thebeardedpoet's review
4.0
About The Devil's Due by Bonnie MacBird . . . if I could, I'd probably give it 3 and half stars, but rounded up here. This is a very intelligent, well-researched and well-written pastiche of the Sherlock Holmes stories. If you like Holmes, you will definitely enjoy this novel where he hunts a serial killer who is alphabetically killing victims.
Interestingly the novel's themes relate to today as much as to Holmes' day: terrorism, abuse of political power and wealth, and misuses of the powers of the police and journalism. Some of Holmes' commentary on these issues could just as easily have been posted on social media this week.
The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment of the novel was a few chapters in the second half where the amount of atmospheric detail seemed slow down the action in the plot. In other words, at times the writing was too descriptive for my tastes, but that might not bother others.
Interestingly the novel's themes relate to today as much as to Holmes' day: terrorism, abuse of political power and wealth, and misuses of the powers of the police and journalism. Some of Holmes' commentary on these issues could just as easily have been posted on social media this week.
The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment of the novel was a few chapters in the second half where the amount of atmospheric detail seemed slow down the action in the plot. In other words, at times the writing was too descriptive for my tastes, but that might not bother others.
hauntthetale's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Drug use, and Police brutality
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide and Torture
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jpiasci1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
msgtdameron's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I read this work in the hopes that B. Macbird would come closer to Conan Doyle's style than in her first book. I was seriously disappointed. First, she puts words on paper that Dr. Watson NEVER would have brought up. For instance she has Watson call Holmes "manic" in multiple lines. One Doyle would have never had the doctor write that word at any point in any of Doyle's work. Even if Holmes was acting in a manic manor Watson would Never put that word to paper on any occasion, even stories that would NOT be published until well after both their deaths. This word would just never be used. Second, in some of Doyle's work Holmes is found in the seedy opium dens of London's docks and other shady locations or in his chair in his rooms. But this is always early in the story when Holmes is board and with out a case. Not near the end when the story is about to climax. Macbird has Holmes high as a kite near the end of this work and did the same in Art in the Blood, which I reviewed earlier.
Another non - Doyleien touch is Mycroft continues to hold a major place in her works whereas Doyle mentions Holmes brother and his position only occasionally. Macbird has made Mycroft a major character on a level with Lestrad. Doyle, again, never put such emphasis on Mycroft.
Finally the last stylistic thing she does is continue to put 21st Century problems and news stories and transplant them back to the 19th Century. In Art of the Blood, it's pedophilia, in this work it's Xenophobia and immigration with a touch of police brutality added in. In all honesty in the 1880's 1890's police men using excessive force is standard. SO the cries and disgust that Lestrad shows for these type of actions is just NOT how London in particular and the western world in general would think about policing. Also xenophobia while real in both England and the U.S. was not written about by Doyle. Even when his villain's are foreign he is careful to not be xenophobic about their actions and just keep the actions criminal not a definer of people from another land. Macbird use's this xenophobia to attack some of her prime characters in this work.
Ti finish, if you want a great rip roaring detective story this is a five star read. If you want a Holmes story from a modern author skip it. Macbird would do well to try to sell these stories to Hollywood for a Holmes movie or to CBS or BBC/ Sky if they ever try to reboot the modern Sherlock series.
Another non - Doyleien touch is Mycroft continues to hold a major place in her works whereas Doyle mentions Holmes brother and his position only occasionally. Macbird has made Mycroft a major character on a level with Lestrad. Doyle, again, never put such emphasis on Mycroft.
Finally the last stylistic thing she does is continue to put 21st Century problems and news stories and transplant them back to the 19th Century. In Art of the Blood, it's pedophilia, in this work it's Xenophobia and immigration with a touch of police brutality added in. In all honesty in the 1880's 1890's police men using excessive force is standard. SO the cries and disgust that Lestrad shows for these type of actions is just NOT how London in particular and the western world in general would think about policing. Also xenophobia while real in both England and the U.S. was not written about by Doyle. Even when his villain's are foreign he is careful to not be xenophobic about their actions and just keep the actions criminal not a definer of people from another land. Macbird use's this xenophobia to attack some of her prime characters in this work.
Ti finish, if you want a great rip roaring detective story this is a five star read. If you want a Holmes story from a modern author skip it. Macbird would do well to try to sell these stories to Hollywood for a Holmes movie or to CBS or BBC/ Sky if they ever try to reboot the modern Sherlock series.
swarmofbees's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
steph0611's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
ravenousbibliophile's review
4.0
Blurb: A love letter to pastiche lovers.
This was my third (of hopefully five) Sherlock Holmes pastiche novels this year, and it was by far the best one. Also, it was my introduction to Macbird's body of work, and that only served to enhance my appreciation for her writing. For not only did she write a great Sherlock Holmes story, but also she wrote a story that can pretty much act as a standalone for someone who hasn't read the previous two books in the series.
The style and construction of the plot, oscillates between an imitation and evocation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are moments where the city of London, or certain aspects of life in Victorian England are described that seem lifted straight out of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories such as 'The Hound of Baskervilles' or 'The Sign of Four' but these moments are tempered with Macbird's own voice and energy which make the story very much her own. The gentle (and often inexplicable) interplay of characters and circumstances which form a tangled-web in the eyes of the reader only to come untangled at the end through Sherlock's deductions are reminiscent of the great Sherlockian adventures of old.
Perhaps the winning aspect of the book is how it has cast the problems of the modern-era (influence of popular-media) into a story set well before the advent of the internet. It goes to show that just like Sherlock Holmes, the very nature of things often evolve but seldom change. I'm bound to say that just like the Devil, Bonnie Macbird's Sherlock Holmes series deserves every credit that it is due.
This was my third (of hopefully five) Sherlock Holmes pastiche novels this year, and it was by far the best one. Also, it was my introduction to Macbird's body of work, and that only served to enhance my appreciation for her writing. For not only did she write a great Sherlock Holmes story, but also she wrote a story that can pretty much act as a standalone for someone who hasn't read the previous two books in the series.
The style and construction of the plot, oscillates between an imitation and evocation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are moments where the city of London, or certain aspects of life in Victorian England are described that seem lifted straight out of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories such as 'The Hound of Baskervilles' or 'The Sign of Four' but these moments are tempered with Macbird's own voice and energy which make the story very much her own. The gentle (and often inexplicable) interplay of characters and circumstances which form a tangled-web in the eyes of the reader only to come untangled at the end through Sherlock's deductions are reminiscent of the great Sherlockian adventures of old.
Perhaps the winning aspect of the book is how it has cast the problems of the modern-era (influence of popular-media) into a story set well before the advent of the internet. It goes to show that just like Sherlock Holmes, the very nature of things often evolve but seldom change. I'm bound to say that just like the Devil, Bonnie Macbird's Sherlock Holmes series deserves every credit that it is due.
griof's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide