Anyone who is or has been a fan of anything pertaining to those characters who lives at 221B Baker Street both above & below stairs will enjoy this Book as they follow the various colourful characters trying to solve a mystery. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>. I have recommended this Book to various friends here in the UK & also Over Seas too.

A Sherlock Holmes mystery, Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident (2025) by Martin Davies is a reimagining of the 221B Baker Street sleuthing case participants. Sherlock’s housekeeper, Mrs Hudson and Flottie, the housemaid, are central figures in solving the Capricorn Incident. A lethargic Holmes and Watson are recovering from their last case, when the Suffolk police approach them to investigate the vanishing of a woman, without a trace. Meanwhile, a regal London wedding is put in jeopardy, when the bride and then later, the groom disappear, potentially having international repercussions. Flottie and Mrs Hudson play major roles in investigating the missing bride-to-be and together with some assistance from Dr Watson, end up solving the mystery, much to Sherlock’s approval. A useful addition to the Holmesian tales and a truly enjoyable gentle crime read with a four star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given. With thanks to Allison & Busby and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

"It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the year. It will be an international spectacle in which the young and popular Count Rudolph Absberg, a political exile from his native land, will take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess Sophia Kubinova. A lot depends on the marriage, for it is hoped that the union will ensure the security and independence of their homeland.

When the princess subsequently disappears in dramatic circumstances, members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He, in turn, needs the gifts of long-standing housekeeper Mrs. Hudson and her able assistant, housemaid Flotsam, to solve this puzzling case on which rests the fate of nations.

The continuation of the intricately crafted Holmes and Hudson series is a treat for fans of the great detective's original cases while they offer an inspired take on the rest of the famous Baker Street household."

I mean, I can never get enough Sherlock Holmes adjacent stories!

Book 7 of the Holmes & Hudson Series and whilst I was unaware of this series, so this was my first read, it read well as a standalone. In fact I really enjoyed it, a lot. The usual suspects are here - Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson and Mrs Hudson and they are joined by housemaid Flotsam ‘Flottie’. I did think this was a rather unlikely name but she is a great character. Holmes and Watson do rather take a back seat this time as Mrs Hudson and Flotsam run their own investigation, at Holmes request and on their own behalf. Told from the POV of Flossie this is a well written and well plotted novel.

Briefly, it’s 1901 and a royal marriage is to take place, in England, between Count Rudolph and Princess Sophia in an attempt to ensure the safety of a small but strategically important European principality. But when both of them go missing Holmes is asked to help. Meanwhile Mrs Hudson and Flottie are looking into the mysterious Colonel Maltravers who has been blackmailing a friend of theirs.

I love this Mrs Hudson, she is a clever and resourceful woman with friends at all levels of society, she also loves to clean, make jam and generally look after people! Flottie has been trained well and is just as intelligent and has learned much from Mrs Hudson and Holmes. I liked the writing which does have a taste of Conan Doyle in style. There are plenty of red herrings to fool even the best of detectives, and I loved how the various events came together so seamlessly. A very entertaining cosy mystery. 4.5⭐️

I enjoy this author's books. The mystery kept me guessing. I liked the setting and the characters. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Martin Davies does it again with the seventh in his Holmes and Hudson mystery series. What a delight to be whisked away to another world and get caught up in a missing royalty case with Balkan and Bohemian connections, politics and shenanigans. But what clinched it for me is the motley crew of characters, especially those of Mrs. Hudson and the homeless girl she took under her tutelage, Flotsam. Flottie is a quick learner, observant, keen listener, inately clever and and trained in many mental and physical skills. The two make an excellent team along with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Holmes and Watson are between cases and growing restless. Finally, thankfully (!) a princess goes missing and their client is sufficiently interesting to grab their attention. Red herrings and twists abound. The writing is refreshing and does remind me of Doyle in ways, yet I like the author's personal takes and perspectives. For rabid Sherlock Holmes fans like myself that may sound almost outrageous but I enjoyed it for what it is. The historical bits drew me in, too.

My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this entrancing novel.

