Mostly Mysteries

July 28, 2025July 25, 2025

Sherlock Holmes Takes the Case

From London to England’s Lake District to Edinburgh, Scotland, Sherlock Holmes and his reliable companion, Dr. John Watson, are always ready to solve the case. In David MacGregor’s Sherlock Holmes Takes the Case: Eight Tales of Mystery and Intrigue, the detecting duo travels great lengths in search of intrigue and crime. For example, they research a case of tiny coffins found on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh in “The Adventure of the Scottish Coffins.” They uncover fraud in “The Amateur Mendicant Society.” Mudlarking in the Thames in London dirties Holmes’ boots in one of the stories. They uncover how an ancient Egyptian scroll went missing in “The Adventure of the Alexandrian Scroll.” And Holmes diverts attention by suggesting multiple solutions in a stabbing in “Death at Simpson’s.”

Clever and Entertaining Stories

Each story is cleverly written and tightly plotted. Holmes and Watson are at the peak of their form in each story. MacGregor captures the flavor of the original Conan Doyle detective duo. The hustle and bustle of London is as much a part of the scene as is the Lake District village of Grasmere. MacGregor expertly distinguishes between the “steam-hammer metronome” that is London and the bucolic “gentle peaks” and “burbling waters” around Grasmere. In a couple of stories, Holmes allows a different kind of justice to be done. “Justice is not the sole province of bewigged old men in courtrooms. Justice belongs to us all.” Conan Doyle implied the same sentiment in a few of his stories. The last story has the duo up on the rooftop trying to apprehend a jolly old, gift-giving phenomenon. One who is aided by a red-nosed hooved creature. Sorry Holmes, it’s not Moriarty.

So, look to be entertained with the stories in this collection. “Death of a Mudlark” and “The Adventure of the Mysterious Benefactor” enchanted me. Which favorites will you choose?

Sherlock Holmes Takes the Case: Eight Tales of Mystery and Intrigue
by David MacGregor
edited by David Marcum
© 2025
MX Publishing

July 25, 2025July 25, 2025

Method of Revenge

Method of Revenge Why are children dying when wallpaper from Henderson and Company is hung in their bedrooms? Could there be something wrong? But why aren’t any parents talking about it?

In Cara Devlin‘s Method of Revenge, Leo Spencer is at a nightclub with her friend, Dita Brooks, when Gabriela Carter, the wife of a mob boss, dies from arsenic poisoning. Who would want her dead and is her death related to the deaths of various children?

Jasper Reid is assigned the case of Mrs. Carter’s death. As usually happens, since Leo Spencer is peripherally involved as a witness, she insinuates herself into the investigation, much to Jason’s consternation. But, since Leo’s observations move the case forward, he is secretly glad of her help.

As with the other two entries in Cara Devlin’s Spencer and Reid series, Method of Revenge, the second mystery in the series, is tightly written, with a plot that propels the reader forward. In addition to the mysterious deaths, Devlin also highlights the burgeoning, but slow-moving interest and love between the protagonists. Their relationship is under stress from certain aspects of their shared past, which causes sparks to fly. A solid fascination about which way their love will flow lures me to wait eagerly for the next installment.

Enjoyable Read

Devlin created two likeable protagonists, both having strengths and flaws. Spencer is intelligent, as evidenced by her work at the morgue with her uncle, and her insightful tips to Reid on aspects of his cases. Impulsive and stubborn, Spencer gets herself into situations from which Reid and his partner, Detective Sergeant Lewis, must extricate her. Reid is honorable and hard working. However, he has kept certain facts about his past hidden, both from Spencer and Scotland Yard. When these facts come to light in his dealings with Spencer, tempers simmer and sparks fly.

I enjoyed the three offerings in Devlin’s Spencer and Reid series so far. I look forward to reading her Bow Street Duchess mystery series.

Method of Revenge
by Cara Devlin
© 2025
First Cup Press

June 23, 2025June 18, 2025

Shadow at the Morgue

With Shadow at the Morgue, Cara Devlin has created a strong opener to her new Spencer and Reid series. With a splendid start like this, the series is bound to go from great to outstanding.

Devlin sets both Leonora (aka Leo) Spencer and Jasper Reid apart from ordinary humans. Leo is intelligent, savvy and outspoken. And, as Jasper readily agrees, impulsive and stubborn. Jasper is portrayed as a bit straitlaced, but good at his job of Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard.

