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The Janet Watson Chronicles #2
The Hound of Justice
Dr. Janet Watson and former covert agent Sarah Holmes, introduced in the acclaimed A Study in Honor, continue their dangerous investigation into the new American Civil War with the help of fresh allies, advanced technology, and brilliant deduction in this superb reimagining of Sherlock Holmes.
It’s been months since Dr. Janet Watson has seen Sara Holmes. Her worries for her brilliant friend and compatriot are compounded by her own troubles. Though she survived the attack that severely injured her and received a new high-tech arm, Dr. Watson cannot work at Georgetown University Hospital until she is cleared by her physical therapist. Worse, she’s been given a month’s notice to vacate the apartment she and Holmes shared.
When a rumored assassination attempt on the president’s life fails but causes mass destruction—killing twelve and injuring dozens—Watson is contacted by Micah, one of Holmes’ associates. She learns that her friend is no longer working for the government—she’s on the run. Branded a fugitive of the state, Holmes is operating in the shadows, investigating a lead on the attack that injured Watson. The former covert agent suspects it could be connected to the recent deadly attack.
Reunited once more, Dr. Watson, Holmes, and Micah embark on a mission through the deep South to clear Holmes’ name, thwart the New Confederacy’s next move, and most important, bring their nemesis to justice for the atrocities she’s committed in the New Civil War.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2019
45 people are currently reading
1899 people want to read
About the author
Claire O'Dell
12 books133 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Pen name of Beth Bernobich
Pen name of Beth Bernobich
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 20, 2020
The title of this book is. a pun and for that I rightfully should have enjoyed this. But… I was honestly pretty disappointed by this? I loved book one of this duology so much and this just wasn’t nearly as good for me.
I’m going to skip introducing the very excellent concept of this series and just get right to discussing this book. The main problem I had with this book is that the overuse of asides began really grating on me. In book one there were asides to establish the world and add to characters, but here I felt like genuinely nothing was being shown; I honestly began feeling like the book was just telling me more about this world every few paragraphs with no growth or change. I politically agree with everything here so the first time this happened I was sort of like “yes”. But: 1) this is book two so I kinda knew broad details, and 2) I’m sorry but you only have to establish that the world has single-payer healthcare once. You can just say that once and then you can add details to it later. Sometimes when the doctors are talking… the audience will just like. remember that.
The plot described in the blurb is cool, actually, I liked the plot of this a lot and I thought the buildup was actually better executed than book one. But the book gets to what is described in the blurb. At 55% of the way through.
The first 55% of this book is spent building up to the A plot and spending time making you worry about the B plot, which is fine, but… I think this could’ve been improved by editing down the first half (see above) to maybe 75% of its current length. And then spending extra pagetime in the second half (which is far more streamlined and thus far better) on giving the B plot an on-page resolution (as it is currently resolved offscreen). I am trying to be very unspoilery about what each of these plots are, but: I loved the B plot and I really wanted that to get more of it in the second half.
The plot of this book… is actually good, eventually. It’s just that nothing really happens until the 60% mark. By nothing really happens I unfortunately do not mean that there is no plot but heavy character development; I mean that both characters and plot begin moving very, very slowly.
In my review of book one, I wrote this:
the plot was hovering somewhere around “just good,” the character dynamic is so completely 20/10, and I adored all the themes and various existential tensions so much that I just can’t not five star this.
The thing is that here, I felt that no themes or existential tensions or characters were actually changing. The character moments themselves are great — Janet in particular gets a lot of pagetime dedicated to her PTSD and I liked that — but it. just doesn’t quite lead to growth. The whole novel feels like the too-long first half of an excellent character arc.
The relationship between Holmes and Watson, in particular, is just crying out for character growth on both their ends. And I know this is petty but: the fact that they are separated for half the novel seriously fucked with my interest. Like yes, it works narratively, but I am reading this book 65% because that dynamic is so well written.
I also… I don’t particularly know how to identify this, but I sort of wondered about the reaction of black readers and reviewers to this book? I read book one solidly thinking it was written by a black author and was honestly quite surprised to discover the author is white. The author is clearly extremely well-intentioned and I know she has done research, but I wonder how black readers might feel.
This was not in any way an awful book or even really a bad one: there were still a lot of moments I enjoyed, the last 25% has some solidly great writing, I read the last 60% in one sitting so clearly I was engaged, I liked the romance plot a decent amount, and I still am super invested in the lead character and the dynamic between the two leads. I just think this needed more editing, frankly.
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the arc — I received no compensation to read or review this.
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I’m going to skip introducing the very excellent concept of this series and just get right to discussing this book. The main problem I had with this book is that the overuse of asides began really grating on me. In book one there were asides to establish the world and add to characters, but here I felt like genuinely nothing was being shown; I honestly began feeling like the book was just telling me more about this world every few paragraphs with no growth or change. I politically agree with everything here so the first time this happened I was sort of like “yes”. But: 1) this is book two so I kinda knew broad details, and 2) I’m sorry but you only have to establish that the world has single-payer healthcare once. You can just say that once and then you can add details to it later. Sometimes when the doctors are talking… the audience will just like. remember that.
The plot described in the blurb is cool, actually, I liked the plot of this a lot and I thought the buildup was actually better executed than book one. But the book gets to what is described in the blurb. At 55% of the way through.
The first 55% of this book is spent building up to the A plot and spending time making you worry about the B plot, which is fine, but… I think this could’ve been improved by editing down the first half (see above) to maybe 75% of its current length. And then spending extra pagetime in the second half (which is far more streamlined and thus far better) on giving the B plot an on-page resolution (as it is currently resolved offscreen). I am trying to be very unspoilery about what each of these plots are, but: I loved the B plot and I really wanted that to get more of it in the second half.
The plot of this book… is actually good, eventually. It’s just that nothing really happens until the 60% mark. By nothing really happens I unfortunately do not mean that there is no plot but heavy character development; I mean that both characters and plot begin moving very, very slowly.
In my review of book one, I wrote this:
the plot was hovering somewhere around “just good,” the character dynamic is so completely 20/10, and I adored all the themes and various existential tensions so much that I just can’t not five star this.
The thing is that here, I felt that no themes or existential tensions or characters were actually changing. The character moments themselves are great — Janet in particular gets a lot of pagetime dedicated to her PTSD and I liked that — but it. just doesn’t quite lead to growth. The whole novel feels like the too-long first half of an excellent character arc.
The relationship between Holmes and Watson, in particular, is just crying out for character growth on both their ends. And I know this is petty but: the fact that they are separated for half the novel seriously fucked with my interest. Like yes, it works narratively, but I am reading this book 65% because that dynamic is so well written.
I also… I don’t particularly know how to identify this, but I sort of wondered about the reaction of black readers and reviewers to this book? I read book one solidly thinking it was written by a black author and was honestly quite surprised to discover the author is white. The author is clearly extremely well-intentioned and I know she has done research, but I wonder how black readers might feel.
