Scan barcode
sarahfett's review against another edition
4.0
This is another great installment in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. I enjoy getting to know the characters better with each book, but new readers could also jump into the series with this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. The book will be released on February 13, 2018.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. The book will be released on February 13, 2018.
kahale's review
3.0
A good who-done-it set in a modern time. A good beach book. Not too intellectually taxing.
rosescottagee's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
thepurplegiraffe's review against another edition
4.5
exactly what I needed right now! cozy, clever, and a whole lot of fun. 4.5 stars!
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
3.0
This cozy mystery series starring a Connecticut bookshop-owning, ex-pat British woman with Holmesian powers of observation and logic has been a favorite of mine since I read the first one a year or two ago. This book fell a little flat for me, however. I didn’t see the solution coming, in part because neither Gemma nor I really had all the clues. That’s always disappointing; half the fun of a mystery is trying to figure out whodunnit, and without all the facts, that’s pretty hard to do. I’m perfectly happy to have the author confound me, hide clues in plain sight, or trick me into swallowing a red herring, but I like to have a fighting chance at solving the mystery.
On the other hand, The Cat of the Baskervilles was an entertaining read. I do enjoy heroine Gemma Doyle, as well as some of the other recurring characters: her best friend and business partner Jayne, with her propensity for falling for the wrong guy; Grant the antique book dealer, who may be interested in Gemma; police detective Ryan (who is also Gemma’s ex-boyfriend); and even Moriarty the shop cat, who seems to love everyone but apparently loathes Gemma for reasons that escape both Gemma and me. (Oddly, given the title of this book, Moriarty doesn’t play much of a role; he’s just sort of there.) Jayne’s mother Leslie plays a bigger role in this mystery than in previous ones, and I enjoyed getting to know her better as well. I do get a little tired of the overt hostility shown by the other police regular, Louise Estrada. I know that an adversarial relationship with the police is common in cozy mysteries, but Estrada’s hostility is deep-seated and belligerent.
The new characters, most of them actors or otherwise related to the theater, are interesting as well, and provide a certain amount of scope for suspicion. I kept wondering if Sir Nigel, the victim, might be based on Sir Alec Guinness; they do share the experience of stardom resulting from a movie they are rumored not to like (though Guinness changed his mind after he saw Star Wars: A New Hope.) Unlike Sir Nigel, however, Sir Alec was never a lush, and his star stayed ascendant throughout his later years. The other characters… well, my small experience with professional actors leads me to conclude that some are certainly as, um, self-centered as a few of these characters. Others, of course, are perfectly normal, charming people.
In addition to my disappointment over not having enough clues, the pacing of the book seemed a bit off this time around as well, and it didn’t draw me in quite as well as the previous two books. And Gemma, while still observant, didn’t seem to pull off as many amazing deductions as usual. I don’t want to imply that I didn’t like The Cat of the Baskervilles, because I did, but I don’t feel it was as strong as the first two. If you want to read the series, you should really start with the first one.
Read for #TakeControlTBR 2018
Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard blog.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
On the other hand, The Cat of the Baskervilles was an entertaining read. I do enjoy heroine Gemma Doyle, as well as some of the other recurring characters: her best friend and business partner Jayne, with her propensity for falling for the wrong guy; Grant the antique book dealer, who may be interested in Gemma; police detective Ryan (who is also Gemma’s ex-boyfriend); and even Moriarty the shop cat, who seems to love everyone but apparently loathes Gemma for reasons that escape both Gemma and me. (Oddly, given the title of this book, Moriarty doesn’t play much of a role; he’s just sort of there.) Jayne’s mother Leslie plays a bigger role in this mystery than in previous ones, and I enjoyed getting to know her better as well. I do get a little tired of the overt hostility shown by the other police regular, Louise Estrada. I know that an adversarial relationship with the police is common in cozy mysteries, but Estrada’s hostility is deep-seated and belligerent.
The new characters, most of them actors or otherwise related to the theater, are interesting as well, and provide a certain amount of scope for suspicion. I kept wondering if Sir Nigel, the victim, might be based on Sir Alec Guinness; they do share the experience of stardom resulting from a movie they are rumored not to like (though Guinness changed his mind after he saw Star Wars: A New Hope.) Unlike Sir Nigel, however, Sir Alec was never a lush, and his star stayed ascendant throughout his later years. The other characters… well, my small experience with professional actors leads me to conclude that some are certainly as, um, self-centered as a few of these characters. Others, of course, are perfectly normal, charming people.
