Tricky, tricky. Vicki Delany’s latest Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery takes an unexpected turn two thirds of the way through the book with the arrival of Gemma Doyle’s sister, Pippa. The Game is A Footnote went from a small local mystery of a haunted house and murder to an international story with Pippa’s arrival. Well done!
Gemma Doyle professes to be hardhearted and not a consulting detective, but she’s a softie for friends. That’s the only reason she always finds herself in odd predicaments. Gemma is the co-owner of Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and also Mrs. Hudson’t Tea Room. Jayne Wilson, the baker and co-owner of the tea shop is also caught up in the latest adventure in West London, Massachusetts because it’s her mother, Leslie, who asks the two of them to investigate Scarlet House. The house is a three hundred seventy-five-year-old living museum owned by the West London Historical Society. It never had a reputation for being haunted, but the barn and the house have been the scene of strange activities. Leslie Wilson told the society that Gemma would investigate the paranormal activities.
Although Gemma insists she’s not a paranormal investigator, she finds herself camping out in the house with Jayne and Jayne’s boyfriend. Is it the thunderstorm that kicks off the screams and noises in the house, and upsets the animals in the barn? Gemma doesn’t believe there’s a ghost in the house, and advises additional security. But, there’s worse trouble in the barn when Gemma finds a body.
In fact, Gemma has nothing but trouble. Her reliable clerk, Ashleigh, disappeared from work, leaving the bookshop unlocked and open. Although Gemma worries about her, the police are not concerned about an adult’s disappearance. But, Gemma is convinced it’s not like Ashleigh to just walk out.
It’s also not like Pippa to just show up at Gemma’s. Pippa, Gemma’s older sister, lives in England, where Gemma is convinced her sister is a powerful force in the British government. So, why is she in West London?
The Doyles will solve all sorts of crimes, historical and current ones, before they move on with their lives. Delany’s latest mystery is a puzzling one with an unusual cast of characters. Just right for a series loosely based on Sherlock Holmes.
Vicki Delany’s website is http://vickidelany.com/
The Game is A Footnote by Vicki Delany. Crooked Lane Books, 2023. ISBN 9781639101450 (hardcover), 320p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received an ARC from the publisher.