This was not in any way an awful book or even really a bad one: there were still a lot of moments I enjoyed, the last 25% has some solidly great writing, I read the last 60% in one sitting so clearly I was engaged, I liked the romance plot a decent amount, and I still am super invested in the lead character and the dynamic between the two leads. I just think this needed more editing, frankly.
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the arc — I received no compensation to read or review this.
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zzzz
November 21, 2021#1) A Study in Honor ★★★☆☆
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August 20, 2019
Excellent follow-up to 'A Study in Honor'.
I sure hope the author is planning on bringing us more adventures with Dr Janet Watson. She is awesome!
I sure hope the author is planning on bringing us more adventures with Dr Janet Watson. She is awesome!
October 29, 2020
It's not a good Holmes book when Watson and Holmes spend 75% of it apart. The first half really dragged. And I got really tired of the political asides.
April 10, 2020
All those people like to say romance is nothing special. We all need something to take us through the bad times. We all need books where there’s a happy ending.
I don't usually do the quote thing when I didn't enjoy a book very much, but this one stood out to me. As well as every time Holmes called Watson "my love" because I can't get enough of that.
Otherwise... this was honestly such a disappointment. It had none of the magic and charm and excitement that I felt reading that first book, and all the little flaws I noticed and nitpicks I had in the first book came back with a vengeance. I guess part of me wants this book to be something it's not. ACD Holmes is about solving mysteries and I loved that about it. There's none of that here and I kept expecting it and when it kept not happening... it was a let down. And I mean that's not the book's problem, but the actual plot was not gripping at all. I skimmed a LOT. On paper, it remains as intriguing as it was in the first book, (near future but scifi! civil war! race and ethics!) and I like that it deals with real life issues that mean so much to me but also. There's just lots and LOTS of telling, very little showing or exploring. No subtlety whatsoever. The writing seemed clumsy and bare-bones. Watson's diary entries read like prose instead of her innermost thoughts. There really was not enough H/W interaction. And I'm pissed all over again that Holmes is a fucking fed, and that [spoiler character] is evil. Also at Micha being a mistress of great disguise when that was Holmes' thing.
This list of dislikes seems petulant and I guess it is. And I mean there are definitely a couple good points about this book. But I honestly have to ask myself if I read the first one with rose-coloured glasses because... oof. This missed the mark in very many places.
2.5 stars.
I don't usually do the quote thing when I didn't enjoy a book very much, but this one stood out to me. As well as every time Holmes called Watson "my love" because I can't get enough of that.
Otherwise... this was honestly such a disappointment. It had none of the magic and charm and excitement that I felt reading that first book, and all the little flaws I noticed and nitpicks I had in the first book came back with a vengeance. I guess part of me wants this book to be something it's not. ACD Holmes is about solving mysteries and I loved that about it. There's none of that here and I kept expecting it and when it kept not happening... it was a let down. And I mean that's not the book's problem, but the actual plot was not gripping at all. I skimmed a LOT. On paper, it remains as intriguing as it was in the first book, (near future but scifi! civil war! race and ethics!) and I like that it deals with real life issues that mean so much to me but also. There's just lots and LOTS of telling, very little showing or exploring. No subtlety whatsoever. The writing seemed clumsy and bare-bones. Watson's diary entries read like prose instead of her innermost thoughts. There really was not enough H/W interaction. And I'm pissed all over again that Holmes is a fucking fed, and that [spoiler character] is evil. Also at Micha being a mistress of great disguise when that was Holmes' thing.
This list of dislikes seems petulant and I guess it is. And I mean there are definitely a couple good points about this book. But I honestly have to ask myself if I read the first one with rose-coloured glasses because... oof. This missed the mark in very many places.
2.5 stars.
May 30, 2019
I was so excited about this story but it was just so bland. The story is a twist on Sherlock Holmes but with a disabled, queer, black woman. Yep, 3 boxes of diversity check. It's like the white writer of this story went through a checklist of ways to show she is "woke". This book is set in the near future though it feels exactly like 2019. Our lead is bland and boring always going through the motions of her day to day as a surgeon. She's learning to adapt to her job with her new disability but I still never really felt for her. I feel like there was a lot of unnecessary diary entries that were overly detailed. The political talk felt hollow and very ironic. Lots of talk of white privilege and how the other side lives and reacts. Except this book was written by a beneficiary of that privilege and she wasn't able to capture the experience of a black woman navigating the world though she tried based off things she's read. I gave this story the rating I did because some parts of the story were mildly entertaining but it wasn't something that made me anticipating the ending.
I recieved an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I recieved an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2019
actual rating: 3.5
Another interesting book in this series. This one seemed to have a few more pacing problems than the first. I guess the slow and somewhat meandering beginning is supposed to reflect how Janet is still feeling kind of lost in her life as she is still not able to actually perform surgery again etc, but it still dragged in a few points. I do think Janet is very in character and recognizable as a version of Watson, but Sara still feels a bit off as a version of Sherlock. I think it might just be because we don't see all that much of her or get into her head at all but something has just felt a bit off about her in both of these books. The plot definitely picked up in the later half of the book and overall I found it to be very enjoyable despite a few hiccups. I'm hoping that it will pick up a bit more in the next book as a reflection of Janet making more progress in her personal life. Definitely an interesting Sherlock Holmes retelling, even if it does get lost in itself a little bit.
Another interesting book in this series. This one seemed to have a few more pacing problems than the first. I guess the slow and somewhat meandering beginning is supposed to reflect how Janet is still feeling kind of lost in her life as she is still not able to actually perform surgery again etc, but it still dragged in a few points. I do think Janet is very in character and recognizable as a version of Watson, but Sara still feels a bit off as a version of Sherlock. I think it might just be because we don't see all that much of her or get into her head at all but something has just felt a bit off about her in both of these books. The plot definitely picked up in the later half of the book and overall I found it to be very enjoyable despite a few hiccups. I'm hoping that it will pick up a bit more in the next book as a reflection of Janet making more progress in her personal life. Definitely an interesting Sherlock Holmes retelling, even if it does get lost in itself a little bit.
December 12, 2019
We learn more about Janet Watson in this book, filling her in and fleshing out her past, which is a welcome development. It leads up to a nail-biting excursion into a place where she'd rather not go, but helps us understand far more of what's happening in this far-too-close-to-possible future...
December 30, 2019
Oh yeah!! Heaps more action, double crossing and badassery in this second book.
Sara Holmes was always a badass from the start and although Janet Watson volunteered her surgery skills for the war, she’s a surgeon first not a soldier, and so that’s why she impressed me in this book. She was afraid, but for Holmes whom she thought was in trouble, she sucked it up, pushed through her fears and got shizznit done!
I love this series! It’s smart and exciting, and keeps you guessing. I hope there’s more to come.
