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Vicki Delany: Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series

Sometimes I set myself to the delightful task (although “task” sounds too much like “work”) of reading a new-to-me author’s first book in a Cozy Mystery series. In this case, I decided to try the first book in Vicki Delany‘s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, Elementary, She Read. Despite that she has been publishing books since at least 2001, somehow I had never gotten around to reading one of her books >> but of course with my to be read lists of books being so long that I cannot even remember what is on it without resorting to one of my lists, it is not unusual for me to miss gems such as this series for quite some time.

I read Elementary She Read for part of my continuing series that I call the Most Popular and Recommended Series. And, I am so glad that I finally decided to read it >> after her books being recommended many times.

This book is narrated in the first person by the sleuth, Gemma Doyle who describes herself as:

 … the half owner, manager, head shop clerk, and chief duster of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in the Cape Cod town of West London, Massachusetts. As well as reprints of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books, we carry new books representing anything and everything in the pastiche or vaguely derived from the Holmes legend.

The bookshop and emporium is located in the fictional town of West New London, Massachusetts, and it’s address is on Baker Street. Gemma is said to be a distant relative of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and her Uncle Arthur (who owns the shop with her) has been a big fan and collector of Sherlock Holmes related manuscripts and books for a long time. Gemma, who is British, came to West New London five years earlier to take over the running of her Uncle Arthur’s shop.

West New London is a charming Cape Cod town that is built near the water. Gemma live with her dog Violet in Uncle Arthur’s house which is within walking distance of the shop. As though the book and emporium aren’t enough of things related to Sherlock Holmes in the story, adjoining the shop is “Mrs Hudson’s Tearoom.” Uncle Arthur and Gemma co-own this tea room/bakery with Jayne Wilson, Gemma’s best friend.

The mystery in Elementary She Read revolves around the discovery by Gemma of an early edition of the earliest Sherlock Holmes story in the bookshop. Gemma figures out who probably left the old magazine there, and Gemma and Jayne go looking for her. Soon they discover a body, and the hunt is on!

The book has many of the hallmarks of modern Cozies. Gemma has a mysterious romantic past. The small town setting, the main characters running a small shop, the main characters former relationship with the town’s chief detective are also plot devices that are typical nowadays of our beloved genre.

What elevates this book, however, is the great writing. As I read more and more of the book, Gemma became very “real” to me. I found myself entering the town of West New London and regretting the moments when I had to put the book down and return to my real world. What better praise for a book than to say that you can get lost in it!

Elementary She Read, published in 2017, is the first of four books in the series so far with the fifth book, There’s A Murder Afoot, scheduled to be published in January 2020. If the quality of this series holds up (as I believe it will), we will be entertained by Gemma and the goings on in West London for many, many more enjoyable hours.

Click here to read more posts about the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series.

P.S. Vicki Delany writes the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series as Eva Gates.

Comments

  2. I really love this series. An online book club I’m in read the second book last year or the year before and I’ve read them all – except the first for some weird reason – since then. Happy to hear you enjoyed this so much!

    Reply

  3. I just love this series, and I’m glad you’ve started reading it and love it too! Thanks for the heads-up on book 5–I looked it up and it sounds awesome! I think you’ll like all the books in the series as much as you did the first. I can highly recommend Vicky’s Year-Round Christmas series too!

    Reply

  4. I also discovered this series and really enjoy it. Like you, Gemma and the town became very real to me. I was fortunate in that she had already written 2 books so all I had to do was wait for the next books written (which is very hard to do).

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  5. Totally adding this cozy to my TBR list. Also wondering if you recommend a YouTube cozy channel. Surely some faithful blog readers know of one to recommend. If not maybe I’ll have to add one 🙂 I absolutely love the cozies.

    Reply

      • I might have been unclear, I’m not looking for a cozy channel to watch on YouTube. I’m looking for any BookTubers on YouTube sharing cozy book reviews. For as many YA BookTubers I see for young adult fiction and modern fiction I just can’t seem to find any vloggers talking about cozies, which I find odd since it feels like so many of us devour reading them.

        Reply

        • DaShannon, hmm, that would certainly be interesting! I’m not sure if there’s a sort of Cozy YouTube person like you describe. I’m not sure how many serious Cozy fans are technically inclined enough to put together a good YouTubing solution – I wouldn’t be able to handle this site without my husband’s and son’s technical support.

          Reply

  6. I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I’m looking forward to the next one due soon. I liked the main protagonist (and her uncle!) and her dog, though I thought the silly woman across the street was extraneous to the story.

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  7. I was wondering if you knew if Miranda James is going to write any more Souther Ladies Books? I just finished the most recent Cat in The Stacks , Six Cats a Slayin, I really enjoy her books. Thank you for any information.

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  8. I absolutely adore this series and have read every one. I can assure that each entry just gets better and better. Gemma is the best and her friendship/business partnership with Jayne is just perfect. They don’t always agree but you know that the affection is real.

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  9. Thanks so much for telling your readers about Elementary, She Read. I just put a hold on it at our local library and there are no other holds on it, so I expect to be enjoying this book in a couple of days!

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  10. I’m 71 , been reading mysteries & thrillers since high school. I’ve read all of Louise Penny, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Patrica Cornwell, Sue Grafton, James Patterson’s Alex Cross and bunches and bunches more. I guess a cozy or more but never zeroed in on cozy. Sayers & Penny cozy??? Ruth Rendell???
    Well gonna bounce around these .coms with some tea and Dr Pepper. See what happens in a couple of years.??

    Reply

    • Tim, I’d definitely say that that Sayers and Penny are both fairly Cozy… Penny a bit less. Ruth Rendell and James Patterson less so, but both are so good that I have them on the site anyway! (I do include some series that are particular favorites, even if they aren’t “quite” Cozy…)

      Reply

  11. My husband and I have just started watching the Videos of Sherlock Holmes starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I am now looking forward to reading Vicki Delany’s “Elementary She Read.” I love the Cozy Mysteries dealing with books.

    Reply

  12. I discovered this series when it first came out and agree that Gemma is so real I wanted to go to her shop and Jayne’s.
    I love that do tea when they close the shop.
    I also chuckle over all the Holmes dodads they sell.

    I have to thank you for all the insight and knowledge you give us. I am always reading a book and seem to gravitate to cozies

    Thanks and keep up the great work. My shelves are nearly bursting with “to be read” book

    Reply

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