Overall it was a speedy and enjoyable read. Two things (perhaps 2 1/2) kept this from 4 star territory. First, Mary's voice is dispassionate, cold, ridiculously logical. The same could be said of Holmes' voice, and that is why Watson is so important. It is Watson who humanizes Holmes. Here though we have two leads with flat affects. The humorlessness makes parts of this a real plod. The author also does a disservice to Watson, who is portrayed as a sweet fool, a portrayal at odds with Conan Doyle's writing. Second, the first 50 pages or so simply go on for too long to no purpose. I had a very hard time engaging with the book as a result, but it did eventually pull me in. I guess the final endorsement is that I will likely seek out Book 2 in the series.