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The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries #3
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth
In the third book of this critically-acclaimed series, Sherlock Holmes' daughter faces a new unsolvable mystery with spies and a threat to the crown.
Joanna and the Watsons receive an unexpected visitor to 221b Baker Street during a nocturnal storm. A rain-drenched Dr. Alexander Verner arrives with a most harrowing tale.
Verner has just returned from an unsettling trip to see a patient who he believes is being held against his will. Joanna quickly realizes that Verner's patient is a high-ranking Englishman who the Germans have taken captive to pry vital information about England’s military strategies for the Great War. The man is revealed to be Alistair Ainsworth, a cryptographer involved in the highest level of national security.
The police are frantic to find Ainsworth before the Germans can use him to decode all of England’s undeciphered messages. Ainsworth must be found at all costs and Joanna and the Watsons might be the only ones who can connect the clues to find him.
USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg returns with another puzzling case for the daughter of Sherlock Holmes to unravel in this exciting mystery sure to be enjoyed by fans of Sherlock Holmes.
Joanna and the Watsons receive an unexpected visitor to 221b Baker Street during a nocturnal storm. A rain-drenched Dr. Alexander Verner arrives with a most harrowing tale.
Verner has just returned from an unsettling trip to see a patient who he believes is being held against his will. Joanna quickly realizes that Verner's patient is a high-ranking Englishman who the Germans have taken captive to pry vital information about England’s military strategies for the Great War. The man is revealed to be Alistair Ainsworth, a cryptographer involved in the highest level of national security.
The police are frantic to find Ainsworth before the Germans can use him to decode all of England’s undeciphered messages. Ainsworth must be found at all costs and Joanna and the Watsons might be the only ones who can connect the clues to find him.
USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg returns with another puzzling case for the daughter of Sherlock Holmes to unravel in this exciting mystery sure to be enjoyed by fans of Sherlock Holmes.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2019
277 people are currently reading
2828 people want to read
About the author
Leonard Goldberg
45 books415 followersLeonard Goldberg is an American physicist, professor of medicine, and the author of the Joanna Blalock series of medical thrillers.
His novels have been translated into a dozen languages and sold more than a million copies worldwide. Leonard Goldberg is himself a consulting physician affiliated with the UCLA Medical Center, where he holds an appointment as Clinical Professor of Medicine. A sought-after expert witness in medical malpractice trials, he is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and rheumatology, and has published over a hundred scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals.
Leonard Goldberg's writing career began with a clinical interest in blood disorders. While involved in a research project at UCLA, he encountered a most unusual blood type. The patient’s red blood cells were O-Rh null, indicating they were totally deficient in A, B and Rh factors and could be administered to virtually anyone without fear of a transfusion reaction. In essence, the patient was the proverbial "universal" blood donor. This finding spurred the idea for a story in which an individual was born without a tissue type, making that person’s organs transplantable into anyone without worry of rejection. His first novel, Transplant, revolved around a young woman who is discovered to be a universal organ donor and is hounded by a wealthy, powerful man in desperate need of a new kidney. The book quickly went through multiple printings and was optioned by a major Hollywood studio.
Dr. Goldberg is a native of Charleston and a long-time California resident. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles and an island off the coast of South Carolina.
His novels have been translated into a dozen languages and sold more than a million copies worldwide. Leonard Goldberg is himself a consulting physician affiliated with the UCLA Medical Center, where he holds an appointment as Clinical Professor of Medicine. A sought-after expert witness in medical malpractice trials, he is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and rheumatology, and has published over a hundred scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals.
Leonard Goldberg's writing career began with a clinical interest in blood disorders. While involved in a research project at UCLA, he encountered a most unusual blood type. The patient’s red blood cells were O-Rh null, indicating they were totally deficient in A, B and Rh factors and could be administered to virtually anyone without fear of a transfusion reaction. In essence, the patient was the proverbial "universal" blood donor. This finding spurred the idea for a story in which an individual was born without a tissue type, making that person’s organs transplantable into anyone without worry of rejection. His first novel, Transplant, revolved around a young woman who is discovered to be a universal organ donor and is hounded by a wealthy, powerful man in desperate need of a new kidney. The book quickly went through multiple printings and was optioned by a major Hollywood studio.
Dr. Goldberg is a native of Charleston and a long-time California resident. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles and an island off the coast of South Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
July 10, 2019
Tense and diverting!
A thoroughly mezmerizing chase that piles fact upon fact with Sherlock Holme's daughter Joanne smoking Turkish cigarettes and deducing information from both what is present and what is not.
The aside factor of her son Johnny coming home from Eton declaring that he only needs a home tutor is something Joanne handles beautifully. And of course there are tentacles attached to the current case that see Johnny coming home.
It's November 1915. An awfully clever, high ranking codebreaker, has gone missing and as Joanne, her now husband John Watson, and her father-in-law, Dr. Watson go on the hunt the bodies pile up. Joanne deduces that Alistair Ainsworth, "was not taken prisoner in his workplace, but somewhere outside the agency, preferably in a secluded location where no one could see the capture or hear his cry."
The logical development around clues and the pursuit of the these by Joanne is a thing of beauty, as the mystery builds towards resolution. As Joanne points out clues, "will not be handed down to you on a platter ... they must be sought and placed in order." She does this with breathtaking accuracy.
Roles of the Holmsian characters have switched somewhat adding a certain piquancy to the work. Quite an invigorating read and another excellent series that joins the many Holmsian spinoffs.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
A thoroughly mezmerizing chase that piles fact upon fact with Sherlock Holme's daughter Joanne smoking Turkish cigarettes and deducing information from both what is present and what is not.
The aside factor of her son Johnny coming home from Eton declaring that he only needs a home tutor is something Joanne handles beautifully. And of course there are tentacles attached to the current case that see Johnny coming home.
It's November 1915. An awfully clever, high ranking codebreaker, has gone missing and as Joanne, her now husband John Watson, and her father-in-law, Dr. Watson go on the hunt the bodies pile up. Joanne deduces that Alistair Ainsworth, "was not taken prisoner in his workplace, but somewhere outside the agency, preferably in a secluded location where no one could see the capture or hear his cry."
The logical development around clues and the pursuit of the these by Joanne is a thing of beauty, as the mystery builds towards resolution. As Joanne points out clues, "will not be handed down to you on a platter ... they must be sought and placed in order." She does this with breathtaking accuracy.
Roles of the Holmsian characters have switched somewhat adding a certain piquancy to the work. Quite an invigorating read and another excellent series that joins the many Holmsian spinoffs.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
February 28, 2022
If you enjoy following a case as it unfolds through deductive reasoning, this might be the book for you. In this installment of the daughter of Sherlock Holmes series, Joanna Blalock Watson leads the investigation of the kidnapping of a British intelligence officer taken by Germans in 1915. Her husband John and his father, Dr. Watson, are also on the case, but it is Joanna who is the star. Goldberg incorporates many aspects of the Holmes stories, including in this book the Baker Street Irregulars.
I found it to be interesting and informative as the characters race to find Alistair Ainsworth before information is released that will harm both him and the British government during WWI.
I found it to be interesting and informative as the characters race to find Alistair Ainsworth before information is released that will harm both him and the British government during WWI.
