I should have known better. I haven't enjoyed anything with James Patterson's name on it since he stopped writing his own books decades ago... Now he's more of a marketing machine - which is great for new authors but, I fear, not so much for readers. This was a cool and fun construct that played out exactly the way you would anticipate a book within his marketing machine would. That is to say, the idea is fabulous but the execution is nowhere near what you would hope for as a reader - and particularly as a reader of any of the named characters' stories. The titular characters feel like pastiches rather than fully developed and robust nods to their namesakes. The plot plods along, and there just wasn't anything here to grab or hold my attention beyond the idea. But lots of people really like it and he continues to sell millions of books a year, so he must be doing something right - just not to my personal taste.

tl;dr
With a quick pace and multiple cases, this book feels like watching a television police procedural.

Thoughts
This is my first time reading any James Patterson, but the title did its job thoroughly in catching my attention, so props there. I'm led to believe that the writing style of short chapters and concurrent threads is standard for Patterson, so any fans of his work will be right at home here. I was also zero percent surprised to discover the co-writer Brian Stitts also works in television, since this entire book feels like reading a television show. Prose is straightforward, reading in some places like stage directions on a script, and the pacing felt like a modern police procedural, complete with several ongoing mysteries and a light touch of personal lives from our three leads to keep the engine moving. Even the end of the book feels like a season finale stinger. The mysteries are all interesting, but this isn't a solve-along book, so results reveal themselves in a more Conan Doyle style than a Christie one. A handful of minor details that don't pertain to the mysteries feel a bit jarring (Marple knows not to refer to a Korean woman by her first name because it's culturally insensitive, but does not call her by her job title, which would be most ideal; A haute cuisine dinner menu includes "ferns" instead of "fiddleheads"). I think my only real complaint is that my biggest mystery remains entirely unsolved: Why aren't they Holmes, Marple, and Dupin? And why hasn't anyone inside the book asked that too?

Holmes, Miss Marple and Poe was fast-paced and very enjoyable. I was pulled in from the first page both by Patterson’s writing style and by the engaging characters. With some of the quirks and characteristics of each of their eponymous originals, they’re recognizable, yet still individualized. This blend of original and individualized characterizations for each of these title characters allows the dynamics of their working as a team in a private investigation agency to be pulled off successfully, setting the storyline up for interesting personal interactions, which show up more and more as the book progresses. These relationships, along with the back and forth relating of the cases taken on by the newly formed agency, all come together into an entertaining read. All the loose ends are tied up with those background stories, yet there remains a mystery with the detectives themselves—a teaser leading into anticipation for the next of these in a series. I’ll look forward to it.

I was drawn to this book because of the title. Right away, this book roped me in and never let go in true James Patterson form. If you're a Patterson fan, then I believe that this book will be for you.

Holmes, Marple, and Poe is a new private investigator firm in NYC solving cases. Who are the 3 who are running it?

This book was a wild ride and a great new series!

Two truths and a lie: 1 James Patterson puts out a crap ton of books a year. 2. This book was great! 3. I’m still shaking my head. I was grabbed right away from the first chapter introducing the three quirky characters of Holmes, Poe, and Marple, investigators extraordinaire. While the first half of the book was fairly riveting, the second half just fell apart with stories going in all directions, some without resolutions, some you just didn’t care about, and some that had you shaking your head with a WTF??? Needless to say, my lie from above is that this was a great book. This was an ok book. There were so many opportunities to make it a really good book, but alas, the result was a conglomeration of characters you maybe kind of liked, none you respected, and a unsatisfied ending. If this is to become a series, Mr. Patterson and Mr. Sitts have some character overhaul to perform to make an engaging tale. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Co. for the advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review. In case you couldn’t figure it out, 2 was the lie. ( 2 truths and 1 lie figured in the book)

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.


This is a new series of 3 private investigators Marple and Poe that are working out of NYC.

I had such high hopes for this one because of their names. But I was sligtly disappointed. I found it a little all over the place and had a hard time keeping up and then it was slow at times.

I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book.

HOLMES, MARPLE & POE was a quick and entertaining read, with short chapters that keep the plot propelling forward at a breakneck pace. The multiple investigations were woven together in a way that made sense, and weren’t too confusing despite the intersecting storylines. The ending did feel a bit dragged out, which was the only downside to this otherwise entertaining tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review HOLMES, MARPLE & POE.

