This is such a cute series. I love the spin on the Sherlock Holmes canon, as well as the introduction of people like Mr Raffles as a nod to British Mysteries more broadly speaking. I'm really enjoying the development of Flotsam's character, as well as the development of her relationships with the other characters. I must confess I found the underlying mystery in this one to be slightly less interesting than those in most of the earlier books in the series, but it was still a sweet holiday sentiment and I did enjoy how everything wrapped up in the end. It was a lovely story and a solid addition to the series.

Overall an enjoyable Sherlock Holmes story told with a different narrator than often appears in pastiches. The story got off to a somewhat slow beginning, but eventually arrived at a satisfying conclusion.

An interesting interpretation/continuation of the modern Sherlock Holmes stories. This one places their landlady Mrs. Hudson in a central role, much as several episodes of the BBC's Sherlock series with Benedict Cumberbatch did. Mrs. Hudson becomes an active character in this book, no longer someone on the periphery of the novel. Additionally, this book also fills the role of a cozy Christmas mystery, so even if you're not a fan of Sherlock Holmes, this book can still be read and enjoyed.

I had no idea what to expect going into this one. I haven't read any of the others in the series but it's fine as a standalone. The mystery was so intricate and complex. Both Flotsam and Mrs Hudson are engaging characters and Holmes is hysterical! It really makes me want to read some Sherlock Holmes, as I feel I'd appreciate what the author has done here even more. I will be reading the ones that preceding this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I was interested in this book because I thought the cover looked eye-catching and very attractive. From the description, it sounded like something that I would enjoy, so I was pleased to be approved to read this and write a review.

This was a delightful and very well-written Christmas themed Victorian mystery. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but Victorian mysteries are something that I typically enjoy. Sherlock Holmes and all related characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are some of the most beloved characters in the crime/mystery genre, and I'm always interested to see another's take on them, but I do have expectations. I expect elegant writing that stimulates my imagination, and this book lived up to those expectations.

From the first page, I felt the author brought the setting and the characters to life. I felt drawn into the atmosphere of Christmas approaching in Victorian London. I liked the narrator, Miss Flotsam. She seemed intelligent, with a kind of vulnerability that I found endearing.

I felt very cheerful while reading this, and I think it's the kind of book that I would choose to curl up and read with a hot drink on a cold December evening. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Victorian mysteries, fans of Sherlock Holmes, those who enjoy cosy mysteries, or anyone who is looking for a good Christmas-themed book to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my opportunity to read and review this book.

Martin Davies gives us a Victorian festive read, featuring the formidable housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, narrated by the able housemaid, Flotsam, aka Flottie, both playing a key role in helping to solve the mysteries that come to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Holmes is not blinded by social and class conventions and expectations when it comes to Flottie, who as well as carrying out household duties, receives lessons in science from the Honourable Rupert Spencer, chaperoned by Miss Hetty Peters, now a friend of hers. London is in the grip of a bitterly cold winter and the upcoming Chrismas festivities when a gentleman, Mr Horace Denham arrives, concerned with the disappearance of his friend, the well known violin virtuoso, the widower Maximilian Cortado, on the cusp of getting engaged to Miss Lavinia Burrows.

Prior to Cortado going missing, he had received an odd delivery, an exotic French hen, inquiries reveal he is but one of many recipients who have had sinister deliveries of fowl, and which include the Earl of Brabham. They are a disparate group, and there seems to be nothing that connects them, Sherlock takes the case but he seems more interested in the vandalism of Christmas trees in Sussex, convinced it will precede a theft. This has him trying to find the owner of the estate where this happened, and this leads him a 23 year old buried scandal, the theft of a priceless gold, jewelled canary, always the ornament placed at the top of the Chrismas tree at Lord Empingham's Frawley Hall. With Holmes working out what apparently happened to Cortado, but not explaining, he has Mrs Hudson and Flottie make their way to see the dying Empingham, to reassure him that the canary will be returned to him.

However, nothing pans out as expected, and it is down to Mrs Hudson and particularly Flottie, who find themselves in a desperate race against time to save the canary from a nightmare fate in London in the hands of a ruthless gentleman criminal. This is a fun and entertaining Christmas Victorian crime addition to Davies series that highlights the instrumental role played by the women in Sherlock Holmes household. The only minor criticism I have is that there is a little too much repetition, usually with the retelling of the impossible story of how the canary went missing in the tower all those years ago. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.