May 23, 2019
This latest in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series is a fast-paced, London-fog filled whodunnit. I enjoyed it immensely. Sherlock is dead, but Watson, his son, and Holmes’ daughter Joanna are carrying on the tradition. It is November 1915, and the Germans have abducted one of Britains pre-eminent code-breakers. Its a race to find him before he is “broken”, and the traitors in the British Government need to be sniffed out in the process.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 13, 2022
An enjoyable audiobook. Enjoyed the narrator’s take on the character. A good story — enjoy the idea of the second generation of Holmes and Watson.
August 19, 2019
The most glaring difficulty with this book is that the characters are devastatingly flat. There is absolutely no information given about the characters other than their names.
Another difficulty is that it is not written concisely. The author takes three paragraphs to state what might be said in three concise sentences. Therefore it is very tedious reading. In addition it lacks the sense of Sherlock Holmes’s character being precise and concise and very efficient with his words and thoughts. Since we are not told anything about his daughter except that she is his daughter and like him, the book should reflect a similar precision in her words and deeds.
An unpardonable sin for Sherlock fans is that she refers to her “assumptions” (p. 65). Sherlock Holmes would turn in his grave. He always insisted on the word “deductions” to describe his conclusions. Unfortunately it is accurate however, as her conclusions are usually one of several that could be hypothesized and she makes an assumption that one is right over others that are not considered.
The voice of the book is that of John Watson’s son, which might work if the man had any emotions or insights or thoughts on events, but he simply reports the story as “he did this”, “she did that“, “he said this“, “she said that“, etc.
A disappointment to be sure.
Another difficulty is that it is not written concisely. The author takes three paragraphs to state what might be said in three concise sentences. Therefore it is very tedious reading. In addition it lacks the sense of Sherlock Holmes’s character being precise and concise and very efficient with his words and thoughts. Since we are not told anything about his daughter except that she is his daughter and like him, the book should reflect a similar precision in her words and deeds.
An unpardonable sin for Sherlock fans is that she refers to her “assumptions” (p. 65). Sherlock Holmes would turn in his grave. He always insisted on the word “deductions” to describe his conclusions. Unfortunately it is accurate however, as her conclusions are usually one of several that could be hypothesized and she makes an assumption that one is right over others that are not considered.
The voice of the book is that of John Watson’s son, which might work if the man had any emotions or insights or thoughts on events, but he simply reports the story as “he did this”, “she did that“, “he said this“, “she said that“, etc.
A disappointment to be sure.
September 9, 2019
Great story, great mystery, and great pace!
One stormy night, the occupants of 221b Baker Street receive an unexpected visitor. An old colleague of Dr. Watson, Dr. Alexander Verner, comes to them with an extraordinary tale. He was requested to make a house call to someone complaining of stomach pains, but not before he was blindfolded and taken by carriage to the house. Once there, he realized that the patient did not have stomach pains and was actually signaling for help. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince the captors that the man needed to be hospitalized, so upon being returned to London, he came strait to the Watsons and the daughter of Sherlock Holmes. As the crew begin their investigation, it quickly becomes apparent that this is yet another national intelligence case and it appears to involve German spies as well as a group of unorthodox code breakers for the Royal Navy. As the group unravels the clues, it seems that the German’s always have a head start which can only mean one thing, someone on the inside is working for the Germans. With no time to spare, the group works alongside Scotland Yard and Naval Intelligence to rescue the victim before secrets can be released that will be devasting to Britain’s success in the war.
These books are quickly becoming my favorite mystery series. The demeanor between the three main characters is always entertaining. I always find myself wandering how Joanna will end up solving the case. She is intelligent, attentive, and very persistent. Her character reminds me of Sherlock himself and I enjoyed getting to see the glimpse of her son in this novel. He is very headstrong, but she knows what is best for him but allows him to make his own decisions, even if she might have had a bit of play in determining the outcome. The story is very entertaining and the mystery will have you wrapped up quickly in trying to figure out the whole story, which only Joanna can truly unravel.
Although this is a series, it easily reads as a standalone. Fair warning though, if you do read this first, you will probably want to go buy the first two! If you’re a fan of Holmes or just love a good mystery, give this a try!
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions express within are my own.
One stormy night, the occupants of 221b Baker Street receive an unexpected visitor. An old colleague of Dr. Watson, Dr. Alexander Verner, comes to them with an extraordinary tale. He was requested to make a house call to someone complaining of stomach pains, but not before he was blindfolded and taken by carriage to the house. Once there, he realized that the patient did not have stomach pains and was actually signaling for help. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince the captors that the man needed to be hospitalized, so upon being returned to London, he came strait to the Watsons and the daughter of Sherlock Holmes. As the crew begin their investigation, it quickly becomes apparent that this is yet another national intelligence case and it appears to involve German spies as well as a group of unorthodox code breakers for the Royal Navy. As the group unravels the clues, it seems that the German’s always have a head start which can only mean one thing, someone on the inside is working for the Germans. With no time to spare, the group works alongside Scotland Yard and Naval Intelligence to rescue the victim before secrets can be released that will be devasting to Britain’s success in the war.
These books are quickly becoming my favorite mystery series. The demeanor between the three main characters is always entertaining. I always find myself wandering how Joanna will end up solving the case. She is intelligent, attentive, and very persistent. Her character reminds me of Sherlock himself and I enjoyed getting to see the glimpse of her son in this novel. He is very headstrong, but she knows what is best for him but allows him to make his own decisions, even if she might have had a bit of play in determining the outcome. The story is very entertaining and the mystery will have you wrapped up quickly in trying to figure out the whole story, which only Joanna can truly unravel.
Although this is a series, it easily reads as a standalone. Fair warning though, if you do read this first, you will probably want to go buy the first two! If you’re a fan of Holmes or just love a good mystery, give this a try!
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions express within are my own.
December 25, 2019
I enjoyed this a lot. It is helpful to read the series in order to follow the personal changes and growth in the characters and the contacts they develop. I love Sherlock Holmes style mysteries and this is in that sort of time and place.
Steve West is the narrator and he is an all-time favorite favorite so I'd listen just to hear him, but he just makes it all the better.
Steve West is the narrator and he is an all-time favorite favorite so I'd listen just to hear him, but he just makes it all the better.
July 7, 2020
*Source* Library
*Genre* Historical / Fiction / Mystery
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth is the third installment in author Leonard Goldberg's The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. While this book focuses on Joanna Blalock, daughter of Sherlock Holmes, it is actually Dr. James Watson Junior who is doing the story telling. On a rainy night in November, 1915, Joanna, John, and former Sherlock Holmes biographer, Dr. Watson, receive a curious visitor. Dr. Alexander Verner claims he saw a distressed patient who wrote HELP on his stomach. It seems that this will be another 3-pipe problem (a particularly complex or challenging problem or puzzle.)
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Historical / Fiction / Mystery
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth is the third installment in author Leonard Goldberg's The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. While this book focuses on Joanna Blalock, daughter of Sherlock Holmes, it is actually Dr. James Watson Junior who is doing the story telling. On a rainy night in November, 1915, Joanna, John, and former Sherlock Holmes biographer, Dr. Watson, receive a curious visitor. Dr. Alexander Verner claims he saw a distressed patient who wrote HELP on his stomach. It seems that this will be another 3-pipe problem (a particularly complex or challenging problem or puzzle.)
