A continuation of USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg's Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series, The Abduction of Pretty Penny finds Joanna and the Watsons on the tail of an infamous killer.
Joanna
and the Watsons are called in by the Whitechapel Playhouse to find
Pretty Penny, a lovely, young actress who has gone missing without
reason or notice. While on their search, the trio is asked by Scotland
Yard to join in the hunt for a vicious murderer whose method resembles
that of Jack The Ripper. It soon becomes clear that The Ripper has
reemerged after a 28-year absence and is once again murdering young
prostitutes in Whitechapel.
Following a line of subtle clues,
Joanna quickly reasons that Pretty Penny has been taken capture by the
killer. But as Joanna moves closer to learning his true identity, the
killer sends her a letter indicating her young son Johnny will be the
next victim to die. Time is running out, and Joanna has no choice but to
devise a most dangerous plan which will bring her face-to-face with the
killer. It is the only chance to protect her son and rescue Pretty
Penny, and save both from an agonizing death.
The Abduction of Pretty Penny
is a wonderful new entry in a series that the Historical Novel Society
calls “one of the best Sherlock Holmes series since Laurie R. King’s
Mary Russell books."
In The Abduction of Pretty Penny, the fifth book in the daughter of Sherlock Holmes series, the 221 b Baker Street investigators are hired to find out what happened to a popular young actress. The story begins with Joanna calling her husband, Dr. John Watson, Jr and her father-in-law, Dr. Watson to the window. She predicts the woman pacing on Baker Street is going to hire them. What is holding her back? I love how Joanna gives her partners a lesson in reading people’s body language using the woman’s indecision as a teachable moment.
I really enjoy this story and the audio performance. Joanna continues to show the skills she inherited from her father, Sherlock Holmes, and her mother, Irene Adler. She is clever, feisty, and determined to figure out the clues of the case. In other words, she is my kind of heroine. Like her father, Joanna doesn’t show a lot of emotion, except around her son. In some ways this is a little off-putting but her other qualities more than make up for it.
The Abduction of Pretty Penny, like the other books in the series is told from the point of view of Joanna’s husband. This story telling approach is reminiscent of the original Sherlock Holms mysteries. The story moves at a steady pace with some twists that are well placed. What begins as a missing person case, turns into something more sinister when the group realizes that Jack the Ripper has returned after twenty-eight years of inactivity.
Once again, the team calls on the Baker Street Irregulars to help. They are always a fun flashback to the original series and add a light break to an intense story. The suspects are an unusual group. They each add dimension and flavor to the story. Anyone of the suspects could be involved in the abduction as each one is hiding something. The disturbing question of has the ripper returned or do we have a copycat on the prowl?
Steve West continues as narrator for the series. He is terrific interpreting the essence of the story. John Watson’s emotions and his pride and admiration for his wife comes across clearly. West’s narration vividly evokes the setting of early 1900s London and the tension of the characters. Well done! West is the voice in my head for Dr. Watson, Jr.
If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, you need to check out this series. In my opinion, the series gets better as it progresses. I truly enjoyed listening to this audio.
4 STARS
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