The Brotherhood, a group Holmes thought he had quieted down, has begun making noise again about disrupting the British government, this time from several angles, with many distractions to Holmes and Guthrie. Also distracting to Holmes and Guthrie is Edmund Sutton and his portrayal of Mycroft Holmes, both in public and in a production of Macbeth. Sutton performs every evening under the guise of being Holmes, while Holmes sits in the audience incognito.

One night, a government courier is shot outside Holmes's residence. Assuming he was the target, Holmes becomes more careful in his travel and dealings with visiting foreigners. He neglects, however, to extend the protection to Sutton, who the public thinks is Holmes, and who disappears one night on the way home from the theater.

While Guthrie and a young lady friend, Pauline Gatspy, attempt to locate Sutton, Holmes does the only sensible thing and transforms himself into Sutton, even performing the remaining performances of Macbeth as his own understudy, to continue the charade, turning the plot into a Comedy of Errors, all the while keeping the kingdom safe from tyranny.

The Scottish Ploy is a complex novel of political intrigue with a main character that some will see as eccentric but delightful. No matter what else is going on, Holmes always makes sure his parade of guests are comfortable and well-tended to as he keeps up the duplicity of the Sutton charade. The politics in the novel may confuse readers not entirely familiar with the era or previous Mycroft Homes novels. The Greek chorus of manservant Philip Tyres recounting the events of each chapter in his personal journal helps to summarize the goings on and reassure the readers that guests will continue to be well fed.

Readers will admire Guthrie's loyalty to Holmes and admire Holmes's ability to keep a cool head and sort through details and recognize people's true motives. The subplot of Macbeth and Edmund Sutton gives a light, humorous touch to an otherwise politically dense plot.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry