CANR
WORK TITLE: Trouble is Brewing
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BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.vickidelany.com/
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COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
LAST VOLUME: LRC March 2021
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PERSONAL
Born 1951, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; children: Caroline, Julia, and Alex (daughters).
EDUCATION:Attended Carleton University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Royal Bank of Canada, former systems analyst, retired 2007. Cofounder and organizer of Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival.
AVOCATIONS:Hiking and quilting.
MEMBER:Crime Writers of Canada (former president), Capital Crime Writers.
AWARDS:EPPIE Award for best mainstream novel published electronically, and semifinalist in Chapters’ Robertson Davies First- Novel Competition, both 2000, both for Whiteout; EPPIE Award for best mystery, 2004, for Murder at Lost Dog Lake; Derrick Murdoch Award for Contributions to Canadian Crime Writing, 2019.
WRITINGS
Also author of the blog Klondike and Trafalgar. Contributor of stories to anthologies, including Bloody Words: The Anthology Baskerville Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003. Editor, Sisters in Crime, Toronto Chapter, newsletter.
SIDELIGHTS
A former computer systems analyst by day and author of suspense novels by night, Vicki Delany has made her love of the Canadian wilderness a signature of her novels, which include Whiteout, about a mystery in a snowstorm; Murder at Lost Dog Lake, about a wilderness canoe trip in Algonquin Park; and Scare the Light Away, about a prodigal daughter returning to Ontario after a thirty-year absence. She is also the author of several mystery series under her own name and the pseudonym Eva Gates and is now a full-time writer with more than fifty books to her credit.
“I want to write what I love,” Delany wrote in a statement posted on her home page. “The trees and rocks and lakes and rivers of Canada are where I want to be, so I put my characters there.” Indeed, Delany does spend time in the wilds of Canada, hiking and researching her books.
Her 2005 novel, Scare the Light Away, the first of Delany’s books to be published in the United States, received considerable praise. It tells the story of Rebecca McKenzie, who returns to her hometown of Hope River, Ontario, for her mother’s funeral. While there, she discovers her mother’s diaries—which are full of shocking revelations about the mother’s difficult life in Canada as a newlywed, oppressed by an alcoholic and emotionally abusive father-in-law after her husband’s departure for military service. To complicate matters, a young girl in Hope River has been murdered, and suspicion has fallen on Rebecca’s brother, the family’s black sheep.
Dick Adler, writing in the Chicago Tribune, observed that “Delany does everything right, adding enough twists to a familiar story to make her Hope River … the place from which we all could have escaped.”Booklist contributor Jenny McLarin hailed Scare the Light Away as an “an outstanding debut novel” in which Delany “mixes a compelling crime story with a vivid evocation of small-town hostility.” Several other reviewers admired the novel as well, including a Kirkus Reviews contributor, who found Delany “adept at ratcheting up the emotional tension.” A Publishers Weekly contributor remarked that the “well-crafted storytelling and an evocative setting make for a rewarding debut.”
Burden of Memory, called “a breath of fresh air from north of the border” by a Publishers Weekly contributor, returns to rural Ontario as struggling writer Elaine Benson takes a new job assisting elderly Moira Madison, a former World War II Canadian Army nurse, with her memoirs. Before long Elaine begins to sense a dark secret beneath Miss Madison’s surface charm, which she fears the Madison family will do anything to keep from being revealed. While Stephanie Zvirin, writing in Booklist, commented that the novel’s “hints of mystery and the supernatural … never expand into real suspense,” the Publishers Weekly contributor enjoyed Delany’s skillful creation of narrative tension as well as her spot-on descriptions of Canada’s social elite.
In the Shadow of the Glacier is the first installment in the “Cobstable Molly Smith” series. Several sociopolitical themes of modern-day Canada converge in, including wilderness vs. preservation, and the legacy of U.S. draft dodgers who fled to Canada to avoid military conscription during the Vietnam War. As the novel begins, Reginald Montgomery is found dead from a single blow to the head in the idyllic rural town of Trafalgar, British Columbia. A wealthy developer, Montgomery had planned to build a big tourist resort in the area to bring jobs and money to the community. Montgomery had also been the chief opponent of another major project that is dividing town residents: a proposed peace garden to honor American draft resisters. Assigned to investigate the murder is Constable Molly Smith, newly widowed and daughter of a draft dodger and his activist wife. As she struggles to win the confidence of her veteran partner, DS John Winters, and to analyze relevant clues, Molly must also deal with her parents’ disapproval of her choice of career. Though Booklist considered Sue O’Brien considered Molly an “unlikely police officer,” the reviewer found the protagonist a likable character and added that the novel establishes the foundations of a “promising series.”
A Mysteries in Paradise website contributor called the second book in the series, Valley of the Lost, a novel with a “well teased out plot and interesting characters.” Valley of the Lost begins with Probationary Constable Molly Smith’s mother, Lucky, discovering a baby and her dead mother in the woods near the Trafalgar Women’s Support Center. Molly is sent to investigate and discovers that the woman appears to have died from a heroin overdose. However, the fact that the dead woman has marks on her wrists and ankles indicates she had been restrained and raises questions about whether the death was accidental. As Molly and Sergeant John Winters investigate, Lucky decides to bring the baby home to care for the child until other family members can be found. The baby causes problems at the Smith residence, which are exacerbated when a social services worker attempts to come and take the baby. Along with the murder investigation, the Trafalgar police department is also trying to deal with an increase in drug dealing, especially heroin trafficking.
“The contrast between the peaceful, seemingly idyllic community of Trafalgar and big money land development, drug trade, and murder form the foundation for this riveting mystery,” wrote a contributor to the Mysterious Reviews website, adding: “The author effectively integrates an engrossing whodunit within a social commentary on small town life.” A Publishers Weekly contributor remarked that the author examines “the social dynamics of a small mountain community” and also commended Delany for “deftly handling the plot’s twists and turns.”
The next book in the series is titled Winter of Secrets. The story features Molly and John investigating what at first appears to be the death of two visiting students whose car goes off the road and crashes through the winter ice into a river. However, the investigators soon learn that there is a lot more to the story, including a mixture of drugs, sexual predators, and high society.
When famous photographer Rudolph Steiner returns to Trafalgar to see the woman who left him for another man many decades ago, he ends up getting shot in the head. The woman he came to see, Eliza, is the prime suspect in the case. Constable Mollie solves this murder mystery in Delany’s next installment, Negative Image.
Reviewing the work on the Spinetingler website, contributor Theodore Feit commented: “Well-written and smoothly told, the book was a joy to read, and is recommended.” A contributor to the Reactions to Reading website pointed out: “As always with this series it is the mixture of crime solving and small town life that is appealing as both feed off each other.”
In the next volume in the series, Among the Departed, a search and rescue team comes across some human bones during their tracking mission of a young boy. Mollie becomes involved when it comes to light that the bones may belong to the father of a childhood friend of hers.
Reviewing the work in the New York Journal of Books, John M. Wills commented: “Delany has done an excellent job of transporting the reader to a small Canadian town in western British Columbia.” A Mystery Maven Blog contributor observed: “The solution to the mystery is not hard to figure out if you pay attention to the clues, but it is well handled in the book and I look forward to reading more of the Constable Molly.” Booklist contributor Sue O’Brien remarked: “The beautiful setting nicely frames this village police procedural, which boasts well-delineated characters.”
Constable Molly Smith returns in A Cold White Sun, this time investigating the murder of a respected teacher. Hoping for relaxation over her spring break, Cathy Lindsay instead is shot by a sniper on a hiking trail. Writing in Booklist, Michele Leber called A Cold White Sun “another brisk whodunit in a beautiful western Canadian setting with an appealing protagonist.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that the author “sticks to her usual formula, though this time, the simultaneous motivation yet randomness of the killer’s actions are hard to swallow.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer also criticized the resolution but predicted that “the author’s quietly competent sketch of police work in a small town will keep readers” engaged.
The “Constable Molly Smith” series continues with Under Cold Stone, in which Molly’s mother, Lucky, a true-blue environmentalist, is vacationing with Paul Keller, chief constable of Trafalgar, British Columbia, at the famous Banff Springs Hotel. There they accidentally come across Paul’s estranged son, Matt, one of a pair of bullies they are forced to deal with. Next morning, Paul gets a call from Matt to ask for help, but when Paul and Lucky arrive, Matt has fled and there is a dead body in his apartment. Matt is an experienced wilderness camper and it is assumed he has taken to the back country, and it is also assumed by the local police that because he has fled, he is guilty of the murder. Now Lucky’s daughter, Constable Molly Smith, puts aside Thanksgiving preparations to come to the aid of her mother and new boyfriend. Reviewing Under Cold Stone in Booklist, Sue O’Brien noted that the author “weaves environmentalism, family relationships, and Lucky and Paul’s budding relationship through what is a satisfying series entry.” A Publishers Weekly contributor found this an “engaging” series addition, while a Kirkus Reviews critic felt that the “glorious scenery of British Columbia upstages Delany’s regular cast in this plausible tale.”
Constable Molly Smith returns in Unreasonable Doubt, in which an exonerated convict returns to Trafalgar, British Columbia, after spending a quarter of a century in prison. Walter Desmond returns to the scene of a murder for which he was wrongly convicted, but the townspeople are not so sure of his innocence. Then comes an attack on Sergeant John Winters’ wife the very day Desmond comes to Trafalgar. When another woman at the inn where Desmond is staying is similarly attacked, Constable Molly Smith has to protect Desmond as Sergeant Winter begins to discover facts about the real killer.
Booklist contributor Michel Leber noted of Unreasonable Doubt that it is “another solid procedural that gains depth from its portrayal of mass psychology.” Further praise came from a Publishers Weekly reviewer who commented that “Delaney does a good job providing an unsavory view of old-boy small-town cop cliques.” A higher evaluation was offered by a Kirkus Reviews critic who observed: “Delany’s excellent new procedural … is a real page-turner, ratcheting up the tension as each secret from the past is painfully revealed.”
Delany goes farther north for the setting of Gold Digger, also published as Golddigger. The first book in the “Klondike Mystery” series takes place during the Yukon Gold Rush of 1898. The story revolves around protagonist Fiona MacGillivray, a woman determined to make her fortune as a dance-hall owner, and her son, Angus, who wants to be Canadian Mountie one day and, as a result, has attached himself to Constable Richard Sterling. When San Francisco reporter Jack Ireland turns up, he begins to anger many of the town’s residents, which is probably the reason he is found murdered at Fiona’s saloon, the Savoy. Although Fiona did not much care for Ireland and is not overly concerned about who killed him, she finds that she must discover who the killer is in order to keep her saloon from being shut down.
“Just as in her other series, Vicki Delany creates realistic, believable characters, beginning with Fiona and Angus,” wrote a contributor to Lesa’s Book Critiques website, adding later in the same review: “The rough life led by the settlers is beautifully described, in detail.” Linda Suzane, writing for Midnightblood.com, commented: “Not a particularly complex mystery, it is still satisfying all the way around. It works because of the well drawn characters and setting drawn with the careful attention to detail.”
