Arrowood: Sherlock Holmes Has Met His Match
By Mick Finlay
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
London is scared. A killer haunts the city’s streets; the poor are hungry; crime bosses are taking control; the police force is stretched to the breaking point.
The rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, but the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer.
In the dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood—self-taught psychologist, occasional drunkard and private investigator.
When a man mysteriously disappears and Arrowood’s best lead is viciously stabbed before his eyes, he and his sidekick Barnett face their toughest quest yet: to capture the head of the most notorious gang in London…
In the bestselling tradition of Anthony Horowitz and Andrew Taylor, this gloriously dark crime debut will haunt readers long after the final page has been turned.
Mick Finlay
Mick Finlay was born in Glasgow but left as a young boy, living in Canada and then England. Before becoming an academic, he ran a market stall on Portobello Road, and also worked as a tent-hand in a traveling circus, a butcher’s boy, a hotel porter, and various jobs in the NHS and Social Services. He teaches in a psychology department, and has published research on political violence and persuasion, verbal and nonverbal communication, and disability. He lives in Brighton with his family.
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Reviews for Arrowood
7 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Move over Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson-there's a new pair of consulting detectives in Victorian London. William Arrowhead and Norman Barnett take cases from the lower class of London. The first in what looks to be a good series.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Mostly dull. The relentlessly lower class setting isn't even convincingly evoked, except in that there is nothing charming about it. The characters make no sense whatsoever and brutalize people who should be able to squash them except the author knows they're going to be killed off, so no consequences. Blundering and heavy handed with no period sense.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a great example of the Victorian "noir" genre. It's set in England at the end of the 19 century. In the book, Sherlock Holmes is a real person who keeps making headlines with the cases that he solves, much to the chagrin of William Arrowood. Arrowood (the "guvner", as his friend and cohort Norman Barnett calls him). Arrowood despises Holmes because of his wealthy clientele, and because of his flashy ways. He knows that he never makes it onto the mean streets of London where poverty, crime and despair run rampant. He never dirties his hands trying to help the poor and underprivileged people of London. Arrowood and Barnett are drawn into the underworld and they grapple with he gangs of Southwark when they are hired to find a young Frenchman who has mysteriously disappeared. At much danger to themselves and with a lot of creeping around the dark streets of London, they begin to piece together what happened to the young man, but not before a young woman is murdered in front of them, and not before much damage is done to poor Barnett's body by the thugs he accosts. The book is dark and haunting as a true "noir" should be. Arrowood and Barnett are a great crime-fighting team. The Victorian underworld of London is gloriously described. I loved the book! When's the next one coming?
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arrowood is a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes, and despises him. Told in the first person by his sidekick Barnett, this story describes Arrowood's use of psychology and deduction to solve a murder in Victorian London, and his determination to outdo the famous Holmes.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I had no idea what to expect when I threw my hat into the ring for an advance readers copy of this titles, but I am glad that I did. It was quite entertaining. William Arrowood is a private detective. Sherlock Holmes' fame and success is a burr under his collar and it irritates him mercilessly. He seethes every time he sees Holmes mentioned in a newspaper. He becomes irate and combative when he overhears someone gushing praise about the Baker Street duo of Holmes and Watson. He scoffs that Holmes merely makes good guesses, that he does not piece together the puzzle of a case and is simply lucky. He notes that the public never hears of Holmes' failures, that Dr. Watson only writes about their successes. He knows that he is a better detective than Holmes. He does not only read clues. He reads people.His assistant, Norman Barnett, narrates the story as it unfolds. The mystery is multi-layered and rich. The plot darts in one direction and then another just as quickly. I liked the many characters in the book, although I felt that many of them were very stereotypical caricatures. However, that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. It was a very satisfying read.I hope that Mick Finlay intends to continue with the adventures of Arrowood and Barnett. I would also enjoy the moment should Arrowood and Holmes come face to face. While Arrowood fumes at the mere mention of Sherlock Holmes, the fact that his alias is 'Locksher' leads me to believe that he actually admires Holmes just a bit. Having the two meet would be fun. Recommended for anyone who enjoys Victorian mysteries and/or anything Holmes.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It was impossible for me not to be intrigued by the tagline: "London Society takes its problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood".This was an intriguing mystery, somewhat dark in places, but also with a sense of humor. Often being compared to the Great Detective, and found wanting, Arrowwood utilizes what we would now call "emotional intelligence", rather than simply seeking to imitate Sherlock's deductive abilities.We are given a satisfying, self-contained story, with enough character ends left open to anticipate future installments. The two detective's paths come close to crossing - I won't give away how closely - and we are left to wish for a significant encounter sometime in upcoming adventures.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5William Arrowood is London’s newest Victorian sleuth aiding the city’s population of lower class unfortunate souls that seem to have problems for him and his sidekick Norman to resolve. With a jealous and not so hidden poor opinion of his rival Sherlock Holmes, his claim is that his skills and talent to solve crimes are more realistic and trustworthy than the infamous Holmes of legend. When a woman comes knocking on his door one day asking them to find her missing brother, he feels that this is his chance to prove to London’s upper crust society that Sherlock is not the only game in town for solving murder and mayhem.Mick Finlay has created a detective duo that offer up two characters with guts, charm, realistic emotions and sensitivity, along with wit and wisdom. Sherlockians will see some commonalities with the Holmes and Watson stories but will appreciate the fresh ingredients that the author brings to this inventive story by putting his own stamp of flair to the classic Victorian crime novel. Arrowood is extremely atmospheric depicting the time and place, and serves up a wonderful cast of characters that will have readers waiting not so patiently for the next installment in the series. Bravo Mr. Finlay for a top-notch murder mystery this reader thoroughly enjoyed!