Review: "Irene Adler: Witty, Competitive, A Master of Disguise & Singer and Detective"
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 31, 2012
My wife found a copy of Carole Nelson Douglas's Irene Adler book, "Goodnight Mr. Holmes" in a used book store and gave it to me. After reading the book, I was hooked on Douglas's Victorian age woman's libber who "blithely flouts conventions" and still seems to succeed in all she does. The depiction of Adler's character is so reminiscent of Holmes himself, which make sense when we remember that Irene was ". . . the only woman Sherlock Holmes admired" and indeed she lives up to the statement.  Judy Alter said "Douglas has made Adler a superb detective and invented a perfectly delightful -and perfectly puzzling - series of cases for her."This short story, which is currently only available on Kindle, is an enjoyable continuation of Douglas's intriguing series of Adler and Holmes.  Douglas's "The Private Wife of Sherlock Holmes" reveals the pair's most recent encounter in good old London as they investigate a high society brothel that uses a new invention, the gramophone, as a blackmail tool!  There are many Sherlockian deductions, by both Holmes and Adler; however, the story belongs to Irene and her wit, charm, and reason.The story is really too short; I prefer the novel over the short story.  I still enjoyed the story; however, I would have liked it fleshed out even more. Still, I really enjoy Douglas's characterization of Irene as an intellectual, talented heroine who succeeds both as a singer and as a detective. She is a unique and unconventional woman for any time period, but certainly during the Victorian era, she raises a few eyebrows. Irene is witty, competent, competitive, adventurous, and a master of observation and even a la Holmes, a master of disguises (her theatre background).  After the story comes an up to date "Afterword" by Douglas herself, which even mentions Downey Jr.'s movies and the wonderful Laurie King's Mary Russell with Holmes series.  The "Afterword" contains some interesting information about herself, her writing, and finally, a very long sample of the first book in the Irene Adler series, "Good Night, Mr. Holmes," which I do encourage you to read.  If you love Sherlock Holmes, you will most assuredly enjoy Carole Nelson Douglas's series about Irene Adler.