They say life is a string of chances held together with grit and guided by passion, and who am I to disagree?
If you are looking for a retelling to read on Sherlock Holmes Day (May 22), I would recommend Marie Howalt’s A Study in Black Brew. It’s a scifi setting, on a queer-normative world with multiple species. The plot is pretty straightforward as a retelling of A Study in Scarlett (except no dogs, or helpless pets are killed), but Howalt has made choices that make her retelling fresh and interesting.
Kellieth ReinAraneinth is a wendek, a species noted for their sense of smell. They are a chemist who suffered a disabling accident, leaving them with a significantly hindered sense of smell. For their species, it’s a genuine disability. Furthermore, they suffered lung damage when they were caught in a sandstorm while working as the advance team on a planet newly opened for wendek settlement. Like Dr. John Watson, Kellieth ReinAraneinth arrives in the city of Nantheam disabled, ill, with limited funds, and at loose ends. An acquaintance tells them about a less expensive flat, which makes them a flatmate with Raithan WeinZalneinth, Howalt’s Sherlock Holmes. At their first meeting, Raithan’s observational skills save Kellieth’s life, so Kellieth brings him a thank you cake. And a friendship is born.
I’m more familiar with contemporary retellings of Sherlock Holmes than I am the source material, so one of the things that stood out to me was the integrity of the disability representation vs the casual ableism of the BBC’s Sherlock. I also really liked the frisson of flirting between Kellieth and Raithan, which doesn’t feel like queer-baiting. Making Kellieth and Raithan wendek, while the victims and murderer are human, allows for some interesting exploration of othering.
This was a fun and quick read. I enjoyed it so much that I plan to dive into the author’s backlist.
I received this as an advance reader copy from the author. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.