Design by AM Sardar
The Yankee Quartet; Four Charlotte Holmes mysteries set in the United States during the 1920s.
New York, USA, 1922
Charlotte is marrying her American fiancée, Randle Scott Warwick III, much to the annoyance of her daughter, Emily.
As the Holmes clan gathers for the nuptials, a series of prostitute murders causes alarm in the city.
They are reminiscent of earlier killings, committed in Whitechapel, London, by the infamous Jack the Ripper.
A complication stalls the wedding and when the groom is implicated in a murder Charlotte and Dr Watan must use all their skills to solve the mystery of the New York Ripper.
Meanwhile Branwell learns Emily has become wayward, including drinking & smoking, in protestation at the impending marriage. Her wayward behaviour has placed her at the mercy of Montana Chase, her secret fiance, who has taken compromising pictures of her.
The race is on as Branwell enlists the help of the youngsters to catch the blackmailer, whilst simultaneously trying to make amends with his estranged wife and son.
New World, but same old problems and mysteries as Charlotte & Dr Watan forge new relationships.
Author's Notes - Spoiler Warning
This book is the first installment in the Yankee Quartet, four stories set in the USA during the 1920s, which will traverse the great continent westwards.The story picks up three years after the events of book 8, A Vaisakhi in Versailles, and deals with Charlotte's second marriage, unfortunately Emily, her duaghter, is vehemently opposed to it. Branwell meets up with his estranged wife and son and attempts to reconsile their differences whilst Lauren has blossomed into a young woman and is intent on exploring the new Jazz Age.
My fondness for classic Hollywood cinema and Jack the Ripper, informed this book, in particular the Warner Bros. gangster films and a book I read, when I was a teenager, Autumn of Terror; this left a lasting impression on me. This book has my standard dual narrative with contributions from both Watan & Branwell and has our heroes adjusting to American life. The two narratvies run concurrently and frequently cross each other, this hasn't happened for a while and it was an intersting challenge.
The book explores Charlotte's and Emily's relationship in light of her marriage to Randle Scott Warwick III, especially the latter's enmity.
In addition it explores Branwell's character in light of Durga abandoning him, in particular his problematic relationship with his son Callum, who blames his father for Morty's death in the Great War, and his mother Lady Priscilla. Though the prospect of having Branwell in America was enticing, his ascerbic comments flow freely, he had to return to resolve Durga's unfinished narrative; this is exactly what happens in the next book.
Watan is shown as a slightly indolent disreputable charcater, enjoying the finer things in life, including affairs, I wanted to reward him for all the suffering in the previosu books he endured.
This book also moves on from the previous quartet and intrduuces new characters who will play an important part in this quartet.
Enjoy!
