I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.

The Three Locks is the fourth installment in Bonnie MacBird’s Sherlock Holmes Adventures series. Set during the late summer of 1887, in it Holmes and Watson find themselves tackling three different cases. At first, they seem unrelated but as time goes on and the clues are gathered things are more closely related than they seem.

Bonnie MacBird has once again done an admirable job in bringing the familiar world surrounding 221B Baker Street to life. Her handling of the characters shows a deep love for them, as does the way she is able to craft a story that is engaging and entertaining. Her style of writing is very reminiscent of the original Doyle stories only updated for a modern audience.

Practically every Sherlock Holmes fan has a favorite version of the iconic character. From Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern Holmes to Jeremy Brett’s penultimate Holmes, there is a version for everyone. And in The Three Locks, the same can be said. There are little touches that evoke certain versions of both Holmes and Watson. I personally found it very entertaining to try and figure out which version MacBird was referencing where.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson would do well to check out MacBird’s Sherlock Holmes Adventures series. While it doesn’t need to be read in order, I do recommend my fellow fans and readers to read it all.

Quick and easy to read, even with three very different but loosely connected mysteries occurring all at once. Holmes and Watson are very well done, reflecting the originals closely. A solid 4 star read.

Awesome book for fans of Sherlock Holmes! It was so interesting and kept on my toes! I will definitely recommend to friends!

The Three Locks by Bonnie MacBird

A heatwave melts London as Holmes and Watson are called to action in this new Sherlock Holmes adventure.

It was very refreshing to read this Sherlock Holmes mystery and to learn how he investigated crimes rather than just seeing his picture. I enjoyed this book. Bonnie MacBird will be writing another one!

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I can usually enjoy some aspect of an updated or revised or extension of the Holmes universe but this one, for some reason, I had to scrape my way through as I found it pretty unenjoyable. I'm not sure why, really? It moves along at a clip and the author clearly understands the characters and writing style; it just left me cold for some reason. Anyway, I can't fully recommend in good conscience but my "eh" about this book is indefinable and therefore I can't say to stay away either.

This was a great pastiche! It did a good job of capturing Holmes and Watsons' voices while still standing on its own.

4 mysteriously entertaining stars
A big fan of Sherlock Holmes in my youth, I thoroughly enjoyed a quick trip to England while revisiting him and Watson in this entertaining book by Bonnie MacBird. It was fun to read the ‘old fashioned language’ such as “My extended holiday in Bath had been restorative.” Occasionally a touch of humor snuck in, “The man’s face, previously so benign had now shut as tight as a pub at breakfast time.” Holmes was described as a tall man built like a lamp post, full of himself.

Sherlock Holmes hasn’t changed since the Arthur Conan Doyle versions I read 50 years ago. Still clever. “My friend was a tireless warrior for the wronged, possessing gifts in the realm of genius, and making contributions to justice far beyond anything I could imagine. His work was life changing, his intellect beyond compare.” Watson, friend and scribe of Sherlock’s adventures, remained true to the original character except he seemed a bit more personable than I remembered.

The book was not in a hurry, but excitement built towards the end. I appreciated a clean story without graphic violence. Do not neglect to browse the very interesting facts and photos of places and things mentioned in the novel: https://macbird.com/the-three-locks/notes

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first of MacBird's series that I've read and I'll definitely have to read the rest. As others have noted, the style stays true to Conan Doyle's original stories but mixes in fresh characterizations and plots. Two (...or three) concurrent mysteries keep the novel moving along. I particularly enjoyed the many historical details that give you a true sense of the era and settings. A very entertaining read!

“The Three Locks” by Bonnie MacBird takes us to London during the sweltering summer of 1887, specifically to 221B Baker Street, the residence of Sherlock Holmes and his associate Dr. John Watson. As referred to in the title, there are three stories interwoven in this book, each of them features a lock of one sort or another.

A stage magician’s wife comes to Holmes to ask him to look into a rivalry between her husband and her ex, both magicians, that’s spinning out of control. Madame Borelli invites Holmes to the performance, where her husband barely escapes with his life. As Holmes investigates this rivalry, another stage accident (featuring a hidden lock) turns this into a case of murder.

A deacon from Cambridge provides us with the second mystery – one of his parishioners, a young lady with whom he is obviously infatuated with, has disappeared. Holmes and Watson travel to Cambridge only to be rebuffed by the family, it seems that Odilie “Dillie” Wyndham has disappeared before and indeed will disappear again before the story is over. Being pursued by three suitors, Dillie plays a dangerous game, one that results in a murder featuring the Jesus Lock on the River Cam.

