Review: Elementary: The Ghost Line by Adam Christopher

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Title: Elementary: The Ghost Line

Author: Adam Christopher 

Publisher: Titan Books

Source: Purchased

Synopsis: Summons to a bullet-riddled body in a Hell’s Kitchen apartment marks the start of a new case for consulting detectives Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. The victim is a subway train driver with a hidden stash of money and a strange Colombian connection, but why would someone kill him and leave a fortune behind?

The search for the truth will lead the sleuths deep into the hidden underground tunnels beneath New York City, where answers—and more bodies—may well await them...

Review:

I am a fan of Elementary, so you'd think that I snapped this book up as soon as I saw it on the books-on-sale shelves. I didn't. I had only read one other novel based on a television show (Heat Wave in connection with Castle) and it was a disappointment for me. The blurb at the back of The Ghost Line intrigued me though, so I got it. Happily, I don't regret that decision.

Christopher writes the characters true to the portrayals in the show; I could imagine the actors playing out this story and not find any of the scenes to be odd. I especially love Sherlock's little gestures, as Jonny Lee Miller tends to do them too, and those little details kept me immersed in the Elementary world. The only thing I found rather jarring was the amount of time Watson grins; it didn't seem in character.

The mystery was fun! While I never believed either of them was in any real danger, I was really drawn into Sherlock and Joan's detective work. I won't spoil it, but the resolution was perfect, in my opinion, in that it was all about Sherlock using his brilliant mind rather than force to diffuse a dangerous situation. Moreover, the story is also populated with diverse characters. While Sherlock Holmes is British, Detective Bell, Joan Watson, and a number of other characters all come from non-white backgrounds.

My biggest issue with the book is the amount of internal monologues. There are points where it is necessary, when the character is alone and digesting information, but there are times when I skip right over paragraphs of musing because they feel irrelevant.

All in all, fans of the television show is likely to enjoy this tie-in novel. I wouldn't recommend it to non-fans, however, as I feel its charm is reliant on the reader being familiar and in love with the show's portrayal of Holmes and Watson.