There’s a Murder Afoot: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery

In Delany’s diverting fifth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery (after 2018’s A Scandal in Scarlet), bookstore proprietor Gemma Doyle attends a Sherlock Holmes conference in London, where she bumps into her disreputable artist uncle, Randolph Denhaugh. Randolph, who stole a priceless family painting in his youth, claims to be producing sketches based on the Holmes canon and seems to be entangled in an art scam. His subsequent murder implicates Gemma’s father, a former Scotland Yard officer who had an earlier confrontation with his brother-in-law and was found near the body with no memory of what occurred. Gemma, aided by such allies as her cop boyfriend, Ryan Ashburton, and her business partner, Jayne Wilson, delves into her uncle’s shady activities in the guise of a wealthy American and discovers a slew of people with grudges against the dead man. The smart Gemma, the steadfast loyalty of her circle, and the intriguing art milieu keep the reader turning the pages. Cozy fans who are Sherlockians will have fun. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary. (Jan.)