One of the
first things I learned as an adult was that knowledge and fact meant
nothing to people who were subjected to an adequate dose of fear and
prejudice.
- Dr.
Kronberg
London,
1889. When a cholera victim is found floating in London's drinking
water supply, Dr. Kronberg, England's best bacteriologist, is called
to investigate. Also on the case is an eccentric, intriguing,
intellectually incomparable man... Sherlock Holmes. Holmes, being
Holmes, discovers Dr. Kronberg's secret: the dangerous double life
she lives in order to practise medicine, a profession not acceptable
for a woman in Victorian England.
Kronberg
and Holmes are brought together by a murder mystery, but there
appears to be more between them than the desire to solve the case. Holmes meets
his match in intelligence and deductive talents. The dialogue between
the two is constant sparring where words left unsaid speak as much as
those uttered aloud. They are masters at reading between the lines
and never stop trying to figure each other out.
This book
has a great, gritty setting and a potentially fascinating
protagonist. Anna Kronberg is a strong, courageous woman and a
dedicated physician who has her scars (literally and metaphorically)
and her weaknesses. Her life in the world of men isn't easy, and the
decisions she is forced to make as the investigation proceeds are
morally questionable – and they will haunt her all her life.
However, her portrayal
doesn't quite have the depth that I need to fall in love with a
character.
'The
Devil's Grin' is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The writing
is solid and the main character has an interesting voice, but there
were some instances where the language didn't feel quite right for
the setting.
I wish the
book had been longer; while I got a sense that the author and the
protagonist were capable of deeper reflection, there was little time for that. There were moments where tension could have been tighter and
moments where I wished for more emotional involvement. In hopes that
some of the questions left unanswered will be solved and the
characters further developed, I might well read the next book in the
Kronenberg Crimes series.
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