Sara Holmes was always a badass from the start and although Janet Watson volunteered her surgery skills for the war, she’s a surgeon first not a soldier, and so that’s why she impressed me in this book. She was afraid, but for Holmes whom she thought was in trouble, she sucked it up, pushed through her fears and got shizznit done!
I love this series! It’s smart and exciting, and keeps you guessing. I hope there’s more to come.
February 17, 2023
Will read this later after I've re-read book one.
December 12, 2019
The second book in O’Dell’s near-future Sherlockian thriller series takes the reader on a game of cat-and-mouse where our protagonist, Dr. Janet Watson, struggles in the midst of chaos and danger to continue trusting her colleague/housemate/friend--I would say “partner” except that word carries some erroneous implications when you’re talking about two queer women--Sara Holmes.
Janet’s progress to reclaim her career as a surgeon in the face of reliance on a high-tech prosthetic arm is derailed when disappears abruptly, and then leads Janet on a terrifying treasure-hunt of clues, contacts, and disguises deep into the heart of enemy territory on a rescue mission that requires her still-uncertain surgical skills.
I’ve grown very attached both to Watson and to the maddeningly unpredictable Holmes, whose background we learn more about in hints and the rare quiet moments of the story. There’s plenty of action and all-too-realistic violence, as well as a sketch of a fractured America that is terrifyingly believable these days.
If you like twisty, fast-paced thrillers that center queer women of color, then you may love this series as much as I do. (Probably best to start with the first book, A Study in Honor, though if you’re a quick study and comfortable with filling in backstory in your head, you could read this one first.)
Janet’s progress to reclaim her career as a surgeon in the face of reliance on a high-tech prosthetic arm is derailed when disappears abruptly, and then leads Janet on a terrifying treasure-hunt of clues, contacts, and disguises deep into the heart of enemy territory on a rescue mission that requires her still-uncertain surgical skills.
I’ve grown very attached both to Watson and to the maddeningly unpredictable Holmes, whose background we learn more about in hints and the rare quiet moments of the story. There’s plenty of action and all-too-realistic violence, as well as a sketch of a fractured America that is terrifyingly believable these days.
If you like twisty, fast-paced thrillers that center queer women of color, then you may love this series as much as I do. (Probably best to start with the first book, A Study in Honor, though if you’re a quick study and comfortable with filling in backstory in your head, you could read this one first.)
July 3, 2019
TL;DR
Claire O’Dell delivers a stunning thriller in The Hound of Justice. This new chapter in the Janet Watson Chronicles has me already wanting another. Highly Recommended.
Cross-posted at my blog, Primmlife.com
The Hound of Justice
Novels offer us options. One could view novels as paths not taken, and dystopian, political, and near-future fiction can be viewed as the path not yet taken. In recent years, the United States has become a divided nation in ways not thought possible just a few decades ago. Hate crimes are on the rise, as is corruption. Citizens of the U.S. are watching one portion of its political elites turn a blind eye to election interference by hostile foreign nations in order to maintain power. The current president lost the popular vote and maintains a 37 – 40% approval rating, no matter what he does, and his administration maintains concentration camps while receiving support from people who dare to call themselves pro-lifers. Dystopian literature looks awful optimistic compared to reality at the moment. Truth and fact themselves are under constant attack. It’s not too difficult to see how with a few things going horribly wrong, a second civil war kicks off. Such a deeply divided U.S.A. forms the backdrop of Claire O’Dell’s A Study in Honor while getting even more fleshed out in the sequel The Hound of Justice. A Study in Honor blew me away with its detailed character work and tight story-telling; so, I had high, high expectations for the sequel. The Hound of Justice exceeded my expectations. Claire O’Dell delivered a story with heart, action, and tension in a future that is unfortunately becoming more plausible every day.
Disclaimer:
I received a free eBook of The Hound of Justice in exchange for an honest review. Also, I won a paperback advanced review copy in a Goodreads contest that I entered before getting access to the eBook.
TL;DR
Claire O’Dell delivers a stunning thriller in The Hound of Justice. This new chapter in the Janet Watson Chronicles has me already wanting another. Highly Recommended.
Story
The Hound of Justice picks up a few months after the action in A Study in Honor. Janet Watson works at Georgetown University Hospital while in physical therapy to resume her calling as a surgeon. Sarah Holmes is suspended from work and depressed. Around the time that Janet meets and begins to date a bookstore owner, Holmes becomes obsessed with the fate of Irene Adler. A terrorist group bombs the D.C. area, and Watson’s hospital strains under the weight of internal politics. From there, the story takes off to an America that is at once familiar, fractured, and yet frighteningly possible.
There exists a mystery here, but it’s not much of a mystery, really. That’s okay, though. Between Watson’s careful, thoughtful observation of life and Holmes’s obsession, these women’s lives make the ride enjoyable. Holmes pretty much has the mystery solved, but to close this ‘case,’ action is required. The Hound of Justice should be categorized as a thriller rather than a mystery because there’s more action than deduction. As a thriller, it works. The pace is much faster than the previous novel while maintaining a compelling level of tension. The story moves easier and faster without losing the touching character moments. The Hound of Justice is intricately plotted with many questions answered and new ones arising. I, for one, look forward to Holmes and Watson’s next adventure.
Character
Once again, I commend Claire O’Dell’s character work here. I love Janet. I absolutely adore her. She’s a veteran, a surgeon, a journaler, a woman, a friend, a family member, and, most importantly of all, a reader. In the first book, she’s barely holding together. Here, she’s farther along her journey back to being a surgeon. At the end of A Study in Honor, Janet’s received a new, much more sophisticated, prosthetic that will let her return to her profession. To facilitate that return, she’s entered physical therapy to learn the fine motor control necessary for surgery. Janet continues to build a post-military life, even making friends and rivals at Georgetown University Hospital. Prior to the disappearance of Holmes, she’s settling into something like a routine. Since this is a novel, that routine is quickly broken.
An advantage of series story-telling is the possibility of real character growth from book to book. Janet has changed; she doesn’t seem to be constantly on edge. As a woman of color, as a soldier suffering from PTSD, she must maintain constant vigilance, but it feels less like she’s fighting for her life at all times. She’s learning how to achieve balance, even to the point where she’s seeking romance. Oddly enough considering the obstacles and threats in it, at the end of the novel Janet’s life is ready to begin a new, better chapter. The story challenges her at every turn, and at each moment, she digs in and does the work.
For a large portion of the novel, Holmes is absent but not far from Watson’s thoughts. Nevertheless, she drives a lot of tension in the overall plot. Her appearances maintain the same over-the-top characteristics as the first novel. I love reading about this version of Holmes while being thankful such a person isn’t in my life. She’s over-bearing without abiding by social conventions; she’s odd, does what she thinks is best, and is a bad ass. In other words, she fits in with all the other incarnations of Sherlock Holmes. By the end of the novel, we learn some of Sarah’s hidden talents. I’d love to know her history. Not a prequel, mind you, just a back story. And her family, we need to learn more about her family.
