What do you think?
A Lady Holmes and Hudson Investigation #1
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson
The first in a new mystery series that reimagines Sherlock Holmes's mother and her lady's-maid-turned-investigative-partner.
'A sharp, action-packed and surprisingly tender historical mystery, full of secrets, strong women and hidden desires' Lucy Andrew, author of A Very Vexing Murder
'An engaging mystery opening up a new viewpoint into the wider world of Sherlock Holmes.' LoveReading
'Some problems simply merit solving, Mrs Hudson'
Heartbroken, widowed, and penniless, Katherine Hudson never intended to become a lady's maid; especially not to the eccentric Violet Holmes, mother of a precocious seven-year-old named Sherlock. But to keep her family out the poorhouse, Hudson is forced into a life of service.
But she quickly discovers that working for Lady Holmes demands far more than polished manners. Instead, she engages in a most scandalous and unladylike solving crimes. When a village boy goes missing, a forged signature links Hudson to the case. And, when a body is discovered on the Holmes estate, suspicion swiftly turns her way.
To clear her name, protect her family, and uncover a dangerous secret from her past, Hudson must investigate - while resisting her growing feelings for Lady Holmes.
'Lady Holmes and Mrs. Hudson are a delightful pair of unlikely sleuths who will charm readers with their investigative antics and sapphic tension' Jackie McMahon, author of The Cloak and Dagger Club
'I adored this beautifully written and deeply engaging' Elizabeth Everett, author of the Secret Scientists of London
Readers LOVE Lady Holmes and Mrs Hudson
'The story surprised me in the best way. A truly satisfying and well-crafted read'
'The prose is gorgeous, the characters are compelling, and the mystery had me hooked!'
'WOW ...This story is so beautifully written, so well told, SO engaging…I genuinely loved it. And I can't wait for the next one!'
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson is the first in a fun, fast-paced and feminist historical crime series, perfect for fans of the The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes, the Miss Clara Vale Mysteries by Fiona Veitch Smith and Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull.
'A sharp, action-packed and surprisingly tender historical mystery, full of secrets, strong women and hidden desires' Lucy Andrew, author of A Very Vexing Murder
'An engaging mystery opening up a new viewpoint into the wider world of Sherlock Holmes.' LoveReading
'Some problems simply merit solving, Mrs Hudson'
Heartbroken, widowed, and penniless, Katherine Hudson never intended to become a lady's maid; especially not to the eccentric Violet Holmes, mother of a precocious seven-year-old named Sherlock. But to keep her family out the poorhouse, Hudson is forced into a life of service.
But she quickly discovers that working for Lady Holmes demands far more than polished manners. Instead, she engages in a most scandalous and unladylike solving crimes. When a village boy goes missing, a forged signature links Hudson to the case. And, when a body is discovered on the Holmes estate, suspicion swiftly turns her way.
To clear her name, protect her family, and uncover a dangerous secret from her past, Hudson must investigate - while resisting her growing feelings for Lady Holmes.
'Lady Holmes and Mrs. Hudson are a delightful pair of unlikely sleuths who will charm readers with their investigative antics and sapphic tension' Jackie McMahon, author of The Cloak and Dagger Club
'I adored this beautifully written and deeply engaging' Elizabeth Everett, author of the Secret Scientists of London
Readers LOVE Lady Holmes and Mrs Hudson
'The story surprised me in the best way. A truly satisfying and well-crafted read'
'The prose is gorgeous, the characters are compelling, and the mystery had me hooked!'
'WOW ...This story is so beautifully written, so well told, SO engaging…I genuinely loved it. And I can't wait for the next one!'
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson is the first in a fun, fast-paced and feminist historical crime series, perfect for fans of the The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes, the Miss Clara Vale Mysteries by Fiona Veitch Smith and Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 5, 2026
I am a lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes! I read the entire original series one summer in junior high,
and as an adult I have read many spinoff series (Laurie King’s Mary Russell, Carol Nelson Douglas’s Irene Adler for just a few). I prefer the books that feature the very smart women in Sherlock’s life, and so this book was an instant YES for me!
Here we meet Sherlock’s mama, an intriguing lady named Violet who will definitely remind you of her famous son. We also meet the woman who kept Sherlock fed and organized-ish, Mrs.Hudson, as a young grieving widow trying to keep her own family fed. In this book, Lady Holmes and Mrs.Hudson team up to solve a series of small but important problems, and do so in a delightful way that will have you giggling and wondering just how they did it. Fans of Sherlock MUST pick this up! If you aren’t yet, this will be a great intro to his family with a new imagining from a fresh, feminist perspective.
Thank you, Bloomsbury and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review in advance of publication.
and as an adult I have read many spinoff series (Laurie King’s Mary Russell, Carol Nelson Douglas’s Irene Adler for just a few). I prefer the books that feature the very smart women in Sherlock’s life, and so this book was an instant YES for me!
Here we meet Sherlock’s mama, an intriguing lady named Violet who will definitely remind you of her famous son. We also meet the woman who kept Sherlock fed and organized-ish, Mrs.Hudson, as a young grieving widow trying to keep her own family fed. In this book, Lady Holmes and Mrs.Hudson team up to solve a series of small but important problems, and do so in a delightful way that will have you giggling and wondering just how they did it. Fans of Sherlock MUST pick this up! If you aren’t yet, this will be a great intro to his family with a new imagining from a fresh, feminist perspective.
Thank you, Bloomsbury and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review in advance of publication.
September 3, 2026
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson by Mattea Orr is absolutely delightful and all that is good about cosy mysteries
The combination of Violet Holmes and Katherine Hudson is absolutely genius and the character development of these two very strong-willed ladies and the complex, slow burn connection between them was top tier.
Katherine Hudson is driven to seek work as a lady's maid following the passing of her husband. Violet Holmes is everything Katherine despises, but it is a job and she really, really needs the money.
However, the job is more than just primping, pampering, fetching and carrying. Violet Holmes is dynamic and intuitive, passing her time with conducting investigations of local crimes, a pastime that Katherine develops quite the penchant for
I absolutely loved this book. I am always keen to devour a regency mystery and The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson took it to the next level. Original and intriguing, a great novel for lovers of Sherlock Holmes and strong female characters defying society and forging their own paths
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Aria & Aries for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
The combination of Violet Holmes and Katherine Hudson is absolutely genius and the character development of these two very strong-willed ladies and the complex, slow burn connection between them was top tier.
Katherine Hudson is driven to seek work as a lady's maid following the passing of her husband. Violet Holmes is everything Katherine despises, but it is a job and she really, really needs the money.
