Holmes, Margaret and Poe by James Patterson & Brian Sitts

EXCERPT: Grey polished off her vodka in a gulp. She leaned in close to Marple. ‘There is one mystery about this building that I’m dying to work out,’ she said.
‘What’s that?’
How three people were able to get New York State PI licenses without leaving any of their fingerprints on file. Almost as if they were trying to conceal their true identities.’
‘Well, I try not to make a thing out of it,’ said Marple, ‘but we are very good at what we do.’
‘Right,’ said Grey. ‘Whoever you are.’
Marple smiled. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Whoever we are.’

ABOUT ‘HOLMES, MARGARET AND POE’: Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple and Auguste Poe run the most in-demand private investigation agency in New York City.

The three detectives make a formidable team, solving a series of seemingly impossible crimes which expose the dark underbelly of the city – from a priceless art theft, high-stakes kidnapping and a decades-old unsolved murder, to a gruesome subterranean prison and corruption and bribery at the highest levels of power.

But it’s not long before their headline-grabbing breakthroughs, unconventional methods – and untraceable pasts – attract the attention of the NYPD and the FBI.

After all, it’s no surprise that there’s a mystery or two to unravel in the city that never sleeps . . . not least, who really are Holmes, Margaret and Poe?

MY THOUGHTS: I loved this – it’s a lot of fun.

I run hot and cold on James Patterson’s books, but Holmes, Margaret and Poe is definitely a winner. I read it in a little less than twenty-four hours and am hoping that this is the beginning of a series. I was left with the feeling that there is a lot more to be revealed.

Holmes bears many of the characteristics of his namesake, plus he is hyperosmiac – i.e. he has extraordinary olfactory senses. Marple has extraordinary powers of observation and is an extremely quick thinker. She also enjoys a good sherry. Poe likes to live on the edge, as evidenced by his love of fast cars and an addiction. NYPD detective Helene Grey is both attracted by the trio and wary of them – they seem to be ghosts, people with no past.

After solving a very high profile case the trio’s services in demand and they find themselves working multiple cases at once.

Holmes, Margaret and Poe is fast-paced and exciting. It doesn’t take itself seriously – there are plenty of humorous moments that I enjoyed. One of my favorites was when Poe meets ME Verna Crown. Although we meet her very briefly, she is a wonderful character.

A definite recommendation and my fingers remain crossed that we are going to read more of this trio.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#HolmesMarpleandPoe #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: James Patterson has donated more than one million books to students, focusing on some of the most under-resourced schools and youth programs in the country.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Holmes, Margaret and Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.