I was drawn to this book by the title, because I have been a fan of Doyle, Christie, and Poe since I was a small bookworm and return to my well-worn copies of the complete stories of each author whenever I need a cozy read. This book was not exactly what I had expected, I suppose that it does pay homage to the great mystery-detective writers in some regard, bringing their most famous sleuths, in two cases, and author himself in the third into modern times and retelling an abridged, updated version of each of their more famous cases. But, somewhere in the abridging and updating, the magic was lost for me. I think the highlight for me was where I looked up and in my best Sean Connery (from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) accent said "We named the dog Baskervilles". Perhaps my expectations were a bit lofty. On the positive side, this is a quick light read ideal for travel reading by flight or rail or a waiting room read. The chapters are short so you are always near a good pause-point. The writing is succinct and plot are straight forward. If you are looking for something that feels like one of the old masters, pick up one of their old short stories but if you are looking for something new to breeze through this book works well.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Little, Brown and Company) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Thank you James Patterson & Brian Sitts for writing such an exciting and entertaining book. “Holmes, Marple & Poe” for sure is your next bestseller, and I hope the beginning of a future series. The cast of characters are delightful and I want to know more about them and their decision to open New York’s newest PI agency. This is an original and very clever book which I recommend highly!!

Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown & Co. for allowing me to read the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book appears to be the first in a new series by the author. The story was filled with good mystery and intrigue. Several different story lines were spread throughout the book. The detecting was basic and swift. This is a book which I would recommend to others.

Thank you to James Patterson, Brian Sitts, Netgalley and Little, Brown & Company for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Holmes, Marple and Poe teams the story of 3 PI’s who seemingly came from nowhere and are already showing they can pull their weight when they debut in the Big Apple after solving a murder. The trio then get pulled in different directions- solving a robbery of high value books, a kid napping and a mass homicide case all at the same time. It seems that the team finds themselves in some sticky situations but with the help of each other and detective Grey, they get the job done - as one would except with those names.

I should preface this by saying I read A LOT of Patterson as a child/young adult. Some of my favorite works are by him so I was sooo excited to get my hands on this. I did enjoy reading it overall and felt it was interesting but I also felt like I had zero clue where it was going at times. It was fast paced with short chapters to help keep my brain from bouncing all over. As an NJ native, the scene in Asbury Park felt extra special to my heart. I thought all three of the characters were unique in their own, especially Poe and Holmes. If this is a series, it’s one I definitely will continue to read it with each installment.

Rating: 3.5/5 rounded down

This was a unique concept and I enjoyed getting to know Jon as a character. I could understand the choices of the character and it worked overall. The concept worked well overall and I was hooked from the first page. Keith Gilman has a strong writing style and I’m glad I read this.

This book was soooo good! Filled with humor a LOT of crimes to solve and a whimsical cast of characters. One of the best Patterson collaborations. I hope there will be more books with Miss Marple, Poe and Holmes!!

NYC has a new PI firm in town by the names of Marple, Holmes and Poe. There is mystery among this crew and agency as well as several high profile cases attempting to be solved throughout the book-this made this hopeful new series different than the rest just for that reason. Interesting characters, typical quick chapters, and NYC again as the backdrop makes this an exciting new series. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Seems a little different from most James Patterson novels. I did enjoy it. Fun read and the characters are great. wondering will there be another?

Patterson and Sitts have the beginnings of a terrific new series on their hands with this first book. Three mysterious people, 2 men and 1 woman, all with sketchy, secretive backgrounds and unusual names, join forces to open a new detective agency in a renovated building in NYC. They make a big splash right away by solving a 2-week-old missing person case by going directly to the police commissioner and attending a press conference uninvited. Those actions put them on the map when additional crimes occur. I really enjoyed reading how the detectives worked well together and how they reasoned out the cases. This is a clever, creative, original, and fun story that I really hope continues as a series. I need to know more about Holmes, Marple, and Poe! Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for providing an ARC.

The prolific James Patterson teams again with Brian Sitts for possibly a new series — three modern New York private investigators with the last names of literary sleuths. Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple, and Auguste Poe have disguised origins, but after a newsworthy public introduction, they are involved in three cases — a kidnapping of a rich husband, stepdaughter and dog; the art heist of a Shakespearean folio and Gutenberg bible; and the discovery of a cavern filled with old and new skeletons. This isn’t meant as a super serious story — it’s almost like a pilot for a TV series. Yet, it’s entertaining and twisty. Co-author Sitts was Patterson’s collaborator for The Shadow and Doc Savage books (two old timey radio personalities), and this book is quite similar, with three more larger-than-life protagonists, who owe their background mystiques to decades-old storytellers. Suspend your disbeliefs and enjoy the ride.

As I’ve noted before, the standard Patterson book structure is short, thrilling chapters, and always about a 100 chapters. Any other author couldn’t get away with that, but it makes Patterson books unique and a quick enjoyable read. There is no chance of a long, droning middle part. 5 stars!

Thank you to Little, Brown andCompany and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO There was no color description of the private eyes’ eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES I was very impressed that Marple sought out non-scented flowers in centerpieces so Holmes’ super olfactory senses were less pressured — sunflowers, dahlias and hibiscus are, indeed, scent less, but there’s a reason hibiscus flowers aren’t in bouquets or centerpieces unless they’re paper facsimiles — they close up quickly (even when still on the plant — they last only a day).