A review by robinwalter
The Cat of the Baskervilles by Vicki Delany

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.