Claire O'Dell—Living in an Alter­nate Future

The Janet Watson Chronicles

A Study in Honor

Amazon | Barnes &Noble | Indiebound | Audible.com | Harper Collins

Set in a near future Washington, D.C., a clever, incisive, and fresh feminist twist on a classic literary icon—Sherlock Holmes—in which Dr. Janet Watson and covert agent Sara Holmes will use espionage, advanced technology, and the power of deduction to unmask a murderer targeting Civil War veterans.

Winner for Best Lesbian Mystery for the 2019 Lambda Literary Awards

A selection in Parade’s roundup of “26 Hottest Books of Summer 2018”

Paste Magazine’s Most Anticipated 25 books of 2018

Medium’s Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018 list


The Hound of Justice

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Harper Collins

Two months have passed since the events in A Study in Honor. Holmes is a fugitive in hiding; Janet has been forced onto the sidelines as a surgeon at Georgetown University until she masters her new high-tech arm.  

When a drone kills fifty people and injures hundreds more, people speculate on a potential presidential assassination. Holmes and Watson are reunited to unravel a plot that has been concocted by one of the greatest enemies they have ever faced.

Finalist for Best Lesbian Mystery for the 2020 Lambda Literary Awards

“O’Dell movingly portrays a proud woman struggling to regain her professional skills in a country still plagued by racism. Readers will hope this inventive series has a long run.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An engaging and ultimately deeply satisfying novel” (Tor.com)

The Hound of Justice is an entertaining, engaging near-future thriller, well written and well characterised. It’s not a traditional Holmes-and-Watson story—the dynamics of their relationship feel rather different to many variants—but maybe that’s to its credit. I enjoyed it, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next instalment, whatever (and whenever) that may be.” (Locus)

“When these all-female, mostly black resistance fighters weapon up, they kick some serious bad-guy (and -girl) ass” (Kirkus Reviews)

“This is an entertaining sequel, narrated by the increasingly engaging Watson, and one hopes that the work of this Holmes and Watson will continue.” (Booklist)


The Sign of Three (forthcoming)

Sara Holmes has vanished back into the secretive world of the undercover spy. Janet Watson has settled in to her position as a senior attending surgeon. She even has a love life. Things are looking up professionally, personally, and even politically, judging by the mid-term election results. Then Sara comes crashing back into Janet’s life with terrible news and asking a very big favor…