The Serpent Under

A Sherlock Holmes Adventure #6

by Bonnie MacBird

Holmes and Watson face treachery and danger in the latest full-length thriller by Bonnie MacBird, author of the bestselling Sherlock Holmes novel Art in the Blood . Murder, jealousy, and deceit underscore three interlocking mysteries as Holmes and Watson take on a high profile case at Windsor Castle, a boy drowned in the Serpentine, and a crusading women’s rights activist who suspects a traitor in her organisation. The cases send them into danger into locales as varied as the palace itself, a dockland cannery, an arts and crafts atelier, and a gypsy encampment. But is there peril underfoot as well – right at 221B Baker Street? The twisting, breathlessly plotted conjoined mysteries that Bonnie MacBird is known for provide a thrill ride that will delight Sherlockians worldwide.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2024

About the author

Bonnie MacBird has been a screenwriter (TRON), studio executive (Universal) producer (three Emmys), a playwright and a classically trained actor. She taught writing at UCLA Extension's Writers' Program, and is a regular speaker on writing, creativity, and Sherlock Holmes.

She has five Sherlock Holmes novels, out now: ART IN THE BLOOD (2015), UNQUIET SPIRITS (2017) and THE DEVIL'S DUE (2019), THE THREE LOCKS (2020) and WHAT CHILD IS THIS? (2021). A sixth is in work. All are for HarperCollins

MacBird lives in Los Angeles and London

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Dastardly crimes abound in Victorian London, this is the serpent under the surface.

London, March 1891.
Holmes and Watson encounter one of their most diabolical cases, a real conundrum. Holmes is brought a case by Heffie, that of a pauper found dead in the Serpentine. She is hotly followed by Inspector Lestrade who summons him urgently to Windsor Castle where there’s been an unusual and gruesome death of a young woman in very strange circumstances. The murder of the well liked Miss Jane Wardley presents the pair with a particular challenge. The deeper they dig the more is revealed, are Holmes and Watson putting themselves in great danger?

As a longtime fan of Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes books thanks to my late father, these are a great modern addition that Conan Doyle would hopefully approve of. The author does a great job in authentically capturing the characters of the eccentric, perspicacious Holmes whose detecting skills are no match for Watson. Although he is without doubt intelligent, Watson lacks Holmes’ observational skills and insights and is frequently taken by surprise as are the readers! I love the addition of Heffie to the cast. This young girl has plenty of gumption and bravery with her undercover skills proving very useful to unmasking the villains afoot in this yarn. The dialogue whenever she’s on the page is full of cockney colour.

The lively suspenseful plot is really good, it feels very Victorian and although it seems there are sub plots they all connect together extremely well. There are more twists and turns than alleys in London’s 19th century underbelly. The ending is a melodramatic tense confrontation and fits perfectly for a Holmes and Watson tale.

As for the novels in the series that proceeds this one, it is rich in atmosphere. The author makes you feel as if you are treading the streets of London with the intrepid duo. In this novel the changeable March weather adds an extra dimension to the storytelling as Holmes and Watson race around the countryside in a smooth Royal carriage.

Overall, this is a captivating and engaging read from its dramatic start to equally dramatic finish.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

It’s a very great pity the U.K. cover does not show up here because it’s really good!!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bonnie MacBird has so far written five superb Sherlock Holmes novels, every one of them nothing short of excellent. However, her sixth novel in the series lacks the spark of the previous books.
MacBird gives Holmes some great dialogue & there are plenty of fascinating characters old & new to enjoy. Her descriptions of Victorian London are wonderfully atmospheric & you get a real sense of time & place.
Sadly, for me, it is the plot that lets it all down. Somehow the story lacks the tension & excitement of her previous novels & for a lot of the book it just plods along.

[Pages & Cup · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️s. Excellent novel in the style of A. C. Doyle. The book was full of twists and I found myself unable to put it down. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. But other than that, The Serpent Under is a wonderful fast-paced read and joins Unquiet Spirits as my favorites from this series.

The book is was sent to me by the publisher.

[Shaylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Serpent Under - Treachery, Twists and Terror in Baker Street" by Bonnie MacBird takes readers into the atmospheric setting of the fog-laden streets of Victorian London, masterfully recreated with rich descriptions and intricate detail. I felt as though I was at the movies!

MacBird's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is both authentic and fresh, breathing new life into these classic characters while staying true to Doyle's original portrayals, while new characters add depth and intrigue. One of my favorites is Heffie, a young, super-intelligent girl off the streets who assists Holmes and Watson by going undercover and fading into society's background, collecting information to assist their case. They continually correct her broken English, and their relationship is a bonus to the storyline.

The plot centers around the torture and murder of a young, high-society woman who is soon to be married. Her body is found in the Queen's castle and made to appear as a horrific suicide. The mystery and investigation that unfolds lead to the discovery of several additional murders. It is a thrilling rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end - just when you think you know who did it, you find out you're wrong! The intricate web of treachery and deceit surrounding the central murder mystery is expertly woven, with each revelation bringing new layers to the story. MacBird's sharp writing and ability to create tension make it impossible to put the book down.

What truly impressed me was the balance of suspense and historical context, with well-researched references that enhance the narrative without feeling forced. The dialogue sparkles with wit, and the pacing is impeccable. I felt like I just rolled through this story. "The Serpent Under" is a must-read for fans of classic mysteries and new readers alike. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating page-turner that honors the genius of Sherlock Holmes!

Thank you, #NetGalley, #BonnieMacBird, and #Harper360, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review of #TheSerpentUnder.

[Liz Fully Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes, and I love a good Sherlock pastiche, so I was very happy to come across this book. This was my first Bonnie MacBird novel, and it won’t be the last.

MacBird writes Sherlock’s quirky personality pretty well. While I wouldn’t say she captures Doyle’s writing style perfectly, the book was still very entertaining and I really felt like they were the same Sherlock and Watson from Doyle’s books.

This was a pretty good mystery, and there was some good action in it. A good addition to the Sherlock collection. Now to go back and read the other books in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing an advanced copy of this book.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson tackle three interwoven mysteries involving murder, treachery, and deceit. From Windsor Castle to London’s docklands, they investigate a boy’s drowning, palace intrigue, and a suspected traitor within a women’s rights organization. As danger looms even at 221B Baker Street, the duo races to uncover the truth before it’s too late.

This author does a fantastic job of mimicking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing, though she does have a habit of throwing them into danger where they almost die. I love the friendship between Holmes and Watson and how they work together.

The plot of this book was interesting and kept me turning the page. I had my suspicions from the start, but I enjoyed Holmes working out the details of the cases and how they connected. The clues were woven into the narrative perfectly and the cast of characters were entertaining.

Readers who enjoy a good Holmes pastiche will no doubt enjoy this one. I received an advance reader copy via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Nadine-Sue Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly, I've never read Sherlock Holmes nor have I seen any of the TV adaptations so I was going into this with little awareness of how it would be written or what to expect.

It's an easy read in that there are no time jumps or switches in the narration and you follow it well as you travel with Holmes and Watson in their quest for justice.

I love the era it was set in and the descriptions set the scene well. Heffie is brilliant! Felt like we were entering Pygmalion territory with her and Holmes 😊

The main story itself is quite interesting with discussion of other cultures that seem to distract from the actual culprit. Very clever misdirection although my instincts did tell me there was something off about that particular character anyway.

Quite enjoyed this and will add Sherlock Holmes to my pile of books to read this year 😀

[Caitlin Gonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the images that are attached to each chapter! I wish all historical fiction novels had this. The combination of the images and MacBird’s descriptive writing make it easier for a reader to be in Victorian London.

MacBird stays true to the personalities of Holmes and Watson but adds her own touch with young Heffie. I enjoyed the fact that Heffie is streetwise but working with the police. She clearly outwits them over and over again, but is using her powers, like Holmes, for good.

I quickly realized who the villain was, but I couldn’t figure out why or how. The ending results came as a revelation. I could see how others had done the deed and why, but I also knew them to be too easy. I was pleased to see that there were moments that Watson showed the tutelage of Holmes, but that he was still “Victorian” in his views. I sometimes wonder if some authors who write of Watson make him too prejudice. MacBird displays a balance in Watson’s personality, as well as Holmes’ eccentricity and vibration.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Serpent Under by Bonnie MacBird is an excellent example of Sherlock Holmes’ pastiche. She writes in a more modern style that totally echoes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which makes her story totally readable and yet authentic. Holmes is at his independent best and Watson is left wondering more than once. He has been called by the palace, which is not only an honor but comes with accouterments that make investigating more comfortable but add gravitas. A young woman has been tattooed across her face and onto a shaved spot beneath her coiffure, with snakes, and then killed. The palace assumes it is a suicide but despite the fact they have moved her body and cleaned up evidence, Holmes is certain it is murder. But, for what purpose?

MacBird has captured Holmes’ character perfectly so no need to describe any of that. Watson, also, is perfect. But the people to whom they speak during their investigation defy what they have come to see as human. Peculiar, the lot of them. The dead woman seemed to be the only among the bunch with a thread of humanity. The mystery was a good one, although no one can out think Sherlock Holmes. He keeps investigating even when the palace is finished with the affair. At least one additional murder happens, Holmes and Watson being too late to prevent it. The whole thing was a gloriously complicated endeavor. Excellent read!

I was invited to read The Serpent Under by HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUKHarperFiction #BonnieMacBird #TheSerpentUnder

[Cheryl Hanzidiakou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snakes!

