A Three Book Problem, by Vicki Delaney

  A Three Book Problem, by Vicki Delaney

A Sherlock Holmes Bookstore Mystery, 7th in series

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the ARC. 

First, I absolutely loved this book/series. Main character Gemma's observation and intuitive skills are amazing. True, she's off base a few times but more often than not she is right. An intriguing story, the seventh installment in the series, with many red herrings, suspects, and sub-plots. I give it five stars. I'd toss in another star if possible for the unique murder weapon.

That said, as much as I admire the skills of the heroine of the story, Gemma Doyle, who runs a Sherlock Holmes focused bookstore, is also blunt and rude at times. Her observation skills are such that, much like Holmes, she doesn't miss much in the surroundings or actions of those about her involved but, sigh, she often seems to forget the human element involved. She particularly annoyed me when she called her Uncle Donald at 1 a.m. without a thought that he might be sleeping. To his credit, he instantly becomes alert and is ready to come to her aid wherever she is. She barely notices. She simply asks her question and basically hangs up on him without explanation of apology.

Despite all these quirks that must wear on those about her at time, I couldn't help liking her. Perfect? Not even close. But, doesn't that make her all the more human? I don't know about you but I'm sure I have quirks that annoy my friends and vice versa, so this all helps make Gemma seem all the more real. True, I found it odd she'd never heard the ol' saying about "curiosity killed the cat" but maybe that isn't as well known in England where she grew up. Speaking of cats, her own cat doesn't seem to like her. Another quirk.

As for the murder itself, no one really seems upset that the victim died. Even Gemma seems detached and more an observer than participant finding the solution in at first. Perhaps because she had no real connection to the victim? It actually isn't until late in the book that she "turns on" her Shelockian deduction skills as she dives headfirst into investigating and solving the murder. She even manages to find a few other crimes lurking beneath the surface in the process. 

I won't even attempt to detail the plot more than I've already hinted as I'm sure others will do a far better job of doing so than me. I'll thoroughly enjoyed the book and, in fact, the entire series and as much as she annoys me at times, am looking forward to spending more time with Gemma and her friends. I may even have to do some brushing up on my Sherlock Holmes reading between now and the next as it took me the entire book to figure out the significance of the title. Who am I kidding? The book finally tells us. Nope. Not telling. You'll have to read it yourself to find out. If you love a good mystery, characters who are both endearing and annoying, you know, real people, and enjoy matching wits with the amateur sleuths (and real investigators), this is a must read.