What Child is This?

A Sherlock Holmes Adventure #5

by Bonnie MacBird, Frank Cho (Illustrator)

It’s the season of peace and goodwill, but a Victorian Christmas is no holiday for the world’s most popular detective in this new book from Bonnie MacBird, author of the bestselling Sherlock Holmes novel Art in the Blood.

It’s Christmastime in London, and Sherlock Holmes takes on two cases. The angelic three-year-old child of a wealthy couple is the target of a vicious kidnapper, and a country aristocrat worries that his handsome, favourite son has mysteriously vanished from his London pied à terre. Holmes and Watson, aided by the colourful Heffie O’Malley, slip slide in the ice to ensure a merry Christmas is had by nearly everybody . . .

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Historical Fiction, Fiction, British Literature, Holiday, Historical

228 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2022

About the author

Bonnie MacBird has been a screenwriter (TRON), studio executive (Universal) producer (three Emmys), a playwright and a classically trained actor. She taught writing at UCLA Extension's Writers' Program, and is a regular speaker on writing, creativity, and Sherlock Holmes.

She has five Sherlock Holmes novels, out now: ART IN THE BLOOD (2015), UNQUIET SPIRITS (2017) and THE DEVIL'S DUE (2019), THE THREE LOCKS (2020) and WHAT CHILD IS THIS? (2021). A sixth is in work. All are for HarperCollins

MacBird lives in Los Angeles and London

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas is the perfect time to reread this Holmes adventure.
In Bonnie MacBird's fifth novel featuring the great detective we find Holmes & Watson investigating two cases: the attempted kidnapping of a child & the disappearance of the Marquis of Blandbury's twenty-one year old son.
MacBird fills the pages of her novel with drama, humour, action, enotion & much more. Here, as in her previous novels, Holmes & Watson are a brilliant combination of Conan Doyle's creations & her own unique take on them.
Frank Cho provides some nice illustrations to accompany the story & there's a brilliant plot twist that causes Holmes & Watson's friend Heffie to exclaim "Well, Doc, I thought I'd seen plenty, but I'll admit I didn't see that one coming, neither." Nor did I, Heffie. Nor did I!!

[Mimi Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my endorsement:

Victorian London comes alive in this enthralling Christmas mystery, written with intelligence, style, and lovely period detail.

[4cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to giving this a read, unfortunately it didn't hit the spot. I worked it out immediately, so there isn't really a mystery, it feels like it's just box ticking. The writing felt lazy at times with references to Bonnie MacBird's previous Holmes and Watson novels thrown in for those readers who are new to the series. There are some excellent modern takes on the Holmes canon however this wasn't one.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read an early copy.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, until the author unfortunately decided to add a completely unrelated sub plot/second case. When that case comes to Holmes you can see the possibility of it, but it could also be a regular case. But 142 pages in the author decides to go full woke agenda. It is a unnecessary reach and doesn’t even flow well. And like I mentioned above, is completely unattached to the original storyline. Adding agendas to books, simply to tick a box of your being aligned with current social relevancy is poor writing.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review to come.

What Child is This? (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure #5) by Bonnie MacBird was easily one of my most highly anticipated reads. I'm so lucky to have been approved for this ARC via NetGalley because it totally lived up to the hype I'd built up for it. I love this author's take on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. They feel very much like Arthur Conan Doyle's originals, and she's still able to keep them fresh. I know I've said this with every book, but this series just keeps getting better and better as it goes along. I'm not always a fan of holiday themed stories, but this was just delightful from the world-building of Victorian era London to our cast of characters. If you're a fan of Jeremy Brett's Holmes and David Burke's Watson, you can't miss this book. I hope we'll get to visit these characters again in the future.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been looking forward to reading this, unfortunately unlike Bonnie MacBird's previous Sherlock Holmes books this left me feeling a bit flat. Sherlock has two cases to investigate, but I had solved them long before the reveal.
However I did really like the illustrations.
If all you want is an easy read, then this is for you.
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC

[Mongorzel Stepowy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From today, it is the best Christmas book in my opinion. Better than "Christmas Carol" with better Ebenezer Scrooge in a lead.

