I have read all the books in this series, over the last 30 years. This one is by far the best of a very great group of stories. As an avid Holmes fan I really enjoyed that we see more of him in this book than in some of the others, and the outcome was just wonderful. But even though Holmes plays more of a role here, the essential nub of this series, the emphasis on how amazing Mary is as a partner, analyst and detective, is on full display. I did think this started a bit slow but I read the last 70% in one sitting, and couldn't wait to get to the end to see whether what I hoped so much would be the case was in fact the denouement, which it was. The last few of these were a little less stellar than her initial works so I am very happy that this book was so great, and can't wait to read the next entry. For anyone who loves this series, or even for anyone who has not yet read this series but loves Holmes, this book is highly, highly recommended.