(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) - Father and daughter team Charles Veley and Anna Elliott https://sherlockandlucy.com have published more than 30 novels. Watson on the Orient Express: A Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery was published in 2020. It is the 17th in their Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James series. It is the 65th book I completed in 2022.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to minor scenes of violence, I categorize this novella as PG. Watson is kidnapped. While in captivity he overhears the plans for an assassination. When he is able to escape, he heads to Constantinople aboard the Orient Express to thwart the plot.

Holmes and James are involved in finding the missing Lord Harwell. Harwell has connections to important diplomatic discussions scheduled to take place in Constantinople. Watson is able to send Holmes a quick telegram. This leads Holmes and James to follow Watson to Turkey.

Will Holmes and James be able to find Watson? Will they be able to derail the plans for an incident that could lead to war?

I enjoyed the 3.5 hours I spent reading this 220-page period mystery. I read the Sherlock Holmes collection when I was very young and have been a Sherlock Holmes fan ever since. The books in this series are relatively short. More novellas than full novels. This is the third book in the series that I have read. The others were Remember, Remember and Die Again, Mr. Holmes. All three have been good reads. This book alternates chapters between James and Watson as each tells their story in the first person. The chosen cover art is simple but appropriate. I give this novella a rating of 4 out of 5.

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The book, which could be titled with a fanfiction of both Doyle and Christie's books, is still a new series of stories of Sherlock Holmes, where he has also an adult daughter who is an American actress and now lives with her father and husband on Baker Street. In the eighth part of the series, Watson is abducted, and Holmes' most vicious enemy (not Moriarti, but some new character) has a plan that would be dangerous not only to Holms and his loved ones, but to the whole of Europe.
This book of a few hundred pages is too fast, there is too much information, there are several cases in the air at the same time, and as a result it lacks a deeper content, a credible story and a satisfying course of research. It is not a stand-alone book, as there are suggestions that the main characters are bound together and the villains have tried to kill them in the past, and the deeper explanation is in previous books and short stories that should probably be read first to better understand everything.
Readable, but I've read better fanfictions.

As a massive Sherlock fan -- thank you, BBC adaptation! -- I couldn't be more thrilled with the way this book panned out!

Now, I'm going to be honest, I didn't know that this was the 17th book in the series when I requested it. So, it's the first Sherlock & Lucy title I've ever read. However, I never felt like I was missing out in any way! The story's fairly self-contained, with characters so compelling that they leap off the page to keep you engrossed, and so, I was wholly cognizant of the plot and its arcs all the way through.

Furthermore, it's just so CLEVER. The language used is ultimately Sherlock-esque, which is incredibly fun to read. And with twists and turns on every page, it keeps you flipping till the very end!

I'll definitely be checking out more Sherlock & Lucy titles ASAP, because this one was JUST. SO. FUN.

I'm a lifelong fan of the Sherlock Holmes phenomenon. I love finding new imaginings of the famous sleuth, and this was a lovely addition to the crew! I really loved the modernization of some of the interactions, and the feminist slant. Overall, this was a fun, fast read that made me want to go back and read others in the series! Loved it!

I was not able to get interested in this book and I did not finish it. The characters and the plot were not able to catch or keep my attention.

3.5 stars, rounded up

This was an interesting and entertaining read. It is part of the "Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery" series, but I did not have any troubles following along having not read the other books in the series. I am such a Sherlock Holmes fan and was excited to read this telling, as well as excited to be able to see Sherlock. Mycroft and Watson all together - it's been a while since I have had the chance to read a Sherlock mystery.

This novel starts with Watson being held captive, he overhears an assassination plot that threatens to spark a war. He later wakes up in jail dressed in the clothes of a man who is missing, Lord Harwell, and is the prime suspect for two murders. Concurrently, Sherlock and Lucy James, Watson's niece, have been asked to look into the whereabouts of the missing Lord Harwell. Their detective work takes them to Constantinople aboard the Orient Express in search of both Watson and Lord Harwell.

The pace of the novel was quick and it kept me on my toes. The writing style is a split narrative, with both Lucy and Watson being our narrators, which I enjoyed and found a bit different than other Sherlock Holmes mysteries. I did have a few instances where I had trouble remembering which character was doing what, but overall enjoyed it and found it nice to get another point of view, other than just Watson's.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and will dive into others in the series when I am looking for a quick mystery read.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Wilton Press for the gifted e-book in change for an honest review.

Hi, I lost the eARC of this book so I won't be able to review this book. I hope you understand. I really wanted to read it but unfortunately my phone got formatted and I lost the copy.