The series continues with Gold Fever, Gold Mountain, and Gold Web. In Gold Web, the setting is Dawson city, Yukon. The gold rush of 1898 is at its height. The town is full of a strange assortment of people that are drawn by gold fever, and upright and hardworking Fiona MacGillivray runs a dance hall and saloon and tries to raise her twelve-year-old son, Angus. When a man drops dead at her feet, he imparts a secret in his dying whisper. Meanwhile, there are other odd occurrences in this “satisfying historical mystery filled with action and humor and starring a strong female protagonist,” according to Booklist contributor Barbara Bibel.
In 2012, Delany published the stand-alone book More Than Sorrow. Set near Lake Ontario, the novel features Hannah Manning, a former journalist who was injured by a homemade bomb in Afghanistan. Moving in with her sister at J&J Organic Farms proves more intriguing than she expected, as she stumbles upon the engrossing story of Maggie Macgregor and begins to hear a woman’s voice in the cellar. Hannah’s modern story alternates with Maggie’s, set 200 years earlier.
A Publishers Weekly critic felt that the “twin tales sit awkwardly beside one another in this story,” though noting that they are brought together in “a satisfyingly tense scene.” A Kirkus Reviews critic characterized More Than Sorrow as “an absorbing whodunit-cum-flashbacks whose so-so mystery is redeemed by a deft use of historical parallels.”
In her 2015 novel, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, Delany launched her “Year Round Christmas” series, offering a Christmas you could die for. Rudolph, New York, is vying to become the nation’s number one Christmas town with parades, a heavily decorated downtown with strolling carolers, and an ever-present jolly old St. Nick. Then comes the arrival of Nigel Pearce, who is covering Rudolph for an extended piece in his prominent European magazine. What should be a media gala turns to tragedy when Pearce’s body is found in a local park, poisoned by a gingerbread cookie purchased from the town’s bakery. There follows an avalanche of canceled reservations to Rudolph, and local businesses fear financial ruin. Merry Wilkinson is a proprietor of one such seasonal shop and it was she, along with her puppy, who discovered Pearse’s body. Now she sets out to right matters by playing sleuth to discover who would want to sabotage Rudolph, New York, and its Christmas aspirations.Booklist reviewer O’Brien dubbed this a “family-centered cozy, with … [a] small-town holiday frame, quirky characters, humor, and [a] sympathetic main character.”
The series continues with We Wish You a Murderous Christmas, Hark the Herald Angels Slay, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and the 2020 installment, Dying in a Winter Wonderland. That novel finds Merry Wilkinson again donning her sleuthing cap to clear her brother Chris from possible murder charges for the death of a romantic rival. A Kirkus Reviews critic commented of this series addition: “Plenty of suspects, likable characters, and lots of possible motives add up to a cheery holiday cozy.”
(open new)In A Slay Ride Together with You, Merry’s best friend Vicky is set to marry Mark, a local chef and new owner of a dilapidated old Victorian estate called Cole House. Mark begins remodeling the house, which is said to be haunted, despite a Cole family member’s claim that the house belongs to him. When that family member turns up dead outside the house, Mark becomes a suspect, and Vicky and Merry are determined to prove his innocence. A Kirkus Reviews critic suggested: “A look into the past helps the intrepid sleuths solve the mystery in a very satisfying way.”(close new—more below)
In a stand-alone novel from 2015, Haitian Graves, Delany moves far afield from her usual settings to posit a Canadian Mountie who has been seconded to the United Nations in Haiti. Sent there to help recovery efforts after the terrible 2010 earthquake, Sgt. Ray Robertson instead becomes involved in the murder investigation of the wife of an American living in Port-au-Prince. The husband says the death was an accident, but Robertson does not believe it. Soon the body is shipped off to Miami for autopsy, the gardener is arrested, and Robertson is effectively cut out of the case. However, he is not the kind of Mountie to take things lying down, and persists in his own investigation. “Delany … uses a slim and easily solved mystery to paint a thought-provoking portrait of post- quake Haiti,” noted a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
Writing as Eva Gates, Delany opens her “Lighthouse Library Mystery” series with By Book or by Crook, set in the North Carolina Outer Banks island of Bodie Island. Lucie Richardson has worked a number of years in the rare book department of the Harvard Library. But when a long-term engagement ends badly, she figures it is time for a change. She goes to visit her Aunt Ellen in the Outer Banks, and quite suddenly she finds a new career in the small Lighthouse Library on Bodie Island, her favorite place in the world. Things do not quite go her way, though, for a first edition by Jane Austen is stolen from the library, followed quickly but the murder of the chair of the library board. Now Lucy takes on a new calling, that of amateur detective. “This was a fun cozy mystery,” wrote a Lola’s Reviews website contributor. A Socrates’ Book Reviews website reviewer similarly felt that the “setting is charming and perfect for a cozy mystery.”
The second series installment, Booked for Trouble, finds Lucie happily ensconced in Bodie Island until her socialite mother decides it is time to bring her reluctant daughter back to Boston and patch things up with her former fiancé. But the mother falls into trouble after an argument with an old school friend at the island’s local hotel, when the friend is found dead. Now Lucie’s mother becomes the prime suspect and her daughter must once again don her detective hat. “I adore this series because the setting seems so divine,” noted a Girl Lost in a Book website writer. “If you haven’t read this series yet, then please do because it is a good one. Another fantastic book from the pen of Eva Gates.”
Writing as Gates, Delany continued her “Lighthouse Library Mystery” series with Spook in the Stacks, in which librarian Lucy Richardson discovers a dead body in the rare books section, making this a truly memorable Halloween on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A Midwest Book Review contributor called this “a simply riveting good read from beginning to end,” while Booklist writer Susan Maguire felt that the author “creates an atmosphere that perfectly balances the chill of a spooky night with small-town coastal charm in a mystery that will delight bookish cozy fans.” A Publishers Weekly writer also had praise, commenting, “Cozy fans will look forward to [Lucy’s] further adventures.”
In the fifth series installment, Something Read, Something Dead, it is winter on the Outer Banks and Lucy’s cousin Josie is about to get married. Things turn deadly when one of the wedding guests dies eating treats Josie has prepared. Now Lucy must step up to save her cousin from prison, in this cozy that offers “romance and a mighty good mystery against a delightful picture of the Outer Banks,” according to a Kirkus Reviews critic. A Publishers Weekly reviewer was also impressed, observing, “This entry reinforces Gates’s position at the top of the cozy genre.”
Librarian Lucy Richardson returns in the sixth series installment, Read and Buried, discovering a Civil War-era diary during excavations to repair the foundations of the Lighthouse Library. This discovery leads to the death of a member of a local historical society member, and Lucy is once again on the case. “Cozy fans looking for good, fast-paced fun will be rewarded,” commented a Publishers Weekly reviewer of this installment. Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews critic concluded: “Historical injustices combine with a touch of romance and code-breaking in a neatly packaged cozy.”
The series continues with the 2020 installment, A Death Long Overdue, in which Lucy is helping to curate an exhibition of artifacts from the library in celebration of the 40th reunion of her boss’s college class. At the party, Lucy notices tension between some of the guests. Former director of the library Helena Sanchez, a difficult woman, becomes incensed over a withdrawal slip in one of the books on display. When the group goes out for a walk along the shore, Helena disappears, to be found later dead in the water. Lucy and her cat Charles team up to solve this crime in an installment that found the author “at the top of her game,” according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called A Death Long Overdue a “tricky mystery and charmingly quirky characters.”
In Deadly Ever After, Lucy’s engagement party to her fiancé Connor McNeil is put on edge by the arrival of an old suitor, Ricky Lewison, accompanied by his pushy mother, Evangeline. It is clear that the mother wants to get Lucy and Ricky back together again, but Lucy is less than interested. Later, when a murder ensues, Lucy must investigate to secure her engagement and coming marriage. A Kirkus Reviews contributor felt that this “comedy of misunderstandings and multiple motives makes for a happy read.”
(0pen new)In Death by Beach Read, Lucy is now engaged to Connor McNeil, mayor of Nags Head. Connor and his dad, Fred, have been fixing up an old beach cottage, but when Lucy moves in, she begins believing it is haunted. When Lucy and Charles find a dead man in the house, they wonder if someone is looking for a hidden treasure in their home.”Fans of mystery and romance will enjoy Lucy, her quirky friends, and plenty of red herrings,” suggested a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
The Stranger in the Library finds Lucy investigating the disappearance of a painting and the death of an out-of-towner. She and her detective friend, Sam, suspect members of a group that are in town to put on an art exhibition. “Fans of the series will enjoy Lucy’s new married state,” asserted Karen Muller in Booklist. A critic in Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a neat package of art lore and murder set against the storied background of the Outer Banks.”(close new—more below)
Delany launched her “Sherlock Holmes Bookshop” series with the 2017 Elementary, She Read, introducing British-born Gemma Doyle, who opens the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in Massachusetts. Gemma intended this as an homage to the famed British sleuth, but in fact, she herself turns sleuth when a customer is killed. A Kirkus Reviews critic was unenthusiastic about this series start, commenting: “The heroine isn’t quite likable enough to support such a lengthy debut with such an extended cast of undistinguished characters.” The critic added: “The result is more likely to appeal to small-town-sleuth fans than true Holmes aficionados.” On the other hand, a Publishers Weekly called this a “charming series launch from Delaney … [that] will please Sherlock Holmes and cozy fans.”
The series continues with Body on Baker Street, which finds Gemma once again donning a sleuthing hat when Renalta Van Markoff, a best-selling author, is poisoned at her reading at the bookshop. It does not help that the poison came from a bottle of water Gemma supplied. Suspects abound in this installment. A Kirkus Reviews critic remarked: “Remarkably, the heroine, who is often indeed annoyingly like Sherlock Holmes, manages to solve the mystery without alienating all her friends.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer also offered a varied assessment, noting, “Gemma’s deductive skills fail to impress, given the shaky foundations for some of her conclusions.” The reviewer added: “Cozy fans fond of Conan Doyle are most likely to enjoy Delany’s second whodunit featuring Gemma Doyle.”
In The Cat of the Baskervilles, a legendary British actor, Sir Nigel Bellingham, arrives on Cape Cod for a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Nigel and his fellow actors visit Gemma’s bookshop, and she is unimpressed with Nigel, who appears beyond his prime and who also seems to have a fondness for the bottle. When Nigel is found dead at the bottom of a cliff and a friend of Gemma’s is implicated in the death, the bookshop owner once again goes into her detective mode in this “delightful third” installment of the “Sherlock Holmes Bookshop” series, according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. “Cozy fans fond of Sherlock Holmes will have fun,” the reviewer added. A Kirkus Reviews critic was also impressed with this installment, noting: “With no dearth of suspects among the unhappy cast and crew, Gemma uses her sharp eye for even the smallest details before the police arrest the wrong person.” The critic further commented that this work “features better-developed characters and a more congenial and cerebral sleuth.” Similarly, a Midwest Book Review contributor termed this a “pure treat for dedicated mystery buffs by a true master of the genre.”
