(Mycroft Holmes) by Anna Waterhouse, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

(Mycroft Holmes) (Hard Case Crime) (Mycroft Holmes, #1)

by Anna Waterhouse and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

A new novel written by NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!

Fresh out of Cambridge University, the young Mycroft Holmes is already making a name for himself in government, working for the Secretary of State for War. Yet this most British of civil servants has strong ties to the faraway island of Trinidad, the birthplace of his best friend, Cyrus Douglas, a man of African descent, and where his fiancée Georgiana Sutton was raised.

Mycroft’s comfortable existence is overturned when Douglas receives troubling reports from home. There are rumors of mysterious disappearances, strange footprints in the sand, and spirits enticing children to their deaths, their bodies found drained of blood. Upon hearing the news, Georgiana abruptly departs for Trinidad. Near panic, Mycroft convinces Douglas that they should follow her, drawing the two men into a web of dark secrets that grows more treacherous with each step they take...

Written by NBA superstar Kareem Abdul- Jabbar and screenwriter Anna Waterhouse, Mycroft Holmes reveals the untold story of Sherlock’s older brother. This harrowing adventure changed his life, and set the stage for the man Mycroft would become: founder of the famous Diogenes Club and the hidden power behind the British government.

Reviewed by meowstina on

3 of 5 stars

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I received an advance reader’s copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I know this isn’t the same thing at all, but as a fan of the show Sherlock I was very curious to go on an adventure with a new perspective from this universe: his older brother, Mycroft. I did read A Study in Scarlet, so I am familiar with Doyle’s Sherlock and universe, but I cannot help but think of the show. It’s brilliant. This book is neither of the two, though. Written by two current authors, this is a story of Mycroft Holmes, his best friend Cyrus, a deceitful woman, and a dangerous investigation in Trinidad.

Mycroft has both similarities and differences to Sherlock in this novel. They’re both inquisitive, deductive, and sharp, but Mycroft has a bit more humanity in him. He cares about others’ well-being and is an unashamed romantic. In this story he is twenty-three, so these traits may be chalked up to innocence and youth, but nonetheless they make for a fresh perspective from the Holmes family. A very young and fiesty Sherlock does make a few appearances, but the main stars are Mycroft and Cyrus. Their journey takes many twists and turns, and the stakes become very, very high in their quest for fairness.

The book is written quite well. Though every so often I would long for more stimulation, for the most part it moves at a steady pace. Though the main draw of the book is Mycroft Holmes, issues of race and class during the time period are also explored, which is very refreshing and important. Race discrimination plays a huge part in the book, and even though it unfortunately fits with the time period, it’s challenged and pointed out instead of glazed over.

If you like adventure, mystery, and are looking for someone less cold and more deep than Sherlock, this story fits the bill.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 October, 2015: Finished reading
  • 1 October, 2015: Reviewed