Arrowood

A fantastic crime thriller with a nod to Sherlock Holmes. I loved it.

A very enjoyable private detective novel set in South London in 1895. It follows Arrowood and Barnett as they try to solve crimes before either anyone else gets killed or even worse - before Sherlock Holmes, Arrowood's loathed nemesis, is called upon to assist. .
I love Sherlock Holmes novels so it was great to read something set in the same era, but from the "poorer" side of the city with an opposing and sleazier (Finlay's opinion!) slant.
Great read and I will definitely look out for any sequels.

Entertaining Sir Arthur Conan Doyle style narrative with a super Sth London atmosphere. Sleazy bad guys abound and our heroes grapple with seeking the truth in seasoned smoke and mirrors fashion. All becomes clear in a tense and absorbing denouement. Well written and recommended!

This was a very entertaining crime novel that I can't wait to share with my blog readers. Although William Arrowood is the titular character, it is narrated by his 'Watson', Norman Burnet. Holmes and Watson are the bane of Arrowood's life;. they get the big cases while he, and Norman, get the petty thefts and wayward husbands. When a young lady comes to them asking them to find her brother Arrowood and Burnet get pulled into a much more complicated case, involving a local crime lord, War Office officials and Fenians gun running Enfield Riffles to Ireland.

I really enjoyed the complications of the case and the character building, the history woven into the main narrative and the descriptions of London in 1895. The weaving in of the Sherlock Holmes canon makes this novel interesting, as Arrowood gives alternative possibilities for the resolution of some of Holmes' most famous cases.

Review will be available on rosemariecawkwell.wordpress.com on 16th March 2017

Arrowood and Barnett are private detectives in London in 1895. Holmes and Watson they are not --- and they keep being reminded of this at every turn, by clients, the media, the police and the general public. Arrowood in turn sets out to show Holmes as something of a fraud. The story is told in the first person by Barnett, who, along with his employer Arrowood, is a flawed and realistic character. This novel follows the two protagonists over the course of an investigation on behalf of a young French woman, Caroline Cousture, who engages Arrowood to find her brother, Thierry. In the course of the investigation both detectives and their young assistant Neddy find themselves in life-threatening situations. There are wild goose chases and meetings in dingy pubs a-plenty; a fair amount of porter and oysters are consumed and issues of women's rights, child labour and Irish home rule are addressed by the narrative. This was a really enjoyable read and I was very glad to read in the final words of the story that there will probably be more adventures for Arrowood and Barnett.

Arrowood and Barnett: investigative agents, inhabitants of 19th century London, and most assuredly not Sherlock and Watson.

Whilst Mr Holmes has become the stuff of legend, a genius of his time, Arrowood - man of emotions, reader of people, master of the alternative solution - struggles to secure a decent case. And yet, here one comes.

Set in the universe of Holmes and Watson but told from a very different point of view, Arrowood is a story that is at once familiar and fresh. Not your parents' period detective novel, this grittier cousin of Doctor Watson's accounts will keep you gripped from one twist and cleverly-revealed clue to the next. As Mick Finlay dangles each new development, nudges each unturned cobble and edges us ever-closer to the characters and the conclusion, we become ever-more dependent on the high of intrigue. And it's a high that Finlay readily supplies.

With humour and warmth providing just enough sugar amid the bitter realities of the lower classes and of the genuine peril the protagonists endure, here is a novel crafted with panache. Arrowood is the other side of the Holmes coin: he is the emotion to his logic, the open-mindedness to his hard fact, and yet he, too, is flawed. Pasts, deceptions and secrets cloud each character, and neither Arrowood nor Barnett are above committing crime for the greater good of solving the case. So too are the flaws in London's soul exposed, as Barnett leads us through grim bars and back alleys, to slums and secluded doorways where darkness may not even protect you. Crime, it seems, is the currency this London knows best.

Although a departure from Conan Doyle, here too are parellels: clashes with policemen, political tensions surrounding Afghanistan and Ireland, both Arrowood's and society's attitudes to women are all here and are all relevant in our time, too. Like Holmes, Arrowood is not perfect, and his relationship with Barnett, though complex, is in essence as charming as that of Sherlock and John. Most importantly, though, is the biggest similarity: here is a truly great novel.

In short, Finlay drops us into a fully-formed world, gives us glimpses of the past and flashes into the future whilst dazzling us with the present, and leaves us begging for more. I am hooked.

Oh, I loved this book! I really hope it is the start of a new series as I am hooked. For my sins, I've never actually read any of the Sherlock Holmes books but doesn't everyone feel steeped in the world of 221b Baker Street these days? The Guy Ritchie films, the Benedict Cumberbatch TV series..... I'm even addicted to the New York set TV series Elementary (with the dreamy Jonny Lee Miller as the quirky detective and the awesome Lucy Liu as Dr Joan Watson). So I feel like I have a handle on the world of this story, which is very much in the background but shapes most of the humour in this book. William Arrowood is a detective who hates Sherlock; he's wildly envious of his famous competitor and is driven into a furious rage every time Sherlock is handed yet another high-profile case. This is despite the fact that Arrowood operates in shady South London - a world away from Sherlocks posh West London digs. The case is very twisted, dark and intriguing, making this a fantastic book to travel with. I was completely drawn into this story and even enjoyed reading the grizzly bits (which is unusual for me). I highly recommend this book.

Arrowood, ‘the guvnor’ is a private investigator. He solves the cases that Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t be interested in. He is overweight, drinks heavily has no social skills and detests Sherlock Holmes. But despite his many faults he is loyal to those who work with him and his clients.
The narrative is told by his assistant Barnett. Barnett has suffered a personal loss that he hasn’t discussed with the guvnor and he regularly suffers physical abuse. Some of it from the guvnor but also from the police and the people they encounter in their investigations.
What appeared an easy case for the team proves increasingly baffling and dangerous. I just wanted to protect Neddy, as well as give him a bath. It was hard to work out who they could trust, everybody including the police seemed to have their own agenda.
The description of a life in poverty in the London slums was the best that I have read in a long time. Not only could I visualise it, I could also smell and even taste it. Very convincing and I would love to read more about Barnett’s experience of a slum existence.
I have said it before, about numerous books but this would make great television. 19th century crime fiction, in the same city as Sherlock Holmes but could be a completely different world.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received via Netgalley.