Cosy mystery where a young society demoiselle plays detective to solve a case addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Harry White has been relegated to the basement of the bank in which she is employed after the spurning the unwanted advances of her boss. Here, she is tasked with replying to postage the bank receives addressed to Holmes - the bank straddles 221 Baker Street. The letter send Harry White off on an adventure to solve ... the case of the missing maid.

A decent start to what looks to be a new mystery series.

When I saw that Holly Hepburn had written a cosy crime story, I was intrigued. I love her #romfic books and thought the idea of The Missing Maid sounded very interesting. I wasn’t disappointed- yet again Holly has managed to write a brilliant story with some clever characters and has set up a wonderful series.
Harry is a great main protagonist- self aware, independent and inquisitive- she is the perfect chart to look into these mysteries. I loved the spin on the Sherlock Holmes legacy and enjoyed the little links to those clever crime reads of the past.
I’ll await Harry’s next adventure with anticipation.

Readers who enjoy traditional/cozy British mysteries, tales set in the past, and/or those who love a story with a Sherlock Holmes reference point are sure to enjoy The Case of the Missing Maid. What happened to her? Harry (for Harriet) becomes intrigued and wants to find out more…but, how did Harry learn about the missing maid?

Well, she was demoted from her job in a building with that famous street in it and assigned to respond to letters sent to (the fictional) Sherlock Holmes. It can be tedious but then one letter caught Harry’s eye. Read the story to find out where she is led and what happens.

This is a very enjoyable book and, as is true for Boldwood Books in general, it is very attractively priced.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Holly Hepburn has written a wonderful cozy thriller. Harriet is a wonderful character a young lady who while born to wealth wants to make it on her own.Assigned to answering letters for Sherlock Holmes this story has so many twists and turns kept me entertained from beginning to end.#netgalley #boldwood

The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn grabbed my heart from the first minute and captivated me to the last page. When a book connects so beautifully with what one wants at the time, it's impossible to keep it under wraps. It gave me Dear Mrs. Bird vibes, a very happy discovery!

Thank goodness Harriet (Harry) got demoted at her workplace at 221 Baker Street. Though relegated to a dungeon-like office because she resisted her boss's advances, her new job and new boss proved to be what she didn't realize she needed. Her task was to respond to letters imploring fictional Sherlock Holmes to solve mysteries. She politely wrote he had retired to Sussex until one letter struck her particularly. On Holmes' behalf, after legal advice, she began an investigation which took her to dark London and a thieving ring. Her sleuthing is not (yet?) deductive like Holmes but she did take his methods into account.

Hepburn's writing, rich with historical details and quick pace, whisked me away to 1930s London with socioeconomic class chasms, one of my favourite eras to immerse myself in. The historical details are gripping and the Sherlockian premise is a breath of fresh air. Other winning aspects are the inexhaustible future story possibilities and Harry's character. She's quirky but in an extraordinary way, different from other sleuths. She's something special.

The witty and whip-smart novel is refreshing and fabulous. Talk about an excellent start to a new series, one I genuinely look forward to. Holmes' fans especially ought to enjoy this.

My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engaging and spirited novel!

Clever Sherlock spinoff gives the same Holmesian crime solving with less of the omniscient detective solves.

Harry falls into the job of replying to real life fan mail for the world’s most famous detective. Letters ask for Sherlock to solve their mysteries and she must reply that he is tending bees in his retirement.

One case, however, catches her eye and she must don disguises and craft cover stories to investigate the case of the missing maid.

Thank goodness she’s rich and a la Nancy Drew has a lawyer beau to help her out. Her society connected mother and charity running grandmother pave the way for Harry to make tea appointments and make excuses to get into conversations on her case.

I will say that despite the same inevitable luck that Sherlock has she does not have the same fictional powers of deduction and is stymied quite a bit in her efforts to help the maid.

I thoroughly enjoyed this detective book or what I’m learning is a cozy mystery and would circle back for book two.

