This is the first novel by both authors, basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and screenwriter Anna Waterhouse. The dialogue and description flow well, and the main characters and the setting are fully developed. It was enjoyable to learn more about Sherlock Holmes' older brother, Mycroft, and to see Sherlock as a young man.
Mycroft is a recent graduate of Cambridge University in his early 20s but already is making a name for himself in government circles working for the Secretary of State for War. Meanwhile, Sherlock is a teen, still in private school practicing his deductive reasoning skills and exploring all sorts of information, knowledge and experiments. Mycroft visits Sherlock at his school before departing on his adventure, and the brotherly comments toward each other ring true to the older adult behavior of the characters in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.
In spite of his important government post, Mycroft has yet to leave the British Isles and learn more of the world firsthand. He does, however, have close ties to far-away Trinidad. His best friend, Cyrus, was born on the island, and his fianc©e, Georgiana Sutton, was raised there. When Cyrus and Georgiana both receive disturbing news from home about the unexplained deaths of village children, Georgiana decides she must return home to investigate immediately. Being the noble British gentleman he is, Mycroft and Cyrus follow after her for assistance and protection. But when they arrive at the same ship as Georgiana, they can't find her on board or even on the passenger list. What has become of her? Further complicating their search is the fact Cyrus is of African descendant, and even though Mycroft is aware many people expect Cyrus to be his manservant, not his equal, he is shocked by how prejudiced people still are and how they react to seeing him treating Cyrus with respect.
The two men are quickly drawn into dark secrets that become more dangerous as they approach the island. Their adventure on the island and Mycroft's learning firsthand about other cultures and the evil deeds of men, prepare him for the man he is to become: founder of the famous Diogenes Club and the hidden power behind the British government.
"Mycroft Holmes" is a thoroughly enjoyable Holmesian novel with Sherlock only making a brief appearance. I hope the authors give us another adventure with Mycroft in the near future.
Tammy Paris is a circulation assistant at Missouri River Regional Library