Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall

by L.B. Greenwood

At the request of an acquaintance, Holmes and Watson visit Sabina Hall, the isolated home of Silas Andrews, but upon arriving, they find Silas murdered

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

190 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Shreyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall' (LBG's Sherlock Holmes #2) by L.B. Greenwood.




Rating: 3.5/5.




Review:
I stumbled upon this book while going through a listing on an online thrift book store. I checked out the blurb and was intrigued enough that I decided to buy this book, but unfortunately, it was sold by the time I made my decision. However, I was lucky enough to borrow a copy of it from the 'Internet Archive' online library.

The story begins with a tantalizing glimpse of the mystery that awaits us. Sherlock Holmes, who is relatively lesser known among his peers at the time of this story, deduces an interesting conspiracy merely from the contents of a simple letter. Since it isn't revealed what the mystery might turn out to be, I was hooked merely by the prospect of it. However, when the mystery unfolded, I was left dejected. It was yet another "locked room mystery" – something that has been done to death in the mystery genre for decades now.

However, as the story progressed, things got more interesting. L.B. Greenwood paced the mystery in such a way that it had me hooked to the story until the end. I was able to guess who the probable culprit was well in advance, but the satisfaction of seeing my deductions come true was something else. The ending, as promised by Watson earlier, was sensational. It wasn't action-packed, but it left me satisfied.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. The writing wasn't as good as that of Arthur Conan Doyle, but it is always hard to match the high standards set by the original authors. L.B. Greenwood, however, supplied us with a fascinating mystery that keeps us entertained until the end. It was good enough to make me consider picking up the other two Sherlock Holmes mystery books written by this author.

[Heather Eason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock solves the case!
is that a spoiler? maybe,
but I don't think so.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this beautifully crafted pastiche that captures the atmosphere, tone, and deductive brilliance of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original canon while introducing a mystery that feels hauntingly modern in its emotional undercurrents in 1998. I was in college back then.

The novel opens with Holmes and Watson being summoned to investigate strange occurrences at Sabina Hall, a grand but aging estate whose very masonry seems to creak with secrets. Greenwood excels at painting setting as character; Sabina Hall is brooding, windswept, filled with portrait-lined corridors, and reminiscent of Victorian Gothic traditions without slipping into parody.

Holmes remains sharply drawn—aloof yet incisive, capable of both surgical observation and philosophical contemplation. Watson narrates with a warmth and clarity that anchor the reader, reminding us why he remains literature’s most beloved chronicler. Greenwood’s portrayal of their relationship is organic and respectful: Watson is no buffoon but a thoughtful, compassionate companion whose presence often humanizes Holmes.

The mystery itself is multilayered. What begins as an inquiry into a sequence of eerie disturbances gradually widens into an exploration of inherited guilt, class fractures, and psychological trauma.

Greenwood’s pacing is meticulous; each clue is planted with care, inviting the reader to participate without ever feeling misled. The red herrings are elegant rather than contrived, and the reveal—while not explosive—is deeply satisfying, grounded in human motives rather than sensational theatrics.

What sets this novel apart from many Holmes continuations is its emotional resonance. Greenwood pays close attention to the inner tensions of the characters involved, particularly the inhabitants of Sabina Hall, who seem burdened by history as much as by the present.

Holmes’s final explanation ties together the narrative threads with crystalline precision, yet leaves just enough ambiguity to evoke the fragile, haunted beauty of the setting.

In sum, Sabina Hall is an atmospheric, intelligent, and reverent addition to the expanding universe of Holmes literature.

It honours Doyle while offering fresh thematic depth, making it a rewarding read for purists and modern mystery lovers alike.

Recommended.

[LuAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sherlock solves a mystery no one asked him to solve and Watson whines his way through it. While competently written, though it was set early in their relationship, I felt Watson was uncharacteristically hesitant and questioning of Holmes. The plot is engaging yet I felt flat at the end, maybe because there are no characters I really care about (nearly half had died!) and the setting is DE-pressing. As another reviewer pointed out, there are few Holmesian deductions (though the same can be said of some canonical stories.) The strange exchange between Holmes and Watson at the end is bizarre. The blurb on the back says that the author's first pastiche won "the blessing of the Conan Doyle's estate" which may simply means they got their money, though that one, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Raleigh Legacy, has slightly higher ratings. An adequate pastiche but not one I'd reread.

