Elementary, She Read

My wife and I listened to "Elementary, She Read" on a five-hour car drive. The audiobook is eight hours twenty-five minutes long, so we ended up spending the evening listening to the rest of the book. It made us laugh several times but it also had us discussing the characters (why we liked them, why they liked each other, what we had in common with them) and admiring how cleverly put together the book is.


I was uncertain about the book because it seemed to be set up to press too many must-read-that buttons: it's set in a bookshop, it's set in a SHERLOCK HOLMES bookshop, it's set in a Sherlock Holmes bookshop IN CAPE COD, it's set in a Sherlock Holmes bookshop in Cape Cod that is linked to MRS HUDSON'S TEAROOMS, and the main character show more is A DIFFICULT BRIT WITH A LIKEABLE, PRETTY, AMERICAN best friend and business partner. Add in the fact that the bookshop has an adorable cat (Mycroft) who likes everyone except our main character and that our main character has soft love-me-feed-me pet dog and we have a Royal Flush of cuteness. It seemed to me unlikely that, with that much icing on the outside, the fruitcake inside would be worth eating.


I tried the book anyway because I'd read good things about the series on BookLikes and because, if anyone can pull off a cosy mystery that plays on the foibles of the Brits and the Americans, it's going to be a Canadian writer.


Happily for me and my wife, locked into a long drive across some of England's least interesting Motorways, "Elementary, She Read" turned out to be pretty much perfect. The fruit cake inside the icing was rich, textured, met all my expectations and added a couple of "Hmm, is that cinnamon or quince giving that extra tang?" moments.


What made it work was that Vicki Delany made the story character-driven. Although there was a Sherlock Holmes-related mystery, involving multiple killings and a suspect-rich environment it seemed to me that the real mystery at the heart of the book was the personality of Gwen Doyle, the owner and manager of "The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop And Emporium".


Gwen is a wonderful creation, made even more interesting because we learn about her only through her own eyes. Gwen is very bright, very observant but her complete inability to see the world as anything but a frankly-not-that-challenging puzzle, constantly causes offense and conflict through inappropriate remarks and behaviour. Gwen's logic and determination made "Elementary, She Read" into something much more rigorous in terms of plot than other cosy mysteries I've read. Gwen's lack of social skills and her assumption that it will be obvious to anyone with even half a brain that's she's right, at least, it will once she's taken the time to explain it to them slowly so they can keep up, lands her as the prime suspect in the murder. Watching her dig that hole deeper without realising she's doing it was a lot of fun.


What made Gwen real to me was her relationship with her best friend the petite, pretty, open and honest Jayne. Jayne is a woman other women like and nice men fall in love with but who prefers to spend her time with arty bad boys who know how to have fun. Jayne understands Gwen's strengths and weaknesses and discretely compensates for them, protecting Gwen from her blindspots with regard to personal relationships, her poor ability to assess personal risk and ordering extra portion to accommodate the fact Gwen never orders food but always eats of Jayne's plate.


The friendship between these women works well. It makes the plot run smoothly, adds a lot of humour and avoids Gwen coming across as the kind of arrogant ass Sherlock Holmes so often seems to me to be.


The plot is convincing and kept me guessing. The dive into Sherlockian culture was a lot of fun, referencing every Sherlock movie, TV series and pastiche I've ever heard of and describing the avidity of the collectors and the playful curiosity of the casual readers with gentle humour.



My wife and I have to make the return journey today. I have the next book in the series "Body In Baker Street" (yes, the bookshop is on 222 Baker Street in West London Cape Cod) ready to play. We're both looking forward to it.
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I loved this one! Gemma Doyle runs a small bookstore that specialized in Sherlock Holmes books, DVDS, and memorabilia. She splits the space with her best friend's tea shop and bakery. During a busy rush, she finds out someone has hidden a valuable magazine among her regular cheapies. Knowing the value, she seeks out the woman who dropped it off to see what's up. Once there, she finds the woman - *gasp!* - murdered, and from there on gets sucked into a whopper of a mystery. Not only is she trying to solve the crime to clear her name from a suspicious detective who clearly WANTS her to be guilty, but she soons discovers her own life may be in danger if she doesn't uncover the fiendish foe.

Love the main character, who is so observant it's show more creepy and scares others off, much like the original Holmes - yet she's forgetful at hell and is absent minded. Not to mention that while she runs a Sherlock themed shop, she's not even a rabid fan of the author and inherited it. Her fun friend Jayne who runs the tea shop next door is a delightful sidekick - especially the twisted way she gears toward deadbeat boyfriends that drives the MC bonkers. A few funny happenings there with the deadbeat artist hanging around. Throw in oddball characters and characterization wins.


The setting is such fun, even if you're not a Sherlock groupie. Gemma is a clear reader, so she has special reserved reading nooks in the store and at home. The shop has a neighborhood cat who runs the place and loves all guests and patrons - with the exception of Gemma, who gets clawed. The tea shop is fun since it makes me crave scones and strawberry pastries, and unlike some cozies and books it takes the tea seriously. No simple bags, but complex blends and steeping know-how.

What sets this apart is it's an actual, bona-fide mystery. Instead of accidental discoveries adding up to coincidental plotting, Gemma uses her brain to evaluate and take apart every angle. She spends much time investigating and revealing her thoughts and observations to the reader mentally in first person point of view. This walk through the crime, suspects and scenes is one of the most impressive I've seen with a mystery, even compared to non-cozies and straight detective procedurals. Her mind is impressive, even if she's forgetful, and this isn't a mystery that takes you by surprise.

I didn't guess the culprit for the author kept them carefully concealed. Kudos because it wasn't impossible to guess if you'd had a mind to. Despite the fact that Gemma stayed on top of her game throughout, even she didn't guess the villain in time before a final confrontation. Saves may be a little coincidental, but that's okay.

Fun pacing, excellent characters, and a nifty writing style made this one a delight to breeze through. I'll definitely check out more of the series when it continues. Probably my favorite mystery so far this year. show less

Gemma Doyle, formerly from England but now the co-owner (along with her Uncle Arthur) of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in a small Cape Cod town finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation when she makes a hotel visit to talk with a woman who left a potentially valuable magazine in her bookstore. Gemma has remarkable attention to detail and an uncanny ability to make deductions. When her ex-boyfriend began the investigation, he recognized her innocence but when another detective became the lead investigator because of his previous relationship with Gemma, she rises to the top of the suspect list. Determined to prove her innocence, she begins investigating with the help of her friend Jayne, half-owner of the tea shop show more attached to the bookstore. The solution screamed at me from the time the magazine first appeared in the shop, but the author gave readers an entertaining pursuit of the mystery's solution with several red herrings. Although the author achieved well-developed characters, she did so by overdoing it in some instances, making it less interesting. I listened to the audiobook. show less

Mystery lovers get a bonus when they read Elementary, She Read. Not only do they get a first-rate mystery that keeps you guessing from page one, they also get excellent crime fiction recommendations.

I've already mentioned that the whodunit is definitely my cup of tea in this first Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, and I'm happy to report that the Cape Cod setting ranks high, too.

Gemma Doyle isn't your usual heroine for a cozy mystery series. Normally such sleuths are girl-next-door types, but Gemma has an edginess to her, an abrasiveness. She's an introvert. She has a touch of OCD when it comes to how merchandise is presented on the bookshop shelves. She can be completely thoughtless when it comes to restaurant reservations... but she show more has an absolutely killing eye for detail. This woman isn't supposed to be your average girl-next-door. No, she's much more like Sherlock Holmes himself, and I found myself liking Gemma immensely.

I also liked the other main character, Gemma's best friend Jayne, and I'm looking forward to meeting Uncle Arthur in a future book. For an elderly man in his nineties, he spent his entire time on the road in Elementary, She Read. Sounds like quite a guy, doesn't he?

For cat lovers, there's the resident feline, Moriarty, who can't stand Gemma. That's okay-- I can't stand Moriarty. But don't get me going on the subject of allergies and having fur babies in bookshops and libraries. I'd much rather wax poetic about this book and wait impatiently for the next! show less

This is the first in a new series and I enjoyed getting to know Gemma Doyle and her friend Jayne. Gemma manages the Sherlock Emporium in Cape Cod. It is a Sherlock Holmes themed book and souvenir shop. The store is owned by Gemma's great-uncle Arthur Doyle, who believes he is a distant relative of the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Gemma moved to the United States from England after ending her marriage and to help her uncle. Her best friend, Jayne, runs a tea room right next door. Gemma is known for her keen sense of observation and deduction and this is what pulls her into the mystery. When Gemma finds a valuable magazine hidden in her shop she uses her talents to figure out who left it there. When they try to talk to the woman, they show more find her dead in her hotel room. Of course Gemma becomes the prime suspect, as she has the magazine and found the body. Things are further complicated when her ex-boyfriend shows up as the lead investigator of the case.

