BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Three Locks by Bonnie Macbird, Collins Crime Club, £14.99

Bonnie Macbird has a special relationship with Sherlock Holmes. To date, the award winning Hollywood screenwriter and author has tackled themes such as the cost of corruption and ghosts of the past in her meticulously researched novels, providing some of the best Holmes adaptations in recent years. But, Macbird’s hunger for the iconic detective is still strong as she reveals her latest and perhaps spookiest Holmes novel yet, The Three Locks.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes is renowned for his quick wit and camaraderie with trusted assistant Dr John Watson. Not only does Macbird retain these classic characteristics, her modern adaptations add intensified action and drama, making her storylines feel all the more gripping and entertaining. The Devil’s Due, which we reviewed last year, exemplified this superbly and its follow-up certainly retains this explosive niche.

Surprisingly, London is not the star location in this novel. Cambridge is instead Macbird’s choice of location for most of the plot to unfold as Holmes takes on a chilling case involving the disappearance of young Miss Odelia Wyndham. With her illtempered father and mysterious sister unfazed by her disappearance, Holmes’ suspicions brew and it’s not long before tragedy strikes on the River Cam.

Two other ongoing cases also unfold, as per the book’s title.

In Whitechapel, an Italian escape artist dies onstage during a failed trick and Lestrade’s brutish interventions almost tarnish the truth completely.

The third and most curious case involves Watson and an unusual box gifted to him by his late mother which hides secrets perhaps best left untold.

As with the earlier books, Macbird again portrays Holmes and Watson with plenty of humour and quaint charm.

One criticism of this book, however, lies in its plot. The three running narratives cast themselves adrift from one another for most of it and it feels as though Macbird missed an opportunity to try to combine these three stories – or three locks – together more comprehensively.

Furthermore, the case with Watson’s box could have potentially played a more meaningful role in the story and simultaneously exposed a more personal side to Holmes’ assistant that we’re not usually accustomed to seeing.

In all though, Macbird’s passion for Sherlock Holmes shines though.