Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes

ෂර්ලොක් හෝම්ස් කථා #19

by Loren D. Estleman

Accompanied by Dr. Watson, master sleuth Sherlock Holmes has already encountered the evil young hedonist Edward Hyde, and knew he was strangely conected with Henry Jekyll, the wealthy, respectable London doctor.

It was not until the Queen herself requested it, however, that Holmes was officially on the case of the savage murder of Sir Danvers Carew—the blackest mystery of his career! Although Robert Louis Stevenson published his tale of Jekyll and Hyde as fiction, the hideous facts were true, insofar as Stevenson knew them.

Here, then, is the entire firsthand account of that devilish crime as recorded by Dr. Watson, with an explanation of why Holmes's personal involvement had to be kept secret—until now...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Horror, Crime, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes was written … *checks watch* … almost 100 years after the debut of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series, but Estleman has done a fantastic job of capturing the tone and writing style of the originals. At the same time, he's also mostly faithful to the plot of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – I actually kind of wish that I hadn't reread it so recently because it killed a bit of the suspense knowing exactly what was going to happen. But still, this was an enjoyable read. I haven't quite gotten around to reading all of the canonical Holmes stories yet, but I think I might try Estleman's Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula next, as I'm curious to see how Holmes and Watson intertwine themselves with Stoker's classic tale. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

[Niyousha · Rating 4 out of 5]

اولین کتاب جنایی بود که دوسش داشتم. بازم مرسی از حدیث برای معرفی. الان مشتاقم کتاب اصلی دکتر جکیل و مستر هاید رو هم بخونم. البته این کتابو اونو اسپویل کرد واسه همین میذارم یکم یادم بره بعد برگردم بخونمش.

[F.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A curious piece appeared as the end story on the BBC’s ‘Six O’Clock News’ the other week, suggesting that – all these years after Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle died – there will finally be a new Sherlock Holmes novel. Yes, that’s right, the estate has given permission and noted author Anthony Horowitz has signed-up to write it, and us Sherlock Holmes fans will finally learn what the great detective did next. But what the BBC either didn’t realise, or deliberately ignored, was that there are already hundreds of other Sherlock Holmes novels. If you ever went into the, now sadly defunct, ‘Murder One’ bookshop on Charing Cross Road, you’d have found whole shelves crammed full of ancillary Holmes fiction. There are writers who seemingly gave their entire careers over to creating new Baker Street set-tales, attacking the subject with a fervour which would have shocked Conan-Doyle. And so, for the BBC – even if they did have a nice author’s interview to show – to imply that this new novel is in anyway unprecedented, really does smack of tardy and incompetent journalism. A simple Google search would be more informative.

For example, here we have Holmes coming together with another example of fin de siècle fiction, and to be fair Loren D. Estelman (an author I’ve never encountered before) does a perfectly creditable job of it. Undoubtedly he’s helped by the fact that ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ is a mystery story with a great twist (the twist, of course, being the thing that everyone knows about it). As such we follow Holmes and Watson as they try to get to the bottom of what hold Hyde actually has over Jekyll. They’re expertly worked in to the text of Stephenson’s novel (although the various subtexts of that wonderful book seem to have got lost), and it’s definitely a fun ride. There are certainly flaws: this version of Holmes is slightly too glib for my taste; while this American writer’s London is sketchily drawn (and it seems highly unlikely that any Victorian gentleman would ever have referred to a “trash basket”), but there is a lot here which will please the wandering Holmes fan.

I’m giving it three stars which, the astute amongst you might notice, is the same rating I gave to ‘The Valley of Fear’. That isn’t because I believe it’s as good a book as ‘The Valley of Fear’, but until Goodreads allows us to mark in half stars, or even percentage points (what fun we’d all have if we were allowed to rank books a 2.4 or a 3.7) then 3 stars will have to do. Just as margarine is a suitable replacement if you can’t get any real butter, once you’ve reached the end of original Sherlock Holmes books, then this is perfectly acceptable.

[rozhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستان روونی بود
و تا حدِ قابل قبولی ، سعی شده بود به شخصیت و داستان‌های شرلوک نزدیک باشه.

پ.ن :
« به پیشنهاد حدیث
قبل از خوندن داستان اصلی ، اول سراغ این کتاب اومدم
تا پیرنگ اصلی برام اسپویل نشده باشه،
و در پی ماجراجویی های شرلوک و جانِ عزیزم
به ماجرا پی ببرم.»

