It’s a busy time
at 221B Baker Street. First Lucy James, Holmes daughter from a brief
affair, comes to the flat with a newspaper telling of the death of a
banker who was involved in a German assassination plot. Holmes foiled
the plot, but now the banker has been murdered.
The second visitor
is Inspector Lestrade. He stumbles into the flat badly beaten having
been grabbed right on Holmes doorstep. He needs Holmes help to find a
super weapon that has been stolen. He believes the Germans have it.
Holmes takes the
case, and he and Watson travel to German to try to recover the
weapon. Lucy also arrives in Germany, an actress with the D’Oyly
Carte Troupe, and is instrumental in helping to solve the murders.
The novel takes
place in the arms race building up to WWI. Both Germany and Britain
were looking for the weapon that would give them the ultimate
advantage. I found the historical detail quite accurate and the
description of Germany at that time was well done.
I didn’t think the
characters did justice to the original Holmes and Watson. For Holmes
there is an astonishing lack of the logical deduction that he is
famous for. Lucy is an interesting character, but she seems to steal
the show from the men. Her logic is good often quoting Holmes about
not drawing conclusions from insufficient evidence.
I can’t recommend
this book. It’s a convoluted mystery that is hard to follow at
times, and if you’re a serious Sherlock Holmes fan, you may be
disappointed.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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