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Elementary #1

Elementary - The Ghost Line

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A brand-new novel tie-in for the popular Elementary TV series. A summons to a body found riddled with bullets in a Hell’s Kitchen apartment is the start of a new case for Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. The victim is a subway train driver with a strange Colombian connection and a mysterious pile of money, but who would want to kill him? The search for the truth will lead the detectives into the hidden underground tunnels of New York City, where more bodies may well await them.

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2015

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566 people want to read

About the author

Adam Christopher

48 books707 followers
Adam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Master of Evil,  Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise.

Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.

Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.

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5 stars
105 (23%)
4 stars
157 (35%)
3 stars
147 (32%)
2 stars
30 (6%)
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9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Wendy.
421 reviews56 followers
December 28, 2020
I largely skimmed the whole last half. The characters didn’t feel like themselves, despite the attempts at describing their actors' typical body language, and I ended up feeling like the author didn’t like Watson at all, or else just can't write women. Particularly with the "Watson is useless until it's time for a cat fight" climax. Either way, it didn’t feel like the show and I got bored halfway through, so not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Phil.
172 reviews8 followers
October 22, 2019
Been a long time since I've read any tie in fiction (I don't count The Expanse or Last Kingdom because the books came first) do this was very refreshing. I came late to the Elementary party and have only just caught up by a Amazon. This is a nice companion piece, a story outside of the episodic arc that incorporates all the elements of the show. It's a quick and easy read with plenty of mystery and twists (As you'd expect). Will definitely be reading the second tie in book.
Profile Image for Milo.
870 reviews107 followers
March 6, 2015
The Review: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c....

"Summons to a bullet-riddled body in a Hell’s Kitchen apartment marks the start of a new case for consulting detectives Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. The victim is a subway train driver with a hidden stash of money and a strange Colombian connection, but why would someone kill him and leave a fortune behind?

The search for the truth will lead the sleuths deep into the hidden underground tunnels beneath New York City, where answers—and more bodies—may well await them...
"

I’m a massive fan of the Elementary TV series, having recently completed the first season in my attempt to catch-up so I can watch the next season, season four, with the rest of the world. It’s quickly won me over with its fun plots and a superb take on modernizing the Sherlock Holmes characters in a way superior to that of the BBC series, Sherlock (which is good in its own right) and over the course of the season that I’ve seen so far, Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu have really impressed in the lead roles as Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson respectively. Therefore, when Adam Christopher, who’s one of those authors who I’ll literally read anything that he can bring to the table, would be doing the show’s first tie-in novel, I knew there would be no way in hell I was going to miss this. And thankfully, Elementary: The Ghost Line did not disappoint, serving as a fascinating addition to the Elementary world and making it a must read for fans of the series. One of the most appealing parts is that you don’t even have to be caught up to understand what’s going on – all you have to do is know the basic premise of the show and its characters and you should be able to enjoy it just fun, hence why I felt safe reading this even though I was still two seasons behind.

The latest case for Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson takes them to an apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. The victim is a subway train driver who has a mysterious Colombian connection, but that’s not the oddest part of the mystery, because what’s clear is that it wasn’t a robbery gone wrong, because a considerable sum of money has been left untouched by the killer. And what follows is a fascinating case that will take them deep into the underground tunnels beneath New York City, as well as a frequent increase in bodycount.

Tie-in novels tend to be hit and miss for me (for example, the first Originals tie-in by Julie Plec was very much a miss), but Adam Christopher’s The Ghost Line has hit the ground running. It’s fun, boasting the familiar levels of humour that comes with the show, and incredibly entertaining with some great characterisations of Sherlock and Watson that feel right at home with the TV series. In fact, it’s written so well that this book actually feels like it could be an episode of the TV series, and as a result, fans will really enjoy this. If you know enough about the show but haven’t actually seen the series yet and are thinking of picking this up because of Adam Christopher’s awesome work that he’s done in the past (Empire State, Seven Wonders, The Burning Dark etc are all worth reading if you’re unfamiliar) and not because of the show then you should find it fairly accessible.

The characters that fans will be familiar with from the TV show that aren’t necessarily Sherlock and Joan make an appearance here as well. Bell, Alfredo, and Captain Gregson are some of the more enjoyable characters to come out of Elementary and it’s great to see how well they’re used here. Like with Watson and Holmes, they have all the quirks, mannerisms and personality of their TV counterparts and you could easily be reading this book with the voices of the characters in your head. None of these characters make any decisions that feel out of character and it’s great to see that Christopher nails it.

The plot itself is one of the most interesting parts of the novel as Christopher has the luxury of not being confined to a TV budget to weave what turns out to be an awesome story. The new and unfamiliar mystery presented within the pages is great to see and you’ll get through it very quickly with plenty of twists and turns that build up with some great tension that will keep fans, and newcomers to Elementary alike – hooked from the word go.

VERDICT: 8.5/10
Profile Image for Jennifer.
476 reviews35 followers
August 4, 2015
Not bad. Not bad at all. I feel for the most part that the author did a fine job of capturing the characters I love on the page. He did a good job of describing the physical nuances that Jonny Lee Miller brings to his Sherlock, and the dialogue being spoken by all the characters rung true, for the most part.

I did feel that Joan Watson was a bit off somehow, though I can't quite place my finger on just how. And I didn't much care for the fact that she sort of fell into the damsel in distress role for a bit.

On the plus side: Alfredo made an appearance.

Would definitely read another by the same author.
Profile Image for Mercè.
766 reviews111 followers
July 28, 2024
[ESP/ENG]
ESP:
Si sois fans de Elementary, este libro es casi como leerse un episodio. El autor ha sabido plasmar fielmente la manera de ser de los personajes de la serie y como se comportan los actores.
En cuanto al caso, a mi no me flipó. Pero tengo que admitir que el tema de bandas no es mi rollo.
Pero lo que más me molestó, sin lugar a dudas, fue la manera en que se representa a Watson. No tanto como personaje. Si no por el hecho de que constantemente era una damisela en apuros.

ENG:
If you're a fan of Elementary this will feel exactly like an episode. I think the author really captures the manerisms of the whole cast.
I'm not a huge fan of gangs so this was an OK case for me.
But the thing that bothered me the most was the fact that Watson was a bit of a damsel in distress.
Profile Image for Laura T.
56 reviews6 followers
April 8, 2025
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as Elementary: blood and ink. I think this storyline was a bit too clichéd and far stretched to make it work out. I don't need a murder mystery to be infallible, but it was a bit too far-fetched here in order to catch the baddies. I enjoy Christopher's writing style and think he does justice by the TV series, I could hear the remarks by Holmes and Watson in their actors' voices. Honestly, I wish there were stories in this series!
Profile Image for Jack.
311 reviews
July 10, 2019
Excellent. If you like the show, you will like this a lot. Written so well it's amazing that the author is not the writer of the show. He perfectly captures the characters.
Profile Image for Priscilla.
160 reviews20 followers
January 19, 2016
I am a fan of Elementary, so you'd think that I snapped this book up as soon as I saw it on the books-on-sale shelves. I didn't. I had only read one other novel based on a television show (Heat Wave in connection with Castle) and it was a disappointment for me. The blurb at the back of The Ghost Line intrigued me though, so I got it. Happily, I don't regret that decision.

Christopher writes the characters true to the portrayals in the show; I could imagine the actors playing out this story and not find any of the scenes to be odd. I especially love Sherlock's little gestures, as Jonny Lee Miller tends to do them too, and those little details kept me immersed in the Elementary world. The only thing I found rather jarring was the amount of time Watson grins; it didn't seem in character.

The mystery was fun! While I never believed either of them was in any real danger, I was really drawn into Sherlock and Joan's detective work. I won't spoil it, but the resolution was perfect, in my opinion, in that it was all about Sherlock using his brilliant mind rather than force to diffuse a dangerous situation. Moreover, the story is also populated with diverse characters. While Sherlock Holmes is British, Detective Bell, Joan Watson, and a number of other characters all come from non-white backgrounds.

My biggest issue with the book is the amount of internal monologues. There are points where it is necessary, when the character is alone and digesting information, but there are times when I skip right over paragraphs of musing because they feel irrelevant.

All in all, fans of the television show is likely to enjoy this tie-in novel. I wouldn't recommend it to non-fans, however, as I feel its charm is reliant on the reader being familiar and in love with the show's portrayal of Holmes and Watson.
Profile Image for Helen.
1,243 reviews38 followers
February 24, 2021
This book reads just like the tv show. It'd make a great tv episode. Most "novelizations" have some sort of disconnect with the actual show but I actually could imagine the characters saying and acting exactly like they're depicted here. Although I can't say it's all character-accurate, I really like every character's internal monologue. The plot and the mystery also makes sense. Now I have some sort of expectation for the next book written by the same author.

---

Pre-read note: Please let this be good. Fingers crossed.
Profile Image for Jake.
179 reviews9 followers
July 7, 2015
If you are a fan of the TV Series or the original Arthur Conan Doyle books then this book is for you. As Sherlock & Watson investigate the suspicious death of a subway car driver only to discover that there is more to the murder than meets the eye.
Profile Image for Shomeret.
1,128 reviews259 followers
February 11, 2017
For most of the book I thought it should get two stars, but I really liked the role of the South American indigenous people toward the end. The chapter title WWSHD? gave me a chuckle.
Profile Image for Sapphire Detective.
606 reviews4 followers
September 25, 2024
I've been a huge fan of Elementary for a long time--I say even as I was a long-time fan of Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch--and I've always wanted more than just the 7 (really 6.5) seasons' worth of episodes. There was fanfiction, of course, but the BBC version will always reign supreme there, so I felt SOL. Until, that is, this most recent viewing of the show, earlier this year, when I found out that there were two spin-off books written by Adam Christopher based on the show, and I immediately jumped on the chance to read more. Unfortunately, my local library system only has the first of the two books, but for now, that's enough! This feels very much like a lost episode of the show. Maybe, in hindsight, it'd not be ranked among the greatest episodes (and for my own purposes I was disappointed that despite this story being published during season three there's not even a mention of my favorite character, Kitty Winter), it very much scratched the itch I had about missing one of my favorite shows, and for that alone it's earned its rating. Fans of the show don't miss this.

My rating: 4.5/5 (rounded up)
Would I own/re-read?: Probably!
TW: Death, Minor Gore, Cartels, Paranoia, Coercion.
Does the Animal Die?: No animals are harmed on The Ghost Line.
How difficult was the mystery?: Like most Sherlock Holmes stories, the book doesn't necessarily try for fair-play, but even without that certain twists shouldn't be too hard to figure out.
Profile Image for Lydiacruise.
1 review
October 17, 2018
If you are a fan of the series Elementary, you’d have noticed the author got all the details down to the pin, especially the characters’ mannerisms. The characters are imho the backbone of the series, each of them with their own distinctive traits. Elementary’s version of Sherlock Holmes, for example, is not an easy character to describe (you’ll know if you watch him on tv) but every little movement, the details of his (elementary to himself but complicated to others) thought process, actions (or lack of) were described in such accuracy true to their tv characters that it is as if I’m “watching” a “tv episode” while reading this book. The story is entirely new, but had I not watched every single episode of the series, I’d have thought the author was just simply translating an existing episode into words, because he was that good. Now to find the others in the series!
Profile Image for Lora.
856 reviews25 followers
May 13, 2019
While I wait for Season 7 of "Elementary", it was nice to read a novel based on the series. The mystery was interesting and faithful to the series, and even gave a nod to an original Conan Doyle story ("The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle").

I found a couple incidents of odd phrasing, but that can probably be explained by the author being a native of New Zealand. My only real complaint was a bit of sloppy editing. In Chapter 24, a section about Watson looking at Holmes' note appeared on two different pages. And in Chapter 38, Alfredo (remember him? Sherlock's sponsor?) had the same thought on two different pages, phrased almost the same way.

The book wasn't amazing, so I'm not in a rush to read the other book in the series. But I really, really hope that the author writes about Holmes and Watson again!
Profile Image for Simon Dinsdale.
14 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2017
I am a huge, and I mean huge, fan of Elementary. The TV show that is. I think that Jonny Lee Miller's Holmes is probably the best ever and the idea to make Watson a woman was inspirational.
The chemistry between Miller and Lucy Liu is obvious and has made for a superb show.
That's the point. It's a TV show and the characters are supposed to be observed. It doesn't work (for me) in the novel

I am not a fan of the recent craze of getting contemporary authors to copy classics. (Wodehouse, Fleming etc) and I am not a fan of trying to take a TV hit and make it into a best seller. So I wont be reading any more of this series.

Clever plot though but would have been better on the TV.
Profile Image for Gayle.
15 reviews
September 3, 2017
Felt like I was reading an episode, which was nice. Christopher did a good job at capturing Sherlock. I just wish he'd done the same with Watson and not have made her typical.

Watson is brilliant in her own right. She works hard and is worthy to be sherlock's partner, but in the book she was more like a sidekick, and not confident or assertive as she's portrayed in the show.

There were also repeat lines. Like exactly the same language copied and pasted through out the book (ex. End of ch. 24 the paragraphs before and after Watson writes the texts). I would think that editor(s) would be better at catching stuff like that.

Profile Image for Sarah.
952 reviews6 followers
April 12, 2019
Joan Watson was looking forward to a lazy weekend. Sherlock Holmes had a fascinating experiment with a pig's corpse lined up. But when their friend and colleague Capt. Gregson of the NYPD calls them in to consult on a subway driver ripped in half by an Uzi in a locked brownstone, they heed the summons. They soon find links to a system of forgotten tunnels under New York City, a new Colombian exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, and a highly suspicious curator. Sherlock is captured perfectly, but the other characters don't translate quite as well from the tv show.
Profile Image for Helen.
121 reviews
June 13, 2020
The storyline was really compelling as a crime thriller but the main issue I had was that the characters didn’t seem like those from the television programme - which was somewhat irritating given the book is based on. Joan seems far too “girly” in places and the characters never sounded the same as the actors when I read it - which was quite jarring. Plus (and I know this is picky) the author had literally copied and pasted the same paragraph twice on page 165...
Profile Image for Sergio Solo.
3 reviews
July 1, 2025
It's cute , captures the feeling of the show and the manerisism of the actors , now that the show has been done for some years it brought nostalgia from the time I was watching the episodes weekly

Besides that there's not much. Watson as reviewed by many is the weakest component of the book, and weirdly where the story focus a lot more

Recommended if you want some Lucy liu and Johnny Lee miller Sherlock filmed by your imagination
Profile Image for Ro.
82 reviews2 followers
November 27, 2018
Wonderful book. The characters' mannerisms were so accurately described that I felt as if I was watching the show. It's rare for me to find a book tie-in to something on screen that feels so true to the show itself. The mystery was also well-done; it's always fun to be surprised with the characters as the truth unfolds.
Profile Image for soyacookie.
6 reviews
October 7, 2023
my darlings! my beloved! bakers baking mislabeled soil samples into their bread! delicious.

my only complaints are that watson and holmes spent 3/4 of the book on separate quests, which got a bit tiring because i want. to see them. interact. but i do adore the little pockets of time and excerpts of text where they are just living domestic lives in the brownstone 🥰
Profile Image for Robert Davis.
765 reviews64 followers
July 5, 2017
The author claims to be a 'huge' fan of the series Elementary, and it is evident in his descriptive writing of Holmes speech and mannerisms. A very well thought out mystery, which gets slightly bogged down at the end. It was a treat to read.
Profile Image for Angela.
2,595 reviews71 followers
May 4, 2019
Something odd is going on at the museum. A train driver has been murdered.

This is a fun story set around season 2. Light reading but enough twists to keep your attention. I liked the underground exploration. A good read.
Profile Image for Janet Russell.
235 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2019
Great read a great story!

A great read based on the hit tv series Elementary! Holmes & Watson are called to a house in the lower part of New York and the story
starts from there! Murder, mayhem & a museum robbery all play their part! Great read throughout!
Profile Image for Carol.
161 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2020
As an Elementary fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think someone would enjoy it, even if they've not watched the show and gotten to know this incarnation of Holmes and Watson, as the author did a wonderful job bringing them to the page.
Profile Image for Emmalene Oysti.
55 reviews
July 11, 2021
The author did a great job of picking up on the nuances that the actors in the show have created for their characters. I enjoyed the storyline connecting back to the traditional heist cases similar to the original Holmes stories Wish this had been an actual case on the show.
Profile Image for Gus Scholtz.
198 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2025
If you liked the series this is a fine adventure with Holmes and Watson. If you are a Holmes purest you probably won’t.
A lot of descriptive narrative and often a character reexplaining what we already read.
The mystery is good and an exciting ending.
Profile Image for Rob Cook.
784 reviews12 followers
April 2, 2018
An entertaining read that captures the series perfectly and could easily be an episode itself! I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series soon.
Profile Image for Kat.
225 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2018
Quick and easy crime thriller. Could easily have been an episode of the show.
2,940 reviews7 followers
March 14, 2019
Nice companion to the television show.There is at least one more story in this series.
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