Gemma returns in the 2018 A Scandal in Scarlet, investigating the strangulation death of a member of the local museum conducting a fundraising drive to help rebuild a tearoom that was burned down. The list of suspects grows as Gemma gets ever closer to the culprit. A Publishers Weekly reviewer praised this fourth installment, observing: “Delany’s liberal sprinkling of references to real pastiche novels and reference books makes this cozy a treat for Holmes buffs.” Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews critic commented: “Each new entry in this series has been better than the last. Delany’s down-to-earth heroine wraps up this investigation with even more than her customary panache.” Likewise, Booklist contributor Karen Muller concluded: “Gemma is a delightful sleuth, and the tidbits of Sherlockiana will engage both cozy fans and Holmes devotees.”
The fifth series installment, There’s a Murder Afoot, sees Gemma traveling to London to pick up an award for her great uncle Arthur. This lovely return to her birthplace becomes something of a nightmare for Gemma, as her father, a retired officer of the Metropolitan Police, is accused of the murder of his brother-in-law, Randolph, a disgraced member of the family who is an art forger and thief. Gemma refuses to leave England until she can clear her father’s name, aided by the band of amateur sleuths with whom she traveled. A Kirkus Reviews contributor termed this installment a “treat for Holmes fans with plenty of twists and turns in the best Sherlock-ian style.”
A Curious Incident, from 2021, sees Gemma once again involved in solving a murder when a member of the local garden club, Anna Wentworth, is fatally hit by a rock while walking her dog. Police and locals all place the blame on Sheila Tierney, a former friend but lately a rival of Anna’s. When Sheila’s eleven-year-old daughter begs Gemma to investigate, she feels duty-bound to do so, and as Gemma begins digging deeper into the investigation, she uncovers dirty secrets and a list of suspects. “Cozy fans and Holmes buffs alike will be satisfied,” concluded a Publishers Weekly review of this installment.”
(open new)In A Three Book Problem, a murder derails an event that Gemma and Jayne have been hired to cater. To the chagrin of her detective boyfriend, Ryan, Gemma determines to investigate. She discovers that the murdered host of the event had a shady past and many enemies. A Kirkus Reviews critic commented: “Plenty of Sherlock-ian lore and local color make for an enjoyable read.”
The Game is a Footnote finds Gemma investigating a possible haunting at Scarlet House, in West London, MA at the request of the board of directors. At first, Gemma does not find the evidence compelling, but when a board member turns up dead, she realizes that the situation is more serious. She and friend Jayne work to find out what is going on at the historic home. A writer in Kirkus Reviews remarked: “Sherlock Holmes’ methods work once more in a charming combination of history and mystery.” Lesa Holstine, reviewer in Library Journal, described the book as “entertaining.” “The inventive plot bodes well for the series’ future,” asserted a Publishers Weekly critic.
An ill-fated séance at the local psychic fair is the central event in The Sign of the Four Spirits: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. During the séance, an attendee is murdered with a hatpin, inspiring Gemma to investigate. In an interview with Manon Wogahn, contributor to the Mystery Manon website, Delany discussed the inspiration behind the story, stating: “I started this book with a one-word idea: séance. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a very committed spiritualist and he wrote quite a few books on the subject. I’ve always found that interesting considering his greatest creation was such a non-superstitious person.” A Kirkus Reviews critic suggested: “Fans of Holmes and the occult will enjoy following the Great Detective along the trail.” “The closed-circle setup is brilliantly executed,” commented a contributor to Publishers Weekly. (close new—more below)
Delany launched her “Tea by the Sea Mysteries” series with the 2020 novel, Tea & Treachery. The series features former Manhattan pastry chef Lily Roberts, who opens Tea by the Sea next door to her grandmother’s bed- and-breakfast in North Augusta on Cape Cod. A real estate developer, Jack Ford, wants to rezone local land for a major resort, but Lily’s grandmother, British-born Rose Campbell, causes a fuss about it at a town council meeting. Ford subsequently sues Rose, and when his body is later found on Rose’s property, she becomes the prime suspect. Now Lily and Rose begin their own investigation. A Publishers Weekly reviewer lauded this series launch, noting: “Fans of culinary cozies will be sure to come back for more.” Similarly, Booklist contributor Sue O’Brien termed Tea & Treachery a “satisfying cozy with a beautifully described setting and a cast of charming, small-town characters.”
(open new)Lily and Rose host a large and dysfunctional extended family in Murder in a Teacup. Members of the McHenry and French families stay at Rose’s bed and breakfast, and when they go to eat at Lily’s tearoom, Ed French is poisoned and dies. Police investigate Lily’s food and beverages, making her a possible suspect, but she and her friends try to find the real killer. A Publishers Weekly writer suggested: “Delany expertly blends a cunning mystery plot with diverting characters and sparkling dialogue.” “Quirky characters, a lovely setting, and a surprising denouement make this second installment a charmer,” asserted a contributor to Kirkus Reviews.
Deadly Director’s Cut is a volume in Delany’s “Catskill Summer Resort Mystery” series, which is set in the 1950s in the so-called Borscht Belt. It stars Elizabeth Grady, manager of Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. In this volume, Elizabeth deals with a prickly film director named Elias, who has come to shoot a movie on the property. Things become even more complicated when Elias is killed by poison, and Elizabeth determines to identify the murderer. A Kirkus Reviews writer commented: “A deft touch with characterization, plenty of suspects, and a nostalgic look at the Catskills in the 1950s add up to a fun read.” “This engrossing, atmospheric cozy will appeal to existing fans of the series and newcomers alike,” remarked Sarah Hashimoto in Library Journal.(close new—more below)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 15, 2005, Jenny McLarin, review of Scare the Light Away, p. 1063; May 1, 2006, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Burden of Memory, p. 26; July 1, 2007, Sue O’Brien, review of In the Shadow of the Glacier, p. 35; December 1, 2008, Sue O’Brien, review of Valley of the Lost, p. 33; April 1, 2011, Sue O’Brien, review of Among the Departed; April 15, 2012, Courtney Jones, review of Winter Kill, p. 26; August 1, 2012, Michele Leber, review of More Than Sorrow, p. 31; July 1, 2013, Michele Leber, review of A Cold White Sun, p. 34; December 1, 2013, Barbara Bibel, review of Gold Web, p. 26; April 15, 2014, Sue O’Brien, review of Under Cold Stone, p. 20; November 1, 2015, Michele Leber, review of Unreasonable Doubt, p. 33; November 15, 2015, Sue O’Brien, review of Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery, p. 28; April 15, 2017, Becca Worthington, review of Blood and Belonging, p. 22; August 1, 2017, Donna Seaman, review of White Sand Blues, p. 23; May 1, 2018, Susan Maguire, review of The Spook in the Stacks, p. 36; October 15, 2018, Karen Muller, review of A Scandal in Scarlet, p. 26; June 1, 2020, Sue O’Brien, review of Tea & Treachery, p. 45; January 1, 2022, Sue O’Brien, review of A Three Book Problem, p. 44; May 18, 2024, Karen Muller, review of The Stranger in the Library, p. 19.
Chicago Tribune, March 6, 2005, Dick Adler, review of Scare the Light Away.
Internet Bookwatch, November, 2006, “Poisoned Pen Press;” April, 2018, review of The Cat of the Baskervilles; August, 2018, review of The Spook in the Stacks; April, 2019, review of Something Read, Something Dead.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2005, review of Scare the Light Away, p. 150; June 1, 2007, review of In the Shadow of the Glacier; September 15, 2008, review of Valley of the Lost; August 15, 2012, review of More Than Sorrow; May 15, 2013, review of A Cold White Sun; February 15, 2014, review of Under Cold Stone; June 15, 2015, review of Haitian Graves; October 15, 2015, review of Something Read Something Dead; review of Unreasonable Doubt; February 1, 2017, review of Elementary, She Read; March 1, 2017, review of Blood and Belonging; July 15, 2017, review of Body on Baker Street; January 1, 2018, review of The Cat of the Baskervilles; October 1, 2018, review of A Scandal in Scarlet; February 1, 2019, August 15, 2019, review of Read and Buried; November 15, 2019, review of There’s a Murder Afoot; August 1, 2020, review of Dying in a Winter Wonderland; August 15, 2020, review of A Death Long Overdue; February 15, 2021, review of Deadly Ever After; June 1, 2021, review of Murder in a Teacup;July 1, 2021, review of Deadly Summer Nights;October 15, 2021, review of A Three Book Problem;January 1, 2022, review of Deadly Director’s Cut;April 1, 2022, review of Death by Beach Read; June 1, 2022, review of Murder Spills the Tea; December 1, 2022, review of The Game Is a Footnote; May 1, 2023, review of Death Knells and Wedding Bells; June 1, 2023, review of Steeped in Malice; August 15, 2023, review of Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas; December 1, 2023, review of The Sign of Four Spirits: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery; April 15, 2024, review of The Stranger in the Library; July 1, 2024, review of Trouble Is Brewing;September 1, 2024, review of A Slay Ride Together with You.
Library Journal, December, 2021, Lesa Holstine, review of A Three Book Problem, p. 67; June, 2022, Sarah Hashimoto, review of Deadly Director’s Cut, p. 67; September, 2022, Cheryl Youse, review of Death by Beach Read, p. 51; September, 2024, Linsey Milillo, review of A Slay Ride Together with You, p. 64.
MBR Bookwatch, April, 2017, Theodore Feit, review of Unreasonable Doubt.
Publishers Weekly, February 21, 2005, review of Scare the Light Away, p. 161; April 24, 2006, review of Burden of Memory, p. 42; July 30, 2007, review of In the Shadow of the Glacier, p. 59; December 22, 2008, review of Valley of the Lost, p. 36; July 2, 2012, review of More Than Sorrow, p. 48; June 10, 2013, review of A Cold White Sun, p. 56; February 24, 2014, review of Under Cold Stone, p. 161; December 7, 2015, review of Unreasonable Doubt, p. 71; January 9, 2017, review of Elementary, She Read, p. 43; July 3, 2017, review of Body on Baker Street, p. 56; January 1, 2018, review of The Cat of the Baskervilles, p. 42; April 9, 2018, review of The Spook in the Stacks, p. 57; September 3, 2018, review of A Scandal in Scarlet, p. 76; January 7, 2019, review of Something Read Something Dead, p. 35; August 5, 2019, review of Read and Buried; p. 48;June 8, 2020, review of Tea & Treachery, p. 75; August 17, 2020, review of A Death Long Overdue, p. 57; November 16, 2020, review of A Curious Incident, p. 73; May 24, 2021, review of Murder in a Teacup, p. 57; October 31, 2022, review of The Game Is a Footnote, p. 28; November 6, 2023, review of The Sign of Four Spirits, p. 27.
ONLINE
Big Thrill, https:// www.thebigthrill.org/ (October 31, 2016), Wendy Tyson, review of We Wish You a Murderous Christmas.
BookLoons, http:// www.bookloons.com/ (October 21, 2009), Mary Ann Smyth, review of Burden of Memory.