[Pat McManus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book written in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle. It was an enjoyable mystery and light reading. I Amy download another for the auto train ride.

[Faye Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing book!
I was drawn in and invested from the first page. This is the first book I've read by Bonnie Macbird, but it won't be the last
It was fast paced and kept me on my toes throughout. I did guess relatively early as there were clues from the start
MacBirds writing style takes you and Holmes back to the streets of London, the same way Doyles writing did initially
A fabulous read and a must for Sherlock fans

This book was gifted to me for my honest review

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a whole lot of serpents in this latest entry in the Sherlock Holmes Adventure series (after What Child is This?), of the reptilian as well as the human kind. A disconcerting number of them end up dead – again of both kinds – in this mystery that includes a surprisingly high body count for a detective who keeps his partner around, at least in part, because it’s Watson who is good with a gun.

On the other hand, there’s a BOMB, and those always cause a lot of collateral damage.

It begins with a dead body – as so many of the best mysteries do. The ‘Palace’ comes calling at 221b Baker Street, in the ‘person’ of a royal carriage and a coachman fully prepared to whisk Holmes and Watson off to Windsor Castle, whether they have other plans or not.

Which, come to think of it, describes more than a little about how this case progresses. The ‘high and mighty’ – and not just those at court – believe they can drag Sherlock Holmes around, order him to provide solutions at times of their choosing, all the while refusing to answer his questions so that he can FIND those solutions.

It’s both fun and frustrating, both for Holmes and for the reader, as we’re used to seeing him as the master of his domain – because he generally was. But this Holmes is still in his early 30s and isn’t quite there yet. He’s still at the ‘faking it until he makes it’ stage more than a bit. But he’s getting there and this reader at least is wondering if cases like this one are what gave him the push to get there as fast as possible.

I digress, but only a bit. I’ll do it again later.

The Palace has commandeered Holmes because they’ve got a nasty puzzle on their hands and need to get it solved before the circumstances get out – as they inevitably will. One of the Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting was found at Windsor, stone-cold dead and seemingly the victim of suicide.

And that’s the way the Palace Guard wants to play it – so they can bury it and her as fast as possible. Literally sweep the dead woman under the rug.

The problem is that Miss Jane Wandley was extensively and extremely professionally tattooed just before her death. With a snake. Two snakes, actually, both eating their own tails in the ouroboros form, including a significant amount of the tattoo on her face with the heads of the snakes inked on top of her head and hidden under her artfully dressed hair.

She didn’t do THAT to herself. She didn’t kill herself either, as Holmes easily proves in spite of the palace functionaries having cleaned and moved the corpse and the crime scene while destroying an unconscionable amount of evidence.

And it is from that shocking point that the case sends out tendrils and tentacles (yes, I know that snakes don’t have tentacles but it still fits) as well as a whole lot of deadly fangs and death rattles all over the country as Holmes looks into every nook and cranny and snake’s nest to figure out who the real snake in this case is and what part of their own past tail, or tale, they are attempting to eat in their utter destruction of Jane Wandley and her entire family.

Escape Rating A-: The ouroboros image, that snake eating its own tail, turned out to be the perfect metaphor for this book! At the center of this insane mystery is a plot – and a pain – that twists through the story and back on itself – even as it reaches into the long ago but clearly not dead enough past of its perpetrator as well as its many victims.

Even as it also twists through some fascinating bits of history, as this takes place as the Victorian Era is winding towards its inevitable close while the fruits of the Industrial Revolution shape what is to come – and a bit of what comes in this mystery as well.

The Wandley family, as the current victims of this insane mess of a case, represent the crossroads between the old and the new. Jane seems to have been a paragon of the old female virtues even if she was a bit of a tyrant – or especially because. But her younger sister is VERY active in the women’s suffrage movement, while her brother is an artist working for Christie’s auction house and gallery – then an influential force in the lucrative Arts & Crafts artistic movement and still extant today.

The design inked on Jane’s face was drawn by her brother Clarence for Christie’s, while the women’s rights group that her sister Kate belongs to has been the target of a snake of its own, setting them up for violent encounters with the police designed to discredit their movement as a gaggle of hysterical females.

While it’s clear to both Holmes and the reader that someone has it out for the Wandley family, it’s only when he dives deeply into the past that he is able to follow the twisted path of an even more twisted mind to find the dark beginning to this old, cold plan for revenge.

This case, like the previous cases in this series, is every bit as twisty and even confounding as those of the original canon. Howsomever, what makes this variation interesting in its own right is just how much it owes to more recent portrayals of this archetypical duo.

Through Watson’s eyes, we’re allowed to see a bit more of what makes Holmes tick – and occasionally, pardon the pun, tock. Because Holmes is portrayed as being neuroatypical – even if it wasn’t called that in his time – and being aware that he marches to the beat of a slightly different drummer. Just as Watson is aware that Holmes needs him as a sounding board and audience even if he never takes Watson’s advice. Occasionally, Watson doesn’t take Holmes’ advice either, as they both demonstrate in this case.

