Queen's Gambit
Victorian scholars rejoice because Bradley Harper is back with the sequel to his literary mystery odyssey A Knife in the Fog (our review here). While that novel took place in 1888 and followed Arthur Conan Doyle and Margaret Harkness pursuing Jack the Ripper, Queen’s Gambit (Seventh Street Books) hands the narrative reins over to Harkness, now in ailing health in her forties.
Harkness, a radical socialist writer — you may have read her novel A City Girl in college — is curiously tasked with unearthing the identity of an anarchist infiltrator within the German government. Hurting for money and told by doctors who believe she has something resembling lupus that her best bet for better health would be to head to a warmer climate, Harkness answers the call.
It comes at the behest of her friend and one-time mentor, Joseph Bell, noted as Arthur Conan Doyle’s real-life inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes and a recurring detective-type in Harper’s Victorian mystery series. Harkness and Bell make up two thirds of this series’ Three Musketeers (Conan Doyle, a major player in the first book, is the third), though while we view Queen Victoria’s Britain through Harkness’ eyes, Bell is Harper’s crowning achievement.
The character of Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain, but why settle for an imitator when you can have the real thing? The fictional Joseph Bell flexes his deductive reasoning but could potentially have as much staying power as Hercule Poirot and other classic literary detectives. If there are further mysteries in this series, I’d love to see him return.
This isn’t to say that Harkness isn’t fascinating in her own right: she’s a master of disguise, donning the clothes and affectation of a man so as to be taken more seriously in her investigative work. As both Margaret Harkness and “Robert Pennyworth,” it’s a joy to watch this character navigate the jarringly political world of investigations.
Then there’s the antagonist. I can’t say a whole lot without giving things away, but he’s somewhere between the most idealistic, fringe Bond villains and Conan Doyle’s own Moriarty.
Readers who enjoyed A Knife in the Fog will be delighted by one surprise guest appearance. Fans of the era will be amused to see Queen Victoria in the mix—and to learn that she harbored some severe opinions regarding the unceremonious end to the Sherlock Holmes stories. This story, on the other hand, has a thrilling conclusion that suggests there might be more stories yet to be told in Harper’s Three Musketeers saga.
Queen’s Gambit works as a standalone mystery while also serving as a satisfying sequel to Harper’s first. It takes the characters out of their comfort zone — and their youth, with the pitfalls of growing older just barely slowing them down. I’d recommend this novel to any mystery fan willing to try something that’s both a little different and a little familiar.
Queen’s Gambit is now available for purchase. Learn more about Harper on his BookTrib author profile page.
Buy this Book!
Amazon