لذت بخش بود ، برای درمان ریدینگ اسلامپ به اینگونه کتاب ها مراجعه بفرمایید.🦦

[Laura Verret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that I enjoyed this book. I purchased it at a book-sale thinking, "Hey, I really liked the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was okay, and this book only costs a dollar, anyway! Why not go for it?" So I went for it. I was expecting the story to be painfully cheesy, with horribly choppy dialogue and descriptions ruining the beloved Sherlock and his faithful chronicler Watson. And at times (only occasionally, mind you) it did seem as though the author was trying a wee bit too hard to conjure up the classic Holmes before his readers. But on the whole, the story rang true.

Sherlock is first invited to join the case when Mr. Utterson arrives at his appartment at 221B Baker Street. Mr. Utterson is worried about his friend, Dr. Jekyll, who has made an extraordinary and disturbing will, leaving his entire estate to the reprehensible Mr. Hyde on the occasion of his death, absence, or disappearance. Can Mr. Holmes discover the strange connection which binds these two seemingly opposite and incompatible men together? And can he do it before it is too late?

Again an excellently handled story from Mr. Estleman. This novel will engage and delight anyone who has previously enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

[Fred Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Sherlock tale where we know more than he does.

A great feeling to see Sherlock and Watson struggling to understand the elusive Mr Hyde while trying to link him to Dr Jekyll.

Only in the end does it dawn on Sherlock although it is the most improbable solution it is the only one left.

Great series and recommended book

[Faran · Rating 3 out of 5]

وقتی پای شرلوک هلمز معروف به داستان استیونسن باز بشه....
این کتاب رو از شرلوک هلمز علیه دراکولا بیشتر دوست داشتم.
مقدمه و موخره جالبی داشت و خط داستانیش قوی تر بود.
البته همچنان کارهای ایدرین کانن دویل رو بهترین ادامه های شرلوک هلمز می دونم

[Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

معمولا به ریتلینگ و کتاب هایی که یه نویسنده شخصیت های کتاب دیگه ای رو برداشته و داستان خودش رو گفته علاقه ای ندارم، مخصوصا اگه پای شرلوک هولمز عزیزم در میون باشه! میخواستم کتاب رو نخرم اما از طرفی دلم لک زده بود برا خوندن یه داستان معمایی شرلوکی! خلاصه وسوسه چربید و شروع کردم خوندنش و اصلا پشیمون نیستم.
شخصیت هولمز و واتسون خوب از آب درومده بود و ریتم پیشرفت داستان کاملا مناسب بود. گرچه از اول کاملا مشخص هست که مجرم کیه و داستان از چه قراره (مگر اینکه کلا آقای جکیل رو نشناسید )، داستان اونقدر جذابیت داره که خواننده رو تا آخر دنبال خودش بکشه.
ترجمه کتاب هم از ۵ بهش ۴.۵ میدم و مترجم بسیار خوب عمل کرده

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but with Sherlock Holmes. It was slow at times, but it was never boring.

Recommended 13+ for themes and a moment in a brothel.

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vienas iš daugelio Šerlokianos epigonų. Tikrai ne pats geriausias. Tai labai nesiplėtosiu.
Pliusas – labai nebloga teksto stilizacija. Gali kartais ir užsimiršti, kad ne Conan Doyle tekstą skaitai.
Minusas – bandymai sužaisti neįtikėtinos Holmso dedukcijos korta dažniausiai nepaeina. Na, juk neužskaitysim:
– Jūs nekantriai laukėte šio skambučio.
– Kaip jūs tai supratote, Holmsai?
– Jūs pakėlėte rageli po pirmo signalo.
Pliusas – labai paslaptinga byla, intriga auga ir išlaikoma iki pat pabaigos, kai staiga viskas paaiškėja.
Minusas – prieš tai buvęs sakinys negalioja, jei esate skaitęs Robert Louis Stevenson apysaką apie daktarą Džekilą ir misterį Haidą. Tada intrigos lieka vos vos mažiau nei nulis – ir skaityti darosi nuobodoka.
Varnelė į šerlokianos sąrašą, bet maksimum du iš penkių. Už stilizaciją.

[Murphy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estleman is an excellent architect of mystery novels!

