Mrs Hudson and The Christmas Canary (A Holmes & Hudson Mystery, #6)

by Martin Davies

Old lies, new threats. The chickens have come home to roost…

December in London, and Maximilian Cortado, the world famous violinist, has disappeared, the only clue being the unexpected delivery to his townhouse of a basket containing a live hen.

When it emerges that a number of other notable members of society have been receiving similarly unexplained fowl, the deliveries begin to appear more sinister.

Sherlock Holmes, however, seems more intrigued by a trivial incident in Sussex, where someone has been damaging Christmas trees intended for a local stately home. So when he is asked by the wife of a famous artist to investigate a robbery carried out twenty-three years before, Mrs Hudson sees an opportunity to assist.

At the centre of that mystery is the Christmas Canary, a solid gold decoration of mesmerising beauty, hand-crafted for the fifth Lord Empingham. For years it had graced the top of the Christmas tree at Frawling Hall – until its mystifying disappearance broke the seventh Lord's heart. Fowl deeds are afoot, but can Mrs Hudson restore the canary to its perch before it’s too late?

A wonderfully evocative caper based in the legend of Sherlock Holmes, perfect for fans of M. R. C. Kasasian and M. C. Beaton.

• ISBN13: 9781804361009
• Publish Date: 10 November 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Canelo
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Mrs Hudson and The Christmas Canary is the sixth book in the cozy English mystery series by Martin Davies. Released 10th Nov 2022 by Canelo, it's 310 pages and is available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is on the surface a nice tie-in series starring the redoubtable Mrs. Hudson (of 221B Baker St. fame), and featuring lots of nice Holmes and Watson cameos. As always, this installment also features Mrs. Hudson's assistant Flotsam who has blossomed into a capable, honourable, intelligent, and fearless protagonist in her own right.

There are several disparate plot threads - a Russian violinist's disappearance, a very cold case robbery, strange deliveries of live birds to luminaries in and around London, and Holmes seems more fascinated with criminal damage to Christmas trees in Sussex - and they all twine ever more tightly together to reach a satisfying climax and denouement. The author weaves fictional characters and events so skillfully around real historical characters that it's not always easy to figure out where fact shades into fiction. 

Despite being the 6th book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone, and I had no trouble keeping up with the plot. 

Four stars. This would be a good choice for holiday reading for fans of very historical British cozies. It would also make a good choice for bookclub discussion or a buddy-read for cozy enthusiasts. It's not canon, of course, but it slots neatly into the world better than most series featuring the Great Detective and his household.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes