Irene at Large [Hardcover]

Carole Nelson Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

When a stranger in Asian garb is poisoned at the feet of Nell Huxliegh, Irene Adler does a little investigating, discovering that the Asian was actually an Englishman and that Dr. Watson's life is in danger.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

With this third helping of corseted whimsy resurrecting Sherlock Holmes's old antagonist Irene Adler, Douglas (Good Night, Mr. Holmes; Good Morning, Irene) finally seems to be getting the hang of weaving a new mystery together with strands of Holmesiana that include the background of Col. Sebastian Moran and the location of Dr. Watson's migrating war wound. After a prologue darkly hinting treachery in the 1880 Afghanistan campaign, Irene and her confidante Nell Huxleigh, still living in exile in Paris, stumble on, and tend to, a poisoned stranger who turns out to be Quentin Stanhope, an old acquaintance of both Nell's and Watson's. Before he's properly recovered, though, Quentin vanishes, leaving behind a trail of deadly cobras evidently set to attack him, his late servant, and Watson--a trail Irene is avid to follow. Though the details about romance and ladies' garb are as arch as ever, the hindsighted period cameos and tangential intrigues are mercifully kept in abeyance as Holmes and Irene do their most charming (if, in Holmes's case, unwitting) work together. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"An absolutely ripping adventure!" --Anne Perry, author of Belgrave Square

"In a delightful encore, Victorian diva/detective Irene Adler Norton engages in a battle of wits with Sherlock Holmes and a vicious killer seeking to hide a traitorous past...Irene lures Holmes, just concluding the "Naval Treaty" case, into the hunt. Douglas has penned a delightful romp in this Victorian adventure novel about the only woman Sherlock Holmes ever admired, and indeed she lives up to the honor." --Publishers Weekly

"Weaves a new mystery together with strands of Holmesiana that includes the background of Col. Sebastian Moran and the location of Dr. Watson's migrating war wound. After a prologue darkly hinting treachery in the 1880 Afghanistan conflict, Quentin vanishes, leaving behind a trail of deadly cobras evidently set to attack him, his late servant, and Watson--a trail Irene is avid to follow. Holmes and Irene do their most charming (if in Holmes's case, unwitting) work together." --Kirkus Reviews

"Irene Adler, the dashing heroine of Irene at Large, is the flamboyant creature who will always be "the woman" to Sherlock Holmes...Ms. Douglas's plot ingenuity remains fresh and amusing, and for all its fanciful turns, the action never loses its jaunty, high-heeled pace." --The New York Times

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 381 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312852231
• ISBN-13: 978-0312852238
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,255,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nell finally finds someone, November 25, 2000

By 

E. Dalton "Reader, writer, educator, and comp... (Derry, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irene At Large: An Irene Adler Novel (Irene Adler Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Since I began reading this series, I had occasionally wondered if Penelope "Nell" Huxleigh, sensible parson's daughter and friend to the great Irene Adler, would ever find a special "someone" of her own. Irene, after all, has been happily married to Godfrey since the end of "Good Night, Mr. Holmes" (no spoiler there, as this is revealed in the Holmes version of the tale). I was pleasantly surprised with the nature of the match the author chose to make-- fitting with Nell's background, yet appropriate to her present and future. Quentin is simultaneously able to hold Nell up as an icon of respectability, yet admire her for her present adventures (much as she denies them). And in doing this, he encourages her to see herself more as we, the readers, have come to see her-- competent, practical, and intelligent.

The period references to the "Great Game"-- the ongoing struggle for domination between England and Russia, the two major world powers of the day-- were also detailed and well-written, and added a satisfying texture to Watson's past, as well as adding suspense to the plot. (Those who liked this aspect of the story might also like Margaret Ball's "Flameweaver" and "Changeweaver" novels, though these are historical fantasy rather than mystery.)

Oh, and the mystery itself was pretty good too. :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good legacy, April 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Irene At Large: An Irene Adler Novel (Irene Adler Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read other supposed Sherlock Holmes take offs, This one succeeds by not recreating Sherlock Holmes but one of the characters from the original series. I enjoyed the female viewpoint and the tidbits of Sherlockian lore she weaves through the adventure. This was the first of the series that I have read, I have just bought the previous two and will spend a couple of great nights reading them. Hope Ms. Douglas bring out more in the series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Embroidered Canon, December 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Irene At Large: An Irene Adler Novel (Irene Adler Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I find this book, as others in the series, a delightful addition to the Sherlockian canon. The adventures of Irene Adler loop in and around the known timeline of Sherlock's exploits, and the few tantalizing glimpses we have of the Great Detective keep him very definitely in character, unlike many ham-handed attempts by other authors. I highly recommend the entire series, and can't wait until it moves into the mysterious 2-year hiatus so unsatisfactorily explained by Mr. Holmes after his supposed death.