It’s the early 1900’s. Sherlock Holmes is dead. Dr. John Watson, Sherlock’s friend and companion is still staying at 221b Baker Street and seeing the occasional client in an effort to remain relevant. When a young woman asks Watson to investigate her brother’s apparent suicide, things get interesting. Watson and his son, a noted pathologist at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, interview two eye witnesses, Joanna Blalock and her ten-year-old son. It doesn’t take long for the two doctors’s to realize there is something special about Joanna Blalock and her son. Both have been blessed with sharp minds, incredible powers of observation as well as keen deductive abilities. However, the older Watson is aware of a secret he has kept for many years. Joanna Blalock is the daughter of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler, the only woman to ever outwit the famous detective. Joanna Blalock is beautiful, inquisitive and a highly-skilled nurse which makes her a useful companion to assist in their investigation.
There are a lot of remakes of Sherlock Holmes in books, film and television. From Benedict Cumberbatch to Robert Downey Jr, the detective first created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is alive and well in the twenty-first century. Normally, I avoid remakes or retellings. It’s hard not to compare the current version with a well-loved classic. However, the title of this book intrigued me and I wasn’t disappointed. The writing, characters and historic details are very well done and Goldberg does a great job of linking the book to the original by weaving in references to previous adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes reads more like a suspense novel than a traditional whodunit. Goldberg reveals the villain early on in the story and the majority of the book is taken up with the detectives gathering the proof they need to prove it before the killer has a chance to kill again.
Leonard Goldberg has created an intriguing character in Joanna Blalock. Pairing her with the lovable Dr. John Watson provides a context readers will find familiar and comfortable. Adding a little romance between Joanna and Watson’s son, provides the human connection missing from the original detective. I enjoyed this new detective team and look forward to more.