A STUDY IN HONOR

Despite narrator Lisa Renee Pitts's warm, listenable voice, her inconsistent pacing occasionally obscures this new take on Holmes and Watson by fantasy writer Claire O'Dell. The detective pair are now lesbian women of color in a near-future America engulfed in civil war. Watson, a surgeon, lost an arm in service and is coping with PTSD. Holmes is on the trail of greedy executives doing nasty stuff to soldiers. Pitts gives an interesting, audibly wounded voice to Watson, a bit of edge to Holmes, and well-rounded characterizations of a few other key players. It's the narrative that sounds choppy, almost as if the punctuation was confusing. It's something to improve for next time, as this may be the start of an intriguing new series. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2018]