacity, get to work on figuring out what to do. Gemma and her sister knows that their father is going to be a suspect so they put forth a plan, most of which it requires Gemma to do the sleuthing because Pippa can't get involved. 

I really liked this one and think it might be my favorite one. I love Gemma, Ryan and Jayne, but  I loved the introduction of Gemma's sister Pippa and the romance that blossomed between her sister and Grant. Donald cracked me up as always with his over the top zeal for all things Sherlock. 

I really liked the mystery and I didn't figure it out so that is always good. I think I should have figured it out but I got things a bit wrong just like Gemma...lol. 

I am so excited to be caught up on a series and recommend this for anyone who loves cozies!

There's a Murder Afoot is the 5th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries by Vicki Delany. I have read the previous books in this series and when this one became available, it was a must-read. I can easily say, it delivered a wonderful punch and earns 4.5 stars. Let's dive into the review...

Gemma and Jayne are on a trip to London. They've been invited to an award ceremony in Uncle Arthur's absence. Arthur's decided to mind the shops while the girls are on a little getaway. They also bring a few friends with them, and when they meet Gemma's parents, things get a little crazy. Mom has a younger brother no one knew anything about, and he's a troublemaker. When he ends up dead, it looks like Dad killed his brother-in-law because of all the cons the man pulled. It's up to Gemma and Jayne to solve the mystery in her homeland this time.

At first, I was concerned about the new setting. I loved the Massachusetts bookstore and all the supporting characters. Delany does a fantastic job at having Gemma's shop employee, Ashleigh, call with all the issues, and there are a quite a few fun ones. Arthur simply cannot be left in charge again. On top of that, we are treated to Ryan, Grant, and another surprise visitor. Ryan, of course, tries to stop Gemma from investigating her uncle's death, but Gemma's sister, Pippa, insists she help. Pippa apparently has connections in the British government, and all indications point to her directly working for the Queen or someone close to the Queen.

As a mystery, there were several solid suspects. The setting was quite lovely, and I enjoyed the descriptions and the new characters. I like Gemma's parents a lot, and the police in London are worse than the American police -- so mean to Gemma! She should be allowed to investigate. LOL Even if she's a bit cranky sometimes. That said... the book moves fast, and it's going to be a fun setup for the future. Definitely recommend this one.

An engaging cozy mystery in the Sherlock Holmes Bookstore series. I hadn't read any of these before, and didn't know what to expect. I found it easy to engage with the characters--while part of a series, this worked as a standalone. I enjoyed the subtle nods to all things Sherlockian; this was done with just the right tone without being mocking or overbearing. I particularly liked Gemma Doyle with her keen observational skills.

I like the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Series because the characters are fun and it's kind of funny that Gemma owns the bookshop but isn't really that into Sherlock Holmes. It cuts down on the cutesy factor. This is book five in the series, and there is already a change of scenery. Gemma, Jane, and their friends are in London for a Homes convention while her assistant and uncle take care of the shop back in New London, MA. This gives us the opportunity to meet Gemma's parents, her sister, and a ne'er-do-well uncle she doesn't know. When the uncle turns up dead with Gemma's dad standing over him, the police assume he's the murderer and Gemma and friends have to root out the real one. This might be the best book in the series so far. Pippa, Gemma's sister, was an interesting addition and her mysterious job has the potential to bring her back to the series going forward. The world of art forgery and con artists was a good setting for this story, and it made me want a little more excitement in the series in general.

This series is extremely fun. One of the best cozies out there! If you're looking for a fun cozy series to get into, you really can't go wrong here. It's got an interesting heroine who isn't annoying, side characters galore, and nice world-building. As is somewhat typical with cozies, the mysteries are sometimes slight, but it's really not an issue.

I thought this was a interesting book. It's set in London during a Sherlock Holmes conference but most of the action takes place in London proper. Gemme discovers a black sheep long lost uncle who is quickly killed and her father is accused of killing him, so she investigates with the help of her friends his death and the suspects. It turns out he was into art forgery and that led to his death. The ending is a surprise and exciting. #TheresAMurderAfoot #NetGalley

This is another enjoyable installment in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series. I love Gemma and the other characters, and it was fun to travel with them to London in this book.