Book Reviews - Sherlock Holmes and The Perplexed Politician
Posted by Steve Emecz on
Sisters In Crime Australia
"This energetic and imaginative offering is extremely entertaining. It takes us, together with Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, at the instigation of Mycroft Holmes himself, on a wild ride through the quiet backwaters of a Wiltshire village to the odd assortment of people staying at the local great house, Barrow Hill Manor, in whose grounds the body of an MP’s sister’s fiancé has been found. The lady has already been involved in one scandal, not of her own making, in London, and her brother wants this matter, deemed an accident by the local constabulary, investigated for his future career and her reputation....a fun romp with the icon of detection, some weirdos, lively writing, and several breath-taking flights of fancy."
Wendy Heyman-Marsaw – Author of “Memoirs from Mrs. Hudson’s Kitchen”
"I was very impressed by Ms. Walsh’s debut novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Molly Boy Murders, and was equally pleased with her follow-up book, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Perplexed Politician.
The case begins when Mycroft Holmes refers Mr. Algernon Leadbetter, MP, and his sister Verity to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. They seek an investigation into the suspicious and untimely death of Verity’s intended husband who was also Leadbetter’s friend.
The story leads Holmes and Watson to travel to the site of the crime in Wiltshire on the property of Sir Denby Hardcastle, the area’s squire. They are ably assisted by local Inspector James Crawford. Holmes and Watson obtain rooms in a pub, The Wight and Barrow which becomes the nerve centre for the investigation. Holmes in the Canon inevitably found local pubs to be important sources of valuable local information.
As in The Molly Boy Murders, Ms. Walsh’s gifted ability to provide brief but telling characterizations again are in evidence. The odd assortment of inhabitants of Sir Henry’s manse and visitors are fully realized.
The story itself is reminiscent of the classic “house party” format where the guests are killed off one by one. But in this story the deaths baffle even Holmes and Watson. It is a psychological “whodunit” that has delightful twists and turns. The novel moves along at a great pace and I found myself so fully engrossed by the story that I completed it in two sittings."
Sherlock Holmes and The Perplexed Politician is available directly from the publisher on this site (click here) and also:
Strand Magazine (special offer) Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)