Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) -
Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca tells the true story of Grace Humiston, a lawyer and detective ahead of her time who earned the nickname Mrs. Sherlock Holmes. In the first half of the 20th century, she became an attorney, founded the People's Law Firm, and relentlessly advocated for victims throughout the United States. She was the first female U.S. District Attorney and over time focused her work on investigating modern slavery and missing women.
The primary case in the book involved the 1917 disappearance of Ruth Cruger, an 18-year-old girl. The story unfolds incrementally, interrupted by other cases Mrs. Humiston took on. While the secondary cases were interesting and showed the progression of her reputation, it was jarring to jump from the main case to others which were never fully described. Also, the writing was quite dry and challenging to engage with, not the narrative nonfiction style of Erik Larson or Daniel James Brown.
Grace Humiston led an interesting and important life, and her story likely would have been more compelling if in the hands of a different storyteller, preferably a woman.
The primary case in the book involved the 1917 disappearance of Ruth Cruger, an 18-year-old girl. The story unfolds incrementally, interrupted by other cases Mrs. Humiston took on. While the secondary cases were interesting and showed the progression of her reputation, it was jarring to jump from the main case to others which were never fully described. Also, the writing was quite dry and challenging to engage with, not the narrative nonfiction style of Erik Larson or Daniel James Brown.
Grace Humiston led an interesting and important life, and her story likely would have been more compelling if in the hands of a different storyteller, preferably a woman.
