The Adair Murders: A Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery

Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery #12

by Anna Elliott, Charles Veley

Join Sherlock and Lucy as they return for this 33rd installment of their beloved mystery series. An ancient country estate. A twice-bereaved matriarch. And a triple murder that baffles the police. England, October 1900 . When Lord and Lady Adair return to their ancient family home after nearly two decades in Australia, they hope to enjoy their retirement. But all too soon their bodies are discovered lying on the gravel drive outside their home, shot dead. No witnesses are found—yet the police have a theory that would create even more pain for the bereaved family. Family matriarch Lady Helen Adair fears that her only grandchild, Lady Hilda, will be accused of the crime. She turns to Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective who, six years earlier, captured the murderer of her other grandchild, in the case Dr. Watson recorded as “The Adventure of the Empty House.” With unexpected twists and turns, The Adair Murders is a thrilling whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of the series will love the new and intriguing family dynamic, while newcomers will find themselves immersed in the world of Victorian London, caught up in the chase for justice. Can Sherlock, Lucy, Becky, and Flynn solve this inexplicable and unsolvable murder case? Or will murder continue to run in the Adair family? Find out by ordering your copy of The Adair Murders today!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, British Literature

174 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2023

About the author

Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. She was delighted to lend a hand with the Sherlock & Lucy series, and thrilled to continue a new spin-off series featuring Becky and Flynn. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan & Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, The Pride & Prejudice Chronicles , chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work.

WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sherlockand...
FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anna-El...

Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.

Reviews

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the thirty odd books in the Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery series, I've never been disappointed. Holmes and Watson live up to the canon. Lucy James (now Lucy Kelly) is the very depiction of the strong, independent woman. Becky Kelly and Flynn round out the cast.

The threads in THE ADAIR MURDERS are several. There is the intruder into Lestrade's home. And the murders of Lady Grace Finlay Adair, her husband Ronald Barrington Adair, and Mr. Gareth, the Adair's carriage driver. And Holmes is looking into a series of poisoned drugs deaths in Whitechapel. Are these crimes related? With Holmes busy with his case, Watson, Lucy, Becky and Flynn are assigned their various tasks. As usual, Becky and Flynn go that extra step that lands the venturesome pair in peril.

THE ADAIR MURDERS will carry you back to the mean streets and posh mansions of Victorian London. You will find yourself quickly turning pages until Sherlock finally holds court and the perpetrators are brought to justice. He will take each thread and weave it with the next until the fabric of the crime is made clear to all.

As always, I do recommend that you read this series in order. Start with the first book, THE LAST MORIARTY, and binge through them all. The series is equally adaptable to curling up on cold winter nights or stretching out on the beach.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Holmes listening 🎶🔰

Anna Elliott and Charles Veley are favorite authors of mine the two series are favorites of mine. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are called upon to investigate the murders happening in the Adair family. Becky and Flynn find information that helps Holmes learn the truth leading to arrest of the murderers and leader. I would highly recommend this series and authors to fans of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson and readers of mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀👒😡😮

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, what a clever use of The Adventure of the Empty House's Adair! I love these links and little winks to the original stories :D

I found fascinating the way in which we get to know all these characters: all of them unreliable narrators of their own stories, all with their own secrets and some mystery around them.

And I must say I wasn't even close to finding a complete solution to the crimes, which was awesome :D

And Becky and Finn! They really saved the day! I love those little kids so much! They are an absolute terror, but they always manage to keep themselves safe and sound, that's something *laughs

This is yet another great story in this series, absolutely worthy of your time. ♥

[Lisa Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book.
Sherlock and Lucy take on a triple murder and a prime suspect who may not be the culprit. The adventure mystery twists and turns. I thought I saw where the plot was going but the authors had surprising revelations throughout. There is another plot that runs alongside the murders. Many surprises that startle in that one also.

Becky and Flynn are clever and undaunted in key support in this mystery. Check out their books by Anna Elliott.

Anna Elliott and Charles Veley are excellent in crafting a story that intrigues me. All the Sherlock and Lucy books are highly recommended.

[Donald Boland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Sherlock and Lucy series !!
Captivating and entertaining, the latest Sherlock and Lucy story continues to delight.

[Jim Rickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. Exciting and the younger ones in the story line got more involved.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Holmes and Lucy story

Holmes is asked to look into the murder of the Adair’s and their driver. The story takes many twists and turns with multiple surprises. The ending is the biggest surprise. An excellent read.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

All is not as it seems at first glance, that's why Holmes and crew are needed for this job. What an inspiring twisted path unwound bit by bit to the truth! It kept me guessing until the end. I couldn't put it down. Out of all the characters featured, I must say I admired young Flynn for his resilience, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. Great read.