I love all things Sherlock Holmes and couldn't wait to read this,while I enjoyed the story I wish the mystery had been a little harder to solve

this is one of my favorite modern Sherlock Holmes series, they always are good for a great read. I love the characters and this plot was really good.

"Watson on the Orient Express" is an interesting premise but the book suffers from some pacing issues but it's well written and the characters are fleshed out.

I requested this book through Netgalley purely based on the title... because, obviously I would. And then realized this was book 8 in the series. Although I am sure I wasn't able to appreciate some character relationships and other intricacies, I could follow the plot line just fine.

We read from the alternating POVs of Watson and Lucy (his niece?). Watson starts of being kidnapped, but manages to escape and board the Orient Express to try and stop an assassination in Constantinople. Lucy and Sherlock also board the train (two days later) to try and find him and solve their case which is somehow connected with it all.

I love Watson, but am unfamiliar with Lucy. She is a great character though... brave, resourceful and just as clever as Sherlock himself. Which is also where for me personally a problem lies... Sherlock adds very little to this story. I'm not sure it would have been very different if he hadn't been in it at all. I do have to say though that if I had read the rest of the series and grown to love Lucy through there this might not have been an issue at all.

The story itself is an incredibly easy and fun read. Although the plot is fairly predictable, it is still intriguing. Lucy has a very nice and readable voice, and already loving Watson from all of the other Sherlock Holmes books I've read it was easy to be invested in his part of the story.

Overall, although this book isn't anything special I did have a good time with it, and am certainly interested to pick up the previous books in the series.

Despite the fact I haven't read any of the previous books, I didn't feel all that lost in the story after reading a few blurbs about the series. I'm sure it helps that several of the characters are well known literary figures!

This was a delightful cozy mystery, perfect to read at night by the fire. I greatly enjoyed reading a book from Watson's point of view as well as hearing from a female main character. The women in this story were strong and not at all seen as inferior which is refreshing given the time period this takes place in.

The story was a lot of fun to read not only because of the characters and the well-written plot, but because of its setting aboard the famous Orient Express and the streets of Istanbul. This could definitely be read as a standalone or an introduction to the series, but if this installment is anything to go by I'm missing out by not reading the other books. I'll be looking them up because I need a new cozy mystery series in my life and this seems like a fantastic one to go with.

Full review to come on my blog.

The original Sherlock Holmes books are loved by true mystery fans. Anna Elliot & Charles Veley have managed to write entertaining original stories featuring Holmes and his daughter Lucy and the invaluable Watson. The stories have the "feel" of a Sherlock Holmes story: with an added element of fun that lightens the adventures of this trio. WATSON ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS centers more on Watson and Lucy's trials and tribulations as they race to prevent an assassination and prove Watson is not guilty of any crimes...this time. Overall this book will appeal to Sherlock Holmes fans and everyone who loves fast paced mystery that will keep you guessing until the last minute.

This book starts off with a kidnapping and doesn’t let up. Its non-stop action keeps you bouncing around first London, then France, and finally Constantinople in an attempt to stop assassinations, and the planned murder of Sherlock Holmes. The focus of this book is on Dr. John Watson more than Mr. Holmes, and it made for a surprisingly enjoyable read. There’s plenty of deducing by Mr. Holmes, as well as Mr. Watson, who in fact uses Mr. Holmes’ deductive reasoning to stop crimes himself.
I particularly enjoyed the addition of Lucy, Dr. Watson’s niece, who assists both Holmes and Watson in their endeavors. She’s a supremely written character who blends in well to the Holmes and Watson canon.
The writing, story arc, and characters all brought together a wonderful tale that was a joy to read. I breezed through and was left wanting more of this series. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
*I was given an ARC of this story from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A father/daughter writing team writing about Sherlock Holmes and his daughter, Lucy James. I have not read the other books in this series but I did enjoy this. This book focused more on Lucy and Dr. Watson, where the chapters are told from their respective POVs. When the book starts, Watson has been kidnapped and being held captive by a criminal organization that would be familiar to readers of this series. Lucy is of course, worried, but also is helping Holmes with the disappearance of Lord Harwell. For most of the book, Lucy and Watson are running parallel tracks. Both of them get on the Orient Express (not at the same time), to stop an assassination attempt in Constantinople. This is readable enough but I find it to be suspense light.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for honest review.**

The first book I have read in this series but it won't be the last. I love Sherlock Holmes but many of the re-boots just don't cut it. However, this one is great. It feels like a Sherlock Holmes novel and reads like one too. I loved the character of Lucy, Sherlock's long-lost daughter and she feels right for the canon.
This story had a fast pace, thrills and great twists and turns and the beautiful setting of Constantinople and the Orient Express.
It probably helps to have read previous books but no entirely necessary. I soon got caught up in the story. A really great read.

