3-3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

It’s London 1894 and while Sherlock Holmes’ cases fill the headlines, another private investigator called Arrowood helps the people who can’t pay for the likes of Holmes. When Arrowood and his assistant Mr Barnett are put o the case of a missing Frenchman, they end up embroiled in something a lot more dangerous than it seems.

This is a fun, historic mystery novel set in the grimy streets of London and the world inhabited by the famous Sherlock Holmes. There’s lots of mentions of Holmes and Watson, and of their many solved cases which Arrowood likes to discredit, so I think people who loved Holmes will loves this book. I am not a fan of Sherlock Holmes and don’t know the stories so I’m sure there’s lots of little easter eggs in this novel that I missed but Holmes fans will find and enjoy.

While I enjoyed the mystery and the historic London setting, I was disappointed that the book was not in Arrowood’s POV but in Mr Barett - it threw me off at first for a bit and not only that but Arrowood himself was not really what I expected either. He didn’t seem, to me, that amazing of a detective at first though I gradually saw how he put to use his study of Darwin and human body language and reactions and I did enjoy that. I didn’t find any character in this book I overly liked (with the exception of Neddy) and I did find myself frustrated at times, particularly with the men’s continuous belief of everything the French woman told them even though they kept realising she was lying to them.

I did like how everything came about eventually and i did enjoy the book on a whole. I’m not surfier i would pick up the next one, if there is going to be more books focusing on Arrowood in the shops, but I would probably picket up in the library if i saw it.