From #1 Amazon & New York Times bestselling author Gemma Halliday and USA Today bestselling author Kelly Rey comes a story about Sherlock Holmes, two savvy female detectives, and one chance to catch a killer and the hot Dr. Watson at the same time…If there’s one thing Martha “Marty” Hudson can’t say no to, it’s her best friend Irene Adler. So when Irene’s little white lie about a fake … little white lie about a fake detective named Sherlock Holmes turns into a real case from an actual paying client, Marty is all in. But their simple missing person case takes a deadly turn when the missing “person” ends up being a missing corpse. Rebecca Lowery was an opera singer in life and, according to her sister, who hires the famous detective to find her, a diva with capital D. When her body goes missing after a supposedly accidental fall, Marty and Irene can think of several people who might want the diva to disappear permanently–especially if her missing body is actually hiding evidence of her murder. Is it the boyfriend with a temper and a shady record, the jealous understudy who’s now stealing the show, the creepy undertaker with possible ties to the underworld, or the estranged sister herself who now inherits everything? Marty and Irene aim to find out, even while trying to keep cool around the hot ME, Dr. Watson, and dodging questions from the Irregulars blogger, Wiggins, about the mysterious man behind the name Sherlock Holmes. Will the ladies be able to pull this one off? Or are they in over their heads…and possibly about to take their own final bows?
The Marty Hudson Mysteries:
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Brash Blonde – book #1
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Diva – book #2
What critics are saying about the Marty Hudson Mysteries:
“This is a terrific new series featuring modern updated Sherlock Holmes characters. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book as a fan of Sherlock Holmes and I was not disappointed.”
~ A Cozy BookNook
“One of the most anticipated of the fall releases happens to be one of THE BEST of the fall releases! Halliday and Rey have joined forces to create a SUPERLATIVE new cozy mystery series that will leave readers clamoring for more.”
~ Blogcritics, Diane Morasco
“This well-written book is loaded with fantastic, lovable characters. Marty’s story is full of humor, mystery and suspense.”
~ BookLikes
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I absolutely adored this humorous cozy mystery!!!
Marty and Irene are still in business after their first foray in the private detective business, even if their boss, Sherlock Holmes, doesn’t really exist. This new case isn’t your normal run of the mill case…this one involves a missing body. It should be pretty simple, but it turns out to be anything but that. In fact, it takes a deadly turn with secrets someone would kill to keep hidden.
Oh my goodness, I just love Marty and Irene. Both are very smart, resourceful women, but it is more luck than skill, although they are learning, that helps them solve their cases. There are a lot of suspects in this particular case. Rebecca Lowery, the missing corpse, was an opera diva. Her understudy doesn’t seem really broken up about her death. Then, there is the head of the opera company, the creepy undertaker, or a boyfriend with a bad temper.
The mystery kept me guessing. There were twists and turns within each chapter of the book. I loved the secondary characters, especially Dr. Watson. He and Marty definitely have chemistry!!! I thought the authors also did a great job of interjecting their humor throughout the book as well! The mystery, the light romance, the characters, and the funny moments blended together quite nicely to make this a great little read!!!
Laugh out loud funny at times.
“Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Diva”earns 5/5 High Cs…Clever!
Barbara Bristol hopes to hire Sherlock Holmes to find her missing sister, Rebecca Lowrey, who has been in rehearsals with a traveling operatic company. Seems an easy enough job, until our two detectives, Mary Hudson and Irene Adler, are informed Rebecca is dead and her body has gone missing. The morgue had positively identified the body as her sister, but the body delivered to the mortuary was not her. Maybe this would be biting off more than they could chew, but the fees could do wonders to their bottom line…we’re on it! So a Diva has disappeared, visiting sexy Dr. Watson is bittersweet, weirdness abounds at the funeral parlor, and suspects, motives, and revelations about the sisters make both women wishing Sherlock, the made-up front man of their detective firm, could actually take the lead.
I am a fan of Gemma Halliday and Kelly Rey as individual authors, but teaming together their signature writing styles with clear descriptions and engaging banter to create a clever mystery has been very entertaining. For me, beyond those characteristics and a very satisfying story, I want a set of characters that are realistic. I want realistic backgrounds, reactions to events, decision-making processes, and investigating methods. Marty Hudson checks all my boxes! She is grounded, yet flawed, and recognizes she can’t always ignore law enforcement. As a barista at a Stanford café she “crashed” several classes which has provided her with a unique degree of knowledge she can apply to her investigation. The investigation is methodical, and although she may go off on an unsanctioned avenue of interest, she knows the value of law enforcement, no matter how “grumpy.” The side characters are also done well, even quirky at times, with her BFF/sidekick, handsome/by-the-book ME, senior citizen neighbors, suspects, witnesses, and an inherited basset hound. Along with some page-turning peril, humor has not been lost. This is a very entertaining book, and book one has all the same attributes making it next on my “TBR” queue. One issue for this detective partnership…why is Marty so worried about money when her BFF has loads?