However, the job is more than just primping, pampering, fetching and carrying. Violet Holmes is dynamic and intuitive, passing her time with conducting investigations of local crimes, a pastime that Katherine develops quite the penchant for
I absolutely loved this book. I am always keen to devour a regency mystery and The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson took it to the next level. Original and intriguing, a great novel for lovers of Sherlock Holmes and strong female characters defying society and forging their own paths
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Aria & Aries for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The first in a new historical crime series featuring recently widowed ladies Katherine ‘Katy’ Hudson and Lady Violet Holmes, mother of Mycroft and 7 year old Sherlock. Katy has moved back to live with her mother and siblings and they are struggling to pay their mortgage so, regrettably, Katy has given up her dreams of being a telegrapher and accepted a job as ladies maid to Lady Holmes. Well paced but some repetitive thought from the narrator, Katy.
Briefly, when a young boy goes missing from the village Lady Holmes and Katy tell his mother they will help find him. However, as their investigations continue things get more complicated with the boys wastrel father in the picture. Then a body is found and before long Katy’s erstwhile suitor, the local senior police officer, is looking at Katy as a suspect.
It’s always uncomfortable to see how the expectations of women at this time are managed by men and the author did this very effectively. I did find both of the main characters difficult to like, they were both a little too stubborn and self absorbed, thus the sparks that flew flew often. The burgeoning romance that they are both denying to themselves is in part held back not just by societal differences but due to their temperaments. Hopefully with time this antagonism will lessen as they grow to know each other better. An engaging cozy historical crime novel and I would definitely pick up the next book to see how their relationship develops. An enjoyable and entertaining read.
Briefly, when a young boy goes missing from the village Lady Holmes and Katy tell his mother they will help find him. However, as their investigations continue things get more complicated with the boys wastrel father in the picture. Then a body is found and before long Katy’s erstwhile suitor, the local senior police officer, is looking at Katy as a suspect.
It’s always uncomfortable to see how the expectations of women at this time are managed by men and the author did this very effectively. I did find both of the main characters difficult to like, they were both a little too stubborn and self absorbed, thus the sparks that flew flew often. The burgeoning romance that they are both denying to themselves is in part held back not just by societal differences but due to their temperaments. Hopefully with time this antagonism will lessen as they grow to know each other better. An engaging cozy historical crime novel and I would definitely pick up the next book to see how their relationship develops. An enjoyable and entertaining read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
WOW. This was SOOOO good!!! I started last night and had to spend my entire afternoon finishing because I was just that hooked. This story is so beautifully written, so well told, SO engaging…I genuinely loved it. And I can’t wait for the next one!!
Thank you tremendously to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the early access!
Thank you tremendously to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the early access!
September 13, 2026
I was sent a copy of this book for review
This is a reimagined story with the characters from the famous Sherlock Holmes books but from a new and intriguing perspective. This story sees two widows coming together to solve a disappearance that leads to murder, family feuds and secrets from the past being revealed. Both Violet Holmes and Katy Hudson find each other when they least expect it. They come from very different backgrounds and societal positions but when they put their heads together they can uncover the clues and evidence to right the wrongs around them.
This was an interesting twist on the Sherlock tales we know and love. Sherlock is only a young boy but is already showing signs of the deductive genius we know him for but the more compelling twist is it seems he gets those traits from his mother Violet.
Mrs Hudson still brings her caring and inquisitive nature to this brand new story but is more intrinsic to the plot rather than a background character as she is heart that drives the search for answers to where the missing boy is.
The very slow burn romance between Violet and Hudson is intense but filled with emotional moments and palpable attraction. The pair develop from strangers to colleagues to friends which’s add depth to their relationship and allows you to fall in love with the story and the women as they explore new ways of living without their husbands or sticking to their expected roles. Overall, I found it a fascinating new take on the original source material that brings the characters in new directions. As this is book one in a series I’m excited to see where the pair go next and to find out how their relationship will develop.
This is a reimagined story with the characters from the famous Sherlock Holmes books but from a new and intriguing perspective. This story sees two widows coming together to solve a disappearance that leads to murder, family feuds and secrets from the past being revealed. Both Violet Holmes and Katy Hudson find each other when they least expect it. They come from very different backgrounds and societal positions but when they put their heads together they can uncover the clues and evidence to right the wrongs around them.
This was an interesting twist on the Sherlock tales we know and love. Sherlock is only a young boy but is already showing signs of the deductive genius we know him for but the more compelling twist is it seems he gets those traits from his mother Violet.
Mrs Hudson still brings her caring and inquisitive nature to this brand new story but is more intrinsic to the plot rather than a background character as she is heart that drives the search for answers to where the missing boy is.
The very slow burn romance between Violet and Hudson is intense but filled with emotional moments and palpable attraction. The pair develop from strangers to colleagues to friends which’s add depth to their relationship and allows you to fall in love with the story and the women as they explore new ways of living without their husbands or sticking to their expected roles. Overall, I found it a fascinating new take on the original source material that brings the characters in new directions. As this is book one in a series I’m excited to see where the pair go next and to find out how their relationship will develop.
September 12, 2026
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson, written by Mattea Orr, is a different angle on the well trodden Sherlock Holmes path. We meet the young enquiring Sherlock as a seven year old; but our central characters are his mother, Lady Holmes, and Mrs Hudson, Katy, a young widow desperately trying to support her own widowed mother, and siblings.
Katy is searching for employment. Frustratingly, she can’t find a position as a telegrapher, despite being fully trained and better than many of the male employees. When she is told of the vacant position of Lady’s Maid for the quirky Lady Holmes, she is hopeful, but understandably concerned by her own lack of experience. The roll she finds is certainly not what she was hoping for, but is without doubt, more interesting and challenging. Quite the white knuckle ride at times.
I liked both of the central characters, unsurprising if you know me. They are both strong, bold, independent and outspoken, especially so by Victorian England’s standards. I felt I knew Katy better, as the book is narrated from her perspective, but I thoroughly enjoyed the feisty, bloody minded Lady Holmes immensely.
The author’s note at the start of the book made me chuckle. It had a “sorry, not sorry” vibe, and I agree, it was well worth it. I always read the acknowledgements, it gives such an insight into the author themselves. This particular mention of Mattea’s husband, and his medical procedure has me so intrigued.
I was very pleased to see that the author has planned a second book in this series, which is due to be published early next year. It will be interesting to see how our characters develop further, as there is so much scope to explore and look forward to.
Katy is searching for employment. Frustratingly, she can’t find a position as a telegrapher, despite being fully trained and better than many of the male employees. When she is told of the vacant position of Lady’s Maid for the quirky Lady Holmes, she is hopeful, but understandably concerned by her own lack of experience. The roll she finds is certainly not what she was hoping for, but is without doubt, more interesting and challenging. Quite the white knuckle ride at times.
I liked both of the central characters, unsurprising if you know me. They are both strong, bold, independent and outspoken, especially so by Victorian England’s standards. I felt I knew Katy better, as the book is narrated from her perspective, but I thoroughly enjoyed the feisty, bloody minded Lady Holmes immensely.