The third lock is a personal one for John Watson – a puzzle box from his long-dead mother is delivered many decades later than planned. Holmes and Watson need to find a locksmith that could open the box without destroying the contents. What could have Watson’s mother sent him two days before her death?

I have not read Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories in several decades, but it seems that Ms. MacBird does a fantastic job of being faithful to the canon, making Victorian England come alive. She focuses on the relationship between Holmes and Watson, which was always a critical part of the stories, while also providing loads of action and suspense. I have not read the three previous Sherlock books Ms. MacBird has written, but they are going on my to-read list.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Harper 360 / Collins Crime Club via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Three Locks by Bonnie MacBird is reviewed in the April 2021 issue of Gumshoe Review and you may read it by clicking on this link <http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6747>.

Bonnie MacBird’s latest addition to the Sherlock Holmes universe is a great read! She manages to hew closely to the Holmes and Watson dynamic while still telling a new story and revealing new details about their “lives”. The three locks are three loosely intertwined stories braided together, involving a secret from Watson’s past, a trio of magicians, and a woman with more admirers than is healthy.

Don’t miss the companion website that MacBird has assembled with background information on many of the historical details from her story. It’s fascinating.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Three Locks (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure #4) by Bonnie MacBird hit all the right notes for me and may be (along with the second and third installments of this series) one of my favorite reads of 2021 so far. Bonnie MacBird does a marvelous job of bringing Holmes, Watson, and their world to life. Her style feels quite authentic to Arthur Conan Doyle's original characters while still keeping her take fresh. This series just keeps getting better and better. I'm so happy to see that there's going to be a fifth installment called The Serpent Under. I can't wait to get my hands on it. If you're a fan of Jeremy Brett and Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and David Burke and Jude Law as Watson with just a dash of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, I have a feeling you'll get a kick out of this series.

The Three Locks by Bonnie MacBird is a Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson novel. To my way of thinking, MacBird is one of the better Holmes' novels working today. The story was good with two mysteries and only a very brief overlap, with a small personal one as well, just to keep the story moving. Dr. Watson had just returned from Bath after a well-earned ten-day holiday to discover Holmes hanging upside down trussed up in a straitjacket, attempting to free himself. He had seen a Magician do it and was now challenging himself. What was required was that he dislocates a shoulder to accomplish his task, which he did and landed on his feet. After a thorough scolding by Watson, Holmes demonstrated that he could put it back in his socket by himself. Shortly after, the wife of the magician arrived to request help from the great Holmes. It seems the rivalry between her husband and he former lover, another magician, was getting out of hand. Well, so she thought at the time, but it got so much worse. Shortly a young deacon from Cambridge also made an appearance with concerns about a young parishioner. Much to do. Much to do.

Holmes is most like himself in these books as his drug habit is front and center, as his reliance on his friendship with Watson. He isn't able to keep crimes from happening, sadly, but he is able to solve them once they have happened. The mysteries are intense but easily solvable for a mind like Holmes'. He is quick to action, often bearing the police to the witness or suspect, or even the crime. It is supremely enjoyable to watch him work as he searches for clues and parses whose he finds. Watson is often clueless as to Holmes' though process but is available to lend his expertise where it is required. Very satisfying dose of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Three Locks by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #thethreelocks

The Three Locks is the fourth book in Bonnie Macbird's new Sherlock Holmes Adventures. Due out 13th April 2021 from Harper Collins on the Harper360 imprint, it's 432 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (ebook available now). 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 another strong entry it a very well crafted series with meticulous attention to detail and a truly impressive ability to channel the detail and characterizations of the canonical Holmes and Watson. The three locks of the title are a clever play on words and refer to literal lock & key type fastenings and one of the channel locks (for boats) on the River Cam.

The author has such a wonderful way with descriptive prose and the plot arc is very well controlled and the story itself is engaging and compelling. I stayed up way too late reading this one. The climax, denouement, and resolution are deftly handled. I really couldn't find any problems with any parts of the story or continuity.

I enjoyed this story and I suspect that most Holmesians will find enough here to keep them entertained. The story is written around a framework of real historical occurrences and the author provides a link in the book to annotations and historical notes which are well worth a read.

Five stars. Delightful to see Holmes and Watson in fighting form.

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

Very good! A great mix of modern writing and a Sherlock Holmes' classic mystery. I love the Watson, he has such a clear voice and I'd love to read more

The Three Locks is the fourth in MacBird’s Sherlock series, but can be read as a stand-alone. She puts her own spin on the classic characters and she brings the era to life well.

The story begins with Dr. Watson receiving a mysterious box, supposedly from his mother, who has been dead for many years. It’s locked with the first of the three locks, a lock no one can open and for which Watson doesn’t have the key.

