Author: Leonard Goldberg
Narrator: Steve West
Publication: Macmillan Audio (June 6, 2017)
Length: 9 hours and 36 minutes
Description: From USA Today best-selling author Leonard Goldberg comes The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, a new thrilling tale of the great detective's daughter and her companion, Dr. John Watson Jr., as they investigate a murder at the highest levels of British society.
England, 1914. Joanna Blalock's keen mind and incredible insight lead her to become a highly skilled nurse, one of the few professions that allow her to use her finely tuned brain. But when she and her 10-year-old son witness a man fall to his death, apparently by suicide, they are visited by the elderly Dr. John Watson and his charming, handsome son, Dr. John Watson Jr. Impressed by her forensic skills, they invite her to become the third member of their investigative team.
Caught up in a Holmesian mystery that spans from hidden treasure to the Second Afghan War of 1878-1880, Joanna and her companions must devise an ingenious plan to catch a murderer in the act while dodging familiar culprits, Scotland Yard, and members of the British aristocracy. Unbeknownst to her, Joanna harbors a mystery of her own. The product of a one-time assignation between the now dead Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler, the only woman to ever outwit the famous detective, Joanna has unwittingly inherited her parents' deductive genius.
My Thoughts: This story takes place in 1914. Dr. Watson is living at 221B Baker Street but Holmes has passed away. When a young woman comes to Watson to ask him to look into the apparent suicide of her brother, Watson calls on his son John Watson Jr. to act as his assistant.
They are quickly joined in their investigation by one of the witnesses to the death. Mrs. Joanna Blalock and her young son were walking by the site. Watson knows Mrs. Blalock and confides to his son that she is the daughter of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler who was put up for adoption at birth. Her mother didn't long survive the birth and Holmes knew he wouldn't make a good father. Watson believes that she doesn't know about her parentage. He only tells his son because there is a trust for Mrs. Blalock that John will administer after his father's death.
Joanna grew up, became a nurse, married, had a child and was widowed. She always had a powerful intellect and great powers of observation. She read widely including works by Holmes about being an investigator. Her son Johnny is the very image of Sherlock as a young boy and looks to be his equal in intelligence and observation.
Together the three investigate and learn that the first victim was to be followed by two more victims leaving the murderer in sole possession of a treasure stolen during the Second Afghan War and kept secret for these many years.
I liked the action in the story and the shadow of the original Sherlock Holmes' stories that are glimpsed in this one. I thought the characters were a trifle one-sided with Watson being primarily a cheerleader praising Joanna for her marvelous deductions and Joanna herself being primarily noted for her intelligence. The younger Doctor Watson did have a good part to play but I found his immediate attraction to Joanna to be a little unbelievable.
The story was told by the younger Doctor Watson and narrated by Steve West who had a quite convincing British accent. I was amused by the various pronunciations of some words that are so different than American English.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.
Sounds interesting. I've been waiting to hear your thoughts on this one. I'm not sure it's for me, though I did enjoy Sherlock Holmes.
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