The Serpent Under by Bonnie MacBird Series: Sherlock Holmes Adventures #6
Published by Harper on January 7, 025
Source: NetGalley
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 375
Format: eARC
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Holmes and Watson face treachery and danger in the latest full-length thriller by Bonnie MacBird, author of the bestselling Sherlock Holmes novel Art in the Blood.
Murder, jealousy, and deceit underscore three interlocking mysteries as Holmes and Watson take on a high profile case at Windsor Castle, a boy drowned in the Serpentine, and a crusading women's rights activist who suspects a traitor in her organization. The cases send them into danger into locales as varied as the Palace itself, a dockland cannery, an arts and crafts atelier, and a Gypsy encampment. But is there peril underfoot as well - right at 221B Baker Street?
The twisting, breathlessly plotted conjoined mysteries that Bonnie MacBird is known for provide a thrill ride that will delight Sherlockians worldwide.
I guess we need to look at The Serpent Under in a few different ways. First, Victorian London. MacBird does a fabulous job of bringing the foggy, damp, crowded city to life. We see the people, issues, and prejudices of the time.
Second, our main characters. Holmes and Watson feel like the originals, if that makes sense. They have the mannerisms and partnership they always have. Yes, Holmes’ attitudes towards women, Roma, etc. are more modern, but he was never conventional. And here it particularly works well since it doesn’t allow him to just go along with the easy solution. We only get brief glances of Lestrade and Mycroft, which is appropriate. Heffie, a former irregular who now works with the police, is a good addition. She’s tough and reliable and very good at working undercover. The dead woman’s family and friends are all a bit odd and she seems to have been the only truly likeable one of the bunch.
Plot – We have three different mysteries that are clearly all going to be connected, that’s how MacBird’s stories often work. We have several twists and turns and the palace is almost working against Holmes, even though they called him in. The clues were woven in well and the plot moved along at a good pace. There were several suspects – or at least people acting suspiciously. The reveal was nicely dramatic.
The title is appropriate. We have a lot of snakes in this book – painted, tattooed, and live. My husband would probably not like it for that reason alone.
About Bonnie MacBird
Bonnie MacBird has been a screenwriter (TRON), studio executive (Universal), producer (three Emmys), a playwright, and a classically trained actor. She teaches writing at UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program and is a regular speaker on writing, creativity, and Sherlock Holmes.
MacBird lives in Los Angeles and London.
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