What Child Is This?

A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Adventure

By: Bonnie MacBird

Narrated by: Simon Darwen

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

It’s the season of peace and goodwill, but a Victorian Christmas is no holiday for the world’s most popular detective in this new book from Bonnie MacBird, author of the bestselling Sherlock Holmes novel Art in the Blood.

It’s Christmastime in London, and Sherlock Holmes takes on two cases. The angelic three-year-old child of a wealthy couple is the target of a vicious kidnapper, and a country aristocrat worries that his handsome, favourite son has mysteriously vanished from his London pied à terre. Holmes and Watson, aided by the colourful Heffie O’Malley, slip slide in the ice to ensure a merry Christmas is had by nearly everybody...

©2022 Bonnie MacBird (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

“MacBird's series grows stronger with each book and she remains the best and most faithful pastiche writer out there today—bar none.” (The Doylockian)

“Victorian London comes alive in this enthralling Christmas mystery, written with intelligence, style, and lovely period detail.” (Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author)

“What Child Is This? is the most charming, entertaining Holmesian yarn I've read in years. True to the curmudgeonly character, this schmaltz-free Christmas novel also gives a fascinating look at the attitudes toward love and family in late Victorian England—while deftly weaving a suitably Sherlockian double mystery. A must read for Holmesians—and others!” (Matt Witten, bestselling author of The Necklace)

Delightful especially that I listened at Xmas time

A charming and interesting tale. Loved the references to Bonnie’s other books which I’d read.

Another solid Bonnie MacBird book

Overall the book is pretty good, just not as good as MacBird's earlier efforts. i do think that her chouce of Christmastime for the backdrop. was well executed. She incorporates the holiday season well into the story.

The book loses focus a bit by having a "major" mystery and a "minor" one. The minor mystery seems to be an excuse to bring in modern socio-sexual issues into the Victorian world of Holmes, where it seems awkward at best. I think that was a misfire as it really distracts from the main theme of the book.

The narration by Simon Darwen is once again outstanding.

Excellent Sherlock Holmes Story

Really enjoyed a good old Sherlock Holmes mystery after a long time! I am so glad to have discovered this series by Bonnie MacBird! Excellent writer and the best of all the other Sherlock Holmes writers that I have read so far. Have already started on the first one in the series after finishing this one.

Classic Holmes/Watson in 2022. Plus Narrator Fix!

This author combines a present day worldview with a Victorian setting, and while this may seem anachronistic, it actually works since Holmes was always ahead of his time. That being said (spoilers) there are no Big Reveals since it's pretty easy to guess where the missing person is and the motivations behind the attempted kidnapping. Holmes must go beyond merely solving mysteries to finding solutions, and if his solutions aren't by-the-book... he has often said that he is not the police. .|.|. Narrator Fix: As others have noted for the earlier releases in this series, would prefer a different narrator, or at least one that isn't rushing to cram seven hours of text into a five hour audiobook, so went with the old standby of Modifying the Player Speed. Usually use it to speed up sloooow narrations, but in this case dropped the speed to 75% to change the inahurrytogetthewordsout narration to something more worthy of a Conan Doyle mystery. .|.|. Did try leaving a review on the Amazon side, but as 99% of Audible purchases are treated by Amazon as Non-Verified, best to NOT do this since too many Non-Verifieds could lock down your account. PS: Would also be nice if Audible reviews weren't smushed into One Giant Paragraph (hint hint).

Pitch perfect (sort of)

Delightful Christmas story, although I am tiring of the “plight” of privileged white men being suppressed by the tragedy of being born into the wrong body, while privileged white men continue to systematically deprive cis born women of autonomy over their own bodies. Yep, the cards are stacked against you. Welcome your new gender. It is younicely handled here, though, although, in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, my current bitterness level make me feel a bit callous and indifferent toward this particular storyline at this particular time. Even if it’s Sherlock Holmes. I am sure I will feel ashamed & remorseful for this insensitivity as time passes, but right now it’s all too fresh.

[climbs down from soap box]
Narrator is top notch, story is well done.

Another Terrific Holmes & Watson Novel in Bonny MacBird’s Series

I love this series, to which MacBird adds another spot on Sherlock Holmes novel. Simon Darwin does a fabulous job narrating. Read them all!

Fabulous

Was not what I expected but enjoyed it a lot! Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Ham Handed Plot.

2nd worst S&H book I have read. I would not recommend it. Although I liked the political messages, the organization and detail of the plot and the character development, in all but one character, was very disappointing.

I would highly recommend, however; the author’s prior S&H books.

Go woke Sherlock

Disappointing! A lousy Christmas story. Won't be wasting time or money again on this author.