The climate is wonderful, the cases simple, but gripping and the characters well written. My favourite (except for Holmes and Watson, of course) was propably Peter. I feel sympathy for him and kind of respect. I can only imagine, how hard is decision to leave your child with strangers knowing that you never give it that what it gets from adoptive parents. And he... he is a good man, who just lost himself and just love his son, which he can't have.

The ilustrations by Frank Cho were wonderful and he is such a great ilustrator. I think he is Sidney Paget our times. My favourite was this from chapter "Baby Village". It was kind of... melancholy? I don't know, but it affected me and... just was and is my favourite.

So on the next Christmas you must sit in chair with plate of gingerbread, glass of tea, cocoa or something harder and read this book listening "God Rest Ye Marry Gentleman". It will be the greatest Christmas in your life.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Christmas time story!
I enjoyed the terrific illustrations too.

I hope to see more stories in the future as this is the last one published.

[Caitlin Gonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the season of peace and goodwill, but a Victorian Christmas is no holiday for the world’s most popular detective in this new book from Bonnie MacBird, author of the bestselling Sherlock Holmes novel Art in the Blood.

It’s Christmastime in London, and Sherlock Holmes takes on two cases. The angelic three-year-old child of a wealthy couple is the target of a vicious kidnapper, and a country aristocrat worries that his handsome, favourite son has mysteriously vanished from his London pied à terre. Holmes and Watson, aided by the colourful Heffie O’Malley, slip slide in the ice to ensure a merry Christmas is had by nearly everybody . . . (Goodreads synopsis)

I have read one of Bonnie MacBird’s previous Sherlock Holmes novels prior to this one, so I must admit that I did not have the complete backstory for their young friend Heffie. That did not, however, take away from the story at all, as it was obvious that Heffie had originally been a part of Sherlock’s Baker Street Irregulars network.

There were 2 mysteries, and I am somewhat disappointed to say that I had figured out both solutions before the ending. However, I still enjoyed Holmes (and MacBird’s portrayal) and his empathy towards the individuals. Sherlock may not view it as such, but Watson and loyal friends do.

Jean Vidocq also makes an appearance, and I really wish the author had given the reader the scene for the thrashing, instead of just telling us. I found it interesting that the English servants would prefer Holmes over Vidocq, but that Lord Endicott would refer to Holmes as an amateur. Guess it was one to show that the “below stairs” were/are more sensible to life than the “above stairs.”

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars, because it is a great Christmas mystery read filled with intriguing and lots of emotion.

[Kara Linaburg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the character and world, which held a very similar flavor to the original stories. The language and writing style was a bit modern at times, but that didn't bother me much and allowed the book to be very readable. Sherlock and John also remained true to the original but I had a very BIG reason I didn't like this read: it never made Sherlock smart. I love seeing him deduce from pure logic, and while Sherlock's personality remains the same -- we don't get to see his smarts. We love Sherlock Holmes because we want to see how he solves the mystery and I felt like we weren't getting that.
On top of that, the longer the book went on, the more boring it got. Sherlock wasn't deducing really anything and the plot felt a bit stale.
If you aren't looking for Sherlock's smarts here or a super thrilling read and just want to hang out with Doyle's characters for a a Christmas season, you may enjoy it, but it wasn't for me.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Watson is visiting Baker Street over the Christmas holidays, trying to bring his friend Holmes some holiday cheer. But Holmes is having none of it, until he helps rescue a small child from a brazen daylight kidnapping attempt. To Holmes, the only way of ensuring the little boy's safety is finding the kidnapper and his motive. But things are not always what they seem, as is proven when he also accepts the case of a young man who has disappeared from his flat and stopped writing to his adoring parents. Holmes employs Hepzibah, better known as Heffie, to help in both cases.

[Matt Witten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet, fun novel. It has all the virtues of Bonnie MacBirds' other Sherlock Holmes novels - fast pace, entertaining and complex characters, and a social conscience that links issues in Holmes' time to issues in our own time. In addition, What Child Is This? shows a deeply caring side of the man.

