A Curious Incident Review

A Curious Incident
by Vicki Delany

When I started reading A Curious Incident from noted crime writer Vicki Delany, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. After I finished reading, I learned it was the sixth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. It didn’t matter. A Curious Incident is a treat for mystery readers and a non-guilty pleasure for fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Gemma Doyle is an Englishwoman who manages her great-uncle Arthur’s bookstore, Sherlock Holmes Bookshop, at 222 Baker Street in West Lincoln on Cape Cod. She’s also an amateur sleuth – she prefers “consulting detective” – who manages to get entangled in any cases that happen in the area. Police detective and boyfriend Ryan Ashburton wishes she would not get involved, and his partner Louise Estrada gets infuriated when Gemma gets caught up in their investigations.

Young Lauren Tierney asks for Gemma’s help finding her lost kitten Snowball. When Gemma stumbles upon the kitten that evening, Lauren is convinced that Gemma can solve any case. A few days later, Lauren wants to hire Gemma (for ten bucks) to clear her outspoken mother Sheila, who is the main suspect in the murder of Anna Wentworth. 

On the day of the local gardening society’s judging for its top award, Sheila storms into Anna’s yards and attacks Anna, accusing her of wrecking Sheila’s garden. That night, Anna’s body is found in the woods near the neighborhood walkway. Despite promising Ryan that she will let the police handle the case, Gemma keeps getting drawn back into the investigation. While Gemma is trying to figure out who destroyed Sheila’s garden and who murdered Anna, another mystery gets added to the puzzle. Was someone trying to kill Gemma?

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will appreciate the references to Sherlock Holmes – the character, the books, and even his famous portrayer Benedict Cumberbatch. Mystery fans will enjoy the quick-paced story which captivates the reader. As additional characters are introduced, Delany provides enough clues to keep the reader guessing who committed which crimes and why. In the end, loose ends are tied up in a way that makes sense without being too obvious,  

The only downside to starting with book six of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries? Adding the previous five books to an already lengthy To Read list.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This review was initially published on NetGalley on 12/10/2020.