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
January 30, 2019
Leonard Goldberg gives us a fantastic "Sherlock Holmes" story without having Sherlock Holmes as the main character. Sherlock has passed on, but his daughter, Joanna, continues his sleuthing ways in the same tradition as her father.
She has the help of Dr. Watson, but even more help from Watson's son, whom she spends a great deal of time with.
In this installment we find ourselves in WW1 and have the disappearance of a man who is one of the most brilliant of men in England. Alistair Ainsworth is the top cryptologist the English have and he with three other people is decoding all of the German communiques. But we have a problem.
The German's have captured him. He is still in England, but if not found before they can break him the war effort may well be lost.
Joanna has an exceptional mind and is able to decipher even the smallest of clues to put together a search and rescue effort for the Admiralty to find Alistair Ainsworth.
You will love the way she comes about her deductions and will see how she is just like her father. She is a woman of great thoughts, wonderful disguises, and a heart to find the truth while also teaching others, her son included, how to go about this business.
I believe we have found a new heroine to fall in love with and she brings back fond memories of every Sherlock Holmes adventure we have ever read.
Enjoy!
She has the help of Dr. Watson, but even more help from Watson's son, whom she spends a great deal of time with.
In this installment we find ourselves in WW1 and have the disappearance of a man who is one of the most brilliant of men in England. Alistair Ainsworth is the top cryptologist the English have and he with three other people is decoding all of the German communiques. But we have a problem.
The German's have captured him. He is still in England, but if not found before they can break him the war effort may well be lost.
Joanna has an exceptional mind and is able to decipher even the smallest of clues to put together a search and rescue effort for the Admiralty to find Alistair Ainsworth.
You will love the way she comes about her deductions and will see how she is just like her father. She is a woman of great thoughts, wonderful disguises, and a heart to find the truth while also teaching others, her son included, how to go about this business.
I believe we have found a new heroine to fall in love with and she brings back fond memories of every Sherlock Holmes adventure we have ever read.
Enjoy!
May 27, 2025
Going to be honest here. I enjoyed it. Always nice to find a readable historical mystery series, however... Nowhere near as witty, exciting or well-written as the Enola Holmes series nor as intriguing & fast-paced as the Sherlock Holmes & Mrs. Hudson series.
Sherlock's adult daughter, Joanna, comes over as being a forceful know-it-all and the other characters are there just for her to play off of. Her husband, the narrator and Dr. Watson's son, seems to be a non-entity who chronicles Joanna's adventures and praises everything she says and does, but otherwise, has no real purpose in being there. Dr. Watson says a bit more, but always, Joanna knows best.
Still, worth a read and I'll give another episode in this series a try.
Sherlock's adult daughter, Joanna, comes over as being a forceful know-it-all and the other characters are there just for her to play off of. Her husband, the narrator and Dr. Watson's son, seems to be a non-entity who chronicles Joanna's adventures and praises everything she says and does, but otherwise, has no real purpose in being there. Dr. Watson says a bit more, but always, Joanna knows best.
Still, worth a read and I'll give another episode in this series a try.
July 12, 2020
Originally published at Reading Reality
After yesterday’s book, I was looking, partly for comfort but mostly for something where I knew what I was letting myself in for before I started. (Also looking for NOT a 700 page doorstop!) Then I saw that the fourth book in this series, The Art of Deception, came out recently – but I hadn’t read the third one yet.
And I’m always a sucker for a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, so I hunted this up in the virtually towering TBR pile, read the first chapter and BOOM the game was afoot!
Not that Joanna Blalock Watson ever utters her father’s favorite catchphrase during the course of this entry in the series. Although she certainly seems to have more than her fair share of her father’s attributes, talents and personal foibles.
As well as his partner and amanuensis, Dr. John H. Watson, Sr. But her father’s old partner isn’t hers. Rather, that role has fallen to his son, Dr. John H. Watson, Jr. The younger Watson fills multiple roles in Joanna’s life, as pathologist, partner in detection, chronicler and biographer, as well as husband and stepfather to her young son, who even as a teen is already a chip off the family block.
As, to some extent, is this case, reminiscent as it is of The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter and His Last Bow, encompassing as it does some of the plot elements of Greek Interpreter with the time period and circumstances of His Last Bow, which provides some information about Holmes’ service to the Crown during the Great War. In this series of his daughter’s adventures, Holmes has been deceased for some years, so those services to the Crown are provided by his daughter Joanna instead, with the able assistance of both of the Drs. Watson.
While the story begins with the kind of convoluted opening that Holmes’ cases were famous for, it quickly morphs into something that is both more so – and less at the same time. Initially, this is a case of a doctor treating a mysterious patient at the end of an equally mysterious journey, only to learn that his patient is not so much a patient as he is a captive trying to get out the message that he is in a great deal of trouble.
And that’s where the Crown steps into this narrative, as the captive is missing from his job as one of Britain’s top cryptanalysts. It is late in 1915, there is a war going on, and Alistair Ainsworth is a key figure in both deciphering coded enemy dispatches and encoding those of the British. German agents have kidnapped the man with the obvious intent of breaking him, getting him to work on their behalf both to tighten up their own codes and to break any codes that the British have used in the past, or will in the future.
The German agents are professionals; careful, cunning and seemingly always one step ahead of Joanna, the Watsons and the police. But there are three factors that they never seem to have accounted for in all of their careful planning. Their captive is a master chess player, always two or three steps ahead, attacking on multiple fronts and willing to play as long a game as necessary. His colleagues are, while not quite up to his level, geniuses at code breaking in their own rights and able to work from the tiniest of clues provided by their colleague. And last but not least, they clearly never reckoned on needing to keep several steps ahead of the daughter of Sherlock Holmes.
Escape Rating B+: I was looking for a book where I knew pretty much what I was letting myself in for and that is exactly what I got. And yet it still managed to make me think. I’ll get to that in a minute.
This series, at least so far, is part of a group of series that take the Holmes canon that we know and twist it in, not exactly a feminist direction – although that can be part of it – but in a direction that provides a thinking woman’s perspective on what was originally an all-male preserve.
So there’s a kinship between Mary Russell (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice), Charlotte Holmes (A Study in Scarlet Women) and Joanna Blalock in that all of them use the canon as the way of telling another story entirely, a story that still works while eliminating the air of white male exclusivity and yes, privilege, that surrounds the original stories.
(The marvelous Mycroft and Sherlock series by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse does the same kind of thing but in a different direction, by inserting into the narrative a young Mycroft’s friend and frequent detecting partner, the older, somewhat calmer and generally more dispassionate Cyrus Douglas, a black man from Trinidad.)
All of which means that if you enjoy Holmes well enough to like one of these series, there’s a fair chance you’ll enjoy some of the others. Without necessarily having to start at the beginning of any as the Holmes canon has permeated pop culture to the extent that we all know at least a tiny bit, even if only from The Great Mouse Detective.
But that change in perspective, as well as the change in time period both for the story and for the author writing it, makes us see some things in a new way. Particularly when reminded of the fact that Conan Doyle wrote the originals as contemporary stories. He was living the times he was writing about. The pastiches that have followed have become historical because the Victorian era that Holmes and Doyle lived in has retreated from us further every year.
So, as much as I enjoyed this foray into a variation of Holmes that tries its best to be both different and the same at the same time, I found myself thinking about some things that felt meta rather than about the book in my hand.