[Stacy Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want historical fiction to be authentic to the time. This very much feels like it was written today. Sherlock makes a decision that I honestly don't think he would make.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macbird brings Christmas alive and takes us through the streets of Victorian London with Holmes as we try to solve the two mysteries.

This is the fifth in the Sherlock Holmes Adventure series. Sticking with tradition the story is narrated by Sherlock's trusty sidekick Watson.

The descriptions of a Victorian Christmas are absolutely gorgeous; clove studded oranges, mulled wine, candies and the candles on the tree.

Well written, obviously with some great main characters in Holmes and Watson. And a great new take on recreating our favourite detectives with some fantastic new stories and introducing them to new eyes.

Macbird's passion for Holmes shines through on every page and I can't wait to devour the other books in the series.

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in less than 2 days. Macbird is one of my favourite Holmes authors, and this latest in her series doesn’t disappoint! The cases were clever and emotional, and really showed the responsibility that Holmes had when deciding how to deliver his accusations, with the impact that these have on the victims and people involved in the crimes. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking in parts, and as always I love Watson and Holmes’ chemistry. I also love how Macbird is gradually exploring Holmes’ background more, and I hope that in future instalments we get to learn even more about his past.

[Samanthasquare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Christmas time and the proficient Sherlock Holmes!

[Teresa Rokas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson solve 2 mysteries during the Christmas season. The author channels Conan Doyle's writing style. The atmosphere of a Victorian Christmas is captured.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to read all of her Sherlock books now.

[Jim Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book to read

I enjoyed this book. I like the Holmes Christmas stories. Good and fun plot. I will read more in this series

[Brianna Shrout · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from HarperCollins Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The famous Sherlock Holmes is at it again and this time, just in time for Christmas. Christmas spirit won't get in the way of this Scrooge when it comes to solving mysteries. This Scrooge is the best known detective and for good reason. That's why, this Christmas season, Holmes takes on two new cases, both of loving parents concerned for their children. Can Sherlock "Scrooge" Holmes save Christmas for these two families before it is too late? Can his colleague and friend, Dr. Watson, help Holmes find that little spark of Christmas spirit buried in him somewhere?

"What Child is This?" is my first novel by Bonnie MacBird and my very first Sherlock Holmes novel as well. Don't get me wrong; everyone and their mother knows who Sherlock Holmes is. Am I the only one that pictures Robert Downey Jr. when I think of Sherlock Holmes? Just me? Okay...anyway!

The book is told from the perspective of Dr. Watson. I was not fully into the book at first. As both Watson and Holmes are extremely smart and have amazing vernacular, the language was at times a bit hard to wrap around. But after the first couple chapters and getting used to the verbiage, I really started getting into the book.

As Holmes and Watson are walking along Oxford Street, Holmes being his usual "ba-humbug" self, that happen across a man seemingly trying to rip a young boy out the arms of a woma and her maid. Of course, as good citizens, Watson and Holmes immediately jump in to try to help. The boy is reached away from the man and as the man takes off, Holmes attempts to run after him and capture him for questioning. Upon returning to 221B Baker Street, it seems as though Holmes' mind is already stirring around, trying to figure out the mystery. He even predicted Lady Endicott showing up to 221B looking for Holmes' help. To Watson's delight and a bit of confusion, Holmes agrees to take on the case.

As the duo is leaving, they are approached by another Lord, demanding their help with his "missing" son. His youngest son and his and his wife's favorite child, has seemingly gone missing after moving to the London area. The father has called on the son numerous times only to be met with the valet/bellman telling him that his son is out or some other excuse. The mother is absolutely distraught and extremely worried about her son. Again, much to Watson's surprise, Holmes agrees to take the case.

As mentioned, the verbiage of the book was very difficult to get into at first. But as the book progressed, it began easier and easier to understand. While I did enjoy this book, it flashed back too many times to other Holmes' stories and while it is stated that the books can be read in any order, it definitively did feel like at times I was missing out on something that had happened in a prior novel. I've never been a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and it's not completely Sherlock's fault. I've just never been super big into detective stories. But as one of my first Holmes novel and one of my first full length detective novel, I did enjoy it.

