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Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook by Lantz
Moonstone Books is proud to present this original anthology featuring never before seen tales of the world's first consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!See it here... a secret sequel to the classic Holmes novel The Sign of Four!Sherlock and Conan Doyle's own "Lost World" Professor Challenger!Holmes teams up with some of the most colorful characters of Arsene Lupin Lawrence of Arabia Calamity Jane Sexton Blake Harry Houdini The Thinking Machine Dr. Thorndkye Aleister Crowley Colonel Savage They are all here working with Sherlock Holmes in these brand-new stories by these fine BaughWin Scott EckertLarry EngleMartin GatelyJoe GentileBarbara HamblyHoward HopkinsMatthew P. MayoWill MurrayMartin PowellDon RoffRichard Dean StarrChristopher SequeiraKevin Van Hook
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First published July 27, 2012
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About the author
Howard Hopkins
64 books172 followersHoward Hopkins is a Maine author of horror/western/comics fiction, as well as numerous published short stories, and an editor and writer for Moonstone Books. He has written licensed characters such as Sherlock Holmes and The Lone Ranger, and created The Veil for comic books.
His novels include THE CHLOE FILES supernatural/horror series, NIGHT DEMONS, GRIMM, THE DARK RIDERS and his books have been EPPIE nominated and Fictionwise bestsellers. He also writes a series for kids (8+) called THE NIGHTMARE CLUB (it's fun for adults, too!) the first called THE HEADLESS PAPERBOY.
He has also written 33 westerns in hardcover and trade paperback under the name Lance Howard (his middle and first names reversed), the most recent being THE KILLING KIND(available from www.amazon.co.uk)
On top of that he writes comic book scripts and is a big fan of the pulps, especially Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Shadow.
Please visit his website for excerpts, contests and more info. (http://www.howardhopkins.com)
His novels include THE CHLOE FILES supernatural/horror series, NIGHT DEMONS, GRIMM, THE DARK RIDERS and his books have been EPPIE nominated and Fictionwise bestsellers. He also writes a series for kids (8+) called THE NIGHTMARE CLUB (it's fun for adults, too!) the first called THE HEADLESS PAPERBOY.
He has also written 33 westerns in hardcover and trade paperback under the name Lance Howard (his middle and first names reversed), the most recent being THE KILLING KIND(available from www.amazon.co.uk)
On top of that he writes comic book scripts and is a big fan of the pulps, especially Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Shadow.
Please visit his website for excerpts, contests and more info. (http://www.howardhopkins.com)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 4, 2020
This is a fun collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. They are all crossover cases, meaning prominent figures of fiction and history “crossover” into a Sherlock story and work with Holmes and Watson to solve a case. Guest stars include Professor Challenger, Sexton Blake, Harry Houdini, Dr. Moreau, Arsene Lupin, Lawrence of Arabia, Colonel Savage and more. Contributing authors include giants of the crossover genre like Win Scott Eckert, Will Murray, and Joe Gentile.
Most of the stories are written along the traditional Sherlockian lines but the final one, “The Adventure of the Lost Specialist” penned by Christopher Sequeira strays into the realm of the weird and strange. Nothing wrong with that and I did like it, but it seems a bit out of place among the rest. My favorite story in the collection is the humorous yarn entitled, “The Haunted Manor” written by Howard Hopkins and featuring Calamity Jane.
I read these over time, not back to back which is the best way for me to avoid burnout on one particular genre. As with all anthologies some stories are more enjoyable than others, but I genuinely liked every tale presented. Some authors were new to me and so, of course, I now have more stories to seek out.
Most of the stories are written along the traditional Sherlockian lines but the final one, “The Adventure of the Lost Specialist” penned by Christopher Sequeira strays into the realm of the weird and strange. Nothing wrong with that and I did like it, but it seems a bit out of place among the rest. My favorite story in the collection is the humorous yarn entitled, “The Haunted Manor” written by Howard Hopkins and featuring Calamity Jane.
I read these over time, not back to back which is the best way for me to avoid burnout on one particular genre. As with all anthologies some stories are more enjoyable than others, but I genuinely liked every tale presented. Some authors were new to me and so, of course, I now have more stories to seek out.
November 17, 2014
This book contains fourteen short stories and novellas of Sherlockian fiction. “Crossover” is a new term, but it is generally thought to designate a piece of fiction involving an established fictional character who appears in the “Universe of Discourse” of a different established character, usually the product of a different author. The tales in this book include a number of interesting variations on that theme.
“Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World” is a novella by Martin Powell that places Holmes and Watson in the Lost World of Professor Challenger. During the Great War, at the behest of brother Mycroft, an aging Holmes and Watson attempt to rescue the Professor who has returned to “The Lost World” in an effort to bring back firm proof of the existence of prehistoric fauna. “The Scion of Fear,” by Christopher Sequeira reunites Holmes and Watson with Jonathon Small, from “The Sign of Four.” The results are surprising.
“The Petrifying Well,” by Martin Gately, introduces Holmes to a young Thomas Edward Lawrence, forever remembered as “Lawrence of Arabia,” the architect of Arabic freedom from five hundred years of Turkish rule. “The Adventure of the Fallen Stone,” a novella by Win Scott Eckert, mixes Holmes and Watson with a number of early twentieth Century detectives and adventure heroes in a real scramble with Professor Moriarty’s son(?). This actually seems to fit rather neatly into Philip Jose Farmer’s “Wold Newton” Universe. The Secret of Grant’s Tomb,” by Joe Gentile unites Holmes and Watson in an investigation with Professor van Dusen, “The Thinking Machine,” and his reporter companion, Hutchinson Hatch.
“The Haunted Manor,” by Howard Hopkins propels Holes and Watson into a joint investigation with Martha (Calamity) Jane Cannary, much to Watson’s discomfort and Holmes’ amusement. “The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman,” by Barbara Hambly, examines American attitudes to Chinese immigrants and pits Holmes against a master magician and allies him with “The Great Oz.” “The Folly of Flight,” a novella by Matthew P. Mayo, unites Holmes with Arsene Lupin in a effort to prevent a daring robbery of Crown possessions. It is a complex and convoluted case in which Holmes duels with Lupin for a treasure trove of wealth.
“Sherlock Holmes and the Other Eye,” is a novella by Richard Dean Starr and E. R. Bower that has Holmes defending Aleister Crowley, sometimes called “the Wickedest Man in London” against charges of robbery and murder by supernatural means. The solution is ingenious and neatly avoids violating physical laws. “The Adventure of the Magician’s Meetings” teams Holmes and Watson with Houdini in an effort to solve an apparently truly gifted psychic. While Houdini knows ‘con’ tricks, it is Holmes’ knowledge of real-life criminals and science that exposes this inspired trickster’s methods. “The Adventure of the Ethical Assassin” brings Holmes, reluctantly, back into the service of Wilhem Gottsreich Sigismund von Ormstein, the King of Bohemia. Upon investigation, Holmes finds that The King is the current target of “The Assassination Bureau,” described by Jack London. While the Bureau are unsuccessful, Holmes comes to understand that their targets are generally folks who “need killing.”
“The Adventure of the Imaginary Nihilist,” by Will Murray, has Holmes conducting an investigation for Colonel Richard Henry Savage, the real-life model for “Doc” Savage as well as other pulp heroes. “The House on Moreau Street,” by Don Roff, pits Holmes and Watson against an heir of Dr. Moreau of evil memory. “The Adventure of the Last Specialist” is a novella by Christopher Sequeira. This tale explains the existence of the three Moriarty brothers, all named “James” and it tests Holmes and Watson to their limits in coping with the true scientific genius of Professor Moriarty. It investigates the modern concept of “The Multiverse” and explains several ‘glitches’ in “The Final Problem.”
This book certainly includes a variety of tales. Most are well-written and puzzling and all investigate Sherlock Holmes in otherwise well-known environments. Using otherwise known “Universes” can eliminate the need for a great deal of explanation and character development and allow an author to get right into telling the story. These are worth telling.
Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, December 2012
“Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World” is a novella by Martin Powell that places Holmes and Watson in the Lost World of Professor Challenger. During the Great War, at the behest of brother Mycroft, an aging Holmes and Watson attempt to rescue the Professor who has returned to “The Lost World” in an effort to bring back firm proof of the existence of prehistoric fauna. “The Scion of Fear,” by Christopher Sequeira reunites Holmes and Watson with Jonathon Small, from “The Sign of Four.” The results are surprising.
“The Petrifying Well,” by Martin Gately, introduces Holmes to a young Thomas Edward Lawrence, forever remembered as “Lawrence of Arabia,” the architect of Arabic freedom from five hundred years of Turkish rule. “The Adventure of the Fallen Stone,” a novella by Win Scott Eckert, mixes Holmes and Watson with a number of early twentieth Century detectives and adventure heroes in a real scramble with Professor Moriarty’s son(?). This actually seems to fit rather neatly into Philip Jose Farmer’s “Wold Newton” Universe. The Secret of Grant’s Tomb,” by Joe Gentile unites Holmes and Watson in an investigation with Professor van Dusen, “The Thinking Machine,” and his reporter companion, Hutchinson Hatch.