Soon, Sherlock and Watson are approached by the first client, the wife of an Italian escape artist. She wants him to discover the truth behind the feud between her husband, The Great Borelli, and a rival magician. That night, one of Borelli’s acts goes wrong. He escapes, but barely. So, the second lock is involved in the magic tricks.

Another client presents the third lock. Peregrine Buttons, a young Catholic deacon, asks Holmes to find a missing young woman, the strong-willed Odilie Wyndham, who has disappeared from her father’s home in Cambridge. Her doll was found in the Jesus Lock on the River Cam and it seems Odilie might be in danger.

Sherlock as always finds clues the police miss, saving innocent people from being charged with murder. Both cases were interesting and had several twists. Sherlock and Watson make a good team as usual, and the supporting characters are nicely rounded out, including a couple of women who are not content with the strictures Victorian society places on them. I could have done without some of the wandering into Watson’s past, but that’s just me – apparently I don’t really want my detective’s, or side-kick’s, personal lives to take up too much space in the story.

I admit that I enjoy most Sherlock adaptations, but this series is one of the best, in my opinion.

It is the summer of 1887 and London is in the grips of a stifling heat wave when Watson receive a mysterious and long delayed package from his deceased mother. It is a beautifully engraved silver box with a lock so complex that not even the best locksmith can open it without the original key. The mystery of this box is not solved until the end and the story provides a look into the childhood of Dr. Watson and to his character. This is first of the three locks in the title of the fourth book in author Bonnie MacBird’s marvelous Sherlock Holmes series. The second lock arrives with the fiery and beautiful Ilaria Borelli, the wife of Italian escape artist The Great Borelli, who demands Holmes help in settling a feud between her husband and her former beau, another magician and mind reader. This leads Holmes and Watson to the London stages where the Great Borelli performs his Houdini like magic act. While still involved in this investigation Holmes is also approached by a young Catholic Deacon who requests Holmes help in finding one of his parishioners, Dillie Wyndham, a young woman who has gone missing. The deacon had found a childhood doll of hers floating in the Jesus Lock of the River Cam at Cambridge University. This is the third lock of the story. The doll is disfigured, and it is feared that this indicates that Dillie will come to harm. This leads Holmes and Watson to the famous university where they find her family strangely unsympathetic to the missing girl. Dillie is a strong-willed and impetuous young woman who has two fiancés fighting over her, and a jealous sister. This provides plenty of suspects who might want to do her harm. The author does an excellent job of portraying the time period and capturing the feel of the Conan-Doyle characters and stories. The interplay between Holmes and Watson is well done and often amusing. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look into the world of magic, as well as the look into the unusual and competitive world of Cambridge University. Anyone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes tales or Victorian mysteries will enjoy this book. I received an advance copy of The Three Locks for free from the publisher Harper Collins via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed Bonnie MacBird's Holmes novels from the beginning, but The Three Locks takes what was already a satisfying series up a notch. The plot is woven from multiple mysteries that entwine with and echo one another. Watson comes more fully into his own. Readers meet an engaging ensemble cast, most based in the community of Victorian-era magicians. What I particularly love about MacBird's take on Holmes and Watson is the humor she can inject into the novels without undercutting the tension of the mysteries. If you appreciate new takes on the Holmes canon, I'm confident you'll find this title rewarding reading. I received a free electronic copy of this title for review purposes; the opinions are my own.

The Three Locks by Bonnie Macbird is another entry into her continuing the adventures of the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes and his companion, and narrator of the story, Dr. Watson.

There is a lot going on as the book opens. Watson receives an odd, seemingly impossible to open, locked box, that he learns once belonged to his mother. While mulling over that contraption, he and Holmes are invited by the spouse of a stage magician to look into a spurned competetor who might be trying to cause the couple harm.

If that is not enough, a parish deacon comes to seek help over a young woman for whom he had some affection who seems to have gone missing. Thus begins this novel that is, on the one hand satisfying enough, but on the other, missing something. If you want an adventure with the lead protagonists, the author provides one for you to read. Yet, even though she is adept at the language of the time, and perhaps due to my recently re-reading some of Conan Doyle's original short stories, there was something missing. Thus, while being about Holmes and Watson, it does not feel as much like a missing story in the canon. Some people will not be bothered by this, but it left me pining for the original author's voice.

Still, as stated, MacBird provides a lot of plot points and adeptly takes the reader through them to a satisfying conclusion. Though it may not be for everyone, lovers of stage magic, and Sherlock Holmes will find enough to enjoy this novel.