The story had a lot of Sherlock Holmes trivia, but this did not overpower the mystery. It was nice getting to know some of the characters in the town and I hope we see more of them in future books. The police were not as free with information as I have seen in other cozies, which was a nice change. Gemma and Jayne play off each other well. It looks like Gemma and Ryan may be rekindling their romance in future books, but only time will tell. I had no idea who the perpetrator was in this story until it was revealed at the end, but it was a fitting ending. I think this is a nice beginning to a new cozy mystery series and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less

Gemma Doyle is English, but has moved to West London, MA to help her Great Uncle Arthur run his bookstore and emporium. The shop is located at 222 Baker Street and sells all things Sherlock Holmes -- everything ranging from books and magazines to busts and movie posters. Right next door, Gemma's best friend Jayne has a tea shop, Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. Gemma loves everything about her new home, except maybe the shop cat, Moriarty, who doesn't seem to like her one bit.

I am a BIG Sherlock Holmes fan, so I knew from the start that I would enjoy this book series. I am however struggling under the Mount Everest of TBR piles....and it took me awhile to dig down to this gem. I wanted to wait to read this one until I had time to savor and show more enjoy it, rather than reading quickly to move on to another book. Finally, with the second book coming out this month, I spent two lovely days reading this book. I'm glad I waited.....and curled up on the sofa with a nice cup of tea to start this series.

The Basics: Gemma is a very observant person, and a bit.....impulsive. Both traits have gotten her into trouble in the past. This time, a tour group is visiting her store and the tea room next door. As they are shopping and picking out Sherlock goodies after having tea, Gemma notices a strange woman come into the shop. Later, she spies what appears to be a priceless Sherlock magazine from 1887 on the shelf -- it isn't anything she has in stock at the shop. In fact, a perfect copy of this particular issue is worth six figures.....a lot above the price range of items sold in the store. Gemma tracks down the strange woman, deducing what hotel she is staying in. Jayne and Gemma go there hoping to talk to her and return the priceless item, only to find the woman murdered in her room. Things go downhill from there....Gemma's inquisitive and observant nature takes over and she jumps into investigating the killing. While she does make progress, she also makes herself a suspect. When the body count rises, Gemma digs herself in deeper and deeper..... How can she discover the murderer without incriminating herself further? The game is afoot!!

I love this book! As a big Sherlock fan, the theme made me extremely happy before I even cracked it open. I like the characters and I found the mystery engaging and fun. The side characters help round out the plot, and I even love the feisty Moriarty (who loves everyone but Gemma, apparently, much to her chagrin).

I do have two things to say..... Jayne has the patience of a saint where Gemma is concerned. Oh dear lord, if I had a friend who got me in as much serious hot water as Gemma drags Jayne into.....I would be looking for a new friend. ha ha :) I kept thinking that every time Gemma went into investigation mode, dragging poor Jayne along for the ride. Definitely reminded me of a few cases where Dr. Watson had a less than stellar time as Sherlock's trusty sidekick. And, how can someone as observant and intelligent as Gemma do so many dumb things? She forgets to call an employee about working an extra shift for an event ..... leaving Jayne to fix her mistake. She makes herself a murder suspect by getting into situations (usually involving a dead body) that would have best been avoided. But......really.....despite finding myself talking to the character while reading ("Oh for heaven's sake Gemma...really???? Poor Jayne!") this quirk of hers is what makes this story so much fun to read. So, despite more than one facepalm moment, I enjoy Gemma as a main character and I will definitely read more of this series!

The mystery is nicely paced with several viable suspects. The ending caught me by surprise....which I like! I'm very happy that I have book two, A Body on Baker Street, waiting in the wings for me to enjoy right away! :) Elementary, She Read is definitely a great start for this new series! On to book two!

Vicki Delany also writes under the pseudonym Eva Gates. To find out more about the author and her books, check out her website: http://vickidelany.com/ show less

A quick jolly read, took me the time it did as I was recovering from surgery and kept having to go to sleep.
Perfect cozy with up-to-date content and a good description of place, including a bookstore cat with a malevolent streak.
There’s a wee frisson of romance but Delaney keeps the focus firmly on the mystery. The characters are all likeable and I mean to read more of this series, despite it being in the cozy category(which I normally find too twee) because Gemma Doyle, the main character, also has a dislike of twee. She does the usual trope of investigating things the police should be looking into, but in this case her interventions weren’t too unbelievable.
Loved it and smiled throughout.