[Bill Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed "The Adair Murders," the latest installment in the ever-growing collection of Sherlock Holmes & Lucy James mysteries penned by Charles Veley and Anna Elliott. This one actually has its roots in one of the most famous Holmes stories by creator Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Empty House,” the tale that brought Holmes “back to life” after Doyle thought he had killed the great detective.

But “The Adair Murders” cannot really be called a sequel as the murders and the mysteries have little relationship to anything that happened in the aforementioned story. This one involves a triple murder among the nobility as well as tainted drugs, which are killing a fair amount of unfortunates in turn-of-the-last-century London. I give nothing away to seasoned mystery fans by suggesting that these two things may somehow find a way to converge in the latter stages of the story.

As always, Veley & Elliott write in a style very close to Doyle’s own and do their usual fine job of evoking the London of that era. They always play fair with their readers, laying out the clues necessary to solve the puzzle and never allowing their protagonists to know more than the reader. The solution is both ingenious and logical and I’m proud to say, I did guess one of the major plot revelations several chapters before it transpired.

My only quibble, and it is minor, is that this installment features far less of Lucy James (Holmes’ illegitimate daughter) than previous installments. It also gives more of the heavy lifting in the plot to the two juveniles who have become series’ regulars – Becky Kelly (Lucy’s very young sister-in-law) and Flynn (a street urchin who is a key member of Holmes’ band of Baker Street Irregulars).

I must confess that I am not as enchanted with these characters as some may be. Their presence seems to move the stories into the category of juvenile fiction (where children regularly cheat death and outsmart adults consistently), as truly responsible adults (Lucy acts as surrogate mother to Becky) would not allow such young children to place themselves in mortal danger so often and so cavalierly. Having them play a part now and then is acceptable; but the longer the series runs, the more these two seem to be taking center stage.

That aside, I did enjoy this latest adventure, some 148 pages long, placing it in the “novella” category; definitely longer and more complex than a short story, but able to be read in just a sitting or three (I completed it in two evenings). If you like the series (and I do), you’ll like "The Adair Murders." If you have yet to encounter Sherlock & Lucy, this is as good a place as any to jump on as it doesn’t require that you know that much about the characters' back stories. Recommended.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this "continuation" series of Sherlock Holmes stories for a while, now, and I really enjoy them. I love a good mystery, and I've always loved the Holmes and Watson books, but Conan Doyle has been gone a long time. I welcome with open mind and heart Holmes' return in the continuations that are available, now. There are several, and I recommend them.

This story is by Anna Elliot and Charles Veley. I'm not sure why, but in some information, Elliot is listed as the sole author. Go figure.

There's a cast of characters that are unique to all of the Veley-Elliot Sherlock Holmes stories. Early in the series, Holmes learns that he has a young-adult daughter from a long-ago relationship. Holmes didn't know about here, and she (Lucy) didn't know about him. Well, everybody KNEW about Sherlock Holmes from Doctor Watson's stories, but Lucy didn't know of her connection to him. Lucy meets a young London copper, Jack Kelly, with a pre-teen sister, Becky. Also thrown into the mix is one of Sherlock's Baker Street Irregulars, Flynn, who is Becky's age and becomes her best friend and co-adventurer.

Like all of the stories Elliott-Velley, The Adair Murders is a fun read. The characters are presented well, and it helps us to learn who and what they are. Every novel is a mix of plot movement and background/motivation, as well as a mix of description and dialog. Elliot-Veley lean a little toward action and keeping the story moving, which works well for the reader. There's an excellent use of conversation among our characters.

This story connects to an earlier Sherlock Holmes adventure, as the family connected to a previous mystery is back with a new one. An Earl with a somewhat shady past, his wife, and their coachmen are found dead at the entry gate to their estate. On the surface, it looks as if it might be a murder suicide, but only superficially. Was it? Or was it the murder of all three? Was it the dead Lord and Lady's daughter, to whom evidence starts to point?

While Lucy, Becky, and Flynn start looking into these murders, Holmes and Watson have started investigating a recent spate of poisonings that appear connected to the local drug trade. Then some connections between the two cases seem to appear. Are they connected? If so, how? Why?

As Sherlock and his minions unravel the mysteries, we're taken along for an enjoyable ride. The story keeps us involved and eager to see the next twist and turn in the road, and ultimately learn who done it.

I'll tip you to one important clue. Twists and turns abound.