What struck me was the attitude towards the German agents who had kidnapped Ainsworth. There is a tendency in times of war to dehumanize the enemy in order to justify the war and all the things that happen within it. But the perspective of Germans as a race rather than a nationality, and the way that national characteristics had become easy stereotypes felt both logical for their time and place AND sat uneasily at the same time. It reminded me that in the original stories, Holmes and Watson are creatures of their time, with all of the racism and sexism and plenty of other terrible -isms that were part of that era. I was painfully aware that I wanted them to be better because they are characters that I love, but that they were not, no matter how much more recent adaptations have tried to ameliorate or eliminate those tendencies.
On the whole, I enjoyed reading this one, except for the above niggles. I found it to be – while not as utterly absorbing as the first book in the series, The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, considerably better and more original than the second, A Study in Treason. I’ll certain be back for The Art of Deception when I’m next in the mood for a taste of Sherlock.
After yesterday’s book, I was looking, partly for comfort but mostly for something where I knew what I was letting myself in for before I started. (Also looking for NOT a 700 page doorstop!) Then I saw that the fourth book in this series, The Art of Deception, came out recently – but I hadn’t read the third one yet.
And I’m always a sucker for a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, so I hunted this up in the virtually towering TBR pile, read the first chapter and BOOM the game was afoot!
Not that Joanna Blalock Watson ever utters her father’s favorite catchphrase during the course of this entry in the series. Although she certainly seems to have more than her fair share of her father’s attributes, talents and personal foibles.
As well as his partner and amanuensis, Dr. John H. Watson, Sr. But her father’s old partner isn’t hers. Rather, that role has fallen to his son, Dr. John H. Watson, Jr. The younger Watson fills multiple roles in Joanna’s life, as pathologist, partner in detection, chronicler and biographer, as well as husband and stepfather to her young son, who even as a teen is already a chip off the family block.
As, to some extent, is this case, reminiscent as it is of The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter and His Last Bow, encompassing as it does some of the plot elements of Greek Interpreter with the time period and circumstances of His Last Bow, which provides some information about Holmes’ service to the Crown during the Great War. In this series of his daughter’s adventures, Holmes has been deceased for some years, so those services to the Crown are provided by his daughter Joanna instead, with the able assistance of both of the Drs. Watson.
While the story begins with the kind of convoluted opening that Holmes’ cases were famous for, it quickly morphs into something that is both more so – and less at the same time. Initially, this is a case of a doctor treating a mysterious patient at the end of an equally mysterious journey, only to learn that his patient is not so much a patient as he is a captive trying to get out the message that he is in a great deal of trouble.
And that’s where the Crown steps into this narrative, as the captive is missing from his job as one of Britain’s top cryptanalysts. It is late in 1915, there is a war going on, and Alistair Ainsworth is a key figure in both deciphering coded enemy dispatches and encoding those of the British. German agents have kidnapped the man with the obvious intent of breaking him, getting him to work on their behalf both to tighten up their own codes and to break any codes that the British have used in the past, or will in the future.
The German agents are professionals; careful, cunning and seemingly always one step ahead of Joanna, the Watsons and the police. But there are three factors that they never seem to have accounted for in all of their careful planning. Their captive is a master chess player, always two or three steps ahead, attacking on multiple fronts and willing to play as long a game as necessary. His colleagues are, while not quite up to his level, geniuses at code breaking in their own rights and able to work from the tiniest of clues provided by their colleague. And last but not least, they clearly never reckoned on needing to keep several steps ahead of the daughter of Sherlock Holmes.
Escape Rating B+: I was looking for a book where I knew pretty much what I was letting myself in for and that is exactly what I got. And yet it still managed to make me think. I’ll get to that in a minute.
This series, at least so far, is part of a group of series that take the Holmes canon that we know and twist it in, not exactly a feminist direction – although that can be part of it – but in a direction that provides a thinking woman’s perspective on what was originally an all-male preserve.
So there’s a kinship between Mary Russell (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice), Charlotte Holmes (A Study in Scarlet Women) and Joanna Blalock in that all of them use the canon as the way of telling another story entirely, a story that still works while eliminating the air of white male exclusivity and yes, privilege, that surrounds the original stories.
(The marvelous Mycroft and Sherlock series by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse does the same kind of thing but in a different direction, by inserting into the narrative a young Mycroft’s friend and frequent detecting partner, the older, somewhat calmer and generally more dispassionate Cyrus Douglas, a black man from Trinidad.)
All of which means that if you enjoy Holmes well enough to like one of these series, there’s a fair chance you’ll enjoy some of the others. Without necessarily having to start at the beginning of any as the Holmes canon has permeated pop culture to the extent that we all know at least a tiny bit, even if only from The Great Mouse Detective.
But that change in perspective, as well as the change in time period both for the story and for the author writing it, makes us see some things in a new way. Particularly when reminded of the fact that Conan Doyle wrote the originals as contemporary stories. He was living the times he was writing about. The pastiches that have followed have become historical because the Victorian era that Holmes and Doyle lived in has retreated from us further every year.
So, as much as I enjoyed this foray into a variation of Holmes that tries its best to be both different and the same at the same time, I found myself thinking about some things that felt meta rather than about the book in my hand.
What struck me was the attitude towards the German agents who had kidnapped Ainsworth. There is a tendency in times of war to dehumanize the enemy in order to justify the war and all the things that happen within it. But the perspective of Germans as a race rather than a nationality, and the way that national characteristics had become easy stereotypes felt both logical for their time and place AND sat uneasily at the same time. It reminded me that in the original stories, Holmes and Watson are creatures of their time, with all of the racism and sexism and plenty of other terrible -isms that were part of that era. I was painfully aware that I wanted them to be better because they are characters that I love, but that they were not, no matter how much more recent adaptations have tried to ameliorate or eliminate those tendencies.
On the whole, I enjoyed reading this one, except for the above niggles. I found it to be – while not as utterly absorbing as the first book in the series, The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, considerably better and more original than the second, A Study in Treason. I’ll certain be back for The Art of Deception when I’m next in the mood for a taste of Sherlock.
June 6, 2019
This book opens in November 1915 in London a year before WWI ends. There are three people, two men and a woman, sheltered from a raging storm outside when a man comes calling at 221B Baker Street to report that a man has been kidnapped and his life is in danger. The kidnapped man, it turns out, is a highly place cryptologist for the government and is in possession of many state secrets that must remain secret. The three people to whom the man has told this kidnapping story, Joanna, daughter of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson himself, and Dr. Watson’s son, husband of Joanna, agree to take the case, and the game is, as they say, afoot.
The book is told from the point of view of Dr. Watson’s son, whose name we never learn. It takes a while for the author to reveal the identity of the woman who has a voice in the early pages of the book but no identity beyond a veiled reference to the narrator glancing at his wife. It also turns out the woman is Holmes’ daughter, Joanna. That is the sum total of her introduction, thus, we have very few details about her life. She simply appears in this book as a grown woman who is well known to the police and the higher echelons of the British government.
Without Sherlock Holmes’ famed street address, the reader new to this series might find herself at a loss as to who the characters are because there is no introduction of them to speak of. The author seems to have assumed that all readers of this book will have read the first two books in this series, which was a huge mistake on Goldberg’s part. This also makes it difficult for the reader to relate to any of the characters since none of them seem to have any personality.