The timeline seemed to jump so often and there was so many things that seemed to resolve themselves before you know it without any lead up or explanation. I felt lost at times and didn't like the way that the novel was written as if Watson, the narrator was breaking the 4th wall and at times felt like he was directly talking to the audience. I felt that it took away from the story and did not enhance the story.

Overall, it was a good read and I did enjoy it. Would I be willing to pick up another Holmes novel? Yes. But would I be willing to go out of my way to get any new Holmes novel? No, I don't think so. I was hoping this would create a Holmes fan out of me but it definitively did not do that.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a strange magic about Nabami afternoons and nights, isn’t there? Any Kolkatan would vouch for it. The city feels brighter and sadder at the same time, like someone has turned the saturation up and the volume down. The lights shimmer harder, the crowds move slower, and everything — from the scent of shiuli to the rhythm of the dhaak — feels thick with meaning. It’s in that liminal glow, somewhere between celebration and the slow ache of impending farewell, that ‘What Child Is This?’ finds its perfect emotional home.

MacBird’s fifth Holmes adventure isn’t just a detective novella—it’s a mood, a winter-lantern kind of story, a quiet hymn sung under Victorian streetlamps. But read on, Nabami? Oh, then it becomes something else entirely. It becomes a puja-night prayer disguised as a mystery, a search for one missing child that feels like a search for innocence itself — the kind we lose every year as Dashami approaches, and the city prepares to let go of the goddess.

Holmes in this book is different — or rather, MacBird tunes him differently. He’s sharper, yes, alert like a cat that hasn’t slept for three days, but there’s a tenderness here, buried deep, like a pradeep flickering at the back of a shrine. Maybe it’s because the story revolves around a child. Maybe it’s the season (in the book it’s Christmas; in your world it was Puja). Maybe it’s that thing festivals do to us — strip us of cynicism without asking permission.

Watson, too, feels warmer, more present, and more bruised by compassion. He narrates the story like someone who can’t help caring too much, like that friend who stays up with you in the pandal until 3 a.m. because the night is too beautiful to waste on sleep.

And when he moves through London’s fog — orphanages, alleyways, carriages clicking past gaslight — you sense the soft melancholy of Nabami in his voice. The knowledge that the story will end. That the festival will end. That moment will slip away like vermilion into river water.

The plot itself revolves around a missing child and a question of identity, protection, and the fractures created by power.

But MacBird doesn’t treat the mystery like a puzzle. She treats it like a wound.

A wound that Holmes examines with precision and Watson with empathy. The result is a narrative that feels both sharp and tender, like those Dhunuchi dancers on Navami — fierce smoke, soft glow.

There’s something incredibly cinematic about the way MacBird sketches London here. Snow falling, bells chiming, lamps glowing like frozen sparks in the cold night air. But because I was reading this on Nabami, my brain probably filled those snowy London streets with the texture of Kolkata nights instead — the yellow glow of streetlights bouncing off pandal cloth; children running, their laughter blending with conch shells; women in red-bordered saris leaving trails of perfume and nostalgia behind them.

And somehow, impossibly, it works. Victorian Christmas and Bengali Pujo shouldn’t blend, but in this book, through your reading, they do. Because both festivals are about light in darkness. Both are about gods who come to visit mortals. Both are about kindness, community, and the fragile humans who hold each other up.

MacBird’s strength has always been her ability to balance Doyle’s classical structure with a contemporary emotional frequency. Here she takes that balance and turns it intimate. Almost devotional. As if she’s writing not just a Holmes case but a small prayer for the vulnerable — the lost children, the forgotten souls, the people who hide pain behind politeness.

And during Pujo — that festival of a mother coming home to her children — the story hits harder. The question of “What child is this?” grows large, symbolic, and mythic. Every orphan becomes a Mahalaya yearning. Every search becomes an offering.

Holmes, for once, shows cracks. Not weakness — never that — but the shadow of empathy. It’s subtle, like the moment when the dhaak slows during sandhi puja, giving you just enough breathing room to feel your own pulse.

And Watson witnesses these cracks with something akin to reverence, as if he too recognises that moments of emotion in Holmes are rare, fleeting, and sacred, like a glimpse of the goddess’s face when the pandal lights shift.

The dialogues snap with MacBird’s usual energy — crisp and witty, but also unexpectedly soft around the edges. There’s a rhythm to them, as if the sentences were written with half an ear tuned to carols and half to puja mantras.

And the supporting characters — orphans, caretakers, men with wealth but little conscience — feel real without becoming theatrical. She gives even the antagonistic figures small moments of humanity, reminding you that villains do not always arrive with horns. Sometimes they come with misunderstood intentions or with the softness of privilege that has never been challenged.

The postmodern flavour comes in whispers. Not through fragmentation, but through the awareness of myth-making — how stories about heroes grow, how narratives shape public memory, and how Watson isn’t just recording a case but crafting a legacy.

There are flickers where you feel the text looking at itself, acknowledging the long lineage of Holmes stories, acknowledging your act of reading, and acknowledging the tradition you carry by engaging with it. It’s subtle. Like the way Pujo pandals often embed self-referential motifs — a goddess who contains symbols of previous years, a design that honours the artisan community that built it.

And then there’s the emotional. It is Nabami through and through. The story begins with anticipation, builds with warmth and rising light, and ends with a note of tenderness so gentle you almost miss the heartache underneath. It’s the same emotional slope Pujo follows: joy, communion, crescendo, and ache. The book’s final mood mirrors Dashami morning — that soft knot in the chest, the beauty of closure, and the knowledge that returning home also means leaving something behind.

What’s extraordinary is how little MacBird needs to ‘say’ to create that effect. She writes with restraint, trusting the reader to hear the echo behind the silence. In that, the book feels almost Upanishadic — the truth is in the gaps, the pauses, and the unspoken compassion between Holmes and Watson. In your Nabami-night reading, those pauses probably stretched a little longer, carried by the distance between pandals, by the aftertaste of bhog, and by the faint realisation that the goddess was preparing to leave.

By the time the book ends, you’re not just finishing a novella. You’re stepping into Dashami morning. The story settles in your chest like a sindoor smear — bright, tender, and inevitably sad. But warm. Comforting. Human.

Reading this from Nabami to Dashami isn’t just a timeline — it’s a mood-map. You bring the book into the dying glow of the festival, and the book, in turn, brings you a small, glowing story about compassion in the dark.

And that’s the perfect kind of Holmes tale.

Recommended.

[Barry Hurford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story immensely. At the story's core is a double mystery centred around a vicious kidnapper and a missing young aristocrat. Both pull Holmes out of his festive funk and into the streets. When reading a Holmes story from outside the canon, I still expect to find clever deductions, and I'm pleased to say they're plentiful here, along with some vivid, slightly Dickensian side characters, the author's trademark humour, and a few surprises along the way. These elements combine beautifully and result in a highly enjoyable Christmas read that would have an excellent gift for the Holmesian on your list. Frank Cho's illustrations make for a delightful bonus.

[Jim Lunsford · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love most in this series is the humanity that is so skillfully written into all of these very familiar characters. I have loved getting to know them all over again, and this volume gives even more. Such a wonderful read!

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some clever mysteries in this! Clearly I’m getting a little better as my theories were correct. I love MacBird’s Holmes stories and as always, she captured Holmes and Watson perfectly. This one didn’t have any clear insights into Holmes’ past as in the other novels in the series, but there were some gentler sides to him in this. I hope that there’s more to come in this series!

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting to find a Sherlock Holmes story to include in my personal Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon. Not that I wasn’t willing to, considering how much I love Sherlock Holmes stories, but rather that Holmes can be a bit of a curmudgeon at the best of times.

He may not be, in any way, a miser like Ebenezer Scrooge but he’s certainly more than capable of bah-ing and humbug-ing with the best of them. Or the worst of them as the case might be.

And then I remembered that the Holmes series I just started earlier this month with Art in the Blood, included a Holmes’ Christmas tale, and to paraphrase the Great Detective himself, the game was afoot.

What Child is This? (yes, the question mark is part of the title and it’s driving me batty) connects two stories with loosely similar themes under the banner of the holiday season and runs away with them. Or sets them on fire. Or a bit of both.

The Marquis of Blandbury, Henry Weathering, comes to Holmes because his adult son Reginald hasn’t written to his mother in weeks, and the woman is beside herself because it’s so very much not like him. Even dear-old-dad, who does not seem the worrying sort, is worried – if only second hand. He’s more concerned about his wife’s peace of mind than his son’s current whereabouts but even the rather blunt instrument that is the Marquis knows that something isn’t right and he expects Holmes to find out precisely what.

The other case, the much more serious case, is one that literally drops into Holmes’ and Watson’s laps. Or at least falls right into their hands. They witness a well-to-do woman and her attendant get attacked by a crazed assailant who knocks them both over as he plucks the woman’s little boy right out of her arms. And attempts to flee with the child through the crowded streets.

With Sherlock Holmes in hot pursuit, Watson attends to the women who have been so grievously assaulted. Holmes doesn’t manage to catch his man – but he does successfully rescue the little boy and restore him to his mother’s waiting arms.

The two cases don’t have anything in common beyond the fact that both originate with potentially missing sons. Of course, Holmes, with Watson’s able assistance, solves both cases.

But neither case goes to any of the places that the reader originally believes they will, and the solutions are far from orthodox. They are both cases where Holmes displays the heart that he would claim that he does not have – with his dear friend Watson there, as always, to record that he does.

Escape Rating A: I loved this – and I think I loved it more because it feels like the characterizations of Holmes and Watson read like they owe a lot more to the screen adaptations of the past OMG 40 years, starting with Jeremy Brett, than they do to the earlier portrayals of Basil Rathbone and even the original Holmes canon itself.

Not that the two cases aren’t every bit as confounding and convoluted as any of the Holmes’ stories penned by Conan Doyle, but rather that the characters of our two protagonists have been made just that bit more human and more sympathetic than the original ‘thinking machine’ and his idiot sidekick.

Instead, this is a portrayal where Holmes is aware that he is just a bit ‘different’ from most people, and where Watson knows and understands that part of his purpose in Holmes’ life and in their long friendship is to allow Holmes to explain his deductions – even as he stinks up their apartment with his experiments.

There is a mutual respect in that friendship – a respect that would have had to have existed for Holmes to have tolerated Watson’s inability to follow his genius and for Watson to have tolerated Holmes’ frequent high-handed treatment of him. There’s also an awareness on Watson’s part that these are NEVER fair play mysteries. Holmes always keeps secrets even when that lack of knowledge might endanger Watson’s life.

The solutions to both of these cases are extremely unorthodox – which made them that much more fascinating. Something that was made even more clear to me as I listened to The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, the canon story with which this adventure was very loosely in dialogue. THAT Holmes would never have come to either of these resolutions, but THIS Holmes is all the better for doing so.

I liked my first taste of this author’s Sherlock Holmes Adventures in Art in the Blood, but I really got into this interpretation with this Christmas story. There are three stories between Art and this one, and the events of those stories was teased just a bit in this one – more than enough to make me eager to read them.

And I’m definitely looking forward to the latest entry in the series, The Serpent Under, coming in January!

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Miriam Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

True that I haven’t read many modern versions of Conon Doyle’s Sherlock, but What Child Is This? came to me from a publisher’s rep, and I picked it up a couple of days ago. While it is not really a Christmas story, it takes place during the Christmas season, and includes a little boy born on Christmas day.

Actually, there are two mysteries told by Dr. Watson in the poignant story line. In the first storyline, a country aristocrat has lost track of his handsome son and asks Sherlock to see if he can be found. In the second story, Jonathan, the adopted son of a London couple, has almost been kidnapped on the street in the presence of Holmes and Watson.