In *Mrs. Hudson and the Capricorn Incident*, the beloved housekeeper of 221B Baker Street steps into the spotlight in this thrilling new mystery. With the wedding of the young Duke of Krasnow and Princess of Rovenia about to captivate London, a high-profile disappearance sends shockwaves through the British establishment. Sherlock Holmes turns to his trusted housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, and the ever-resourceful housemaid Flotsam to help solve the case.

Set against the backdrop of royal intrigue and political tensions, this intriguing whodunit allows Mrs. Hudson to showcase her sharp wit and keen eye for detail. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will love seeing this familiar universe through Mrs. Hudson’s eyes. A delightful blend of mystery, charm, and clever twists, this novel will keep readers captivated from start to finish.

MRS HUDSON AND THE CAPRICORN INCIDENT by Martin Davies is Book 7 in the series; Others include Mrs Hudson and the Malabar Rose and Mrs Hudson and the Christmas Canary. Davies follows a similar pattern with Mrs. Hudson and the housemaid, Flotsam, integral to solving a case while righting other wrongs along the way. In this case, there is to be a royal wedding, but both bride and groom have gone missing, and an international crisis is brewing. Simultaneously, the amusing socialite Miss Peters is upset about people who are being swindled and she, too, contributes to a solution by leveraging her many connections. Flotsam's quiet bravery and Mrs. Hudson's clever, careful thinking are very much on display. As Flotsam says, "It seemed utterly impossible that Mrs Hudson should know so much ... when everyone else knew so little, but of course Mrs Hudson did have a habit of knowing things that no one else knew, so although I was bewildered, I wasn't perhaps as astonished as you might expect." Enjoy this light, entertaining mystery.

I’m always into some detective work and I think it’s a blast revisiting Sherlock Holmes’ world with other characters at the forefront!

This mystery did not disappoint and was both light, entertaining and kept me truly wondering about the outcomes, most of which came as a complete surprise to me!

Flotsam is a great character and I enjoyed the adventures she seemed to get dragged into (and didn’t seem to mind one bit!) and seeing the mystery behind the whereabouts of our princess unfold with her help.

There are so many different takes and resurrections of Sherlock Holmes in print and on TV, so I wasn’t surprised to see yet another author doing something similar. Some have changed the gender of Holmes, some the period he was in, while some make Dr. Watson the brain behind the detective work, pushing Holmes into the shadows. What makes this one different is the oft hidden, forgotten character takes the center stage and solves the crime, with Holmes floating in and out of the scenes.

Martin Davies’s Mrs. Hudson is still the housekeeper of Holmes & Watson, but that is where the similarity ends. Mrs. Hudson is portrayed as a highly intelligent, observant, sharp woman with a penchant for cleaning and for solving mysteries. She leads an active life, making raspberry jams and liaising with hawkers and street urchins to gather intelligence. The book is written in first POV of Flotsam, who is the Watson to Mrs. Hudson. I wonder why Davies chose this character as the narrator, but deviate from the original Holmes series and make Mrs. Hudson herself the narrator.

Without spoiling the story, the book deals with multiple incidents which Holmes is approached to solve. What seem like disconnected incidents turn out to be tightly woven together. Mrs. Hudson connects the dots, relying on her intelligence and her network of hotel cleaning staff and men from her past.

Why I like to read mystery books is to play a detective temporarily and try to solve it before it is actually revealed in the book. For this to happen, the author should sprinkle enough clues or at least not hide clues from the reader. Another reason is of course to understand how the detective actually solves it and what clues I missed. But when the mystery gets solved or conclusions are drawn somehow, without an explanation about how, I feel let down. And this is what happened with this book. The ending of the book is so hurried and frenzied, I was left high and dry, scratching my head, wondering how the well conclusions were made.

In an attempt to make Mrs. Hudson shine, Holmes and Watson characters get sidetracked, which is reasonable but they still deserve a stronger portrayal and more page-time than what they get in this book.

I haven’t read the earlier books in this series, but going by the reviews, these seem to be good. I will pick one of these up to give this another chance.

We have all read lots of spin off stories about Holmes and Watson, now Martin Davies takes us below stairs to the realm of Mrs. Hudson. The bastion of common sense at Baker Street. Hudson has saved a homeless girl, she has named Flotsam or Flottie for short. Flottie is a very intelligent young lady and lucky for her Holmes and Mrs. Hudson make sure she is given a good education while she works.