The author’s note at the start of the book made me chuckle. It had a “sorry, not sorry” vibe, and I agree, it was well worth it. I always read the acknowledgements, it gives such an insight into the author themselves. This particular mention of Mattea’s husband, and his medical procedure has me so intrigued.
I was very pleased to see that the author has planned a second book in this series, which is due to be published early next year. It will be interesting to see how our characters develop further, as there is so much scope to explore and look forward to.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes since childhood. I grew up watching repeats of the 1980s Granada Studios TV series, reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous stories with my dad, and later enjoying the Robert Downey Jr. films and the 2010 TV series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Over time, Holmes has become something nostalgic and comforting.
So, when I saw Mattea Orr’s sapphic tale with a young Lady Holmes and Mrs Hudson as our leading ladies and a seven-year-old Sherlock often causing chaos instead of doing his Latin? I was immediately curious and had to read it - I began after breakfast and was done by late afternoon the same day and as I said to Mattea; need the sequel but that’s not out until 2027.
How unfair that it still has to be written, edited, and published - and it is only August 2026!
Orr has managed to give us a similar wit to her characters that we expect from the man who initially wrote about an older Mrs Hudson in the latter part of the nineteenth century. We’re whisked away to another time and meet a recently widowed Katherine ‘Katy’ Hudson having to navigate what could have been versus the reality of helping her own widowed mother support a large and young family. Having this new imagined knowledge gives depth to a character we have only ever known as long-suffering landlady who’s clearly tired of Sherlock’s shenanigans and poorly played violin. She virtually jumps off the page with the care Orr has taken into making her relatable to some with her loss and sheer grit to overcome the many hurdles in her life.
I really loved how the two widows, who are similar in their displacement and societal expectations but very different in their class, learn from one another, even if there are several hurdles and misunderstandings in their path. Lady Holmes is an anomaly to those around her, she’s educated and likes to not only ensure her sons are - but that she can soak up knowledge too; even if it unsettles the men around her who expect her to remarry because she’s still young. Something that Katy understands all too well - but instead she is a sleuth, and what seems like a small but confusing query over misplaced vegetables leads the two ladies and the reader on quite the journey.
Things that seem simple are far from it - many things that have the two trying to understand their place in the mystery are often multi-faceted and I love how we can see how the Sherlock we know became so astute. He learned it from his mother - and she’s quite the force to be reckoned with; as is Mrs Hudson even if she does wonder just what she has gotten herself into because things are far harder than what even an inexperienced lady’s maid would expect in their day to day lives!
Prepare to lose a few hours with this couple of sleuths, it’ll be fun I promise, and along the way you can see the beginnings of a romance take its first baby steps. I have a feeling I’ll devour book two when it comes out because I love Holmes and Watson and now, I love Holmes and Hudson too.
So, when I saw Mattea Orr’s sapphic tale with a young Lady Holmes and Mrs Hudson as our leading ladies and a seven-year-old Sherlock often causing chaos instead of doing his Latin? I was immediately curious and had to read it - I began after breakfast and was done by late afternoon the same day and as I said to Mattea; need the sequel but that’s not out until 2027.
How unfair that it still has to be written, edited, and published - and it is only August 2026!
Orr has managed to give us a similar wit to her characters that we expect from the man who initially wrote about an older Mrs Hudson in the latter part of the nineteenth century. We’re whisked away to another time and meet a recently widowed Katherine ‘Katy’ Hudson having to navigate what could have been versus the reality of helping her own widowed mother support a large and young family. Having this new imagined knowledge gives depth to a character we have only ever known as long-suffering landlady who’s clearly tired of Sherlock’s shenanigans and poorly played violin. She virtually jumps off the page with the care Orr has taken into making her relatable to some with her loss and sheer grit to overcome the many hurdles in her life.
I really loved how the two widows, who are similar in their displacement and societal expectations but very different in their class, learn from one another, even if there are several hurdles and misunderstandings in their path. Lady Holmes is an anomaly to those around her, she’s educated and likes to not only ensure her sons are - but that she can soak up knowledge too; even if it unsettles the men around her who expect her to remarry because she’s still young. Something that Katy understands all too well - but instead she is a sleuth, and what seems like a small but confusing query over misplaced vegetables leads the two ladies and the reader on quite the journey.
Things that seem simple are far from it - many things that have the two trying to understand their place in the mystery are often multi-faceted and I love how we can see how the Sherlock we know became so astute. He learned it from his mother - and she’s quite the force to be reckoned with; as is Mrs Hudson even if she does wonder just what she has gotten herself into because things are far harder than what even an inexperienced lady’s maid would expect in their day to day lives!
Prepare to lose a few hours with this couple of sleuths, it’ll be fun I promise, and along the way you can see the beginnings of a romance take its first baby steps. I have a feeling I’ll devour book two when it comes out because I love Holmes and Watson and now, I love Holmes and Hudson too.
September 3, 2026
**Read for a book tour, below is my honest review**
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson is a little spin on the Sherlock Holmes/Watson story. I was intrigued to read it even though I’ve not read any Sherlocks.
I liked the characters of Lady Holmes and Mrs Watson, they were very well written.
It’s described as a sapphic story and whilst it is, it’s an incredibly slow burn which I don’t mind but I really wish the book delved more into their blossoming relationship. The had palpable chemistry and I think more could have been done with it.
I enjoyed the mystery element as well as Lady Holmes and Mrs Watson set out to investigate goings on around them. All round a good book but maybe not as memorable as I hoped for. It does say it’s the first in a series so I would give the rest a read!
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a historical fiction mystery with a sapphic element.
Thank you Pride Book Tours and Mattea for letting me be a part of this tour!
I give this 3 stars!
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson is a little spin on the Sherlock Holmes/Watson story. I was intrigued to read it even though I’ve not read any Sherlocks.
I liked the characters of Lady Holmes and Mrs Watson, they were very well written.
It’s described as a sapphic story and whilst it is, it’s an incredibly slow burn which I don’t mind but I really wish the book delved more into their blossoming relationship. The had palpable chemistry and I think more could have been done with it.
I enjoyed the mystery element as well as Lady Holmes and Mrs Watson set out to investigate goings on around them. All round a good book but maybe not as memorable as I hoped for. It does say it’s the first in a series so I would give the rest a read!
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a historical fiction mystery with a sapphic element.
Thank you Pride Book Tours and Mattea for letting me be a part of this tour!
I give this 3 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Elementary, my dear Mrs Hudson 🔎
I absolutely flew through The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson. I genuinely couldn’t put it down and seemed to finish it in about two seconds flat.
This is my first book by Mattea Orr, and I loved the clever twist she has put on the world of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock himself is only seven years old here, while Katie Hudson takes centre stage alongside Violet Holmes, Sherlock’s mother. Together, these two women make a rather formidable investigative pair.