A cryptic case draws Spencer and Reid in when a body of a woman run over by an omnibus is brought into the morgue run by Leo’s Uncle Claude. Why does a man come into the morgue to steal the woman’s necklace? Why does a witness to the accident say that a man was chasing the woman prior to the accident? How is the woman connected to two criminals recently released from prison?

Scotland Yard assigns the case to Detective Inspector Reid, and, of course, Leo is intrigued and does her own behind the scenes snooping. She unearths important information that helps solve the case, much to the consternation of Reid.

Nicely Done

Devlin balances the mystery nicely with the burgeoning romance between the main characters. Reid and Spencer have a connection from their youth – they were raised by the same guardian for a short while. But Spencer is a bit standoffish with Reid, thinking he doesn’t like her, or is uninterested at the very least.

The story is told from the viewpoints of both Spencer and Reid. This works well, as the reader is immersed in the workings of both characters’ minds. With this debut in the Spencer and Reid series, Devlin creates a cozy historical mystery universe set in 1884. She includes historical facts that enliven the plot, such as the roles women can and cannot undertake during that period. For example, Spencer’s work at her uncle’s morgue is frowned upon or thought to be strange and “unwomanly.” I will be reading the rest of this series as well as Devlin’s other works.

June 16, 2025June 9, 2025

Courier of Death

If you like historical fiction and/or mysteries, Cara Devlin‘s Courier of Death is a must read. Steadily, but quickly, paced, this third entry in the Spencer and Reid series will entice you from the outset.

How and why are the deaths of a police constable and an MP’s aide related? That is what Detective Inspector Jasper Reid is determined to find out, aided by his friend, Leonora Spencer. As this story is set in the London of 1884, the subplot of women’s right to vote adds historical interest.

Devlin endowed her protagonists with great personalities. Leonora, Leo to her friends, is smart, outgoing, and impetuous at times. Of course, her impetuosity gets her into trouble. From which Jason must extricate her. Leo works as an assistant in her uncle’s morgue, outshining male assistants, to the chagrin of the males. Jason’s intelligence and courage stand him in good stead as a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard. The slow-burn romance between Leo and Jason complements murder and extortion to form a cohesive plot.

As mentioned, this is the third in a series by Cara Devlin. I plan to read the first two books in the Spencer and Reed series as well as other books written by this author. Devlin has also published a second English mystery series, a romance series, and a stand-alone romance, both set in the western United States.

I received a free Advance Reader Copy. This is a voluntary, fair and honest review.

Courier of Death
by Cara Devlin
© 2025
First Cup Press

October 7, 2024October 6, 2024

The Nomad Detective

Violet Chase, the protagonist of The Nomad Detective, Volume I, by Amy Suto, takes on cases as a private investigator while searching for her sister, Adriana. Her sister disappeared at a yoga retreat in Guatemala some time prior to the beginning of the stories.

This collection of connected stories is a mixed bag. For example, the first story left me unsatisfied. Chase and her partner, Milo Baxter, find Teresa, the girlfriend of client, Jake Turner, in Costa Rica. After somewhat strange encounters there, both with Teresa and others, Chase returns to San Francisco to tell her client the outcome of her investigation. Jake, of course, does not take that well and fades into the distance. Drugs are a big part of this story, a somewhat stereotypical outlook on the region where most of the story occurs. Conning the rich foreigners, especially Americans, etc., etc.

Violet Chase is a somewhat unusual detective. She bills herself as a nomad detective, ready to take on cases that take her to parts of the world where she might find her lost sister. In addition, Chase has synesthesia, a condition in which the brain routes sensory information through multiple unrelated senses, causing her to experience more than one sense simultaneously. For example, when walking out into the sunshine, she sometimes senses that the sun feels sticky like chewing gum. She can also sense a person’s aura. She uses these senses to effectively size up people involved in her cases.

Although I somewhat enjoyed this novel in stories, I would have liked somewhat less of the auras and mixed-sensory signals and more of straight detective work. The Nomad Detective, while unusual, was a mid-level like for me.

The Nomad Detective, Volume I
by Amy Suto
© 2024
Sutoscience LLC

September 30, 2024September 22, 2024

Redacted Sherlock Holmes

The six stories in Orlando Pearson’s The Redacted Sherlock Holmes Volume III are a mixed bag. In some stories, such as and “The Book-Thief and the Blitz,” Holmes seems slow and withdrawn. In fact, Watson reports at one point,” Holmes spent the time we had in a daze.”

