Susan Knight Bücher

Sherlock Holmes has been missing and presumed dead for some time, and his grief stricken landlady, Mrs Hudson, is anxious for a distraction. However, she is in for a culture shock when she travels to Ireland with her friend Kitty Melrose, to try and stop a forced marriage. What she finds is a countryside steeped in superstition and beliefs in the old ways, a place of fairy forts and holy wells, of changelings and banshees. A place moreover where an impoverished peasantry remains under the heel of oppressive English landlords, but not for much longer. Times at last are changing. A brutal murder followed by the arrest of someone Mrs Hudson is determined to prove innocent, leads her into mortal danger. At the same time, she is amused to find herself courted by an elderly widower with a roving eye…

When Mrs Hudson's young nephew, Ralph, decides to go to Paris and become an artist, his mother is distraught. She enlists Mrs Hudson's assistance to try and persuade him to quit the fleshpots of that most debauched city and return home. In Paris, the sisters soon find themselves caught up in the whirling fin-de-siècle world of bohemians and anarchists, the world of Montmartre and the Moulin Rouge. They encounter the likes of Toulouse-Lautrec, along with the fabled can-can dancer La Goulue and her partner Valentin the Boneless, among many other colourful characters. But then the discovery of the mutilated body of a beautiful young artists' model in the sinister catacombs of the city puts Ralph under suspicion of her murder... Mrs Hudson's search for the true perpetrator stretches her deductive powers to the limit, and puts her own life in desperate peril. Another thrilling adventure for Sherlock Holmes' landlady.

The collection features Sherlock Holmes tackling intricate cases involving Victorian-era murder methods, including arsenic, cyanide, and exotic poisons. A diverse array of characters, from vengeful villains to charming con artists, populates the stories, set against vibrant backdrops like circuses, magic shows, and séances. Holmes, alongside the ever-loyal Dr. Watson, navigates through treachery and deceit, ensuring justice prevails in a series of thrilling and engaging mysteries.

Set in the picturesque village of Bilbourne during the hop-harvest season, the story follows Mrs. Hudson as she visits her daughter Eleanor. The serene backdrop of Kent, known as the Garden of England, contrasts with her recent Parisian escapades, hinting at a blend of domestic life and rural charm. The local plantation owned by Thomas Brakefield adds an element of community and livelihood to the narrative, promising a rich exploration of family ties and the rhythms of village life.