The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar by Liese Sherwood-Fabre

The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar
by Liese Sherwood-Fabre

ISBN-13: 9780593197882
Paperback: 314 pages
Publisher: Little Elm Press
Released: May 15th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The Holmes family plans to celebrate the Easter holidays in London until a tragedy during the 1868 Oxford-Cambridge Boat race puts Mycroft Holmes’ reputation on the line.

When Mycroft Holmes identifies a drowning victim, he is drawn into a situation that could destroy not only Lord Surminster's name, but his own reputation as well. If ruled a suicide, the lord’s assets will be returned to the Crown, leaving his mother and siblings destitute. Should that happen, the victim’s sister has threatened to drag Mycroft’s good name through the mire. Will Sherlock be able determine what happened before more than one family is destroyed?


My Review:
The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar is a mystery set in 1868 in England. It's the third book in a series, but it works as a standalone novel as well. The main character is a teenaged Sherlock Holmes, and the story shows how he learned to be a detective (mainly from his logical, medically-trained mother). I felt like the author did a good job of capturing the personalities of Sherlock and Mycroft as they developed toward the adult characters.

The author has deeply researched this time period. Historical details were woven into the story, bringing the setting and manners alive in my imagination without slowing the pacing. The characters were logical, asked good questions, and followed up on clues. I actually liked that Sherlock got a little sidetracked about the motive behind the events. While whodunit didn't come as a surprise and was guessable from the clues, the big reveal happened when the bad guys captured the Holmes brothers. This case was certainly a learning experience for them. I liked that the official detective on the case was also clever. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.