This is the third book in the series featuring Holmes’ daughter. If you’re new to the series, it might serve you well to read the first two books before starting this one so you’ll have some idea of how Joanna came to be walking in her father’s famous footsteps and married to Watson’s son, assuming, of course, the author gives more details about his characters in the first two books than he has in this one.
This book is written well, the plot intricate, and the solution is not obvious. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you might very well enjoy this book.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free eARC.
The book is told from the point of view of Dr. Watson’s son, whose name we never learn. It takes a while for the author to reveal the identity of the woman who has a voice in the early pages of the book but no identity beyond a veiled reference to the narrator glancing at his wife. It also turns out the woman is Holmes’ daughter, Joanna. That is the sum total of her introduction, thus, we have very few details about her life. She simply appears in this book as a grown woman who is well known to the police and the higher echelons of the British government.
Without Sherlock Holmes’ famed street address, the reader new to this series might find herself at a loss as to who the characters are because there is no introduction of them to speak of. The author seems to have assumed that all readers of this book will have read the first two books in this series, which was a huge mistake on Goldberg’s part. This also makes it difficult for the reader to relate to any of the characters since none of them seem to have any personality.
This is the third book in the series featuring Holmes’ daughter. If you’re new to the series, it might serve you well to read the first two books before starting this one so you’ll have some idea of how Joanna came to be walking in her father’s famous footsteps and married to Watson’s son, assuming, of course, the author gives more details about his characters in the first two books than he has in this one.
This book is written well, the plot intricate, and the solution is not obvious. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you might very well enjoy this book.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free eARC.
February 25, 2019
Been reading this series from the beginning! I just love Sherlock Holmes mysteries and this one has his daughter Joanna and her son who are mirror images of Sherlock. The prose is exactly how it should be written. Goldberg does a great job. Alistair Ainsworth has been kidnapped by German Spies and must be found. These books also have a double scoop of Watson. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." ELEMENTARY at it's best!
May 18, 2021
Truly an excellent story that had me on my toes. Having Dunn from the second book being the villain in this one was something that was genius and I didn't see it coming at all! Definitely worth the read to any sherlockien and worth the read go any who has fell in love with the new duo of Joanna and John.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2025
"Astonishing," "Outstanding." "Bravo," and "Precisely," are a few of the exclamations of praise for Joanna Blalock Holmes, daughter of Sherlock Holmes and wife of John Watson, Jr. physician. John is the son of John Watson Sr., physician, and former partner of Sherlock Holmes, and Johnny, son of Joanne and former husband. Introducing two characters, Toby2 (don't know actual spelling) hound and best nose in England (the pup inherited his dad's talents) son of original Toby, also the best nose in England aid to Sherlock Holmes; and the Baker Street Irregulars who prove to be excellent and creative aids to Joanne and team.
Goldberg did an excellent job of developing the plot in this series. I'm truly enjoying it tremendously. This new case is well put together and is a enjoyable read.
In this new installment. it is November 1915. We find some very interesting characters. There is concern about a man named Alister Ainsworth, who is a decoder they are afraid he will decode all of England's undeciphered messages. At 221 Baker Street, they receive an unknown person by the name of Alexander Verner. He is quite concerned that the patient is being held against his will. Then they find out that he is actually Alister Ainsworth. Then, in fact, this turns not to be him, but Alister wants to be "secluded in a quiet place where no one could see him cap We learn that a document has been stolen which turns out to be the Peace Treaty between England and France.
Meanwhile, Joanna's son is home from Eton and wants to quit school in favor of having a home tutor. Joanna is a perfect mother in finessing his thoughts and he decides his best education is to continue at Eton.
The Baker Street Irregulars are some very clever people and provide excellent observations and information to Joanna, John's Jr. and Sr. and Inspector Lestrade. And there are a couple very interesting opportunities for Toby2 to exhibit his sniffing skills and the joy he feels is so fun and exhilarating.
The story winds in and out, and Joanna continues to receive praise from Lestrade Jr. and the Watson/Holmes group.
I recommend this book. It along with the others is very well written and provides great suspense. Enjoy. Highly recommend. Rate: 4.0 stars.
Goldberg did an excellent job of developing the plot in this series. I'm truly enjoying it tremendously. This new case is well put together and is a enjoyable read.
In this new installment. it is November 1915. We find some very interesting characters. There is concern about a man named Alister Ainsworth, who is a decoder they are afraid he will decode all of England's undeciphered messages. At 221 Baker Street, they receive an unknown person by the name of Alexander Verner. He is quite concerned that the patient is being held against his will. Then they find out that he is actually Alister Ainsworth. Then, in fact, this turns not to be him, but Alister wants to be "secluded in a quiet place where no one could see him cap We learn that a document has been stolen which turns out to be the Peace Treaty between England and France.
Meanwhile, Joanna's son is home from Eton and wants to quit school in favor of having a home tutor. Joanna is a perfect mother in finessing his thoughts and he decides his best education is to continue at Eton.
The Baker Street Irregulars are some very clever people and provide excellent observations and information to Joanna, John's Jr. and Sr. and Inspector Lestrade. And there are a couple very interesting opportunities for Toby2 to exhibit his sniffing skills and the joy he feels is so fun and exhilarating.
The story winds in and out, and Joanna continues to receive praise from Lestrade Jr. and the Watson/Holmes group.
I recommend this book. It along with the others is very well written and provides great suspense. Enjoy. Highly recommend. Rate: 4.0 stars.
July 2, 2019
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth
A Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mystery Book 3
Leonard Goldberg
Minotaur Books, Jun 2019
314 pages, ebook, hardcover, Audiobook, Audio CD
Historical Mystery
✭✭✭✭
eARC from NetGalley
The cover is lovely and shows Ms. Holmes looking just as unconcerned as her illustrious father as she gathers blooms for a bouquet of roses and lilies in a busy marketplace.
The story was interesting as Joanna and the Watsons put together bits and pieces of clues to figure out where the missing cryptographer is being held and what condition he is in. They seem to be able to use the smallest bits of evidence to tell that the missing Englishman is keeping his secrets and holding up to torture well and possibly where he will be moved to next. It’s not the newspaper that is left behind, but some little fact about the condition of it or such that tells them this. Then there is the information in the bathroom, behind the mirror, under the bed, in the closet, and a million other tiny things they seem to scent out. Oops, they almost missed the soggy tea bag. After a bit, it seemed to lag a tad for me as it seemed the clues were getting a bit far fetched and they just weren’t getting any closer to saving their cryptographer from the Nazis before he gave up his secrets or they killed him.
The pace, as I said, lagged a bit when the clues seemed to get a bit far fetched and the chase had gone on too long. But Joanna is a Holmes with the brain to prove it, and she always gets her bad guys in the end. I recommend this book to Sherlock Holmes readers, but don’t expect quite the same amount of suspense or drama. Joanna is a calmer person and doesn’t have quite the flair her father did. Still, it was a good read.
A Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mystery Book 3
Leonard Goldberg
Minotaur Books, Jun 2019
314 pages, ebook, hardcover, Audiobook, Audio CD
Historical Mystery
✭✭✭✭
eARC from NetGalley
The cover is lovely and shows Ms. Holmes looking just as unconcerned as her illustrious father as she gathers blooms for a bouquet of roses and lilies in a busy marketplace.
