A review by ruthypoo2
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a thoroughly original take on the Sherlock Holmes style of mystery, with the most unexpected stand-ins imaginable that represent Holmes and Watson. Representing Holmes is Ms. Shaharazad Haas, a pansexual sorceress with a reputation for enjoying drugs and super-sexy bedroom time with a variety of partners. The counterpoint to Shaharazad is good friend and roommate Captain John Wyndham, a gay trans man who possesses a lifestyle much more buttoned-up and conservative than that of Shaharazad. Because Captain Wyndham has a puritanical background, as the narrator of this story, the racy and excessive expoloits of Shaharazad are told using the most innocent of descriptions. 

This is largely a character-driven fantasy story, but it's a lot of fun to join Shaharazad and the Captain as the travel and get into trouble while also experiencing new, and rekindling old, relationships. There's a lot of humor and the story is so creatively written. It was an enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a modern twisty homage to the Holmes/Watson dynamic.
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