Son of Holmes

Auguste Lupa Mystery #1

by John Lescroart

They say he is the son of Sherlock Holmes...The author of The Fall and the Dismas Hardy and Wyatt Hunt series takes us to a small French town in the dark days of World War I.

The “reliably excellent”* New York Times bestselling author offers an engrossing historical mystery in which the rumor is that young chef Auguste Lupa is the son of the greatest detective of all time. And his mysterious legacy may come to light as he attempts to solve the baffling murder of an intelligence agent… * Publishers Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Crime

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

John Lescroart (born January 14, 1948) is an American author best known for two series of legal and crime thriller novels featuring the characters Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky.

Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Junípero Serra High School, San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He then went on to earn a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970. In addition to his novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't say there was anything wrong with this book; it simply wasn't what I expected and didn't interest me a whole lot. The Holmes connection is too weak to be title-worthy, the accents on the audiobook annoyed me, and the mystery didn't hold my attention. Plus I expected a conclusion to bookend the introduction (set in the 1980s) and was disappointed not to have one.

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen this title mentioned by other readers and wondered if I wanted to bother. I'm often left disappointed by Holmes pastiches. Then someone in my Nero Wolfe fan group on Facebook said there was a tie-in, so I had to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. The characters are well drawn, especially Jules Girard and Auguste Lupa. The espionage centered around World War I is intriguing and fast paced. I very much enjoyed the backstory of Lupa which seems to indicate that not only is he the son of Sherlock Holmes, but he is also the young future Nero Wolfe. As the story rolled along, the more mature character to come of Wolfe becomes evident. The details are credible support for that character and by the end of the book I had no problem accepting that the rumors of his parentage and true identity are true. I was able to hear Wolfe's voice in the words Lupa said, and Girard came across as an Archie-Goodwinesque stand in, but with a European flair and competence that made him stand apart. I would recommend this book to Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe fans alike. It's definitely worth the investment of time.

[Shawn Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as Holmes pastiches go this one is fair to middling. With the exception of the narrator and Holmes' son it was hard to tell one character from another. However, the two main characters were engaging and the author does a nice job of instilling holmesian characteristics in the title character. The pacing seemed to lag at times. My only other complaint is that the reader (this was the audiobook version) read primarily with a french accent, which drove me insane. That, however, may just be my personal quirk. So, to sum up, it wasn't the worst holmes pastiche I've read, but it was far from the best either. I gather that this was an early work by the author and would like to try some of his recent work to see how he has progressed.

[Lynn Pribus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've liked his Dismas Hardy books and am a Sherlock fan, but this was a disappointment. Perhaps it was because I was listening and the reader adopted a poor French accent which made many of the names sound the same. Was this Georges speaking or maybe Jules?

But I think it was partly because for the first two CDs all these gentlemen (and one woman) were sitting around drinking beer and talking talking talking. Even when one drops dead, there's not much drama. And much as I love deception and espionage, this just dragged.

A couple more promising reserved books are waiting for me at the library after racquetball today, so this one is going back.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

Not sure where Holmes comes in here but won't be reading any more of the series to find out either. Dull to the nth degree without characters who distinguish themselves from one another, or even much plot. Taking a hard pass on anything else from this author, too.

[jjmann3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoy detective and Sherlock Holmes stories, but Son of Holmes did not really do it for me. Set in the French countryside at the beginning of World War I, this whodunit features the murder of a spy and the explosion of an ammo factory. I don't know what it was -- flimsy characters, contrive dialogue, or a plot that seemed to fumble from one scene to the next, nothing really held my attention except the word "beer," which was used more than at a Kavanaugh hearing.

[Dann Lealos]

My wife is a huge Lescroart fan. I found this copy in a used book store and bought it for her birthday a few years ago. Last month she wanted me to read it. I was... under-whelmed. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was reading. The plot was light. The characters were static and vapid. I was not sure which characters were which, with all of the back-and-forth between using first or last names, but never both and never consistent, even in the same paragraphs. A few times I forgot what country the setting was in. It took a while to figure out that this was France in pre-WWI era. Though the Son of Holmes is somewhat hinted at, why didn't he have the same name? Why was there a murder? Why doesn't anyone really care, including the reader? And, even though the murderer is discovered, why not use that amazing Holmes logic? I kept wanting to care about the plot and those involved, but none of the characters seemed to warrant investment. I am reluctant to read "Rasputin's Revenge". My wife says his later novels are much better. I hope they are.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, as it came recommended by one of my favorite authors Loren D. Estleman. Son of Holmes is the story of the son of Sherlock Holmes who is at work in WW1 to find a spy and assassin. The conceit of the story is that Holmes was a real person who had a different name -- that Doyle wrote stories about a real man but changed details to protect him.

