Good Night, Mr. Holmes

Rating:
Summary: Sherlock Holmes meets his match
Review: Carol Nelson Douglas has created a series of detective novels based on Irene Adler, a character from Arthur Conan Doyle's short story A Scandal In Bohemia. Adler is a feminist alternative to the pipe-smoking Sherlock Holmes, complete with a female sidekick, Penelope Huxleigh, who documents her exploits as Dr. Watson did for Holmes.

In Good Night, Mr. Holmes, the first novel of the series, Ms. Douglas has written a prequel to A Scandal In Bohemia in which we learn how Irene and Penelope met and how they got caught up in the scandal that introduces Sherlock Holmes to their lives.

The pairing of the ultra-respectable Penelope, the country parson's daughter, with Irene, the convention breaking American singer, provides for entertaining situations that liven up the investigative plot. Historic details are handled competently and many famous personages of the time make cameo appearances in the story. Overall, this is a delightful introduction to a great series of entertaining historic mystery novels.

Rating:
Summary: fun Holmes pastiche featuring THE woman
Review: Douglas has written a fun (and feminine) perspective on A Scandal in Bohemia. Narrated by a new acquaintance of the diva-detective, we learn about Doyle's story from Irene Adler's point of view, which also gives us an interesting look at Victorian England -- both from a proto-feminist's perspective and from a more traditional spinster of the time.

Much as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead turned Hamlet on its head, this interesting story brings Adler to the fore and relegates Holmes to an occasional visitor to the story. In the course of the narrative we also meet Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker, as well as some familiar fictional characters.

I agree with another reviewer that it will enhance your pleasure if you read A Scandal in Bohemia before reading this fun book. Douglas has done a great job of creating a convincing backstory to the original, and she writes very well.

Rating:
Summary: fun Holmes pastiche featuring THE woman
Review: Douglas has written a fun (and feminine) perspective on A Scandal in Bohemia. Narrated by a new acquaintance of the diva-detective, we learn about Doyle's story from Irene Adler's point of view, which also gives us an interesting look at Victorian England -- both from a proto-feminist's perspective and from a more traditional spinster of the time.

Much as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead turned Hamlet on its head, this interesting story brings Adler to the fore and relegates Holmes to an occasional visitor to the story. In the course of the narrative we also meet Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker, as well as some familiar fictional characters.

I agree with another reviewer that it will enhance your pleasure if you read A Scandal in Bohemia before reading this fun book. Douglas has done a great job of creating a convincing backstory to the original, and she writes very well.

Rating:
Summary: Best sluth since Holmes himself!
Review: For all you fans of Irene Adler, or for those of you tired of reading mysteries from the male point of view, this series is for you. Similar to the Holmes format established by Conan-Doyle, the adventures of "the woman" are chronicled by her companion. Carole Nelson Douglas does a wonderful job of telling "the real story" behind Scandal in Bohemia, and continues giving back information on many of Holmes's most famous cases. She also makes an attempt to clarify discrepencies found in the original Holmes mysteries. A delightful read, full of suspense and humor. Of course, how could the team of an American actress/diva, an English parson's daughter, and a very British barrister not be funny and interesting?

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book
Review: I just wish there was more of Holmes and Adler interacting, you know, besides the mystery. Makes them a little more human if you ask me.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book
Review: I just wish there was more of Holmes and Adler interacting, you know, besides the mystery. Makes them a little more human if you ask me.

Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Woman
Review: I think a thousand words is not exactly enough space for me to convey my reactions to this book. I found this book quite by accident, and being a Sherlockian myself, I bought this book on a whim. Irene Adler becomes unforgettable and Douglas exhibits a sharp wit; every page sparkles with humor, innuendos and a fantastic mystery based on "A Scandal in Bohemia." I recommend this as well as the rest of the Irene Adler quartet--it's well worth it! Reading Sherlock Holmes will never quite be the same.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read even Conan Doyle would appreciate!
Review: I've read other "Holmes" fiction by Laurie R. King and was always disappointed that those books didn't have the essence of Holmes pairing him up (in marriage no less!) with a teenage girl.
But this book was a breathe of fresh Sherlock Holmes air. It starts out slowly and was a bit hard to get into, but it really spins along at the end and you can't put it down! I really enjoyed the way the whole story played out. I was most fond of Miss Penelope Huxleigh and Godrey Norton...even more than Irene.

Rating:
Summary: "The Woman" is indeed Holmes' equal .....almost!
Review: If you are a fan of Holmes and know the story of Irene Adler and the "Scandal in Bohemia", this book will whet your Sherlockian appetite for more. Douglas writes in a style quite similar to Conan Doyle and makes Adler come alive as an irresistable heroine and a formidable sleuth as well. Unlike other Conan Doyle copycats, Douglas shows respect for the canon and a true knowledge of Holmesian lore. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Cute, in a good way.
Review: In my humble opinion, the only person who has any business writing Sherlock Holmes stories is Nicholas Meyer, because he's the only person I've read who really grasps the characters and their interactions. That being said, Carole Nelson Douglas comes a close second Like Meyers, she knows her Victoriana and is well able to add to the reality of her story by weaving in real life characters. She is familiar with Holmes and his methods; the parts of the story where he appears ring true.

It's very interesting indeed to see this particular story from the canon ("A Scandal In Bohemia") presented from another point of view. The original always hinted that things were not quite as the King of Bohemia would present them, and I find Douglas's take very believable. However, I thought it was a little lame to turn Irene Adler into a kind of female Holmes, complete with upstanding sidekick. As a device it just struck me as ... unoriginal.

Accepting the device, the story is well-written, the characters believable and the plot engaging. I would not, however, recommend this book to anyone but an avid Sherlockian. The main thing that makes it interesting is that it is an addition to Sherlockian lore. There are just too many inside references to make it acessible to the population at large. And the whole point of the story is that Irene gets the upper hand of Sherlock, so if you don't care about Sherlock Holmes you certainly won't give a fig for this book.