Affair of the Incognito Tenant

I really enjoyed Lora Roberts new mystery with Sherlock Holmes. It was well done, with twists here and there in the plot. All of the characters were delightful, especially the cook. I do hope that more stories will continue with all of the characters involved. Sherlock was never a romantic, but this story puts a new light on him, and would suit him well to partner with someone as crafty as he is.

I loved this book. Comparisons are indeed inevitable between this and the Laurie King series, and I found this heroine much more engaging (and believeable in the Edwardian setting). In addition, King's Holmes takes a back seat after the first offering (and feels rather one dimensional, to boot) ,but in THE INCOGNITO TENANT, Roberts crafts a Holmes that not only feels extremely RIGHT, but his growing fascination and relationship with Charlotte is as much a part of the plot as the 'mystery' itself. I dearly hope Ms. Roberts will grant us another adventure soon, as I am dying to know what Holmes's reply will be! ;-)

How cleverly Lora Roberts uses the tasks of our Victorian housekeeper protagonist to make this mystery work! Charlotte Dodson is a wonderful character, and the book is rich with period detail. The mysterious tenant, the Orb of Kezir gem, the suspicious curate, the death of the vicar's sister--all keep the plot racing along. But the true joy of this book is the immersion in the Larchbanks household with Charlotte's intrepid character guiding the way.

Upstairs, Downstairs meets Miss Marple. The Affair of the Incognito Tenant is a delightful book with a great character in Charlotte Dodson, who manages the household staff of the estate Sherlock Holmes has temporarily leased, and a wonderfully realistic sense of the time period. There is mystery and intrigue aplenty, but for me it was immersing myself in the world of the book and chuckling over Homles's and Dodson's exchanges that was the real draw. Highly recommended whether you are a Holmes fan or not.

In 1903 in Sussex Downs Victorian widow and single parent of a preadolescent Charlotte Dodson does a great job managing the household staff for her employer, retired military officer Major Sir Arthur Fallowes, However, when Fallowes dies, Charlotte realizes how tenuous her satiation is as she prays that the new owner keeps her and the staff on at Larchbanks Manor.The new resident, Mr. Sigerson keeps Charlotte on at least temporarily. Charlotte finds her new boss weird as he uses the library to work with bees for a book he's authoring on the insects. Meanwhile Charlotte learns from her deceased former boss's solicitor William Bagshaw that Fallowes left her with the Orb of Kezir, a valuable gem that is missing somewhere in the house. While she trusts no one fearing theft, someone kills the vicar's sister Miss Evaline Hanover. The only clues are the time of death occurred just after she returned home from a visit to Larchbanks and that her neck has two vampire-like bite marks. While rumors abound about a bloodsucker, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the case though Charlotte is wary of the famous sleuth walking off with her jewel.Though Holmes, the who-done-it, and the missing gem take a support role, fans of Victorian tales will appreciate this vividly delightful charmer in which Charlotte and her woes play the prime role. The story line contains several subplots that nicely blend together. The cast is strong even without Mr. Holmes, but adding Sherlock and his compatriot makes more fun for the audience as the ensemble brings out a bygone age intermingled with the sleuthing.Harriet Klausner