I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, and it wasn't one I figured out halfway through! This is the eighth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, and had no problem jumping in and getting a feel for the characters. Gemma Doyle, co-owner of the Sherlock Holmes bookshop along with her best friend, Jayne Wilson are called in to Scarlet House a local museum. There seems to be some trouble afoot and some of the volunteers believe the house is haunted. Gemma is a very practical woman, and doesn't believe that for a moment. Gemma and Jayne spend the night at the house to debunk the ghost theory, but tragedy strikes when a volunteer is discovered deceased in the barn.

I liked the pragmatic way Gemma investigates the case, and I enjoyed the appearance of her sister Pippa. Gemma and Jayne have a great relationship and I love how they compliment each other's personalities. There were several possible suspects in the murder and I enjoyed this story very much!

I would recommend this story to anyone who wants a cozy mystery that can be solved by the reader in the first few chapters. This was a great read. I enjoyed the narrator of this book, as I received an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Good series.
Gemma and Jayne owners of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Tea shop
are ask to help with ghosts in the Scarlett House.
Twists,drama,mystery.
Good narration.
Volunrarily reviewe.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery set in Massachusetts at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop. This was book #8 in the series, and it was my first book from the series that I've read. I liked it enough to go back and listen to the earlier books in the series which is saying a lot. I love that the shop cat is named "Moriarty", and the references to Sherlock are sprinkled throughout. Really fun book and really good narration on the audio version. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an advance copy of this audiobook, in return for an honest review.

Release Date: January 10, 2023

📖📖📖📖📖

Gemma and Jayne are back to investigate…ghosts?! Not your average murder that they are usually solving so when the head of the West London Historical Society approaches the pair to solve other worldly activities at the historic Scarlett House, the pair agrees. Things quickly spiral and soon Jayne and Gemma add a murder to their investigation list.

@vicki.delany where have you been all my life?! As a cape cod resident I am in love with West London and all its residents. I am highly recommending this series and am very excited to go back to book #1 (Elementary, she read) and start this series from the beginning!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#thegameisafootnote #sherlockholmesbookshopmystery #GemmaandJayne #vickidelany #dreamscapemedia #crookedlanebooks #netgalleyreads #cozymysteries #cozymysteryseries #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booktok #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookblogger #igreads #goodreads #bookclub #bookreviews #bookblog

Gemma Doyle is one of my favorite sleuths and Vicki Delaney’s newest story does not disappoint at all. Gemma is an amazingly good at cracking out a who-done-it. Her friends make you just wish you could go and spend some time in West London on Cape Cod and visit the bookshop and tearoom.

The mystery kept me guessing through the whole book, not only for who the murder was but also was that a ghost? But as an added bonus the there is a historical background piece that was fantastically done.

Kim Hicks was a fantastic narrator choice and brought Gemma to life to the “readers” ear. Thank you for allowing me to read this book and review it.

Release Date: January 10, 2023

📖📖📖📖📖

Gemma and Jayne are back to investigate…ghosts?! Not your average murder that they are usually solving so when the head of the West London Historical Society approaches the pair to solve other worldly activities at the historic Scarlett House, the pair agrees. Things quickly spiral and soon Jayne and Gemma add a murder to their investigation list.

@vicki.delany where have you been all my life?! As a cape cod resident I am in love with West London and all its residents. I am highly recommending this series and am very excited to go back to book #1 (Elementary, she read) and start this series from the beginning!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#thegameisafootnote #sherlockholmesbookshopmystery #GemmaandJayne #vickidelany #dreamscapemedia #crookedlanebooks #netgalleyreads #cozymysteries #cozymysteryseries #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booktok #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookblogger #igreads #goodreads #bookclub #bookreviews #bookblog

This book was so enjoyable to listen to. I had a hard time turning off. The characters are wonderfully written. I can’t wait to listen to more from this author.

Luckily the author got back to a bit more of the original start up of the other books of this series. I wasn't quite to this book in the series, when I received a free copy from Netgalley to review, and feel I am missing some information. That's really only due to the fact that I've read the other books at the start of this series. If I hadn't read the other books I would say this book is fairly stand alone and could be read without the others.

Very Sherlock still, despite this many books in. Lot of little ties in to other Sherlock stories.

This was a fun one and I can't wait to read more! I jumped into this series in the middle, b/c I am who I am :) and now I am going to go back and read the first books b/c I want to know ALLLL the back story. I also am adding all the rest of her books to my TBR, as this is the 1st book of her's I've read, and need MORE!

#TheGameIsaFootnote
#NetGalley

Although this is the 8th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series, this is the first of the series that I have read. It was easily read as a standalone, and I am interested in reading a bit more of the series.

It had a bit of a slower start, but once the murder is committed, the story starts to ramp up a bit. I think one of the reasons I am very lukewarm about this series thus far is that I don’t feel a strong connection to or have much interest in the MC or the other side characters. I plan to read more of the series at some point, however, and this interest could easily grow. I think the voices done for the side characters in the audiobook also threw me off a bit. I wish that the world-building of the town and scenery were a bit stronger to help pull me into the community and their stories.

I love cozies that have cat and dog characters, and I enjoy that this series has both. Especially the bookshop cat!