Politics
Some readers will find The Hound of Justice too political. To be fair, it is a political book, like many thrillers. The question becomes whether the story serves the politics or the politics serve the story. Here, the politics emerge from the setting. Ms. O’Dell built the world with a second civil war tearing apart the United States, which is, of course, a political decision. However, looking at the current and continually deepening division between everyday Americans over politics, even over basic facts, it’s understandable to extrapolate the current divide into an actual civil war. Starting from the assumption of a near-future civil war, the politics of Hound emerge from the characters rather than being imposed upon the characters by the story.
Most likely, these readers will react to the fact that this novel deals with racial politics. The U.S. as a nation has never dealt with its racist roots. When someone points out that the nation began with a racial hierarchy codified into its legal structures, this person is often met with disagreement, confusion, and attempts to shut down the conversation. Why? Because talk of racism is uncomfortable, and it goes directly against the myth of American exceptional-ism. To say this country has problems is often seen as being unpatriotic, as if you’re attacking the nation. In an over-simplified view, criticism means hatred of, but in a realistic view, criticism recognizes that no human made endeavor is perfect. Improvements can always be made with critical introspection. This is the view that I see in The Hound of Justice. O’Dell looks at the state of racial relations in the U.S. with empathy, with an acknowledgment that structural equality does not exist in the United States. Rather than sweep it into the background, Ms. O’Dell puts it front and center as seen through the eyes of an empathetic character. That is the political nature of the book.
It’s clear that Ms. O’Dell did her research on the African-American experience when writing these two books. I could see how this novel would make some people uncomfortable politically, but for me, it’s not a political book. Yes, yes, all fiction is political. What I mean is that it’s not didactic. The Hound of Justice isn’t trying to teach me a lesson. O’Dell tells a story, and it’s a damn good one. It just so happens that this story features a life experience very different from my own.
Conclusion
Claire O’Dell’s The Hound of Justice solidifies this series as a must buy for me. It adds much more action with the deep character work that I enjoyed in the first book. Janet Watson and Sarah Holmes are worth your time getting to know.
9 out of 10!
Claire O’Dell delivers a stunning thriller in The Hound of Justice. This new chapter in the Janet Watson Chronicles has me already wanting another. Highly Recommended.
Cross-posted at my blog, Primmlife.com
The Hound of Justice
Novels offer us options. One could view novels as paths not taken, and dystopian, political, and near-future fiction can be viewed as the path not yet taken. In recent years, the United States has become a divided nation in ways not thought possible just a few decades ago. Hate crimes are on the rise, as is corruption. Citizens of the U.S. are watching one portion of its political elites turn a blind eye to election interference by hostile foreign nations in order to maintain power. The current president lost the popular vote and maintains a 37 – 40% approval rating, no matter what he does, and his administration maintains concentration camps while receiving support from people who dare to call themselves pro-lifers. Dystopian literature looks awful optimistic compared to reality at the moment. Truth and fact themselves are under constant attack. It’s not too difficult to see how with a few things going horribly wrong, a second civil war kicks off. Such a deeply divided U.S.A. forms the backdrop of Claire O’Dell’s A Study in Honor while getting even more fleshed out in the sequel The Hound of Justice. A Study in Honor blew me away with its detailed character work and tight story-telling; so, I had high, high expectations for the sequel. The Hound of Justice exceeded my expectations. Claire O’Dell delivered a story with heart, action, and tension in a future that is unfortunately becoming more plausible every day.
Disclaimer:
I received a free eBook of The Hound of Justice in exchange for an honest review. Also, I won a paperback advanced review copy in a Goodreads contest that I entered before getting access to the eBook.
TL;DR
Claire O’Dell delivers a stunning thriller in The Hound of Justice. This new chapter in the Janet Watson Chronicles has me already wanting another. Highly Recommended.
Story
The Hound of Justice picks up a few months after the action in A Study in Honor. Janet Watson works at Georgetown University Hospital while in physical therapy to resume her calling as a surgeon. Sarah Holmes is suspended from work and depressed. Around the time that Janet meets and begins to date a bookstore owner, Holmes becomes obsessed with the fate of Irene Adler. A terrorist group bombs the D.C. area, and Watson’s hospital strains under the weight of internal politics. From there, the story takes off to an America that is at once familiar, fractured, and yet frighteningly possible.
There exists a mystery here, but it’s not much of a mystery, really. That’s okay, though. Between Watson’s careful, thoughtful observation of life and Holmes’s obsession, these women’s lives make the ride enjoyable. Holmes pretty much has the mystery solved, but to close this ‘case,’ action is required. The Hound of Justice should be categorized as a thriller rather than a mystery because there’s more action than deduction. As a thriller, it works. The pace is much faster than the previous novel while maintaining a compelling level of tension. The story moves easier and faster without losing the touching character moments. The Hound of Justice is intricately plotted with many questions answered and new ones arising. I, for one, look forward to Holmes and Watson’s next adventure.
Character
Once again, I commend Claire O’Dell’s character work here. I love Janet. I absolutely adore her. She’s a veteran, a surgeon, a journaler, a woman, a friend, a family member, and, most importantly of all, a reader. In the first book, she’s barely holding together. Here, she’s farther along her journey back to being a surgeon. At the end of A Study in Honor, Janet’s received a new, much more sophisticated, prosthetic that will let her return to her profession. To facilitate that return, she’s entered physical therapy to learn the fine motor control necessary for surgery. Janet continues to build a post-military life, even making friends and rivals at Georgetown University Hospital. Prior to the disappearance of Holmes, she’s settling into something like a routine. Since this is a novel, that routine is quickly broken.
An advantage of series story-telling is the possibility of real character growth from book to book. Janet has changed; she doesn’t seem to be constantly on edge. As a woman of color, as a soldier suffering from PTSD, she must maintain constant vigilance, but it feels less like she’s fighting for her life at all times. She’s learning how to achieve balance, even to the point where she’s seeking romance. Oddly enough considering the obstacles and threats in it, at the end of the novel Janet’s life is ready to begin a new, better chapter. The story challenges her at every turn, and at each moment, she digs in and does the work.
For a large portion of the novel, Holmes is absent but not far from Watson’s thoughts. Nevertheless, she drives a lot of tension in the overall plot. Her appearances maintain the same over-the-top characteristics as the first novel. I love reading about this version of Holmes while being thankful such a person isn’t in my life. She’s over-bearing without abiding by social conventions; she’s odd, does what she thinks is best, and is a bad ass. In other words, she fits in with all the other incarnations of Sherlock Holmes. By the end of the novel, we learn some of Sarah’s hidden talents. I’d love to know her history. Not a prequel, mind you, just a back story. And her family, we need to learn more about her family.
