Reviewed: 14 September 2025

The Devil in the Details

by: Vicki Delany

Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery - Book 11

Rating: (4.0/5)

Exes, gossips, wedding guests, and murder

Gemma’s best friend and business partner, Jayne, is getting married. Jayne’s birthday, a few days before the big day, featured early wedding guests and a few surprises, including both Jayne’s and Andy’s (the groom’s) exes. We are also introduced to old-school influencer, aka gossip columnist, Audrey, and her adopted niece, social media influencer Madison. We are also treated to more of Gemma and Arthur’s neighbor, Mrs. Ramsbatten, who once worked with computer science pioneers and continues to be very sharp. Not only are there exes around, but also old bosses, know-it-all new cooks, and drama unrelated to the wedding swirling around, threatening to spoil the big day.

Gemma, of course, will not stand by and do nothing, much to the dismay of Detective Estrada. Best man, Gemma’s boyfriend, and Det. Estrada’s partner, Ryan Ashburton, returns early from a work trip to assist.

Unlike in The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime, Book 10 in this series, where Gemma was investigating a murder right before her sister, Pippa’s, wedding, fewer group investigations and more solo Gemma investigations, harking back to the early days. This put Gemma in tough situations. It was nice to have non-bridezilla challenges in not one but two books with wedding themes.

I continue to enjoy this series from book 1 through book 11. Will there be a third wedding theme mystery, this time with Gemma and Ryan? Fingers crossed!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.

Happy Reading!

Release Date: 6-January-2026

Cozy Mystery, Female Sleuth, NetGalley, Female-Led

Plot Summary

The game is once again afoot in Vicki Delany’s 11th Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, when birthday festivities end in freezing cold murder.

Gemma Doyle is excited about celebrating Jayne Wilson’s big day. It’s supposed to be a day marking not only the birthday of Jayne, her partner in crime, but also that of the Great Detective himself. Following the festivities at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, Gemma heads for the Blue Water Café, the site of Jayne’s party. To make things even better, Jayne’s wedding is only a week away.

But the much-anticipated affair quickly turns to disaster with the presence of the bride and groom’s respective exes in attendance and other unruly guests. With drama at every corner, Gemma and Jayne take a break on the chilly deck overlooking the ocean when they spot the body of a party attendee floating in the water below.

As Detective Ryan Ashburton takes a closer look at the guest list, Jayne’s wedding is in peril, especially when it is revealed that her fiancé, Andy, is a prime suspect. With the police closing in and more lives on the line, it’s up to Gemma to keep Andy from prison and save Jayne’s wedding day from ruin.