[ofelia ۶ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was easy to read. the ending kinda is mehhh, i was kinda expecting something more. my prediction (intuition) was right tho #Proud. also, i honestly don't know what to feel about the final exchange between holmes and watson where they talked about how grateful they are that they aren't born as a woman. i do get that they probably said that out of sympathy for the victims, but idk it just doesn't sit right with me ://

fun fact: i read this for 2 days (june 24 & juky 27 lol) i just misplaced the book so i almost forgot about it, until i got this sudden urge of completing my reading challenge soooo 😁

[Outlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the style of The Musgrave Ritual and The Raleigh Legacy but with malice aforethought but there were plenty of diversionary red herrings as well as clues. Watson is described and "heard" a lot but not "in character" to my mind and he is more prone to the ideal of the romance and sees his women as damsels in distress. I spotted the murderer about halfway through and there was a distinct lack of those wonderful first impressions deductions from Holmes that I love.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start with saying I love Sherlock Holmes so I was excited to read this book from a friend who gave it to me for My Little Library.
I thought the first part was very slow and I almost started another book but then I remembered the Sherlock Holmes is slow and deliberate. I enjoyed this quick little read after that .
Enjoy

[bryan fothergill · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole this was quite a good book. The characters were soundly created as was the plot. An early case in the Holmes/Watson partnership that nicely files itself away in any Sherlock Holmes fan’s collection

[Wilhelmena · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was alright but found myself very bored

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a mere 191-page book, the pace was pedestrian.



Since there won't be much in the way of characters, scenery or plot to distract you, you can see the ending a country mile away. The Holmes described here is somewhat unrecognizable compared to Doyle's Holmes -- you know, the one the world fell in love with in the first place? The book jacket said that L. B. Greenwood was the "heir to Doyle". Obviously, the book jacket lied.

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson travel to the cold and inhospitable Sabina Hall, the family home of Silas Andrews, a miserly old man who is dying. His nephew has begged Holmes to find a doctor to care for the ailing curmudgeon, owner of the now-defunct Stowe mines, where many men lost their lives in mining accidents. But they arrive too late—Silas is dead, and his tight-fisted sister plans to spend her inheritance on a trip abroad. Holmes suspects foul play, and of course, there are suspects aplenty. The author captures the tone of the original Conan Doyle tales faithfully.

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although Greenwood is praised for the accurate imitation of Conan Doyle’s style, I thought Watson to be much closer to the original than Holmes was. This one is supposed to be set early in Holmes’ career, so that perhaps accounts for the lack of creative deductions, but there is certainly very little in the way of deduction here. Let the murderer kill enough people so that whoever is left must be the culprit.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Passable mystery undercut by a half-assed attempt to be sympathetic to women and the issues they have faced. But with the ending exchange between Holmes and Watson basically saying "Thank God I'm not a woman," I lost any interest I might have had. Fuck this book, and fuck L.B. Greenwood for writing it, and fuck Greenwood's editors for thinking that kind of crap is acceptable. With a rusty chainsaw. Sideways.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read and typical mystery novel--each time I read a spinoff I have new hope for it, and each time I'm generally underwhelmed. That's not to say this wasn't an entertaining story and semi-unpredicatble whodunit; it just didn't have the nuance and flair--or the class--of Doyle's originals.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as fluid as Thistle of Scotland, the characters seem a little disjointed and off, particularly at the end. Still, this book is remembered fondly as the second Holmes story I ever read, a full ten years ago now.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely nowhere near as good as the original. Not a bad rainy day book, but I don't plan to read others in the series.

[Shoetingstar · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took a while for me to get into the story. Once I did it was okay neither awful or excellent. I'm a mystery fan and this one was easier to solve than I prefer. An Enjoyable, but forgettable read.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery wasn't deep but the author did manage to get the language and characteristics of Holmes and Watson pretty well.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ronald · Rating 2 out of 5]

read some time in 1995

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of dark atmosphere. Lots of suspects. Intriguing conclusion. Very much enjoyed.