Neel and Godfrey are off to Bohemia as agents sic spies for the Rothschilds. Nell is glad to leave Paris and its saucy foods but gripping, even in first class, all the way. Irene, again in disguise, to follow so they can assist the Queen in getting her marriage consummated. Forays, in mufti and grand regalia ensue as they seek information under and above ground. A chance meeting with the Golem, a not so mythical creature and a confrontation with the King lead to a duel at dawn. Much toing and froing, with another cameo appearance by Holmes, is necessary for a final solution. Nell, again, sets off on a train griping all the way until a most satisfactory reunion occurs. ( )

Carole Nelson Douglas writes a series of books with Irene Adler as the main character. Irene, you will remember, was the woman who bested Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia". Afterwards, Holmes always refers to her as "the woman". In Douglas's fourth Irene Adler book, "Another Scandal in Bohemia", Irene and her trusty sidekick Nell are going back to Bohemia, to Prague, to help the King's new wife Clotilde, with a rather personal problem, as well as seeing if they can shed some light on the Golem that has been terrorizing the city. I love Nell, she is full of completely deadpan, dry humor that had me laughing out loud. Irene is charming, Douglas does an excellent job portraying these characters. The plot was a bit thick for me, but I did enjoy it, especially when Sherlock himself made a guest appearance. ( )

In Douglas' universe Irene Adler Norton is a wealthy but bored and spends her time investigating mysteries with her devoted husband and a Watson like assistant. For fans of Sherlock Holmes, the Irene Adler mysteries are a fun continuation of that universe which also features appearances but other notable historical figures like Oscar Wilde and Buffalo Bill. While all of the books are enjoyable this outing is my favorite. It's the perfect mix of mystery and romance, with appearances by Holmes and Watson along the way. ( )

Well, not really. Holmes is there in a connected way, of course, but they don’t compete with each other this time. The King of Bohemia hasn’t consummated his marriage to the Queen because he has been replaced with a dupe. Russia has sent one of its princes (related to the real King) to take his place so they can take over the country. Of course, Irene suspects this because he neither recognizes her through her disguise or Nell without one. The real King has been held prisoner in a series of tunnels beneath an old part of the city. He has escaped 3 times and each time he was mistaken for the Golem of Prague. Irene frees him and sets him back on his throne.

In the end, she and Godfrey go to Venice for a vacation and send Nell back to the house in Paris. Nell is horrified that she will be unchaperoned but, I had a feeling one would present himself. Quentin. They spend a 4-day train journey together but that’s the last we hear of him. Hopefully he comes back in the next two books.

I know I've read this one before, but I honestly didn't remember anything about it. It's been a long time, and there've been a lot of books in the interim.

This is the 4th book in the Irene Adler series, based on the character from the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia." Irene, her husband Godfrey, and friend Nell are bored in Paris after their last case. Exiled from England and Irene from the stage because of their "deaths," they're unable to pursue their normal occupations, and Irene turns to shopping, getting a much-coveted appointment with the House of Worth, where she and Nell have three startling experiences: 1) Charles Worth himself asks Irene to be a living advertisement for his gowns; 2) the Queen of Bohemia, Irene's erstwhile rival, confides that her husband of several months has yet to visit her bed, and asks for help; 3) a bead-girl is found murdered in the Worth dress factory.

Godfrey, meanwhile, has had a request of his own, for the three of them to visit Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, the international financier, who offers each one of them the perfect price to return to Bohemia and spy for him.

Of course, when Irene and Nell left Bohemia, it was in fear for their lives, so the expedition is not without risk.

There's international intrigue, fashion, romantic entanglement, the supernatural in the form of the Golem (which made me think of Pratchett) that's reportedly menacing Prague, the position of Jews and working women in late 19th-century Europe, and an overlap with a Holmes case, which for the life of me I can't identify, and which may not actually exist.

It's complex and filled with realism, and the characters just grab me. Nell's relative innocence, honesty, and narrow-mindedness contrast well with Irene's worldliness and other-worldliness, and Godfrey's sincerity and pragmatism. ( )