The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime

October 1, 2024

Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop in West London, MA, packs up her friends and heads to London, England, for her sister Pippa's wedding. Gemma arrives safely in London, but her luggage doesn't, meaning that she doesn't have time to rest from the flight, since she has to shop for replacement clothes. Gemma is tired and jetlagged when she runs into her ex-husband, Paul, in the hotel after the wedding reception. Paul's even seedier than when he cheated on her and caused their break-up. (He later bought out Gemma's share of the London bookstore they once co-owned.) He says he has a priceless book to show her and asks her to meet him the next day. Gemma doesn't trust Paul, so she asks Pippa's new husband, a book dealer, to accompany her to the bookstore. When they arrive, they find Paul's strangled body in his office. Feeling inexplicably guilty, Gemma drags her friends around London as she searches for the priceless book Paul mentioned, clues to Paul's secrets, and his killer. VERDICT Cozies don't often work when the author removes the amateur sleuth from their usual environment, but Gemma's gang comes along to comfort series readers. Fans who traveled to London with the crew in There's a Murder Afoot will enjoy the return.--Lesa Holstine

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2024
A trip to London involves a Cape Cod bookseller and her friends in yet another case of murder. Though she's British, Gemma Doyle lives in West London, Massachusetts, where she manages her great-uncle Arthur Doyle's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium along with her friend Jayne Wilson, who runs the tea room. Now her sister, Pippa--who works for the British government in a secretive role--is marrying her friend Grant Thompson, an American book dealer, and Gemma and Jayne are flying there for the wedding along with Det. Ryan Ashburton, Gemma's boyfriend; Sherlock devotee Donald Morris; and Jayne's fiance, Andy Whitehall. As Gemma leaves the wedding venue, she's amazed to be accosted by her ex-husband, Paul Erikson. The bookshop they used to own together is in trouble financially, but Paul claims to have a rare book that might save it, and he asks her to come take a look at it. Despite her misgivings, Gemma goes to the shop with Grant the next day, only to find Paul dead in his office, seemingly murdered. His two employees saw nothing, and there's no rare book in sight. Gemma--whose mother is a high-powered lawyer, and father a retired detective chief superintendent--recognizes DI Jasmine Patel, the detective in charge, from the last murder she got tangled up in. Gemma can't help but do a little sleuthing with her friends. The few clues that turn up take the case in a whole new direction that involves a high-born relative of Gemma's mother. Plenty of suspects and a well-hidden motive give the sleuths a run for their money.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2024
Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium co-owner Gemma Doyle (last seen in The Sign of Four Spirits, 2024) travels to London with her boyfriend and a group of friends to attend her sister Pippa's wedding. At the reception, Gemma is surprised to see her ex-husband, Paul Erikson, in the hotel lobby, where he persuades her to come to his used bookshop the next day. At the shop, she and two of her friends find Paul murdered. Gemma, a skilled amateur detective, feels she wants to do one last thing for Paul, so she and her friends investigate, against the wishes of the detective in charge. She is also warned not to interfere by Pippa, who has a clandestine, high-level government position and is currently working on a national-security threat which may be related to Paul's murder. The familiar cast of well-drawn characters, the beautifully described London setting, Sherlock Holmes trivia, and multiple plot twists add up to a satisfying cozy.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.