A Scandalous Affair is a page turner authored by Dr. Leonard Goldberg – and this latest in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series.
A young, free spirited granddaughter of a high ranking British government official is photographed with a handsome young actor after they step out by horse drawn carriage to an opium den on the dark side of London.
She is already engaged to someone in her high society circles.
The photographs become part of a sinister blackmail scheme and Joanna Watson, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes, is on a mission to stop the blackmailing without involving Scotland Yard - to avoid embarrassing the family.
This is the 8th in this series, and I have to admit it has been my favorite.
Where sequels sometimes disappoint, I think Dr. Goldberg has done a good job of evolving the character of Joanna, the illegitimate daughter of Sherlock Holmes that no one knew existed until his series of novels.
Joanna happens to be married to the son of the infamous, “Dr. Watson,” the sidekick of Holmes himself.
Dr. Goldberg (Credit: Lea Austen Photography)
The novel takes place in London during WWI, and the occasional descriptive sentences of the scene are sparse but just enough to set the tone and put you in the scene– whether it’s a air raid siren where everyone must head for the bunker, the chiming of Big Ben, or a subtle change in weather.
Joanna’s son, Johnny, now 17, makes an appearance toward the end, showing promise that the bloodline of Holmes will continue.
The last few chapters reveal some unpredictable twists and turns that make for a fun reading adventure.
Dr. Goldberg is a native of Charleston and a long-time California resident. After a long career affiliated with the UCLA Medical Center as a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Dr. Goldberg now lives on an island off the coast of Charleston.