Although I have read and enjoyed others in this series, this book didn't hold my interest. I don't know if I can quite put my finger on the reason, but something about the storyline didn't seem to mesh well with how the characters were acting and reacting to things. I love all Sherlock lore and enjoy the revamp to following the daughter of Sherlock and Irene, along with Watson and his son. The blue diamond recovery just didn't seem like enough of a mystery to warrant an entire book. I'll certainly continue with this series, but this one wasn't my favorite.

Wonderful series that just gets better. The characters have really developed and I like to read what they are all doing. Highly recommend this series!

The Watsons do keep track of the news, and there have been two thefts at fashionable London hotels, all occurring in rooms on the top floors. It interested Joanna Watson minimally until they received a visit from Scotland Yard asking for their help in solving a theft from the suite of the Governor-General of South Africa. The theft occurred during the night when all doors and windows were locked and with guards in the hallway and in the stairwell. At first, it appears to be an extremely clever locked-room mystery.

Readers of this series will suspect there has to be more involved than a simple theft from a locked suite. Indeed, the reported item stolen was a perfect blue diamond the Governor-General was supposed to give to King Edward as a gift from his people to seal their allegiance at this time of war. There was another item stolen that was crucial to the war effort and which must be recovered before it could be sent to Germany. Joanna and the Watsons, along with the Baker Street Irregulars, are the country's best hope to find the stolen items before it is too late.

The plotting is, as usual, extremely intricate and with enough twists along with red herrings to keep readers guessing until the end. The clues are there but this time there were several ways to interpret them so, while you could clearly eliminate suspects sometimes, they'd reappear as credible options. Thus, The Blue Diamond is another intriguing addition to the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series.

I tried to get into this one but I think it just fell short for me. I know other people will enjoy thismone if they enjoy this genre. I liked the characters but the plot was not fully adapted to them. It's still a good read and readers should give it a read

The Blue Diamond is the 6th book in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series. Joanna, along with Dr. Watson and his son, John Watson, Jr., is working on the case of the stolen blue diamond.

The blue diamond, which belongs to the Governor-General of South Africa, is being presented as a gift to King Edward. In the middle of the night, the diamond is stolen from their hotel suite with no clues supposedly left behind. There seems to be a string of robberies from famous hotels, and the blue diamond is just one of them. Scotland Yard is baffled and so calls in Joanna Holmes Watson, along with the Dr. Watsons to help with the case. As they begin to investigate these thefts, it becomes clear very fast that a master thief is at work. Finding this thief and finding the blue diamond becomes very important as they start finding clues that there is more to this than just a plain robbery.

I really enjoyed this book but it was not my favorite of the series. I would recommend reading this series in order.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me an early copy of this book.

This book is the sixth installment of the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series. It features Joanna Watson, who didn’t know her famous detective father, Sherlock Holmes, but the similarities between the two are uncanny. They are pretty much one and the same. They both have a knack for noticing the finer details that everyone else misses and solving mysteries that seem impossible to resolve. In this book, Joanna has been called in to assist Scotland Yard when a priceless diamond is stolen from a hotel room. The diamond was to be a gift from the Governor-General of South Africa to the King to strengthen their allegiance to one another during World War I. Scotland Yard is once again baffled and Joanna enlists the help of her husband and his father, the famous Doctor John Watson.

I found that this book was enjoyable to read, but it didn’t keep my attention as much as the previous installments of this series. I felt that this book dragged with the storyline in some areas and could have been a little shorter, but nonetheless it was a good read. I really have come to like this series and the author has done a fabulous job of keeping the Sherlock Holmes story alive but creating his own characters with their own narratives. I think that this is one of the better continuations of the Sherlock Holmes stories that I have read. There are a lot of spinoffs out there and I have read a lot of them because I have long since loved the famous fictional detective.

While this was not the best book in the series, I do highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Sherlock Holmes. It appears that the seventh book in this series is going to be published next year. I am hoping that one is better than this one, but I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for Joanna moving forward in the series.

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars
Author: Leonard Golberg

Series: Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mystery #6

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Pages: 330

Genre: Historical Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Leonard Goldberg has hit his stride in the "Daughter of Sherlock Holmes" mystery series. This is the 6th book in the series, and while the novels can stand alone I would suggest you read at least the first novel in the series to fully understand the backstory of the characters.

Once again Dr. John Watson Jr. and his wife, Joanna Holmes are on the case trying to find a very large and valuable blue diamond in 1917 England. The original, Dr. Holmes, the Senior, is also on hand to lend his expertise. Filled with logical observations and deductions true to Author Conan Doyle's writing, The Blue Diamond is a wonderful historical mystery and caper filled with twists. One of the plot points I found most intriguing is how Scotland Yard has to solve the mystery without the modern day scientific methods of crime scene investigation, keeping true to the time period of World War I, the police officers and detectives were in a league all of their own at the time.

This novel is perfect for Sherlock Holmes aficionados and for a younger generation, those who like the Enola Holmes stories and movie on Netflix.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my opportunity to read this novel.

