Holmes Is Missing is the second installment in James Patterson’s new private detective series, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. The book picks up with the trio of detectives—Holmes, Poe, and Margaret—facing personal and professional challenges while tackling a new case. Holmes is working to stay clean after months in rehab, Poe is dealing with life-changing events, and Margaret is doing her best to keep everything together. Their dynamic is compelling, with each character bringing something unique to the team.

In this gripping sequel, the trio investigates a disturbing case involving the abduction of babies from a secure hospital. The case is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers on edge from start to finish. The writing is sharp and engaging, and the characters’ detective skills shine through in every scene. The chemistry between the detectives is fantastic, with their contrasting personalities complementing each other perfectly.

What makes Holmes Is Missing such a page-turner is not only the intriguing case but the emotional depth that each character brings to the story. There are moments of humor, suspense, and anxiety, all woven seamlessly into the plot. Patterson and Sitts have created a series that’s both entertaining and thrilling, and this book has left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. Highly recommended for fans of mystery and character-driven thrillers!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a book about a detective agency in New York City. Holmes and his two friends Margaret and Poe get called in to try and solve this crime. Holmes is in and out of this book as he is attempting to solve his own mystery. One of them goes to London and this somehow becomes part of their current case. You need to read this book to discover how it all comes together.

While I thoughtThe second installment in the Holmes, Marple & Poe series, Holmes is Missing, is a marked improvement over its predecessor, delivering a fast-paced, thrilling story that is hard to put down. Where the first book struggled to provide protagonists worth rooting for, this sequel successfully addresses that flaw, offering a deeper, more engaging look at its central characters while maintaining an action-packed plot.

The investigative team—Holmes, Marple, and Poe—is hired to solve a shocking case: the mass kidnapping of six newborns from an elite hospital. As they work against the clock, their investigation is complicated by personal struggles. Holmes battles heroin withdrawal, questioning his mental sharpness and ability to lead, while Poe faces unexpected upheaval in his personal life. The local police, predictably territorial, attempt to keep the trio away from the case, but they press on regardless, staying one step ahead at every turn.

What makes this book particularly satisfying is the evolution of its characters. Holmes' vulnerability is explored in a way that elicits genuine sympathy for the aloof detective, while the dynamic between him and Marple is given much-needed depth. These moments of character development add emotional weight, balancing the otherwise relentless pace of the narrative.

The writing is taut, the mystery is compelling, and the book’s twists make it a true page-turner. I finished it in two sittings, breaking only for sleep, and I’m now eagerly anticipating the next installment—a complete 180 from my feelings about the first book. While the series may not have started strong, Holmes is Missing makes it clear that it is worth sticking with.

Highly recommended for fans of fast-paced mysteries and compelling character-driven stories. If you’re new to the series, starting with this book might even be the better choice. Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holmes, Poe and Marple set the pages on fire with their investigative prowess. Between kidnappings and murder, I was kept on the edge of my seat. With all its twists and turns, this was a page turner that I couldn't put down. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Co. for the opportunity to read this novel.

I have not read the first novel so this works as a standalone novel. Rest assured, I'll be reading the first one. I'm hooked on these modern day sleuths.

Holmes is Missing is the second installment of the Holmes, Marple and Poe saga. I loved the first book in this series and this one is just as good. If you are fans of Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, or Edgar Allan Poe then this series is for you!

This is the second book of the series and I hope to keep reading more!
I love the link of the past detectives in present day setting - with present day personality quirks. It makes for such an interesting interplay. The mystery is good but the characters are what it's all about. The way they interact and behave are so much fun and complicated it really drives the story to a new level.
It's probably best to read these books in order. And I hope that a third book is on it's way.
Well done!
Enjoy!

The three detectives, Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple and Augusta Poe, are back in this sequel titled HolmesI Is Missing. The story is not about Marple and Poe, his business partners, Virginia, the firm’s assistant and housekeeper, Police Capt. Graham Duff or Police Lieutenant Helene Grey looking for him. The story centers on six newborns abducted from a hospital nursery.. The point is made that only white babies with rich parents were kidnapped. Later it is found that newborns are also missing from a hospital in London. Holmes is retrieved from a rehab center to help with the case and afterwards spends much of this time disappearing and reappearing while making it clear that he is leaving the private detective agency, Holmes realizes that his powers of deduction are not what they used to be (except for his keen sense of smell) and mopes about how he has left everyone down. The plot thickens when school age children on a school bus are also abducted. A second plot involves Oliver Paul, the owner of a clock shop, a supposed fan of Holmes who meets Holmes at a crime-writers’ convention where named popular and famous real life mystery authors mercilessly taunt the three detectives as they address the audience. I actually thought the entire episode was Holmes dreaming but, as contrived as I found it to be, was really part of the fabric of the story. Paul involves Holmes in helping him to solve twenty-three murders-soon to be twenty-four, that he is writing a book about. Paul turns out to be quite the nemesis and the source of the novel’s cliffhanger.
Holmes, Marple and Poe all have personal difficulties and experience life changing events which feature prominently in the story as does Poe’s numerous muscle cars and the two story building in Brooklyn that houses all three in separate apartments with a personal library, workspace and large kitchen for all the baking that is done.
When I stream shows on TV, each episode invariably begins with a synopsis of the previous episode. When I watch subsequent seasons of a show on TV, the new season invariably begins with a synopsis of the details of the previous season. I might skip over the recap but it is fleeting and so I usually watch it through. Most book sequels that I read do the same and I find it most helpful especially since I read so many book series, Unlike TV, the books incorporate the background of the characters, the setting, and the backstory in to the storyline sparingly but enough to refresh my memory or, in the event I have not read the precursor, to enlighten me. I did not read Holmes, Marple and Poe and was provided very scarce information in Holmes Is Missing as to the origins of the characters, how they came to form an agency, etc. Helene Grey, whom I understand played a significant role in the first book, was not reintroduced. It seemed a given that I would be familiar with all and everything in the story except for the two new mysteries. That I will read the next book in the series also seems a given as this book ends with a cliffhanger and one of the mysteries open-ended.
I admit to not being an expert in this area and I could be wrong, but I personally believe that there needs to be a trigger warning for this book as the content includes what might be for some readers a sensitive or difficult event.
I would have found Holmes Is Missing more enjoyable if it didn’t read like a movie that I arrived late for and missed the beginning of and that I left before it was over.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity of reading and reviewing an advance copy of this book.

I tried multiple times over a week to read this book, and cannot get past about 30ish pages at a time. It just did not bring me in like other Patterson books, I tried so hard to like this book, and to me, it is not great.

I am sure it has a market, that market is not me though

This is a fun series and the second book added to the development and backstories of the three protagonists and Virginia, which was enjoyable since very little has been revealed about their respective backgrounds. The reader is left guessing with several significant developments at the end of the book that will be bringing many readers back for more. There are a lot of open plot lines and I look forward to seeing where the series goes. My only complaint about the book is that it feels sort of clunky, without a lot of nuance in the storytelling. I certainly don't mind suspending belief, which the storyline absolutely required, but the writing itself lacked finesse.

3.5 starts rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Not what I usually expect from James Patterson. But I enjoyed it. It was fresh and different. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next installment.

I very much enjoyed this edition of the Holmes, Margaret and Poe mystery series even though it was my first. It was easy to start with book two, and I didn't feel I missed much background info from the debut to get right into the groove. The characters strengths and flaws were well-developed, along with the story line. It kept me riveted throughout, and I finished it in record time.

