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Rating: 
Summary: Bees and Bonnets
Review: Additions to the Sherlock Holmes canon are always to be viewed with a jaundiced eye. Each represents a modification to an imagined history. Questions of its fit and characterization often completely outweigh the simple requirements of being a good story. I didn't realize the Affair of the Incognito Tenant was going to conflict with Laurie R, King's own invention of Holmes latter day life until I took it out of its parcel. Once discovered, Lora Roberts' tale was doomed to be measured with a sharp yardstick.
After this inauspicious start, I discovered that my forebodings were unjustified. This story, while narrated by Charlotte Dodson, a housekeeper, rather than the ubiquitous Watson manages to hold its own prettily. Threatened by the newly escaped Sebastian Moran, Holmes has decided to take himself and his bees undercover to Sussex. There, as Mr. Sigerson once again, he sets up shop at Larchbanks, which has recently lost its master. Charlotte Dodson runs the establishment while awaiting the final settlement of the estate.
What Holme's doesn't expect is to find himself in the midst of vampire attacks, hidden jewels and contentious heirs. Before he and Mrs. Dodson are able to prevent it, the mystery becomes the talk of the town, newspaper writers descend from everywhere, and, of course, Colonel Moran makes his inevitable appearance.
For all its use of a strong female character, the story is very much a traditional story, especially in the case of pacing and characterization. Those who are uncomfortable with King's Holmes may find themselves much happier with this tale, although I found Holmes just a bit too distant. Still, I would willingly read a sequel should one appear (and I hope it does). Roberts shows herself as a skilled writer in a different genre than her usual cozy, and we are the beneficiaries of the experiment.
Rating: 
Summary: Here We Go Again!
Review: Another potentially good novel is spoiled by the author's insistence on having Holmes fall in love. Unfortunately, she is not the first (and probably will not be the last) to inject this non-canonical element into a story.
Rating: 
Summary: Charming Victorian-era mystery
Review: How cleverly Lora Roberts uses the tasks of our Victorian housekeeper protagonist to make this mystery work! Charlotte Dodson is a wonderful character, and the book is rich with period detail. The mysterious tenant, the Orb of Kezir gem, the suspicious curate, the death of the vicar's sister--all keep the plot racing along. But the true joy of this book is the immersion in the Larchbanks household with Charlotte's intrepid character guiding the way.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and adventurous
Review: I have read and enjoyed other books by this author, and this is totally different, but very good--maybe her best. Charlotte Dodson, a housekeeper in 1903, ends up with Sherlock Holmes as her tenant, and the game is afoot! There's a vampire, a mysterious jewel, a masquerading cleric, and an escaped evil criminal. The characters are very real. Loved the part where villains are overcome with household items. I totally recommend this book, and will get the one before, which is not historical, but which also sounds very good--Another Fine Mess, about murder at a writers retreat.
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Summary: Delightful charmer
Review: In 1903 in Sussex Downs Victorian widow and single parent of a preadolescent Charlotte Dodson does a great job managing the household staff for her employer, retired military officer Major Sir Arthur Fallowes, However, when Fallowes dies, Charlotte realizes how tenuous her satiation is as she prays that the new owner keeps her and the staff on at Larchbanks Manor.The new resident, Mr. Sigerson keeps Charlotte on at least temporarily. Charlotte finds her new boss weird as he uses the library to work with bees for a book he's authoring on the insects. Meanwhile Charlotte learns from her deceased former boss's solicitor William Bagshaw that Fallowes left her with the Orb of Kezir, a valuable gem that is missing somewhere in the house. While she trusts no one fearing theft, someone kills the vicar's sister Miss Evaline Hanover. The only clues are the time of death occurred just after she returned home from a visit to Larchbanks and that her neck has two vampire-like bite marks. While rumors abound about a bloodsucker, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the case though Charlotte is wary of the famous sleuth walking off with her jewel. Though Holmes, the who-done-it, and the missing gem take a support role, fans of Victorian tales will appreciate this vividly delightful charmer in which Charlotte and her woes play the prime role. The story line contains several subplots that nicely blend together. The cast is strong even without Mr. Holmes, but adding Sherlock and his compatriot makes more fun for the audience as the ensemble brings out a bygone age intermingled with the sleuthing. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: The plot provides many satisfyingly mysterious twists
Review: Lora Roberts' Affair Of The Incognito Tenant provides a mystery with Sherlock Holmes at its heart: set in 1903, it tells of a widow whose livelihood is threatened by sinister events at a manor. The plot provides many satisfyingly mysterious twists and turns throughout, in true Holmes style. Both are superior, highly recommended picks.
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Summary: Best Holmes pastiche in a while... at least until the end
Review: This debut Holmes pastiche, as told through the voice of the housemaid Charlotte Dodson, is one of the best in the genre to come along in some time: a richly drawn character, evocative vignettes of small-town life in Sussex, and Holmes's character absolutely *nailed* (as is Watson's, in his brief appearance). That is, until the end, when he falls for her romantically and a known Holmesian villain appears with a hokey secret weapon. Still, a fun and rewarding read for Holmes enthusiasts. Let's hope for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun, Great Book
Review: Upstairs, Downstairs meets Miss Marple. The Affair of the Incognito Tenant is a delightful book with a great character in Charlotte Dodson, who manages the household staff of the estate Sherlock Holmes has temporarily leased, and a wonderfully realistic sense of the time period. There is mystery and intrigue aplenty, but for me it was immersing myself in the world of the book and chuckling over Homles's and Dodson's exchanges that was the real draw. Highly recommended whether you are a Holmes fan or not.
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