The Unpleasantness at Parkerton Manor

Mrs. Hudson of Baker Street #1

by Barry S. Brown

It is 1890. One woman rules the British Empire; virtually all other women rule domains no larger than their own kitchens. The widow of Constable Tobias Hudson has other ideas and has made other plans. She has organized the first of its kind consulting detective agency, combining her own unique powers of observation and vast knowledge of criminal investigation with the careful selection of an essential male figurehead. Sherlock Holmes possesses the language and bearing of a gentleman, as well as a haughty self-confidence that clients find reassuring. He brings with him the level-headed Dr. Watson, an addition Mrs. Hudson finds reassuring. Together they will investigate the death of Sir Stanley Parkerton who met his fate after a family dinner in which he had the same food and drink as the assembled guests. When the Parkertons' coachman, who drinks too much and knows too much, is murdered as well, the game is truly afoot. To solve the mystery, Mrs. Hudson and her colleagues must not only sort through the intrigues of both staff and family, they must also contend with the danger posed by the unexpected arrival of the White Rajah of Sarawak and the sudden intrusion of headhunters into the English countryside. The chronicler of these events, Barry S Brown, has spent most of his professional life in the area of research into social problems. He has worked in mental hospitals, prisons and drug abuse treatment agencies, and has published more than 100 papers and chapters based on his studies in those areas. He now lives with his wife, Ann, in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, a safe distance from the mayhem of Victorian England.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

262 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2010

About the author

I prepared myself for the challenging task of correcting a century of misinformation about Mrs. Hudson and events at 221B Baker Street by pursuing a research career in the fields of mental health, criminology and drug abuse. Through the deductive skills I acquired, I have been able to establish Mrs. Hudson's role as the true sage of Baker Street, who provided free lodging to the sometime chemist, Sherlock Holmes, in exchange for his willingness to serve as the male figurehead essential to a business enterprise in Victorian England. In four books and counting, Mrs. Hudson has led Holmes, and his earnest companion and fellow lodger, Dr. Watson, on a series of adventures taking them from London's East End to England's country estates, and across the Atlantic to New York City. Along the way they sometimes join forces, sometimes cross swords with a diverse set of characters including Lily Langtry, Samuel Clemens, Charles Stewart Parnell, and the man known as the White Rajah of Sarawak. While the stories are told with tongue firmly in cheek, a close eye is paid to historic accuracy with regard to events of the last decade of the 19th century, and the people who were a part of those events. For those who might seek me out, I can be found in the town of Carolina Beach, North Carolina where I may be seen wearing cape and deerstalker hat, thereby exciting great curiosity and occasional police inquiry.

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed Nancy Springer's Young Adult series featuring 'Enola Holmes' where she created the fictional younger sister of Sherlock Holmes and set her up solving mysteries of her own. So, when I found this I thought it might be fun in a similar way but for an adult audience.

I think that successfully pulling off these pastiches is not so much in what you do but the way that you do it. For the most part this one was not very successful. Early on in the mystery Mrs. Hudson is described as the brains of the investigating team she assembled, selecting Holmes as the front man only because the sensible Watson agreed to sign on as well. I found this somewhat amusing and the subject of Mrs. Hudson being the mastermind didn't factor much into the mystery itself. Which I think worked well, but once we got to the unraveling of the original crime the premise of her being the controlling agent in the investigating team was a bit overdone.

Logically over the years she would have taught her employees some skills in deduction so they would be able to actually think on their own without having their hands held by Mrs. Hudson. But by the end of the mystery it seems Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are little more than her sock puppets. I'm not a die-hard Sherlock Holmes fan but I found that I really didn't like Barry Brown making Sherlock look stupid. If he had handled the end of the mystery in the same light way he had the beginning I think this could have been a fun little book. But for me it was spoiled by the depiction of Sherlock and Watson as rather bumbling and inept.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 1 out of 5]

There have been several recent attempts to change our perceptions regarding the Canonical world of 221B. This book is one amongst them, claiming Mrs. Hudson as the brain, Dr. Watson as the heart, and Holmes as the mask— as far as the notion of the 'Great Detective' is concerned. There have been several such feminist retellings of the Canon. But this one...
This one is a disaster.
ACD's warm, charming, composed voice is completely missing. In its place we have a soulless narrative that's completely devoid of wit, humour, suspense, and the terrific pairing of Holmes-Watson duo.
In short, it's utterly avoidable.
There are lots and lots of excellent pastiches out there. This book is not one of them.

[Wendy Heyman-Marsaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always had a rather unorthodox view of the third most featured character in the Sherlock Holmes Canon - Mrs. Hudson, landlady of the best known address in English literature: 221B Baker Street. I imagined her as a younger, more involved and most knowledgeable and perceptive character.
Barry S. Brown has taken Mrs. Hudson to a delightfully higher level in this series and casts her as the brains behind Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. The canny middle-aged Cockney widow of deceased police constable, Tobias Hudson, creates her own consulting detective agency and hires Holmes and his friend, Watson as her “front men”. Holmes takes the lead in a rather dramatic and occasionally humourous fashion whilst steady and dependable Watson takes copious notes of their exploits for Mrs. Hudson’s expert edification and review. In posing as the housekeeper, she can listen in on client consultations whilst serving refreshments.
The Unpleasantness at Parkerton Manor begins with a visit from Lady Parkerton to 221B. She believes that her husband, Sir Stanley, the wealthy inventor of the binaural stethoscope, did not die from natural causes, but from poisoning. But the family ate from the same food and drink and suffered no ill effects. There is no dearth of suspects within the immediate family or the servants. Each has something to benefit from the demise of the victim, be it financially, professionally or both – even Lady Parkerton herself.
Holmes and Watson travel to the country manor of the Parkerton’s to interview possible suspects and gather evidence. In what begins as a typical “country house” setting for a murder, more complex developments begin to occur. The inexplicable murder of the family’s coachman whilst Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the scene is but one and the absconding of the direct heir and his family is another.
In a fascinating twist, Mr. Brown gives the reader an introduction to malevolent head-hunters and the White Raja of Sarawak – a true-to-life character from Malaysia.
Mrs. Hudson stays at a hotel close to the action and meets with Holmes and Watson to debrief her on their activities and discoveries and to provide direction regarding next steps. Whilst staying on the periphery, she focuses her attention on Sir Charles’ and the coachman’s murders.
Mr. Brown also places Inspector Lestrade on the scene since he is on a holiday with his wife in the area. The local constabulary welcomes the Scotland Yard man on the case, much to the chagrin of Holmes and Watson. But the pair manages to remain one step ahead and Dr. Watson even informs Holmes that he is actually becoming quite a good detective in yet another lighthearted moment.
Barry S. Brown has very successfully given us a refreshing view of the residents of 221B Baker Street. He is quite convincing in his depiction of the characters in their new roles. Mr. Brown’s writing skill makes for highly dramatic and suspense-filled scenes interspersed with an occasional wry sense of humour. He also introduces the reader to well-researched, exotic locales and actual historical characters. His unique point-of-view provides the audience with a change from the typical pastiche, yet retains the voice and atmosphere of the original Canonical work.
I was so entertained by Barry S. Brown’s work that I purchased book 2 of the “Mrs. Hudson of Baker Street Mystery” series. There are now 5 books in the series and I am pleased to say that book 6 is coming soon.

[Susan Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this novel that is the first of five (and counting, presumably) Mrs Hudson is a down-to-earth Cockney woman who, in an amusing twist on the original Conan Doyle stories, is actually the mastermind of the detective agency fronted by the two gentlemen, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.

The ‘unpleasantness at the manor’, in a nice understatement, consists of two mysterious deaths. Holmes and Watson are dispatched undercover to investigate and report back to their boss, Holmes rather reluctantly, resenting her authority, while Watson, the more intelligent of the two, accepting her superior mind.

There’s an intriguing plot, with something of a subplot relating to the white Rajahs of Sarawak - of whom I knew nothing before - and a most satisfying and unexpected denouement. In the meantime, there’s a deal of sly humour. I particularly chuckled when Holmes, disguised as the bewhiskered insurance agent Smythe, gets tied up in knots when asked about his family, and on the spur of the moment invents a wife, Lydia, and seven children.
I can recommend this book to all Holmes’ aficionados as well as to anyone who likes a good murder mystery.

[Diana Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve remembered why I don’t like writers “borrowing” other writers’ characters

At first I thought this would be an interesting twist on the Sherlock Holmes’ stories. But the author makes Holmes look like a brainless lightweight and after a while I wondered what he has against the character. Mrs. Hudson is interesting, but not enough to make up for the other deficiencies in the book. I just managed to finish Book 1 and won’t read any others in the series. Perhaps Barry Brown should write something original?

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very smart and well written, Loved It

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Sherlockian pastiche that reveals Mrs. Hudson's not-so-diminutive role as a Victorian-era crime solver.

[Bill Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: The Unpleasantness at Parkerton Manor
- A Mrs. Hudson of Baker Street Mystery
Author: Barry S Brown

I recently came across a copy of Barry S Brown's inventive series of Sherlockian pastiches ,and was initially stunned to find that the main premise of these tales placed Mrs. Hudson, better known as the landlady of 221B Baker Street, as the main protagonist.
Yes, it's true. At first I thought, “this will never work”.
Why, who would ever consider making the most famous crime-solvers, Holmes and Watson, play second and third fiddles, respectively! No way. . .
Well, I decided to leave my own reservations about attempting such an impossible feat on page 1 and give Brown's interesting creation a good read.
Now, I took my time trying to see if I could actually enjoy the mystery, as presented, with Mrs. Hudson as lead character. At first, I was somewhat leery as to how this could ever work. Come on, make Holmes and Watson take a back seat to their landlady? Really?
So, those were my feelings as I followed the developing story. I kept feeling guilty about accepting history's dynamic duo's apparent demotions. Still, I kept reading, following the details as the plot continued to evolve. I must say that after completing the book, my somewhat slanted position had softened. Yes, I found that Mr. Brown was able to make it all work!
Brown's depiction of the “landlady” shows her to be extremely capable in heading this detective agency. As revealed in the novel, Mrs. Hudson and her constable husband, Tobias, would spend many of their evenings discussing many of the crimes the lawman had to handle. They would share ideas as to how a particular crime had been committed and what steps might have to be taken to capture the guilty parties. It was Tobias who inspired her. He was the one responsible for creating her interest and skills in crime solving!
Now, several years after his passing, she still visited his grave, and, kind of talked things out as she stood there, reminiscing how insightful he always was when crimes had been perpetrated. Somehow this gave her comfort and confidence as she worked to direct Holmes and Watson find answers to her agency's clients. A most enjoyable read. . .

W. P. Lawler, aspiring Sherlockian author

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a joy to read if you are fond of Sherlock Holmes and Victorian mysteries. The talented author took the viewpoint of cherished Mrs. Hudson being the actual brains of the detective duo known as Holmes and Watson. I found it plausible and fun to alter the perspective.

There is a suspected murder at the Manor and the Lady of the Manor wants justice done. Mrs. Hudson rises to the cause and the game is afoot!

I found the book fun and easy to absorb. I will research whether there are additional books in the series.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting!

Interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson & Mrs. Hudson relationship! Enjoyed the book- am interested to see how the series continues!

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Sherlock's Mrs. Hudson helps investigate the death of Sir Stanley Parkerton by food poisoning.