Can a ghost be a murderer? Gemma knows that is the wrong question, but the real question of who the murderer is needs to be answered quickly or more people may find themselves in harm's way! This series is a wonderful twist on a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. Gemma notices minute details that few others do and remembers them fully, her stunted social skills are both funny and endearing. The characters are so well thought out so that their flaws become part of the endearing personalities much as in real life. I think that is what draws me back to Baker Street to Gemma and her gang of pals each time a new book is released, but the outstanding plotting is an absolute part of it too! The plot is wonderfully twisted with multiple potential suspects that must be untangled and understood to finally get to the true guilty culprit. This was a wonderful example of a locked room style mystery that was done extremely well. I have to say this may be my favorite mystery in the series so far, but this author never ceases to amaze me by making the next book even better so I'll just say that you should read the entire series to enjoy and decide for yourself!

The Sign of Four Spirits is the 9th book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop cozy series by Vicki Delany. Due out 9th Jan 2023 by Crooked Lane books, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardback, ebook and audio formats. Paperback due out 1st quarter 2025 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

One of the things that a lot of pastiche bookshop/library cozies have in common is title dropping. This series is no exception but it's fine since that's a great way to find new authors to follow up and read. It does add verisimilitude for fictional librarians and bookshop owners to be able to recommend titles to their patrons. That's a nice bonus to an otherwise engaging and fun light read. In addition, this series is good in its own right, and the author is both prolific and more than competent with the technical nuts-n-bolts of writing.

The pacing is good and the story arc is clever and readable. It's full of appealingly eccentric small town characters and the mystery puzzle is well engineered and twisty. This one can easily be read as a standalone. Suitable for all audiences, the language is clean and the violence isn't graphic or on-page.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours and 26 minutes and is capably narrated by series narrator Kim Hicks. She has a restful, classically trained voice with rounded vowels and careful modulation. She's easy to understand and does an unobtrusive job of the narration. Sound and production values are high throughout.

Four stars. Cozy mystery fans of Sue Minix. Paige Shelton, and Lynn Cahoon will enjoy this series. With 9 books extant, and no indication that the series is stopping, this would be an excellent choice for a long binge or buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Vicki Delaney is my favorite cozy mystery author and I couldn’t wait to read this book. I loved the characters, the setting and the mystery. Definitely recommend this story and the series.

In the 9th Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, a psychic fair is taking place. Ashley’s mother Bunny get them all involved in a seance. Gemma goes to the Stanton home for the seance but isn’t allowed in the room. Part way through the seance someone dies.
Gemma doesn’t plan to get involved, but the clues she notices become vital to the case. Gemma spends a couple of nights researching until dawn, which doesn’t sound like being uninvolved to me.
This is a well written mystery. I didn’t clue in to the culprit until reveal.
I listened to the audiobook. I like the voices for Gemma and some of her friends, but the voice for the medium’s assistant was grating.
I enjoy visiting Cape Cod and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop. I enjoyed reading The Sign of Four Spirits.
Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for access to this book.

I'm always happy when a new Vicki Delany book comes out and this ninth in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries didn't disappoint. Gemma and Jayne and their friends are so entertaining, and the mysteries so interesting, and each book is so unique. This story of a psychic fair and the family dysfunctions of the supporting characters kept me engaged until the final pages. I also love visiting the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and tearoom on Cape Cod ~ it always makes me want to go to the beach :) I'm already looking forward to the next one! Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy!

Wow this one was a doozy! My dad is a bigger fan of the Holmes' cannon than I am but I do enjoy these mysteries. This one has a medium dying at a seance under mysterious circumstances and since there were only 11 other people present, the suspect list is narrow and yet the police are stumped. The subtle nuances of whodunit did not go unnoticed. I very much liked this book and plowed through it in one sitting.

My thanks to Crooked Lane and Netgalley for this ARC.

I like this series. The mystery kept me guessing. I liked the characters and the setting

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a psychic fair arrives in West London Gemma Doyle owner of the Sherlock Holmes bookshop and Emporium wants nothing to do with it. At the urging of Donald Morris she is talked into attending a seance along with baker and best friend Jayne Wilson a store assistant Ashleigh, and former pop star Bunny Leigh. Gemma finds herself band from the seance and shown the door. The medium informs the disappointed Donald that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will not be able to attend tonight. Gemma then hears a voice cut off, a cry for help , a scream. She bursts into the library to see that someone collapsed on the table dead. The windows are all locked and Gemma was guarding the only door. Someone in the room is a murderer but who? The game is on for Gemma as she hunts the killer or did the medium summon doom from the veil? This was an enjoyable story I would recommend to everyone. Great characters and plot to solve the murder.

The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series is so enjoyable, and I wasn't even a Sherlock Holmes fan when I began reading it. It's fun learning more about him through the stories though and I love the way the author finds ways to weave together his words through her stories. I've grown really attached to the cast of characters and enjoy the close friendships between people of different ages, as well as their own side stories. The majority of the story takes place outside of the bookshop this time, at a seance during a psychic fair. This was a fun twist on the series. I enjoyed this new setting and plot. It kept me engaged and guessing the whole way. Gemma Doyle is an intelligent protagonist and I enjoy her tenacity. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Sign of Four Spirits is the latest installment in Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries. Set in New England, the series follows Gemma Doyle, a British transplant with a penchant for solving crimes, and a good friend who co-own a bookshop and a cafe dedicated to the late, great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A local resident and friend asks Gemma to attend a seance, only to regret it when someone ends up dead and our nosy little protagonist feels compelled to solve another crime. I enjoyed the plot, and the various characters were very well integrated into multiple side stories. I was not surprised by the killer, but it nevertheless made it a fun puzzle to solve. Delany is a master at the small town amateur mysteries, and I recommend her work.

Another delightful cozy from this author. I love the main characters, Gemma and Ryan they work well together in this mystery puzzle. Gemma’s knack for details makes her an excellent snoop. This book was an engaging, captivating, intriguing, and exciting read.

I have a love/hate relationship with this series as the mysteries are always well plotted and solid but i can't stand Gemma.
That said this is another well plotted and entertaining story that i recommend
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A psychic fair has come to West London, MA. Donald has been sending lots of business to the bookshop. Sir Doyle was a big believer in Victorian Spiritualism. Bunny Leigh, Ashleigh and Donald are going to a seance at Rebecca Stanton's house. Ashleigh requests Gemma to come as support to the seance. Gemma reluctantly agrees and brings Jayne. Gemma notices there are only 13 chairs and 13 people. Then the medium kicks out Gemma. Gemma stays by the door listening and hears a scream. They discover that the medium is dead.

Gemma is very observant and hilarious. I really enjoyed this mystery. I loved reading about the things Gemma observed and how everything connected. A very well done cozy mystery. I definitely need to go to the beginning and read the whole series.

This is such a fun series! I love getting into Gemma’s mind and following her observations to solve the crime. This one was particularly fascinating as it was a locked room during a séance. I loved learning about the history of seances and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s interest in them and then jumping to modern times as Gemma and her friends investigate and plan a wedding. The mystery was well-paced and kept me guessing. I just wish Gemma was a little more likeable; she comes off as pompous, rude, and a know-it-all, much like Sherlock Holmes himself (I’m not a fan of his).

The Sign of Four Spirits is the ninth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Gemma Doyle is roped into attending a seance and a murder occurs, she uses her Sherlockian deduction skills to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I have loved this series from the beginning and I absolutely love the main characters, this mystery was no different. Gemma is the perfect imitation of Sherlock in the modern day and I love watching her solve murder cases with the help of her friend and sidekick, Jayne. I enjoyed this mystery and the seance angle since it’s something that Gemma strongly wants to debunk. This was an entertaining mystery and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series. If you are a mystery fan and love Sherlock, this modern day interpretation is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

When a psychic fair arrives in West London, Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, wants nothing to do with it. But somehow, at the urging of Donald Morris, an enthusiastic Sherlockian, she finds herself talked into attending a séance, along with baker and best friend Jayne Wilson, store assistant, Ashleigh, and former pop star Bunny Leigh. But to her surprise, Gemma finds herself banned from the séance and shown the door. Curious, she listens in from outside the room. The medium informs a disappointed Donald that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will not be able to make it tonight. Then, Gemma hears a voice cut off, a cry for help, a scream. Gemma bursts into the library to see that someone has collapsed on the table--dead. The windows are all locked, and Gemma was guarding the only door. Someone in this room is a murderer. But who?

This is a great series. I have read them all! The author continues to flesh out all the characters with each book, and her description are so vivid. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read the next installment in a series by one of my favorite authors.

“The Sign of Four Spirits” the 9th instalment in "A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop" Mystery series by Vicki Delany. It can easily be read as a standalone but I recommend reading in order.

The game is once again afoot for Gemma Doyle, as she hunts a killer. But, this time, is the killer of flesh and blood or had the medium summoned doom from beyond the veil?

I enjoyed this mystery, thought it flowed well and kept my attention. The setting of West London in Cape Cod is idyllic and this time the action is centred around a seance.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, with enough twists to keep you interested. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A bookshop with a Sherlock Holmes theme sounds like the perfect bookstore.
Gemma gets talked into going to a seance. Once again she finds herself tangled up in a murder mystery.
It’s a nice cozy little mystery. It works as a standalone if you’ve not read any of the previous ones.

The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries continues to be one of my favourite bookish cosy mystery series. Lead Gemma Doyle is whip smart, slightly clueless on the social side, but very likeable.

She’s very much not the kind to believe in psychics, but is manipulated into joining a séance – not that she’s then allowed into the room! However, as she waits outside, Gemma hears a cry for help, and bursts into the room to find one of the party dead. Talk about a locked room murder!

There are more than a few nods to Sherlock here, and they are handled perfectly as Gemma sets about investigating the crime along with her best friend, Jayne Wilson. With various suspicious séance attendees, and the dubious psychic herself, there are plenty of avenues to explore and red herrings for the reader.

One of the things I appreciate about this series is that the mystery is front and centre, with the usual trappings of the ‘cosy’ side of the genre kept to a sensible, background, proportion. Yes, there’s a pet, and baking, a romance, and of course the Holmes-themed bookshop day job.

If you’re in the mood for a light read, I’d absolutely recommend the series – starting with Elementary, She Read – and this continues the series perfectly.

Regular followers will know of my love for an engrossing cosy mystery. I always enjoy the books in Vicki Delaney’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series and the latest, The Sign of Four Spirits, did not disappoint.

Gemma Doyle is the co-owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. As a pragmatic woman, she wants nothing to do with a psychic fair that arrives in her small town. Somehow, she allows herself to be persuaded by friends to attend a séance.

When she arrives there, Gemma is told that, since she’s a non-believer, she’s not welcome and is told to leave. Of course, this made Gemma more curious about what was happening inside the room, so she listens through the door. After she hears a cry for help and a scream, Gemma bursts in to find a person dead at the table.
This arouses her detecting instincts and she begins to hunt for the murderer. All the windows are locked and Gemma was at the only door, so who in the room is the killer?

This is a classic locked room mystery and Gemma solves it in her own sensible and logical way. Long may Gemma continue to solve mysteries in her adopted home of West London.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this advance copy in return for an honest review.