The story was interesting as Joanna and the Watsons put together bits and pieces of clues to figure out where the missing cryptographer is being held and what condition he is in. They seem to be able to use the smallest bits of evidence to tell that the missing Englishman is keeping his secrets and holding up to torture well and possibly where he will be moved to next. It’s not the newspaper that is left behind, but some little fact about the condition of it or such that tells them this. Then there is the information in the bathroom, behind the mirror, under the bed, in the closet, and a million other tiny things they seem to scent out. Oops, they almost missed the soggy tea bag. After a bit, it seemed to lag a tad for me as it seemed the clues were getting a bit far fetched and they just weren’t getting any closer to saving their cryptographer from the Nazis before he gave up his secrets or they killed him.
The pace, as I said, lagged a bit when the clues seemed to get a bit far fetched and the chase had gone on too long. But Joanna is a Holmes with the brain to prove it, and she always gets her bad guys in the end. I recommend this book to Sherlock Holmes readers, but don’t expect quite the same amount of suspense or drama. Joanna is a calmer person and doesn’t have quite the flair her father did. Still, it was a good read.
August 12, 2019
One of Britain's top codebreakers has been kidnapped, and needs to be found before he is broken, and gives up vital information to the Germans. One person has died already, and Joanna Blalock, her husband, Dr. John Watson, Jr., and his father, Dr. John Watson, partner of the late Sherlock Holmes, are on the case. Many threads and red herrings are in the way, and it's possible that the espionage goes all the way to the Lord Admiralty's office. Along the way, Joanne's son, Johnny is home from Eton, and feels that he doesn't need to return - that a tutor can teach him all he needs to know in order to follow in his mother's and grandfather's footsteps. Along the way, Joanna's investigative process eerily mimics the way that Sherlock Holmes solved cases, showing that she is truly Sherlock's daughter.
May 12, 2019
Another enjoyable tale in the daughter of Sherlock Holmes series. Told from the perspective of John Watson's son, the story takes a dark turn into the disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth, suspected of being kidnapped by the Germans during WWI because of his knowledge of classified secrets. Joanna takes the case in tracking the kidnappers moves as Alistair leaves clues.
If you love a good old-fashioned detective mystery, you will love The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth. Filled with secret codes, spies, deception, and some surprising twists, this story gives the readers a case worthy of the great Sherlock himself.
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
If you love a good old-fashioned detective mystery, you will love The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth. Filled with secret codes, spies, deception, and some surprising twists, this story gives the readers a case worthy of the great Sherlock himself.
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
August 5, 2019
2019 bk 242. An enjoyable 3rd entry in the tales of the daughter (with a little of the grandson thrown in) of Sherlock Holmes as told through the eyes of her husband, Dr. Watson, the son of The Dr. Watson. A physician rings the doorbell of 221 Baker St. late one evening with a harrowing tale of his adventure - which leads to the uncovering of the disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth - cryptography for the naval intelligence during the early years of WWI. An enjoyable mystery - although I knew who did it about half way through. In this book, Johnny (grandson) has decided that Eton has taught him enough and that he should stay at home, his mother hire a tutor, and he can help his mother uncover mysteries. I thoroughly enjoy the scenes where is mother slowly brings him to the understanding that yes, he should stay in school. A fun read.
November 22, 2019
A very fun mystery read. Of course nothing can compare to Sir Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes, but this series brings in a smart heroine in Joanna, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes. This book is well plotted, with plenty of clues and red herrings for the reader to puzzle over. It caught my interest early and kept me hooked to the end. I was able to guess at some of the answers, but only after some puzzling. I am not the best mystery solver I must admit. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical mysteries with smart, clever, female characters, and to those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes.
March 9, 2020
With The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes it seemed a whole new series of adventures came into being, & I'm enjoying Dr. Watson along with his son & Joanna. Overall, this one was good but I wish the final uncovering of the villain had made more of a splash. As it was I didn't at first remember what part he'd played. The 3 main characters are most enjoyable, however, regardless of the plot.
July 28, 2019
Not sure if I just wasn't in the mode for a book like this but I just wasnt feeling this one. It was fine
August 12, 2020
Another Sherlock Holmes knock off. Fun, but a few too many "Mona Lisa" smiles! Sherlock never smiled like Mona!
May 30, 2022
We listened to this book on audio. It was very well done! It is
a great story and keep us on the edge of our seats until the final
chapter. I plan to read the next book in this series called "The Art
of Deception". Hopefully we can find to on audio.
a great story and keep us on the edge of our seats until the final
chapter. I plan to read the next book in this series called "The Art
of Deception". Hopefully we can find to on audio.
November 18, 2021
One late evening a man one of Watson's colleagues & Dr. who purchased his practice comes knocking on the door of 221B Baker Street. Dr Verner's was summoned by a mysterious man to come & help a patient with severe abdominal pain. Dr. Verner asked why they didn't take the gentleman to a hospital. The man answered that he was a high ranking Aristocrat that cannot be known he is in England or his life will be in danger.
Suspiciously, but is hypocritic oath decided to go with the mysterious man. He was blindfolded to not know the ware bouts of the location they intend to meet this patient. Upon arrival to examine the mysterious patient; it seemed as though the patient was attempted to give the good Dr. a message of HELP! Dr. Verner expressed the urgency of taking the patient to a hospital but they refused. All he could do was give laudrum to give the patient temporary relief.
They drop off the Dr. who immediately rushes at the late hour to see his old friend & colleague Dr. Watson Sr. to ask for his help.
JoAnn married to Watson Jr. immediately notices the signs of disappear from Dr. Verner appearance. He give in detail the adventure he just endured & wonders if he read correctly that the man he was to exam did in fact ask for help. JoAnn asked many questions to determine the state of the place, victim & people who were holding this man hostage. JoAnn gives Dr. Verner specific instruction because she is concerned for his safety now that he can be a witness to these men holding this man hostage.
Joanne has been up early morning smoking her Turkish cigarettes to help her think on who could possibly be missing that the government & their enemies want to hold captive. she asked the Watson's to look thru the morning paper to see if their is a notice of anyone missing. Sure enough they discover an ad stating the missing of Alistair Ainsworth.
Alistair Ainsworth is a high ranking codebreaker for the British government. They are to decode messages from the Germans. It looks as though now the German's have acquired British's highest asset Alistair Ainsworth. Can they reach him in time alive?
Joanne knows they must go to Dr. Verner to try to save him. They rush to Dr. Verner's office to find it ransacked & swarming with police. Joann uncovers a bloody hand print on the medicine cabinet. Plus the odor of chloroform that she had asked Dr. Verner to break if someone tries to apprehend him. This way Toby Two can get the scent. Unfortunately, they're to late. They find the body of Dr. Verner tied up & tortured by cigarette burns.
They also notice the home has been stripped bare of any indication of people living at the resident except for the bed being tossed. They have found where Alistair Ainsworth was being held hostage.
Now they know there is no time to waste in locating Alistair before he is next to death.
Can the Watson clan find Alistair Ainsworth in time? Can they get the help of the Baker Street Irregulars & maybe the police.
The time is running out as more bodies pile up. Joanne deduces that Alistair, was not taken prisoner in his workplace, but somewhere outside the agency, preferably in a secluded location where no one could see the capture taking place.
Joanne continues to get clues, facts to build up logical reason to get this case solved & the victim home alive.
