Today dear readers I am on the blog tour for The Three Locks (Published 1st April 2021) By Bonnie MacBird. A big thank you to the publishers Collins Crime Club for sending me a copy to read and review, always appreciated. Also to the wonderful Anne for the invite to take part in the tour, thank you!
The Three Locks
The Three Locks – a gripping new Sherlock Holmes adventure by Bonnie MacBird – is published by Collins Crime Club, an imprint of HarperCollins, on 1st April 2021. It is the fourth in her acclaimed series.
The year is 1887 and an Indian Summer broils London and Cambridge. A mysterious impregnable box arrives for Watson, locked and with a secret from his past. Then a famous escape artist/conjurer fails to unlock his “cauldron” and burns to a crisp during a performance at Wilton’s Music Hall. And in Cambridge, three suitors including a priest, an aristocrat and a young physicist vie for the love of a spiteful beauty, who vanishes after her lookalike doll is found dismembered in the Jesus Lock on the River Cam. The cases convolve as Holmes and Watson tangle with clergy, police, academics and scheming siblings, risking life and limb to solve the murders and to keep the innocent from the gallows.
MacBird’s stylish updates to Conan Doyle’s canon bring all the wit, camaraderie and deductions one expects from Holmes and Watson, but with the extended arc of a novel allowing not only more character development but also action, which carries them far beyond the locked room mystery and into danger.
Each of MacBird’s four Holmes books explores a theme. Just as Art in the Blood revealed the perils and gifts of the artistic temperament, Unquiet Spirits uncovered the danger of letting ghosts of the past lie unresolved, and The Devil’s Due touched upon the cost of corruption, The Three Locks examines the risk of keeping dark secrets locked away.
Meticulous research and attention to period detail enrich the reading experience. The Three Locks is a must-read for fans of the original Sherlock Holmes adventures and for readers new to the genre.
About The Author
Bonnie MacBird was born and raised in San Francisco and fell in love with Sherlock Holmes by reading the canon at age ten. She now lives in London and Lost Angeles. Her long Hollywood career includes feature film development at Universal, the original screenplay for the movie TRON, three Emmy Awards for documentary writing and producing, numerous produced plays and musicals, and theatre credits as an actor and director. In addition to her work in entertainment, Bonnie teaches writing at UCLA Extension, as well as being an accomplished watercolourist.
She is active in the Sherlockian community in both the UK and the US, and lectures regularly on Sherlock Holmes, writing, and creativity.
Bonnie’s previous three Sherlock Holmes adventures are: Art in the Blood; Unquiet Spirits and The Devil’s Due. Her books are now available in 17 languages worldwide.
My Review
I am an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes and his many adventures with Watson. I am fascinated with the inner workings of his mind and the quick ability he applies to observing and more-so, comprehending a scene or person within a matter of seconds. I am always intrigued to read new adventures of the dynamic duo by other writers and see how they approach such a daunting task.
As is customary with a Sherlock Holmes adventure, the reader is greeted by Dr. John Watson who is famous for not only accompanying Holmes on his cases but also retelling their accounts to the public. The year is 1887 and the reader finds themselves sweating profusely as a heatwave in September melts London. There is no time to waste as Holmes and Watson quickly find themselves on not just one new case, but three. Madame Borelli the wife of Dario, a widely acclaimed escape artist comes to Holmes with a severed human finger in fear that her husband’s life is in danger. Just as Holmes begins to investigate the case, Deacon Buttons, a man of the cloth has traveled from Cambridge and is in desperate need of Holmes’ skills. He fears for the life Odelia Ann Wyndham, the daughter of a famous don. And on this very same morning Watson receives a mystical locked box that contains a secret from his past that has been kept hidden from him for years.
MacBird applies all the essential ingredients that conjure a classic Holmes story. There is the mystery and suspense as you attempt to follow the bread crumbs in hopes of solving the crime yourself. But alas this is Holmes we are dealing with and it is a matter of observing what others often overlook, looking for the finer details that will lead us to the culprit. There are also plenty of red herrings thrown in that will misdirect you into thinking you have it all sussed. That’s the beauty of a Holmes story, just when you think you’ve worked it out the carpet is suddenly pulled out from under you and TA-DA you’re back to square one.
The relationship between Holmes and Watson is always a interesting one to read. Apart from the exciting new cases that approach them, their relationship and camaraderie is what makes reading a Sherlock Holmes story such a captivating, surreal experience. Both characters are highly intelligent and educated in their fields and require the other’s skills more than they care to admit. As is classic with Holmes he is often perceived as cold and unemotional, always being ahead of Watson and surprising him with his conclusions. Holmes sees Watson as blank page meaning he is free to accompany him on cases. It is one of the things that he treasures about him. Watson admires Holmes’ vast knowledge that is always expanding and how he is able to see what others can not. However I felt MacBird allowed at times to show a small vulnerability in Holmes with his relationship to Watson. It is only shown for mere seconds but you are reminded that Holmes is a human with emotions, ones he keeps locked up and hidden along with his personal history. I also enjoyed diving into Watson’s past and learning about his childhood. It was an unexpected twist that sent chills down my spine.
The contrast with the scorching heatwave and dash to solve the cases entwined beautifully together. I could feel the sweat dripping off the page as my heart pounded in my chest for answers. It was intense and I found myself downing ice cold lemonade after lemonade to keep hydrated.
I give A Sherlock Holmes Adventure The Three Locks By Bonnie MacBird a Four out of Five paw rating.
I was on tenterhooks as the pair raced between cases in an attempt to save more than one life. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s addictive reading, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down until I knew everything!
MacBird respected the original source material which these two legends are built upon but also added her own twist and brought a new refreshing adventure that would easily slot beside the classics.
Don’t forget to follow the rest of the blog tour, dates below, enjoy!
Links
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Website
http://www.macbird.com
@macbird
@bmacbird
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Bunny’s Pause 
Thanks so much for the blog tour support x