The stories range from good (“Some Parisian Hot-Desking”) to dull (“The Book-Thief and the Blitz”) to outright strange (“The Sussex Factotum”).

“Some Parisian Hot-Desking” has Watson and Holmes cornering and catching Sebastian Moran. Moran was second-in-command to Professor James Moriarty in the original Holmes canon. This story is well done.

In “A Christmas Carol” Homes makes good use of his propensity for disguises to woo a maid and thus get access to a house and solve his case.

“The Book-Thief and the Blitz” had Holmes and Watson away from London to help decode German messages during World War II. Holmes is not at his best in this story. As noted before, Watson even remarks that Holmes seems “in a daze.” A good portion of this story delves rather more deeply into breaking the German codes than necessary.

“The Sussex Factotum” deals with implications of the aberrant sexual proclivities of Eric Gill, a prosperous sculptor. This story is an instance where Holmes agrees with his brother, Mycroft, that doing nothing is probably the best option.

“The Doctor and the Demon” has the game of cricket at its center. Granted, we Americans may not be apprised of all the rules of this inimitable English sport. However, having Dr. Watson describe the game to Holmes slows the story down.

Enjoyable Read

All in all, I enjoyed the stories in The Redacted Sherlock Holmes Volume III well enough. But, in my opinion, Holmes could have been sharpened up a bit. He seemed sluggish in a few of the stories as mentioned above. Dr. Watson’s narration of the stories was well done.

September 23, 2024September 18, 2024

Death in the Harem

Martha Hudson helps Sherlock Holmes detect something amiss in the harem of Sultan Abdul Hamid in Susan Knight’s Death in the Harem: A Mrs. Hudson/Sherlock Holmes Mystery. There have been strange and mysterious deaths among the sultan’s wives, concubines and female slaves. She, Holmes, and Watson pay a visit to Turkey via the Orient Express. Mrs. Hudson, used to plainer things, doesn’t see the need to stay in the poshest hotel in Paris and have a new wardrobe outfitted for her. But, ah, well, the sultan insisted, and was paying.

Much is made of the train trip from Paris to Constantinople (present day Istanbul). Too much, it seems. Although there are some interesting characters on the train, most are stereotypical. for example, the Russian actress, Valentina Muratova. A “vision in silks and furs, of indeterminate age, thin as a needle, pale skinned and black-haired, her face exquisitely painted on.” She prances around, acting histrionically, and expecting everyone to recognize her. There’s also Eliza Dodds, traveling with Cecelia, supposedly her sister, although Holmes has his doubts. Miss Dodds is a “stout, florid person…with crinkly curls,” and a dress that “was plain and serviceable.” She is “on [her] way to be governess to a little boy in Constantinople.” Holmes’ thoughts on Eliza Dodds tend towards her being a spy sent to watch them.

Slow-moving, but Successful Overall

The bulk of this novel entails Martha Hudson’s visit to the sultan’s palace at Yildiz, which sits on a hill overlooking Constantinople. Mrs. Hudson makes little headway as she is treated as the outsider that she is by most of the harem members. They are pleasant to her, but quite noncommunicative. Only one, Naime, befriends her and helps as best she can. Madeleine, a French orphan hired by Holmes to be Mrs. Hudson’s ‘slave’ while they were in Constantinople, also helps. She eavesdrops among the servants as she speaks Turkish, although she keeps that fact to herself.

Overall, I enjoyed Susan Knight’s portrayal of Mrs. Hudson. Hudson has gumption, curiosity and quick wits to deal with the treachery of the court and deal with clues that come her way. She is a welcome addition to older women detectives such as Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Somewhat less time could have been spent describing the train trip and the mundane days in the harem. Otherwise, Death in the Harem: A Mrs. Hudson/Sherlock Holmes Mystery is an enjoyable read.

September 16, 2024September 8, 2024

Tales of Scotland Yard: Ratcliffe Highway

After reading Tales of Scotland Yard: Ratcliffe Highway, by Bianca Jenkins, one word comes to mind. More than one, actually. Wonderful, and an interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes milieu. This novel focuses on Giles Lestrade, one of the inspectors who interact with Holmes and Watson in Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Focusing on a minor character from the Holmes stories is a refreshing change.

As a newly appointed inspector, Lestrade is assigned a murder case. None of the other inspectors want it as it involves a young, impoverished woman living in one of the poorer sections of London. “Without the suit, Inspector Lestrade would have fit right in with some of the lower members of society passing by on the street.” With smart thinking and dogged footwork Lestrade solves the case.

Jenkins’ characters are well-rounded, especially Lestrade. Despite his tough upbringing, he can be tenderhearted. Smith and the other, more seasoned, inspectors kid Lestrade even as they take a collection to reimburse him for money he paid to feed the murder victim’s two children. Jenkins’ Lestrade is tenacious, as he is in the Doyle canon. Additionally, he is small and wiry in both this work and Doyle’s offerings. Using subtle similarities like this keep the new additions to the Holmes canon interesting to lovers of the original stories.

However, the plot was a bit transparent as to who committed the murder. I felt fairly certain about who was responsible about halfway through the book. This did not decrease my enjoyment of the story, though.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this offering. It is an entertaining addition to the many recent contributions to the Holmes and Watson world. Bianca Jenkins wrote another novel about Lestrade, which I will seek out. Future works in this series would be a welcome addition.

September 9, 2024September 2, 2024

Traitorous Templar

With The Traitorous Templar, Richard T. Ryan does a good job of displaying his knowledge about the Knights Templar (a Christian/Catholic military order that provided soldiers during the Crusades). Holmes, and Watson get involved in a case dealing with nightly disturbances at an art collection. Some of the displays of armor purportedly belonged to the Templars and Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Templars.

A visit from a woman who turns out not to be whom she claims she is, and other events set the detecting duo of Holmes and Watson on a trip to a few of the last-known outposts of the Templars in England: a cave thought to be used by the Templars; a small, dilapidated church; and a small island off the coast of Cornwall. What begins as a desultory investigation as to who was leaving tallow droppings at the art gallery leads to a stealthy search for a treasure of gold and gems supposedly hidden by the Templars as their Order was being disbanded, and they were being denigrated and killed in the early 14th century. All this while being followed by persons unknown, but armed and dangerous, who were also after the treasure.

Mixed Bag

The Traitorous Templar is a mixed bag for me. The novel begins slowly with Holmes discussing the Templars’ history with Watson. There is also a large section directly in the middle of the Holmes/Watson story that deals directly with the Templars. This section envisions how they supposedly were victimized by one of their own turning on them, necessitating the hiding of the treasure. This digression would be very interesting as part of a novel dealing directly with the Templars. But it totally drops the reader out of the Holmes/Watson realm for several chapters.

Especially irksome is that, when the story returns to the Holmes/Watson milieu, Holmes goes over much of the same ground in his discourse to Watson on research he’d done while in London and Watson was in Cornwall. In my opinion, the digress to the time of the Templars could have been omitted entirely. Holmes’ discussion of his research could be broadened to include more of the Templar information.

The final third of the novel was the best part of this somewhat slow rendering of the Holmes/Watson world. Although still slow at points, it quickens slightly and includes a short appearance of Inspectors Gregson and Lestrade. The thieves who were shadowing Holmes and Watson, and who tried to abscond with the treasure, are dealt with.

Ryan effectively portrayed Holmes and Watson in The Traitorous Templar, but the pacing of the story left me wanting more. Holmes is off stage quite a bit and, thus, the banter between him and Watson is missing, for example. But overall, I enjoyed this book. I may seek out other Holmes and Watson tales penned by Richard T. Ryan.

August 26, 2024August 25, 2024

Eastern Shore Shorts

Even though summer is edging towards fall, and I haven’t set foot on a beach in many a year, I love books that deal with bodies of water, sand and summertime. Eastern Shore Shorts: Stories Set in Berlin, Cambridge, Chestertown, Chincoteague, Easton, Rock Hall, Salisbury, St. Michaels, and Tilghman Island, by Gail Priest, fits the bill nicely. Oh—did I say I love visiting the area encompassed by the short stories in this collection? I haven’t visited the eastern portions of Maryland or Virginia that make up part of the Delmarva peninsula since before the Covid-19 pandemic. Is that a road trip I hear calling my name? Well, maybe within the next few years.

The 12 intertwined stories in this collection are about friends and family members who live in the towns mentioned in the title. The stories are spare and well written, with no extra verbiage. Even though each story has its own arc and distinguishing features, characters who are narrators in one story crop up again in other stories that are narrated by a family member or friend. Priest does a great job of portraying small-town life.

I enjoyed reading Eastern Shore Shorts because of Ms. Priest’s great writing and because of the memories it brought back of my visits to the area. I thought “Peacemaker Puppy” was the weakest story. This story seemed stilted and did not flow as well as the others.