Books. Movies. Reviews. Oh My!, https://www.booksmoviesreviewsohmy.com/ (February 9, 2016), “Author Interview: Eva Gates.”
Fantastic Fiction, https://www.fantasticfiction.com/ (March 14, 2021), “Vicki Delany, Eva Gates”
Fresh Fiction, http:// freshfiction.com/ (January 18, 2015), Miranda Owen, review of By Book or by Crook.
Girl Lost in a Book, http://www.girllostinabook.com/ (October 20, 2015), review of Booked for Trouble.
Huffington Post, https://www.huffpost.com/ (September 19, 2017), “Vicki Delany.”
Kings River Life, http://kingsriverlife.com/ (November 28, 2015), Cynthia Chow, review of Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen.
Lesa’s Book Critiques, http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ (October 21, 2009), review of Gold Digger.
“Lighthouse Library Mysteries” series website, https:// www.lighthouselibrarymysteries.com/ (March 10, 2016), “Eva Gates.”
Lola’s Reviews, http://lolasreviews.com/ (February 27, 2016), review of By Book or by Crook.
Midnightblood.com, http://midnightblood.com/ (October 21, 2009), Linda Suzane, review of Gold Digger.
My Random Acts of Reading, http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/ (October 21, 2009), review of Valley of the Lost.
MysteriesEtc, http:// mysteriesetc.blogspot.com/ (November 26, 2015), review of Unreasonable Doubt.
Mysteries in Paradise, http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/ (October 21, 2009), review of Valley of the Lost.
Mysterious Reviews, http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/ (October 21, 2009), review of In the Shadow of the Glacier; review of Valley of the Lost; (March 10, 2016), review of Under Cold Stone.
Mystery Manon, https://www.manonwogahn.com/ (January 23, 2024), Manon Wogahn, author interview.
Mystery Maven Blog, http://www.mysterymavenblog.com/ (May 2, 2011), review of Among the Departed.
New York Journal of Books, http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (May 3, 2011), John M. Wills, review of Among the Departed.
Poe’s Deadly Daughters, http://poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com/ (December 29, 2011), Sandra Parshall, author interview.
Random Redheaded Ramblings, https://www.randomredheadedramblings.com/ (January 25, 2021), review of By Book or By Crook.
Reactions to Reading, http://reactionstoreading.com/ (October 31, 2010), review of Negative Image.
Red Room, http:// www.redroom.com/ (October 21, 2009), brief biography of writer.
Romance Readers Connection, http://www.theromancereadersconnection.com/ (October 21, 2009), Mellanie Crowther, review of Whiteout.
Socrates’ Book Reviews, http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/ (February 11, 2016), review of By Book or by Crook.
Spinetingler, http:// www.spinetinglermag.com/ (July 15, 2011), Theodore Feit, review of Negative Image.
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs, https://crackercrumblife.com/ (May 28, 2020), review of A Death Long Overdue.
Story Circle Book Reviews, http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/ (October 21, 2009), Rhonda Esakov, review of Gold Digger.
This is My Truth Now, https://thisismytruthnow.com/ (September 19, 2020), review of A Curious Incident.
Vicki Delany website, http://www.vickidelany.com (October 9, 2024).
Wicked Authors, https: //wickedauthors.com/ (October 5, 2020), Julie Hennrikus, author interview.
Writescape, https:// writescape.ca/ (March 14, 2021), author interview.*
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than forty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Catskill Resort mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.
Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor and Twitter @vickidelany and @evagatesauthor for book news, contests, and prizes.
Media Contacts:
Agent: Kim Lionetti, Bookends Literary Agency. klionetti@bookends-inc.com
Penguin: Miranda Hill (mhill@penguinrandomhouse.com)
Crooked Lane: Matthew Martz (matthew.martz@crookedlanebooks.com)
Kensington Publishing Company: Elizabeth Trout (ETrout@Kensingtonbooks.com)
Orca Rapid Reads: Ruth Linka: Ruth@orcabook.com
Vicki Delany began her writing career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Sunday afternoon was – and at that, only now and again – the only time she had to spend all by herself, with a single candle on her desk for a bit of atmosphere, a Bruce Springsteen tape in the tape deck, and a nice cup of tea at her elbow. When she felt like really letting loose, the tea might have turned into a glass of wine.
The years passed, as they tend to do, and the three daughters, somewhat hesitantly, flew the coop, leaving Vicki more time to devote to her writing. She was able to write three novels of suspense, set in Ontario, two of which, Scare the Light Away and Burden of Memory were published to critical acclaim by Poisoned Pen Press of Scottsdale, Arizona.
In 2007, Vicki took early retirement from her job as a systems analyst with a major bank and sold her house in Oakville, Ontario. At that time In the Shadow of the Glacier, the first book in a police procedural series set in the British Columbia Interior was published. After travelling around North America for a year with her dog, Shenzi, she bought a home in bucolic, rural Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she rarely wears a watch and can write whenever she feels like it.
Since settling in Prince Edward County, Vicki has continued with her writing career, publishing books in several different sub-genres as well as books for adults with low literacy skills.
The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, published by Crooked Lane Books
Elementary, She Read, March 2017
Body on Baker Street, Sept 2017
The Cat of the Baskervilles, Feb 2018
A Scandal in Scarlet, Nov 2018
There’s A Murder Afoot, January 2020
A Curious Incident, January 2021
A Three Book Problem, January 2022
The Game is a Footnote, January 2023
The Sign of Four Spirits, January 2024
The Lighthouse Library Series, by Eva Gates, originally published by Penguin Obsidian, now by Crooked Lane Books
By Book or By Crook, 2015
Booked for Trouble, Sept 2015
Reading up a Storm, April 2016
Spook in the Stacks, June 2018
Something Read Something Dead, March 2019
Read and Buried, October 2019
A Death Long Overdue, October 2020
Deadly Ever After, May 2021
Death by Beach Read, June 2022
Death Knells and Wedding Bells, June 2023
A Stranger in the Library, June 2024
The Year Round Christmas Mysteries originally published by Berkley Prime Crime now from Crooked Lane Books
Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, Nov 2015
We Wish You a Murderous Christmas, 2016
Hark the Herald Angels Slay, 2017
Silent Night, Murderous Night, September 2019
Dying in a Winter Wonderland, September 2020
Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas, September 2023
Books for Reluctant Readers, published by Rapid Reads (Orca Press)
A Winter Kill, 2012
Juba Good, 2014
Haitian Graves, 2015
Blood and Belonging, 2017
White Sand Blues, 2017
Blue Water Hues, August 2018
Coral Reef Views, January 2020
The Constable Molly Smith Series, published by Poisoned Pen Press,
In the Shadow of the Glacier, 2007
Valley of the Lost, 2009
Winter of Secrets, 2009
Negative Image, 2010
Among the Departed, 2011
A Cold White Sun, 2013
Under Cold Stone, 2014
Unreasonable Doubt, February 2016
The Klondike Gold Rush Series, published by Dundurn Press:
Gold Digger, 2009
Gold Fever, 2010
Gold Mountain, 2012
Gold Web, 2014
Standalone Novels of Suspense, published by Poisoned Pen Press:
Scare the Light Away, 2005
Burden of Memory, 2006
More Than Sorrow, 2012
Vicki Delany2
Vicki Delany
Media Contacts:
Agent: Kim Lionetti, Bookends Literary Agency. klionetti@bookends-inc.com
Penguin: Miranda Hill (mhill@penguinrandomhouse.com)
Crooked Lane: Matthew Martz (matthew.martz@crookedlanebooks.com)
Kensington Publishing Company: Elizabeth Trout (ETrout@Kensingtonbooks.com)
Orca Rapid Reads: Ruth Linka: Ruth@orcabook.com
Eva Gates is also known as Canadian crime writer Vicki Delany.
“It’s a crime not to read Delany,” says the London Free Press.
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than forty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Catskill Resort mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.
Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival.
Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Vicki Delany
Canada (b.1951)
aka Eva Gates
Vicki began her career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Sunday afternoon was - and at that, only now and again - the only time she had to spend all by herself, with a single candle on her desk for a bit of atmosphere, a Bruce Springsteen tape in the tape deck, and a nice cup of tea at her elbow. When she felt like really letting loose, the tea might have turned into a glass of wine.
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Historical Mystery
New and upcoming books
July 2024
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Trouble is Brewing
(Tea by the Sea Mystery, book 5)September 2024
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A Slay Ride Together With You
(Year Round Christmas Mystery, book 7)January 2025
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The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime
(Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, book 10)
Series
Constable Molly Smith
1. In the Shadow of the Glacier (2007)
2. Valley of the Lost (2008)
3. Winter of Secrets (2009)
4. Negative Image (2010)
5. Among the Departed (2011)
6. A Cold White Sun (2013)
7. Under Cold Stone (2014)
8. Unreasonable Doubt (2016)
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Klondike Mystery
1. Gold Digger (2009)
2. Gold Fever (2010)
3. Gold Mountain (2012)
4. Gold Web (2013)
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Ray Robertson
1. Juba Good (2014)
2. Haitian Graves (2015)
3. Blood and Belonging (2017)
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Year Round Christmas Mystery
1. Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen (2015)
2. We Wish You a Murderous Christmas (2016)
3. Hark the Herald Angels Slay (2017)
4. Silent Night, Deadly Night (2019)
5. Dying in a Winter Wonderland (2020)
6. Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas (2023)
7. A Slay Ride Together With You (2024)
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Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery
1. Elementary, She Read (2017)
2. Body on Baker Street (2017)
3. The Cat of the Baskervilles (2018)
4. A Scandal in Scarlet (2018)
5. There's A Murder Afoot (2020)
6. A Curious Incident (2021)
7. A Three Book Problem (2022)
8. The Game is a Footnote (2023)
9. The Sign of Four Spirits (2024)
10. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime (2025)
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Ashley Grant Mystery
1. White Sand Blues (2017)
2. Blue Water Hues (2018)
3. Coral Reef Views (2020)
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Tea by the Sea Mystery
1. Tea & Treachery (2020)
2. Murder in a Teacup (2021)
3. Murder Spills the Tea (2022)
4. Steeped in Malice (2023)
5. Trouble is Brewing (2024)
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Catskill Summer Resort Mystery
1. Deadly Summer Nights (2021)
2. Deadly Director's Cut (2022)
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Novels
Whiteout (2002)
Scare the Light Away (2005)
Burden of Memory (2006)
Murder at Lost Dog Lake (2011)
More Than Sorrow (2012)
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Novellas and Short Stories
A Winter Kill (2012)
Eva Gates
A pseudonym used by Vicki Delany
Eva Gates is the author of the national bestselling Lighthouse Library mysteries including Booked for Trouble and By Book or by Crook. She began her writing career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters, with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Now she has more than ten novels under her belt in the mystery genre, published under the name Vicki Delany. She lives in Ontario.
