The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife: The Origins of Sherlock Holmes, World’s Greatest Consulting Detective (The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes, Case One) by Liese Sherwood-Fabre – International Mystery & Crime, Mothers & Children Fiction, Private Investigator Mysteries

The game is afoot! It’s years before Sherlock Holmes’ ponderings from 221B Baker Street. Sherlock is a teenager when challenged to solve his first case, The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife by Liese Sherwood-Fabre.

The stakes are among the highest. Sherlock’s beloved mother is the accused killer when he and his infamous brother Mycroft are summoned home from their boarding schools. The family reunites to a single purpose. They must prove Violette Holmes’s innocence. They soon discover that proving her innocence will not be enough to restore her standing in the court of public opinion. They can only clear her name by also finding the actual killer. That investigation involves a dangerous pursuit that requires detailed observation, logic, and action. Young Sherlock Holmes will also need to watch his back.

The adventure begins with a brief glimpse into Sherlock’s school days.

It’s an illuminating peek into his growing personality. As the men of the family come together, nerves fray with their mother and wife jailed. Sherlock’s Uncle Ernest is also anxious to help free his sister. Ernest and Sherlock visit Violette in jail, and together the three of them create a plan they hope will bring her home. If successful, they may catch the killer, an endeavor that may be an even more significant threat to them all. The determined Holmes family will need all the help they can get along the way. The killer is watching their every move.

During his analysis of the case, Sherlock encounters a most intriguing teenage girl who has perfected the execution of the enviable skill of sleight of hand.

Her name is Constance, and she is the most talented pickpocket he’s ever met. A handy tool to have on your team if you can, but there’s more about this girl that attracts Sherlock. He wants to strike up a friendship. Is this the start of young love, a first crush? Of course, there are complications. If Sherlock can save his mother from conviction and the gallows, then someone very close to Constance risks becoming the main suspect in the murder of the unfortunate midwife.

Author Liese Sherwood-Fabre paints a lively, historical setting that draws the reader immediately into a curiosity about the social conventions and people of the story.

Crafted to perfection, the Sherwood-Fabre offers several suspects and a crime scene clever enough to engage the reader at every step of the investigation. The investigation takes unexpected twists and turns that will keep a reader guessing until the end. The most outstanding achievement is the author’s skill in creating her characters, including one of the most famous mystery characters of all time. She paints the most credible portrait of him in his youth. The characters’ motivations and family dynamics are revealed in due time, throughout the adventure, with some surprises. Situational and character humor delights as they race to solve the mystery. And so, the adventure begins.

The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife by Liese Sherwood-Fabre won 1st Place in the CIBA 2019 M&M Awards for Cozy and Not so Cozy Mystery novels.