BelEdit Book Reviews
I am really in two minds about Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident. As an avid fan of all things Sherlock Holmes, I can’t help wondering if this is not one step too far from what I’m comfortable with.
On the one hand, Mrs Hudson is a wonderful character and it’s fun to watch her use her brains and connections to solve crimes. Flotsam is also a great character, and it’s even more fun to watch her use her brains and energy to interview suspects and piece the mystery together, encouraged by Mrs H.
Meanwhile, Holmes and Watson are barely present, compared to Mrs Hudson and Flotsam. And there’s the rub. I love the Sherlock Holmes universe(s) because I love the Sherlock Holmes character. I want to see him as the central character, being clever and solving every puzzle in his unique way, head and shoulders above anyone else. And I love the Dr John Watson character as an inimitable foil to Sherlock Holmes.
So I can’t help but feel that in Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident, the Sherlock Holmes universe has been purloined. Why not just have a series (I admit I haven’t read any other books in the series, so forgive me if this is not apropos) featuring the Mrs Hudson and Flotsam characters in their very own universe, with no mention of Holmes? They are a great duo in and of themselves.
So while I really enjoyed reading this adventure, I feel somewhat tricked. I wanted Holmes, I got Hudson — and she very much steals his thunder.
My final quibble is that Flotsam does practically no work in her day job as housemaid, being so busy gallivanting around solving crime. All a bit anachronistic and unbelievable (say I, sniffing haughtily as I sit up straight and tug at my glove buttons).
So very hard to put a star value on this novel. I’d say 4* because it’s a very enjoyable read, nicely constructed and with excellent characters, pacing and dialogue. I’d like to impose a big penalty for shoehorning it into the Holmes universe and overturning its tropes more than I like, but I did have a good time, so let’s settle for a 3.5.
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
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