MYSTERY

Arrowood

Mira: Harlequin.Jul. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780778330943. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781488025136. M
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While the wealthy turn to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for help when the police fail them, the working class relies on investigative agent William Arrowood and assistant Norman Barnett. Arrowood resents Holmes's fame and insists he can read people better than the celebrated sleuth. In South London in 1895, Arrowood hasn't had a case in weeks, so he agrees to find Caroline Consture's missing brother. When he and Barnett learn Caroline's brother disappeared while working for the notorious Mr. Cream, they regret that decision. Witnesses are murdered when they're involved with the man. The case is so convoluted that Barnett admits, "Sometimes I lose sight of the case"; readers may become confused as well.
VERDICT Unfortunately, the plot of Finlay's debut mystery gets lost within the tangle of various police, criminal, and political groups. Still, fans of Sherlock Holmes might appreciate an alternate view of Victorian London from the perspective of people struggling to survive. [Optioned for television.]
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