Book Review: Meet Me in Milan, Sherlock Holmes & Irene Adler Mysteries Book 3, KD Sherrinford
Mystery: Meet Me in Milan, Sherlock Holmes & Irene Adler Mysteries Book 3, KD Sherrinford
Blog Tour October 27, 2023
I will confess to having a sweet tooth. You would be forgiven if, after looking at me, you assumed I had more than one sweet tooth! I am hoping to borrow someone’s child so I can go trick or treating. My own are too old, and my grandchildren actually like to eat their candy so they are no help. But I can’t maintain my pumpkin-like figure without snacks, desserts, and sundry other tasty treats.
Sometimes, I like to get book-snacks as well. Meet Me in Milan is a snack-sized book. In less than 100 pages, KD Sherrinford adds to the collection of mysteries in her reimagining of the Holmes/Adler relationship. In this series they married after several years and had two children. For his family’s protection, Sherlock adopted the identity of Lucca Sapori. Between his detective work and her opera career the couple is separated for long periods of time. Nonetheless, they are in love and committed to one another and to their children, and even during the early 20th century they are able to make it work.
While at La Scala, Irene and her friend Sophia bring a young singer under their wings. Renata is making her debut at the famed opera house. The three of them become close, and Renata and her husband Luigi invite the ladies to dinner. The very next day, Luigi is rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with strychnine poisoning. Based on the manner of the poison and the proximity of the spouse, the police suspect Renata of attempted murder.
Irene immediately begins her own investigation, seeking to clear her friend’s name. With Sherlock planning to arrive later in the week, she is hopeful that he will help her exonerate Renata and find out who tried to kill Luigi.
These short novels (novellas? novellettes?) are tributes to the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They almost read like fan-fiction. No one would confuse them with the writings of Doyle. He would not have captured a woman’s voice and outlook nearly so well. Sherlock is softened in these stories, Watson is essentially absent, and little of the action takes place in London. Still, they are written with love and admiration for the protagonists and the tenor of the Holmes’ canon, they reexamine familiar characters with a more modern eye, and they have a breezy and familiar style that will appeal to any number of readers.
Especially if they are looking for some literary snack food.
Our thanks to the author and to Zoe of Zooloos Book Tours for our copy of Meet Me in Milan, provided so we could give an honest review. The opinions here are solely those of Scintilla. For other perspectives, check out the other bloggers on this tour.
Book Review: Meet Me in Milan, Sherlock Holmes & Irene Adler Mysteries Book 3, KD Sherrinford
Fab review – thank you so much for supporting the tour x