Reviewed by Steve Leshin for Readers' Favorite

Sherlock Holmes and the Vampire Invasion by Suzette Hollingsworth brings a whole new perspective to the Holmes narrative with a romantic twist for the Great Detective. Mirabella Hudson, Sherlock Holmes' ‘detective in training’ is an inquisitive and resourceful young woman graced with intelligence and scientific curiosity in many ways equal to our favorite Victorian era detective. A younger Sherlock, not quite famous as yet, and Dr. Watson are called upon by older brother Mycroft Holmes to investigate the gruesome murder of Lord Percival. It seems Percival’s dead body had fang marks at the neck and his blood is completely drained. Holmes and Watson are on the case, despite Scotland Yard’s Police Constable Jones’s constant objections.

Sherlock Holmes and the Vampire Invasion is book four of The Great Detective In Love series. Author Suzette Hollingsworth manages to stay true to the classic characters in a manner that any Holmes fan can appreciate. The dialogue is witty in fine tradition with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s style. However, it is the dynamic between Miss Mirabella Hudson, the 19-year-old relative of housekeeper Mrs. Hudson, and Sherlock Holmes that is fun and exciting. There is also a curious relationship between the Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty, and Miss Hudson that sets this adventure apart from traditional Holmes mysteries. The story is a page-turner with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Miss Mirabella Hudson is a worthy addition, adding a layer of sexual tension for our consulting detective. A fun read. As Holmes would say, “Precisely.”