A Study in Honor: A Novel

Revamping the Sherlock-Holmes-and-John-Watson duo for a futuristic twenty-first century, A Study in Honor follows Janet Watson, a veteran of America’s second civil war, as she becomes entangled in a government conspiracy involving her enigmatic roommate, Sara Holmes. Returning to Washington, DC, after losing an arm in the war, Watson struggles to settle into civilian life, but when she learns that her fellow veterans are dying under perplexing circumstances, she must work with the frustrating and confounding Holmes to untangle the corruption that lies at the bottom of the mysterious deaths.

A Study in Honor is a quick-moving and entertaining take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Holmes and Watson tales. Making good use of our current political situation, Claire O’Dell’s futuristic United States is believable yet still built on a sturdy sci-fi foundation. While I understand that the characters are supposed to be mysterious, I occasionally found it difficult to follow their motivations, and some readers may be frustrated by how long it takes for the novel’s central mystery to emerge. On the whole, however, this is a unique twist on classic characters and an enjoyable novel at the intersection of detective tales and speculative sci-fi.