Book Review – Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Nancy Springer https://www.nancyspringer.com is the author of more than 50 novels. Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade was published in 2022 and is the second book in this series. This was the 89th book I completed in 2022.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this novel as G.

As the title implies, Sherlock’s younger teen sister, Enola Holmes, is the primary character. She is now living on her own in London and has established herself as a scientific perditorian. She is the one to engage if you want persons or things found.

When she finds her good friend Lady Cecily Alastair is again in trouble, Enola acts to assist her. The poor young woman is dominated by her father. Even her mother is strictly kept under his control. While Cecily’s rescue is successful, the young woman soon leaves the safety of Enola’s office and disappears.

Being a young and relatively naive aristocrat, London is dangerous. Enola realizes the situation is more dire when she discovers that Cecily suffers from a split personality. Sometimes Cecily is confident and independent. At other times she is timid and naive.

Can Enola find her friend before she falls prey to the darker side of London?

I enjoyed the 4 hours I spent reading this 155-page young adult mystery. The book is short. More of a novella than a novel. I have read the first novel in the series, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche. I actually thought that book was a little better than this one. Both books have a weak plot, most likely because they are targeted at young adults. The cover art is well chosen for this novel. I give this novel a rating of 3.3 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – Watson on the Orient Express: A Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Father and daughter team Charles Veley and Anna Elliott https://sherlockandlucy.com have published more than 30 novels. Watson on the Orient Express: A Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery was published in 2020. It is the 17th in their Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James series. It is the 65th book I completed in 2022.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to minor scenes of violence, I categorize this novella as PG.

Watson is kidnapped. While in captivity he overhears the plans for an assassination. When he is able to escape, he heads to Constantinople aboard the Orient Express to thwart the plot.

Holmes and James are involved in finding the missing Lord Harwell. Harwell has connections to important diplomatic discussions scheduled to take place in Constantinople. Watson is able to send Holmes a quick telegram. This leads Holmes and James to follow Watson to Turkey.

Will Holmes and James be able to find Watson? Will they be able to derail the plans for an incident that could lead to war?

I enjoyed the 3.5 hours I spent reading this 220-page period mystery. I read the Sherlock Holmes collection when I was very young and have been a Sherlock Holmes fan ever since. The books in this series are relatively short. More novellas than full novels. This is the third book in the series that I have read. The others were Remember, Remember and Die Again, Mr. Holmes. All three have been good reads. This book alternates chapters between James and Watson as each tells their story in the first person. The chosen cover art is simple but appropriate. I give this novella a rating of 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Enola Holmes”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Nancy Springer https://www.nancyspringer.com published the book “Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche” in 2021. This is the seventh book in her Enola Holmes series. This book was released today, August 31, 2021. She has published more than 50 works.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’. The primary character in the book is teen Enola Holmes. The much younger sister of the famous Sherlock and Mycroft.

As young as she is, Enola is a very independent woman and every bit as smart as her older brothers. She has also inherited her brothers’ intelligence and powers of deduction. A young woman, Letitia Glover, shows up asking for Holme’s help. Glover received a letter from her brother-in-law that her twin sister had died. She has been unable to learn anything from the widowed Earl of Dunhench. Glover wants to know what happened.

While Holmes does not seem overly interested, Enola jumps into the investigation. She is soon undercover in the Earl’s household. She discovers that the Earl’s first wife also died under unusual circumstances. Enola is sure that there is something amiss.

I enjoyed the 3.5+ hours I spent reading this 259-page period mystery. The book is short. The book is more of a novella than a novel. The book does read much like the original Sherlock Holmes stories. But this mystery is not too difficult. Ms. Springer mostly targets young adults so that can be somewhat expected. If you have access to Netflix you will find their production of an Enola Holmes mystery movie. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “The Illumination of Sherlock Holmes”

(See all my Book Reviews) – Author Paul D. Gilbert published the novel “The Illumination of Sherlock Holmes” in 2019. This is the third of his “Odyssey of Sherlock Holmes” series. Mr. Gilbert has published ten Sherlock Holmes novels.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains some scenes of Violence. The story is set in Europe.

Holmes and Watson, along with Holmes’ brother Mycroft, travel to Bavaria, then back to England. They are on the trail of a conspiracy to control the world.

While there are aspects of mystery, this is more of a 19th-century thriller. At times I felt like it was more a story about a story than a book on its own. If you like Sherlock Holmes you will most likely enjoy this novel.

I enjoyed the 5+ hours I spent reading this 168-page mystery/thriller novel. The cover art is OK and consistent with other works by Gilbert, but I think it is a little simple. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D.”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Author Nicholas Meyer (https://www.nicholas-meyer.com) published the novel “The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D.” in 2019. This is his 8th novel.

 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in 1905. The primary character is Dr. John Watson.

 

Holmes brother, Mycroft, approaches Holmes and Watson. A body found in the Thames was a British Secret Service agent. Documents she was carrying implicate the Jews in a world domination conspiracy. Mycroft asks his brother and the Doctor to look into it.