Also, one of the things that is clear if you go back and read the original stories with a fresh eye, is that Holmes in the original was very much a man of his time – with all the predilections and prejudices thereof. In the case of The Serpent Under, as has been true for the other books in this series, we observe Holmes in situations that make it clear that this Holmes has been written a bit more for our time in his respect for people that late Victorian society did look down upon with extreme prejudice. He never leaps to what would have been the easy conclusion about the perpetrator of this particular case, that either the Roma people did it, or were at least guilty of something that precipitated it, that Clarence Wandley or his male lover were responsible purely because they are homosexual, or that Kate Wandley must have caused it all because women’s rights advocates are all hysterical. Or even worse, that Jane Wandley must have provoked her own murder merely because she was female.

There’s none of that and it makes the case that much more complicated because this Holmes does not succumb to taking any of the easy ways out.

I did say I’d digress one more time before I close, and that digression regards the timeline of this series. The original Holmes stories were not published in chronological order, and this series does not seem to be either. Which led me to a deep dive about when they were set and whether or not Mrs. Mary Watson (née Morstan) was still alive at this particular point in time. Which she was but Watson never mentions why he seems to be rooming with Holmes at 221b while he’s got a wife somewhere. Previous books have at least mentioned the poor woman being off visiting relatives!

The second part of my timeline digression has to do with one of the usually fixed points in the Holmesian timeline. Specifically, Holmes’ encounter with Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, which took place April 24-May 4, 1891. That’s barely a month after this story takes place, but there isn’t even a Moriarty in sight in this particular interpretation. Which means that I’m wondering really, really hard about just how that’s all going to work out in the next book. If it does at all. We’ll certainly see in the hopefully not too distant future.

Of course, this Holmes’ Moriarty might have been encountered in the one earlier books I haven’t read yet, The Three Locks. (I absolutely cannot believe that Vidocq is Moriarty. If THAT turns out to be the case I need to go out and buy a hat so I can eat it!) Clearly I need to find out post haste. Which means I’ll be picking up that book even sooner than I thought!

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Sarah Abelson Eelkema · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of: Sherrie Thomas, Laurie R. King
Genre: 🔎 Historical Mystery
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
Violence: 🪓🪓🪓
Spice: 🚫
TW: suicide, drowning, snakes

Synopsis: MacBride’s Sherlock Holmes’ series is ideal for lovers of the great detective & his faithful biographer, continuing where Conan Doyle leaves off. The Serpent Under, 6th in the series, finds Holmes & Watson enlisted by the queen to solve the murder of a royal insider. Before long, they’re embroiled in a child’s drowning & a traitor within a women’s movement, which both seem inexplicably linked to the palace death.

Thoughts: For close readers of the original canon, MacBride does an excellent job capturing the voice of both Holmes & Watson. And for those who simply enjoy a good historic mystery, the author creates stories lush with period details & twisty puzzles of which even ACD would be proud. This tale even has a cameo from brother Mycroft & a plucky Baker Street Irregular who I hope to see make future appearances. Given Holmes’s complicated relationship with women, it’s enjoyable to see him engage with an Emily Pankhurst-type activist & weigh in on women’s suffrage in a nuanced way that feels faithful to his character. I also appreciate the sensitive, yet period-appropriate, treatment of Roma. The mystery is appealingly complex with a satisfying resolution. While I had my suspicions about the culprit, MacBride casts doubts wide enough to stump even the best armchair detectives.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping and well-written full-length mystery for fans of Sherlock Holmes. The book is rich with detail and well-developed characters (I especially enjoyed Heffie). Without being graphically violent, the plot is so exciting, I did not want to put the book down! The mystery was engaging and not overly easy to solve. Additionally, written in first-person as Dr. Watson, the style does well at emulating Doyle’s. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to others who enjoy Sherlock who aren’t canon-only purists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something almost wickedly dreamlike about reading ‘The Serpent Under’ on Dashami evening — that hour when the lights are still bright, but everyone knows the goddess is already halfway gone. The para lanes gleam under festooned bulbs, the air tastes of fading incense and accidental tears, and you’re sitting there with a Sherlock Holmes novel that refuses to behave like a simple detective story. It coils in your lap; it listens; it waits.

MacBird doesn’t give you a book — she gives you a serpent-shaped whisper, sliding perfectly into that emotional gap between celebration and farewell.

Her Holmes in this installment is honed to a blade’s edge, sharp the way the crescent of the goddess’s trishul glints under pandal lights just before immersion begins. He moves with that serpentine tension — fast, intentional, unnervingly elegant. Reading him on Dashami, with Dhaakis packing up their drums and the city trying not to feel what it’s feeling, gives his every deduction a strangely mythic weight. Holmes becomes less detective and more ritual warrior, stalking shadows with the same inevitability with which Ma Durga rides back toward the river.

