The Game is a Footnote is the 8th book in Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries, a cozy amateur sleuth series set in Massachusetts where an English woman, Gemma, runs a bookshop and tea store with a good American friend, Jayne, and they find themselves embroiled in local homicides. In this installment, Jayne's mother signs Gemma up for an overnight stay at a local historical site where a suspected ghost is causing havoc. Gemma doesn't believe that's true but agrees to disprove the theory... except when she stays over, it appears like a ghost has settled in for a long stay. While peeling layers of the expertly crafted onion, Gemma finds connections to the home's past, a family whose line died out (or did it?) over sixty years ago, and a prominent historical figure. Then one of the people from the historical site turns up dead, and it's unclear whether murder or an accident happened. Plus, Pippa, Gemma's sister, shows up from Great Britain to catch up on some family time... love the dynamic between those two. I enjoyed this story tremendously. While there were several possible suspects for a new death that occurs shortly after the ghost appears, it's clear the true motives are hidden in the past, and the real story takes a long time to rise to the surface. When it does, it's a doozy and kept me highly intrigued. Kudos to Delany for penning another fantastic tale.

This is one of my favorite series. I enjoy Gemma's dry sense of humor and British reticence and her talent for observation and deduction similar to Sherlock Holmes'. I want to visit her Sherlock Holmes bookstore and Mrs. Hudson's Tearoom. This book had a couple of different mysteries occurring. The possible haunting of the historic house during the dark winter weather was very atmospheric. There were plenty of suspects to sift through. I enjoyed Gemma's sister's visit too. I'm ready for the next book.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Game is a Footnote (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery)
Vicki Delany
Crooked Lane Books
January 10, 2023

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson reluctantly pair up to solve the mysterious happenings at the Scarlet House, the oldest home in the town. Objects, like a rolling pin, start turning up in places they don’t belong and members of the Historical Society (who are in charge of the home) are beginning to believe the home is haunted. That would be disastrous for the Board as they rely on children’s tours to keep the house open to the public. But, things get deadly serious when one of the docents ends up dead. The game is afoot!

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It’s easy to read and hard to put down. I loved the characters especially Gemma Doyle who owns The Sherlock Holmes Book Emporium; complete with a store cat named Moriarity.

The first chapter throws a lot of names (suspects) out there and so, as usual, I made a list to refer to. Besides that tiny complaint, I couldn’t put the book down. If you’re a cozy mystery fan, this book is for you!

Thank you #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the advanced reader’s copy. My opinions are my own. #TheGameIsAFootnote

Delightful read with characters and plotting I truly appreciated on yet another sweltering summer day. I found myself ignoring pressing chores to continue reading which is always the sign of a fantastic novel.

Oh this was fun! I love cozy mysteries! Especially when set in strange settings such as a museum, shops etc and you get a feel of the place a bit too.

I do like the Sherlock Holmes hook in these cozy mysteries, but I still am not a fan of the amateur detective, Gemma Doyle. She continues to be arrogant, rude, and impatient. In this story, her sister, who is similar in intellect and reasoning but improved in patience and civility, appears unexpectedly. I don't understand how Gemma's beau, the local policeman, puts up with her. Still, this is an entertaining mystery. The staff of the local museum, Scarlet House, thinks they may have a ghost in their midst. Because of Gemma's reputation, they ask her to figure out what is going on. For the first time, I almost had this one figured out before the ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC.

Vicki Delany never disappoints, From the first encounter via her clever titles, she follows through with a well plotted mystery that is high on fun characters that we readers are willing to invest ourselves in .
She is a master of these puns! Gemma is one of my favorite people (fictional) and of course, the idea that this is a Sherlock--homage, also draws me in. But the piece de resistance for me is the bookshop--yep, take any mystery and surround it with books, a bookshop setting and it will improve--like heating a sweet roll and tasting the icing and butter all the better.
Another five star effort

Ghosts, a haunted museum, objects that move by themselves, a dark, cold night and murder make the perfect investigation scenario for Gemma Doyle and her business partner and best friend, Jayne. Wilson. Determined to prove the events at Scarlet House, a historical re-enactment museum, are man-made and not "spirit" made, Gemma and Jayne are drawn into a mystery full of history, greed, lies and murder.

