The second pick in the ’26 in 26 challenge’ was none other than Holmes is missing by James Patterson and Brian Sitts. This is the second book in the Holmes, Marple and Poe series. The first book in this series wasn’t really that good but I have to say the second is a bit better.

In book one you see that Holmes is actually a heroin addict but his purchases have been laced with fentanyl a couple of times which were close calls and at the end he is going away for a while to get sober and rehabilitate. Solving that case was more a bit of dumb luck then anything else but so be it. Poe has a friends with benefits relationship with a police officer working the same case as them and Marple is the social one.

In this second book a new case presents itself after a phone call comes in from none other then Helene Grey, Poe’s sidepiece. Marple and Poe go to the hospital where the crime has taken place and soon learn that six newborn babies have been taken from the Newborn ward. The first thought everyone has is that the babies were taken for ransom since the families involved were all rather rich. Inspector Duff, Helene’s boss doesn’t want the PI team anywhere near this case even though the parents hire them on the spot. It soon becomes clear that the people responsible had help from the inside, the cameras were disabled and the wristbands the babies were wearing are counter fit; with the real ones an alarm goes of when someone takes the baby of the ward.

The team is incomplete with Holmes gone, it’s time for him to come back even if it means he’s not quite ready yet. Once he’s back in HQ it becomes clear that Holmes is struggling; he can’t seem to focus and there is some stupid event they have to attend. One thing is clear; he wants out. No more Holmes, Marple and Poe but his colleagues want him to do this one last case because it’s a big one!
At the event some type of fanboy is assigned to their table and soon weasels Holmes to conversation. Marple and Poe get called out to yet another kidnapping, 5 kids and a school bus driver vanished.

Oliver Paul is the name of the man that seems obsessed with Holmes, he tells him about a potential case he named ‘The Mother Murders’ which is as follows; On the 30^th of September each year a mother dies but the ruling is always accidental. The first victim? Oliver Paul’s mother. Even though Holmes wants to quit, he does find the case intriguing and wants to pursue it without his partners.

There is another overlap in the main case because in London was another kidnapping; 4 babies were taken from the newborn ward in a hospital there. Is the mastermind the same as in America? There are some pretty big bombshells in this book which made it more captivating, I won’t tell you about them because that would take away the excitement.

I’m giving this book a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating.