Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London, MA, insists she is not a consulting detective, and she certainly isn’t a ghost hunter. But her best friend’s mother ropes her into investigating when Scarlet House, a 300-year-old living history museum, has a few problems. Items disappear and reappear in strange spots in the house, while the farm animals are in an uproar at night. After spending the night and hearing a scream and items falling, Gemma is convinced someone is causing trouble. She suggests that the board needs to change the locks and increase security. It’s too late, though. When Gemma and her friend Jayne return to the property looking for Jayne’s forgotten purse, they discover a body in the barn. Once again, Gemma is involved in a murder investigation. She’s also looking for her bookshop clerk who disappeared and left the shop wide open. Murder, a missing woman, and then Gemma’s sister, Pippa, a fixer for the British government, turns up. She’s interested in the recent happenings at Scarlet House.
VERDICT This entertaining Sherlock Holmes pastiche (sequel to A Three Book Problem) will appeal to fans of quirky characters and bookstore settings.
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