“The Haunted Manor,” by Howard Hopkins propels Holes and Watson into a joint investigation with Martha (Calamity) Jane Cannary, much to Watson’s discomfort and Holmes’ amusement. “The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman,” by Barbara Hambly, examines American attitudes to Chinese immigrants and pits Holmes against a master magician and allies him with “The Great Oz.” “The Folly of Flight,” a novella by Matthew P. Mayo, unites Holmes with Arsene Lupin in a effort to prevent a daring robbery of Crown possessions. It is a complex and convoluted case in which Holmes duels with Lupin for a treasure trove of wealth.
“Sherlock Holmes and the Other Eye,” is a novella by Richard Dean Starr and E. R. Bower that has Holmes defending Aleister Crowley, sometimes called “the Wickedest Man in London” against charges of robbery and murder by supernatural means. The solution is ingenious and neatly avoids violating physical laws. “The Adventure of the Magician’s Meetings” teams Holmes and Watson with Houdini in an effort to solve an apparently truly gifted psychic. While Houdini knows ‘con’ tricks, it is Holmes’ knowledge of real-life criminals and science that exposes this inspired trickster’s methods. “The Adventure of the Ethical Assassin” brings Holmes, reluctantly, back into the service of Wilhem Gottsreich Sigismund von Ormstein, the King of Bohemia. Upon investigation, Holmes finds that The King is the current target of “The Assassination Bureau,” described by Jack London. While the Bureau are unsuccessful, Holmes comes to understand that their targets are generally folks who “need killing.”
“The Adventure of the Imaginary Nihilist,” by Will Murray, has Holmes conducting an investigation for Colonel Richard Henry Savage, the real-life model for “Doc” Savage as well as other pulp heroes. “The House on Moreau Street,” by Don Roff, pits Holmes and Watson against an heir of Dr. Moreau of evil memory. “The Adventure of the Last Specialist” is a novella by Christopher Sequeira. This tale explains the existence of the three Moriarty brothers, all named “James” and it tests Holmes and Watson to their limits in coping with the true scientific genius of Professor Moriarty. It investigates the modern concept of “The Multiverse” and explains several ‘glitches’ in “The Final Problem.”
This book certainly includes a variety of tales. Most are well-written and puzzling and all investigate Sherlock Holmes in otherwise well-known environments. Using otherwise known “Universes” can eliminate the need for a great deal of explanation and character development and allow an author to get right into telling the story. These are worth telling.
Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, December 2012
May 11, 2012
As with most collections, this "Casebook" of Holmes pastiches, where he teams up with various real-life and fictional characters, is a mixed bag. Some of the stories both read well, and are good reflections of the master detective. Others don't quite measure up in one or both of those aspects. However, none of the stories are really bad (one is a bit tedious), and all told this makes for a fine collection of alternate Holmes stories. Not a good first Holmes book, but if you have already read the cannon, this is a good introduction to the world of the pastiche.
November 8, 2012
Most of the fifteen stories in this book are pretty good. The last one is a true train wreck and I almost didn't get through it, but the rest were all at least adequate, with quite a few being quite good.
November 28, 2018
Most of the stories in this hit-and-miss collection are agreeable ways to pass the time, with some particularly enjoyable contributions from Matthew Mayo, Matthew Baugh, and Christopher Sequeira. But when they miss they miss hard, with some lazy writing (dopey plots, shoehorned crossovers, out-of-period language), some self-serious, adolescent science fiction, and some painfully unfunny comedy.
July 22, 2014
One of the fun things about fan fiction is the “crossover.” That’s where two separate fictional worlds are combined in the same story, which is generally impossible in the source material. Having the Enterprise crew battle the Daleks, Sailor Moon teaming up with the Brady Bunch, Bella Swan falling in love with Dracula, or any other bizarre combination the fan writer can think of.
Crossovers Casebook
Combine this with a public domain (mostly) character like Sherlock Holmes, and you can even do professionally published crossover fan fiction. And thus this book. Each story teams Holmes with other fictional characters or real people from the time period of the stories. Some of the tales just barely qualify as crossovers with a quick reference at the end, while others pile on the characters and cameos.
There are fourteen stories, most of which are only available in this volume. “Sherlock Holmes and the Lost World” by Martin Powell, which guest stars Professor Challenger, has appeared in another anthology. Other notable tales are “The Adventure of the Fallen Stone” by Win Scott Eckert, which goes full-on Wold-Newton (a fan theory that ties together many fictional heroes with a mysterious meteorite), and “The Adventure of the Imaginary Nihilist” by Will Murray, which guest stars Richard Henry Savage, a real life person who inspired parts of both Doc Savage and the Avenger.
