Journey back with me to 1930s London. Harriet/Harry White has a job that sounds at once both mind numbing tedious and potentially exciting. She's answering letters sent to the fictional Sherlock Holmes because the company she's employed by just happens to be located at that, oh, so famous Baker Street address. And, oh, there's the little matter of it being a bit of a demotion after she refused to be the victim of sexual harassment by her overseer. Having not read the first book in the series, I was a bit wary of jumping into this one given the frequently puzzling, complicated cases that come to mind when one thinks Sherlock Holmes but, well, what can I say. That name alone and a mention of "Hound of the Baskervilles" was enough to pull me in. I'm glad it did as I very quickly liked Harry and the author quickly got us up to pace on the background from book one.
Just as she seems to have done in book one, Harry responds personally, well, as Holmes instead of using her tried and true normal line as Holmes' secretary about him being retired and unable to help. This time she was intrigued by a telegram arriving rather than a letter, however. I won't detail the plot, it's too much fun to sort it all out as it happens, but it involves a nephew worried about the health, both physical and mental, of his uncle. Let's just say his uncle seems to be in turmoil, panicked, and unable to function. John Arbor, the sender of the telegram, hopes Holmes can help. And, from there, Harry's rash action of responding sets off a series of events involving not just her but Oliver Fortescue, a childhood friend who, from what I can gather, seems to be in the midst of a very slow burn wannabe-romance with Harry. Remember, the setting is in the 1930s, so things do tend to move slower overall,
Delightfully spooky, full of tales of a grim reaper of sorts known as the Ferryman, ghostly spirits on the marshy fen that surrounds the estate, and the poor, afflicted man's loyal wolfhound, abound.....and that's just the main story. Not only does the author give us a dose of Holmes, but there are other side stories, all of which Harry finds herself involved in investigating. Without giving away too much, let's just say they seem to tie back to book one but even without reading it, I had no problems sorting out what was what and who was who. I definitely liked Harry and have my fingers crossed Oliver will perhaps be bolder in future books. Again, remembering the date, no pressure, Oliver. Grin. Harry's courage and, yes, even rashness at times, not to mention there's so much going on that it has the sense of moving right along without too much time spent spinning our wheels. In other words, while cringing at the role of women of that time and Harry's mother's hopes for her marriage to a suitable man, I thoroughly enjoyed the book/mystery and am already looking forward to my next virtual trip back to Baker Street in the author's lovely time machine. Thanks #BoldwoodBooks for allowing me this early peek into this case and introducing me to these fascinating people.
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