What an adventure! The history of Scarlet House was so well-woven into the mystery that I found myself believing there was an actual musem/house! There are so many things to like about this book - the friendship of Gemma and Jayne, the side story of the disappearance of Ashleigh (Gemma's assistant at the bookstore) and the appearance of Phillippa, Gemma's mysterious sister, the always humorous Donald and Gemma's boyfriend, Ryan who is accepting fact that Gemma's investigative talent is a good but sometimes frustrating thing. I won't let anything "slip" but there are two new storylines that fans of Vicki Delaney will absolutely love! I know I did!

Another winner and maybe my favorite in the series!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have tried repeatedly to read this book but just can’t get interested. So many characters in the beginning, it gets confusing. I have it on the kindle app on my phone and will continue to try when I’m waiting at the doctors office or something similar.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.
I adore this fun cozy mystery series by one of my favorite authors Vickii Delany. The author has a talent for creating a fun sleuth that keeps the reader guessing to conclusion. Vicki Delany also writes the fabulous Lighthouse Mystery series as Eva Gates.

In this 8th release our protagnist Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are on a unique case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum. Gemma and Jaynen are intriqued by the find and begin to investigate.
Scarlet House is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. Items have started to move on their own and the board members are concerned . They call on Gemma to investigate. When they discover the body they find out many historical secrets about the museum and stories from local residents..
I enjoyed this intriquing well crafted mystery to conclusion. Gemma and Jayne are savvy smart investigators . The supporting charcters all add to the fun . The ghostly aspect was fun and added to the story. A enjoyable read I highly recommend. I look forward to the next in series.

Another book from Vicki Delany and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series! The book starts with a prologue giving you the history of the house in West London. Rumors are flying about paranormal activity at a local museum, Scarlet House. Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, has special skills that allow her to discover things about others. Also, the arrival of Gemma’s sister added a little twist to the investigation

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum in bestselling author Vicki Delany's eighth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.

Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it. Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat.

Gemma and Jayne suspect foul play as they start to uncover more secrets about the museum. With the museum being a revolving door for potential killers, they have plenty of options for who might be the actual culprit.

Despite Gemma's determination not to get further involved, it would appear that once again, and much to the displeasure of Detective Ryan Ashburton, the game is afoot.

Will Gemma and Jayne be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted museum, or will they be the next to haunt it?

This was the first book I have read from this series, but the beauty of cozy mysteries is you can easily pick up in whatever order and make sense of the story.

I found it difficult to keep track of who was saying what (which might have been to the format of the ARC on an e-reader) but over all, I wasn’t terribly interested in this story.

I don’t know why it took me so long to read this series. I jumped in with this one #8 and felt like it stood on its own fine. I love the Sherlock Holmes bookstore and wouldn’t mind having scones next door at the tea shop.

Gemma has been asked to see if Scarlet House is haunted. Of course, it isn’t – probably – but something strange is definitely going on. When someone ends up dead on the premises, Gemma allows herself to be dragged into finding out what’s going on, to the dismay of the police. There are plenty of secrets at the museum and plenty of people going in and out all day.

Gemma is observant and smart. I liked her and adored the town and her shop. Her friends seem nice and willing to help out when needed. There was a side plot involving one of the employees that I found a little out of place but did introduce us to some characters we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

There are plenty of surprises in this book as well as twists and turns – and more than a few coincidences. I guessed who the killer was, but didn’t know why until Gemma’s sister from England, our Mycroft character, shows up to provide some information.

A delightful cozy set in West London, Massachusetts, involving a historical manor, Scarlet House. It opens with a fairly long history of the ownership of the house, the farm, surrounding land, and what happened to all the descendants from 1640 to 2010 (over 375 yrs). Now it’s a historical site open to visitors, and many of the volunteers think Scarlet House is haunted because objects keep disappearing & then mysteriously reappearing and some claim to have seen the ghostly image of a woman.

The board asked Gemma Doyle owner of the Sherlock Holmes bookshop to look into the ghostly happenings and prove that they are fake, and that someone’s out to sabotage the board’s fund raising efforts. But things take a turn after a board member is found dead in the barn, Now Gemma & Ryan Ashburton, her boyfriend, who just happens to be the area’s local lead detective, must investigate a murder, along with help from her best friend Jayne Wilson + Jayne’s boyfriend Andy Whitehall.

A pleasant summer cozy but I did have a few quibbles. There’s a strange subplot that’s meant to be a red herring but it didn’t work for me. At times it was confusing as to who was speaking but that’s probably a result of reading an advance e-copy. There was a little too much detail about what everyone was wearing including a reference to the main character’s socks. And at one point the Gemma asks what a pyjama party & sleepover were….good grief….is she 3yrs old?!