Sherlock Holmes is hired to find the first young man, but his curiosity gets the best of him with the attempted abduction of the little boy. Thus, the two mysteries occupy Holmes and Watson in the week before Christmas, and both are solved by Christmas Eve. A very clever young woman detective, Heffie O’Malley, aids the two men in their investigation and adds a note of humor to the proceedings.

Along with the mystery solutions, we learn a lot about the softer side of Holmes, through the eyes of Dr. Watson. For instance, in the book’s last scene, as Dr. Watson is heading home to celebrate Christmas Eve with his wife, he hears Sherlock Holmes playing his violin. “A poignant melody in a minor key rang out over the deserted, snow-covered street.” The tune was Greensleeves or at Christmas-time, What Child is This. Watson ends his musings, thus: “My friend Sherlock Holmes, who professed to hate the holidays, perhaps embodied the spirit of Christmas more than any man I knew. I smiled all the way home to Mary.”

It is not all Christmas joy and lightness in the mysteries faced in the novel. Holmes and Watson tackle two difficult topics—homosexuality, which most likely was a hushed topic in Victorian England, and child abuse. It was difficult to read about the women running the orphanage and child care center. Also exposed were the major differences in social status found by the detectives as they attempt to solve the attempted kidnapping. One of the gracious aspects of What Child is This? are the illustrations by Frank Cho. They are an unexpected and delightful asset to the book. The last illustration in the book is of Sherlock Holmes playing Christmas music on his violin. One can almost hear the haunting melody when gazing at the picture.

Bonnie MacBird has a major fascination with the legacy of Sherlock Holmes. She lives part of the year in London, just off Baker Street near where Sherlock Holmes was purported to have lived. This is the fifth book in her Sherlock Holmes series. It was a delight to read her modern offering.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

With illustrations by the incomparable Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows, Harley Quinn), I really thought that this was a graphic novel. Without doing any further research, I promptly ordered this through Amazon with trade credit and awaited to spend the holidays with the master detective. Imagine my disappointment when this package arrived and inside was a novel! Only a few pages were graphic and most of those pages were of small trifling items like a bottle of booze and as gas light.

I thought about it long and hard. Do I return this? It's clearly not what I wanted. But I do love me some Sherlock Holmes. And a little bit of Frank Cho artwork is better than no Frank Cho at all. Plus the book is only 225 pages and it's set during Christmas. Thus I decided I will read me another prose novel this year!

Sherlock Holmes and trusty Watson are tasked with solving 2 mysteries; both involving sons. A nobleman asks the sleuth to locate his son who has gone missing in time for Christmas dinner. Then when a young child is nearly kidnapped in broad daylight in the streets of London, Sherlock takes it upon himself to find the would-be abductor and to determine why.

I can't really go too much into the specifics of these cases; least I spoil the book. This book debuted just a few months ago and it's just too new to ruin it for you. Needless to say, I actually figured out both mysteries in this book ahead of time and that's rare for me when it comes to Sherlock Holmes. True, those original mysteries were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But to say I figured things out was also in no way a slight towards Bonnie Macbird.

Macbird's version of Holmes is just as inviting as the original. The only difference is that while Macbird's Dr. Watson, the story's narrator, is just as loquacious and poetic in his descriptions, this book isn't filled with Victorian era vocabulary and old-dated Londoner terms that would require me pulling out the dictionary to decipher. Though the author may not have intended it, I very much can envision Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as the main characters of this story as I read it.

I enjoyed this book very much- despite not being a graphic novel. I enjoyed it so much that after the holidays, I'm going to order the first book in the Bonnie Macbird series. I'm looking forward to a return to Victorian London and with Mrs. Macbird as my guide, I'm rather confident that I shall not get lost.

