Book Review - Sherlock Holmes and The Cornwall Affair
Posted by Steve Emecz on
Sherlock Holmes Society of London
For anyone looking for an armchair holiday this year, a trip to Cornwall in the company of Holmes and Watson is always to be recommended. With author Johanna M Rieke at the helm, the duo forsakes Baker Street for a mystery that takes them deep into the heart of South-West England, pausing briefly at the lovely Lanhydrock House, described in sumptuous detail, for an account of the problem before heading out into the wider area to tackle the investigation with gusto. Throughout, Rieke’s love of history shines from the pages, touching coast and country, taking in such diverse topics as smuggling, mining, china clay and the works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, before reaching out to the international field for a resolution of the case. Holmes is in fine form in this intriguing mystery, complete with twists and turns aplenty as the corpses start to mount up. Watson provides able and, at one point, invaluable support and excellent narration, occasionally breaking the fourth wall to apologise to the reader for his short-comings, memorably on a boat-trip that sees the poor fellow paying “tribute to King Neptune”. Overall, a very enjoyable and absorbing tale, enriched with Rieke’s admirable evocations of time and place.
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Do you love Cornwall, with its cliffs and breakers, sleepy fishing harbours and villages? Would you like to meet a real English Lord? And do you enjoy an authentic, well researched historical crime story? With the author you will accompany the renowned Baker Street detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his friend Dr Watson, on their journey to Cornwall. There, in idyllic surroundings, they are faced with seemingly impenetrable questions, leading to desperate villainy. A fifty-year-old history of intrigue, smuggling, betrayal, murder and revenge waits to be revealed, and you are there, with Holmes and Watson.
You may also like Johanna's 2nd novel Sherlock Holmes and The Thames Murders.