Gemma Doyle won’t be spooked when a body shows up at the psychic fair in bestselling author Vicki Delany’s ninth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.
When a psychic fair arrives in West London, Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, wants nothing to do with it. But somehow, at the urging of Donald Morris, an enthusiastic Sherlockian, she finds herself talked into attending a séance, along with baker and best friend Jayne Wilson, store assistant, Ashleigh, and former pop star Bunny Leigh.
But to her surprise, Gemma finds herself banned from the séance and shown the door. Curious, she listens in from outside the room. The medium informs a disappointed Donald that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will not be able to make it tonight. Then, Gemma hears a voice cut off, a cry for help, a scream. Gemma bursts into the library to see that someone has collapsed on the table–dead. The windows are all locked, and Gemma was guarding the only door. Someone in this room is a murderer. But who?
The game is once again afoot for Gemma Doyle, as she hunts a killer. But, this time, is the killer of flesh and blood or had the medium summoned doom from beyond the veil?
My Review:
What I love about Gemma: She’s socially awkward, blunt to the point of cringing at times and comically detail oriented at the worst (and best) of times! She speaks her mind and doesn’t fuss overmuch about how her opinion is received. The woman has confidence and class (she’s a British ex-pat after all) and her cat hates her. 🙂 In short, she makes a most captivating amateur sleuth heroine.
Gemma is the reason I am such a fan of this series but the quirky secondary characters are a close second and that combination keeps me coming back for more Sherlockian adventures.
This ninth book in the ‘Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery‘ series is just as entertaining and unputdownable as all the others. A mystery layered with intrigue wrapped up in a twisty-turny plot with the bookshop and tearoom providing the perfect cozy backdrop. There’s an array of potential suspects to give your sleuthing armchair a real workout (I was wrong for the longest time!) It’s sharp and funny with just the right balance of wit and drama. And a wee bit of romance too.
I listened to the audio book expertly narrated by Kim Hicks. She caught the nuances of dry humour and inward eye rolls that I’ve come to associate with Gemma Doyle perfectly. :-)
My thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of ‘The Sign of the Four Spirits’.
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