The Detective and the Woman by Amy Thomas, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Sherlock Holmes is on a quest to discover why someone would want to harm a renown singer — and a one-time adversary — in The Detective and the Woman, a novel by Amy Thomas.

The singer is, of course, Irene Adler, who is now widowed and touring the United States, performing in popular venues across the country. Her latest stop is, however, is a bit off the beaten path: Orlando, Florida, the site of vast orange groves and little more. It is there that one Sherlock Holmes — the presumed dead Sherlock Holmes, after stumbling over the Reichenbach Falls in his fateful meeting with Professor Moriarty — meets her. Holmes's brother Mycroft, the only person who knows he is still alive, has dispatched him to Florida to warn Miss Adler that her life may be in danger. Mycroft has intercepted a cryptic, though ominous, letter written by Adler's solicitor to a prominent businessman in south Florida, which suggests they may be after her fortune. Posing as husband and wife, Sherlock and Irene travel to Ft. Myers to integrate themselves into local society, one that includes the newly famous Thomas Edison, who has a home there.

There are a number of clever elements to The Detective and the Woman, not the least of which is the time frame in which the action take place. The setting — turn of the century southwestern Florida — is well drawn and seems perfectly suited to the mystery storyline. The premise may seem arbitrary, but is developed and plays out in a very creative manner … even though early on Sherlock himself wonders if Mycroft is telling him the whole story behind his mission. The narrative is told in alternating chapters, one from the perspective of Irene Adler in first person, the other from Sherlock Holmes's point of view in third person. Though many scenes are repeated twice, as each character describes what has happened, it does little to slow down the pace of the book. While one may quibble a bit with how readily and remarkably at ease Sherlock and Irene are with each other — are they merely acting out their respective roles, or may there be something more definitive to their relationship — The Detective and the Woman is a fine story featuring these characters.

Acknowledgment: MX Publishing provided a copy of The Detective and the Woman for this review.

The Detective and the Woman

A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Amy Thomas