This was such a fun book! It's 1932, and Harriet White is working at a bank that just happens to be located at 221B Baker Street. After rebuffing the improper advances of her boss, Harriet is assigned a new task--answering correspondence directed to Sherlock Holmes. One letter captures her interest, and she decides to undertake her own investigation into the disappearance of a young maid.

Harriet is a wonderful character! Although her family is wealthy, she has decided to earn her own living, which I imagine was somewhat unusual for the time. She takes full advantage of her family connections to investigate the maid's disappearance, and she also proves to be very resourceful in ferreting out clues.

A wonderful addition to the cozy mystery genre, and I hope there will be more to come!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really enjoyable cosy mystery. Harry was a great character and one I think that will continue to develop. The plot had a great pace and was full of interesting, well written characters. It did end as though there may be more books in the series which is great news as it was definitely a fun light read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

When Harriet (Harry) rebuffs the advances of her boss at the Baker Street Building Society, she finds herself demoted to the post room in the basement, wading through masses of letters addressed to Baker Street’s most famous resident - Sherlock Holmes.
She replies to each letter with the same response “Mr Holmes has retired from detective work and now lives in Sussex, keeping bees”
But one letter catches her attention, as it’s from a village five miles from Harry’s family estate, regarding a missing young woman who went to London to work as a domestic and has now disappeared.
Harry takes matters into her own hands and the case of The Missing Maid is opened.
Harry uses her muse Sherlock Holmes when trying to solve the case, often referring what Sherlock would do.
As with any cozy Murder mystery there were a few dead ends, red herrings and riddles to solve.
Loved the historical setting of the golden era of classic crime in the 1930s, it really added to atmosphere of the novel.
Harry was a strong well rounded character “exuded genteel self-assurance that hinted at steel beneath her porcelain doll features” and look forward to meeting her further instalments of the The Baker Street Mysteries series
Thanks @HollyH_Author, @boldwoodbooks & @netgalley for the Sherlock inspired murder mystery

I'm a big fan of Holly Hepburn's romance novels and I was thrilled when I first discovered that she was making a foray into the cosy crime genre as it's my absolute fav at the moment.

And the premise for The Missing Maid had me absolutely hooked: A bank in London spans multiple buildings in Baker Street, including the famous number 221. Because of that, they receive a lot of post for Sherlock Holmes from people who don't realise he's a fictional character and they are asking for his help. Harriet White, better known as Harry, is assigned to answer the letters and explain to the writers that the great detective is retired. But then one day, one of the letters catches her attention and Harry decides to do a little sleuthing herself to see if she can solve the mystery...

Harry was a great character and the plot moved along really nicely. Overall, it was a well-written mystery with just a dash of misdirection. I did feel it ended prematurely, however, as the solution seemed to have happened overnight without any pushback yet I feel that the person that ended up being arrested was also a fall guy (or woman). There are a lot of unanswered questions about the wider crime scene this was just a tiny part of and I have to admit that I was disappointed that we didn't get more of a resolution there. I'm sure the intention is for this book to set up a wider series but it should still be a satisfying and complete story on its own and it felt like the ending was rushed and missing crucial information.

I did really enjoy the book up until that point though, and will definitely be checking out future instalments. I just want more answers straight away (please and thank you).

London 1932 very stringent rules govern women’s behaviour and Harriet working raises eyebrows. Grand daughter of a baron, she is very comfortably off but wants to get out of the claustrophobic world of her family. Working in a bank was a job she liked, till the rejected advances of her boss got her relegated to the post room, the back of beyond.

Given the job of replying letters to the fictitious Sherlock Holmes who was depicted as living in Baker Street, Harry does the job efficiently till one letter catches her eye, and she knows she has to do some detective work on her own. Pursuing and finding a missing maid accused of stealing is one matter but Mildred the maid is a victim of a bigger ring of thieves in London. Uncovering this ring also reveals the other seamier side of London life.

