Dr. Watson's Wife Outshines Sherlock Holmes!
Jackie Houchin
November 11, 2008
By Michael Mallory
Dallas, TX: Top Publications, 2008,
Trade paperback, $14.95
Michael Mallory´s third Mrs. Watson book is a collection of thirteen short stories about the convincingly imagined second wife of Dr. John H. Watson, companion and chronicler of the famous Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
Rather like a case book, the stories follow the headstrong and capable Amelia Watson, as she ferrets out clues, pieces together puzzles, and exposes scams and culprits. She never tries to outshine her affable husband, and indeed confesses that her "true occupation is awaiting his return," nevertheless, her quick mind and fearless sense of justice sometimes leave him in the dust.
When Scotland Yard requests Dr. Watson´s medical expertise, it´s often Amelia´s intuition that´s needed, as in "The Adventure of the Bleak House Fire" where spontaneous combustion is suspected, or in "The Adventure of the Beggar´s Head" in which Amelia´s clever use of a nursery rhyme averts disaster and nails a serial killer, akin to Jack the Ripper.
Sometimes a client comes looking for Sherlock Holmes and must accept Amelia´s assistance or go away disappointed, as in "The Adventure of the Gregorian Deed" in which her research on a little known historical fact uncovers a forgery.
Occasionally, it´s Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock´s corpulent brother, who seeks out Amelia on behalf of the Crown, as in "The Adventure of the Queen´s Letters." Here we discover that the high-minded Mrs. Watson is not averse to destroying evidence, if the situation warrants it.
But there are times when the good wife works side-by-side with her doctor-husband to expose a murderer, as in "The Adventure of the Two Mrs. McGregors," involving a hot-air balloon and a telescope, and "The Adventure of the Diamond Stickpin," which features the renowned Buffalo Bill Cody.
And while Sherlock Holmes makes the occasional appearance in these stories, it is always the clever Mrs. Watson who has the final word.
Mallory´s introductory "Biography of Amelia Watson," is fascinating and makes his heroine´s existence quite believable. His knowledge of Edwardian England, its royalty and history, as well as Conan Doyle´s characters, adds color and authenticity to these charming, light-weight mysteries.