The story builds thru each chapter. The clues are not apparent immediately & need to be arrive step by step. If not in order then it will be lost. The characters expressed her arrival to the evidence with breathtaking accuracy.
I love this series as a spin off to Sherlock Homes. I highly recommend this novel. But should read the others in order. Side note there is an added story of Johnny Joanne's son visiting & wanting not to go back to Eton because he wants to become a famous sleuth himself. Joanne has the added burden to use her sleuthing, & research to convince her son why an education is important for the line of work he wants to pursue.
Suspiciously, but is hypocritic oath decided to go with the mysterious man. He was blindfolded to not know the ware bouts of the location they intend to meet this patient. Upon arrival to examine the mysterious patient; it seemed as though the patient was attempted to give the good Dr. a message of HELP! Dr. Verner expressed the urgency of taking the patient to a hospital but they refused. All he could do was give laudrum to give the patient temporary relief.
They drop off the Dr. who immediately rushes at the late hour to see his old friend & colleague Dr. Watson Sr. to ask for his help.
JoAnn married to Watson Jr. immediately notices the signs of disappear from Dr. Verner appearance. He give in detail the adventure he just endured & wonders if he read correctly that the man he was to exam did in fact ask for help. JoAnn asked many questions to determine the state of the place, victim & people who were holding this man hostage. JoAnn gives Dr. Verner specific instruction because she is concerned for his safety now that he can be a witness to these men holding this man hostage.
Joanne has been up early morning smoking her Turkish cigarettes to help her think on who could possibly be missing that the government & their enemies want to hold captive. she asked the Watson's to look thru the morning paper to see if their is a notice of anyone missing. Sure enough they discover an ad stating the missing of Alistair Ainsworth.
Alistair Ainsworth is a high ranking codebreaker for the British government. They are to decode messages from the Germans. It looks as though now the German's have acquired British's highest asset Alistair Ainsworth. Can they reach him in time alive?
Joanne knows they must go to Dr. Verner to try to save him. They rush to Dr. Verner's office to find it ransacked & swarming with police. Joann uncovers a bloody hand print on the medicine cabinet. Plus the odor of chloroform that she had asked Dr. Verner to break if someone tries to apprehend him. This way Toby Two can get the scent. Unfortunately, they're to late. They find the body of Dr. Verner tied up & tortured by cigarette burns.
They also notice the home has been stripped bare of any indication of people living at the resident except for the bed being tossed. They have found where Alistair Ainsworth was being held hostage.
Now they know there is no time to waste in locating Alistair before he is next to death.
Can the Watson clan find Alistair Ainsworth in time? Can they get the help of the Baker Street Irregulars & maybe the police.
The time is running out as more bodies pile up. Joanne deduces that Alistair, was not taken prisoner in his workplace, but somewhere outside the agency, preferably in a secluded location where no one could see the capture taking place.
Joanne continues to get clues, facts to build up logical reason to get this case solved & the victim home alive.
The story builds thru each chapter. The clues are not apparent immediately & need to be arrive step by step. If not in order then it will be lost. The characters expressed her arrival to the evidence with breathtaking accuracy.
I love this series as a spin off to Sherlock Homes. I highly recommend this novel. But should read the others in order. Side note there is an added story of Johnny Joanne's son visiting & wanting not to go back to Eton because he wants to become a famous sleuth himself. Joanne has the added burden to use her sleuthing, & research to convince her son why an education is important for the line of work he wants to pursue.
June 25, 2019
What a wonderful book this was!
Sometimes I find that authors that try to duplicate the success of a classic book fall short. The prevalence of Sherlock Holmes copies certainly shows that there are many such attempts. Sadly. most fail for one reason or another. Here we have the daughter of Sherlock Holmes following in there father's footsteps. Her second husband is the son of Dr. John Watson. Midway through the book we are introduced to her son by her late first husband. This allows her to teach her son many of her methods. All in all, it works well.
In this book, Alistair Ainsworth is part of a group of cytologists working for the Department of the Navy during the Great War. Alistair igoes missing and it is presumed (correctly) that he has been kidnapped by the Germans who expect to break him so that they can break the British codes and learn secrets of Naval operations. We see the transitioning of society which employs both horse and carriages and automobiles for transportation.
There are four who work in the Admiralty Club, the name of the group of cryptologists. Codes are written or deciphered in their offices and then transported by a trusted courier to the safe at the Office of Naval Intelligence. It is clear that there is a traitor in the group of people who work with codes in some fashion as no one else could be aware enough of Alistair's movements to plan his disappearance. Alistair, or Tubby as he is known to friends, is too valuable to the Germans to ask for ransom. Their first plan is to break him to reveal the codes and then to remove him to Germany to continue to translate for them. The government is concerned that if Alistair breaks, the entire war effort will be lost.
The book seemed to be very long, and yet was about the same number of pages as other books I read. I attribute that seeming contradiction to the fact that I hung on to every word while with many books I tend to skim some of the passages. Every small detail was of interest even if it had nothing to do with the mystery at hand.
I had never read one of Goldbberg's mysteries before. There were hints in the novel of previous books in this series, but there were no blatant references to them. I now have a need to know more about those stories as my appetite was wheted by the subtle references.
I look forward to reading more by Goldberg. (And was thrilled to learn that he is also a native of my hometown!)
Sometimes I find that authors that try to duplicate the success of a classic book fall short. The prevalence of Sherlock Holmes copies certainly shows that there are many such attempts. Sadly. most fail for one reason or another. Here we have the daughter of Sherlock Holmes following in there father's footsteps. Her second husband is the son of Dr. John Watson. Midway through the book we are introduced to her son by her late first husband. This allows her to teach her son many of her methods. All in all, it works well.
In this book, Alistair Ainsworth is part of a group of cytologists working for the Department of the Navy during the Great War. Alistair igoes missing and it is presumed (correctly) that he has been kidnapped by the Germans who expect to break him so that they can break the British codes and learn secrets of Naval operations. We see the transitioning of society which employs both horse and carriages and automobiles for transportation.
There are four who work in the Admiralty Club, the name of the group of cryptologists. Codes are written or deciphered in their offices and then transported by a trusted courier to the safe at the Office of Naval Intelligence. It is clear that there is a traitor in the group of people who work with codes in some fashion as no one else could be aware enough of Alistair's movements to plan his disappearance. Alistair, or Tubby as he is known to friends, is too valuable to the Germans to ask for ransom. Their first plan is to break him to reveal the codes and then to remove him to Germany to continue to translate for them. The government is concerned that if Alistair breaks, the entire war effort will be lost.
The book seemed to be very long, and yet was about the same number of pages as other books I read. I attribute that seeming contradiction to the fact that I hung on to every word while with many books I tend to skim some of the passages. Every small detail was of interest even if it had nothing to do with the mystery at hand.
I had never read one of Goldbberg's mysteries before. There were hints in the novel of previous books in this series, but there were no blatant references to them. I now have a need to know more about those stories as my appetite was wheted by the subtle references.
I look forward to reading more by Goldberg. (And was thrilled to learn that he is also a native of my hometown!)
June 6, 2019
Disclaimer: This is third in series but MY introduction to Joanna (Sherlock Holmes’ daughter). So, to be fair, I might have enjoyed it more with the previous books under my belt.