Watson, on the other hand, feels like that familiar friend who always meets you at the same pandal every year — slightly older, slightly wiser, carrying a tired smile that tells you he’s seen too much and still chooses gentleness. On Dashami, his narration hits differently. It echoes. It feels like someone speaking softly so as not to disturb a departing goddess.

The plot — still spoiler-free, promise — unfurls with a slow, hypnotic elegance. It doesn’t jump; it glides. Every chapter is a corner you turn with one eye narrowed, wondering whether the detail you brushed past three pages ago was actually a trapdoor.

MacBird conducts the mystery the way a priest conducts the final aarti — precise, rhythmic, and full of meaning you only understand later. The book breathes in tension. Secrets seep through floorboards. Smiles grow suspicious the moment you look too long. And yet, ironically, the story never stops feeling profoundly human underneath all the intellect — bruised, warm, oddly breakable.

What sets ‘The Serpent Under’ apart is its atmosphere. It carries that Shakespearean whisper — “look like the innocent flower…” — but MacBird tunes it like a dhaak beat: primal, pulsing, and strangely ceremonial.

Read during Pujo, the Victorian fog morphs into Kolkata haze; the gas lamps blur into pandal lighting. You start imagining Holmes cutting through Pujo crowds, reading people like open palms; Watson falling in love with the city the way he always falls in love with humanity; the pair of them wandering between pandals, arguing over misdirection while conch shells blow in the background.

Because Pujo transforms the act of reading. Everything you touch during these days feels heightened — metaphors get heavier, shadows get deeper, silences get charged. You read a mystery on Dashami and suddenly every narrow London alley feels like a post-immersion lane, wet from river water, haunted by absence.

Every deception begins to resemble a pandal facade — breathtaking from the front, hollow behind. Every danger thrums like a dhaak beat, accelerating just when your heart thinks it’s steady.

MacBird’s craft thrives in that space between intellect and emotion. Holmes, though icy as ever, thaws at the edges if you watch closely enough — but only in those margins where the writer trusts the reader to be tender.

Watson carries the weight of empathy like it’s his inheritance, speaking with that quiet dignity of someone who knows grief but still chooses faith. And the secondary characters — oh, she wastes nobody. Even the ones who barely brush past the spotlight leave a fingerprint on the page.

But what resonates most during Pujo is the ripple of moral ambiguity that runs under the narrative. We grow up during Durga Puja believing in the neat, clean dichotomy of gods and demons — the goddess victorious, the asura defeated, good triumphing without footnotes. ‘The Serpent Under’ unsettles that. It reminds you that evil isn’t always baroque. Sometimes it hums softly.

Sometimes it wears silk. Sometimes it hides beneath the floorboards, waiting for warmth. In that sense, reading it on Dashami evening feels almost too perfect — a reminder that the demons Durga slays are often inside us, wearing human faces we know.

The prose moves with a crisp musicality, the kind pandal artisans understand when placing lights — nothing too bright too soon, nothing too dim too long. The dialogues crackle with theatre and intellect.

And the London MacBird builds, though Victorian and cold, suddenly feels strangely parallel to Kolkata during Pujo — full of crowds that act like tides, of whispers that travel faster than footsteps, of danger lurking like a shadow behind a decorative arch.

Its postmodern shimmer comes in soft, meta pulses — in the way Holmes seems faintly aware of his own legend, in the way Watson writes with the consciousness of preserving not just cases but mythology. It never breaks immersion; it just deepens it. Like noticing the bamboo skeleton beneath a pandal and marvelling at how temporary scaffolding can hold up something so divine.

This book thrives on the same paradox as Durga Puja — the tension between spectacle and fragility. Mysteries are temporary architecture built around permanent fears. Pujo is a temporary architecture built around permanent faith. MacBird bridges that instinctively.

So when you finish ‘The Serpent Under’ on Dashami evening, the experience merges with the day itself. The ache of the ending becomes indistinguishable from the ache of farewell. You close the book the same way you watch the goddess being carried away — slowly, helplessly, full of unsayable emotion. And you realise the story has already slipped through your fingers, dissolving like vermillion in river water.

You don’t really “finish” this novel.
It leaves you.

Like the dhaak fading down the road.

Like the lights dimming one by one.

Like Dashami itself — beautiful, inevitable, a little unbearable.

And you’re left standing there in the afterglow, smelling incense, holding a book that now feels like memory.

Perfect for Puja. Perfect for Holmes. Perfect for the end of a festival-sized breath.

Recommended.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy MacBirds writing. The stories are great and the narrative is spot on. This narrator reminds me of Jeremy Brett in mannerism and speech. Loved this book

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun romp with some of my favorite characters. 4/5 stars.

