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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
This was a pretty good quick read that I got for free on a deal. Won't continue the series but it was okay.
loved it. interesting and historically acurate from what I could tell but for that sense. not overly impressed with the love interest angle, especially at the end. could have been done better. but alround alright :)
I received this book from the author after subscribing to her mailing list. I was curious as it's a Sherlock Holmes pastiche and I'll read anything involving the great detective. However, Holmes is a secondary character to Anna Kronberg, a German woman with a medical degree who lives a double life as a man, Dr Anton Kronberg. An interesting premise considering how difficult it was for women to get ahead in the world of medicine in that period of time.
Anna and Sherlock first meet when a body is washed up in a water plant- a body full of cholera- but all is not as it seems, could the man have been murdered? Despite the fact he had cholera?
I did feel some moments were unnecessary such as a sex scene, thrown in for no apparent reason, and the moment Anna decided to kiss Sherlock. It was pretty obvious she'd develop feelings for Sherlock- however I was far more interested in the case. It was a mix of scientific knowledge and medical science which made the case of two very common diseases a lot more interesting! I felt I learnt as I read.
It's hard to explain it without spoiling it. I suppose Anna can be considered a Mary Sue in some ways but she is also extremely clever and very good at what she does!
It had its flaws, I admit. It wasn't perfect, but it was written well. Despite my initial apprehension I enjoyed it and felt she did Holmes justice. It would have been nice to see more of Doctor Watson though, but that's me being picky.
I flew through this book so I clearly enjoyed it, I'm definitely interested in reading the rest if the series. The preview of the next one introduces Moriarty :D
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely recommend it.
Anna and Sherlock first meet when a body is washed up in a water plant- a body full of cholera- but all is not as it seems, could the man have been murdered? Despite the fact he had cholera?
I did feel some moments were unnecessary such as a sex scene, thrown in for no apparent reason, and the moment Anna decided to kiss Sherlock. It was pretty obvious she'd develop feelings for Sherlock- however I was far more interested in the case. It was a mix of scientific knowledge and medical science which made the case of two very common diseases a lot more interesting! I felt I learnt as I read.
It's hard to explain it without spoiling it. I suppose Anna can be considered a Mary Sue in some ways but she is also extremely clever and very good at what she does!
It had its flaws, I admit. It wasn't perfect, but it was written well. Despite my initial apprehension I enjoyed it and felt she did Holmes justice. It would have been nice to see more of Doctor Watson though, but that's me being picky.
I flew through this book so I clearly enjoyed it, I'm definitely interested in reading the rest if the series. The preview of the next one introduces Moriarty :D
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely recommend it.
In Annelie Wendeberg's The Devil's Grin, the protagonist, Anna/Anton Kronberg, is a passing woman and a skilled doctor, working at Guy's Hospital in the very new field of bacteriology. When at home, she lives in one of the poorest districts of London and offers what medical help she can to the poor around her - passing in this milieu as a nurse.
She meets Sherlock Holmes when she is called to examine the corpse of a man found in the water treatment works, a possible victim of cholera. When Holmes insists on observing the autopsy, they both realise that there is something very suspicious about the man's death - and the game's afoot.
As Holmesian pastiches go, it was adequate - her characterisation of the world's first consulting detective was better than many, though not the best. As a story about a passing woman trying to hold the disparate pieces of her life together and survive the daily deceit needed to be who she needs to be, It caught my attention and made me care about the protagonist.
The most annoying thing, for me, was Wendeberg's occasionally awkward and anachronistic use of language. Modern slang, inappropriate word choices and clumsy sentence construction - all possibly due to Wendeberg writing in her second language? - these things tended to kick me out of the story from time to time, but not badly enough to keep me from diving back in.
Fun, fast read with some interesting psychological insights into the situation of someone forced to live her life as a constant masquerade in order to be true to herself.
She meets Sherlock Holmes when she is called to examine the corpse of a man found in the water treatment works, a possible victim of cholera. When Holmes insists on observing the autopsy, they both realise that there is something very suspicious about the man's death - and the game's afoot.
As Holmesian pastiches go, it was adequate - her characterisation of the world's first consulting detective was better than many, though not the best. As a story about a passing woman trying to hold the disparate pieces of her life together and survive the daily deceit needed to be who she needs to be, It caught my attention and made me care about the protagonist.
The most annoying thing, for me, was Wendeberg's occasionally awkward and anachronistic use of language. Modern slang, inappropriate word choices and clumsy sentence construction - all possibly due to Wendeberg writing in her second language? - these things tended to kick me out of the story from time to time, but not badly enough to keep me from diving back in.
Fun, fast read with some interesting psychological insights into the situation of someone forced to live her life as a constant masquerade in order to be true to herself.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.85 Stars
I love the setting of the story, it looks very realistic, and having a woman who is cross-dressing in order to be able to be a bacteriologist who to add its working as a part crime investigator. That is simply awesome.
I so need to go back and star this in order though.
Full review can be found at https://bunkerofbooks05.wixsite.com/bunker-of-books/post/the-devil-s-grin
I love the setting of the story, it looks very realistic, and having a woman who is cross-dressing in order to be able to be a bacteriologist who to add its working as a part crime investigator. That is simply awesome.
I so need to go back and star this in order though.
Full review can be found at https://bunkerofbooks05.wixsite.com/bunker-of-books/post/the-devil-s-grin
I enjoyed this book, the character of Anna was incredibly intriguing - she always kept me interested in knowing more about her. She's brilliant, able to hold her own in the same room with the incredible Sherlock Holmes, which is shown through her ability to fool nearly everyone she encounters. The case she is trying to solve with Holmes really isn't the interesting part of the book, although it ties everything together nicely. The best part is seeing Anna and Sherlock push and pull against each other, both incredibly stubborn, and masking their interests with the focus on solving the source of the cholera deaths. The book also has a little bit of a commentary on women's rights - Anna is a brilliant doctor but her status does not allow her to even attend school. The emotional trauma that she puts herself through just to have the career that she loves is another subplot that makes Anna feel real.
Great characters, intense story, overall a very good read.
Great characters, intense story, overall a very good read.
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this Sherlock Holmes story this weekend. I found it as a freebie on Kindle and didn't know if it would be any good. It had me hooked right from the beginning and kept me interested the whole time. I am a Conan Doyle fan having watched, read and listened to the stories over the years and this works really well. I liked the main character a lot and could imagine all the situations that were going on in the story. I definitely want to read the next one.