I'm thankful I had the privilege to preview this edition through NetGalley, and it compels me to check out the first book in the series. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to @Netgalley, @LittleBrownandCompany and @JamesPatterson for this ARC. Holmes, Marple and Poe are back. This time, 6 babies are stolen from a local hospital and this investigative group is hired by the parents. While all three PI's are handling their own demons, they try to put them aside to find these children. Another great read of this series! #HolmesisMissing #LittleBrownandCompany #JamesPatterson #Jan2024

The follow-up to Holmes, Margaret and Poe is another winner! Holmes is missing will catch you from the beginning and keep you engaged until the very last page. The book does a great job of following all of the main characters and gives more insight into who they are, and why they might behave the way they do. There are many twists and shocking reveals, and ultimately you are left wanting more! More background, more investigations, more of it all! Holmes is missing does not disappoint, and I hope we get more!

Another impressive work by Patterson! I'm truly fond of the trio: Holmes, Marple, and Poe. This novel, centered around their quest to locate missing infants, was as captivating as the previous installment I read. The exploration of their personal lives adds a refreshing dimension to the narrative, and I eagerly anticipate the next release!

5 stars just for the sheer delight in Holmes, Margaret & Poe.

They had me laughing, they had me worried, they always impress me with me their detecting skills and I would certainly hire them in a heart beat.

Their characters complement each other perfectly: Margaret is the glue that holds them together, Holmes is valiantly fighting his demons and Poe has had some shocking news.

Put that all aside and they rush to the scene of multiple kidnapping .

The police aren't happy but that wont stop these three.

Enjoy the journey as you follow the twists and turns and sheer audacity of Holmes, Margaret & Poe.

James Patterson and Brian Sitts are a force to be reckoned with and this is my favourite series of the ones they write together.

I will be first in line for the next adventure of this trio.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Company for the privilege of reading and reviewing this entertaining book.

Poe, Marple and Holmes are at it again, in their own indomitable ways, investigating the
kidnapping of newborns from a Manhattan private hospital.
Along the way, Marple is dealing with Holmes ' well established moodiness, and the quirks that Poe
consistently exhibits while trying to keep their office on an even keel.
The p!ot line is interesting but at times, the multiple parallel stories are a bit interfering.
Always a fun read with these three but a little less on the extras may be even more rewarding.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve read a mystery novel that is as enjoyable as this one! “Holmes is Missing” by James Patterson and Brian Sitts hits every mark. This trio of private investigators have engaging personalities and complex backgrounds which makes them fascinating characters. The story is about black market infant trafficking and child abduction on multiple continents. The storyline will grip you from start to finish! This is book 2 of a great new series not to be missed!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 2nd book in a new series by James Patterson, the first was amazing and this one was even better. This dynamic trio is so entertaining, and I love how they have no doubts how great they are even though almost everyone else just doesn't like them at all, and they keep showing why they are so good.

This book had two main investigative stories to follow involving kidnapped babies/kids and everything that needed to be done to find those children again proving how smart they are-I love the character of Marple. This book was such an easy quick read but it also digs deeper into the characters and what they are going thru, along with a few huge surprises that make this book so good.

If you want a quick easy series, these first two books are definitely for you and i am sure there will be more and they are just so entertaining. I love Marple Holmes and Poe.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Little, Brown.

This is the second book in the series and Patterson & Sitt start us off with a bag. Plenty of action, tons of twists and more character development of our three investigators. As you read along you start to learn the strengths and weaknesses of Poe, Christie & Holmes, which makes the story even more interesting. I highly recommend this series and hope that the series will continue. Christie and Poe are called into a kidnapping case at a hospital. 6 newborns have been stolen from the nursery. Christie believes this is the time to visit Holmes at the rehab and convince him he needs to help with this case. Holmes comes back with them, but he doesn’t feel that he can really help them with his case. So, Poe and Christie are trying their best to solve this case, which ends up being connected to two other abductions. Read and find out if our three investigators can solve these cases and get their act together with each other. Thank you, Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fun! Fun! Fun! Marple, Poe and Holmes - plus Virginia too - are madcap detectives with lots of smarts and equally lots of personal issues that add drama to the mystery. An entertaining series with lots of potential!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this ARC.