I loved the historical aspect of this novel as well as reading of the relationship of Sherlock and Lucy. Dr. Watson is very observant of this relationship. The mystery was very good and I look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My love of all things Sherlock Holmes began on afternoons after mowing my uncles yard spent watching old movies on a local UHF station and seeing Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as the famed detective and his sidekick. For me Rathbone will forever be the Holmes I remember even if I’ve loved all others who’ve played the character. But the stories were limited to those written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and authors who have taken up his character have blown hot and cold. The series of books involving Holmes and the daughter he never knew he had, Lucy James, have been a delight.

As victims are murdered in apparently unrelated incidents it is only Holmes who connects their deaths and begins to investigate. As he begins though he is summoned to the office of the Secretary of War who presents him with alarming news. A superweapon that was being developed has been stolen and is possibly on its way to Germany, a country on the verge of declaring war. Now Holmes, Watson and Lucy must do their best to not only solve the murders early on but find the weapon before it can be used to defeat England. Their adventures take them to a beach in Dover and to a secretive spa in Germany. Along the way they’ll encounter real life historical figures Nikola Tesla, King Edward VII, and Kaiser Wilhelm II. And through it all we readers will be provided with an interesting tale that’s both easy to read and entertaining from start to finish.

As with previous efforts in the series the book entertains, puzzles and holds your interest from the first page until the last. The character of Holmes remains the same as when Doyle wrote him with a bit of a twist as he realizes he has a daughter who tends to insert herself into the family business even if she’s actually an actress. The book will be enjoyed by fans of Sherlock Holmes as well as those who enjoy a good mystery to solve while reading. This book, as well as the entire series, is worth picking up and reading.

A fan of Sherlock Holmes stories, this book captures all the excitement and adventure of the original. The use of historical figures adds to the "new" look of Holmes and his daughter.

Entertaining enough though it didn't hold my attention. Lighter reading than even some of the fluff books I read. I wasn't scrambling to find out what happens next, and for a mystery, it was fairly predictable. I didn't feel like the characters were true to original form. The villains were not really worthy of Holmes. There was not much in terms of location and mystery building. Story didn't flow well and was sometimes confusing.
All in all, it wasn't awful, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend.