Book Review: Song for Someone, Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler Mysteries Book 1, KD Sherrinford
Mystery: Song for Someone, Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler Mysteries Book 1, KD Sherrinford
Blog Tour September 25, 2023
Charlotte Sapori has grown up in the loving embrace of her parents, Lucca and Irene Sappori. Her mother is an acclaimed opera singer, maintaining a second home in Italy where she teaches music to students and sings at La Scala. Her father does important government work which takes him away from home often, but he is always eager to return and spend time with his wife and family.
Sadly, Irene becomes seriously ill. On her deathbed, she tells Charlotte to pass a cryptic message to Lucca and insists that Charlotte find and read her diary. Grief-stricken at the loss of his wife, Lucca also asks Charlotte to read his diary.
In those diaries, Charlotte discovers that her mother is the same Irene Adler who once outwitted Sherlock Holmes. Moreover, she discovers that her father is not Lucca Sappori, but is actually the famed detective himself! As she reads the diaries, she discovers an epc love story that is both improbable and hopelessly romantic, one that has elements of comedy and tragedy, one that features deception, intrigue, betrayal, and fallibility.
KD Sherrinford’s mysteries use characters and events from the Sherlock Holmes canon, though they are often reinterpreted and placed into a very different context. It’s hard to imagine Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes falling in love, though if he did, many writers have speculated that it would be with Irene Adler. Still, this inveterate bachelor, filled with eccentricities, user of cocaine, insomniac violinist, might have trouble finding a woman who could endure his peculiarities. Adler, though, in this interpretation, has seen a very dark side of masculinity. Sexually assaulted as a child, raped and beaten by her first husband, deceived by a previous paramour, Adler is drawn to the intellect, the seering bluntness and honesty, and the absolute commitment to protect the innocent and capture the guilty that Holmes brings. Both are strong personalities, both love and fight with passion, and each sees a kindred spirit in the other.
Of course, being a genius detective responsible for the death of Professor Moriarty and the capture of many other high profile criminals comes at a cost. If anyone knew he had a family, they could use his loved ones against him. As long as Adler and Holmes were linked together, criminals could target Holmes by attacking her and their children. Thus, for their own safety, a deception lasting decades became necessary.
Told from the “diaries” of Adler and Holmes and from the memories of Charlotte, this mystery/romance/thriller does have some intense scenes of sexual abuse and violence that might distress some readers. For those who love their mysteries wrapped in an epic romance between two forces of nature (or prefer their romances packed in a mystery), this is a delightful book.
Our thanks to Zoe from Zooloos Book Tours for our copy of Song for Someone, provided so we could give it an honest review. The opinions here are solely those of Scintilla. For other perspectives on this novel, check out the other bloggers on this tour.
Book Review: Song for Someone, Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler Mysteries Book 1, KD Sherrinford
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