There's a lot of Sherlock Holmes extended universe stuff out there, but the Early Casebook series is, for me, the one that best recreates the feel of the original stories: An observer's view of the genius that is Sherlock Holmes as he unravels one bewildering mystery after another. This one is probably the most complex of the Early Casebook stories I've read, with with several interwoven mysteries this time around, including a whole lot of family drama. Any of these cases could have been distilled into a short story of its own, with only a bit of the Greak Auk's mystery connecting them, but there was also a good deal of fun in trying to sort out which clue was relevant to which mystery. As with the other books in the series, historical research is vast, with a heap of author's notes in the back that go into further detail for any curious readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are mine.