The Game is a Footnote (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – Massachusetts
Crooked Lane Books (January 10, 2023)
Hardcover : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639101454
ISBN-13 : 978-1639101450
Kindle ASIN : B09XM5M8SC
Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum in bestselling author Vicki Delany’s eighth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.
Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it. Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat.
Gemma and Jayne suspect foul play as they start to uncover more secrets about the museum. With the museum being a revolving door for potential killers, they have plenty of options for who might be the actual culprit.
Despite Gemma’s determination not to get further involved, it would appear that once again, and much to the displeasure of Detective Ryan Ashburton, the game is afoot.
Will Gemma and Jayne be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted museum, or will they be the next to haunt it?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
A ghost appears to be haunting the historical reenactment site Scarlet House in West London, Massachusetts in the latest Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. The museum board asks bookshop owner Gemma Doyle to give her input on the problem. While she doesn’t believe in ghosts she reluctantly agrees to spend the night in the home with her friend Jayne and Jayne’s fiancé Andy. Two others camp out in the barn to observe things there. A big storm blew in, they all heard some weird noises, and something upset the barn animals but Gemma had no explanation for any of it. She assumes someone is playing some practical jokes. Then the next day, following a meeting to report on their sleepover Gemma and Jayne find a dead body in the barn.
Involved in another murder investigation, Gemma and Jayne delve into the site’s history, its board, and volunteers in hopes to uncover who is behind the murder and the mischief at Scarlet House.
Add to that Gemma’s sister Pippa arrives from England for a surprise visit and Ashleigh, Gemma’s unique employee, left in the middle of her shift and is now missing. Oh, and bookshop cat Moriaty has a medical emergency.
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Ms. Delany has packed a lot of mayhem into this book and I wouldn’t ever expect anything different.
The characters in this series are strong and well-developed. I did enjoy that it was Jayne’s mother, Leslie, that got Jayne and Gemma mixed up with the people at Scarlet House. I also enjoyed Pippa’s surprise visit. Readers are able to see a different side of both Gemma and Jayne. Another character is introduced which brings havoc to the story regarding Ashleigh. I questioned some of the behavior but it worked as a distraction as intended. I was drawn into all the character’s interactions easily.
The main mystery was pretty straightforward with clues nicely dropped in all the right places. The darn Gemma is a brave soul traveling around the drafty old house by herself while a thunderstorm was booming outside. I wouldn’t have done it. She also goes to do some investigating without Jayne by her side and she lands herself in a real fix that she eventually got herself out of. I love this woman. Her keen way of observing things everyone else misses and the way she brings the clues all together are always fun to observe. I want to be just like her in my next life. She pulled this mystery together for a fantastic reveal. While I was on the right track there was a nice little twist that I really enjoyed. She also kept at it to solve the mystery of the missing Ashleigh too.
I love the way Ms. Delany tells a story. Her descriptive style paints wonderful pictures of time and place and brings her characters to life. It was so easy to escape into this story.
The Game is a Footnote
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Author Links
Website – Facebook – Twitter: @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor – Instagram: vickidelany
Also by this Author
Find more books by Vicki Delaney here.
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Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.