[Chadi Raheb · Rating 3 out of 5]

You better read the original novel Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde first to fully get the things going on in this one.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this pastiche of Sherlock Holmes getting involved in the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I read Jekyll and Hyde back in the 1960s when I was in high school but don't remember details of the book although the story was very familiar given the movie versions that I have seen through the years.

In this pastiche, Holmes is approached by Dr. Jekyll's lawyer named Utterson with concerns about Jekyll's will which leaves his estate to a Mr. Hyde in the event that Jekyll goes missing. Utterson had heard about an incident involving Hyde where he had run down a young girl so he couldn't understand why he would be the beneficiary of the will. As Holmes and Watson look into the case, they find that Hyde is a strange and despicable man who later murders a member of Parliament named Carew. The police are put on the case but spend weeks trying to locate Hyde with no result. so Holmes is pulled onto the case at the request of the Queen. Holmes and Watson are also stumped by the case but eventually confront Jekyll after he morphs from Hyde. Jekyll knows he will not be able to stop changing into Hyde so he attacks Holmes with fatal results.

So how does this rendering of the story differ from the original by Robert Louis Stevenson? I actually started rereading the original and the stories are very similar with Estleman putting Holmes into the mix. Hope to finish reading the Stevenson version soon and overall I would recommend both the original and Estleman's pastiche.

[Eli Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this book more but unfortunately I found it a little dull, especially already knowing what the conclusion of the mystery was. I think that it would have been smart to separate this tale from the original Doctor Jekyll story a bit to make its plot more interesting to those who have read the original. I also find it hard to believe that Holmes would take so long to crack the case, though the more supernatural elements make that believable enough.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes details Sherlock Holmes’ pursuit of that foul miscreant Edward Hyde, a pursuit we all know will not end well. Loren Estleman does a good job of bringing Holmes, Watson, Jekyll & Hyde to life. But I knew where this particular adventure was heading, sadly, so I cannot give it five stars.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Holmes pastiches go, this one isn't bad! I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it. I think I'll send it to my niece, because she might enjoy it more.

Estleman's characterizations of Holmes and Watson are faithful to the canon, if a little bit... fanfic-y at times. Like, using soooo many of their mannerisms and their phraseology and going to great lengths to describe their flat accurately and cram lots of canon characters into it. We don't gain any new understanding of Holmes or Watson... but that's not terrible. It was a fun book to read, right when I needed something fun and light, so I did enjoy it.

[Hossein Shiravi · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب یه سری از یه مجموعه پلیسیه که انتشارات قطره داره کار میکنه
جهان کتاب مربوط به همون شرلوک هولمز اصیله و این یکی از بهترین ویژگی ایه که این کتاب داره و نویسنده تونسته یه جهان قرن 20 امی رو به خوبی بازسازی کنه

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've said this before, I love the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series, most are good stories but you do get the odd one now and again that doesn't quite hit the spot.
This edition is a retelling of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, where Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson investigate what they believe to be a blackmail case against Dr Jekyll by Mr Hyde.
I did enjoy this, but there were a couple of times I winced when the author used 'trash basket' instead of 'waste paper basket' - I know it's picky but it's supposed to be Victorian London, there's a great coach chase that makes up for it though. 😊

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun. A good mystery for Holmes to dig his teeth into and some good natured humorous moments for a few laughs. Definitely one of the better supernatural pastiches.

[Kordian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[CQM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the set up, Holmes and Watson being real and Estleman being offered a Watson manuscript that his regular editor, Arthur Conan Doyle, hadn't touched.
We finally get the real story behind Robert Louis Stevenson's famous tale!
Highly entertaining nonsense!

[iga · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10, śmieszny fanfik, ale czasem to jak bardzo nieporadny jest watson trochę denerwuje. myślałam, że fabuła nie będzie się aż tak mocno trzymała oryginału. trochę szkoda. właściwie czytałam to po rozdziale co jakiś czas od ponad roku, więc średnio pamiętam szczegóły, ale jednak przyjemnie się czytało.

[Bobby Panichella · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who enjoys reading about Sherlock Holmes this is A good Sherlock Holmes story to read.

[Ebster Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

As excellent a psychological science fiction as "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" was, its structured as a mystery. And it doesn't succeed very well as a mystery story for the very simple fact that everyone already knows what the solution to the mystery really is.

(It's on the freaking book cover!)