Genres: Cozy Mystery
New and upcoming books
June 2024
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The Stranger in the Library
(Lighthouse Library Mystery, book 11)May 2025
no image available
Shot Through the Book
(Lighthouse Library Mystery, book 12)
Series
Lighthouse Library Mystery
1. By Book Or By Crook (2015)
2. Booked for Trouble (2015)
3. Reading Up a Storm (2016)
4. The Spook in the Stacks (2018)
5. Something Read, Something Dead (2019)
6. Read and Buried (2019)
7. A Death Long Overdue (2020)
8. Deadly Ever After (2021)
9. Death By Beach Read (2022)
10. Death Knells and Wedding Bells (2023)
11. The Stranger in the Library (2024)
12. Shot Through the Book (2025)
Vicki Delany
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vicki Delany (born Victoria Ann Cargo; 1951 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian mystery novelist. She is the author of nine mystery series, and a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Capital Crime Writers. Delany is a frequent panelist at mystery conferences such as Bouchercon and Malice Domestic in the United States and Bloody Words National Mystery Conference in Canada.
Biography
Delany was employed by the Royal Bank of Canada as a computer programmer and systems analyst until retiring in 2007. She now lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.[1] She is the mother of three daughters (Caroline, Julia and Alex).
Delany is the author of the Constable Molly Smith mystery series, set in the fictional British Columbia town of Trafalgar (a thinly disguised Nelson, BC), and the Klondike Mystery series, set in Dawson City, Yukon during the Gold Rush of 1898.[2] She is also the author of three novels of psychological suspense, set in Northern Ontario.
Critical response
Scare the Light Away was the subject of a mixed review by Kirkus Reviews, which praised Delany's ability to create a tense atmosphere but felt that the mystery elements of the story were not as effective.
In the Shadow of the Glacier was described as "an intriguing series opener" by Publishers Weekly, which noted that Delany positioned the narrative well to continue into future works.[3]
Valley of the Lost drew both praise and criticism from Kirkus Reviews, which described the novel's protagonists as "interesting" and the first three-quarters of the novel as "ingratiating", but then cited "exceptionally silly plotting" that sabotaged the book's ending.[4]
Gold Digger received positive reviews from several publications. Writing for The Globe and Mail, Margaret Cannon noted a few anachronistic touches, but praised the novel's "great setting" and described it as "a lot of fun".[5] In a review published in The Hamilton Spectator, Don Graves lauded the novel as "a captivating tale with lots of colour, ably researched detail and crisp dialogue that moves the story along, spinning into a satisfying, yet surprising, conclusion."[6]
Winter of Secrets was criticized harshly by Kirkus Reviews, which described the novel as "a misstep" and blamed "lumpy prose and [a] none-too-serviceable plot".[7]
Works
A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery
Deadly Summer Night (2021) ISBN 978-0-59333-437-9
Tea by the Sea Mysteries
Tea and Treachery (2020) ISBN 978-1-49672-506-6
Murder in a Teacup (2021) ISBN 978-1-49672-509-7
Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates)
By Book or By Crook (2015) ISBN 978-0-451-47093-5
Booked for Trouble (2015) ISBN 978-0-45147-094-2
Reading Up a Storm (2016) ISBN 978-0-45147-095-9
The Spook in the Stacks (2018) ISBN 978-1-68331-921-4
Something Read, Something Dead (2019) ISBN 978-1-64385-187-7
Read and Buried (2019) ISBN 978-1-64385-572-1
A Death Long Overdue (2020) ISBN 978-1-64385-680-3
Deadly Ever After (2021) ISBN 978-1-64385-588-2
Year-Round Christmas Mystery series
Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen (2015) ISBN 978-0-42528-080-5
We Wish You A Murderous Christmas (2016) ISBN 978-0-42528-081-2
Hark the Herald Angels Slay (2017) ISBN 978-0-42528-082-9
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2019) ISBN 978-0-44000-030-3
Dying in a Winter Wonderland (2020) ISBN 978-0-593-19706-6
The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series
Elementary, She Read (2017) ISBN 978-1-683-31096-9
Body on Baker Street (2017) ISBN 978-1-68331-461-5
The Cat of the Baskervilles (2018) ISBN 978-1-68331-471-4
A Scandal in Scarlet (2018) ISBN 978-1-643-85027-6
There’s a Murder Afoot (2020) ISBN 978-1-643-85573-8
A Curious Incident (2021) ISBN 978-1-643-85474-8
A Three Book Problem (2022) ISBN 978-1-64385-798-5
Ashley Grant Mystery series
White Sand Blues (2017) ISBN 978-1-45981-535-3
Blue Water Hues (2018) ISBN 978-1-45981-801-9
Coral Reef Views (2020) ISBN 978-1-45982-295-5
Constable Molly Smith and Winters series
In the Shadow of the Glacier (2007) ISBN 978-1-59058-558-0
Valley of the Lost (2009) ISBN 978-1-59058-688-4
Winter of Secrets (2009) ISBN 978-1-59058-781-2
Negative Image (2010) ISBN 978-1-59058-790-4
Among the Departed (2011) ISBN 978-1-59058-889-5
A Cold White Sun (2013) ISBN 978-1-46420-160-8
Under Cold Stone (2014) ISBN 978-1-46420-235-3
Unreasonable Doubt (2016) ISBN 978-1-46420-515-6
Ray Robertson series
Juba Good (2014) ISBN 978-1-45980-490-6
Haitian Graves (2015) ISBN 978-1-45980-898-0
Blood and Belonging (2017) ISBN 978-1-459-81284-0
Klondike Mystery series
Gold Digger (2009) ISBN 978-1-89491-780-3
Gold Fever (2010) ISBN 978-1-92660-702-3
Gold Mountain (2012) ISBN 978-1-45970-189-2
Gold Web (2013) ISBN 978-1-45970-772-6
Psychological suspense standalones
White Out (2002) ISBN 978-1-55316-561-3
Scare the Light Away (2005) ISBN 978-0-37306-280-5
Burden of Memory (2006) ISBN 978-1-59058-993-9
More Than Sorrow (2012) ISBN 978-1-59058-987-8
QUOTED: "I started this book with a one-word idea: séance. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a very committed spiritualist and he wrote quite a few books on the subject. I’ve always found that interesting considering his greatest creation was such a non-superstitious person."
Author Interview: Vicki Delany
23 January 2024 by Manon Wogahn
Today’s featured author is Vicki Delany, whose latest release, The Sign of Four Spirits, is book nine in her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series.
In the interview to follow, Vicki and I chat about her Holmsian knowledge, how she approaches writing different series, and her advice for authors earlier in their careers. As you’ll learn, Vicki is a busy author, writing multiple series and celebrating three more releases this year—so, four new books total in 2024!
Connect with Vicki on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of The Sign of Four Spirits from your retailer of choice here.
Vicki Delany author
Hi Vicki, thanks so much for joining! The Sign of Four Spirits is book nine in your Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series, starring sleuth Gemma Doyle and her inherited mystery bookstore. What do you love about blending this classic detective with a contemporary cozy series? Are there any fun Sherlockian facts or details that you’ve especially enjoyed including in the books?
Gemma Doyle is my version of Sherlock Holmes recreated as a modern young woman, and I thought she could comfortably fit into the cozy genre as an amateur sleuth who owns a bookshop. I know quite a lot about Sherlock Holmes, but I am by no means an expert, and I’m not writing for experts. But I enjoy throwing in the occasional “Easter egg” to amuse those who do know the finer points of the canon.
For example, there are seventeen steps in the bookshop, and there were seventeen steps at 221B Baker Street. The shop cat is named Moriarty [like Sherlock Holmes’s famous nemesis], and he hates Gemma. That stuff is always fun, as is simply thinking, What would Sherlock Holmes do? and having Gemma do it.
The Sign of Four Spirits by Vicki Delany
In The Sign of Four Spirits, Gemma investigates a séance that results in a murder—one that could only have been committed by someone inside the séance room. How did you approach plotting this mystery? What did you enjoy about including supernatural elements like a séance?
“Possible” supernatural elements. I started this book with a one-word idea: séance. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a very committed spiritualist and he wrote quite a few books on the subject. I’ve always found that interesting considering his greatest creation was such a non-superstitious person. Like Holmes would do, Gemma goes to the seance as a total non-believer, because someone has asked her to accompany them. The medium immediately picks up on her powers of observation and bans Gemma from the room. So she, naturally, listens from the other side of the door.
Are there supernatural elements in this book? That’s for the reader to discover. Gemma doesn’t think so.
You have several mystery series under your belt, including the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries, the Tea by the Sea Mysteries, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates). Do you have a favorite series to write? Does your writing process change depending on the series?
I love them all! But I have to say I particularly enjoy writing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop books because it is fun to try to recreate the Great Detective while keeping the character modern and female.
In the Lighthouse Library series, the classic novel the library book club is reading is loosely reflected in the plot of my book, and I enjoy finding, and reading, a classic that suits the theme I’m wanting to develop.
The writing process between the series is the very same. I’m a semi-outliner, meaning I start writing by the seat of my pants and write about a quarter of the book. Then I stop, and outline the rest.
Having written so many novels, what advice would you give your younger self? Do you have advice for newer writers and authors hoping to find similar writing success?
I don’t know that I’d give younger self any advice other than that which I’d give to newer writers: Persistence is the key. It’s a tough business and it’s getting tougher, so you just have to keep going in terms of writing and trying to get published, if that’s your goal. My other advice is to read, and read often and widely. Reading is how we learn our craft.
One thing I did have to learn is to trust yourself as a writer. Don’t give up when you hit a bad point in the book. Work through it.
Lastly, what’s next for you? I see you have some upcoming releases on the horizon—can you tell us about those, and/or anything else you’re looking forward to?
The next book out will be A Stranger in the Library, the eleventh Lighthouse Library book (written as Eva Gates) in June. The fifth Tea by the Sea book, Trouble is Brewing, comes in July, and then the seventh Year Round Christmas book, A Slay Ride Together With You, in September. So, a busy year. In personal news, I’m writing this on a plane to Ecuador where I’ll be visiting the Amazon basin and the Galapagos, so I’m really looking forward to that!
Delany, Vicki. A Slay Ride Together with You. Crooked Lane. (Year-Round Christmas Mystery, Bk. 7). Sept. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9781639108794. $29.99. M
Welcome to Rudolph, NY, known as Christmas Town, U.S.A. Gift shop owner Merry Wilkinson is back for another caper in Delany's seventh "Year-Round Christmas Mystery" (following Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas). Merry's best friend Vicky Casey has a lot to celebrate, including her upcoming wedding to chef Mark Grosse and the purchase of the infamous Cole House. This dilapidated home has a history of intrigue and tragedy and just might be haunted! With the nuptials just around the corner, eerie nighttime noises and the appearance of estranged relatives of the former homeowner have the couple stressed. During one strange late night, Vicky and Merry get a call from Mark, who has found a body in the garden. He then becomes a suspect in the murder, so Merry, and Vicky set out to discover who the real killer is and clear the groom's name. VERDICT This festive novel is perfect for fans of Amanda Flower, Jacqueline Frost, and Ellie Alexander and for readers who enjoy mysteries and suspense with a dash of Christmas cheer.--Linsey Milillo
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Milillo, Linsey. "Delany, Vicki. A Slay Ride Together with You." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 9, Sept. 2024, p. 64. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808228654/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ad456a73. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "A look into the past helps the intrepid sleuths solve the mystery in a very satisfying way."