Right off the bat, I was a bit thrown by the narrator being Joanna’s husband, not Joanna herself. That was a bit jarring for me throughout. While I did expect HER character to be logical and a bit stilted, I found the writing and the characters overall to be dry and not as engaging and in-depth as I had hoped.
The plot, involving German spies, a British traitor and coded messages was perfectly fine, with some twists and turns and surprises.
One thing that I found a bit irritating and distracting was how all other characters (especially the venerable Watson) were made to look as “less than” to Joanna’s superior intellect. While I’m all for strong, intelligent women as heroines, I felt (especially with Watson’s character) that this was a bit overdone as there were instances of “a-ha” moments that would have been perfectly obvious, especially with Watson’s intellect.
For now, I give this a 3/5⭐️.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #Minotaur and #StMartinsPress for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Right off the bat, I was a bit thrown by the narrator being Joanna’s husband, not Joanna herself. That was a bit jarring for me throughout. While I did expect HER character to be logical and a bit stilted, I found the writing and the characters overall to be dry and not as engaging and in-depth as I had hoped.
The plot, involving German spies, a British traitor and coded messages was perfectly fine, with some twists and turns and surprises.
One thing that I found a bit irritating and distracting was how all other characters (especially the venerable Watson) were made to look as “less than” to Joanna’s superior intellect. While I’m all for strong, intelligent women as heroines, I felt (especially with Watson’s character) that this was a bit overdone as there were instances of “a-ha” moments that would have been perfectly obvious, especially with Watson’s intellect.
For now, I give this a 3/5⭐️.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #Minotaur and #StMartinsPress for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
June 11, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A good old-fashioned whodunit featuring Sherlock Holmes daughter, Joanna, Dr Watson, and his son. Alistair Ainsworth is a cryptographer in possession of many British war secrets. It is discovered that he's been kidnapped and the race is on to find him before the Germans break him. Joanna uses the investigative skills inherited from her father to track the clues and solve the case.
I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I'd read the previous two novels in the series. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. They just seemed flat with no personality. This one was just ok for me.
A good old-fashioned whodunit featuring Sherlock Holmes daughter, Joanna, Dr Watson, and his son. Alistair Ainsworth is a cryptographer in possession of many British war secrets. It is discovered that he's been kidnapped and the race is on to find him before the Germans break him. Joanna uses the investigative skills inherited from her father to track the clues and solve the case.
I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I'd read the previous two novels in the series. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. They just seemed flat with no personality. This one was just ok for me.
June 10, 2019
A well written, engrossing and entertaining historical mystery that kept me hooked till the last page.
I loved the fleshed out cast of characters, the well researched historical setting and the plot full of twists and turns.
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the fleshed out cast of characters, the well researched historical setting and the plot full of twists and turns.
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
January 10, 2020
The year was 1915, and England was embroiled in World War I. It was a frightful rainy evening, and the Watsons were at home for they evening. They were sitting around analyzing a previous case of Sherlock Holmes’s when they were interrupted by an old friend of the elder Dr. Watson, a Dr. Verner. Dr. Verner had quite the disturbing story to share with the group. Dr. Verner was visited by a representative of a seemingly distinguished person. The man arrived to inform Dr. Verner that a man who was to remain unnamed was suffering from some kind of abdominal trouble. He asked Dr. Verner to go with him and examine the patient. After a peculiar, roundabout trip, they reached the house of the patient. Dr. Verner came to realize that this man was not sick, but was in need of help, and was most likely being held against his will. Although Dr. Verner had little to offer in the way of proof or clues to the man’s whereabouts, the Watsons’ agreed to look into the matter.
By the next morning, Joanna had deduced that the man must be a British citizen and was very much being held against his will by German operatives. Joanna was also sure that Dr. Verner’s life was in danger, and they rush to his practice to warn him. Unfortunately, when they arrived he was already dead. The threesome headed home and scoured the paper for news that may help them with this case. A notice in the paper about a missing person caught their eye. They surmised that this missing person, Alistair Ainsworth, was most likely the same man that was being held captive. Their theory was reinforced when they discovered that Ainsworth was one of England’s top cryptologist. The elder and younger doctor Watsons and Joanna become entangled in an extremely urgent case. They must find Alistair Ainsworth before the Germans are able to break him, and extract some of England’s biggest war secrets.
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth is the third book in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mystery series. This book is an excellent addition to the collection. Joanna’s deductive skills are right up there with her father’s, Sherlock Homes, but with a slightly softer touch. She has an uncanny ability to see clues that the other characters and the readers tend to overlook. Once she explains her reasoning, however, her assertions seem more than credible. Her impeccable reasoning skills are the only thing standing in the way of the German spies fulfilling their mission. The Germans are not without their own advantage though. It seems they have a spy placed very high within the English intelligence community which keeps them one step ahead of their pursuers.
Joanna, and her husband, Dr. Holmes, along with the elder Dr. Holmes are joined by other familiar characters to help them solve the case. Toby Two is back and his sniffer is as good as ever. Also back, and in charge of the murder investigation, is the younger Inspector Lestrade.
This book is a truly fun and exciting mystery. In line with the urgency of this case, the plot moves at a very fast pace. I can highly recommend this book to fans of Sherlock Holmes and historical mysteries. While this book could be read as a stand alone story, I recommend starting with the first book. Not only will you find yourself reading a great mystery, you will get to see the development of the characters. I’m very excited to see that there will be a fourth book in this series that is due out in June 2020.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #TheDisappearanceOfAlistairAinsworth
By the next morning, Joanna had deduced that the man must be a British citizen and was very much being held against his will by German operatives. Joanna was also sure that Dr. Verner’s life was in danger, and they rush to his practice to warn him. Unfortunately, when they arrived he was already dead. The threesome headed home and scoured the paper for news that may help them with this case. A notice in the paper about a missing person caught their eye. They surmised that this missing person, Alistair Ainsworth, was most likely the same man that was being held captive. Their theory was reinforced when they discovered that Ainsworth was one of England’s top cryptologist. The elder and younger doctor Watsons and Joanna become entangled in an extremely urgent case. They must find Alistair Ainsworth before the Germans are able to break him, and extract some of England’s biggest war secrets.
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth is the third book in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mystery series. This book is an excellent addition to the collection. Joanna’s deductive skills are right up there with her father’s, Sherlock Homes, but with a slightly softer touch. She has an uncanny ability to see clues that the other characters and the readers tend to overlook. Once she explains her reasoning, however, her assertions seem more than credible. Her impeccable reasoning skills are the only thing standing in the way of the German spies fulfilling their mission. The Germans are not without their own advantage though. It seems they have a spy placed very high within the English intelligence community which keeps them one step ahead of their pursuers.
Joanna, and her husband, Dr. Holmes, along with the elder Dr. Holmes are joined by other familiar characters to help them solve the case. Toby Two is back and his sniffer is as good as ever. Also back, and in charge of the murder investigation, is the younger Inspector Lestrade.
This book is a truly fun and exciting mystery. In line with the urgency of this case, the plot moves at a very fast pace. I can highly recommend this book to fans of Sherlock Holmes and historical mysteries. While this book could be read as a stand alone story, I recommend starting with the first book. Not only will you find yourself reading a great mystery, you will get to see the development of the characters. I’m very excited to see that there will be a fourth book in this series that is due out in June 2020.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #TheDisappearanceOfAlistairAinsworth
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