As a mystery novel, this book suffers from the same problem. However, it is a lot of fun watching Mr Holmes and Dr Watson work though something that we already have the answer to.

Their investigation into Mr Hyde's illicit activities, and Dr Jekyll's backstory, augment the original story in a way that I feel is organic and coherent. (although I don't agree with the idea that Henry Jekyll was so extremely idealistic in his younger years or that he never had sex, that just doesn't ring true to me.

One thing I thought was really dumb about this book was the very beginning and the very end. The author comes up with an explanation for how s/he got the manuscript from whoever inherited Dr Watson's affects. To me, it seemed really cheap. I'm already suspending my disbelief far enough to read a mashup of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde, some stupid preface is somehow going to make your work more credible. I made the mistake of reading the afterward too, it basically does the same thing except towards Robert Louis Stevenson. (LAAAMME!)

Dude, unless Henry Sturgess shows up in your basement as a vampire I really don't care.

I recommend this for people who like mashups.

Notes:



1)I really would have loved it if just one character (one!) started throwing out wild theories..

-"Mr Hyde is Dr Jekyll's illegitimate son!"

or

- "Mr Hyde is a monkey who Dr Jekyll did experiments on in med school."

Would have been so delightful...alas not :(


2) The original "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" is only about 100 pages.....I remember it being a lot longer when I was ten years old!

3) Also, I feel really bad for Gabe, I thought he was an idiot in the original novel, but in looking at the culture and time he is speaking from, he really was trying to protect the people he cared about and he basically lost his whole family.

4) Another thing I keep thinking about is that in this retelling, its a lot easier to write Henry off as an eccentric nutcase who just asked too many questions, instead of someone who was facing a struggle that any of us could have gone though (albiet on a bit grander scale). Interestingly, its Mr Holmes (who self-medicates for his unspecified mental health issues) who has more sympathy for Dr Jekyll, and Watson is the one who writes him off as a loony.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes returns in this brilliantly conceived and written novel, and to make it even better, he is tackling the case of Jekyll and Hyde. First, a confession. If I have ever read an original Holmes story, I don't remember it. I have the complete Sherlock sitting on my TBR shelves, but I haven't had the motivation to pick it up. I, of course, have a general idea of who Holmes is and what he did since he is such an iconic figure. You would be hard-pressed, I think, to find someone who did not know about Holmes' logical reasoning skills. Does that make me qualified to assess how authentic this story is? Absolutely not. But damned if it didn't feel right. The relationship between Holmes and Watson seemed right on, with the one an eccentric keeping things relatively close to the chest and the other more formal doing a bit of clucking like a mother hen.

Just as Holmes as a character has permeated our culture so too has Dr. Jekyll and his alter ego Mr. Hyde. While combining two so very well known figures may seem kitsch, Estleman pulls it off admirably. Throughout the entire story, I never felt that either icon was treated carelessly. Actually I had no problem integrating this narrative into the original Jekyll and Hyde story. I felt it an interesting conceit to claim that Stevenson's story was based on real events but modified "to protect the innocent".

The story is wonderfully atmospheric with "the crackle of the fire and the staccato ticking of the clock atop the mantelpiece". And to my delight, the story included a bit of the darker side of Victorian London with a mention of Sherlock's cocaine and a quick trip to a burlesque show.

What surprised me most was how engrossed in the story I was despite the fact that the "mystery" was not really a mystery. After all, finding out that Hyde is Jekyll is not really a shocker, but the story didn't suffer from the familiarity. Despite knowing the outcome, I was engaged throughout, the journey to the truth being so much more exciting than the denouement. Following Holmes and Watson as they meticulously ferret out the truth was fascinating, in no small part because their investigation alternates between periods of intense excitement (girly shows, barroom brawls, carriage chases) and quiet contemplation (exactly how I picture Sherlock).