Delany, Vicki A SLAY RIDE TOGETHER WITH YOU Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $29.99 9, 24 ISBN: 9781639108794
America's Christmas Town also celebrates Easter, but murder spoils the fun.
Although Rudolph, New York, is a town that lives for Christmas, it's nice to take a break. Merry Wilkinson has reopened her gift shop, and her best friend, Vicky Casey, is busy baking Easter treats before her approaching wedding. Despite her excitement, Vicky is upset about her fiance Mark Grosse's desire to buy Cole House, a big old Victorian in a state of disrepair and rumored to be haunted. Fortunately, there are enough rooms in decent shape to accommodate them while they slowly work to restore the rest of the house. After they move in, Vicky's sleep is disturbed by odd noises. Far worse is the arrival of Jim Cole, a relative of the former owner who thinks the place should belong to him. During a visit from Merry, both women hear loud noises, but a search of the house reveals nothing. When Mark arrives, he goes out to look around and finds Cole's body in the garden. Once the police learn about Cole's attempts to claim the house, Mark naturally becomes their prime suspect. Since Merry's helped Det. Diane Simmonds solve other murders, Diane is annoyed but not surprised when Merry begins her own investigation into this one. Merry, her boyfriend, and even her mother, a famous opera singer, all pitch in to identify other suspects before the town gossips can convict Mark of murder.
A look into the past helps the intrepid sleuths solve the mystery in a very satisfying way.
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"Delany, Vicki: A SLAY RIDE TOGETHER WITH YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806452810/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=68a4324d. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "The inventive plot bodes well for the series' future."
The Game Is a Footnote: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery
Vicki Delany. Crooked Lane, $28.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-63910-145-0
A request from the board of directors of Scarlet House, the oldest building in West London, Mass., which is currently being used as a historical reenactment museum, sparks Delany's eighth mystery featuring Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium (after 2022's A Three Book Problem). Scarlet House's board members are concerned about a series of odd occurrences that some believe are evidence that the property is haunted; random objects have disappeared before reappearing in odd locations, and something spooked the animals in the barn belonging to the house late at night. Gemma's guess that the incidents were just pranks is disproved when one board member is murdered on the grounds, his neck broken in what first appeared to be an accidental fall. Gemma and her friend Jayne Wilson, who runs an adjacent business, Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, investigate, endangering their lives in the process. A subtle clue reminiscent of one from a classic Conan Doyle story will please Sherlockians, and Delany plays fair with her cluing. The inventive plot bodes well for the series' future. Agent: Kimberly Lionetti, Bookends Literary. (Jan.)
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"The Game Is a Footnote: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 45, 31 Oct. 2022, p. 28. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A726954253/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e7fe9dc4. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Fans of mystery and romance will enjoy Lucy, her quirky friends, and plenty of red herrings."
Gates, Eva DEATH BY BEACH READ Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $26.99 6, 7 ISBN: 978-1-64385-910-1
An engaged North Carolina couple restore an old house reputed to be haunted.
Librarian Lucy Richardson and her fiance, Nags Head mayor Connor McNeil, have purchased the house of their dreams. The historic beach cottage needs a lot of work, but handy Connor and his father, Fred, a retired carpenter, have fixed it up enough to move in. All is going swimmingly until Lucy and Charles, the library cat who lives with her, start hearing strange noises while Connor's out of town. The house was originally built by an old Outer Banks family whose fortunes have fallen. Fisherman Ralph Harper hasn't lived there for many years; his sister, Joanna, scared out of the house as a teen, has never set foot in it again. As the noises continue, Connor shows Lucy a set of drop-down stairs in the pantry leading to the unfinished attic, a space containing some seemingly worthless Harper family junk and footprints in the dust. Despite changing all the locks, the couple finds a man dead in their kitchen, strangled with Charles' leash. He's identified as Ralph's twin, Jimmy Harper, a low-level criminal who's been out of sight for years. A concealed panel in the pantry floor explains how he got in, but what was he looking for? Tales of a hidden treasure drive Lucy, who has plenty of experience in solving murders, to look to the past to solve Jimmy's death.
Fans of mystery and romance will enjoy Lucy, her quirky friends, and plenty of red herrings.
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"Gates, Eva: DEATH BY BEACH READ." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A698656072/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9baf9234. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Gates, Eva. Death By Beach Read. Dreamscape Media. (Lighthouse Library Mystery, Bk. 9). Jun. 2022.8:48 hrs. ISBN 9781666580747. $24.99. M
Lucy Richardson, the librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is engaged to marry Connor McNeil. After moving into their new home, Lucy initially believes she hears strange noises and finds footprints in the sand, but because the house has a reputation for being haunted, she convinces herself to ignore them. The pair cannot, however, ignore the dead body they find in the kitchen a few days later. Lucy and Connor have to get to the bottom of how the body came to be there and who it was before they can proceed with repairs and wedding preparations. Longtime residents of the island come together and new relationships emerge while Lucy and her friends work to unravel the mysteries of the house. Read by experienced narrator Elise Arsenault, the characters come alive. Arsenault is familiar with Lucy and Connor, as she has narrated all eight previous audiobooks in the "Lighthouse Library Mystery" series from Gates (Deadly Ever After). VERDICT Recommended for those who enjoy light mysteries and beach reads.--Cheryl Youse
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Youse, Cheryl. "Death By Beach Read." Library Journal, vol. 147, no. 9, Sept. 2022, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A715674641/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c773ae01. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Delany, Vicki MURDER SPILLS THE TEA Kensington (Fiction None) $26.00 7, 26 ISBN: 978-1-49673-769-4
Virtuoso pastry chef Lily Roberts, no mean detective, takes on another case of murder.
Lily never wanted to enter a made-for-TV cooking contest, but she has no choice when Bernadette Murphy, her best friend, and Rose Campbell, her maternal grandmother--who owns the Victoria-on-Sea B&B whose grounds are graced by Lily's shop, Tea by the Sea--enter her in the contest. On America Bakes! each episode takes place at a different bakery, and one will be proclaimed the winner at the end of the season. Lily quickly learns that America Bakes! is nowhere near as civilized as The Great British Baking Show when director Josh Henshaw and his assistant, Reilly Miller, arrive at Tea by the Sea and deliberately begin to stir up tensions. Lily's helpers, Cheryl and her daughter, Marybeth, will be serving the food; the judges are New York City baker Claudia D'Angelo, bad-tempered English chef Tommy Greene, and Scarlet McIntosh, who's just a pretty face. Although Josh drives Lily crazy with his demands, they manage to get through the first day with nothing worse than an uncomfortable visit from Lily's competitor, Allegra Griffin, the unpleasant owner of the North Augusta Bakery. The second day is a different story. Marybeth trips and dumps tea in Tommy's lap, causing a scene that's just what the showrunners want, especially when Cheryl berates Tommy, saying she saw him trip Marybeth on purpose. When Tommy is found dead in Lily's kitchen, his head bashed with her marble rolling pin, Cheryl is an obvious suspect. Lily, Bernie, and Rose use gossip, deep-dive computer searches, and observations of the bickering crew to unmask the killer.
Cape Cod provides an appealing backdrop for a food-centric cozy replete with red herrings and likable sleuths.
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"Delany, Vicki: MURDER SPILLS THE TEA." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A705356070/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2abb360a. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "This engrossing, atmospheric cozy will appeal to existing fans of the series and newcomers alike."
Delany, Vicki. Deadly Director's Cut. Penguin Random House Audio. (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery, Bk. 2). Mar. 2022. 9:23 hrs. ISBN 9780593558447. $17.50. M
Delany's charming sequel to Deadly Summer Nights transports listeners back to the 1950s Borscht Belt, where Haggerman's Catskills Resort manager Elizabeth Grady finds herself in the midst of another mystery. Haggerman's has been selected as a filming location for the infamously difficult director Elias Theropodous's next movie. The project brings welcome funding to Haggerman's precarious finances, but it also introduces a host of problems, most notably, a gaggle of demanding Hollywood actors and their officious staff. With steely resolve, Elizabeth holds her own until Elias is poisoned during a banquet. Knowing that a suspicious death could spell the end of the resort, Elizabeth sets off to find the killer before they strike again. Narrator Jennifer Van Dyck ably gives voice to the many colorful characters that make their way through the resort--aging, but elegant movie stars, suave leading men, adoring women, and blustering businessmen. Van Dyck's narration is perfectly in tune with the setting, adding a classic, vintage feel that sets this audio apart. VERDICT This engrossing, atmospheric cozy will appeal to existing fans of the series and newcomers alike. A great next listen for readers of Elizabeth J. Duncan, Rhys Bowen, and Frances Brody.--Sarah Hashimoto
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"Deadly Director's Cut." Library Journal, vol. 147, no. 6, June 2022, p. 67. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A706701707/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1ebb3ea6. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "A deft touch with characterization, plenty of suspects, and a nostalgic look at the Catskills in the 1950s add up to a fun read."
Delany, Vicki DEADLY DIRECTOR'S CUT Berkley (Fiction None) $8.99 3, 1 ISBN: 978-0-593-33439-3
This follow-up to Elizabeth Grady's exciting debut in Deadly Summer Nights (2021) returns to Haggerman's Catskill Resort, which Elizabeth is desperate to turn into a success during the height of the Borscht Belt's popularity as a summer haven for New Yorkers.
The finances of Elizabeth's famous mother, former dancer Olivia Peters, depend on Haggerman's, which Elizabeth manages as Olivia thrills the guests with an occasional appearance. A welcome infusion of cash and cachet arrives with a Hollywood movie shoot. Gloria Grant, one of the stars and an old friend of Olivia's, stays with her; the rest of the cast and crew opt for the larger, better-known Kennelwood Hotel. Despite irascible director Elias Theropodous' temper tantrums, things go smoothly enough despite all the behind-the-scenes backbiting and romances--until Elias dies in the hospital after attending a dinner party at Haggerman's, sparking rumors that something he ate there made him sick. Only the fact that no one else has taken ill helps Elizabeth keep her kitchen open and the police at bay. Feeling that she has no choice, Elizabeth, who's worried that her friend Velvet will get seduced by the production's handsome male lead, finds time for some serious detective work, getting a friendly reporter to do research for her while he covers the crime. Elias had plenty of enemies, and it's quite a challenge for Elizabeth to continue running the resort while hunting a killer.
A deft touch with characterization, plenty of suspects, and a nostalgic look at the Catskills in the 1950s add up to a fun read.
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"Delany, Vicki: DEADLY DIRECTOR'S CUT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A688199753/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2b040473. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
A Three Book Problem. By Vicki Delany. Jan. 2022. 320p. Crooked Lane, $26.99 (9781643857985); e-book, $12.99 (9781643857992).