Politics
Some readers will find The Hound of Justice too political. To be fair, it is a political book, like many thrillers. The question becomes whether the story serves the politics or the politics serve the story. Here, the politics emerge from the setting. Ms. O’Dell built the world with a second civil war tearing apart the United States, which is, of course, a political decision. However, looking at the current and continually deepening division between everyday Americans over politics, even over basic facts, it’s understandable to extrapolate the current divide into an actual civil war. Starting from the assumption of a near-future civil war, the politics of Hound emerge from the characters rather than being imposed upon the characters by the story.
Most likely, these readers will react to the fact that this novel deals with racial politics. The U.S. as a nation has never dealt with its racist roots. When someone points out that the nation began with a racial hierarchy codified into its legal structures, this person is often met with disagreement, confusion, and attempts to shut down the conversation. Why? Because talk of racism is uncomfortable, and it goes directly against the myth of American exceptional-ism. To say this country has problems is often seen as being unpatriotic, as if you’re attacking the nation. In an over-simplified view, criticism means hatred of, but in a realistic view, criticism recognizes that no human made endeavor is perfect. Improvements can always be made with critical introspection. This is the view that I see in The Hound of Justice. O’Dell looks at the state of racial relations in the U.S. with empathy, with an acknowledgment that structural equality does not exist in the United States. Rather than sweep it into the background, Ms. O’Dell puts it front and center as seen through the eyes of an empathetic character. That is the political nature of the book.
It’s clear that Ms. O’Dell did her research on the African-American experience when writing these two books. I could see how this novel would make some people uncomfortable politically, but for me, it’s not a political book. Yes, yes, all fiction is political. What I mean is that it’s not didactic. The Hound of Justice isn’t trying to teach me a lesson. O’Dell tells a story, and it’s a damn good one. It just so happens that this story features a life experience very different from my own.
Conclusion
Claire O’Dell’s The Hound of Justice solidifies this series as a must buy for me. It adds much more action with the deep character work that I enjoyed in the first book. Janet Watson and Sarah Holmes are worth your time getting to know.
9 out of 10!
June 6, 2019
(review from an advance copy)
This book series came along at a great time for me, as the family and I have been in a Sherlock Holmes mood, binge-watching "Elementary," a modern-day procedural where Sherlock has moved to America and Watson is a lady.
This series also flips Watson's gender, and everyone else's. Sherlock is now Sara, Mycroft is Micha. The characters' roles are flipped as well, with Watson now the lead hero.
The story isn't a detective procedural, really, as it contains more elements of sci-fi spy stories, which is not a complaint. The story isn't merely a Holmes homage, either.
Claire O'Dell has set this series in a divided near future that isn't too far-fetched, and incredibly strong women are the heroes.
Against that charged backdrop, the story is engaging, thrilling, and cathartic. Highly recommended.
This book series came along at a great time for me, as the family and I have been in a Sherlock Holmes mood, binge-watching "Elementary," a modern-day procedural where Sherlock has moved to America and Watson is a lady.
This series also flips Watson's gender, and everyone else's. Sherlock is now Sara, Mycroft is Micha. The characters' roles are flipped as well, with Watson now the lead hero.
The story isn't a detective procedural, really, as it contains more elements of sci-fi spy stories, which is not a complaint. The story isn't merely a Holmes homage, either.
Claire O'Dell has set this series in a divided near future that isn't too far-fetched, and incredibly strong women are the heroes.
Against that charged backdrop, the story is engaging, thrilling, and cathartic. Highly recommended.
August 23, 2019
Originally published at Reading Reality
The Hound of Justice is even better than A Study in Honor, and I loved A Study in Honor. But Study needs to set itself up in its near-future variation on our world and its not-quite-pastiche of Holmes and Watson.
When the action picks up in Hound, we’re already there. We know who these women are, and we recognize their world – it’s all too close to our own.
It’s a world that feels like a direct – and not very far future descendant – of the world we know now. Obama was president, and so was Trump. And the U.S. flirted with fascism during the presidency of Trump and his enablers.
Resulting in a leftist backlash, and now a right-center response to that backlash. This is a future that is well within the lifetime of all of us reading the book, and it feels all-too-plausible from here.
Damn it.
It also feels like a variation of the alternative history of last year’s awesome American War. Because somewhere in those swings of the political pendulum, the New Confederacy declared war on the Federal States. It’s an ugly, brutal war, because civil wars are seldom civil at all.
And there are entirely too many people on the side of the supposedly liberal Federal States whose beliefs align much more closely with the Confederacy. Along with entirely too many people who profit from the chaos and carnage – and only care that it continues as long as bloody possible.
After the events of A Study in Honor, Sara Holmes and Dr. Janet Watson are living in the aftermath, where they were right for the wrong reasons, and Sara went rogue from her alphabet agency handlers to get the job done.
The problem is that the job was only partially done. Holmes and Watson will have to go behind enemy lines to finish it.
Or be finished.
Escape Rating A: I found the story in The Hound of Justice to be both fascinating and predictable, and those two things shouldn’t go together – but they do in this case. They really, really do.
Partially, it is that I love the setup. I hate that it feels so very plausible, but it works all too well. It feels like a logical extension of the current political climate – to the point that I was glad to see that my present home of Atlanta does stay within the Federal States.
The Federal States haven’t reached the level of being dystopian, at least not yet. And at least not if you are not black or brown or gay or gender nonconforming or female. Also probably not if you are some variety of Christian, but the fault lines on that particularly axis are not obvious so far, as our heroines are black, lesbian professional women.
Or really, heroine, singular. As in the original Holmes stories, Watson is telling the story of her life with – and often without – Holmes. But the Holmes of the Janet Watson Chronicles is even more mercurial – and less forthcoming – than the original. Truly this is Janet Watson’s story, while Holmes is a catalyst for events more than a participant.
And that’s a good thing, because this Holmes seems to have the emotional depths of a teaspoon – and the original, particularly at the beginning, wasn’t much better.
Janet Watson, on the other hand, feels too much. She’s a wounded war veteran (as was the original) who has to cope with the temporary and perhaps permanent loss of her identity as a surgeon. And has to deal with her ongoing PTSD, a condition that is exacerbated by the events of this story.
Because she feels, we feel with her. Her hopes, her fears, her dreams and especially her nightmares. Because she has to live them, over and over again. And yet, she keeps going. It’s the journey that she keeps going on, the road that she keeps traveling in spite of her fear, that make this story so fascinating.
The predictability factor comes from knowing just a bit about the original Holmes. And on the nature of fiction in series.
The villain was who the villain had to be, because there were so many clues about that job not being taken care of the first time. It just couldn’t be anyone else, particularly with such similar methods. The title of this story is a play on The Hound of the Baskervilles, a story which takes place just before Holmes’ “death” at Reichenbach Falls. Another clue to the ultimate ending of this version.
But there is so much marvelously taut tension in how The Hound of Justice gets from its bloody beginning to its cathartic but not quite victorious end that I got sucked in on the opening page and couldn’t put it down.