Harry engages the help of Oliver a friend, and despite his warnings of the dangers ahead Harry proceeds regardless. Somewhat similar to the escapades of Lady Eleanor Swift, this was a good read. The cover leaves much to be desired though.

Harry's new job is a bit unorthodox: she's been put in charge of answering correspondence addressed to Sherlock Holmes. The job sounds strange, and maybe even a bit whimsical, but it quickly proves rather boring--until she reads a letter she can't stop thinking about and decides to take matters into her own hands. So what if Sherlock Holmes isn't real? She can still investigate this case and hopefully reunite the missing girl with her fretful family.

The Missing Maid was slower-paced than I expected, but I really liked that! I loved Harry and all the other characters and felt myself really drawn to the storyline and the side plots (Harry's job situation and her mother's attempts at matchmaking). I really hope there are more books in the series--I absolutely adored this one!

Sadly this book was a total miss for me. I am not a fan of the writing style, plot, or characters, Read at your own risk.

I am always interested in Sherlock Holmes related books, but most are too far fetched or boring. I really loved how this book introduces the person responsible for answering all the letters addressed to the fictional Holmes at 221b and involves her in a "real" mystery. She is a likable, believable character and the plot development is not predictable, so it held my interest all the way through. It is also nice to read a mystery which doesn't have a murder in it.

The protagonist is similar to other cozy mystery amateur detectives (e.g. Sara Rosett's "High Society Lady Detective" series) and I am looking forward to future books in the series. I obtained an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

A delightful cozy mystery! Can you imagine having the job of answering letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes? And what would you do if it was someone who you thought you might help? I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of Harry! She is such a delightful heroine. Funny, smart and brave! Her indomitable spirit instantly endeared her to me.
The story progressed along at a fast pace. The dialogue was lively and interesting. Honestly I couldn’t find one bad thing to say about this book! I’m a new fan for sure!

I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved this latest from Holly Hepburn which is a bit of a departure from her usual four parter series of romance and woman’s fiction.
Harry works in the Abbey bank in Baker Street, London, whilst living in Mayfair in the 1930’s, and having grown up with three brothers she is well aware of how to handle boys and men. With a hint and a nod to Sherlock Holmes detective novels, the depiction of the underground criminals and prisons of the time unfolds beautifully in this novel.
The author brilliantly brings to life 1930’s Britain, it is both atmospheric and gripping. A woman’s place in society and how they are viewed and treated, is completely foreign to modern women in today’s world is a great reminder of how we have evolved. I was totally gripped from the first page to the last. Loved the story and the characters with a few unexpected bumps along the way.
Loved this book and can’t wait for the next one!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the early read!! Loved it!!

Demoted to the postal room beneath a Baker Street bank after rejecting her boss’s advances, Harriet responds to letters addressed to the fictional Sherlock Holmes. A plea about a missing woman near her family estate catches her attention, and she secretly investigates the case. Following in the footsteps of the legendary detective, Harriet discovers her own sleuthing talents—and learns how dangerous the job can be.

This is such a clever idea for a cozy mystery series! I love Harry and the twisty plot of this book. Can’t wait for the next book!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

London, 1932. Such a fun cozy mystery with Harriet White, whose job is to answer letters to the literary character Sherlock Holmes, and when one involves a local maid gone missing, she decides to investigate the case herself. A fine new series!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of a honest review

Unfortunately this book didn't interest me a lot. I sort of started liking it after the protagonist started working as Sherlock Holmes secretary but unfortunately I couldn't read it beyond 27%

Being a avid thriller reader I found the book pretty slow and at times I found the premise was getting distracted again and again!

DNF

Valiant first effort at a cozy mystery, good well written characters that seen to be able to move forward in this series. A bit of a romance maybe in the future. Nicely paced story, watch out for modern phrases that don't belong. Overall good effort. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy