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Sherlock Holmes is pursuing another adventure in which the role of assistant and, perhaps later, amanuensis, is taken by Mrs Charlotte Dodson, his temporary housekeeper. There are intertwining puzzles that Holmes and Mrs. Dodson must solve, jointly or separately. All the characteristics of Holmes are there -- the amazing disguises, the pipe, the egocentricity, the interest in beekeeping and the belief in ratiocination. Mrs. Dodson reveals powers of observation as keen as those of Sherlock Holmes -- indeed she is far more than a Watsonian sounding-board. Lora Roberts who has already published several modern detective series enters with enthusiasm into the field of Sherlockiana and her period detail is excellent. The Edwardian world of the female servants is well evoked with all its hard repetitive work and tedium. The house at the centre of the tale is maintained as it awaits a tenant by a staff of four on board wages. Mrs. Dodson is the indomitable housekeeper who is as intelligent as Holmes and has equally keen powers of detection. She makes it clear that any woman, in her view, can easily achieve results through her observations -- she attributes female abilities to the experiences required of a Victorian housewife. The use of apt quotations at the beginning of each chapter from the version of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management published in 1898 is well done. The story combines several mysteries and sometimes shows the misogynist detective in a new and potentially unflattering light. This is a good Sherlock Holmes story told from an unusual viewpoint.
Reviewed by Jennifer S. Palmer, January 2004
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