When the kidnapped Dr. Watson overhears an assassination plot hatched by his captives, he is eager to escape and thwart their plans. As he makes his journey aboard the Orient Express hoping to unravel the mysteries of their plans, he is conflicted about whom to believe. Holmes and Lucy are not far behind, trying to solve the mystery of Watson's kidnapping and his motives themselves. As Watson, Holmes and Lucy rendezvous in Constantinopole, will they be able to prevent the assassination and prevent a war and protect themselves?

This is the 17th book in The Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery Series. Although I haven't read any other books in the series, I could understand the story fairly well, though I admit knowing more about the past of these characters would have made this book slightly more interesting to read.

The story is interesting, with a decent pace, likable characters and some twists and turns along the way. Most of the action happens in the last 10% of the story, as the plot thickens, stakes grow higher, pace increases multifold and various loose threads come together. The quirks of Sherlock's characters are endearing and hilarious, and the kidnapping of Watson adds a dash of danger to the plot. I could totally relate with Watson's dilemma on whom to trust in such a high-tension situation.

However, I did not find the story very gripping or unputdownable. The element of suspense was very much missing, and the pace of the story was slower than I would have preferred. At various places, I found too much emphasis on the detailing of the surroundings, which ultimately did not relate to the eventual unraveling of the climax. The lack of background information about the characters and their relationships made it difficult to get into the book and invested in them when the pace was slower.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but not as gripping as I would have expected.

From the first chapter, Watson is kidnapped, thus begins the fascinating tale of missions, adventure, danger, and assassinations. I LOVED how the author combines two well-known authors and makes it original. Sherlock Holmes' characters mixed with Agatha Christie's setting makes for quite an intriguing read.

The story describes how Watson's kidnapping and, while pretending to be unconscious, overhears an assassination plot in Constantinople. Unable to contact Holmes, sought by the law, and with the aid of a woman murderer, he manages to board the Orient Express disguised as Lord Harwell on a dangerous mission to try to foil the plot.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Holmes have been searching both for Watson as well as the man whose identity Watson has acquired. Learning of Holmes' escape, they, too, head for Constantinople in hopes of heading off the assassination which Holmes knows could throw the nation into war.

As I was reading it, I couldn't help but read with a British accent and sip my tea, LOL! It was a quick read for me, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wilton Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Watson had been kidnapped two days ago, and despite the combined efforts of Scotland Yard, Holmes, and every one of the Baker Street Irregulars whom Holmes employed, we still hadn’t a clue where he had been taken. Or whether he was alive or dead.”

Kidnapped and held captive by a criminal organization known as the Sons of Helios, Watson overhears an assassination plot, to be carried out in Constantinople. The targets, an unnamed French official—and Sherlock Holmes. Watson escapes, only to find himself a wanted man, set up by his captures for the murder. On the run from criminals and police, his only hope of preventing an assassination, and keeping Holmes alive, is to form an alliance with an old enemy and board the Orient Express on a harrowing journey to Constantinople.

This was an interesting book, with an intriguing premise, and I quite enjoyed the dual narration, with the story being told in an alternating manner through the eyes of Watson and Lucy. That being said, it’s not a book that I can honestly say I fully enjoyed, and I can point to the exact reasons why. Beginning as it did, after the precipitating event has occurred, it felt as if I had started a book in the middle, that I was missing important information, making it difficult for me to engage in the plot or with the characters. There was no background provided and characters, both primary and secondary, were brought into the story with little, if any information regarding their history given. Nor were relationships between the characters explained, especially the most important one, that of Lucy as Holme’s daughter. I only knew of their connection from reading the information regarding the book on its NetGalley page.

Much like the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, it would seem that this book is part of a serial, with a story arc across books. Unfortunately, unlike those original stories, this can not be read as a stand alone book. Geared more toward the fan of the Holmes/James series, it would be best read as a continuation of the previous books.

A thoroughly satisfying mystery written in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. From the first page I was captivated with the familiar characters of Holmes and Watson, and by the addition of Lucy. I loved that it was written with the same intellectual twists and turns as are found in the original Sherlock Holmes books. I have to admit, I had to reread the last few pages several times to resolve the mystery. I look forward to reading more from Elliott and Veley's three sleuths.