Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly follow Sherlock Holmes and his assistant John H. Watson as they clean the English streets of crime. This book was written by Donald Thomas in 2010. It takes place within the Sherlock timeline, it's not necessary to read the other books but background knowledge does help. The time period of this book is Victorian England. These episodes are viewed from the point of Dr. Wilson. This helps the reader become more immersed in the story. In the first escapade, Sherlock and Watson are approached to investigate a recent attempted suicide and theft. They are told to stay incognito, for the events happened in a renowned Naval academy. According to their client, a package had been stolen. The accused is Patrick Riley, he is a very quiet boy. Riley was seen in the post office around when the package was missing. His writing matched the signature used to take the package. Apparently, after he was spotted, he attempted suicide, making him seem more suspect. With all these factors put together, everyone is convinced that he did it. They first meet with various members of staff. Each member seems wary, especially the headmaster. They later search near the train tracks for clues and find a few. They later meet with Patrick who confirms that he did not steal the package. After more investigation, Holmes deduces that the real culprit is someone unexpected. The next story is The Ghosts of Bly. Sherlock and Dr. Watson are asked to investigate the deaths of two noble children. The accused was their caretaker, Victoria Temple. Temple is locked away in an insane asylum because she was found not fit for court. Though this ruling was false, it saved her life in the end. They both investigate the matter further and find very shocking secrets about Bly Manor. In the last tale, Sherlock receives a call from an old acquaintance. He claims that he has killed someone during a play on accident. With help from Scotland Yard, Sherlock and everyone attempt to find the real killer. In the end, they find many potential suspects with solid alibis.
The start of the first story is a little slow. They take their time discussing the details of this case and other things that could have been introduced later on. I think the teachers of the naval academy had potential, I wish they all had a larger role in the story. I believe that would’ve made it more interesting. In general, this case was not very exciting. The second story is extremely confusing. Throughout this part, I had little idea what was happening. At one point they channel a spirit, which was very puzzling for me. I think that the premise is intriguing, but the complexity and unclearness ruins it. The final story is definitely the best and what saves this book. The unexpected twists and turns keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I loved how Sherlock questioned each suspect. This story also gave us a little more insight into how he thinks. I dove into this book thinking it would give intense mysteries, but in reality, it was pretty dull. Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly is a mediocre story. If you want to read something similar to this, I would recommend reading the originals instead. In all, I would give this book a 3/5.
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