The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Debutante Detective

by Bruce Rule

A twisty New York City-set mystery that sees Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter, Alice Roosevelt, team up with Holmes and Watson to save the president from a kidnapping and attempted assassination on the eve of international peace talks. Holmes’s British parlour tricks meet hard-boiled American noir in this pastiche for fans of Gareth Rubin’s Holmes and Moriarty.

Celebrity socialite Alice Roosevelt is taking London by storm in 1905 when her letter containing sensitive details of upcoming peace talks between Japan and Russia is stolen. The case pulls Holmes from retirement, and with Alice’s help the letter is retrieved.

After returning to the U.S., Alice goes missing. At Teddy Roosevelt’s request, Holmes and Watson travel to New York where they discover Alice has turned detective herself, working undercover to thwart a kidnapping plot targeting her father. Her warnings are dismissed, but then the president is kidnapped. Alice and the detective duo join forces to search for her father, only to lose Holmes to the escaping kidnappers.

Alice proves herself the equal to the great detective by leading Watson in the rescue of Teddy Roosevelt as well as Holmes, but the stakes are higher than they realize. In a race against time, they must stop a plan to bomb the peace talks or risk an escalation of war on a global scale.

Genres: Mystery

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 7, 2026

Reviews

[Craig Forrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bully for Bruce Rule!

What a fun story! I thoroughly enjoyed it as the characters we are familiar with come alive again in a fresh adventure that’s full of intrigue, action, and humor.

One thing I loved about the writing was that nothing seemed unnecessary. Mr. Rule’s writing provided expected elements of a Holmes story as told by Watson. Descriptions of characters and settings were unencumbered by useless details, as if the author logically concluded what was important for the reader to know to further his story.

I look forward to Mr. Rule’s next adventure!

[Weldon Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for Sherlock Holmes pastiches, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed reading Bruce Rule's The Debutante Detective. Introducing Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt, to the mix of intrigue, Bruce has created a unique addition to the Holmes canon. Rule's research is apparent throughout, with an accurate portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt and Alice (the debutante detective). He's captured the time period and the quintessence of the breadth of the Holmes fiction. I'm sure Doyle would approve.

If you love Sherlock Holmes, you don't want to pass on this one.

[Izzy McHugh 💓 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so bored, but that also might’ve been because I’m going thru it rn and not in the mood to be productive at all while reading.


Loved the writing style (simple and straight to the point but still interesting)

Felt very quick with little time in between events

Not much to say, not a very serious review

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written Sherlock Holmes adventure that fits wonderfully side by side with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work. If you enjoy classic mysteries and Holmes, this story will absolutely scratch that itch.