Gemma Doyle, owner with her great-uncle of Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, is hired, along with Jayne Wilson, her partner in the adjacent business, Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, to cater an event centering on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. It soon becomes apparent to Gemma that many of the guests don't seem to like one another and hardly qualify as Holmes fans. Then, with the event in progress, the host, David Masterson, is murdered by a dart laced with poison, and Gemma investigates against the wishes of her boyfriend, Detective Ryan Ashburton. Gemma soon learns that Masterson was not the genial host he appeared to be, bullying his relatives into the roles of butler and maid at the party and making promises he had no intention of keeping. More sinister still, it appears he was a blackmailer, further expanding the suspect list. Details about the catering business and, of course, about the life and times of Sherlock Holmes are woven throughout this cozy mystery, which will be gobbled up by cozy-friendly fans of The Great Detective and his creator.--Sue O'Brien
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
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O'Brien, Sue. "A Three Book Problem." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 9-10, 1 Jan. 2022, p. 44. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A692710700/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f804bfd1. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "entertaining."
Delany, Vicki. A Three Book Problem. Crooked Lane. (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Bk. 7). Jan. 2022.320p. ISBN 9781643857985. $26.99. M
Tourist season is over in West London, Cape Cod, so Gemma Doyle, owner of Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, along with her best friend, Jayne Wilson, owner of Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, have time to work a Sherlockian country house weekend. Gemma's boyfriend, Ryan, even takes the weekend to be sous chef instead of a police detective. Gemma provides props and games, while Jayne caters the event for David Masterson. Gemma understands the prominent and rich Sherlockian rented Suffolk Gardens House to host a group of like-minded friends, so she's puzzled by the guests. Some don't seem to care about Holmes. Some don't seem to like Masterson at all. When a poisoned dart kills the host, there's a large group of suspects. Fortunately, the observant Gemma is on the scene. It's a perfect opportunity for an amateur sleuth with Holmes's observational skills. VERDICT Fans of country house mysteries, readers of the series, and those who enjoy Holmes pastiches will appreciate this entertaining follow-up to A Curious Incident.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
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"Delany, Vicki. A Three Book Problem." Library Journal, vol. 146, no. 12, Dec. 2021, pp. 67+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A686559326/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=48a0c591. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Plenty of Sherlock-ian lore and local color make for an enjoyable read."
Delany, Vicki A THREE BOOK PROBLEM Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $26.99 1, 11 ISBN: 978-1-64385-798-5
A modern murder at a country-house party poses a pretty problem for a detective steeped in the ways of the great detective.
Wealthy Sherlock-ian David Masterson wants Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson, who run Cape Cod's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and the adjacent Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room, to plan and cater a traditional English house party at Suffolk Gardens House, which he's rented for a week while it's up for sale. Along with his guests, Masterson is housing his resentful niece and nephew, who've been pressed into service as maid and butler, and Gemma's boyfriend, police detective Ryan Ashburton, who's taken time off to work in the kitchen. Gemma immediately notices that the expensive and expansive house has been poorly maintained and that a number of the guests seem strangely uninterested in Sherlock Holmes. When Masterson is killed with a poisoned dart right before Gemma's eyes, she uses her noted Sherlock-ian skills to help the police investigate. Apart from devoted Holmes fan Jennifer Griffith, who seems to have been in love with Masterson, everyone acts unmoved by his death except for their interest in who might inherit his fortune. His wife, who wasn't among the guests, has an alibi, but his niece and nephew had expectations. So did Jennifer, who tells Gemma that David was divorcing his wife to marry her and had changed his will in her favor. Masterson was harboring a lot of secrets, and Gemma must winkle them all out to solve the crime.
Maybe not the best of Delany's books, but plenty of Sherlock-ian lore and local color make for an enjoyable read.
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"Delany, Vicki: A THREE BOOK PROBLEM." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678748422/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9444dea4. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Delany, Vicki DEADLY SUMMER NIGHTS Berkley (Fiction None) $7.99 9, 7 ISBN: 978-0-593334-37-9
Veteran Delany kicks off a new series set in a 1950s Catskill Mountains resort.
Elizabeth Grady was raised by her Aunt Tatiana while her mother, Olivia Peters, pursued a dancing career that made her famous and rich until she trusted the wrong man. Left with nothing but a Catskills hotel that she inherits unexpectedly, Olivia persuades Elizabeth to give up her bookkeeping job in New York City to help her make a go of Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. After all, it’s the heyday of the Borsht Belt, when New Yorkers flock to the Catskills’ high-end resorts and inexpensive bungalow colonies to escape the summer heat. What Elizabeth didn't expect is that, as she tells her best friend, Velvet, "I would manage the entire resort and everything to do with it, while she sips cocktails, looks gracious, and pops up now and again to charm the guests." Working endless hours during the busy summer season, Elizabeth finally has hopes of turning a profit, but they’re dashed when a guest is murdered and rumors of communist plots abound. The local police chief, discovering that the murdered guest’s cabin is filled with papers and maps, leaps to the conclusion he’s a communist spy and calls the FBI. The dead man’s next of kin, New York Times reporter Jim Westenham, insists that his Uncle Harold was a harmless retired professor writing a novel; he teams up with Elizabeth to investigate a crime the local police are putting on the back burner. Elizabeth must deal with whiny guests, clumsy staff, and nasty rumors spread by the competition while she, Jim, and Velvet attempt to solve the murder.
Pitch-perfect period descriptions, a likable heroine, and a surprising conclusion will leave readers yearning for the sequel.
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"Delany, Vicki: DEADLY SUMMER NIGHTS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667042295/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=46518c4f. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Quirky characters, a lovely setting, and a surprising denouement make this second installment a charmer."
Delany, Vicki MURDER IN A TEACUP Kensington (Fiction None) $26.00 7, 27 ISBN: 978-1-4967-2509-7
A tea shop owner and her feisty grandmother take on another murder case.
Lily Roberts is owner and chief pastry chef at Tea by the Sea, located on the property of her grandmother Rose Campbell’s B&B overlooking Cape Cod Bay. Rose is delighted to welcome the extended family of her old friend Sandra McHenry, but it’s soon clear that there are tensions among the group, which includes Sandra’s son, Brian, and his wife, Darlene; their son, Lewis, and his wife, Julie-Ann, and their two whiny teens; and Brian and Darlene's wealthy daughter, Heather French, who’s footing the bill. Heather’s also invited Ed and Trisha French, her late husband's brother and sister-in-law, who come from the same Iowa town as the McHenrys but are no fans of theirs. Despite Heather’s willingness to spend whatever it takes to get everyone to enjoy the vacation, disaster strikes when Ed falls ill after eating at Lily's tearoom. When he dies in the hospital, poison is suspected. Tea by the Sea is shut down and all Lily's food removed by the police, forcing Lily to don her deerstalker before her business is ruined. With help from the attractive English gardener; her best friend, Bernie; and her flamboyant grandmother, Lily explores the family dynamic to see which of Ed’s relatives wanted him dead.
Quirky characters, a lovely setting, and a surprising denouement make this second installment a charmer.
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"Delany, Vicki: MURDER IN A TEACUP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667031392/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c7c308d7. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Delany expertly blends a cunning mystery plot with diverting characters and sparkling dialogue."
Murder in a Teacup
Vicki Delany. Kensington, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-2509-7
At the start of Delany's beguiling sequel to 2020's Tea & Treachery, the summer tourist trade is heating up for Lily Roberts, the owner of the Tea by the Sea tearoom in the Cape Cod town of North Augusta, and she's looking forward to her busiest season yet. Trouble brews when the quarrelsome McHenry clan descend on the tearoom for afternoon tea. Sandra McHenry, a dear friend of Lilly's grandmother, Rose Campbell, who runs a B&B in North Augusta, is visiting with her recently widowed and wealthy granddaughter, Heather, and several other fractious family members. When Heather's brother-in-law, Ed French, dies of poisoning shortly after he drinks some tea, law officials shut down Lily's tearoom and take all the baked good into custody, though they later determine that someone spiked Ed's tea. To save the tearoom, Lily and Rose must do some sleuthing to figure out who wanted to kill Ed and why. Delany expertly blends a cunning mystery plot with diverting characters and sparkling dialogue. Laura Childs fans will have fun. Agent: Kim Lionetti, Bookends. (July)
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"Murder in a Teacup." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 21, 24 May 2021, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A663666055/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a06ba889. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Sherlock Holmes' methods work once more in a charming combination of history and mystery."
Delany, Vicki THE GAME IS A FOOTNOTE Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $26.99 1, 10 ISBN: 978-1-63910-145-0
A ghost hunt turns to murder.
British expatriate Gemma Doyle owns the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and, with her partner, Jayne Wilson, half of the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room in West London, Massachusetts. An expert on all things Sherlock-ian, Gemma has used the Great Detective's methods in the past to solve crimes, so she's naturally asked to discover who's haunting Scarlet House, built in 1648 and currently owned by the historical society. The disappearance of several items that later turn up in odd places and the fact that the animals in the barn are carrying on for no discernible reason sound less like the work of spirits than of practical jokers, but Gemma reluctantly agrees to investigate. With Ryan Ashburton, her detective boyfriend, out of town, Gemma beds down for the night in Scarlet House with Jayne and Andy, her boyfriend, while animal caretaker Dave Chase, a retired veterinarian, and neighbor Craig Jones stay in the barn. Several odd and scary things happen, but it's not until Dave takes a fatal tumble from the hayloft that Gemma takes things seriously. It's rumored that the historical society is in financial trouble and that Scarlet House may be for sale. Though there are no glaringly obvious suspects, many people involved with the house seem to have conflicting agendas. When Gemma's older sister, Pippa, who has a hush-hush job for the British government, suddenly arrives, Gemma doesn't think for a minute that she's just come for a visit.
Sherlock Holmes' methods work once more in a charming combination of history and mystery.
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"Delany, Vicki: THE GAME IS A FOOTNOTE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729072680/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b040dfbf. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Gates, Eva DEATH KNELLS AND WEDDING BELLS Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $26.99 6, 6 ISBN: 9781639102723
The wedding of a North Carolina librarian and a dentist who's been elected mayor would be perfect if not for the dead body.
Nothing worse than some family squabbles mars the ceremony, held at a Nags Head hotel, until a corpse pops up in a utility closet the next morning. The dead man, Wayne Fortunada, had accompanied bride Lucy Richardson McNeil's Aunt Joyce to the wedding, and he'd seemed pleasant enough until the reception, where he drank heavily and was reduced to monosyllabic conversation. Lucy's already had an unfortunate amount of experience with murder, and her friendship with Det. Sam Watson has enabled her to give him information without risking snarky comebacks. This doesn't apply to the newly hired Det. North, who's helping Sam with the case; he's suspicious of Lucy's friendship with Sam and thinks he should be running the investigation himself. In addition to the murder, Lucy's concerned about the tension between her brother Kevin and his estranged wife, Kristen, who came to the wedding with a date of her own. Lucy's motivation to meddle is redoubled when absent-minded professor Eddie McClanahan, library director Bertie James' date, vanishes on the night of the wedding and becomes the chief suspect. When she and her groom, Connor, track Eddie down at a friend's beach cottage, he seems unaware of the murder but admits to having known the dead man years ago in New York and being blackmailed by him. Kristen's date was an actor who also had a past with Fortunada. Blackmailers are obvious targets for murder, but which of the suspects was willing to go that far?