The main characters in this series, Dr. John Watson (of Sherlock Holmes fame), his son John Jr., and Joanna Holmes, daughter of Sherlock, carry on the tradition of investigation of the cases that Scotland Yard can't handle.

In this episode, a jewel theft is tied to important war negotiations, treason and assassination. Like the previous novels in the series, this one is packed with clues, action, and lively character development. I've enjoyed the whole series and eagerly look forward to each new entry.

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

I love different interpretations of the Sherlock and Watson stories and this is my first interpretation by Leonard Goldberg. The Sherlock role is filled by Joanna, daughter of Sherlock and Irene Adler, and we have elderly John Watson and his doctor son John Watson Jr.

In this case, with is their sixth, they're called into the theft of a massive blue diamond from a hotel, and they end up discovering a case of treason along the way, and someone sends them death threats. So there is a lot going on in this book.

Did I like it? I liked parts, and could appreciate Joanna's brilliance, and her deductive methods, which are reminiscent of her dad. She's also married to John Watson Jr. (if I'd read other installments, this would not have been such a surprise to me.) Anyway, she sees a number of details the Yard's men don't (not surprising, really) and she's just so smart.

Watson Sr. comes off as a compassionate, honourable fellow who's still up for action, despite his weakening heart. I never really got a handle on junior, who narrates. In fact, I had an issue with the characterization, if not the mysteries, which were fine (though the diamond thieves were dead easy to figure out as soon as the author listed current residents at the hotel.) I had a problem caring for any of the three main characters. I'm not sure what was going on, but I never warmed up to any of them, despite being primed to enjoy this book since I love Sherlockian stories. I'd say though I didn't really enjoy this, others interested in a mystery set in early 1900s London will probably like this.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The Blue Diamond 💎
Daughter of Sherlock Holmes #6

This is a most excellently written book, and is the first I've read of the series. I definitely will buy a paperback copy later so my siblings can enjoy it as well.

Joanna Watson, now daughter-in-law to the original Dr. Watson, is a marvelous detective, and is commonly consulted by Scotland Yard for difficult and time consuming cases. Her husband and Dr. Watson Sr. greatly enjoy helping her root out answers to some of the most puzzling mysteries and challenges England has to offer.

The writing style is quite nice, stated matter of factly and without the pompous air of some Brit books. The London smog and mist comes to life before your eyes, as well as the interesting characters that inhabit her streets.
Simply put, I LOVED this book and can't wait to read more of this series!

(Mildly) Negative Content

Joanna, and Dr. John Watson Jr. & Sr. drink brandy and a couple other spirits, but just a shot or two.

There is a short mention of the ways a criminal could dispose of evidence after a victim had been killed, but it's only briefly mentioned and not overly detailed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the e-book. The opinions and thoughts above are my own, and a positive review was not required.

Book six in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, opens in 1917 with WWI raging on the continent and England being bombed by the German zeppelins. High level government meetings are taking place in London with visiting dignitaries. The Watson's are called in by Scotland Yard to help solve a series of hotel robberies that are high profile. A rare blue diamond to be given to the King George V is one of the stolen items.

The thieves are somehow accessing securely guarded penthouse rooms that are guarded and locked with no one seeing anyone enter or leave. The Yard is stumped and asks for help. No new clues can be found until a doorman receives a fatal head injury and a cabbie quickly on scene catches a glimpse of the weapon.

Joanna is led around London sifting through the many threads being pulled by a group of traitors and thieves. Can she find the culprits before England's war effort is compromised?

Fans of historical mysteries will love this series.

I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes retellings, but The Blue Diamond struggled to hold my interest. There was nothing wrong with the novel, it just wasn't for me at this point in time. I did enjoy the second half of the book better than the first as it had a bit more action and problem solving in it. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes retellings or cozier mysteries then you may enjoy this one. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mysteries are one of my must read series and The Blue Diamond is an excellent read! London is hosting the Imperial War Conference at a crucial time in WWI. The Governor-General of South Africa has brought a precious blue diamond to be presented to King Edward during an audience at Buckingham Palace. Joanna and the Watsons are called in to find it when it is stolen from his suite before it can be presented. Security around the hotel is formidable - how did the thief get in? And who has it now? It must be found before the German get a hold of it and foil the Allies plans.

A fascinating story involving WWI and Britain's complicated colonial relationships and compelling characters that draw you in made it difficult to put down the book. As a fan of the Holmes Canon, I feel that Leonard Goldberg's characters and stories are a must read for any of the detective's admirers. I look forward to the next in the series!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #TheBlueDiamond.

This book is the 6th in the series of clever and intelligent mysteries solved by the daughter of Sherlock Holmes and Watson and his son. Entertaining. I especially like Toby Two and the heroic efforts of the Baker Street Irregulars.

The Blue Diamond Earns 5/5 Persian Slippers…Engaging & Entertaining!