Flottie is the narrator here. Getting to run errands is the highlight of her day and she puts together clues from the information she receives. When a prince and princess go missing in separate incidents and foreign powers are swirling to stop the wedding of the two, Holmes is called in by the Queen to find the missing young people safely. While a friend of Flottie wants Mrs. Hudson to help find a blackmailer. Flottie is pulled in both directions. Can she get her chores done and help solve the crimes?

Waaaay back in 2015, I read the fist book in this series by Martin Davies, Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits' Curse. I enjoyed it, but wasn't sure whether it was a series I'd want to put on my BOLO list. Having read the second volume in the series, I can say that I will definitely be on the lookout for more.

What I like about this series is that it's a bit gentle (cozy, even), but the minds of the characters in it—at least Mrs. Hudson; her assistant, the maid Flotsam; and Holmes himself—are very sharp. As a reader, I enjoyed trying to keep pace with them. Holmes really does take a back seat here. He is, of course, off detecting and digging up clues, but readers are getting this story via Flotsam's memories—and for Flotsam, Mrs. Hudson is a remarkable knower-of-things-unknown-to-most and Mrs. Hudson also has devoted friends and acquaintances at every level of society.

In this volume there's a risk of an international conflict if the wedding of the heir to the throne of Capricorn doesn't marry a particular princess by a particular date. Then both the heir and the princess disappear, creating panic among diplomats. At the same time, a seemingly omniscient blackmailer is is draining the coffers of Londons from social levels both high and, well not low, but definitely mid-level.

If you're looking for a mystery novel with characters you'll enjoy spending time with that offers puzzles requiring a good bit of work, you'll be delighted with Mrs. Hudson and the Capricorn Incident.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publsher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

This is the seventh book in the Holmes and Hudson mystery series wherein housemaid, Flotsam, at 221B, Baker Street, is key to the mystery-solving. It’s 1901 and there’s a ruckus growing in a small European principality, hinging on the imminent marriage of Count Rudolph and Princess Sophia. Rudolph goes missing and his companion falls to a terrible sickness which prevents him from divulging Rudolph’s whereabouts. Then Sophia disappears and ransom notes are received. Meanwhile in Wales a woman disappears without trace from a train leaving her belongings behind. This may or not be connected to the blackmail which has been perpetrated on several people. Flotsam puts it all together with the help of the astute Mrs Hudson, and Dr Watson is there to help, while Holmes mostly absents himself.

This is a very enjoyable, fast read in a popular series which retains the Holmesian feel while utilising other members of the household to put together the key clues. Lots going on here which interconnects in complex ways, as in the traditional Sherlock mysteries. Readers also get more than a glimpse into the inner workings of the renowned Baker Street house. Recommended to Holmes fans or anyone who enjoys non-graphic early 20th-century mysteries melding fictional characters with historical ones.

I was disappointed that it wasn't TTS enabled (the robot and I usually manage 50/50) so I will have to find earlier books in the series to fully appreciate book 7.
I did enjoy the parts that I was able to read and thought it a good bit of fun from an unusual perspective.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Allison & Busby Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Feb 20, 2025
#MrsHudsonAndTheCapricornIncident by Martin Davies #HolmesAndHudsonBk7 @AllisonAndBusby @goodreads @bookbub @Kobo @librarythingofficial #MysteryThriller @barnesandnoble @waterstones **** Review #NetGalley @booksamillion @bookshop_org #Suspense @bookshop_org_uk #Housekeeper #BakerStreet #Mystery #Detective

A fun book 7 in this creative series featuring Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, and her exceedingly smart housemaid assistant, Flotsam, as sleuths more capable than Sherlock himself. Always love to see gutsy female characters succeed in traditional male endeavors. Can be read solo but Holmes' fans, especially, will want to devour the whole series.

This is a very fun series, although I must admit that this has been my least favorite book so far. It was still enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but it didn't have quite the same magical resonance that the others did. I really enjoy watching Flottie's character continue to develop, although I missed having the constant presence of Scraggs in this installment. The mystery in this one wasn't quite as compelling to me as earlier stories, honestly, and that's a large part of the disconnect I felt this time I think. Still, the writing is always strong and the characters are a delight, so I'll happily look for the next book to see what comes next!

