Good Night, Mr. Holmes By Carole Nelson Douglas

So many of today's mystery novels are physically and substantively slight. It often seems as though writers, even the popular ones, are speeding through series stories, with a concentrated effort in getting to the next installment. That cannot, however, be said for prolific fiction writer Carole Nelson Douglas, who has created a deeply layered plot portent series of
(the at press time count) eight mystery novels and six short stories. The first
novel in the series is "Good Night, Mr. Holmes."

The only character who ever outwitted the brilliant and iconic Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler was introduced in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes' story, "A Scandal in Bohemia" (and is referred to in fourother stories).

More recently, director Guy Richie (and five credited screenwriters) featured Irene Adler
(played by Rachel McAdams) in his 2009 film, "Sherlock Holmes." Adler is also
brought back for Richie's follow-up film, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"
(this one only has two screenwriters listed, Kieran and Michele Mulroney; yes,
Kieran is actor Dermot's brother; Michele is Kieran's wife. They also wrote the
2009 film, "Paper Man" starring Jeff Daniels, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Stone.)

Clearly, even today's hippest director finds the American Opera singer Adler relevant. Doyle described her as "the face of the most beautiful of women and the mind of the most resolute of men." Holmes' narrator Dr. Watson notes that Adler is the only person known to have beaten Sherlock Holmes at a game he plays wickedly well. He also points out that Holmes admires no other woman as he does her: "In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the
whole of her sex."

Even though Sherlock Holmes' "entertainments" or "derivatives," as penned by contemporary authors often feature Adler, few do it as skillfully as Douglas.

As written by Douglas, she becomes a fully fleshed character with her wit and intellect in tact.  In the debut novel, "Good Night, Mr. Holmes," Douglas is respectful of the original
creator of her character and is well aware that Holmes' fans are avid readers
with an eye for detail. That said, she never assumes or writes "against" what
Doyle established about Adler. She uses what the master offered up and infuses
it into her story, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Douglas uses deft verbiage that more than does justice to Doyle's original. Douglas' Holmes says, to Louis Comfort Tiffany, "Truth is like a diamond, Mr. Tiffany.  It must have the proper clarity, color, and weight to be worth anything – and must be searched for
everywhere."

Doyle's narrator was Holmes' sidekick Dr. Watson. Douglas' is Adler's good friend and companion,the straight-laced vicar's daughter Penelope "Nell" Huxley (who's also a tad judgmental, but her fondness and loyalty to and for Adler is charming). Weaved
into a tale of stolen jewels, Adler has a career breakthrough, a possible
romance with a barrister with whom she once clashed. A great first-in-a-series.