Review & Interview: Sherlock's Home: The Adventures of the Contentious Crone by Pamela Rose

Sherlock's Home: The Adventure of the Contentious Crone

Sherlock's Home: The Adventure of the Contentious Crone
Finn Sherlock Series, Book 1 Pamela Rose

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Date of Publication: June 24, 2013

Number of pages: 205

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon

Life imitating art? That’s Finn Sherlock’s first bizarre thought when she stumbles across a dead body within the Civil War era hiding place inside Sherlock’s Home Mystery Bookstore. Thinking that it’s her gnome-like Uncle Oz costumed to play the part of a fortunetelling druid for ‘All Hallows’ Eve,’ she is relieved when she learns that the hooded figure is not her favorite uncle, but the town’s favorite outcast, Odds Bodkins.

Unfortunately, murder suspects abound due to the fact that the mystery bookstore and its adjoining 221b Bakery were the first stop on the Leapers Point’ Halloween circuit and any number of people were on the scene for the annual ‘Fright Night’ tour. More than that, Odds Bodkins was almost universally detested; far too many would agree that the assisted demise of the loathsome little witch was more treat than trick… possibly even a community service.

With a little help from Uncle Oz and her identical twin sister, Echo, Finn sets out to discover who amongst the congenial southern townsfolk had the audacity and plain bad manners to murder the contentious crone right under the Sherlock family noses. Was it the fire and brimstone preacher Willie Ping? ‘Blooming Idiots’ talented but slightly mental florist? Or what about fluffy nonagenarian Eula May Binks…can anybody really be that sugary sweet? But, when the local Sheriff, Wavy Davey, learns that it was Uncle Oz’s Halloween prop – a bona fide hangman’s noose – that was the murder weapon, there’s more heating up inside the 221b Bakery than just the ovens.

Join the heart of Dixie’s new sleuth Finn Sherlock as she resolutely follows in the footsteps of her namesake to create more than a little mayhem and detect a folksy murderer. Sherlock’s Home Mystery Bookstore…where the game is always afoot.

Trailer: 

Interview: 

Today, we welcome Pamela Rose to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give her a big Geeky welcome!

I have some questions for you that are writer specific as well as some fun stuff so that we can really get to know the real you. *grin* Plus we will finish things off with round of Think Fast. Ready to begin?

Writing Specific
1. Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.

Even though I write mystery novels, I’ve also had a poem published:

Sanctuary
Unto the night I fled,
To lay my troubled brow
Upon the cool, damp sand,
There lying, until ‘til at last,
The pounding ceased to be.

Then solace, like the swelling tide
Rose and broke over me,
Loosed the tentacles gripping my mind
And set my spirit free.

2. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Other things I like to do are cook and bake…I’m always trying out some new recipe. My mother was a fantastic cook and I try to be like her in that way. I also like to refurbish and repurpose decorating items. For instance, I took an old trunk, attached legs to it, added some vintage travel decals from France and antiqued the whole thing. It’s on my sun porch and holds all the board games I keep out there for guests to play. It also makes a sturdy foot rest that is quite decorative.

3. How did you choose the genres you write in?

Oh, I think the genre chose me! I’ve been reading mysteries of all kinds since I was a very little girl. I didn’t just read Nancy Drew…I was Nancy Drew! When I decided to put pen to paper it was a natural choice to write in the mystery genre.

4. Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?

Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were my biggest influences. Dame Agatha because she was the master plotter, carefully weaving her web of deceit and Doyle because the way clues were provided, then ultimately dismantled as Holmes examined them under his magnifying glass, inspired me to become equally devious and deceptive in devising my own stories.

5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest criticism to date came from a reviewer who said that she didn’t like my main character; she thought my protagonist was…I believe ‘crass’ was the word she used. The best compliment? That came from a fellow writer, a ‘Brit,’ who is a Sherlock Holmes aficionado. He said that he was predisposed to the idea that I wouldn’t be able to successfully communicate the Sherlock Holmes ambiance, that in fact, I was only using the reference to draw from that potential audience. He told me that he was delighted to find that he couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, I can say that now, happily, he is one of my biggest fans.

Fun Stuff
6. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?

Oh, there are many. If I’m drawing from the literary field, it would be Pearl S. Buck and Lewis Carroll, two writers that I consider to be major contributors in their field. If it’s just for fun or personal enrichment, I’d chose Katharine Hepburn because I admire her fortitude and James Bond because…well…meow! Why NOT James Bond!

7. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?

A bottle of champagne, a box of chocolates and Sean Connery! (see answer above)

8. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why

Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rogers. Not only would they be entertaining, but Ginger could teach me how to dance backwards and in heels.

9. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?

Umami Sauce and onion pita bread.

10. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

Veni Vidi Vici…I came, I saw, I conquered.

Think Fast
Summer or Winter? Winter
Coffee or Tea? Aaargh! Can’t I have both?
Cake or Pie? Pie
Car or Truck? Car
Print or Electronic? Print. Although it’s a close call.

Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?

If you’re a writer…keep writing. If you’re a reader…keep reading. If you do both…God bless you. Thanks for having me here today on Musings and Ramblings.

Review: 

This is the first book in the Finn Sherlock Series by Pamela Rose.  I signed up to review for this book tour because I have always been fascinated with the Sherlock Holmes character and I love a good cozy mystery. Now I am going to state flat out that I am by no means super knowledgeable about Sherlock Holmes. What does that mean? Basically, I have watched many of the various television shows and movies concerning the character over the years, but have only read *cough* one *cough* of the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. So I know just enough to be dangerous, as the saying goes. *grin*

This story starts with Finn Sherlock, her twin sister Echo and their Uncle Oz working on their window display for Halloween. Together the three of them own and operate the Sherlock's Home Mystery Bookstore and the adjacent 221b Bakery in Leapers Point, a small town in northern Georgia. All are recent transplants from upstate New York. The moved to the area when Finn and Echo fell in the love with the area while hiking the Appalachian trial. Finn mainly runs the bookstore while Echo handles the bakery and Uncle Oz pitch hits between the two.

Since the Sherlocks are recent additions to the Leapers Point community, we are introduced to the community members right along with the Sherlocks. This means that the only back story we have to catch up on is that of Finn Sherlock. Because while Finn and Echo are identical twins, the story is told solely from Finn's point of view. Finn's back story is revealed as it become relevant.

As I stated earlier I am a fan of the Sherlock Holmes character and I enjoyed the way the family had fun with their connection to the character. It is my belief that the author did a great job of giving a bit of British polish to Northern sensibilities in a Southern small town atmosphere. If you are a fan of mysteries of any type, you will have fun spotting your favorite series and characters in the names and titles of the baked goods in the bakery.  Each day Uncle Oz chooses mystery genre themed names for the specials of the day.  I dare you to see how many you recognize.

If you didn't see the cover, you would never know this was a self-published book. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the pace even and the story flowing. I thought I knew whodunit and why, but I wasn't sure and was kept guessing till the end. You can't ask for much more than that. If there were any grammatical errors, they didn't distract from the story, because I never noticed any. This book earned 4 stars on Goodreads from me and I will be on the look out for book 2.

Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

October 14:
My Devotional Thoughts – Guest Post

October 15:
readalot blog – Review

October 16:
Community Bookstop – Review

October 17:
Musings and Ramblings – Review & Interview

October 18:
Melina's Book Blog – Review & Guest Post

October 19:
Books-n-Kisses – Review & Guest Post

October 20:
Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview

October 21:
Turning the Pages - Review

Author Bio:

Many moons ago on an Indiana farmstead My Weekly Reader became Pamela’s first true love, miraculously discovered at the behest of her somewhat humorless third-grade teacher, notorious among her students for being a bit of a pickle-puss. About the same time Pamela realized her ability to cleverly manipulate prose when she read aloud in class her very first book report on a small, much beloved book appropriately named Twig. She was startled to learn subsequently that nearly all of her classmates signed up to read the tiny tome as a result. It was Pamela's first brush with true power and it was intoxicating. Love affairs with The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden soon followed. Before very long, a grand obsession with all things related to Sherlock Holmes ensued. Ever fickle, Pamela moved on to a brief fling with Ellery Queen. Her short attention span regarding other equally engaging mystery writers soon became obvious to those who were paying attention. However, it should be said that Pamela wistfully returns from time to time to revisit these former loves and renew her passion.

Little did Pamela realize that a true career path had been decided upon. It would be years before this avenue would manifest after Pamela successfully dabbled in careers in advertising, television retailing and radio; eventually teaching in subjects related to all areas at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Pamela Rose currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her tuxedo cat Jake who amuses himself by impersonating a multi-syllabic, tirelessly fetch-playing dog. Also being of a benevolent mind, Jake graciously allows Pamela to serve as his personal valet in exchange for long periods of quiet in which to write.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page