In addition to my disappointment over not having enough clues, the pacing of the book seemed a bit off this time around as well, and it didn’t draw me in quite as well as the previous two books. And Gemma, while still observant, didn’t seem to pull off as many amazing deductions as usual. I don’t want to imply that I didn’t like The Cat of the Baskervilles, because I did, but I don’t feel it was as strong as the first two. If you want to read the series, you should really start with the first one.
Read for #TakeControlTBR 2018
Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard blog.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
lunifur's review against another edition
4.0
**I voluntarily read this ARC**
This series is definitely growing on me. Gemma is a strong, yet flawed character who also knows that she has flaws. I really enjoyed the mystery and the backstory that was given with it.
This series is definitely growing on me. Gemma is a strong, yet flawed character who also knows that she has flaws. I really enjoyed the mystery and the backstory that was given with it.
brooke4131's review against another edition
5.0
Who can resist a Sherlock Holmes bookstore, a Mrs. Hudson themed bakeshop, and an afternoon tea on the coast of Massachusetts, especially when it involves murder?!?! Not this reader! Gemma Doyle and her sidekick Jayne Wilson are back in The Cat of the Baskervilles! As they gear up for another tourist season, they are thrilled to receive a catering gig for an afternoon tea featuring the renowned (but now slightly has-been) actor Nigel Bellingham. Sir Nigel has made quite a few waves in town with his rude comments, constant drinking, and erratic behavior. When he's found dead at the foot of a cliff, it comes as no surprise that someone would want to end his reign of terror. But when the lead suspect is Jayne's lovely mother, Leslie, Gemma knows she must investigate.
One of the most impressive aspects of The Cat of the Baskervilles is the excellent character development. Although this cozy provides a satisfying, light mystery all of the characters are so well drawn out and have such interesting back stories that you can't but help be drawn into their world. I've been a fan of the series from the beginning, but it was a treat to have this book feature Jayne's mother, Leslie. She's portrayed as such a sweet woman with an interesting, previously unknown history - an earlier career on Broadway, connections to the murder victim (!!!), and a deep secret. All of this makes for a compelling book where the reader can really connect with the characters.
Also enjoyable are the quiet comedic elements of The Cat of the Baskervilles. I love Gemma's shop assistant, Ashleigh, who adopts a new persona everyday via her quirky wardrobe. Of course, there is Gemma herself who exhibits Holmes-like tendencies and makes quite a few situations hilariously awkward with her perceptive comments. All in all, this was a stellar read and I can't wait to see more of Gemma and her crew!
One of the most impressive aspects of The Cat of the Baskervilles is the excellent character development. Although this cozy provides a satisfying, light mystery all of the characters are so well drawn out and have such interesting back stories that you can't but help be drawn into their world. I've been a fan of the series from the beginning, but it was a treat to have this book feature Jayne's mother, Leslie. She's portrayed as such a sweet woman with an interesting, previously unknown history - an earlier career on Broadway, connections to the murder victim (!!!), and a deep secret. All of this makes for a compelling book where the reader can really connect with the characters.
Also enjoyable are the quiet comedic elements of The Cat of the Baskervilles. I love Gemma's shop assistant, Ashleigh, who adopts a new persona everyday via her quirky wardrobe. Of course, there is Gemma herself who exhibits Holmes-like tendencies and makes quite a few situations hilariously awkward with her perceptive comments. All in all, this was a stellar read and I can't wait to see more of Gemma and her crew!
tanyas_thumbing_thru_titles's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
robinwalter's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
This series started off with some promise, a hyper-observant Sherlockian bookstore owner whose Holmesian personality caused personal difficulties in addition to enhancing her deductive skills. Sadly, it was all downhill from there. In this book, right from the time the murder is discovered she conceals evidence from the police and has no qualms about doing so. She also has no compunction in ignoring the police and admitting as much. A gifted amateur sleuth is one thing, an arrogant lawbreaker who contemns the police and is unshakably convinced of her own inerrant rightness is quite another. Throw in increasingly sloppy writing including repeated indications that the author is unclear of the difference between "English" and "British" and the only conclusion possible is that the only reason I made it to the conclusion is that I wanted to see what the "didn't see that coming" ending was raved about in so many of the "fair, honest reviews" from recipients of ARCs. It was, of course, an ending that was really not that surprising. Equally unsurprising is that this book is the end of my experiment with this series.