Whether you have read Sherlock or not, whether you have read Jekyll or not, I definitely recommend reading this one. It was a quick, intellectual, exciting read. And I hear there is another pastiche out there pairing Holmes with Dracula. I must have it.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and very much enjoyed, Loren D. Estleman's previous Sherlockian tale, "The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count", I was keen to read this equally fantastical tale. Many other writers have attempted a mash-up of various literary characters, invariably they have also failed to do it convincingly. Estleman seems to be able to do this very well. He also manages to recreate Arthur Conan-Doyle's narrative style exceptionally. Indeed this is one of the most authentic depictions of Dr Watson's voice I have read. I often say that a new Sherlockian tale lives or dies on this point. If it is evident that it is not written in a similar way, then the storyline will suffer as a result.
Estleman is a very accomplished writer and the fact he is a Sherlock fan is evident in his conveyance of the story. My one criticism would be that the circumstances surrounding the mystery of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, would have been discovered much more quickly. This makes it seem like there are some elements of the novel that are merely there as filler and aren't integral to the story. As all Sherlock fans know, however improbable the outcome may be when you eliminate all other possibilities, then it must be the truth.
Even with its faults I enjoyed this book immensely and will definitely seek out other titles written by Estleman in the future. Sherlockian purists may find this kind of novel tiresome, but I find it appeals to that boyish side of my personality, a coming together of my most loved literary characters from my youth. Tales of adventure, mad scientists and monsters are every boys dream, so if you want a book that doesn't require much thought and can just be enjoyed as an entertaining yarn, then this book is definitely for you.

[Tiana Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In writing any adventure of Sherlock Holmes, the modern writer must consider the time and place where the greatest literary detective made his home. While I am a huge fan of the BBC's modernized Sherlock, I recognize that not many novels can follow that particular flavor and be any good. In fact, it seems best to keep Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in the Victorian era with the novels, especially with Holmes's peculiar ability to use modern forensic techniques.

A friend posted a picture of this particular book on Facebook, and I was immediately fascinated by the idea of joining Sherlock Holmes and the Hyde-and-seek game put down by Stevenson in a new novel. I was cautious, of course. Any novel of Sherlock Holmes written by an author who is not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle must keep to the same basic formatting: Watson as narrator, occasionally being left out, his tendency to overblow events a little and falsify what information might hurt the people of the time.

Estleman has succeeded magnificently. One of my favorite moments came when Mycroft and Sherlock met in 221B, and the brothers sparred with deductions as Watson watched in amazement. It underlined the abilities of the Holmes Men, while not casting Watson in a poor light. After all, who can keep up with one Holmes, let alone two?

The novel is well-paced, we never lose sight of Watson as an able narrator, and all of Holmes's peculiarities are underlined here. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, and feel it has earned a place on any favorites list of mine.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this novelized 'real' version of the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde. The twist here is that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, M.D. are summoned by Scotland yard and the Queen's aide, Mr. Utterson after a member of Parliament is found slain. The setting is London in 1885. The duo begins to dig around Dr. Jekyll when he is implicated as knowing something of a person of interest - Mr. Hyde. Along the way, the two men find out about Dr. Jekyll's youthful visits to a local 'social' house and Mr. Hyde's angry tirades. As the truth becomes clear, a frightful chase through the West End of London, dead ends and a surprise about Dr. Jekyll's medical research meets the intrepid detectives. The novel ends with a full confession by Dr. Jekyll and his suicide.

I am a huge Sherlock Holmes' fan and was intrigued by the fact that this 'tale' was recorded by his assistant, Dr. Watson. The style of the story meanders at times and the pace is slower than I would like. The duo vows to keep the tale a secret but that goes by the wayside when they meet Robert Louis Stevenson who convinces Holmes to relay the tale based on Dr. Watson's notes. I found the novel entertaining and very authentic. This is a must for true Homes fans. Kudos to Mr. Loren D. Estleman who writes this novel as an acquaintance of Dr. Watson's.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estleman's mimicry of Doyle's writing style is much improved after Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula. This novel read almost as if it were an actual "Lost" Holmes Adventure.

The only problem is that pretty much everyone knows the solution to the mystery just by reading the title. If you have never read (or better yet have never heard of) Robert Louis Stevenson's Classic Horror tale then I would recomend reading this book, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes, first. It will make this book more exciting and maybe make the ending more of a suprise, Though it does change Stevenson's ending just a bit.

[Judy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a lawyer asks Holmes to look into a man named Edward Hyde, Holmes and Watson encounter the most villainous young man they have ever seen. They are unable to learn what control he has over Dr. Henry Jekyll and must step away from the mystery. Then the government asks them to look into the murder of Danvers Carew. They are lead right back to Hyde.

Because he was constrained by the existing book I feel like Estleman didn't have a full Holmes story here. Maybe it was because I knew what was to happen with Jekyll and Hyde. It was still a good representation of Holmes, Watson and Myroft. I appreciated it that part very much.