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie MacBird provides a truly delightful treat for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson with these festive Victorian London Christmas mysteries, beautifully illustrated by Frank Cho. Watson comes to stay with Holmes as wife Mary is away, it may be the season of carols, goodwill and peace, but a disgruntled Holmes is not the man to appreciate it. The only thing will that will lift his mood are the gift of 2 cases that land on his lap. The first comes when he helps prevent the audacious abduction of 3 year old Jonathan from his mother, Lady Endicott, out on the streets in public. However, the man who attempts this manages to get away, paving the way for Holmes and Watson to visit the wealthy Endicotts home in exclusive Mayfair and learn of a earlier break in.

The Marquis of Blandbury, Henry Weathering, from Birmingham, calls on Holmes to ask him to look into the disappearance of his 21 year old son, Reginald, who lives in London with his valet, George Perkins, in a flat purchased for him by his father. Holmes charges the Marquis a large fee for the case, and then proceeds to bring in the formidably able 17 year old Heffie O'Malley, now working for the police, her observant eyes and ears and knowledge of the city providing valuable intelligence. Her surveillance uncovers some disturbing information about the behaviour of Perkins, the valet, now living with a mysterious lady who never leaves the flat, but no sign of Reginald himself. Holmes is involved in bringing the case to a conclusion. The 2 cases make extensive use of Holmes remarkably wide and disparate networks.

MacBird paints a picture of a London festive season both from the perspective of the rich and well off and the nightmares at the other end of the social and economic scale, with the repercussions of the Dickensian extreme poverty and bad luck, the desperation and fatal despair, the inevitable drinking and addictions. Despite being averse to the overt expressions of the Christmas season, Holmes turns out to surprisingly embody the true spirit of Christmas with his humanity and compassion. This is a wonderful Christmas Holmes and Watson read, and will make a terrific festive gift. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Catherine Booknooksandlatte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been a Sherlock Holmes fan as a child, I was very excited and intrigued to read A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Adventure, What Child is This?

While walking through the streets of London with his companion Dr.Watson, Sherlock comes to the aid of a well to do lady in her hour of need. He spots her struggling to hold on to her little son Jonathan as he is being viciously grabbed by a mysterious man with a striking scar above his eye. In the tussle, the lady is struck and knocked over and Watson sees to her and her terrified son as Sherlock takes flight across an icy London to catch this vicious man. Holmes and Watson set about assisting this wealthy lady on finding this villain and stopping another attempt at kidnapping. We also meet the highly entertaining and lovable Hettie, who assists the MET with undercover operations and she also aids Holmes with another client, searching for his missing adult son.

This is a lovely, festive easy read and I really enjoyed the addition of Hettie to the tale. It really captured the essence of a Victorian Christmas and a traditional Sherlock Holmes Case. I found this to be the perfect cosy read for this time of year and will definitely read other Sherlock Adventures by Bonnie MacBird.

There are beautiful illustrations throughout the book by Frank Cho, which are a lovely addition. The only reason for knocking a star and a half off my review is that I guessed the outcome of both scenarios in advance, which I never managed to do in any of the original Sherlock Holmes books. If you like a festive cosy Victorian mystery, then this is a book for you.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherlock comes to the rescue of a well-to-do lady in her hour of need while travelling around the streets of London with his friend, Dr Watson. He notices her attempting to keep her young kid, Jonathan, from being forcefully seized by an unknown man with a prominent scar over his eye. The lady is attacked and knocked over during the fight, and Watson looks after her and her scared son while Sherlock takes flight across a cold London to apprehend this vicious villain. Holmes and Watson set about assisting this wealthy lady in locating the criminal and preventing another kidnapping attempt. We also meet the adorable and hilarious Hettie, who assists the MET with undercover operations. We also meet the highly entertaining and lovable Hettie, who helps the MET with covert operations, and she also aids Holmes with another client, searching for his missing adult son.

This book is a lovely, festive, easy read, and I enjoyed the addition of Hettie to the tale. It captured the essence of a Victorian Christmas and a traditional Sherlock Holmes Case. I found this to be the perfect cosy read for this time of year and will read other Sherlock Adventures by Bonnie MacBird.

There are beautiful illustrations throughout the book by Frank Cho, which are a lovely addition.

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