I hope that the author returns to these characters and this world, whenever. Preferably ASAP.
The Hound of Justice is even better than A Study in Honor, and I loved A Study in Honor. But Study needs to set itself up in its near-future variation on our world and its not-quite-pastiche of Holmes and Watson.
When the action picks up in Hound, we’re already there. We know who these women are, and we recognize their world – it’s all too close to our own.
It’s a world that feels like a direct – and not very far future descendant – of the world we know now. Obama was president, and so was Trump. And the U.S. flirted with fascism during the presidency of Trump and his enablers.
Resulting in a leftist backlash, and now a right-center response to that backlash. This is a future that is well within the lifetime of all of us reading the book, and it feels all-too-plausible from here.
Damn it.
It also feels like a variation of the alternative history of last year’s awesome American War. Because somewhere in those swings of the political pendulum, the New Confederacy declared war on the Federal States. It’s an ugly, brutal war, because civil wars are seldom civil at all.
And there are entirely too many people on the side of the supposedly liberal Federal States whose beliefs align much more closely with the Confederacy. Along with entirely too many people who profit from the chaos and carnage – and only care that it continues as long as bloody possible.
After the events of A Study in Honor, Sara Holmes and Dr. Janet Watson are living in the aftermath, where they were right for the wrong reasons, and Sara went rogue from her alphabet agency handlers to get the job done.
The problem is that the job was only partially done. Holmes and Watson will have to go behind enemy lines to finish it.
Or be finished.
Escape Rating A: I found the story in The Hound of Justice to be both fascinating and predictable, and those two things shouldn’t go together – but they do in this case. They really, really do.
Partially, it is that I love the setup. I hate that it feels so very plausible, but it works all too well. It feels like a logical extension of the current political climate – to the point that I was glad to see that my present home of Atlanta does stay within the Federal States.
The Federal States haven’t reached the level of being dystopian, at least not yet. And at least not if you are not black or brown or gay or gender nonconforming or female. Also probably not if you are some variety of Christian, but the fault lines on that particularly axis are not obvious so far, as our heroines are black, lesbian professional women.
Or really, heroine, singular. As in the original Holmes stories, Watson is telling the story of her life with – and often without – Holmes. But the Holmes of the Janet Watson Chronicles is even more mercurial – and less forthcoming – than the original. Truly this is Janet Watson’s story, while Holmes is a catalyst for events more than a participant.
And that’s a good thing, because this Holmes seems to have the emotional depths of a teaspoon – and the original, particularly at the beginning, wasn’t much better.
Janet Watson, on the other hand, feels too much. She’s a wounded war veteran (as was the original) who has to cope with the temporary and perhaps permanent loss of her identity as a surgeon. And has to deal with her ongoing PTSD, a condition that is exacerbated by the events of this story.
Because she feels, we feel with her. Her hopes, her fears, her dreams and especially her nightmares. Because she has to live them, over and over again. And yet, she keeps going. It’s the journey that she keeps going on, the road that she keeps traveling in spite of her fear, that make this story so fascinating.
The predictability factor comes from knowing just a bit about the original Holmes. And on the nature of fiction in series.
The villain was who the villain had to be, because there were so many clues about that job not being taken care of the first time. It just couldn’t be anyone else, particularly with such similar methods. The title of this story is a play on The Hound of the Baskervilles, a story which takes place just before Holmes’ “death” at Reichenbach Falls. Another clue to the ultimate ending of this version.
But there is so much marvelously taut tension in how The Hound of Justice gets from its bloody beginning to its cathartic but not quite victorious end that I got sucked in on the opening page and couldn’t put it down.
I hope that the author returns to these characters and this world, whenever. Preferably ASAP.
October 29, 2019
Part of what determines whether I give a book four or five stars on Goodreads is if I find myself at odd times of the day wanting to go back to reading it, or when it keeps me up late to finish. The Hound of Justice is one such novel, an excellent follow-up to the first of the Janet Watson Chronicles. Because we are already familiar with the near-future dystopian America from A Study in Honor we can get right into the story, and I especially enjoyed seeing Dr. Watson try to re-establish herself as a successful surgeon.
We also learn more about Sara's family, Janet's dating life, Janet's family, and why the Confederacy continues to wreak havoc on society in a divided country. I liked the focus on the characters in this book (even more than the mystery) and it bodes well for further Holmes/Watson stories going forward.
We also learn more about Sara's family, Janet's dating life, Janet's family, and why the Confederacy continues to wreak havoc on society in a divided country. I liked the focus on the characters in this book (even more than the mystery) and it bodes well for further Holmes/Watson stories going forward.
October 2, 2019
My only complaint about this book is that it takes nearly half the book until the main plot gets going. Don’t get me wrong I love Janet Watson, but I wanted to see more interaction between her and Sara Holmes. There was barely any Sara! The first 141 pages could have been condensed into 50 pages I feel- so much setup for the actual conflict to get going.
When it got going though, I was so engaged! Loved the action and the espionage, Janet worked so well like that, instead of moping around the hospital. I appreciate the story and the diversions it takes from the original, and love all the discussion on racism, politics, and PTSD.
Also, something to be considered is that the author is a white woman writing about multiple black characters and exploring black culture- could be problematic and I wonder what black readers would think about these depictions. I personally loved that nearly every single character was a POC and there were multiple queer relationships, but it definitely isn’t an own voices novel.
When it got going though, I was so engaged! Loved the action and the espionage, Janet worked so well like that, instead of moping around the hospital. I appreciate the story and the diversions it takes from the original, and love all the discussion on racism, politics, and PTSD.
Also, something to be considered is that the author is a white woman writing about multiple black characters and exploring black culture- could be problematic and I wonder what black readers would think about these depictions. I personally loved that nearly every single character was a POC and there were multiple queer relationships, but it definitely isn’t an own voices novel.
November 26, 2019
Wow! I was given this book in exchange for an honest review ... but since it is a sequel, I wanted to read the first book of the series before getting to this one. I am glad I did, because I got so much more out of it than I think I would have had I not read the first book.
I love Sara Holmes! Part of me wishes that her and Janet were lovers instead of Janet and Adanna Jones. I just love them together. They kick ass! This book was more action packed whereas the first book was more suspense. I am glad Sara isn’t dead though. Phew... if she was, I would’ve been so mad!
I love Sara Holmes! Part of me wishes that her and Janet were lovers instead of Janet and Adanna Jones. I just love them together. They kick ass! This book was more action packed whereas the first book was more suspense. I am glad Sara isn’t dead though. Phew... if she was, I would’ve been so mad!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2019
There are undercurrents of Homes and Watson (Conan Doyle's) but they are deep subtext. These novels have been engaging on their own merits and the added reference to Sherlock and John merely spice the stew. Be aware, these are very much about the present and our state of complication, told in an elegantly confident voice and offering an all-too-plausible scenario and crimes to match. I look forward to the next very much.