Although this is the 8th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, it can easily be read as a standalone. 3.25 ⭐️

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy!

I absolutely adore Vicki Delaney cozies. I missed at least one in this series and she makes me feel welcomed back with open arms and I don't feel like I've missed a beat. There's no excessive info dumping, the characters are smart and still fresh. There's still the cat that I love after all this time. I started reading these when I was pregnant with my kid and now she's 6, so I might have some sentiment attached to the series. So it really felt like visiting old friends. Plus there's a haunted museum straight out of a Scooby-Doo style mystery. It's heckin fun. Highly recommend for cozy reading.

Thank you to Crooked Lane books for the ARC

Rumors are flying about paranormal activity at a local museum, Scarlet House. Gemma Doyle has reluctantly agreed to spend a night there to try to discover what is going on. Friend Jayne and her soon-to-be-husband will be there, too, although Gemma has deliberately avoided involving Ryan, her detective boyfriend. Quite frankly, Gemma isn't expecting anything out of the ordinary.

She was wrong. Strange noises, animals in the barn in turmoil, and items out of place. If this spook, spectral or not, expected Gemma to run away in terror, however, they picked the wrong person. Gemma doesn't believe in ghosts and her plan, much like Sherlock Holmes, is to eliminate the impossible and investigate whatever is left. Do you believe in ghosts? Tell me after you finish this one.

Unfortunately, finding a dead body, David, wasn't part of the impossible and adds to Gemma's incentive to get to the bottom of things. She's distracted, however, by the sudden disappearance of her dependable worker, Ashleigh. Never fear, however, Gemma is definitely capable of handling more than one puzzle at a time. Toss in the sudden visit of her sister Pippa from England and things only get more interesting....and complicated.

I won't detail the plot, discovering it all piece by piece as you sort through the multitude of red herrings is, well, part of the fun. The characters we've gotten to know over the series are there, not to mention the critters. Moriarity the cat still hisses at Gemma, btw, but manages to provide an unwanted, scary distraction at one point.

Why is Scarlet House suddenly seemingly haunted? Who killed David? How does one lock oneself in a barn? Are hungry pigs dangerous? Why is Pippa really there? Is Gemma the least bit sorry for waking up Ryan at 3a.m.? That's debatable. That whole scene of the police trying to secure the scene of the crime in the rain, including a pig sty, creates a hilarious image in one's mind, must admit, so Ryan had to be exhausted. What does an aging pop star have to do with anything? What secrets are the various players in this drama keeping? Why....why don't I stop with the teasers now and just say, read this one. The start seemed a bit slow to me but picked up big time as the plot moved along.

Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for letting me drop in on Gemma and friends again. I'm always up for a bit of Sherlock sleuthing even if Gemma's tendency to get so caught up in her whirling mind means that she forgets we're there at times.

I was excited to see the newest Gemma Doyle book, and this book has all the standard cast of characters we know and love. Except, it's not enough of them? Or too much of them?

[spoilers]
The book starts off interestingly - purported haunted house? Okay. Gemma is roped in by Jayne's mom to disprove it. That makes sense. Ashley disappears? Hang on. Did Donald poison Moriarty? He never came back... And why is Pippa in America now?
[/spoilers]

It was fine. The story is based on more coincidence than I'm accustomed to with the series, but maybe the other seven have been similar because I wasn't reading it in January (celebrating the Great Detective's birthday with the new release of Delany's books) and I read it in print instead of listening to Kim Hicks' excellent narration? I'll definitely be re-reading it in January when I get it on audiobook (it's a tradition), but it's not in my top 7 of the 8 book series.

Gemma and Jayne are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum.
This cozy mystery is book 8 of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, but the first one I read, and now that I have read this one, I will definitely go back to read the rest of the series. It has plenty of red herrings that keep you guessing, a slow pace with an explosive ending and is a fun read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was ok as a cozy mystery!

I found myself looking for more connections between the goings on, and I found it difficult to deduce what was the key to solving the mystery at the same time as Gemma.

I also think her relationship with Ryan detracts from the story as they seem so stiff and forced around each other.

Overall I would read others in the series to try it out!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Thanks for the ARC. What a fun cozy mystery!! What can I say? I did not want to put this book down once I started reading it. I did but could not wait to get back to reading it. Love the cover! Will recommend!