Art in the Blood (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure)

Interesting read. Written in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle.Worth reading once, not sure about re-readability.Good plot. Has some action as per Adventures of Sherlock Holmes stories.Clear, easy to read text.

I am fairly well known for avoiding pastiche and being critical of it. This is purely and simply because I have been disappointed again and again by what is produced today.A pastiche (and I'm using this as an umbrella term for homage too) can fail due to poor grammar/spelling (a far too common occurrence), a lack of authenticity (non Victorian language, etc.) or just a downright rubbish plot and/or characterization.I therefore picked up Bonnie MacBird's book with a great degree of nervousness.So what do we have?We basically have a mystery with three strands...a missing statue, a missing aristocratic child, and some worrying child deaths. The action takes us from London to Paris to London to Lancashire and so on.Amateur pastiche writers shoe-horn in as many well known characters from the original stories as they can in a vain attempt to increase their story's authenticity. As a rule of thumb, the more that are crammed in, the worse the story will be. Here we have Holmes and Watson (naturally); but we also have Mycroft, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson. The latter two are little more than cameos.This was reassuring. A few names - yes; but many barely used and, importantly, no Moriarty lurking in the shadows. So far so good.The action moves at a pace and takes you with it. True, there are no breathtaking feats of deduction from Holmes but, aside from this, I found the story's style and Watsonian voice very close to the original (but that's a matter of personal preference).My only criticism is that one aspect to the crimes is one that Conan Doyle would never have written and his contemporary audience would not have accepted. Like Horowitz, we have a crime more suited to modern audiences. By that I don't mean it is one we relish but one, alas, that we've grown accustomed to hearing and reading about.But I guess we need to ask ourselves if a modern audience really wants to read about Victorian style crimes. Well of course they do or the original Canon would be long out of print but perhaps from a modern writer the expectations are different - I really don't know.For me this is the best pastiche since The Seven Per-cent Solution and that is bar none.

I’ve read many Sherlock Holmes pastiches, I’ve even written a few myself. I know what I like and I know what I hate. MacBird has written a refreshing new Sherlock Holmes tale that surpasses many other pastiches out there today. Her ability to channel Arthur Conan Doyle’s style and write in that authentic Watson voice is wonderful, while also bringing in her own artistic voice. The research and Victorian knowledge shines throughout the book to paint a vivid picture in the readers mind. For Sherlock Holmes purists, the voice and settings won’t disappoint! For first time Sherlock Holmes readers you’ll catch on and not feel lost.This is a well written, well crafted story with interesting and dangerous characters. The plotting is done so well that you find yourself racing through page after page. From London to Paris to Scotland, it is a non-stop thrill ride with the world’s most famous detective. MacBird’s love for Sherlock Holmes is evident on every page. But not just for the original 60 stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, there are plenty of hints and nods to other iterations of the characters which die hard fans will appreciate.

This is my first Sherlock Holmes book I have read and I found this an interesting read! An encoded letter from the French singer, Emmeline La Victoire, rekindles the detectives interest after falling in a state of depression. Holmes and Watson travel to Paris from London and try to unravel many mysteries. The ending surprised me and I did not see that coming at all which was great as I love the unpredictability. I did find my mind wondering a bit in some parts of the book, hence the four stars, but on the whole, the book was amazing! I’m definitely reading the sequel and can’t wait to go on more adventures with Holmes and Watson!

I loved this book. The story really kept me on my toes and I was completely shocked by the who and the why. It kept me completely gripped and I can't wait for the next book. Bonnie really captured Holmes and Watson for me and gave me a great insight into Holmes while he was dealing with his addiction which isn't something you really get to see. I loved how Holmes was a bit crankier in this story as one would be dealing with the aftermath of giving up a drug with no substitute. I loved the whole atmosphere of this book. While the atmosphere reminded me of Conan Doyle the characters reminded me more of Cumberbatch and Freeman and the banter between the two was spot on. The way Watson care for Holmes in this book was exactly like the to show Sherlock. I am so happy with this book and am greatly looking forward to Unquiet Spirits

I’m sorry to say that this missing the mark for me, I got half way through and I just couldn’t carry it any further. Whilst the story was interesting (which is why tried to get to the end) I found the writing style difficult to enjoy and some pages I had to re-read just to follow what was happening. Conan Doyle this is not.

A really enjoyable read - meticulously researched with a gripping storyline and written in the true spirit of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. The author has done an excellent job of re-creating that warm, humorous, self-deprecating, no-nonsense voice of Dr Watson that all Sherlockians know and love. The friendship between Holmes and Watson sings out from the pages and is both touching and authentic. The science of deduction, the very exact and unique way in which Holmes reaches his conclusions in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original works, is well replicated here and very cleverly explained.The plot itself is much fun - a beautiful French singer, a missing love-child, the theft of a priceless work of art, all woven together into a tale which soon becomes hard to put down. Can't wait to read the next one!