August 7, 2019
For those unfamiliar with this series, it's an update on Holmes and Watson with the emphasis on Watson. Janet Watson, M.D., is a traumatized vet who lost an arm in an uprising - this series is set a few decades in the future after the second American Civil War. She has a new robotic arm which she is getting used to, doing the tedious work of the therapy required so she can one day be a surgeon again.
Her Holmes is the brilliant Sara Holmes, but this is Watson's story. This second novel is basically a caper book, but it advances Watson's character growth as she grows more comfortable with who she is now after all the damage that has been done to her. I like that we see her go back to her family in this book, so we get a much stronger sense of where she came from. We also see her in a professional setting, and see the efforts she makes to remain professional with those who have not experienced her trauma and just don't get it.
Her Holmes is the brilliant Sara Holmes, but this is Watson's story. This second novel is basically a caper book, but it advances Watson's character growth as she grows more comfortable with who she is now after all the damage that has been done to her. I like that we see her go back to her family in this book, so we get a much stronger sense of where she came from. We also see her in a professional setting, and see the efforts she makes to remain professional with those who have not experienced her trauma and just don't get it.
August 11, 2019
A satisfying continuation of the Janet Watson Chronicles.
August 8, 2019
enjoyed this one more then the first. thank you harpercollins for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2019
Another fantastic work by this author in this series. An amazing mix of dystopia, mystery, adventure, and political commentary. This series is so well-written that, if it weren't for the sci-fi aspects, the stories could almost be believable. And that makes them a little bit horror as well.
June 1, 2019
Claire O'Dell's follow-up to her wonderful Holmesian pastiche " A Study in Honor" is in every way equal to its predecessor. Once again O'Dell has brought Holmes and Watson to new and modern life in a mystery that reflects the racial and political concerns of our fractured America. O'Dell brings her usual depth of character development and emotion to this new book, focusing particularly on Janet Watson standing alone (whereas the first book charted Janet's relationship with Sara Holmes). Janet is a strong and at the same time broken character, and O'Dell skilfully explores her growth and her coming back from a terrible, terrible place into a more fulfilling life.
Want to read
March 25, 2019I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and will review once I've read it.
August 9, 2019
3.5-star read
Dr. Janet Watson returned to Washington D.C. from the new American Civil War filled with anger, PTSD, and without a home or job. She eventually did find a home with Sarah Holmes, a government agent, and a job with the VA. The job situation didn't last very long and ended with Janet and Sarah uncovering some unsavory connections between Adler Industries and the VA. On a happy note, Janet wound up with a new job at Georgetown University Hospital as a surgeon and a new prosthesis. But all is not right in Dr. Janet Watson's world. People are dying in the hospital of unknown causes, her roommate vanishes mysteriously, her grandmother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, her deadline to become a practicing surgeon gets pushed back, and she gets roped into doing a presentation at a medical conference where her ex will also be presenting. After Sara disappears, Janet receives a notification from Hudson Realty to vacate the premises, and then receives a mysterious notice from Sara's cousin Micha that Janet should take a leave of absence from her job to help Sara out on a job behind enemy lines. It's bad enough that Sara's disappearance is interfering with Janet's job, but now it's expected that Janet should use her family—her ailing grandmother in the deep South—as an excuse to travel into the New Confederacy. The last adventure Sara became embroiled in involved Nadine Adler, Adler Industries, and ended with Janet being shot. This time, Janet is expected to use her surgical skills (untested skills at that on an unknown subject), behind enemy lines, and she just might be going up against Nadine Adler again along with the Brotherhood of Redemption. Will Janet be able to successfully complete this mission or are Sara and Micha expecting too much from their friend Dr. Watson this time?
I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Janet Watson Chronicles, A Study in Honor. Sara Holmes is quite unlike the modern Sherlock Holmes characters we've seen in movies and television. She's very intelligent, just like the original fictional Sherlock and somewhat of a recluse, but this Holmes works with the FBI and has an extended family support system by means of her cousins and grandmother. Janet Watson is very similar to Dr. John Watson in that she is a war veteran, a physician, and has an estranged sibling, but the similarities end there. This Dr. Watson and Holmes are strong, Black, females and Dr. Watson is a lesbian. These ladies are residing in a time that is not quite post-apocalyptic but definitely a dystopian world where the United States has experienced a new Civil War and confederate states have successfully seceded from the US and are attempting to stage a coup/assassination of the newly elected president. This Watson and Holmes duo feature a Hudson and Adler, but they are unlike the Hudson and Adler seen in previous iterations of Watson and Holmes' stories. The Hound of Justice made for a nice follow-up to A Study in Honor and was a fast-paced and engaging read. I loved the interaction between Janet Watson and her occupational therapist, her psych therapist, her love interest (a bookstore owner), her colleagues, her family, and, of course, with Holmes and the Holmes family. The Hound of Justice offers mystery, political intrigue, slight romance (although not the overriding theme), self-realization, family angst and drama (on both the part of Watson and even Holmes to a certain extent), along with the overriding theme of friendship and what we're willing to do for the sake of our friends and what is right. Just in case you can't tell, I really enjoyed The Hound of Justice and sincerely hope there will be another installment in the Janet Watson Chronicles because I can't accept that this is where it ends. I strongly encourage you to grab copies of A Study in Honor and The Hound of Justice by Claire O'Dell to read. This is one series you won't want to miss out on. Happy Reading y'all! 📖
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review originally posted on 08/09/2019 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/201....
Dr. Janet Watson returned to Washington D.C. from the new American Civil War filled with anger, PTSD, and without a home or job. She eventually did find a home with Sarah Holmes, a government agent, and a job with the VA. The job situation didn't last very long and ended with Janet and Sarah uncovering some unsavory connections between Adler Industries and the VA. On a happy note, Janet wound up with a new job at Georgetown University Hospital as a surgeon and a new prosthesis. But all is not right in Dr. Janet Watson's world. People are dying in the hospital of unknown causes, her roommate vanishes mysteriously, her grandmother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, her deadline to become a practicing surgeon gets pushed back, and she gets roped into doing a presentation at a medical conference where her ex will also be presenting. After Sara disappears, Janet receives a notification from Hudson Realty to vacate the premises, and then receives a mysterious notice from Sara's cousin Micha that Janet should take a leave of absence from her job to help Sara out on a job behind enemy lines. It's bad enough that Sara's disappearance is interfering with Janet's job, but now it's expected that Janet should use her family—her ailing grandmother in the deep South—as an excuse to travel into the New Confederacy. The last adventure Sara became embroiled in involved Nadine Adler, Adler Industries, and ended with Janet being shot. This time, Janet is expected to use her surgical skills (untested skills at that on an unknown subject), behind enemy lines, and she just might be going up against Nadine Adler again along with the Brotherhood of Redemption. Will Janet be able to successfully complete this mission or are Sara and Micha expecting too much from their friend Dr. Watson this time?
