Inquiry Spirits: Whisky, Ghosts, Murder
By Bonnie mac bird
I get in the mood for a good old Holmes/Watson book with plenty of clues, intrigue, action, and more than one mystery to solve. This book filled my itch! I didn't know this author had a whole series of these books but now that I do, I will certainly look for deals!
Terrific story and narration! ( )

December 1889 and Mrs isla McLaren of Braedern Castle arrives at 221b Baker Street needing the help of Sherlock Holmes. A maid, Fiona Paisley has gone missing. But Holmes is sent by his brother to France.
A very enjoyable, a well plotted, and well-written mystery. And the easily recognizable characters of Holmes and Watson. ( )

An enjoyable romp through Scottish whiskey distilleries, a family with many dark secrets and servants scared of the ghosts. Watson delves into Holmes past at school/university and his old foe not dead after all but still murdering - Holmes solves all!! ( )

When it comes to Sherlock Holmes pastiches, my thoughts often run contrary to others. I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Kurland’s books featuring Moriarty, Quinn Fawcett’s series featuring Mycroft Holmes, Anthony Horowitz’s “Moriarty”, and Sherry Thomas’ “Lady Sherlock “ series. Laurie R. King’s writing is good, and I read several, but just couldn’t go there. There are some lines you can't cross with Holmes for me. See a trend? My preferred stories don’t feature Holmes and Watson other than perhaps peripherally.

However, UNQUIET SPIRITS’ blurb was so intriguing I couldn’t help myself. I simply had to give it a go, and am extremely grateful my past disappointments didn’t deter me from this second book in Bonnie MacBird's Sherlock Holmes Adventure series.

Darkly atmospheric and moody, with a healthy dose of the supernatural; UNQUIET SPIRITS was a pleasure from start to finish. Ms. MacBird has succeeded in capturing the spirit and feel of the originals.
Not once was I pulled out of the story by a jarring incongruity and there was nary a flicker of disappointment. On the contrary, my mental movie had no difficulty envisioning Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke in their appropriate roles from page 1.
Tickled no end to have finally found a pastiche, featuring Holmes and Watson in their correct era, that I can actually read (without my inner voice yelling at me) and enjoy.

Seriously y'all, I can't recommend UNQUIET SPIRITS highly enough.

I’ll be seeking out the first and on pins and needles for the third.

5 stars
Reviewed for Miss Ivy's Book Nook Take II & Novels Alive TV ( )

Unquiet Spirits was a joy to read start to finish. I am not generally a fan of remakes or extensions of classics (as in another author retelling the original book or creating a sequel). For example, I love each and every Jane Austen book but do not love other authors revisiting or adding to her stories. However, Sherlock Holmes is the exception to this rule; recently while reading Unquiet Spirits and A Conspiracy in Belgravia, I was pondering why the character of Sherlock Holmes’ stories can be told effectively by other writers. His story also translates well to television – I am huge fan of both Elementary and Sherlock. My conclusion is that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote so many stories involving Sherlock Holmes (56 in all) that adding more to his canon of stories succeeds because there were a lot of story lines already where writing a sequel to Pride and Prejudice does not work so well (and believe me I should know - I have read a bunch).

Unquiet Spirits is simply phenomenal. Everything about the book is outstanding - the clever Preface, MacBird’s portrayal of Holmes and Watson, the mystery and ghost story they must unravel, and the supporting characters, including Holmes’ brother Mycroft. The author captures the tone of Conan Doyle’s tales, and Holmes and Watson are crafted authentically. I missed her first book, Art in the Blood, and plan to track it down soon. Unquiet Spirits is well worth the read, and I highly recommend it to any mystery lover. Thanks to HarperCollins for my copy. All opinions are my own. ( )