A clever pastiche in the world of Sherlock Holmes that expertly captures the tone of the originals while creating a world all their own...a feat of biographical extrapolation that proves how much [the authors] know and love the canon...depicts situations that are less modern than universal, and in so doing updates the canon by presenting us with newfound depths, both to the characters and to the situations they find themselves in. I absolutely loved this book.
Abdul-Jabbar has managed to weave elements of his far flung interests into a fascinating mystery narrative. The briskly written book has a delicately woven plot...fascinating ... With its simple yet vivid writing style, and quick punchy chapters, Mycroft is a departure from Abdul-Jabbar's more well-known non-fiction in form but not content. Mycroft returns to the themes he has written about for years—the specters of racism and economic inequality and colonialism haunt the novel, much like the deadly supernatural beings about which he writes in Mycroft. Even Donald Trump would enjoy the book's twists.
The reader’s interest never flags...[there is] an air of cozy menace...Enjoyable as the book is, a purist will nonetheless fault its loose construction...diverting, light entertainment. It’s always fun to see one Holmes brother or the other dazzle with a showy deduction and Mycroft and Sherlock offers plenty of these.
Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse again nail the historical ambience, the dialogue, and the plotting, effectively paying tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle but also adding large dollops of humor and romance. This is a wonderful mystery in what one hopes will be a long-running series.
As engrossing as the plot is by itself, Abdul-Jabbar ups the emotional quotient ... The author clearly has fun with the tit-for-tat deductive prowess displayed by each brother, while developing a sibling rivalry that will linger throughout Sherlock’s adult career. Readers will find plenty of reasons to celebrate this latest Sherlockian adventure.
The mystery, as so often in Conan Doyle, is less interesting than the Holmes-ian byplay. But fans will want to read this sturdy pastiche if only for the deathless query: 'Do we bring Sherlock in? Or leave him in relative ignorance until after his exams?'