Quirky characters enliven a mystery with a twisty payoff.
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"Gates, Eva: DEATH KNELLS AND WEDDING BELLS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A747342327/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c22f2867. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Delany, Vicki STEEPED IN MALICE Kensington (Fiction None) $27.00 7, 25 ISBN: 9781496737724
A missing will, a lot of money, and a dysfunctional family add up to murder.
Lily Roberts left her job as a high-powered Manhattan pastry chef to return to Cape Cod and open Tea by the Sea on the grounds of her grandmother's high-end B&B. At an antiques fair she's attending with her best friend, Bernie, and her grandmother Rose to replenish her supply of teacups, Lily also decides at the last minute to purchase a delightful children's tea set in a wicker box. The next morning, a pushy woman shows up demanding to buy not the set but the box. Kimberly Smithfield, who claims it belonged to her family and was sold accidentally, gets so nasty that Lily has to be rescued by Simon, her handsome English gardener. The next morning Kim returns, throws money at Lily, cuts open the lining of the box, and departs with a plain envelope, leaving everything else behind. Soon Kim, who's recently married celebrity chef Wesley Schumann, the ex-boyfriend who drove Lily out of New York with his ferocious temper, is followed by her half sister, Rachel Morrison, a restaurant designer Lily knows from her time in New York. Rachel also wants what was in the box, which turns out to be a handwritten will in which their mother determines whether her residual legatee will be Kim, Rachel, or their brother. Soon after Kim and Wes move into Rose's B&B, Lily stumbles upon Kim's dead body and is forced to investigate before her business is ruined.
Shoals of red herrings abound, but Lily and her delightful friends winnow out the big fish.
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"Delany, Vicki: STEEPED IN MALICE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A751049915/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=90822cd6. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Delany, Vicki HAVE YOURSELF A DEADLY LITTLE CHRISTMAS Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $28.99 9, 19 ISBN: 9781639104635
The denizens of the Lake Ontario town of Rudolph, New York, must cope with a murder that threatens the excellent living they make promoting Christmas all year round.
Now that it's actually the Christmas season, the Rudolph Community Theater Players are hard at work getting ready to present a musical version of A Christmas Carol. Their last play bombed, costing them money, but luckily newcomer Catherine Renshaw is underwriting the new production. Unfortunately, her demands for creative input put her at odds with director Desmond Kerslake and other cast members, whose amateur status doesn't prevent them from having their own ideas. One performer is no amateur: famous retired opera singer Aline Steiner, whose daughter, Merry Wilkinson, owns the gift store Mrs. Claus's Treasures and has a history as a sleuth. Merry's skills are called into play when Paula Monahan, a troublesome member of the cast, is strangled in her store, and Merry's shop assistant, Jackie O'Reilly, another enthusiastic thespian, is a suspect. It's true that Jackie was Paula's understudy, but a better part hardly seems a compelling motive for murder, especially when almost everyone in the cast and crew is angling for changes, and the nastiness is ratcheting up. With her diva mother deeply involved and the reputation of the town, where her dad is the year-round Santa, at stake, Merry ignores warnings and taps into the local gossip network in an attempt to pick out a killer from a bunch of wannabe stars.
A modest mystery with an amusing touch of theatrics and plenty of Christmas spirit.
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"Delany, Vicki: HAVE YOURSELF A DEADLY LITTLE CHRISTMAS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A760508302/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8ccd4c7f. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "The closed-circle setup is brilliantly executed."
The Sign of Four Spirits: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery
Vicki Delany. Crooked Lane, $29.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-63910-539-7
Delany s ninth mystery featuring Cape Cod bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Gemma Doyle (after 2023's TheGame Is a Footnote) is the series' best yet. London, Mass., is hosting a new psychic fair that has attracted many visitors to the town, and to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. During the event, Doyle is invited by her friend, Bunny, a former teenage pop star whose daughter, Ashleigh, assists Doyle in running the store, to a seance held by a medium named Madame Lavalier. Despite Doyle's skepticism about the supernatural, she agrees to attend. When she joins the small gathering, however, Madame Lavalier excludes Doyle from the locked library where the group will attempt to contact the dead, citing the bookseller's skepticism. The evening ends tragically, when one of the 12 people in the room is killed by a hatpin inserted precisely at the base of their skull. After elbowing her way into the police inquiry, Doyle utilizes her Sherlockian attention to detail to crack the case. The closed-circle setup is brilliantly executed, and will appeal to golden age mystery fans and Holmes fans alike. Delany's series has plenty of gas left in the tank. Agent: Kimberly Lionetti. BookEnds Literary. (Jan.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
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"The Sign of Four Spirits: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 45, 6 Nov. 2023, pp. 27+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A773694849/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e396b0bb. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Fans of Holmes and the occult will enjoy following the Great Detective along the trail."
Delany, Vicki THE SIGN OF FOUR SPIRITS Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $29.99 1, 9 ISBN: 9781639105397
Just because Sherlock Holmes is no longer among us doesn't mean his methods can't be used to solve crimes.
Gemma Doyle, a transplant from England who shares a home and business with her globetrotting great-uncle, runs the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium at 222 Baker Street in Cape Cod's West London. Now that a psychic fair's in town, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books on spiritualism are flying off the shelves. Gemma has no interest in such things, but many of her friends do, especially Sherlock devotee Donald Morris and former pop star Bunny Leigh, who go to the fair and end up inviting several friends to a séance. Somehow Gemma and her friend Jayne Wilson, half-owner, manager, and baker at Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room at 220 Baker Street, get talked into attending along with Donald, Bunny's daughter, another employee, and two couples Gemma met at her store. Before the séance begins in the library at the home of wealthy Rebecca Stanton, Madame Lavalier asks Gemma to leave: "Your skepticism is not wanted here," she says. Gemma sits outside the door but finds it difficult to hear everything inside because a storm is raging overhead. When Madame is killed, chaos ensues, and Gemma calls the police, who arrive in the form of her boyfriend, Det. Ryan Ashburton. Given Gemma's reputation for solving murders and the very limited group of suspects who could have stabbed Madame with a hat pin, it might seem an easy mystery to solve, but nailing down the motive is anything but.
Fans of Holmes and the occult will enjoy following the Great Detective along the trail.
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"Delany, Vicki: THE SIGN OF FOUR SPIRITS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A774415193/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=668967b7. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "a neat package of art lore and murder set against the storied background of the Outer Banks."
Gates, Eva THE STRANGER IN THE LIBRARY Crooked Lane (Fiction None) $29.99 6, 4 ISBN: 9781639106608
A North Carolina librarian's European honeymoon inspires her to create an exhibit at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. Crime and chaos follow.
In advance of a traveling exhibit of valuable American Impressionist artworks that's coming to the Outer Banks, Lucy McNeil hangs a number of reproductions in the library, adding one original canvas by George O'Callaghan, the less-talented brother of well-known Nags Head painter Robert, whose descendant Louise Jane McKaughnan, Lucy's prickly frenemy, works at the library. The opening party goes well except for a defiant speech by local artist Ivan Novak. Lucy meets Mark Farrago, who organized the traveling exhibition opening the next day, and Louise Jane is attracted to mysterious attendee Tom Reilly. When Lucy gets to work the next morning, she's frankly puzzled to discover that the forgettable O'Callaghan painting is missing--and her detective skills are further tested by the death of Farrago, whose body Lucy and her friends find in a koi pond at the party to celebrate the arrival of the real artwork. Lucy has noticed tension among the people involved in the traveling exhibition, and she thinks there may be quite a few suspects. Her friend Det. Sam Watson has used her unofficial assistance on several previous murders and is not averse to having her help this time. The discovery of the missing canvas at the library with its paper backing cut open leaves everyone wondering what might have been hidden inside. Because Reilly is high on the list of suspects, Louise Jane pushes Lucy to work with her to clear his name, putting them in mortal danger.
A neat package of art lore and murder set against the storied background of the Outer Banks.
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"Gates, Eva: THE STRANGER IN THE LIBRARY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A789814839/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=882653c0. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Fans of the series will enjoy Lucy's new married state."
The Stranger in the Library. By Eva Gates. June 2024. 304p. Crooked Lane, $29.99 (9781639106608); e-book (9781639106615).
To provide local programming in support of a major traveling exhibition on American Impressionists opening in nearby Nags Head, Lucy McNeil (last seen in Death Knells and Wedding Bells, 2023) creates an art exhibit and library program for the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The two exhibitions couldn't be more different. While Lucy's library exhibit relies on reproductions, the traveling show contains priceless works, curated by high-powered New York gallery owners. But tying them together is an original seascape by a nineteenth-century Outer Banks painter in the main exhibit and a knock-off painted by his brother--and still owned by his descendants, the family of library staffer Louise Jane--in the library exhibit. At least that's how it is until the knock-off disappears. When Lucy and Louise Jane find the body of one of the New York art specialists in a pool outside the exhibit venue, they and the local police get caught up in the cut-throat world of prestigious art dealerships. Fans of the series will enjoy Lucy's new married state, and it's a treat to see Lucy researching the art, much like Delaney does in Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop series.--Karen Muller
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
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Muller, Karen. "The Stranger in the Library." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 18, 18 May 2024, p. 19. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804017426/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=238a5184. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.
Delany, Vicki TROUBLE IS BREWING Kensington (Fiction None) $27.00 7, 23 ISBN: 9781496747273
A wedding is derailed by the murder of the least important party: the groom's father.
Tea by the Sea, the Cape Cod tearoom Lily Roberts left a stressful job in Manhattan to open, is hosting a wedding shower, and some of the guests are staying at the nearby Victorian B&B owned by Lily's grandmother. As the big day approaches, the tension is palpable, with the bride, Hannah Hill, and her mother, Jenny, on one side, and the groom's snooty mother, Sophia Reynolds, and grandmother Regina Reynolds, who don't approve of the marriage, on the other. The two families share a mysterious past that may be driving the hostility. Greg, the groom, arrives just in time for the gift opening along with his brother, Ivan; their father, Ralph; and his best man, Dave. The final gift is a headless doll that sends Hannah into shock. When Ralph is found dead in his room the next morning, Regina accuses Sophia, who hints that Jenny may be the killer. Lily and her best friend, Bernadette Murphy, a virtuoso researcher and budding author, have already solved several crimes, and Det. Amy Redmond is not averse to hearing their ideas. The suspect pool seems limited because none of the other people staying at the B&B has any obvious connection to the two families about to be united by marriage. And the fact that Ralph was poisoned suggests he knew whomever he admitted to his room to share a drink. Undeterred by the prospect of disturbing the impending nuptials, Lily and Bernie go into sleuthing mode to dig up all the possible motives before wedding bells peal.
Plenty of suspense, clever sleuths, and backbiting suspects capped by a surprising denouement.
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"Delany, Vicki: TROUBLE IS BREWING." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332814/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=37f46337. Accessed 26 Sept. 2024.