Holmes Away from Home = A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Samantha Larsen to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Samantha writes the Althea Adler Mystery series. HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME is the first book in the series and will be released October 6, 2026.

Miss Althea Alder’s Character Report 
By Samantha Larsen

1911, London. Lord Sheffield (William) first meets Miss Althea Adler in a department store when she steals a pearl pin from Miss Rosie Watson’s hair. He lifts the pin from Althea’s gloved hand and returns it to Rosie and wangles an invitation from her friends to a house party at Twickenham Towers. His true purpose is to look for the leader of the anarchist group, the Red Dawn. William follows Althea home and sees that she is staying at 221b Baker Street with Sherlock Holmes. Why was a beautiful thief staying with a world-famous detective? William adds her to his little black book of suspects:

Miss Althea Adler: Daughter of Irene Adler. Father unknown. Pickpocket. College student. Generous.

Approximate age: 19–20

Height: 5’2”

Weight: 105 pounds

Physical description: blue eyes, brown hair, face of an angel, nice figure.

While staying at Twickenham Towers, Althea breaks into William’s room and finds his little black book. She updates the information about her.

Miss Althea Adler: Daughter of Irene Adler. Father unknown. Pick-pocket. Student. Generous. Exquisite Soprano.

Approximate age: 19-20-22

Height: 5’2”

Weight: 105 pounds 110. It’s terribly rude to guess this sort of thing.

Physical description: blue eyes, brown hair, face of an angel, gorgeous figure. You are too kind.

William discovers his little black book open on the side table with a white knight chess piece. He realizes that Althea has seen his book and is aware that he is investigating her. But what William really wants to know is whether or not Althea intends to kiss him or kill him. Find out in, HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME (October 6, 2026).

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Holmes-Away-Althea-Adler-Mystery/dp/1448322405

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/holmes-away-from-home-samantha-larsen/1150070590

GoodReads Link

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250253909-holmes-away-from-home

Connect with the Author!

www.SamanthaHastings.com

https://www.instagram.com/samanthahastingsauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHastingsAuthor

https://x.com/HastingSamantha

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-hastings

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Review

 

 HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME by Samantha Larsen

The First Althea Adler Mystery

 

Althea Adler is a thief wanted in several countries who would like nothing better than to quit the family business and lead a respectable life in London. Unfortunately, she can never say no to her mother, the infamous Irene Adler. Never one to receive heartfelt letters from her mother, Althea receives the usual postcard with a clue and location of her next task. Instead of a location the most recent postcard features a picture of a cozy study with the phrase "Holmes away from home". Althea manages to infiltrate the great detective's home, but only has more questions when the only thing in his safe is a picture of her mother from years past. The hunt for answers leads Althea to a house party at Twickenham Towers. But before Althea makes any progress with her own mission the horrible Lord of the Manor is murdered. Althea teams up with the too handsome Marquess of Sheffield who is there for his own government mission. With despicable characters above stairs and very few servants downstairs will the pair solve the murder in time to complete their original tasks?

 

The game's afoot in this Sherlock Holmes adjacent mystery. Although neither he nor Irene Adler make an appearance both are intrinsic characters who are key to the story. Let me also say that I absolutely love Althea Adler, even more than Holmes or her mother! Highly intelligent, cheeky, and kind underneath that polished exterior she's a delightful protagonist. I also really like William and chuckle as Althea gives him a run for his money!

 

Aside from a well written fun historical story HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME is an intricately plotted mystery that also delves into addiction, sexual assault, and 1911 political themes, most notably Irish home rule. These serious themes are treated with respect and definitely add gravitas to a story that's also quite humorous.

 

Deft plotting, compelling themes, and delightful characters make HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME a thoroughly captivating mystery and an outstanding start to a new series. I absolutely loved it!

 

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 Holmes Away From Home (An Althea Adler Mystery) by Samantha Larsen

About Holmes Away From Home

Holmes Away From Home (An Althea Adler Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - London, 1911
Publisher: ‎ Severn House
Publication Date: ‎ October 6, 2026
Hardcover Print Length: ‎ 240 pages

Introducing Althea Adler, accomplished thief and daring heroine with a mysterious link to Sherlock Holmes.

A heart-racing game of wits, murder and romance is about to commence . . .

London, 1911. Althea Adler receives a mysterious postcard with just four words, ‘Holmes away from home.’ Surely her mother, notorious thief and opera star Irene Adler, is instructing her to break into Sherlock Holmes’s safe? But when she does, Althea makes a shocking discovery . . .

Still reeling from events at 221b Baker Street, Althea accepts an invitation to a party at Twickenham Towers, the ancestral home of Lord Slough, where a murder throws her into further turmoil―as does handsome fellow guest William, the Marquess of Sheffield, who has been tasked with staking out Slough by the British Government.

Althea and William form an unlikely alliance as they set about catching a killer. But can they trust each other when they both have something to hide?

An addictive new cozy mystery trilogy featuring a super smart, lively heroine, a dashing lord and a fiendishly good whodunnit, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes's classic mysteries, Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, and Netflix's The Residence.

About Samantha Larsen

Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She's the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. Learn more at: www.SamanthaHastings.com

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Preorder Links Amazon - B&N