Little Lauren Tierney has come to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium to enlist Gemma Doyle's help in finding her lost cat. Gemma has tried to explain that she is not a detective and cannot make promises to find the feline, however, while out walking her dog, she manages to discover the wayward kitten and returns her to Lauren.
Because of this success, Lauren now feels that Gemma can solve any problem and when her mother is arrested for the murder of Anna Wentworth, a rival gardener, Gemma feels a responsibility to at least try to find out what happened.

It was fun to see Gemma in situations outside her comfort zone while still being Gemma, the other characters were also fun.

Looking forward to her next adventure. ( )

Pretty good and fun. I still like her Outer Banks Lighthouse Library series the best. ( )

Gemma Doyle may be the last person in West London to discover she is, indeed, a consulting detective. When she accidentally finds Lauren Tierney's missing cat, Lauren immediately tries to engage her services when her mother's nemesis from the Garden Club, Anna Wentworth, is found dead. Lauren's family may not seem like they are worth saving on the surface, but if Shelia didn't do it, Gemma will be the one to figure it out. I really enjoy the main setting of the bookstore and adjoining Mrs. Hudson's tearoom. ( )

Gemma Doyle owns and runs the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and is known to have helped the police solve crimes in the past. When a little girl enters her shop begging for her help, Gemma won't commit to it, but tells her she will keep her eyes open in finding Lauren Tierney's kitten. Fortunately, she's able to do so, making Lauren happy. But the next day Lauren wants to hire Gemma to keep her mother out of jail. It seems that Sheila Tierney has been accused of the murder of Anna Wentworth, once her friend. Sheila's garden was touted as the one to beat in this year's Garden Club contest, and when she awoke she found her garden destroyed. Knowing it was Anna, she had a very public confrontation with the woman, coming to blows between them. But when Anna's body is discovered later that evening, Sheila is the prime suspect.

But Gemma isn't so sure, and even though she's warned off the investigation, her innate curiousity and sharp mind won't let it go. Looking high and low for clues, Gemma might have gotten too close to the killer, and once you kill, it's easy enough to do it again...

This is one of the series that have actually gotten better over time. I will admit that I wasn't fond of the first book in the series, but I did especially like the last one and this one. Gemma isn't as pushy as she was, and she's actually kinder to people than she first appeared. She's shown her love and loyalty to those around her just by her actions. I do like the fact that Donald has a bigger role in this book, and he also is showing his affection for Gemma -- even if she's a bit wary of it, and Donald has his own way of doing things. which are rather humorous.

When Anna is killed, there actually are plenty of suspects, ranging right down to Gemma's frail elderly neighbor. But Gemma's mind is always working, and even if she can't get answers from the police, it really doesn't matter, since she's able to come to the correct conclusion on her own. It's actually fun trying to find the murderer before Gemma does; although she always has the reasons why and the murder weapon at hand in the end.

Lauren is delightful, actually acting like an eleven-year-old would act, instead of being a adult in a child's body, as many writers portray them. Her actions are those as they should be, and it shows her eagerness for love and acceptance without actually saying so.

When Gemma starts asking questions, there's no stopping her, and when she gets too close to the killer, they plan to put her out of commission, but still she presses on, this time more deeply, and at last comes to the realization of the identity which we might have known (or not) all along. This is a welcoming addition to the series, and I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to the next. Recommended. ( )

There is nothing like success to bring on more problems. Gemma’s reputation as a sleuth prompted a young girl to seek her help in finding her missing cat. Gemma did, but actually it was an accidental finding. Still, when the girl’s mom is the prime suspect in a murder, Lauren again reaches out to her for help. There is a lot going on in this mystery, and the author does a great job of keeping the action moving, and dropping clues along the way. Readers of the Holmes canon may solve the murder before Gemma finally does, if they remember how Sherlock solved one of his many cases. But whether you are trying to solve the mystery or just want to enjoy the read, the story is a very good one, with an entertaining, fast-paced tempo and dynamic characters. This series just keeps getting better and better. ( )