Leonard Goldberg: The Wayward Prince

By Kelly Bridgewater

The fate of Prince Harry and the British throne lies in the hands of Joanna and the Watsons in The Wayward Prince, the next Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mystery from USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg...

 

My Thoughts:

The Wayward Prince by Leonard Goldberg features Joanna Holmes in an exciting hunt for a missing prince. From the first chapter, Goldberg takes readers through a familiar setting of setting up the mystery element. The story is told through the eyes and ears of Watson Jr. and his wife, Joanna, as they try to figure out what happened to the prince. Through questioning details of every aspect of the case, readers will follow Joanna’s train of clues to concludes what happens. As a word of caution, there is a moment where the details are pretty specific about what happens to the uterus after an abortion. The terminology may be foreign or a little gross, depending on the reader. This time around, the plot keeps the readers’ attention as JoAnna and the Watson duo try to hunt Russian spies and figure out what happened to the Prince before the kidnapping and the process of the kidnapping. As for the characters, it is nice to see a familiar cast of characters who have already been developed, which allows Goldberg to dive deeper into their individual personalities. Overall, The Wayward Prince by Leonard Goldberg captures the Sherlock Holmes’ fans’ attention with a World War I twist to the plot. I can’t wait to see what is next and to add this addition to my bookshelf.

I received a complimentary copy of The Wayward Prince by Leonard Goldberg from Minotaur Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

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Leonard Goldberg: The Blue Diamond

 By Kelly Bridgewater

The fate of the allied forces lies in the hands of Joanna and the Watsons in the next Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mystery from USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg.

During a critical stage in World War One, the Governor-General of South Africa journeys to London for a meeting of The Imperial War Conference. Days prior to the conference, the Governor-General is scheduled to have an audience at Buckingham Palace at which time a most precious blue diamond will be presented to King Edward as a symbolic gesture of the colonies’ resolute and never-ending allegiance to England.

The flawless blue diamond, with its magnificent luster, weighs nearly 3000 carats which renders it one of the world’s largest and most valuable gems. On the Governor-General’s arrival, he is ensconced at the fashionable Windsor Hotel under the tightest security, with his entire entourage and formidable security team occupying the entire penthouse floor. All entrances and exits are locked down and closely guarded, and no one is allowed entrance after 6 PM.

Despite the extreme precautions, the famous diamond is stolen from the Governor-General’s suite in the middle of the night, with no clues left behind. With Scotland Yard baffled, Joanna and the Watsons are called in to investigate the theft and it becomes clear that the crime is not simply the work of a master thief, but one that could greatly aid the Germans and turn the tide of war in their favor. Time is of the essence and the blue diamond must be recovered before it begins its travels which could cause irreparable damage to the allied war plans.

My Thoughts:

The Blue Diamond by Leonard Goldberg is a continuing story of the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series. The story begins right away with a missing diamond and a man who is on hurt severely at the hospital for the attack to his head. The plot features many thoughts from Jon Watson Jr. as he watches his wife, Joanna, try to solve the missing diamond and how they entered and exited the hotel unseen. Throughout the entire story, more elements of the mystery keep popping up and Joanna and Watson Jr. travel to various places trying to solve the mounting problems. There were moments where Joanna would watch and explain, and I, personally, felt like it did not need to be there. It was the same thing over and over. Readers might find this a little boring and want more action. I sure did. When it came to the end of the story, I do not know who stole the diamond and did the deed. I do not know if the story being so repetitive that I was not fully vested in the plot, and I did not catch who the villain was. I even flipped back through the ending of the story and had a tough time trying to figure out who did it. Overall, The Blue Diamond by Leonard Goldberg was not as exciting as past novels in this series. I needed more action. Not head hopping for chapters about a certain discovery.

I received a complimentary copy of The Blue Diamond by Leonard Goldberg from Minotaur Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Leonard Goldberg: The Abduction of Pretty Penny

 By Kelly Bridgewater

A continuation of USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg's Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series, The Abduction of Pretty Penny finds Joanna and the Watsons on the tail of an infamous killer. 

Joanna and the Watsons are called in by the Whitechapel Playhouse to find Pretty Penny, a lovely, young actress who has gone missing without reason or notice. While on their search, the trio is asked by Scotland Yard to join in the hunt for a vicious murderer whose method resembles that of Jack The Ripper. It soon becomes clear that The Ripper has reemerged after a 28-year absence and is once again murdering young prostitutes in Whitechapel.

Following a line of subtle clues, Joanna quickly reasons that Pretty Penny has been taken capture by the killer. But as Joanna moves closer to learning his true identity, the killer sends her a letter indicating her young son Johnny will be the next victim to die. Time is running out, and Joanna has no choice but to devise a most dangerous plan which will bring her face-to-face with the killer. It is the only chance to protect her son and rescue Pretty Penny, and save both from an agonizing death.

 

My Thoughts:

The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg is a delightful story full of wit and twists and turns in the style of format of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I have been a fan of Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes, for a number of years, so I have been very skeptical of a number of the fan fiction about Holmes stories. Usually they are not written really well or researched well, and they make me put the story down. BUT when I was memorized by the covers of the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes' stories, I was hoping the stories would be just as captivating. Luckily, Goldberg does not disappoint. In The Abduction of Pretty Penny, the story is a hunt for an up and coming actress, Pretty Penny, who has gone missing. Of course, my favorite part was the hunt for Jack the Ripper, who they believe has come out of hiding and has stolen these women again. I enjoyed the hunt, and could not wait to see who the kidnapper and murderer was. Goldberg did a fabulous job with this story. I definitely want to own all these stories and have them on my shelf. If a reader is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, these are the nearest stories to the actual ones that I have come across. Give them a try.

I received a complimentary copy of The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg by Minotaur Books, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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