Holmes in love? A wedding in the works? Watson as best man? Okay, that last one actually sounds possible, but not the rest. The author takes characters from the original stories and comes up with a totally new plot. The misadventures include the appearance of Irene Adler and Moriarty, but there is no scandal in Bohemia or even an actual encounter with the criminal mastermind. Holmes and Watson have to figure out how a stolen page of sheet music, a murder at the theater, another murder at the museum, forged artwork, a flash mob, and a mysterious railway car all have in common. The events are told from Watson's point of view and he also includes several articles from London newspapers that pertain to the various pieces of the puzzle. The poor doctor is severely frustrated by the distraction from detective work that Sherlock's new love life causes.
Chanot is able to create a story that contains the remarkable ability of Holmes to piece seemingly disparate facts and events together, while at the same time showing a more human and imperfect man. Just imagine Holmes dating, buying flowers, or seemingly passed out in his soup bowl. The whole time one is reading there is the unmistakable feeling that the famous duo are being led on a merry chase and toyed with in a game of cat and mouse. I also appreciated the way the author slipped himself into the story in the character of the violin shop owner.
For all the myriad fans of Holmes in all his incarnations, this is one more to add to their collection. Humor, suspense, mystery (obviously), danger, and romance keep the story moving along quickly and it is over more quickly than expected. I am curious to see if the author will continue with the unanswered questions in a sequel.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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