Body on Baker Street

A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Book 2

By: Vicki Delany

Narrated by: Kelly Clare

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing both the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room in anticipation of the upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, the author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes series. However, tragedy strikes during the author Q&A session of the signing when a dedicated Sherlockian verbally attacks the series for disgracing Sherlock's legacy and is then publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand - that is, until she collapses on the table and is pronounced dead.

Fortunately, there's no shortage of suspects - the author's bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, her hapless publisher, a handsome book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta's depiction of the Great Detective - so the shrewd sleuthing duo quickly begin to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth .

©2017 Vicki Delany (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Very Nice listen, book drags at points. Kelly Clar

Very nice listen, book drags at points. Kelly Clare has a beautiful voice. definite buy.

perfect

this is a good book. not to heavy. it lets you think and relax. i have listened to it twice already

Excellent sequel to this series!

Gemma Doyle returns for another adventure in Vicki Delaney's Body on Baker Street. The proprietor and half owner of The Sherlock Holmes Book Shop and Emporium, Gemma is delighted to receive a request to come do a book signing of her latest book from the best selling Renalta van Markoff. The author writes a bodice ripping series in which Sherlock Holmes and Mrs. Hudson are lovers, with the woman's being the real brain behind the detective. The excitement over Renalta's coming appearance rises, especially when Renalta shows up the Thursday before her Saturday book signing and charms all her fans, though Gemma sees another side of the author as self-centered and petulant.

Then that night, while Gemma and her best friend, Jayne, are enjoying dinner at the most exclusive restaurant in West London, Massachusetts, Renalta and her entourage enter to the delight of the other diners. But things get messy when Renalta's stalker, Paige, comes in and yells at Renalta (whom she identifies as Ruth Smith) for having stolen Paige's book and published it under her own name. Paige gets so belligerent that the police have to come take her away.

Saturday arrives, and the book shop is packed with fans of Renalta, middle aged women who squeal like teenage girls when their favorite writer waltzes in. Upon viewing Renalta closely, Gemma is astonished to see abject terror on the writer's face and realizes that the woman is afraid of public speaking. As a coping mechanism, she uses her bottled water, of which she requests four bottles with their caps loosened, which probably is to address Renalta's rumoured arthritis. Gemma's fears come true when Paige shows up and starts trying to yell that Renalta needs to admit to the true author of her books, but the police quickly hustle her out of the building. But then Donald, Gemma's Sherlockian fanatic, steps up in his full Holmes attire and complains that Renalta is destroying the nature of Sherlock Holmes but gets shot down easily by Renalta and leaves, shouting that this woman must be stopped.

Then comes time for Renalta to sign books for her fans. As she deals with everyone, she demands more water. Within just a few minutes of drinking her water, she is dead. And Gemma suspects cyanide. The crowd immediately points to Donald in blame, but Gemma thinks there is no real evidence against him. Thus she starts checking out everyone who has had any connection with Renalta.

This book is an excellent sequel to Elementary, She Read. It was cleaner in its details than the first book, which I pointed out in my review had a number of inconsistencies. The plot was more unified, which on the one hand kept it easier to follow, but on the other lacked some of the red herrings that made the first book so adventurous.

Kelly Clare narrates the audio recording of this book and makes the book especially fun. Her accents shift smoothly from one to another and come across very believably. I really am impressed with the job she does in both this and the prior book.

I am now very disappointed that I'm going to have to wait for the next book in the series to be released because I really had a great experience listening to Body on Baker Street. This book is a great example how a book can have clean language and no sex in it but still have a strong mystery that adults will appreciate. I give this book five stars!

This Is My 2nd Time To Enjoy It!

I had this recording on my Mom’s account before she died, and loved it! So glad to have this back with my own account! Appearances can be deceiving with an author’s name! It can be murderous!

I agree with the cat

I listened to and enjoyed the seventh book in this series, which led me to try the first and second books. It is apparent the author is improving, after listening to the first and second books in this series. I saw that the narrators had changed and that many people didn't like the second narrator. I prefer the second narrator, The one in the first and second books has a nice voice for the other characters, but the one she uses for Gemma is like nails on a chalkboard for me. Fits in with the arrogant and self righteous character written by the author, so it's a good fit.
I don't think I'll be able to finish the second book. I am so tired of the portrayal of characters that act like complete jerks but all is forgiven because they're "smart". Gemma, as written, perhaps not on purpose, is mean spirited, thoughtless, rude, patronizing, and hypocritical. I vehemently disagree with the notion that "because its in a good cause" I can trample on people's privacy, physically trespass, make unwarranted assumptions and slander people, However, if the tables are turned, Gemma is outraged. Hypocrite. For someone who is written as "she's so much better / smarter than everyone" because her talent of observation and deduction, she sure is stupid about real life. I"m about 3/4 through and I don't think I'll be able to finish it- I can't stand her behavior.
Wish the author would give a read to one of Kerry Greenwood's books- her main character is every bit as smart but is well liked and kind... and her cat likes her.