Book description from Amazon.com:
“A continuation of USA TODAY bestselling author Leonard Goldberg’s The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Treason is a new intriguing locked room mystery for Joanna and the Watsons to solve.
The following case has not previously been disclosed to the public due to the sensitive information on foreign affairs. All those involved were previously bound by the Official Secrets Act. With the passage of time and the onset of the Great War, these impediments have been removed and the story can now be safely told.
When an executed original of a secret treaty between England and France, known as the French Treaty, is stolen from the country estate of Lord Halifax, Scotland Yard asks Joanna, Dr. John Watson, Jr., and Dr. John Watson, Sr. to use their keen detective skills to participate in the hunt for the missing treaty. As the government becomes more restless to find the missing document and traditional investigative means fail to turn up the culprit, Joanna is forced to devise a clever plan to trap the thief and recover the missing treaty.
Told from the point of view of Dr. John Watson, Jr. in a style similar to the original Sherlock Holmes stories, A Study in Treason is based partly on facts in our world and partly on the facts left to us by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
My review:
It was fun reading this story featuring a female version of Sherlock Holmes. It’s not a fast-paced or extremely suspenseful story, but one to enjoy as the author takes his time in building the case to the satisfying conclusion. This case is written from the viewpoint of the original Watson’s son, John, and his writing style mirrors that of his father’s.
There are many of her father’s characteristics in Joanna Watson. She is clever, intelligent, and relentless in moving forward to solve the case. She also does not show her emotions, which could possibly make a reader not connect well with her, but I felt it was appropriate as she is supposed to be reflecting the character of Sherlock Holmes. I enjoyed reconnecting with an elderly Watson again, and in his role as Joanna’s father-in-law. There’s also an appearance of the Baker Street Irregulars which was a light-hearted, but necessary, addition to the storyline.
This was my first book to read in this series, and I’ll look forward to reading more of Joanna’s adventures in the future.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own