Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order for Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries

When diving into the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany, the best approach is to read the books in publication order. While each novel presents a self-contained whodunit that is resolved by the final page, the overarching character arcs, evolving romantic subplots, and the slow-burn development of the town dynamics rely heavily on chronological continuity.

By reading the series from the beginning, you can watch Gemma Doyle settle into her life as a British expat on Cape Cod, see her friendship with Jayne Wilson strengthen, and track the slow shift in her relationship with the local police, particularly the initially hostile Detective Louise Estrada. Starting at the beginning ensures you fully appreciate the ongoing humor, domestic details, and recurring jokes that make this cozy universe so inviting.

Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Books in Order

Here is the complete publication and chronological list of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany:

1. Elementary, She Read (2017): Gemma Doyle moves from England to Cape Cod to run the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium at 222 Baker Street. When she finds a rare 19th-century magazine containing the very first Sherlock Holmes story, she is thrilled—until the owner of the magazine is found dead and Gemma is named the prime suspect.
2. Body on Baker Street (2017): Gemma's bookshop hosts a signing for a highly controversial author who claims Sherlock Holmes was a fraud. When the author is poisoned shortly after the event, Gemma must investigate the local Sherlockian community to find the real killer.
3. The Cat of the Baskervilles (2018): A local theater production of a Holmes play is disrupted when a wealthy patron is murdered. The primary suspect is a cat named Baskerville, leaving Gemma to clear the feline's name and track down the human culprit.
4. A Scandal in Scarlet (2018): A fire at a historical museum next door leads to the discovery of a charred body. When Gemma's friend and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room owner Jayne Wilson is implicated, Gemma digs into local historical secrets to find the truth.
5. There's a Murder Afoot (2020): Gemma assists with a Sherlock Holmes-themed charity weekend. The festivities turn grim when a mock murder mystery game becomes all too real, and Gemma has to find a killer hiding in plain sight among the guests.
6. A Curious Incident (2021): Gemma finds herself helping a friend who is accused of killing a local developer. As she probes the developer's questionable business dealings, she uncovers a web of small-town greed and secrets.
7. A Three Book Problem (2022): Gemma attends a Sherlockian retreat at a historic Cape Cod estate. When a guest is murdered with a poisoned dart, Gemma is forced to utilize her classic deductive reasoning to solve a closed-circle mystery.
8. The Game Is a Footnote (2023): A high-profile literature festival brings famous authors to town, but the event is marred when one of the guests is found dead. Gemma must sift through academic rivalries and literary grudges to crack the case.
9. The Sign of Four Spirits (2024): A local medium holds a séance that ends in a sudden death. Gemma, ever the pragmatist, is skeptical of supernatural explanations and sets out to prove that the cause of death was distinctly human.
10. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime (2025): Gemma deals with the fallout of a stolen rare manuscript. As she tracks down the thief, she discovers a trail of blackmail and murder that threatens the safety of her shop and town.
11. The Devil in the Details (2026): Jayne Wilson's birthday celebrations are cut short when a dead body is discovered in the freezing cold of winter. Gemma must help her friend navigate the investigation while dealing with personal complications and a chilly Cape Cod landscape.

Chronological Order and Caveats

The chronological order of the series matches the publication order exactly. Unlike some long-running mystery series that feature prequels or flashback novels, Vicki Delany writes the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries in a linear timeline. Each book takes place a few months to a year after the events of the previous one, reflecting the passing seasons on Cape Cod.

If you choose to read these books out of order, you will not ruin the individual mysteries, but you will spoil significant developments in Gemma's personal life. The progression of her relationship with her boyfriend, Ryan Ashburton, and the changing attitudes of the local police officers are best experienced sequentially. Furthermore, the lighthearted banter between Gemma and Jayne is built on a foundation of shared experiences that accumulate with each passing book.

What to Know Before You Start

Set in the fictional, picture-perfect town of West London, Massachusetts, the series blends traditional cozy mystery tropes with a deep appreciation for the Sherlock Holmes canon. Before you start, here are a few key elements to keep in mind:

• The Setting: West London is a charming Cape Cod tourist town. Gemma's shop, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, is located at 222 Baker Street. It is physically connected to Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, run by Gemma's best friend, Jayne. This creates a cozy, double-fronted hub where much of the series' action and gossip takes place.
• The Sleuth: Gemma Doyle is not your typical cozy mystery protagonist. As a British expat, she possesses a dry, sarcastic wit and a highly analytical mind. While she is not a detective, she shares Holmes's belief in logic, observation, and deduction, which often contrasts with the more emotional reactions of the people around her.
• Moriarty the Cat: No cozy mystery is complete without a resident pet. In this series, it is Moriarty, a massive, bad-tempered Maine Coon cat who lives in the bookshop. Moriarty is fiercely loyal to Gemma but generally dislikes everyone else, providing plenty of comic relief throughout the series.
• The Sherlockian Lore: One of the greatest joys of the series is the trivia. Each book is packed with references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, pastiches, and Sherlockian adaptations. You do not need to be a Holmes expert to enjoy the books, but fans of the classic detective will delight in the subtle nods and Easter eggs.

Spin-offs and Pseudonym Connections

While the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series does not have any direct spin-offs or co-authored books, readers who enjoy Vicki Delany's style should explore her other works. Writing under the pen name Eva Gates, Delany is the author of the popular Lighthouse Library Mysteries. This series is also set in a bookish, coastal environment (a library inside a lighthouse in North Carolina) and features a similar blend of cozy mystery, quirky local characters, and literary references. However, there are no character crossovers between the two series.

Delany is also a prolific crime writer under her own name, authoring the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries, the Tea by the Sea Mysteries, and several standalone suspense novels. If you finish the adventures of Gemma and Jayne and find yourself wanting more of Delany's signature pacing and puzzles, these other series are the perfect next step.