Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits' Curse

I loved this take on Sherlock Holmes. The characters are fun and likeable.

I hope this book will become the first of a series. Martin Davies gives us a fresh and innovative look at the housekeeper of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. She is an extraordinary character, kind and caring, but at the same time, shrewd, perceptive, and capable of brilliant deductive thinking. She never becomes a rival to Holmes, but in her own subtle way she provides many of the insights and clues that lead the great detective... Read Full Review

I actually purchased this novel with a certain amount of trepidation-because I have one Mrs. Hudson novel (not by this author!) on my shelves, and try as I may, I just can't seem to get into it. But I liked the write-up on this novel, and as this was Mr. Davies first attempt, I felt I should at least give him a chance. I'm glad I did. The story is told through the narration of a young girl named the unusual sobriquet of "Flotsam",... Read Full Review

I was expecting a so-so pastiche with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the characters, and they held my interest to the end. This is a good story.

Homeless and hungry Flotsam tries to steal a rotting cabbage but the grocer's son Scraggs catches her. He turns her over to housekeeper Mrs. Hudson, who sees something in the orphan and takes her into service as a maid. Mrs. Hudson insures that Flotsam is educated in the domestic arts and the three R's. When her employer commits suicide Mrs. Hudson takes a job as housekeeper to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson; she brings... Read Full Review