There are several interesting tie-ins with other books in this as well, from Nero Wolf to James Bond. So far so good.

Sadly, this novel takes a short story concept and stretches it out into a full novel length, which means it is filled with incredible amounts of padding and extraneous narration and events, which do not serve the story well and make it tedious to read. This is very disappointing to me, as the story had such promise and such an interesting idea.

[Kenneth G · Rating 4 out of 5]

did Holmes really exist?

If you’ve read anything by Lescroart, you may be aware of a certain playfulness in his style. Whether it’s the glib banter of Abe Glitzky, or the overall impression you get from some of his more gruesome books like Fatal or the Thirteenth Juror, play is the thing. That energy is on full display in Son of Holmes.
Lescroart toys with the idea that Sherlock Holmes was a real person, not created by Doyle, but rather chronicled by him, changing names to protect their true identities.
He sets this mystery at the onset of the Great War. It is a closed room murder, ultimately solved by Lupa, the titular son of the master. Lescroart deftly captures the atmosphere and tone of Doyle’s books, and recreates the post-Edwardian feel of the times.
However implausible the premise, the book is a joy to read.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting, little story about espionage in WWI, in the French countryside. Is Auguste Lupa really Sherlock's and Irene Adler's son? He's got Sherlock's attitude and carries a pocket watch with the initials, S.H. and I.A. He mentions his "Uncle M." works for the government. Can he help the locals solve a couple of mysterious murders, while learning the culinary arts? Can he get a decent beer in wine country?

[wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished this one today 4th march 2021 good read four stars really liked it kindle owned have the next in the series ready when i am lescroart takes on the holmes' mystique so am curious to see what he does with the next will say that outside the two or three main characters the others were not as revealing almost readily exchangeable...almost, some distinguishing marks, accents and the like. i liked the beer drinking. sucks to get old but there's always beer.

[Karen Van Gundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good mystery but this one did not cut it for me. I don’t know if it was because I had to read this book for work or if it was just the story but I found myself doing anything but reading it. I really didn’t follow where the author was going and felt like the mystery was solved on a whim. Not my cup of tea. 2.5-3🌟

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This probably should have another 1/2 star. It has been about 6 years since I read a Lescroart novel and I was expected something more like a Grisham novel - crime/courtroom, etc. In this book it is like he is channeling Conan Doyle. Set in WW1 period in France with lots of characters.
Very strange for him but it got better the deeper I got in.

[Bobby H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I had heard hints but now I understand better the theory that Lupa, the illegitimate son of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler, would take on the name Nero Wolfe. Doyle and Stout are two of my favorite mystery writers so I was looking forward to this.
I found the book moved at too slow a pace for my liking. I would not say it was like pulling teeth, but close.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange

Nothing like the Lescroart books I've ever read. Short enough so as not to be boring but to tell the truth, I thought I was reading an Agatha Christie book! I will read the sequel.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

42 WORD REVIEW:

The titular Son of Holmes lurks mostly in the background, while the French protagonist is narrated by an American too well versed in ‘Allo ‘Allo cod accents. Nonetheless, the mystery is quietly engaging and the denouement at least smacks of the Sherlockian.

[Rob Leininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very strong period piece (1914 or so) by John Lescroart. Very well written. It never got the kind of attention it deserved. Also see, "Rasputin's Revenge" by Lescroart, a second novel featuring the same characters, set around 1917.

[Patricia Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It turns out that I read this book back in 1987, but didn't remember it all these years later. 1987 was before I had read any of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe, so at that time I didn't catch all the little touches in this book that were quirks of Nero Wolfe. Made it fun as well as a good story.

[Sara Whitaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow to start, but honestly such a good story. I was sucked in by the middle, wanting to know how the mystery was solved. An interesting take on Sherlock Holmes, but still entertaining none the less.

[aem · Rating 2 out of 5]

little bit boring...

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit plodding. It was OK but nothing to rave about

[Chick Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining version of a Holmes/ Watson tale.

[Terrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Sami Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters!

[DD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meant to be written in the Holmes style of investigating. Ok.

[Susan Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, this mystery just never connected with me. A fast read, but I’ve enjoyed other Holmesian stories much more. (Owned/selling)

[Jaci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the two main characters, espionage, and the WWI setting in France. Interesting idea that Auguste Lupa is the son of Sherlock Holmes.

[Gary Hahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, but I was never a big Sherlock Holmes fan so not an outstanding read for me. This was an early book of this author and I've enjoyed his later work more.

[BradMD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes connection is made. Prologue is boring. Then book becomes okay. Illegitimate son of Sherlock Holmes. Worst feeling cover ever! Hate the sensation of touching it.

[Steve Wratten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short read. Would help if you spoke French. Seems as if it was written in the old style of Arthur Conan Doyle, and rather tedious to read.