It's no secret how much I love Bonnie MacBird. She's an author that's simply just for me. Her writing style, the way she writes characters, they all just work. This book is no different, and has one of her most intriguing mysteries yet. While my rating may seem lower than normal, this is still a great book. I've been waiting for this book for a long time, especially since this got pushed from 2024 to early 2025. Obviously, that may have effected my enjoyment a bit. Regardless, this is a Sherlock story through and through. The characters feel as they should, and there's many nods to fans sprinkled throughout. I would highly recommend this series to those who love Sherlock, it's some of the best pastiches you can find that aren't by Conan Doyle himself.

Bonnie's writing just flows. It's one of those styles where you can sit down to read, and find yourself finishing 60 pages in no time. Some of that comes from an immersive story, but also because she writes in a way that's really easy to consume. She adds in some messaging and vocabulary along the way to create that depth in the background for you to explore. It's the type of author where I will buy anything they write!

The plot here was surprisingly immersive. I always find the plots to be good, if not great. But this one is on a different level. The heinous crime that starts our plot had me hooked from the start, and I was so intrigued by where it would lead. I was able to guess the culprit and some of the reasoning however. That's not a criticism (and didn't ruin my experience), I just read a lot of mystery! I think if you enjoy converging mystery plots, you'll find something to love here.

The characters were a bit mixed, and is probably more on the weaker side in comparison to the other novels. The main trio of Holmes, Watson, and Heffie are fantastic. Obviously that's what you care the most about reading a Sherlock novel, but the supporting cast is important too. They weren't bad, but I felt a lot of them didn't get enough page time or growth for me to really feel for them. A couple of the side characters were great though, which is why I feel mixed. Milage will vary for others of course.

While my rating ends up being lower on this one, this is still a good book. I had fun reading this one, and the mystery had me more intrigued than ever. I happily look forward to my next romp with my friends, and I patiently await it!

Quick hits:
+ Very intriguing mystery.
+ The writing style is great and fast paced.
+ The main characters are a treat.
+ The historical detail was woven well.
+/- I was able to guess the ending a bit too early for me (roughly 50-60 pages left).
- The characters were a bit mixed. A lot of side characters felt one dimensional.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual for this series’s normally meticulous plotting and continuity/editing, there were multiple repetitions of the same information introduced as though it were a new development/had clearly been moved from a previous section and that section not edited to reflect the change. The story started off interestingly enough but seemed to devolve as it went on, with the final reveal a bit dissatisfyingly handled and some of the actions of Holmes and Watson appearing illogical and pushing the bounds of credulity. Overall, the end came off very clunkily, leaving for a dissatisfying denouement—a very unexpected drop in quality for this series that had been superlative with its mystery crafting prior to this novel.

One other disappointing aspect was the continuation of the trend that began around novel 5 where the wonderful Holmes-Watson relationship that had been rife with emotional charge/cache, colorful interactions, and does-he-care tension/intrigue in the first four books had become a gray, flat and uncaring relationship of Holmes more or less being disinterested and disparaging of Watson so unchangingly (and NEVER letting the poor man eat a meal or taking time to enjoy his friend’s company while he has him, only rushing moodily around to solve the case) that one wonders why Watson doesn’t just ditch him. Holmes is so disconnected wnd disinterested in Watson in all but one scene of this novel it not only entirely robs the book of one of the series’ (and canon Holmes stories’) primary charms—the endearing and intense friendship between Holmes and Watson—but was kind of painful to read at times. How much abuse and disregard can Watson take, I found myself wondering.

Very bummed that this latest entry in my favorite currently running mystery novel series made for such a series low.

[Emily Pankhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing was engaging and kept me wondering what was going to happen next and who the murderer was. I changed my mind a few times! I liked that there were old fashioned words used to further give the reader the sense that it truly was written in a different era.

I enjoyed that there were mysteries within mysteries and that we gradually worked through different theories before coming to the answer at the end. As you would expect, we were kept in the dark a lot of the time whilst Holmes worked through things. We were told what was going on as and when Watson (who was the narrator) found out. As the reader you were constantly kept on your toes, following Holmes and Watson round and hearing from lots of different characters. Whilst there was a lot happening all the time and lots of different characters, I was able to keep up with it and enjoyed being taken on the ride. My interest was kept from the beginning right through to the end.

The book was split into 7 parts, each with a quote and a title. Each part was then split into fairly short chapters. This meant that you moved through the story well. There was a good flow between the parts and the chapters and there was a good pace to the book overall. The fast pace created by the shorter chapters was slowed by the twists and turns in the adventure.

Each chapter had a title and the first letter of the first word had an illustration around it that hinted at what the chapter was about.