I particularly liked Barbara Hambly’s “The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman”, which guest stars the Wizard of Oz…or a delusional man with a similar name. “The Adventure of the Lost Specialist” by Christopher Sequeira lays on the crossovers thick with an outright science fiction premise, but as Watson himself admits in the introduction, it’s not much of a traditional Holmes tale.
There’s also “The Folly of Flight” by Matthew P. Mayo, guest starring French thief Arsené Lupin. Lupin’s author, Maurice LeBlanc, was one of the first Sherlock Holmes crossover fan fiction authors; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not appreciate the compliment, so Lupin’s clashes with Holmes were rewritten with a slightly different name, and a bit more mocking of a tone.
This is a fun book, but not for Holmes purists.
Crossovers Casebook
Combine this with a public domain (mostly) character like Sherlock Holmes, and you can even do professionally published crossover fan fiction. And thus this book. Each story teams Holmes with other fictional characters or real people from the time period of the stories. Some of the tales just barely qualify as crossovers with a quick reference at the end, while others pile on the characters and cameos.
There are fourteen stories, most of which are only available in this volume. “Sherlock Holmes and the Lost World” by Martin Powell, which guest stars Professor Challenger, has appeared in another anthology. Other notable tales are “The Adventure of the Fallen Stone” by Win Scott Eckert, which goes full-on Wold-Newton (a fan theory that ties together many fictional heroes with a mysterious meteorite), and “The Adventure of the Imaginary Nihilist” by Will Murray, which guest stars Richard Henry Savage, a real life person who inspired parts of both Doc Savage and the Avenger.
I particularly liked Barbara Hambly’s “The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman”, which guest stars the Wizard of Oz…or a delusional man with a similar name. “The Adventure of the Lost Specialist” by Christopher Sequeira lays on the crossovers thick with an outright science fiction premise, but as Watson himself admits in the introduction, it’s not much of a traditional Holmes tale.
There’s also “The Folly of Flight” by Matthew P. Mayo, guest starring French thief Arsené Lupin. Lupin’s author, Maurice LeBlanc, was one of the first Sherlock Holmes crossover fan fiction authors; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not appreciate the compliment, so Lupin’s clashes with Holmes were rewritten with a slightly different name, and a bit more mocking of a tone.
This is a fun book, but not for Holmes purists.
June 29, 2015
Usually in a collection of short stories, there are one or two standouts to make the collection worth reading. This collection is so mediocre it lacks even that.
A Sherlock Holmes story, at the very very least, has to contain the character of Sherlock Holmes. I don’t just mean a guy with his name and his friend John Watson, along with the other accessories that make up Holmes’ life. I mean with his speech patterns, his eccentricities, his deductions – but also his chivalry, his courtesy, his intelligence, his impatient energy.
That being done, you can transport him anywhere: modern day London or New York, or even outer space, and it’s still recognizably Holmes. It’s not easy, but it's been done, usually as an obvious labor of love.
Unfortunately, that guy was not present in this anthology. Some of these stories were not just bad but badly written. The best of the bunch was Barbara Hambly’s, and even hers was basically social commentary, very little of Holmes the detective present in it. This book is going to the used book store, to ensnare some other poor unwary browser – but at least they’ll pay less for it than I did.
A Sherlock Holmes story, at the very very least, has to contain the character of Sherlock Holmes. I don’t just mean a guy with his name and his friend John Watson, along with the other accessories that make up Holmes’ life. I mean with his speech patterns, his eccentricities, his deductions – but also his chivalry, his courtesy, his intelligence, his impatient energy.
That being done, you can transport him anywhere: modern day London or New York, or even outer space, and it’s still recognizably Holmes. It’s not easy, but it's been done, usually as an obvious labor of love.
Unfortunately, that guy was not present in this anthology. Some of these stories were not just bad but badly written. The best of the bunch was Barbara Hambly’s, and even hers was basically social commentary, very little of Holmes the detective present in it. This book is going to the used book store, to ensnare some other poor unwary browser – but at least they’ll pay less for it than I did.
February 22, 2025
Scratches the occasional "I want to enjoy a Sherlock Holmes adventure but it must be something I haven't already read" itch. The contributing authors focused on whimsy rather than Conan Doyle authenticity, which makes this collection a successful outing. The stories eschew brain-twisting puzzle solving in lieu of curious and novel character interactions. There was only one entry in the collection that I found grating after a couple of pages so I afforded myself the privilege of skipping it entirely. All the others were an enjoyable diversion.
June 5, 2015
This was a fun read. Even though didn't know what Holmes' world was being crossed with, the majority of the stories were entertaining. There were some characters that make me want to look up their own canon and read the worlds they inhabit.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews