Sherlock Holmes e la vedova del Dartmoor

by Warwick Downing

Il suo nome è Holmes… Jeremy Holmes. Suo zio è nientemeno che il Grande Detective. E anche Jeremy, avvocato, ha un talento speciale, seppur diverso da quello di Sherlock. Non è, come lui, in grado di interpretare con uno sguardo la scena di un delitto, né di ricavare la storia di una persona da dettagli apparentemente insignifi canti. Eppure possiede doti altrettanto fondamentali per la ricerca della verità e, soprattutto, all’altezza di un cognome così impegnativo. Quando in tribunale interroga un testimone, le sue domande ne trafi ggono la corazza come lance. E se il testimone indossa una maschera, lui sa come strappargliela dal viso. A fargli da palcoscenico non sono il 221B di Baker Street o i bassifondi di Londra, ma le corti di giustizia; non per questo i criminali lo temono meno del suo illustre consanguineo. A Jeremy Holmes occorrerà tutta la sua abilità forense nell’affrontare il caso della bellissima lady Russell, accusata
di omicidio e già condannata al capestro dall’opinione pubblica. Perché al destino della donna si lega un’oscura vicenda che getta ancora la sua ombra sulla remota landa del Dartmoor.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Widow of Dartmoor by Warwick Downing

The story is presented by Edward Greech, solicitor to barrister Jeremy Holmes. Jeremy is the bastard son of Sherrinford Holmes, Sherlock Holmes’ oldest brother. As his mother was of noble blood, she was sent to the States to hide her pregnancy, and Jeremy was raised as a Cheyenne Indian named White Horse.

It seems that Jeremy has quite the reputation as a barrister, though he is affectionately known as “The Bastard.” He also has a habit of drawing people. He seems to have a sixth sense about people that comes through as he draws them. He then can make inferences about them that seem to always be right.

Jeremy Holmes, or rather “The Bastard,” has been called in to defend a Lady Russell. She has been accused in the murder of one Professor Christian Vandeleur. As she was actually caught in the act of dragging his body out of her exclusive dress shop, the odds seem stacked against her.

It soon gets much worse. Professor Christian Vandeleur is identified as Jack Stapelton of Hound of the Baskervilles infamy. And Lady Russell is in reality Beryl Stapelton, his supposed widow. Now she is wanted for both murder and bigamy! Of course, Stapleton is really Roger Baskerville, thought to have gone down in Grimpen Mire, Dartmoor…

Her erstwhile husband, Lord Peter Russell, tries to have Holmes replaced as her barrister. But since he is claiming bigamy, he has no control over her at all. The prosecutor, Sir Guthrie Featherstone, Attorney-General; is determined to see her hang.

This is a very different court procedural mystery than most! The pace is swift and the point/counterpoint trade-off kept my attention from page one! I almost hated to see the case come to an end; I was enjoying it so much. I sincerely hope that this isn’t the last story I read.

Five stars plus!

Quoth the Raven…

[Elaine Hargrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at some friends' house while housesitting for them. I was immediately taken by the main character - Sherlock Holmes' nephew, the illegitimate offspring of his eldest brother. Jeremy is an attorney who gains insights to those who cross his path by drawing their portraits and studying their features.

In this novel, Downing takes the characters from "Hound of the Baskervilles" and writes the next chapter. I began reading and about a third of the way through knew I had to take the book with me and finish it. Although it seemed a bit slow in spots, it kept me entertained both in the plot and the writing style. And you must read to the very end; even the last chapter has quite the twist.

I was nearly finished with it when I mentioned to my friends I had taken it, only to be told that they were friends with the author! So that made finishing it doubly delicious. I hope this author writes more.