The characters were excellent. I enjoy Holmes and Watson as a duo anyway and this mystery felt typical for them. I enjoyed all the other characters, some new and some old and felt that they all had things to hide. This added to the suspense and tension in the story.

There were lots of seemingly random actions by the different characters that added to the mystery, but all tied up well at the end. Watson did well at explaining it, so I was satisfied.

Lastly the settings. I enjoyed being taken around Victorian London. The descriptions were light, but as in true Holmes style, the little details mattered and it was those that contributed to the final answer at the end.

Overall it was a pleasure to read and I was desperate to see who the murderer was and why they had done it.

[The Book Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well the stars certainly aligned to ensure that I had the time and space to read this latest Sherlock Holmes Adventure from Bonnie MacBird. My lovely, rain soaked , delivery guy turned up with this lovely book just as Storm Bert hit, scuppering my plans for the day ahead. Instead I lit the fire, made a large pan of homemade soup and a loaf of bread and hunkered down to spend the day - and most of the night into the early hours, reading this brilliant book.

I am an avid Sherlock Holmes fan, whether it be book, stage or screen though I have to admit this is the first book I have read by Bonnie MacBird. To say I was hooked from the very first page is an understatement . Written from Dr Watson’s perspective the narrative draws you into the unfolding plot as you turn page after intriguing page, the characters and their personalities building up in your mind as you start to work out whodunnit and wondering what twist you are going to encounter next.

The story line is intriguing as Holmes is employed by the Palace to investigate the death of a courtier who has been bizarrely disfigured. As with all good Sherlock stories there is a lot more going on , in the past as well as in the present , that is at first seen and it is these links that will keep you wanting to find out more about how each piece fits together.

Bonnie is an author who will appeal to the true Conan Doyle fans who want an intriguing mystery to solve in the style of the great man himself. For me there have been some authors who have tried to take over the mantle and not succeeded, Bonnie is not one of them, she has really got it right and I am looking forward to reading the other Sherlock Holmes Adventures that she has written in the not too distant future.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie MacBird has published another in the trove of Dr. Watson's accounts that have somehow made their way into her custody. As before, the authori's voice and behavior of his lead characters are authentic. The mystery and its solution are gripping. These posthumously published accounts differ from the writings that Watson committed to print during his lifetime in fascinating ways. Watson's own contributions to the adventures—drawing on his medical knowledge and wartime experience—are more prominent. Perhaps it was a proper Victorian modesty that constrained him to save these adventures for future publication. Furthermore, women seem more prominent and have more agency in these posthumous adventures. Our era is just a bit more willing to accept this change in their status. (And paradoxically, also more resistent). This series provides a fuller account of late nineteenth century social and political movements and technological advances than we are used to. And finally, both Holmes and Watson find themselves in more jeopardy than usual. The book is aptly titled, as snakes drive the narrative, not only metaphorically, but also literally.
NOTE: Any readers who suspect that MacBird is not simply the editor of these manuscripts but their author—as people suppose that Arthur Conan Doyle was the true author of Watson's earlier works—will be impressed by the depth and breadth of her research into the time and place (1881, London), her inventive construction of complex mysteries and clever deductions, deviously eccentric characters, and her mastery of Watson's style.

[Carol Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess we need to look at The Serpent Under in a few different ways. First, Victorian London. MacBird does a fabulous job of bringing the foggy, damp, crowded city to life. We see the people, issues, and prejudices of the time.

Second, our main characters. Holmes and Watson feel like the originals, if that makes sense. They have the mannerisms and partnership they always have. Yes, Holmes’ attitudes towards women, Roma, etc. are more modern, but he was never conventional. And here it particularly works well since it doesn’t allow him to just go along with the easy solution. We only get brief glances of Lestrade and Mycroft, which is appropriate. Heffie, a former irregular who now works with the police, is a good addition. She’s tough and reliable and very good at working undercover. The dead woman’s family and friends are all a bit odd and she seems to have been the only truly likeable one of the bunch.

Plot – We have three different mysteries that are clearly all going to be connected, that’s how MacBird’s stories often work. We have several twists and turns and the palace is almost working against Holmes, even though they called him in. The clues were woven in well and the plot moved along at a good pace. There were several suspects – or at least people acting suspiciously. The reveal was nicely dramatic.

