The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar (The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes #3)

The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar is the third book in the early case files series by Liese Sherwood-Fabre. Released 11th May 2021 by Little Elm Press, it's 312 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

There are many pitfalls authors encounter when writing posthumous series continuations. The characters are very well loved and very well established, especially by die-hard fans of the canonical works. This author handles the young Holmes brothers and family respectfully and does a stellar job painting the Victorian period atmosphere and settings with detail and precision. 

This installment follows young Mycroft & Sherlock unraveling the death of one of Mycroft's fellow classmates. I enjoyed this one. It's tightly plotted, engaging, and very well written in the style of its originator. The character backstories are provided by the author and it wasn't obviously a series book. I had no trouble following along and the denouement and resolution were complete and satisfying. It was good enough that I fully intend to chase down the earlier books in the series. 

Four and a half stars. Entertaining and well crafted.  It would make a superlative choice for library acquisition and for fans of classic Conan Doyle. Much better than the usual Holmes pastiches & homage offerings.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.