I have read another in this series in which Mrs Hudson assists Holmes in some of his (lesser known) cases. However, i can't say I enjoyed this one (Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident by Martin Davies) very much. Probably because Mrs Hudson didn't feature much in the book (despite it having her name in the title) and it was Flotsam, the housemaid who seemed to see most of the action. I'm pretty sure that if you invest time in the whole series then this book is great, just not for me.

Martin Davies’s Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident is billed as Book 7 of his Holmes and Hudson series. However, we really don’t see a lot of Holmes…. I’m delighted to say! The undoubted star of this book is Flotsam, the young housemaid who assists Mrs Hudson. Holmes has recognised Flotsam’s intellect (which, as Dr Watson himself happily acknowledges, is far above Watson’s) and is happy to involve her in his various cases. Mrs Hudson is also extremely astute, as well as having an immense network of useful contacts.

The book is immense fun, poking fun at Conan Doyle’s habit of referring to previous cases and far-fetched scenarios that he never turned into stories, such as the way Madame Emma St Aubert fooled the New York police by leaving her six Siamese cats behind in the care of a one-armed Irish butler. Those readers with a little Latin might want to think about the full names of General Pellinsky and the Archduke – I suspect Davies really enjoyed slipping in some of these jokes.

However, don’t be fooled by these tongue-in-cheek quips. The plot centres around the disappearance of Count Rudolf, heir to the Grand Duchy of Rosenau, and his fiancée, Princess Sophia. There is also another strand following the blackmails carried out by someone known as Colonel Maltravers, although it is suspected that this could be an alias. Although some aspects of the narration may playfully spoof Conan Doyle, the plot is very skilfully handled, bringing the strands together with an erudite denouement. I can smugly state that, in my younger days, I’d read several eighteenth century novels such as Tom Jones, so I was a little ahead of Flotsam – but only a little. We see how Holmes’s comments that we initially read as a parody, such as “one of the search parties […] will discover in a rural location and around twelve yards from the track, a pair of discarded boots in very good condition” are based upon a breathtakingly rapid realisation of what happened. Flotsam is in jeopardy and, although she narrates the story and so we know she must end up OK, the author does a very good job of nudging us towards the edge of our seat. This is a very well-written mystery that happens to have some entertaining moments; it is emphatically not just a spoof of Conan Doyle.

There is fun; there is suspense; there is a touch of romance; and we get a touching glimpse, with Olga Nethersole and Kate Field, of true love. I’m sorry I hadn’t read the earlier books in the series, but I shall remedy that as soon as I can…

#MrsHudsonandtheCapricornIncident #NetGalley

Thanks to Alison & Busby and NetGalley for the ARC.

Spring in Baker Street, and Holmes and Watson are once again at a bit of a low ebb after the conclusion of a particularly thorny case. Housemaid Flotsam is called up to the study to help sort correspondence and try to sort the wheat from the chaff among the many requests for help. An unexpected and very ornately clad visitor throws them all into the centre of an apparently urgent case with international diplomatic repercussions. A princess has gone missing from the London home she is staying in before her wedding to a prince; the wedding is desirable for all sorts of reasons, to secure the succession to a small principality and keep Europe stable.
Mrs Hudson's contacts and Flottie's ability to enter parts of society that exclude even Holmes and his faithful friend are needed to solve this, and another, possibly much more dangerous, mystery.

What a delight from start to finish! A frothy romp, perfectly paced so that if there's a wobble in the plot you can just move past it, trusting that you'll be back on an even keel in a minute. An even bigger delight to discover it's number 7 in a Mrs Hudson series. Perhaps not for Holmes purists!

What if Baker Street’s most gifted resident wasn’t called Sherlock Holmes?

This is the premise for a mystery series based around Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper / landlady, Mrs Hudson, as the primary investigator. This particular tome is number seven in the series, which I wasn't fully cognisant of at the time of reading, so my comments are based solely on this tome.

Not a fan - Mrs Hudson was not to my mind, central to the storyline at all, it more based around the housemaid, Flotsam, who is also our narrator. Maybe I should I read the first books, as I was certainly not invested in this one.