Sunday, October 23, 2016

Holmes and Watson Search for a Stolen Secret Weapon

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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