The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn - Book Review

Series: The Baker Street Mysteries #1 

Publication Date: 27 March 2024

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

3 Stars 

One Liner: A fluffy read 

1932, London 

When Harry (Harriet White) rebuffs the advances of her superior, she is demoted to the postal department beneath the bank (where she worked in a clerical position). Turns out, she has to respond to the endless letters people have written to Sherlock Holmes (221B Baker Street, where the offices are located). 

Harry sends a standard response to each letter until one grabs her attention. What if she can solve the case or at least try? After all, she is now Holmes’ secretary, managing his correspondence as he enjoys a quiet country life. 

And thus begins Harry’s new journey. But can she solve the case? 

The story comes in Harry’s third-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

The premise is interesting and immediately got my attention. It’s not surprising that people thought Holmes was real and continued to write him letters, requesting him to take up a case. 

The book is short (220 pages or so) and a fairly fast read. It is a light cozy mystery with abundant touches of family drama and some humor. Still, the book manages to touch upon a few issues like workplace harassment, class differences, privilege, etc. 

Harry is easy to like. She is a friendly person and a little too curious. From the blurb, you can guess that she has a strong spine and is no pushover. She has traces of Enola Holmes, though she is used to a comfortable life with her family. Her relationship with her brothers is cute to read. 

The mystery starts out well but fizzles out despite the promising elements. The execution leaves a lot to be desired. Missing information and patchy resolution will not help a book in this genre. Don’t want to say more, as it’ll be a spoiler. 

We have a love interest who doesn’t appear until around 40%. The chemistry isn’t there yet, but it could get better in the coming books. The situation suits the backstory, so that’s not a complaint. 

To summarize, The Missing Maid is a decent start to a new series, even if it doesn’t set high expectations. It will work well as a palate cleanser after an intense read and can be finished in a single sitting. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for eARC.  

#NetGalley #TheMissingMaid