A missing corpse, a missing horse, Bel goes missing, missing girls from Chinatown, and Atticus faces some of the memories missing since the murder of his friend and mentor. Lots of missing going on.
Another rollicking adventure.
Purchased.
Historical Mystery. 2017. Print length: 523 pages.
Mycroft's role in the Sherlock novels is usually a cameo of a heavily built man with greater deductive powers than his younger brother. The older Mycroft is physically inactive, but brilliant, and Sherlock says of his brother: "Occasionally he is the British government [...] the most indispensable man in the country."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has long been a fan of Conan Doyle's great detective, and he and Anna Waterhouse began creating a background for the elder Holmes brother as a young man.
A brief quote from the description: Fresh out of Cambridge University, the young Mycroft Holmes is already making a name for himself in government, working for the Secretary of State for War. Yet this most British of civil servants has strong ties to the faraway island of Trinidad, the birthplace of his best friend, Cyrus Douglas, a man of African descent, and where his fiancée Georgiana Sutton was raised.
The plot is perhaps more complicated than necessary, but the friendship between the two main characters makes up for that. There is also the promise of more to come in the adventures of Mycroft and Cyrus Douglas to keep me happy. I'll be getting to the next book soon. :)
Purchased.
Historical Mystery/Sherlock Homes Pastiche. 2015. Print length: 336 pages.
And Some Interesting Articles:
Best British Women Crime Writers 2018 edition - Some of my favorites and some I haven't read.
100 Best Horror Stories (I've read 24--which means I have a long way to go)
How Important Are Libraries? Are they on the decline, no longer useful? Of course, libraries have been so important to me over the years that they are one of the things I'm happy to pay taxes for.
That's funny that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is such a Sherlock Holmes fan. Makes me like him even more. :)
ReplyDeleteI know! It was the fact that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a co-author that made this one irresistible. :)
DeleteI need to put this series about Mycroft on my list. I've been sort of aware of it, but don't think I've heard any thoughts on it. Good job, Jenclair! And 'how important are libraries' - you don't want to get me started on that topic. I could go on for hours. LOL
ReplyDeleteHaving always found the mysterious Mycroft intriguing, I'm happy to have more fictional background on his early life. Our public libraries are one of the most important gifts we can both utilize and enjoy. They have been a mainstay for me throughout my life. All hail to librarians and volunteers who make them friendly and accessible. :)
DeleteThe Mycroft series sound like a good one.
ReplyDeleteAnd I couldn't imagine without a library! Where will we get all the books and the references we need? I know online/digital is another option, but with more brick and mortar bookstores closing down I don't want our libraries to disappear, too. :(
PS: Postcard on the way!
Oh, Yay about a postcard! I wondered if one of our letters or postcards went astray! Libraries provide equally for all readers, rich or poor. We need them for our mental sustenance!
DeleteI love the fact that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a Sherlock fan...so much so he co-wrote a novel. The guy is seriously multi-talented.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links! I was surprised by how many of the British Women Crime writers I have actually read.
I've only read 15 of the horror stories...also more that I would have anticipated since this is not a genre I gravitate towards. But they chose quite broadly. And I loved to see the Goosebumps title! I don't know if I read that one, but I read a lot of them in the 1990s. They were fun.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an interesting man--the sort of Renaissance man I admire.
DeleteAlthough some of my favorites were on the British Women Crime Writers list, there were some authors that I wasn't familiar with and need to check out. :)
I'm not generally a horror fan, but that list was so wide-ranging--from classics to modern, short stories and novels and at least one poem, familiar authors and those I've never heard of, adult and children's books. Eclectic!
I have only read one of Doyle's books, but I seem to be collecting the spin-offs or books related to his characters and world. I am not sure how that happened. Haha. I do like the idea of a Mycroft series though. I will definitely give that a try.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I recognize Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's name. I am glad his book is a good one. I like that cover. :-)
It is a nice cover, isn't it? I'm much fonder of the many spin-offs of the legendary Holmes with more personal touches. Conan Doyle created the legend and the obsession, but modern versions are such fun.
DeleteBoth sound like fun books! Thank you for the links. I have some new authors to add to my list and still lots of scary books to read through!
ReplyDeleteI really like when my favorites show up on a list with new authors because I assume I'll like the new ones, as well. :)
DeleteThat's fantastic you read the first one! I have been wondering about it -- and 1000% agree that Douglas' and Mycroft's friendship is so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThe first book does some of the setting up for the series; I'm really curious about the next one!
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