The title is appropriate. We have a lot of snakes in this book – painted, tattooed, and live. My husband would probably not like it for that reason alone.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Serpent Under – a Sherlock Holmes adventure by Bonnie Mac Bird as reviewed by Gail M. Murray

This delightful novel is the sixth in pastiche author, Mac Bird’s, best-selling series. Not only is she faithful to Doyle’s canon; her skills provide a fluid, page turning, enjoyable read delivered by charming Dr. Watson. Mac Bird is Passionate about Victorian London and Sherlock Holmes, Mac Bird lives in an 1890 building off Bakker Street with her computer scientist husband, Alan Kay.
Themes embraced include: treachery, jealousy, deceit, danger and murder with almost enough bodies for a Shakespearean tragedy. Set in 1891, the indomitable Sherlock Holmes is summoned to Windsor Castle when a beautiful young courtier, Jane Wandley, is found dead and grossly disfigured – an ouroboros – an ancient alchemical symbol - tattooed on her face. The plot resonates with snake imagery. Only Holmes connects the dots between this harrowing murder and a gypsy boy drowned in the Serpentine River. With impeccable pacing, red herrings and cleverly placed clues, the reader is invited to solve the case with our fictional master detective. Don’t despair if baffled, all is revealed in the final chapters. Highly recommend.
Bonnie Mac Bird, Harper Colllins, 2025, HB, 362 pp, 9780008380885

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

1891 - Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have been called out by the Monarchy to investigate a death at Windsor Castle. A Lady’s companion has been found dead but what makes this case one of the most puzzling of Holmes’s career - someone has tattooed a double intertwined ouroboros across her face and head. But this is not the only mystery the pair are confronted with. A body of a young boy is found, drowned in the Serpentine, and a young female activist has been murdered. Are all these seemingly separate events connected and, if so, how? Once again, the game is afoot!

I love all things Holmesian and The Serpent Under by Bonnie MacBride definitely does not disappoint. MacBride does a marvelous job of recreating the style of the original tales while providing a unique and extremely entertaining story. The novel is well-written and intriguing, the mystery complex and well-conceived, and the characters interesting. I was pulled into the story from page one and it kept my interest throughout. Definitely a fine edition to the Sherlock Holmes canon.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read this book in exchange fot an honest review

[Dave Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are summoned to Windsor Castle: A royal courtier appears to have committed suicide in the palace. But what's odd is the vivid, shocking double snake tattoo on her face. It doesn't take Holmes long to suspect that it's a case of murder, not a suicide at all. Meanwhile, a Baker Street Irregular has come to them to share a strange case of a runaway whose body has been discovered drowned in the Hyde Park lake, called The Serpentine. Are they related or just coincidental?

The case becomes more complex and political when Holmes discovers that the denizens of a Roma camp and members of the courtier's family have a long and disturbing history. Holmes and Watson also find themselves pulled into the suffragette movement, even attending a raucous protest in London that goes very sideways, very quickly.

This is another entertaining Sherlock Holmes mystery from MacBird, who has emerged as one of the best writers creating new Doyle-inspired mysteries. It's gripping, unexpected in its twists and turns, and informative about contemporary goings-on in 1890s England. Recommended for mystery fans.

[BooksCoveredHB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited for a sixth book a Macbird and with this latest offering she has done it again taking her readers right into the foggy Victorian London Streets and taking them on a very atmospheric and realistic journey.
The descriptions are so well written I felt as if I’m watching rather than reading, making Macbird’s style very easy to read and overall very good keeping to Doyles original characters as well as bringing in her own and her own narrative.
As the book says on the cover, treachery, twist and terror is exactly what the reader gets and a great amount of suspense. I am one for history and Victorian London is one of my favourites. I love the historical references.
The Serpent Under is well researched, I found I worked things out quite easily, however didn’t distract as I felt good that I was right. I found this book written in first person fits well to Doyle’s original writings.
I found The Serpent Under a fun, light and entertaining read. I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book.

[SW · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Finally got to this after months of Library loans and maybe avoiding it a little. Not because I didn't want to read it, but I was busy with other books.

This unfortunately was not as captivating as the previous books and the first couple are the best in the series.

I didn't really find the mystery very
compelling I guess? Didn't really like any of the characters, and the main bad guy?? his thought process was 'I love this woman, so if I disfigure her and make her look at her disfigument in the mirror everyday, she'll never leave me. But oops, she found out so I had to kill her. Oh well. Maybe I'll try with her sister' something about money and inheritance?

There was also some side quests as usual, but again, I just wasn't compelled by the story lines. It felt sort of, predictable? It want the best representation of Sherlock in my opinion. The last few chapters were the only times I felt there was some action and substance, but it was short lived as it was at the end of the book.

[Joan Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Serpent Under finds Sherlock Holmes, and his colleague, Dr. Watson, following a serpentine path of crimes and clues from Windsor Castle to a dangerous gathering of suffragettes. As the body count begins to grow, Holmes must use his renowned logic to identify the perpetrator before he and Watson become victims as well.

I've read most, if not all, of the Arthur Conan Doyle stories, so I wasn't sure what to expect from author Bonnie MacBird. Often, attempts to write stories in the style of an original author fall disappointingly short. Not so with The Serpent Under! The two main characters are true to the original, and the twists and turns of the plot rival those of Doyle. This is a thoroughly satisfying mystery, and I hope to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.