Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Although my reading tastes have been moving away from cozy mysteries for the past couple of years, there are some favorite series that I will always make a point of reading. Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series is one of them, and A Three Book Problem is yet another strong entry.
Something tells me that Delany enjoys creating mysteries for Gemma Doyle to solve. Gemma has more of an edge to her than most cozy main characters, but never fear! the edge never borders on obnoxious; it's the perfect one to induce readers to smile (and I do, a lot). Something else that makes me smile? The way the author toys with us when Gemma's Uncle Arthur is mentioned. Good old Uncle Arthur is the owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and he sounds like quite the character. There's only one problem: readers have yet to meet him; he's always traveling and leaving Gemma to run the show. In A Three Book Problem, Uncle Arthur is on the guest list. Will he be there? Sorry, you're going to have to find that out for yourselves!
The drawing room of Suffolk Gardens House is filled with an excellent cast of suspects, and I did find it rather difficult to deduce whodunit, which is always a plus. Jayne whips up menus that gave me hunger pangs, and Gemma is always fun to follow around. (Jayne might not always agree.) If you haven't sampled this series before, you should be able to start here without feeling confused, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the rest of the books in this series once you've turned the last page.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Something tells me that Delany enjoys creating mysteries for Gemma Doyle to solve. Gemma has more of an edge to her than most cozy main characters, but never fear! the edge never borders on obnoxious; it's the perfect one to induce readers to smile (and I do, a lot). Something else that makes me smile? The way the author toys with us when Gemma's Uncle Arthur is mentioned. Good old Uncle Arthur is the owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and he sounds like quite the character. There's only one problem: readers have yet to meet him; he's always traveling and leaving Gemma to run the show. In A Three Book Problem, Uncle Arthur is on the guest list. Will he be there? Sorry, you're going to have to find that out for yourselves!
The drawing room of Suffolk Gardens House is filled with an excellent cast of suspects, and I did find it rather difficult to deduce whodunit, which is always a plus. Jayne whips up menus that gave me hunger pangs, and Gemma is always fun to follow around. (Jayne might not always agree.) If you haven't sampled this series before, you should be able to start here without feeling confused, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the rest of the books in this series once you've turned the last page.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