I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Janet Watson Chronicles, A Study in Honor. Sara Holmes is quite unlike the modern Sherlock Holmes characters we've seen in movies and television. She's very intelligent, just like the original fictional Sherlock and somewhat of a recluse, but this Holmes works with the FBI and has an extended family support system by means of her cousins and grandmother. Janet Watson is very similar to Dr. John Watson in that she is a war veteran, a physician, and has an estranged sibling, but the similarities end there. This Dr. Watson and Holmes are strong, Black, females and Dr. Watson is a lesbian. These ladies are residing in a time that is not quite post-apocalyptic but definitely a dystopian world where the United States has experienced a new Civil War and confederate states have successfully seceded from the US and are attempting to stage a coup/assassination of the newly elected president. This Watson and Holmes duo feature a Hudson and Adler, but they are unlike the Hudson and Adler seen in previous iterations of Watson and Holmes' stories. The Hound of Justice made for a nice follow-up to A Study in Honor and was a fast-paced and engaging read. I loved the interaction between Janet Watson and her occupational therapist, her psych therapist, her love interest (a bookstore owner), her colleagues, her family, and, of course, with Holmes and the Holmes family. The Hound of Justice offers mystery, political intrigue, slight romance (although not the overriding theme), self-realization, family angst and drama (on both the part of Watson and even Holmes to a certain extent), along with the overriding theme of friendship and what we're willing to do for the sake of our friends and what is right. Just in case you can't tell, I really enjoyed The Hound of Justice and sincerely hope there will be another installment in the Janet Watson Chronicles because I can't accept that this is where it ends. I strongly encourage you to grab copies of A Study in Honor and The Hound of Justice by Claire O'Dell to read. This is one series you won't want to miss out on. Happy Reading y'all! 📖
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review originally posted on 08/09/2019 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/201....
May 14, 2019
The Hound of Justice by Claire O’Dell
This is a book in the Janet Watson Chronicle, a follow up to A Study in Honor. Janet Watson is a surgeon injured in the war. She finds herself embroiled in politics due to her friendship with Sara Holmes, an agent so sometime from some part of the government. Dr. Watson is drawn into the intrigue by her desire to see justice done to a corporation who caused the death of so many soldiers.
O’Dell provides an in-depth character study of Dr. Watson. Watson suffers from PTSD as well as guilt over what more she should or could of done in the attack that took her arm. Dr. Watson is also looking for love and struggling to find those she can trust.
The idea of a new Confederacy and a return to wide spread bigotry based on color is repugnant. Dismayingly the headlines seem to indicate that racial and religious bigotry are alive and disgustingly well in a shockingly large splinter of society. O’Dell addresses this and foreshadows a future that could be unless our society rejects the messages of hate that have been promogulated lately.
This is an entertaining book that provides serious food for thought.
This is a book in the Janet Watson Chronicle, a follow up to A Study in Honor. Janet Watson is a surgeon injured in the war. She finds herself embroiled in politics due to her friendship with Sara Holmes, an agent so sometime from some part of the government. Dr. Watson is drawn into the intrigue by her desire to see justice done to a corporation who caused the death of so many soldiers.
O’Dell provides an in-depth character study of Dr. Watson. Watson suffers from PTSD as well as guilt over what more she should or could of done in the attack that took her arm. Dr. Watson is also looking for love and struggling to find those she can trust.
The idea of a new Confederacy and a return to wide spread bigotry based on color is repugnant. Dismayingly the headlines seem to indicate that racial and religious bigotry are alive and disgustingly well in a shockingly large splinter of society. O’Dell addresses this and foreshadows a future that could be unless our society rejects the messages of hate that have been promogulated lately.
This is an entertaining book that provides serious food for thought.
September 24, 2023
This novel is the second in the Janet Watson series. Yes, it is inspired by Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (Janet is a surgeon). Set in an alternate near future that is darker than I hope it shall be here in the US, it made me think about how I view this world. There is so much dividing people in this book: racism, treatment of veterans, medical care access, class divides. Family unites this world.
It is a very political book. This quotation sums it up for me:
“Politics,” I said, “in short, isn’t just a section in the feeds and squirts. It’s not just a topic for conversation. It’s woven through every facet of our lives, including medicine. Politics drives our decisions about which diseases to research, which ones aren’t important. It determines where we allocate our time, our doctors, and our funding.
“It decides who lives, and who dies.”
It is also a mystery, thriller, and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a challenging book. I hope some day there is another book in this series; I would read it in a heartbeat.
Highly recommended for those who have read A Study in Honor.
It is a very political book. This quotation sums it up for me:
“Politics,” I said, “in short, isn’t just a section in the feeds and squirts. It’s not just a topic for conversation. It’s woven through every facet of our lives, including medicine. Politics drives our decisions about which diseases to research, which ones aren’t important. It determines where we allocate our time, our doctors, and our funding.
“It decides who lives, and who dies.”
It is also a mystery, thriller, and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a challenging book. I hope some day there is another book in this series; I would read it in a heartbeat.
Highly recommended for those who have read A Study in Honor.
May 29, 2019
I finally received my ARC of this book, for which I was looking forward to receiving, for my honest review. I am always very appreciative when I receive same even, as is the case here, if it is received later than when one normally receives a book which they have won.
Nonetheless, I did not finish reading this book for one reason. I understand that the book was a work of fiction, however I resent it when an author attempts to push his or her personal political agenda by using partisan innuendos within the story. I gulped as I passed over the first one, but continued reading. The second one, however, left no doubt in my mind as to what was occurring.
The book may have contained an extremely good story. However I'm well past the age where one is brainwashed by a liberal professor into thinking as they do, even if I was already a liberal to begin with. If before the book goes to press for the final version these subtle comments are removed, I'd be more than happy to read the entire book.
Nonetheless, I did not finish reading this book for one reason. I understand that the book was a work of fiction, however I resent it when an author attempts to push his or her personal political agenda by using partisan innuendos within the story. I gulped as I passed over the first one, but continued reading. The second one, however, left no doubt in my mind as to what was occurring.
The book may have contained an extremely good story. However I'm well past the age where one is brainwashed by a liberal professor into thinking as they do, even if I was already a liberal to begin with. If before the book goes to press for the final version these subtle comments are removed, I'd be more than happy to read the entire book.
December 23, 2021
Boy, one of the worst books I've ever read. The writing is unbelievably stilted; so much of it reads like a newsletter describing the action, and it isn't immersive at all. The inserted politics, the references to Trump or nationalized healthcare or police brutality strike incredibly fake, like someone turned a bland political mailer into a book. It really feels like the author has a very general sense of social justice without any actual experience with it, and then she tried to hamfist it all in a book because "all books are political."
The way I described this book to my husband was: it gave me the same feeling as this libertarian satire short story, except for liberals, and unironic. It was that bad.
The way I described this book to my husband was: it gave me the same feeling as this libertarian satire short story, except for liberals, and unironic. It was that bad.
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