A quirky, feminine, “Sherlockian” novel set in Toronto in 1910… Yep, that pretty much sums up Rachel McMillan’s newest novel in a nutshell! “The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder” is the first full-length (and strangely-named!) novel in the new “Herringford and Watts Mysteries” series, published by Harvest House in 2016. With at least two novellas to accompany it, and a second full-length story set to release this fall, the series will appeal to fans of the legendary Sherlock Holmes and his indispensable partner Dr. Watson. In addition to this obvious selling point, a few more reasons to read this funny little novel include:

– It is honestly one of the most unusual, unexpected, and unorthodox books I have read in a very long time! From the strange setting, interwoven political features, quirky characters, and one-of-a-kind writing style, you truly need to read the book for yourself to understand just what I mean…

– Not only is the story an intense mystery at times, but the clearly well-researched historical elements combine to form a unique narrative. Normally, a book is either a riveting mystery OR an endearing historical. This story achieves both!

– It is set in Canada! Being a proud Canadian myself, I always enjoy reading a story set in my own country.

– Finally, many fascinating little features are placed throughout the book to add even more charm and character. For example, each chapter opens with a quirky quotation from a book or journal which is somehow tied into the story.

Well, if you aren’t convinced to give this peculiar novel a try by now, there’s not much else I can say… Although it is not perfect, and is not my favorite historical or mystery novel, it was an amusing and endearing story nonetheless. With heroines who clearly allude to Sherlock Holmes characteristics, female readers will delight in discovering each of the many references sprinkled throughout the novel. Without question, I will look forward to the next installment of the “Herringford and Watts Mysteries”, and if you give “The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder” a try, I’m pretty sure you will too!

This book was provided courtesy of Harvest House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.