Art in the Blood

A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 1

By: Bonnie MacBird

Narrated by: Thomas Judd

London. A snowy December, 1888. Sherlock Holmes, 34, is languishing and back on cocaine after a disastrous Ripper investigation. Watson can neither comfort nor rouse his friend – until a strangely encoded letter arrives from Paris.

Mlle La Victoire, a beautiful French cabaret star writes that her illegitimate son by an English lord has disappeared, and she has been attacked in the streets of Montmartre.

Racing to Paris with Watson at his side, Holmes discovers the missing child is only the tip of the iceberg of a much larger problem. The most valuable statue since the Winged Victory has been violently stolen in Marseilles, and several children from a silk mill in Lancashire have been found murdered. The clues in all three cases point to a single, untouchable man.

Will Holmes recover in time to find the missing boy and stop a rising tide of murders? To do so he must stay one step ahead of a dangerous French rival and the threatening interference of his own brother, Mycroft.

This latest adventure, in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, sends the iconic duo from London to Paris and the icy wilds of Lancashire in a case which tests Watson's friendship and the fragility and gifts of Sherlock Holmes' own artistic nature to the limits.

©2016 Bonnie MacBird (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

“A pacy and twisting story – made me forget I wasn’t reading a Sir Arthur original.”—The Sun

"In a world with more than its share of Sherlock Holmes pastiches, it is rare for one to soar above the rest, but Bonnie MacBird's Art in the Blood achieves this singular feat and deserves a tip of the deerstalker." –-Otto Penzler, editor, “The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories"

“Dark, stylish, ingeniously plotted. Gripping, enthralling read. Holmes & Watson live!” –-Hugh Fraser

“A thoroughly entertaining Sherlock Holmes adventure worthy of Doyle himself. … vivid period detail, a superb, labyrinthine plot, snappy pacing and, most importantly, a deep respect for the classic characters.” –-Bryan Cogman, Producer/Writer, HBO's Game of Thrones

"Bonnie MacBird's ART IN THE BLOOD has the three key ingredients for a delicious pastiche: Meticulous research, plausibility, and grand fun!" –-Leslie S. Klinger, editor, “The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes”

Brilliant addition

This was a phenomenal novel with twists and turns throughout. The narration was spot on, unique voices for each character that don’t sound goofy. I’m excited to read/listen to the rest of Ms. Macbird’s Sherlock Holmes novels!

Great story. Great series. Decaf for the Narrator?

Was lucky to discover this series during an Audible sale where I acquired the first four releases and pre-ordered the fifth. Hoping the series continues as there are always Credits to use! Have listened to three of the five releases to date, and while the mysteries have a 21st century slant, it is no different than films of Holmes and Watson in WWII - stories written with a different perspective yet keeping to the framework of the original material. Only downside is the accelerated style of narration seems out of place since I am more familiar with the voices of Christopher Lee, Basil Rathbone, and Jeremy Brett. Perhaps Decaf should be the only option available at the recording studio? However it is possible to adjust the Player Speed, so I dialed it down to 75% and all is well.

Exciting, thrilling and fast paced

Another hit out the ball park! London, a snowy December in 1888. A disastrous Ripper investigation has left 35-year-old Sherlock Holmes in a deep depression and back on cocaine. Watson receives a message of a fire at 221B and races to see about his friend. Nothing that Waston does seem to help. Sherlocks receives a request from Cherie La Victorie, an accomplish singer, to help find her son. Off Sherlock goes. He has a mission, which ignites his synapsis and curiosity.

While helping Cherie La Victorie, Mycroft tags on a job that he needs, which has a tenuous connection to finding Cherie La Victorie’s son. The unscrupulous French detective Jean Vidocq makes another appearance. The competition between the two detectives is heightened because of Vidocq’s intimate relationship with Cherie La Victorie. Through twist and turns we are lead on an exciting Sherlockian adventure. This story has many of the ingredients, child abuse, distressed female, duty to country, saving lives, obsessiveness with solving puzzles and his word, propels Sherlock’s recklessness he exhibits toward his own life.

Sherlock is constrained from obtaining information and must depend on others. Holmes’ ability to see patterns where other people can’t see and make these intuitive leaps of thought clearly is hampered by the physically handicap of being confined to a wheel chair. Lives are needlessly lost because of his immobility, and Sherlocks becomes reckless. This is a fast-paced tale of kidnap, murder and art theft.

Waiting for another Bonnie MacBird story.

ok, I'll go for Bonnie's Sherlock!

Many Sherlock clones are not Sherlock, this one was faithful to his personality. The narrator was good, but maybe a little more differentials between some voices. The story was
a good plot!

a true homes adventure!

all well done exspantion to the home's verse. a fun listen, about 2 start book 3

Outstanding contribution

almost nearly as if written by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. A faithful and pitch perfect rendition of Holmes Watson an enthralling concoction of mysteries

extremely poor plot. narration unrealistic.

struggle to finish it not worth the time or the money definitely don't recommend it

Listen, don’t read

I was hoping for more moments of Sherlockian logic. But it was a fun tale nonetheless and the narrator was utterly perfection!

Liked it, with caveats

I can say first of all that I had no problem with the narration, like some people did. Yes, occasionally Holmes is slightly more nasally than I would prefer (most of the time he is fine). But there was nothing to truly detract from the story for me. I am an east coast American and while the accent for the Americans was clearly the result of a British person doing an American accent, it was totally fine and I can't fathom why anyone felt bothered enough to complain.

I am of two minds with the actual story. I am definitely a Sherlockian. I've read the stories countless times, watched many of the movies and shows and have long loved Doyle's original creation without being rigid about accuracy. Was this story the best pastiche I've ever encountered? No. Were the characters and situations close enough to Doyle's original to merit my enjoyment? Yes.

There were out of character moments, but more moments were in character. The story was interesting and I really didn't know what was going on for most of the book.

I will say....that the ending got a bit more dramatic than i think Doyle would have approved of. And I agree with another reviewer that having Sherlock have tears in his eyes was distracting from the story, though to be fair I could see Cumberbatch's version of the character possibly doing that. Perhaps that was the inspiration?

Over all I enjoyed it, I think if you don't need it to be right on the nose with Sherlock Canon, you probably will too. There were moments I would have handled differently, that is all.

Very clever story with lots of surprises

There are some anachronisms, but overall a very strong Holmes pastiche. Lots of humor and action.