It’s 1917, and although war is raging all of Europe, Joanna, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler, is busy trying to solve a pair of curious burglaries at very high-end hotels: from The Fairmont a Ming dynasty vase and from the St. Regis some Bearer Bonds. The details she’s organized on her blackboard have little connections beyond location and the evenings foggy weather. However, she, her husband John Jr., and his father the senior Dr. Watson are interrupted with news there’s been another robbery. Inspector Lestrade, son of the man who helped Sherlock all those years, and the commissioner of Scotland Yard inform them this time it’s a robbery at the Windsor Hotel, but the crime now includes an assault and a doorman lying in a coma. However, it’s the real target and the object stolen that has Scotland Yard seeking out the Watsons. Joanna adds to items stolen the Blue Diamond.

The Next Generation! Leonard Goldberg channeled well the vision of Arthur Conan Doyle and added his own fascinating twist in the Holmes franchise. Sherlock’s and Irene Adler’s daughter is continuing the legacy of her parents as a brilliant detective with the insight as well as the knowledge to see patterns, recognize inconsistencies, and narrow down the suspect list to “the one.” Like father…like daughter. She is supported by the elder Dr. Watson, her father-in-law, and her husband Watson, Jr., who offer insights, assistance, and a knowledgeable ear for her theories which mirrors the relationship we enjoyed between Sherlock and Watson Sr. The investigation includes traditional witness interviews and re-examining crime scenes, and like Sherlock, Joanna doesn’t ignore even the smallest detail, but it isn’t until the end that everything is cleverly tied together in true Doyle/Sherlock manner. Goldberg’s writing includes a first-person narrative, but from John Watson Jr.’s perspective not Joanna providing a more objective view of her process. The descriptive language and cadence to the narrative and dialogue illustrates well a Victorian style and era, as well as addressing some of the mores and behaviors related to class and gender. The author often makes the “daughter of Sherlock Holmes” reference which seems meant to qualify Joanna’s involvement as only valuable since she’s Sherlock’s daughter. It does, however, show the limited and subservient role of women in the early 1900s, however, through twentieth-first century glasses, it is good to see she doesn’t let those unaccustomed or disagreeable to her authority interfere with her duty. You go, girl!

Johanna is so like her father in that she can puzzle out anything presented to her given time to think. She notices things and puts them together in a less than obvious way. She is a well-written character whose personality reveals itself more on every page. Her husband is a skilled observer and so in tune with his wife that he can nearly read her mind. He uses his medical knowledge in pursuit of the truth and is a helpmate in every way. His personality is less defined but he is a necessary character. The senior Watson is nearly in the background having been well-established much earlier. Inspector Lestrade, the son of the original, is Scotland Yard all the way. The mystery was a good one, very war-related. The solution was obvious relatively early on but the motivations and the how-to’s and where-for’s still needed to be sorted. As always it was well written and interesting, with many temporary characters related to this story only making in appearance. It was a good read and of course, a successful conclusion.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC by St Martins Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #stmartinspress #leonardgoldberg #bluediamond

The Blue Diamond is the sixth book in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mysteries. This novel tells the tale of the hunt of the missing diamond. I love Joanna as a character. She is smart and observant like her father. I also like that we get more of a backstory into Joanna’s background. I also love her relationship with her husband, John. With that said, I thought the mystery was very weak and confusing. I really could not follow it. I did not see any clues to the conclusion. Still, this is a very well-written series. I love the characters and the homage it pays to Sherlock Holmes! I recommend this for fans of Deanna Raybourne, Anna Lee Huber, and Karen Odden!

Leonard Goldberg has Joanna, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes and wife of the son of Dr. Watson, trace the whereabouts of the stolen blue diamond and secret war plans from the Windsor Hotel in London during World War I. Violent deaths and mysterious robberies keep the action moving along in this fine historical thriller. Satisfying conclusion for all the suspects and heroes.

This is the sixth book in series and the third one I've read. These books are well-written with intricate mysteries and I like the characters each and of themselves. There was one peeve of mine that I mentioned in a previous review that deals with Joanna, the way some conclusions are written, it portrays the Drs. Watson as stupid and therefore the reader as well. Now, I liked this book better than the previous ones because there was a lot less of that in this book, although still a few times, causing me to roll my eyes. There is a lot of great material and conclusions regarding the mysteries, so I don't understand why the author finds it necessary to make Joanna look smarter by making her family members look stupid. I've never read any Sherlock Holmes books, so maybe that's how Sir Arthur wrote as well and the author is trying to stay true to form. I did like the way as least part of real history and MI5 was woven into this mystery with a number of twists and turns. Ultimately, giving the daughter of Sherlock Holmes the opportunity to save England and the war effort.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Minotaur for the opportunity to read this book for an unbiased review.

Wonderful mystery! I love this series by Leonard Goldburg. I like that he tells his stories very similar to the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries. I like how we learn the clues a little at a time and we don't know who did it until all is revealed. This was very well done.