Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Mystery lovers get a bonus when they read Elementary, She Read. Not only do they get a first-rate mystery that keeps you guessing from page one, they also get excellent crime fiction recommendations.
I've already mentioned that the whodunit is definitely my cup of tea in this first Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, and I'm happy to report that the Cape Cod setting ranks high, too.
Gemma Doyle isn't your usual heroine for a cozy mystery series. Normally such sleuths are girl-next-door types, but Gemma has an edginess to her, an abrasiveness. She's an introvert. She has a touch of OCD when it comes to how merchandise is presented on the bookshop shelves. She can be completely thoughtless when it comes to restaurant reservations... but she has an absolutely killing eye for detail. This woman isn't supposed to be your average girl-next-door. No, she's much more like Sherlock Holmes himself, and I found myself liking Gemma immensely.
I also liked the other main character, Gemma's best friend Jayne, and I'm looking forward to meeting Uncle Arthur in a future book. For an elderly man in his nineties, he spent his entire time on the road in Elementary, She Read. Sounds like quite a guy, doesn't he?
For cat lovers, there's the resident feline, Moriarty, who can't stand Gemma. That's okay-- I can't stand Moriarty. But don't get me going on the subject of allergies and having fur babies in bookshops and libraries. I'd much rather wax poetic about this book and wait impatiently for the next!
I've already mentioned that the whodunit is definitely my cup of tea in this first Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, and I'm happy to report that the Cape Cod setting ranks high, too.
Gemma Doyle isn't your usual heroine for a cozy mystery series. Normally such sleuths are girl-next-door types, but Gemma has an edginess to her, an abrasiveness. She's an introvert. She has a touch of OCD when it comes to how merchandise is presented on the bookshop shelves. She can be completely thoughtless when it comes to restaurant reservations... but she has an absolutely killing eye for detail. This woman isn't supposed to be your average girl-next-door. No, she's much more like Sherlock Holmes himself, and I found myself liking Gemma immensely.
I also liked the other main character, Gemma's best friend Jayne, and I'm looking forward to meeting Uncle Arthur in a future book. For an elderly man in his nineties, he spent his entire time on the road in Elementary, She Read. Sounds like quite a guy, doesn't he?
For cat lovers, there's the resident feline, Moriarty, who can't stand Gemma. That's okay-- I can't stand Moriarty. But don't get me going on the subject of allergies and having fur babies in bookshops and libraries. I'd much rather wax poetic about this book and wait impatiently for the next!
Joy L. (vintagejoy) -
The first book in a new series by Vicki Delany, "Elementary She Read" is a great start. I will say it took me awhile to really get into the book, primarily understanding and getting to like the MC, Gemma Doyle. She owns a gift shop that specializes in all things Sherlock Holmes, and her best friend runs "Mrs. Hudson's Tea Shop" which is attached to the gift shop. As you may expect, murder and mayhem result and the two friends work to solve the mysteries, because Gemma is the primary suspect in the murder. I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. Lots of fun red herrings to follow!
This is a good, clean cozy mystery, which I prefer and I know there are others also that do. I can't wait to read the next in the series.
This is a good, clean cozy mystery, which I prefer and I know there are others also that do. I can't wait to read the next in the series.
Jan N. (jani8) reviewed Elementary, She Read (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Bk 1) on + 84 more book reviews
Vicki Delaney is a versatile author, having a number of series of books. This is the start of a new series and if this is of any indication, it will be a successful one. It is set in Cape Cod in a books store that specializes in Sherlock Holmes books and memorabilia. The protagonist, Gemma Doyle, owns it with her Uncle. She is British and seems to be somewhat like Sherlock â she makes assumptions about various things just by looking at them, and she is usually right. She is a very complex person. This being a whodunit, it obviously has to have a murder victim or two. It has an intricately constructed plot with engaging characters. I look forward to reading the next one!
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Elementary, She Read is the first installment in the A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series featuring Gemma Doyle, an English transplant who is the co-owner of Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium located in the cozy small town of West London on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Gemma co-owns the Bookshop with her Great Uncle Arthur, an avid Sherlock Holmes collector and together they own a share of Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room the adjacent tea and pastry shop run by Gemma's best friend, Jayne Wilson.
Shortly after a tourist group of shopping ladies leaves the store Gemma begins to straighten the shelves and discovers what she thinks may be a rare edition of Beeton's Christmas Annual, published in 1887 and featuring Holmes first story. Gemma has an uncanny ability to remember details and she recalls a small woman who'd come in to the store holding a white shopping bag. Finding the bag in the trash, she also uncovers a postcard from a nearby hotel. Determined to locate the woman and find out why she'd left the magazine in her shop, Gemma sets out with Jayne and soon discovers the woman dead in her hotel room.
Under suspicion for the woman's murder, Gemma has no choice but to investigate on her own. Helped by ex boyfriend turned Detective, Ryan Ashburton and hindered by his partner Detective Louise Estrada, Gemma soon discovers a tangled web surrounding the magazine.
A fast paced storyline with a surprise ending and an interesting cast of characters.
Shortly after a tourist group of shopping ladies leaves the store Gemma begins to straighten the shelves and discovers what she thinks may be a rare edition of Beeton's Christmas Annual, published in 1887 and featuring Holmes first story. Gemma has an uncanny ability to remember details and she recalls a small woman who'd come in to the store holding a white shopping bag. Finding the bag in the trash, she also uncovers a postcard from a nearby hotel. Determined to locate the woman and find out why she'd left the magazine in her shop, Gemma sets out with Jayne and soon discovers the woman dead in her hotel room.
Under suspicion for the woman's murder, Gemma has no choice but to investigate on her own. Helped by ex boyfriend turned Detective, Ryan Ashburton and hindered by his partner Detective Louise Estrada, Gemma soon discovers a tangled web surrounding the magazine.
A fast paced storyline with a surprise ending and an interesting cast of characters.
Kristina A. reviewed Elementary, She Read (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Bk 1) on + 1528 more book reviews
Elementary, She Read by Vickie Delany is the first book in the new A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Gemma Doyle moved to West London, Massachusetts five years ago, after the breakup of her marriage. Her Uncle Arthur had been running the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop that he opened on his own, but his wanderlust is returning. Gemma became part owner of the bookshop at 222 Baker Street and took over the day-to-day running of the store. Since the store cannot support itself carrying just Sherlock Holmes books, she added movies, knickknacks and other Holmes related merchandise (and added Emporium to the store name). Gemma is also half owner in Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room (next door) with her friend, Jayne Wilson. One day while a tour group is in the shop (after having tea), a little mousy woman comes in with a white shopping bag. Gemma watches her until her attention is diverted by customers with their purchases. After the shop is closed for the day, Gemma checks the area where she last saw the woman. She finds a rare copy of Beeton's Christmas Annual from 1887 (a magazine) hidden among the books. The white bag the woman was carrying is found in the trash along with a postcard from a local hotel. Jayne and Gemma head to the hotel to see if they can find the owner. They approach her hotel room and find the door ajar. Upon entering the room, they find her dead on the bed. Gemma sends Jayne to call 911 while she checks out the room for clues and snaps a few photos. The police are skeptical about how Gemma and Jayne found the body. Ryan Ashburton, West London homicide detective and Gemma's ex-boyfriend, knows how Gemma's mind works, but his partner, Detective Louise Estrada does not. Gemma determines it is up to her to find the killer and clear her name. Her observation skills are going to be put to the test in Elementary, She Read!
Elementary, She Read was one book I was really looking forward to reading. It sounded like it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, the author made a very unlikeable main character. Gemma Doyle believes she has superior observation skills and likes to flaunt it. In contradiction, Gemma will promise to do something and then forgets. She can keep the store inventory in her head, but forgets to make a simple phone call (for instance). She treats her employee shabbily. I found the writing to be very detail oriented. The readers are provided detail descriptions on people, rooms, and the many items that are sold in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. I give Elementary, She Read 3 out of 5 stars. The detectives (actually the whole police department) are maligned. Detective Louisa Estrada comes across as a villain. Ryan tells Gemma (more than once) to stay out of the investigation. He then shares information with her. I know this is fiction, but I doubt this would happen in reality (especially if the person in question is a suspect). I found information to be repeated especially the price of the rare magazine. I would love to tell you that the mystery was perplexing, but it was not. The culprit was easily identified. Since the murder occurred early in the book, the story seemed long. I wish there had been a little more of a lead in to the crime. I enjoyed the description of Beeton's Christmas Annual. This captured my interest and led me to a search for more details on it. Elementary, She Read had potential with the premise, but the character of Gemma just ruined it for me. I wish the author had made Jayne the narrator for the story (or not made Gemma so obnoxious).
Elementary, She Read was one book I was really looking forward to reading. It sounded like it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, the author made a very unlikeable main character. Gemma Doyle believes she has superior observation skills and likes to flaunt it. In contradiction, Gemma will promise to do something and then forgets. She can keep the store inventory in her head, but forgets to make a simple phone call (for instance). She treats her employee shabbily. I found the writing to be very detail oriented. The readers are provided detail descriptions on people, rooms, and the many items that are sold in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. I give Elementary, She Read 3 out of 5 stars. The detectives (actually the whole police department) are maligned. Detective Louisa Estrada comes across as a villain. Ryan tells Gemma (more than once) to stay out of the investigation. He then shares information with her. I know this is fiction, but I doubt this would happen in reality (especially if the person in question is a suspect). I found information to be repeated especially the price of the rare magazine. I would love to tell you that the mystery was perplexing, but it was not. The culprit was easily identified. Since the murder occurred early in the book, the story seemed long. I wish there had been a little more of a lead in to the crime. I enjoyed the description of Beeton's Christmas Annual. This captured my interest and led me to a search for more details on it. Elementary, She Read had potential with the premise, but the character of Gemma just ruined it for me. I wish the author had made Jayne the narrator for the story (or not made Gemma so obnoxious).
Jody M. (jodymcgrath) -
I really enjoyed this book. While Gemma's character had some of the traits of Sherlock Holmes, she also was a loving, caring woman. She wasn't the robot that Sherlock is sometimes portrayed to be. While the robot thing works well on the screen, it is hard to connect with that person in a novel. I think that is why the original Holmes books were shown through Watson's eyes. No need to do that with this book though. Although reserved, Gemma has a lively personality that a lot of introverts can relate to. Her relationship with Jayne was cleverly written and touching at the same time.
The mystery in Elementary, She Read, was very good. It was layered with a few twists. I never came close to guessing the end although there were some clues. I loved how the end played out. I won't put any spoilers in, but it wasn't any of the cliched tropes at all.
I would recommend this book to mystery lovers, cozy lovers, and fans of Sherlock Holmes.
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given an honest review*
The mystery in Elementary, She Read, was very good. It was layered with a few twists. I never came close to guessing the end although there were some clues. I loved how the end played out. I won't put any spoilers in, but it wasn't any of the cliched tropes at all.
I would recommend this book to mystery lovers, cozy lovers, and fans of Sherlock Holmes.
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given an honest review*
