Gemma Halliday – Carol's Notebook

Author: Gemma Halliday

Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer. Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader’s Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists. Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.

I do love a Holmes remake. Sherlock Holmes doesn't exist here, either as a fictional character or a real person, as he does in so many other stories. Marty and Irene make him up to explain their investigating to the cops (Lastrade) and coroner (Watson). The names are familiar, but only bear a passing resemblance to the originals. This is a fun mystery. The aunt who was murdered was not a nice old lady. There were plenty of people who may have been happy to see her dead. As a mystery it was okay, plenty of clues and suspects. I did guess who the killer was, but that didn't make the mystery any less enjoyable. Marty is our detective and Irene is her sidekick - her rich, smart sidekick. I like that this re-imaging puts the women in charge. Marty is observant and interested in a variety of topics. Irene is a bit over-enthusiastic, she's the one who kind of instigates the whole Holmes...