Enjoy. I surely did.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1900 Lord and Lady Adair with their coachman Gareth are shot on their Fanshaw estate in Yorkshire, having recently returned from Australia. The family matriarch Lady Helen Adair believes the local police will suspect her granddaughter, Lady Hilda, is behind the deaths but they have no proof.
Meanwhile Detetive Lestrade is investigating the death of 23 people in the last 3 days from poisoned drugs. He also had an intruder at his home warning him to stay away from the Adair murders. Holmes and his associates investigate both cases.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its varied cast of likeable and interesting characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable Holmes series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Michael R. Zuelke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a pleasure to read another Sherlock and Lucy novel. The characters and plots are well drawn, familiar and true to the original Conan Doyle style. The Adair Murders ties up some loose ends for the Adair family and weaves the plot into the original Doyle story of the Empty House with some more members of the Adair family. In addition to Sherlock and Lucy, Dr. Watson, Flynn and Beckey have major roles to play. If you have enjoyed the previous Sherlock and Lucy books, you will love this one as well.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent addition to the Sherlock and Lucy mysteries. Between the three murders and the poisoned drugs, I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the storyline. It seemed every time I thought I figured out the guilty party(ies?), it seemed less likely. It was very enjoyable adventure with a surprising ending. I highly recommend not only this book but the entire series.

I received an ARC from the authors. This is a voluntary and honest review.

[Giannina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adair Murders is thrilling from start to finish. If I could give it 6 stars I would. It moves right along with a lovely story. This is another enchanting book from these authors that not only gives you a glimpse into the life in England but also into the works of Holmes and his team. I highly recommend The Adair Murders

[Neila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do so enjoy the books in this series. Holmes and Watson are recreated beautifully, and the newer characters - Lucy, Becky, and Flynn - are likable and believable in their roles.

This story kept me on my toes the whole time. I kept thinking I'd figured it all out, and then... another twist. Great story and great storytelling!

[Pat Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good mystery

This is one of the best books in this series. The plot is interesting, the solution kept me guessing to the end, and there was no endless rumination that books like this seem to use so often to fill out a page volume requirement. It seemed to me most like an original Sherlock story except for Lucy, Becky, and Flynn of course.

[HAROLD FRANK PARKER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Adair Murder

Once again Sherlock and Lucy are joined by Becky and Flynn in a mystery. Family members of Ronald Adair have been murdered, and there may be family involved. Throw in some toughs and action abounds. I would recommend this like all the other stories in this series.

[Margaret Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story

I find this story and the whole series truly get into the dynamics and creativity of the original Sherlock Holmes. Adding the additional family of characters was brilliant.

[Christa Saccullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read.

Kind of fun revisiting an old acquaintance and spinning another grand adventure out if it. This one had some of the best action I've in awhile in this series.

Christa

[Mark Lucas-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adair Murders

Another mystery in Anna Elliott & Charles Veley’s Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James series. The only problem with such a series is that you know the main characters will always pull through and justice will prevail.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved a good Sherlock Holmes mystery. The addition of Lucy is a wonderful idea!

[Kathy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another captivating story in this series. Highly recommended!!

[Carol Giacoletto-Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery that continues the great tradition of the Sherlock Holmes books. It has all the twists and turns that you would expect from this genre.

[YADUD3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a while to read but that was my own fault. I enjoyed how this was written and I enjoyed the mystery. I would read another book from this collection!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another SH Made-up book that follows the paths of SH's family and adopted young friends and is a good mystery with fun characters to boot! I reallt enjoy the whole series!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend ALL the Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James stories. I love the characters, settings, and the mysteries.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Holmesian pastiche continues its good work in advancing the canon.
The lively and interesting characters that Anna and Charles have created provide Sherlock with an excellent supporting cast to pursue his investigative work.

[Christopher Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another wonderful story in the series. I very much enjoyed it, and it felt very much like the authentic Sherlock Holmes stories. The narration of the audiobook was superb.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review pre launch

I was honored by the authors to be one of 12 selected readers to read and review this book prior to its official launch on June 15th. I felt more immersed in the storyline while reading about locations I had walked thru on my London visit last month. Taking two strong characters, Holmes and Watson, then enhancing the stories with the addition of Lucy, Becky, and Flynn is why this series continues to gain in popularity. Three homicides to solve and a drug ring to uncover you, the reader, may think they have solved the crimes but, are you as clever as Sherlock Holmes?

[Robert Rozell II · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasure to read.
It is very well done and true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's style.
The addition of a daughter is done very well.
The plot was good and interesting.
If you like Sherlock Holmes this is a great way to expand the stories.