 

The investigation leads Holmes and Watson on a long journey by rail over the Orient Express. They must tread the dangerous ground of Russia to find the answers. Their journey is not without risk.

 

I enjoyed the 5.5+ hours I spent reading this 244-page Sherlock Holmes mystery. Really, this is more of a low-level spy thriller than a mystery. I do like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Die Again, Mr. Holmes”

Book Reviews – “Die Again, Mr. Holmes” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Anna Elliott (http://www.annaelliottbooks.com) and Charles Veley (https://sherlockandlucy.com). Ms. Elliott has authored or co-authored more than a dozen novels. Mr. Veley has authored or co-authored eight novels. This is the eighth novel in the “The Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mysteries” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is set in 1898 England. The primary characters are Sherlock Holmes and his young American daughter, Lucy James.

Both Holmes and James have missing person cases they are working on independently. James though has the complication of also having to protect her 10-year-old sister-in-law Becky from her estranged criminal father. Then the news that devastates them all – Holmes has died! Will James and the faithful Watson be able to protect the young Becky and find the missing woman without Holmes?

I thoroughly enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent reading this 471-page Sherlock Holmes mystery. This is the second novel in this series I have read (the other “Remember, Remember” I read back in late 2017). I have thoroughly enjoyed them both. The mystery definitely has the feel of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories. I think that the cover art was well chosen. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Sherlock Holmes and the Greyfriars School Mystery”

Book Reviews – “Sherlock Holmes and the Greyfriars School Mystery” eBook was published in 2015 (original paper edition was published in 1996) and was written by Val Andrews. Mr. Andrews published more than 20 Sherlock Holmes mysteries. In total, he published over 1000 books and booklets, including Houdini novels and books on magic.

I ordered this novella from Amazon when it was being promoted by the publisher. I categorize this novella as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in 1912 England with the familiar characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Both men are retired now. Watson has been called on by his former schoolmaster for some assistance. One of the staff, Dr. Locke, has been working for years on a history of the Greyfriars School, but it has now gone missing. Watson is asked if he will convince Holmes to come out of retirement and help find the manuscript.

Holmes leaves retirement and his bees behind briefly as he and Watson visit Greyfriars School. Once they have arrived at Greyfriars, they are unexpectedly drawn into the search for the murderer of a local jeweler. They find themselves confronted with rebellious school boys, a not altogether forthcoming Dr. Locke, and a desperate killer.

I enjoyed the 2+ hours I spent reading this 109-page mystery. This mystery is written very much like the original Holmes stories. I think that the cover art is appropriate. I give this novella a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Review of “Murder in Keswick”

Book Reviews – “Murder in Keswick” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by William Todd. Mr. Todd has published seven novels and novellas.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novella as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the late 19th century in England. The primary characters are, of course, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.

Watson and Holmes are attempting to get away from London and their constant load of cases. Traveling to the Lake District is supposed to let them relax, but when they arrive they discover that a local has been found dead and his head is missing. They soon find themselves drawn into the strange case.

Was he murdered by the gypsies in the area? By a business competitor? By some other party set to reign terror on the local community? Only Holmes will be able to discover the who, and why of the murder.

I enjoyed the 3+ hours I spent reading this 178 page mystery. I read almost every novel with Holmes and Watson as the main characters I can find. This one is consistent with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s own stories.  The cover art is OK. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Review of “The Case of the Missing Stradivarius”

Book Reviews – “The Case of the Missing Stradivarius” eBook was published in 2016 (the original paper edition was published in 2009) and was written by Emanuel E Garcia. This is Mr. Garcia’s first publication.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is set during the heyday of Sherlock Holmes. As you would expect, the primary characters are Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

A noted violinist comes to London to give a performance, but his rare Stradivarius violin is stolen. He and his wife seek out help from Watson and Holmes to recover the rare instrument.

I was disappointed with this novella. I was really expecting more of a mystery with this 133 page Homes tale. The characters of Watson and Holmes were well represented, but I did not think much of the mystery they set about to solve. The cover are is OK, but I would have chosen something with a violin in it since that was the focus of the mystery. I give this novel a 2.7 (rounded up to a 3) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Review of “Remember, Remember”

Book Reviews – “Remember, Remember” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Anna Elliott (http://www.annaelliottbooks.com) and Charles Veley. Ms. Elliott has published 17 novels and Mr. Veley over a dozen. This is the fourth book in their “Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the Victorian are of the original Sherlock Holmes. The primary characters are Sherlock Holmes and the young American woman Lucy James.

James wakes up outside the British Museum without any memories of who she is, but with a sore bump on her head. She begins to search for her identity and she soon finds herself being pursued by people she doesn’t know. She does seem to have a feeling about the name Sherlock Holmes. The mystery quickly grows beyond her identity as she is drawn into an effort to identify German spies that have infiltrated the British government.

I really enjoyed the 5.5 hours I spend reading this Sherlock Holmes mystery. The story was well crafted and fits into the original story line of the Holmes mysteries. I liked the characters as well as the plot. It almost had the feel of two separate story lines in one book, one dealing with James’ amnesia and the other with the german spies. The novel cover art is OK. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).