I rated this audiobook a 3.25/5

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an audiobook copy of The Game is a Footnote by Vicki Delany. My comments are an independent, honest review.

I throughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. I thought the build was good. I didn’t guess the end which is always a sign of a good mystery to me. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. I will read the other books in this cozy mystery series.

Gemma and Jayne are asked to help disprove the rumors that the Scarlet House, a local historic museum, is haunted. Gemma is against it, but agrees as Jayne’s mother is on the Board. Weird things happen during the night, but no one sees a ghost. The next day after a meeting at Scarlet House, Dave Chase, the farm's volunteer vet, is found dead below the barn's loft. Was it an accident or was he murdered?

I knew I had read another in the series, but after 10 minutes of Gemma, I HAD to check. Turns out I did, and the same opinion stands here: Gemma, despite being intelligent and observant, is an insufferable know-it-all. I liked this book in spite of her, not because of her. In fact, I almost gave up on the book because the murder didn't occur until nearly 1/3 of the way through, and I was getting fed up with Gemma. And to make matters worse, Gemma’s sister, Pippa, arrives from London and is even more obnoxious than Gemma. I didn't think that was possible!

The murder mystery, once started, was intriguing and a solid 3 1/2 stars. Gemma and her arrogance just gets 1 star. I left it at 2 since the murder happened so late in the book that I was beginning to wonder if there even was one. Plus the late murder left me dealing with more of Gemma's haughtiness without any buffer. Perhaps I need to delve into the author's other series; I cannot abide one more minute spent with that woman.

I've really enjoyed this series. Gemma and Jayne get called on again to solve a mystery of what is going on in the local museum. Thera are some small issues that need to be cleared up and with their past history, the museum board thinks they are just the ones for the job. Unfortunately, it turns out to be more than just some small happenings and Gemma is soon caught up in another murder. It is not up to Gemma and the rest of the crew to find out what is going on and who all is involved.

This is the eighth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series and the third book I have read in this series. I enjoy Gemma and Jayne's sleuthing and their ability to insert themselves into every mystery in their town of West London. I love Gemma as an employer, she is the only one concerned by her employees disappearance.

I initially did not enjoy the narration of this audiobook as I have read the previous books and had my own voices for these characters in my head. Once I got used to the voices, I enjoyed Kim Hicks's narration of this novel and I would look for more books narrated by Kim in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC!

This was my first foray into the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, and it was delightfully pleasant. I didn't feel like I was missing out or lacking information from not having read the other books. The wittiness of the writing made this a very pleasant read indeed. The setting and basic setup of the book (British ex-pat living in Cape Cod) made this an extra cozy read for me, as a New Englander. I could easily picture the picturesque shops in the fictional town of West London, having browsed through many a similar boutique. A great winter read also, as it is set in winter. This one hit a lot of my 'happy buttons'. Will definitely check out more of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to read and review The Game is a Footnote.

Author: Vicki Delany
Narrator: Kim Hicks
Published: 01/10/23
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Oh what a tangled web I have woven. This cozy mystery was painful and exhausting. It took several days, short periods of time, and a couple Nancy Kerrigan moments -- why, why, why.

Seriously, it is not the author. I have come to the realization that there are time periods and subjects that work beautifully on Masterpiece Theatre but not in a book for me. I shy away from classics Christie and Doyle. I fell for the cover, the synopsis, and cozy, and it was a fail. The narration hurt the situation. One of just a few books, I wanted the physical book. I didn't like the tone or diction It was grating.

As for the story, without spoiling, it was long and too detailed. This is a cozy. Sadly, I just was worn out by the Sherlock speak.

There is a market for this bookshop, Sherlock, cozy,just not with me.

This is the only book in the series I have listened to. The narrator did a great job with the story and used different voices for different characters. She was very clear and easy to understand. I did feel lost because I was not familiar with the series. Although the plot line was well thought out.

A wonderful read once again from Vicki Delany in The Game Is A Footnote. I appreciate that the mystery she gives the reader is so like Sir Conan Doyle's writings as the culprit is never obvious at any point in the story. Taking turn after turn, revealing a little more with every page, this is pressing pageturner, same as the rest of Vicki Delany's "A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery" series. We are our own detective alongside Gemma Doyle, bookshop owner and co-owner of the local tearoom. What I love about this book is that it continues the reader into Gemma's little New England seaside town and revisits the Scarlett House, where Gemma has already had to solve one mystery. From the moment you begin, the details transport the reader as if we are literally standing with Gemma on her adventure. A great continuation of the series.

The eighth book in a series, I got a free copy of the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Add this whole series to my "in progress" list because I will be going back to start from the beginning. Gemma is a smart lead who picks apart the central mystery after some initial red herrings. Supporting cast is helpful but not too helpful. The people who run the museum are your typical cast of volunteers with good intentions and they all have different aims.

#8 in Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, The Game is a Footnote follows Gemma Doyle on another adventure through a sleepy Massachusetts town. I hadn't read any of the earlier books in the series, which made some of the interpersonal relationships a mystery to me, but I was otherwise able to keep up.

A really solid cozy mystery that was a fun listen! There are a few different plots running along side each other and they didn't always hand together neatly, but other than that, it was very enjoyable.