The story is set in a time when women were far too easily dismissed as hysterical, incapable or simply not worth listening to, particularly by the men supposedly in positions of authority. Watching Katie and Violet refuse to accept the convenient explanations being handed to them was enormously satisfying. There are plenty of signs that justice and those entrusted with delivering it might not always be particularly well acquainted…
What gave the mystery even more depth for me was grief. Both Katie and Violet are carrying their own losses, and their experiences add another dimension to the friendship and partnership developing between them. They are clever, determined and wonderfully capable, even when the world around them would prefer to believe otherwise.
I loved the writing, the historical setting and the fresh approach to such familiar characters. It has all the delicious ingredients of a Victorian mystery, but with the women who would usually be standing somewhere in the background firmly taking possession of the investigation.
This may have been my first Mattea Orr book, but I sincerely hope it won’t be my last.
Thank you to @netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing/Head of Zeus for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheLastTelegramOfMrsHudson #MatteaOrr #BookReview #Bookstagram #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalFiction #MysteryBooks #SherlockHolmes #CrimeFiction #BookRecommendations #FiveStarRead #BooksOfInstagram
I absolutely flew through The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson. I genuinely couldn’t put it down and seemed to finish it in about two seconds flat.
This is my first book by Mattea Orr, and I loved the clever twist she has put on the world of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock himself is only seven years old here, while Katie Hudson takes centre stage alongside Violet Holmes, Sherlock’s mother. Together, these two women make a rather formidable investigative pair.
The story is set in a time when women were far too easily dismissed as hysterical, incapable or simply not worth listening to, particularly by the men supposedly in positions of authority. Watching Katie and Violet refuse to accept the convenient explanations being handed to them was enormously satisfying. There are plenty of signs that justice and those entrusted with delivering it might not always be particularly well acquainted…
What gave the mystery even more depth for me was grief. Both Katie and Violet are carrying their own losses, and their experiences add another dimension to the friendship and partnership developing between them. They are clever, determined and wonderfully capable, even when the world around them would prefer to believe otherwise.
I loved the writing, the historical setting and the fresh approach to such familiar characters. It has all the delicious ingredients of a Victorian mystery, but with the women who would usually be standing somewhere in the background firmly taking possession of the investigation.
This may have been my first Mattea Orr book, but I sincerely hope it won’t be my last.
Thank you to @netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing/Head of Zeus for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheLastTelegramOfMrsHudson #MatteaOrr #BookReview #Bookstagram #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalFiction #MysteryBooks #SherlockHolmes #CrimeFiction #BookRecommendations #FiveStarRead #BooksOfInstagram
September 7, 2026
“Lady Holmes and I will see ourselves out,” I muttered before following my employer outside, where I planned to cheerfully drown her in the river”.
A delightful start to what I hope will be a wonderful series of books depicting the relationship between ‘investigative partners’ Mrs Hudson and Lady Holmes, mother of and inspiration for the future detective himself. In Sherrinford, things are going wrong, people are going missing, and yet nobody seems to be doing too much about it. We follow the two widowed women of contrasting socioeconomic statuses in their attempts to bring justice to their town and use their combined resources to lighten the loads of others.
My favourite thing about The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson is how the book doesn’t just contain one mystery, as this can make it easy for readers to disengage if they feel they’ve solved it earlier in the story.
Instead, Mattea Orr has given us a strong set of separate yet interwoven enigmas in need of resolving, which added to the novel’s layering and definitely enhanced my reading experience!
I love sapphic literature and I adore the Victorian mystery genre, so this book was a perfect companion for my end of summer reading. Don’t expect too much romance in this one, but who knows what future instalments may provide us with…
Thank you to Head of Zeus and Pride Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've been looking for a good mystery lately. Preferably a sapphic one, but those have been hard to come by. The cover for this one caught my eye, though, so I figured I would give it a read even if it wasn’t a sapphic one (NetGalley did not have it in the LGBTQIAP+ category). But then I saw some people whining about a potential romance between Holmes and Hudson, and I realized I'd actually finally found exactly what I was looking for.
Other than watching a few episodes of the TV show, I don’t know a lot about Sherlock Holmes, so I was a little worried there would be things in this that I wouldn’t get. And maybe there were some things, but nothing I noticed and nothing I was confused about, so don’t feel like you have to be super familiar with any of that. This book definitely stands on its own.
The mystery was enjoyable. With far too many books, I figure out way too quickly what is going on and who did it, but I didn't even try to guess what was happening in this one. Instead, I was just along for the ride. I wondered how or if it was all going to be wrapped up by the end, but it was and it was done well.
I also enjoyed both of the characters. They were both uptight and stubborn and frustrating at times, but in an understandable way given the time period and their life circumstances. And that’s what made it all the better once they began to thaw and relax a bit around one another, which were probably my favorite bits of the book. I especially liked Lady Holmes opening up to Hudson. And that leads me to the romance. Or what I assume will eventually be a full romance. There's clearly an attraction there and a lot of yearning. Good lord the yearning (and I mean that in the best way). I love a slow burn, though, so I am here for it. The chemistry and tension between these two was so good.
Overall, four and a half stars rounded up. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Other than watching a few episodes of the TV show, I don’t know a lot about Sherlock Holmes, so I was a little worried there would be things in this that I wouldn’t get. And maybe there were some things, but nothing I noticed and nothing I was confused about, so don’t feel like you have to be super familiar with any of that. This book definitely stands on its own.
The mystery was enjoyable. With far too many books, I figure out way too quickly what is going on and who did it, but I didn't even try to guess what was happening in this one. Instead, I was just along for the ride. I wondered how or if it was all going to be wrapped up by the end, but it was and it was done well.
I also enjoyed both of the characters. They were both uptight and stubborn and frustrating at times, but in an understandable way given the time period and their life circumstances. And that’s what made it all the better once they began to thaw and relax a bit around one another, which were probably my favorite bits of the book. I especially liked Lady Holmes opening up to Hudson. And that leads me to the romance. Or what I assume will eventually be a full romance. There's clearly an attraction there and a lot of yearning. Good lord the yearning (and I mean that in the best way). I love a slow burn, though, so I am here for it. The chemistry and tension between these two was so good.
Overall, four and a half stars rounded up. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
July 6, 2026ARC was too poor to be able to enjoy the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This premise hooked me right away. Female detectives. Falling in love with each other. What’s not to like?! I was *so lucky* to get an ARC copy.
In all seriousness, this is an excellent book. Normally, I have a high bar when it comes to detective stories. I can enjoy them occasionally, when they’re written well (loved Knives Out with all its sequels), but I’m a Romantasy babe at heart. I need epic stakes; I need sweeping passion between unconventional characters with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Charming me with a whodunit where the same boring cis white male detective tracks down the same boring cis white male murderer of sexualized female victims isn’t easy.
But this book is not that.
This book is about two women in 19th-century Victorian England who go against their whole world telling them they can’t be detectives (or anything else for that matter, except obedient wives). But, luckily, they don’t give a shit, and keep on investigating, and fall in love in the process. With the life of a detective, and with each other.
If you liked The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, you’ll like this one too.
Even, if you enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you’ll find things to love in this one, too, I believe.
And, of course, if you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan, make sure to read this, cause this is not a retelling, actually, but an origin story.
An excellent one.
Read my full ARC review on "The Carriage – Romantasy for the Curious":
https://feliciasalber.substack.com/p/a-sapphic-sherlock-holmes
In all seriousness, this is an excellent book. Normally, I have a high bar when it comes to detective stories. I can enjoy them occasionally, when they’re written well (loved Knives Out with all its sequels), but I’m a Romantasy babe at heart. I need epic stakes; I need sweeping passion between unconventional characters with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Charming me with a whodunit where the same boring cis white male detective tracks down the same boring cis white male murderer of sexualized female victims isn’t easy.
But this book is not that.
This book is about two women in 19th-century Victorian England who go against their whole world telling them they can’t be detectives (or anything else for that matter, except obedient wives). But, luckily, they don’t give a shit, and keep on investigating, and fall in love in the process. With the life of a detective, and with each other.
If you liked The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, you’ll like this one too.
Even, if you enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you’ll find things to love in this one, too, I believe.
And, of course, if you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan, make sure to read this, cause this is not a retelling, actually, but an origin story.
An excellent one.
Read my full ARC review on "The Carriage – Romantasy for the Curious":
https://feliciasalber.substack.com/p/a-sapphic-sherlock-holmes
September 3, 2026
Penniless widow Katherine Hudson is lady's maid to eccentric Lady Holmes, mother of young Sherlock. While the two women investigate the disappearance of a teenage boy, Hudson must dodge the wrath of the constabulary, navigate her budding attraction to Lady Holmes, and uncover the secret her father died for.
I enjoyed this novel, which has strong series potential. It immerses the reader in the emotional experiences of young Mrs. Hudson, who is grieving her husband and fiercely protective of her mother and younger siblings. Lady Holmes, meanwhile, is an enigmatic character who struggles to express her emotions. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops through the series. The mystery itself is full of twists and kept me guessing.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I enjoyed this novel, which has strong series potential. It immerses the reader in the emotional experiences of young Mrs. Hudson, who is grieving her husband and fiercely protective of her mother and younger siblings. Lady Holmes, meanwhile, is an enigmatic character who struggles to express her emotions. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops through the series. The mystery itself is full of twists and kept me guessing.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
September 10, 2026
Wonderful and inventive story perfect for mystery lovers!
September 3, 2026
This is the story of widowed Kathrine Hudson who goes for a job at the home of Lady Violet Holmes who is recently widowed. Kathrine has had to move back home as her husband John had died and she could no longer afford to live in London.Lady Violet is wanting a lady’s maid which Kathrine has no idea what that entails.Kathrine and Lady Violet then start to investigate what happened to Billy but strange things start to happen ,Kathrines late husbands name appears on the a telegram and a body is found in the grounds of Lady Violet.Lady Violets young son Sherlock tries to help them solve this mystery.
September 4, 2026
This is an amusing little story about a young widow who is desperate for work and ends up investigating a disappearance with Sherlock Holmes' mother. A fast paced story with some LGBTQ+ hints. It is quite atmospheric with it's descriptions of the times. They biggest problem I have is the American spellings, which isn't surprising as its written by an American.
With thanks to the author and Aria and Ares for the opportunity to read this book.
With thanks to the author and Aria and Ares for the opportunity to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a great pairing these two turned out to be, feisty and rule breaking. They were forward thinking women trying to navigate widowhood, societal expectations and constraints all whilst unravelling mysteries that others were determined to keep hidden.
There were heart breaking scenes full of grief and loss, as well as heartwarming from their moments together which felt like two souls having found each other and blinking brighter for it.
I enjoyed the story, the mystery was twisty with pieces slowly coming to light and the hidden forces at play lurking in the shadows.
The attraction between the two FMC was slow burn and yearning, which made it all the better.
The involvement of the young Sherlock fit really well with the man we come to know from later writings.
I could see this translating to the screen really easily. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am interested to see more adventures from these two.
Thank you to the author, Head of Zeus and Netgalley for my copy.
There were heart breaking scenes full of grief and loss, as well as heartwarming from their moments together which felt like two souls having found each other and blinking brighter for it.
I enjoyed the story, the mystery was twisty with pieces slowly coming to light and the hidden forces at play lurking in the shadows.
The attraction between the two FMC was slow burn and yearning, which made it all the better.
The involvement of the young Sherlock fit really well with the man we come to know from later writings.
I could see this translating to the screen really easily. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am interested to see more adventures from these two.
Thank you to the author, Head of Zeus and Netgalley for my copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fantastic, original reimagining of Sherlock Holmes’ world. This time, Sherlock is a child and his mother and her new “assistant” solve the crimes. I loved it. My only quibble is that Katherine Hudson’s personality seemed more labile than it fit with her otherwise strong character. But that’s minor and part of fleshing out a brand new voice.
I enjoyed Katherine’s back story as a telegraph operator. A nice bit of history.
I’m looking forward to the next volumes in this new series. If you enjoy historical fiction mysteries, Sherlock spin-offs, and twisty puzzles, you’ll like this book. This would be a fun one for book clubs, especially those with members who are Holmes fans.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in return for a review.
I enjoyed Katherine’s back story as a telegraph operator. A nice bit of history.
I’m looking forward to the next volumes in this new series. If you enjoy historical fiction mysteries, Sherlock spin-offs, and twisty puzzles, you’ll like this book. This would be a fun one for book clubs, especially those with members who are Holmes fans.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in return for a review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Katherine Hudson is recently widowed and back home helping her mum with the home and siblings. Willing to do anything to help out she never expected to become a ladies maid and definitely did not expected to be Mrs Holmes’ ladies maid.
When Katherine points out a fake telegram her presence and keen eye is seen by Mrs Holmes, she’s the perfect person to help her with the disappearance of a young boy.
Watching them investigate has been interesting for sure. It’s never easy and there’s many difficult situations they find themselves in but boy is it fun.
Trust is a big issue in this book, so it’s fun to see them going around together and investigating whilst always keeping an eye on each other.
I absolutely loved the relationship between Sherlock and Mrs Hudson, I found myself enjoying every moment they had together.
It’s been fun reading this, I loved the characters, love the writing and the mystery was fast paced and exciting.
This is my first read from this author but now I can’t wait for book two to see what these two get up to next.
When Katherine points out a fake telegram her presence and keen eye is seen by Mrs Holmes, she’s the perfect person to help her with the disappearance of a young boy.
Watching them investigate has been interesting for sure. It’s never easy and there’s many difficult situations they find themselves in but boy is it fun.
Trust is a big issue in this book, so it’s fun to see them going around together and investigating whilst always keeping an eye on each other.
I absolutely loved the relationship between Sherlock and Mrs Hudson, I found myself enjoying every moment they had together.
It’s been fun reading this, I loved the characters, love the writing and the mystery was fast paced and exciting.
This is my first read from this author but now I can’t wait for book two to see what these two get up to next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Last Telegram of Mrs. Hudson by Mattea Orr is refreshingly different in a large niche of historical mystery books, with the two main characters both strong women who are ahead of their time, a precocious boy who just happens to grow up to famous, and mysteries aplenty for widows Katherine Hudson and Lady Holmes to throw themselves into.
I was hooked right from the get go by the witty style of Orr, whose characters virtually jump off the page with their dry wit and relatability. Watching the two widows - one from the labouring class and one from the most privileged few - navigate misunderstandings on their way to respecting and caring for each other is highly entertaining.
The mysteries are multi-faceted, be they a question of who is trampling a farmer's crops to who keeps moving the body of a murder victim, are intriguing and intertwined, making for a pace that keeps you turning the pages to the very end.
I'm so glad to have gotten in on the ground floor of this new series via an invitation to read the ARC from the publisher through #NetGalley, and I highly recommend you get to reading #TheLastTelegramofMrsHudson at your earliest opportunity.
I was hooked right from the get go by the witty style of Orr, whose characters virtually jump off the page with their dry wit and relatability. Watching the two widows - one from the labouring class and one from the most privileged few - navigate misunderstandings on their way to respecting and caring for each other is highly entertaining.
The mysteries are multi-faceted, be they a question of who is trampling a farmer's crops to who keeps moving the body of a murder victim, are intriguing and intertwined, making for a pace that keeps you turning the pages to the very end.
I'm so glad to have gotten in on the ground floor of this new series via an invitation to read the ARC from the publisher through #NetGalley, and I highly recommend you get to reading #TheLastTelegramofMrsHudson at your earliest opportunity.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Katherine Hudson’s fondest desire is to be a telegraph operator. Unfortunately, her status as a widow makes getting hired anywhere very difficult. After living 6 months back home with her Mother and six siblings, it’s time to find any job that allows Katy to get her own place, ANYTHING will do, she’s got to find some relief from Mom’s overcrowded house.
Enter the eccentric Lady Hudson. Widowed, wealthy and gossiped about, she is also looking for a ladies maid; number four, in six months. Oh yeah, she’s also Mum to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes - yup, the two you know from the many books and movies or TV shows.
As you’d expect, Katy gets hired by Lady Holmes. The chapters devoted to this process are funny, bordering on hilarious.
Katy identifies a problem that creates one of the mysteries for this story. Three rows of marrow plants make up another. It’s all kinds of cozy…
“We make ourselves useful in the world by lightening the burdens of others”
Those words were spoken by Katy’s Da. She lives her life by these sage words. Katy and Lady Holmes begin learning about each other. The job of ladies maid quickly morphs into something broader as readers become engaged and educated abut the lives of the locals.
A young boy with a strange rash joins the list of mysteries. Katy’s brother might be involved. When a child goes missing, the story moves into high gear. The local officer just happens to be Katy’s maybe boyfriend . A nasty argument between Katy and Lady Holmes ensues. Before long, much of the town is involved and the number of mysteries needing investigation multiply.
Will Katy and Lady Holmes work out their arrangement?
How many burdens and questions will be relieved?
Will Reggie be successful in his pursuit of Katy?
Do all the various mysteries have a connection?
Are they solved and by whom?
Debut author, Mattea Orr, has crafted a fun bunch of village mysteries. The characters are nicely drawn and fit the small town. Her development of the setting is lovely. I can easily imagine this place and the characters being expanded into a series.
My only quibble with the story is the extremely subtle hinting at a sapphic relationship between Katy and Lady Holmes. It’s not necessary to the storyline and makes little sense with the other details given these two characters. Fortunately, Orr left plenty of room to allow them to evolve.
Recommended for readers of stories that take place in Victorian England, Very cozy Historical Mysteries, Historical Fiction, stories with strong female characters and more📚
I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks to the publisher and author.
Enter the eccentric Lady Hudson. Widowed, wealthy and gossiped about, she is also looking for a ladies maid; number four, in six months. Oh yeah, she’s also Mum to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes - yup, the two you know from the many books and movies or TV shows.
As you’d expect, Katy gets hired by Lady Holmes. The chapters devoted to this process are funny, bordering on hilarious.
Katy identifies a problem that creates one of the mysteries for this story. Three rows of marrow plants make up another. It’s all kinds of cozy…
“We make ourselves useful in the world by lightening the burdens of others”
Those words were spoken by Katy’s Da. She lives her life by these sage words. Katy and Lady Holmes begin learning about each other. The job of ladies maid quickly morphs into something broader as readers become engaged and educated abut the lives of the locals.
A young boy with a strange rash joins the list of mysteries. Katy’s brother might be involved. When a child goes missing, the story moves into high gear. The local officer just happens to be Katy’s maybe boyfriend . A nasty argument between Katy and Lady Holmes ensues. Before long, much of the town is involved and the number of mysteries needing investigation multiply.
Will Katy and Lady Holmes work out their arrangement?
How many burdens and questions will be relieved?
Will Reggie be successful in his pursuit of Katy?
Do all the various mysteries have a connection?
Are they solved and by whom?
Debut author, Mattea Orr, has crafted a fun bunch of village mysteries. The characters are nicely drawn and fit the small town. Her development of the setting is lovely. I can easily imagine this place and the characters being expanded into a series.
My only quibble with the story is the extremely subtle hinting at a sapphic relationship between Katy and Lady Holmes. It’s not necessary to the storyline and makes little sense with the other details given these two characters. Fortunately, Orr left plenty of room to allow them to evolve.
Recommended for readers of stories that take place in Victorian England, Very cozy Historical Mysteries, Historical Fiction, stories with strong female characters and more📚
I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks to the publisher and author.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Received as a free ARC*
I was a little slow getting going with this one, but on the whole I quite liked it! It's an interesting look at a Sherlock Holmes story. I enjoyed Katherine and Violet and I am looking forward to the apparently forthcoming book 2!
I was a little slow getting going with this one, but on the whole I quite liked it! It's an interesting look at a Sherlock Holmes story. I enjoyed Katherine and Violet and I am looking forward to the apparently forthcoming book 2!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The prose is gorgeous, the characters are compelling, and the mystery had me hooked!
I don't often find books from a widow's POV, and the author does a wonderful job of showing women navigate a world that's condescending towards those who have experienced extreme loss. Feminist themes were thoughtfully woven throughout!
I also really enjoyed the glimpse of what a young Sherlock Holmes might look and act like, and this side character did not disappoint!
The mystery is complex, building from what at first feels like smaller cases and escalates to a web of lies and secrets that kept me guessing. I was reading at a park with my e-reader and audibly groaned when my device died unexpectedly around the 82% mark. I immediately went home to charge it so I could keep reading and get to the bottom of the case.
The romantic tension between Lady Holmes and Mrs. Hudson was really well done, and it was so easy to ship these two. I'm excited to see what this author writes next!
I don't often find books from a widow's POV, and the author does a wonderful job of showing women navigate a world that's condescending towards those who have experienced extreme loss. Feminist themes were thoughtfully woven throughout!
I also really enjoyed the glimpse of what a young Sherlock Holmes might look and act like, and this side character did not disappoint!
The mystery is complex, building from what at first feels like smaller cases and escalates to a web of lies and secrets that kept me guessing. I was reading at a park with my e-reader and audibly groaned when my device died unexpectedly around the 82% mark. I immediately went home to charge it so I could keep reading and get to the bottom of the case.
The romantic tension between Lady Holmes and Mrs. Hudson was really well done, and it was so easy to ship these two. I'm excited to see what this author writes next!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Advertised as the beginning of a series this is an overall fine albeit slightly flawed beginning.
The premise of the book is a heroine, recently widowed at a young age, moving back home and trying to help her (also widowed mother) provide for her several younger siblings. While looking for employ, she finds herself thrust the world of Lady Holmes - mother of Mycroft and young and inquisitive Sherlock - and begins working has her maid-turned-investigative partner.
Together the two women uncover and investigation, hindered both by the constraints of the patriarchic society at their time and a corrupt system.
The following contains some mild content spoilers. But to give you and overview of the....
...the Good:
- I enjoy spunky and feisty heroines that are required to think outside of the box. This book has two of them.
- The plot has some twists and turns and some action that I enjoyed
- I genuinely started to care for the heroines and their families which to me always indicates they are written sympathetically and with detail
- there were different themes woven into the story, like the status and expection of women and int relation to that the role of widows in Society (there are three widows featured prominently, Mrs Hudson, her mother and Lady Holmes, who has also lost her husband)
- A sapphic romance - I enjoy seeing more historical novels featuring queer couples. Just because queerness was invisible at the time it doesn't mean it didn't exist.
...the Mediocre
- I'm not the biggest fan of piggybacking onto the popularity of Sherlock Holmes and similar classics. I also don't think this book needed it. Then again I'm not sure if other readers would connect with the kid and his mother the same way if they didn't have the Holmes name. For me it wasn't necessary but I will keep and open mind and see if the author is going anywhere with this.
...the "Bad" - deliberately put in quotation marks since nothing about this book was truly terrible.
- I found it a little repetitive. The main character keeps circling around very similar thoughts for the entirety of the book. This is accurate to the human experience, if we are working through something we tend to think it over. However, I didn't need this as a reader. I ended up taking a little break about halfway through the book and that helped me.
- The main characters don't really seem to have any flaws at all. There is a conflict that results from our narrating character misunderstanding and misinterpreting a situation but none of this really qualifies as a flaw. I understand there is already plenty of struggle in this book but I would have liked some "blemishes" and "imperfections". As a result, I find the characters to be a bit two dimensional. The sides of "good" vs "bad" are quite clear cut.
Overall, I would say this has potential and is a fun and easy read. Language wise it rolls nicely for me as well. There is room to improve on the potential and I'll be curious to see how the series continues.
The premise of the book is a heroine, recently widowed at a young age, moving back home and trying to help her (also widowed mother) provide for her several younger siblings. While looking for employ, she finds herself thrust the world of Lady Holmes - mother of Mycroft and young and inquisitive Sherlock - and begins working has her maid-turned-investigative partner.
Together the two women uncover and investigation, hindered both by the constraints of the patriarchic society at their time and a corrupt system.
The following contains some mild content spoilers. But to give you and overview of the....
...the Good:
- I enjoy spunky and feisty heroines that are required to think outside of the box. This book has two of them.
- The plot has some twists and turns and some action that I enjoyed
- I genuinely started to care for the heroines and their families which to me always indicates they are written sympathetically and with detail
- there were different themes woven into the story, like the status and expection of women and int relation to that the role of widows in Society (there are three widows featured prominently, Mrs Hudson, her mother and Lady Holmes, who has also lost her husband)
- A sapphic romance - I enjoy seeing more historical novels featuring queer couples. Just because queerness was invisible at the time it doesn't mean it didn't exist.
...the Mediocre
- I'm not the biggest fan of piggybacking onto the popularity of Sherlock Holmes and similar classics. I also don't think this book needed it. Then again I'm not sure if other readers would connect with the kid and his mother the same way if they didn't have the Holmes name. For me it wasn't necessary but I will keep and open mind and see if the author is going anywhere with this.
...the "Bad" - deliberately put in quotation marks since nothing about this book was truly terrible.
- I found it a little repetitive. The main character keeps circling around very similar thoughts for the entirety of the book. This is accurate to the human experience, if we are working through something we tend to think it over. However, I didn't need this as a reader. I ended up taking a little break about halfway through the book and that helped me.
- The main characters don't really seem to have any flaws at all. There is a conflict that results from our narrating character misunderstanding and misinterpreting a situation but none of this really qualifies as a flaw. I understand there is already plenty of struggle in this book but I would have liked some "blemishes" and "imperfections". As a result, I find the characters to be a bit two dimensional. The sides of "good" vs "bad" are quite clear cut.
Overall, I would say this has potential and is a fun and easy read. Language wise it rolls nicely for me as well. There is room to improve on the potential and I'll be curious to see how the series continues.
September 8, 2026
The first in a series that explores a young Mrs Hudson and the mother of Sherlock Holmes, and the adventures they get up to.
Mrs Hudson is recently widowed and looking after her also widowed mother and the vast amount of siblings she has. While trying to fend off unwanted marriage proposals and earn money to survive, she winds up working for Lady Holmes. And the pair are thrust into the case of a missing boy that soon spirals into so much more.
The author has taken a character that is woefully underused in the original canon but perhaps overused in spinoffs like this one. There have been plenty of books around Mrs Hudson, but I like the version that is presented here, still very young and at the start of her relationship with the Holmes. I also like the introduction of his mother, a character never mentioned in the books. She is maybe a little too sherlock and a little less herself, but this is only book one and I'm sure she'll develop more into her own character as the author progress.
The pace is brisk, the characters are all easy to understand, there isn't much grey here, they are easily spotted as good or bad, but its entertaining. There are plenty of twists and turns within the narrative itself, and it all comes to a thrilling conclusion.
This is a Queer book with Sapphic leanings. Mrs Hudson is bi and it doesn't take long for her to start to notice Violet Holmes in more ways than one. I really enjoyed that aspect, that her feelings didn't erase her history with the opposite gender and that she managed to feel so comfortable within herself. Not sure its really true to the time, but honestly, I don't care, it was just fun.
I'm not sure how to feel about kid!Sherlock in this. I really liked that he didn't play a major role in this, it never felt overshadowed by the fact that there was this famous character in the book, but at the same time this kid doesn't feel like someone that could grow into Sherlock. Maybe something will happen down the line in later books but right now he just seems like a super smart kid. His mother has all the Holmes traits, but now she has Mrs Hudson on hand to soften them.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
Mrs Hudson is recently widowed and looking after her also widowed mother and the vast amount of siblings she has. While trying to fend off unwanted marriage proposals and earn money to survive, she winds up working for Lady Holmes. And the pair are thrust into the case of a missing boy that soon spirals into so much more.
The author has taken a character that is woefully underused in the original canon but perhaps overused in spinoffs like this one. There have been plenty of books around Mrs Hudson, but I like the version that is presented here, still very young and at the start of her relationship with the Holmes. I also like the introduction of his mother, a character never mentioned in the books. She is maybe a little too sherlock and a little less herself, but this is only book one and I'm sure she'll develop more into her own character as the author progress.
The pace is brisk, the characters are all easy to understand, there isn't much grey here, they are easily spotted as good or bad, but its entertaining. There are plenty of twists and turns within the narrative itself, and it all comes to a thrilling conclusion.
This is a Queer book with Sapphic leanings. Mrs Hudson is bi and it doesn't take long for her to start to notice Violet Holmes in more ways than one. I really enjoyed that aspect, that her feelings didn't erase her history with the opposite gender and that she managed to feel so comfortable within herself. Not sure its really true to the time, but honestly, I don't care, it was just fun.
I'm not sure how to feel about kid!Sherlock in this. I really liked that he didn't play a major role in this, it never felt overshadowed by the fact that there was this famous character in the book, but at the same time this kid doesn't feel like someone that could grow into Sherlock. Maybe something will happen down the line in later books but right now he just seems like a super smart kid. His mother has all the Holmes traits, but now she has Mrs Hudson on hand to soften them.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
October 1, 2026
A reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, featuring two widows who don’t yet realise they’re in love with each other, and a thoroughly gripping mystery involving the protagonist’s inner circle? Where do I sign up?
Mattea Orr has managed to balance mystery and action beautifully through the contrast between her main characters. Their contrasting personalities have led to different approaches to solving the mystery, with the intuitive and impulsive Kathy and the observant and perceptive Violet complementing one another.
It has been a constant tug-of-war, whether due to the mistrust and prejudices at the outset stemming from their lack of knowledge of one another and the different social classes to which they belong, or because of their involvement with other key characters in the plot. There was also the matter of their feelings, which they could not quite define and which had gradually come to the surface over the course of the investigation; as a result, every omission of information or twist in the plot deepened that sense of betrayal and bewilderment between them. It is a slow-burning relationship, so there is still some way to go.
In some scenes, we see Sherlock as a child, who, despite having a minor role, plays his part in the investigation in order to help and get closer to his mother, adding a touch of tenderness and helping to forge a close bond with Kathy, despite the short time they have known each other.
Overall, it is a historical mystery novel in which, thanks to a mother’s resilience and intuition, several lives were saved and a corrupt plot was uncovered. And knowing that a sequel is already in the pipeline has absolutely made my day.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Aria&Aries and Mattea Orr for the eARC.
Mattea Orr has managed to balance mystery and action beautifully through the contrast between her main characters. Their contrasting personalities have led to different approaches to solving the mystery, with the intuitive and impulsive Kathy and the observant and perceptive Violet complementing one another.
It has been a constant tug-of-war, whether due to the mistrust and prejudices at the outset stemming from their lack of knowledge of one another and the different social classes to which they belong, or because of their involvement with other key characters in the plot. There was also the matter of their feelings, which they could not quite define and which had gradually come to the surface over the course of the investigation; as a result, every omission of information or twist in the plot deepened that sense of betrayal and bewilderment between them. It is a slow-burning relationship, so there is still some way to go.
In some scenes, we see Sherlock as a child, who, despite having a minor role, plays his part in the investigation in order to help and get closer to his mother, adding a touch of tenderness and helping to forge a close bond with Kathy, despite the short time they have known each other.
Overall, it is a historical mystery novel in which, thanks to a mother’s resilience and intuition, several lives were saved and a corrupt plot was uncovered. And knowing that a sequel is already in the pipeline has absolutely made my day.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Aria&Aries and Mattea Orr for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Katherine Hudson, newly widowed and penniless, returns home to help her mother with providing income for the family and caring for her younger siblings. She never wanted to be a lady's maid, especially not to the eccentric Mrs. Holmes (mother to Sherlock) but the pay is more than she could possibly earn doing any other work that is available to her. Mrs. Holmes, whom Katy comes to know as Violet, wants Katy's help in looking into the disappearance of a local boy. Their investigation gets them into some difficult situations, and Katy doesn't know whether or not she can trust Violet.
Katy and her family are likeable characters, but Violet Holmes got on my nerves. She could not seem to give a straight answer to any question, and her talking in riddles grew tiresome after a while. Too many convenient circumstances led to an improbable conclusion of the mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Katy and her family are likeable characters, but Violet Holmes got on my nerves. She could not seem to give a straight answer to any question, and her talking in riddles grew tiresome after a while. Too many convenient circumstances led to an improbable conclusion of the mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson by Mattea Orr is the story of the relationship between Mrs. Hudson and Violet Holmes. When Mrs. Hudson's husband dies she is taken in by her mother and has to find a job to support the family. She ends up taking on a position as Ladies Maid for Mrs. Holmes and they find they have a prickly relationship. The characters are well drawn but I just got tired of Mrs. Hudson's always being so down. It is an interesting premise, for sure and the relationship between the child Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson is well done but it just seemed to go on and on and on. I will try the next one to see if the author gives her a spine but just can't recommend this one.
September 21, 2026
This was such a fun mystery, and I really enjoyed seeing a different side of the Sherlock Holmes world. I grew up with Sherlock Holmes, so I especially liked the introduction of Sherlock as a young boy and seeing him through his mother's eyes.
The mystery kept me interested, but my favourite part was definitely the relationship between Katherine and Violet. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and seeing how different they were while still making such a good team.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and refreshing take on the Sherlock Holmes world, with an interesting mystery and characters I really liked. I'm definitely interested in seeing where their story goes next.
The mystery kept me interested, but my favourite part was definitely the relationship between Katherine and Violet. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and seeing how different they were while still making such a good team.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and refreshing take on the Sherlock Holmes world, with an interesting mystery and characters I really liked. I'm definitely interested in seeing where their story goes next.
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