Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City's Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation

By: Brad Ricca

Narrated by: David Bendena

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Mrs. Grace Humiston was an amazing lawyer and a traveling detective during a time when no women were practicing those professions. She focused on solving cases no one else wanted and advocating for innocents. The first female US District Attorney, she made groundbreaking investigations into modern-day slavery, and the papers gave her the nickname of fiction's famous sleuth. One of her greatest accomplishments was solving the cold case of a missing 18-year-old girl, Ruth Cruger. Her work changed how the country viewed the problem of missing girls, but it came with a price: she learned all too well what happens when one woman upstages the entire NYPD.

In the literary tradition of In Cold Blood and The Devil in the White City, this true-crime tale is told in spine-tingling fashion and has important repercussions concerning kidnapping, the role of the media, and the truth of crime stories. But the great mystery of this book - and its haunting twist ending - is how one woman became so famous only to disappear.

©2017 Brad Ricca (P)2018 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Interesting history

I found this book long and drawn out. I needed to finish the book just in case something interesting happened. Sadly it didn't happen for me.

Grace - extraordinary woman

At first I thought it would be along the lines of Sherlock Holmes but quickly realized I was listening to biography of an extraordinary woman who worked her whole life to save missing girls and about the white slavers who still exist today. I’m glad I bought the book.

A Captivating Read

It is a fascinating and detailed account of a historical account and an amazing woman.

A Book that Keeps You On Your Toes!

I listened to this as I worked and did weekend chores, and it certainly held my attention! The narrator has a good voice that keeps the pace and content easy to follow. Readers may struggle with the time-jumps and looping tangents in the narrative, but it personally meshed well with my own train of thought, which also tends to jump around a lot.

Every plot point gets a beginning, middle, and end, and true crime fans will enjoy hearing how Grace Humiston uncovered terrible crimes and how the courts handled local and international cases in the early 1900s. Not every case covered gets a happy resolution, but they impart a reality of the American justice system that deserves to be acknowledged (police corruption, poor/insufficient investigation by law enforcement, the sometimes voluntary ignorance to crimes that are disturbing but need to be pursued, etc).

Before reading this book, I knew female detectives like Kate Warne have existed in history, but it is so interesting to hear about one who had gotten such a public image in a culture that was still largely against women in the work force. I have also read the book The Alienist by Caleb Carr, and I felt that those who enjoyed that book could probably enjoy this one, too, for its unique approach to old-days crime investigations, the atmosphere of main setting/era, and the cases the public is willing to acknowledge brushing against the reality of the types of crimes being committed

The amazing true story of an extraordinary woman

This is my favorite type of narrative nonfiction--the kind that is utterly enthralling and as suspenseful as any thriller, yet is true! I had never heard of Grace before this book (which is a shame--with all she did, she should be well known) or the case that is woven all through the book, but found both to be sufficiently fascinating that I researched them further after reading this and I'm still thinking about this book a week or two after finishing. Highly recommended!!

Excellent book

Narration is excellent
The author does a great job describing the life of Mrs Sherlock Holmes, definitely worth your time

Thoroughly enjoyable!

I must say this was one of my favorite audible books so far! Very engrossing, the story of this amazing woman kept me interested from start to finish. A rich and detailed story with an amazing heroine… It’s even better that she was a real person! What an inspiration!

A women ahead of her time

Outstanding! Why have I not heard of Grace before?
She was fearless! She open doors for women to pursue their calling!

good representation of history

not sure what made the subject the greatest, but was certainly good at her job

Mrs Sherlock Holmes

A fascinating true story of a young New Your lawyer in the early 1900s before women had even garnered the right to vote! Fabulous audiobook with flawless narration! Do Not Miss if you love true life stories of guys and glory!