Tag: Reading Challenges

Book Review – Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident by Martin Davies @AllisonandBusby

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About the Book

It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the year. It will be an international spectacle in which the young and popular Count Rudolph Absberg, a political exile from his native land, will take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess Sophia Kubinova. A lot depends on the marriage, for it is hoped that the union will ensure the security and independence of their homeland.

When the princess subsequently disappears in dramatic circumstances, members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr Sherlock Holmes. He, in turn, needs the gifts of long-standing housekeeper Mrs Hudson and her able assistant, housemaid Flotsam, to solve this puzzling case on which rests the fate of nations.

Format: Hardcover (352 pages) Publisher: Allison & Busby
Publication date: 20th February 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

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My Review

Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident is the seventh book in the author’s series featuring the redoubtable Mrs Hudson and her illustrious employer. I haven’t read any of the previous books but that certainly didn’t affect my enjoyment of this one although that does mean I’ve missed out on the back story of some of the characters, especially housemaid Flotsam. As a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, I enjoyed the little nods to the original stories such as the references to bizarre previous cases – the Brabham Hall poultry affair, the case of the Brazilian opera singer, the string of pearls and the trained marmoset – and Holmes’ bravura observations about newly arrived visitors to 221B Baker Street.

It turns out Mrs Hudson is almost the equal of her employer when it comes to observation and the solving of conundrums. But while Sherlock Holmes is often dashing about the country with Dr Watson in his wake, Mrs Hudson is calmly seated at the kitchen table using her vast network of contacts to put two and two together. She has a willing and able pupil in Flotsam who is the narrator of the story and also does a lot of the running around.

Whilst the troubles of the House of Capricorn, rulers of the Grand Duch of Rosenau, involving a turn of events that could cause an international incident, is the main focus of Sherlock Holmes’ attention – by Royal command, no less – Mrs Hudson and Flotsam investigate a number of cases of blackmail which share a common modus operandi. And one name keeps cropping up but who is the individual behind it?

Their investigations take them back and forth across London, from the houses of the wealthy to dingy alleyways. Flotsam mingles with members of high society and theatrical stars of the day but also street urchins and market traders. That doesn’t mean, however, that Flotsam escapes the household chores that Mrs Hudson sets her. Those stair rods won’t dip themselves after all. However at the back of Flotsam’s mind is the absence of her friend Scraggs, who’s humble beginnings in life were similar to her own. But could he be something more than a friend? (There is a delightfully tender scene at the end of the book.)

Look out for all the features of a classic detective story – clever disguises, mysterious escapes from locked rooms, last minute dashes, dangerous encounters and basketfuls of red herrings.

Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident is a delightfully entertaining historical mystery that captures the essence of Conan Doyle’s characters and the ingenious nature of Sherlock Holmes’s methods but doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s the perfect escapist read that will leave you alternately scratching your head and chuckling at the gentle humour.

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Allison & Busby via NetGalley.

In three words: Engaging, intriguing, playful
Try something similar: Sherlock Holmes & the Singular Affair by M. K. Wiseman

About the Author

Martin Davies is a writer and media consultant based in the UK. He is the author of eleven novels, including international bestseller The Conjuror’s Bird which was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection. The Unicorn Road was chosen as one of The Times/WH Smith top paperbacks of the year, and Havana Sleeping was shortlisted for an Historical Dagger award by the Crimer Writers’ Association. Martin Davies’ books have been translated into ten languages. (Photo: Author website)

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Book Review – A Cold Wind From Moscow by Rory Clements @ZaffreBooks

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About the Book

Frong cover of A Cold Wind From Moscow by Rory Clements featuring red hammer & sickle on white background

Winter, 1947. Britain’s secret services have been penetrated. The country is more vulnerable than ever – and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin knows it. He decides it is time to send his master of ‘Special Tasks’ to create extra chaos.

But Stalin has a more important motive than mere disruption. He has a man on the inside who must be protected at all costs – a communist super-spy who has the secrets of the atomic bomb at his fingertips.

Freya Bentall, a senior MI5 officer, no longer knows who to trust and is left with one to bring in an outsider whose loyalty is beyond question – Cambridge professor Tom Wilde. His to find the traitor in MI5.

Bentall has three main suspects and Wilde must get close to them all. That means delving deep into the criminal underworld, attaching himself to the cultural elite of the arts and finding a way into the extreme reaches of British politics.

As winter bites and violence erupts, Wilde faces an uphill battle to protect those he loves from merciless killers. And he knows that one slip will spell disaster for the country – and his family.

Format: Hardcover (368 pages) Publisher: Zaffre
Publication date: 30th January 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller

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My Review

A Cold Wind From Moscow is the eighth book in the author’s Tom Wilde spy thriller series. It’s a series I absolutely love and nothing excites me more than learning another book is on the way. You probably could read it as a standalone but if you want to give yourself a real treat, read the series from the beginning starting with Corpus.

Tom is continuing his vain attempt to free himself from the grip of MI5 and return to his role as a Professor of History at Cambridge University. He has a young son whom he wants to spend more time with, especially as his wife Lydia is away training to be a doctor. It’s a long-held ambition of hers and Tom is not the sort of man to stand in her way. To be fair, she’s not the sort of woman to let a man stand in her way either. Their meetings are limited to brief encounters in London hotels where Tom, in the words of Lydia, is called upon to perform his ‘nuptial duties’.

However Freya Bentall, a senior officer with MI5, is a difficult woman to say no to, particularly when the security of the country is at risk. Tom may be American by birth but he’s a Briton by choice, and a patriot. With echoes of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre, Tom takes on the task of identifying the traitor Freya believes has infilitrated MI5. In engaging with her three suspects he finds himself visiting some varied places – from seedy gambling dens, to dockside cafes and elegant art galleries – and characters from all echelons of society, including some pretty violent individuals with their own signature way of despatching people who get in their way.

We also know from the dramatic opening chapter that there are even nastier people out there, motivated by political ideology and utterly ruthless because they know the personal consequences of failure. ‘Bloodshed was in their nature. Compassion was an alien concept.’ They also know that someone with secrets is the perfect target for coercion.

The story is peppered with exciting action scenes, including a violent assault on a remote house made even more dramatic by the fact the harsh winter has brought England to a virtual standstill. We also find out some intriguing information about the enigmatic and famously taciturn Freya Bentall.

Rory Clements has perfected the art of combining real events, in this case the post-war atomic weapons race, with exciting fictional scenarios. The story moves at the speed of a runaway train and has surprises around every corner. Don’t be shocked if a character you trust turns out to be a wrong’un, or the other way around.

As a gift for faithful followers of the series, there are references to events and characters in the second Tom Wilde book, Nucleus. I also loved the walk-on parts for three real-life individuals in the closing pages of the book.

If you are a fan of spy thrillers, A Cold Wind From Moscow will most definitely not disappoint. I loved it.

In three words: Fast-paced, dramatic, immersive

About the Author

Author Rory Clements

Rory Clements writes full-time is a quiet corner of Norfolk, where he lives with his wife, the artist Naomi Clements Wright. He is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and twice winner of the CWA Historical Dagger Award, for Revenger and Nucleus. Three of his other novels – Martyr, Prince and The Heretics – have been shortlisted for awards. A Cold Wind From Moscow is Rory’s sixteenth novel, and the eighth featuring Professor Tom Wilde.

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