More Holmes for the Holidays

Holmes for the Holidays #2

by Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), Jon L. Lellenberg (Editor), Carol-Lynn Rössel Waugh (Editor)

In Holmes for the Holidays, today's best mystery writers featured Arthur Conan Doyle's inimitable Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in an original anthology of holiday whodunits. Now, Berkley Prime Crime is proud to present More Holmes for the Holidays — in which the beloved duo returns…to the scene of the crime.

In Anne Perry's "The Christmas Gift," a Stradivarius is plucked away from a master violinist just before a holiday performance — one Sherlock Holmes had his heart set on attending…

In Loren D. Estleman's "The Adventure of the Greatest Gift," Holmes receives an unusual present, a wax recording cylinder bearing festive greetings — or is it a warning about an impending war between England and France?

In Carolyn Wheat's "The Case of the Rajah's Emerald," Timothy "Tiny Tim" Cratchit requests Holmes and Watson's assistance in identifying the true heir of the late philanthropist Ebenezer Scrooge…

In Peter Lovesey's "The Four Wise Men," Watson's former army superior invites him to appear in a Nativity service and guard the valuable Star of Bethlehem treasure from being stolen by a villain from Holmes's past…

With these and seven more merry mysteries, you can spend the season with the world's most famous detective courtesy of today's masters of mystery in More Holmes for the Holidays.

Contents
Introduction - Jon L. Lellenberg
The Christmas Gift - Anne Perry
The Four Wise Men - Peter Lovesey
Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson - Barbara Paul
The Adventure of the Greatest Gift - Loren D. Estleman
The Case of the Rajah's Emerald - Carolyn Wheat
The Christmas Conspiracy - Edward D. Hoch
The Music of Christmas - L.B. Breenwood
The Adventure of the Christmas Bear - Bill Crider
The Adventure of the Naturalist's Stock Pin - Jon L. Breen
The Adventure of the Second Violet - Daniel Stashower
The Human Mystery - Tanith Lee

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Christmas, Fiction, Anthologies, Historical Fiction, Holiday

262 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1999

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[Read1000books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes short mystery stories set during the Christmas season. Not as good as the original volume, HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

[Cynthia Armistead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin H. Greenberg and company have provided a fine collection of Sherlockian holiday stories that fit in quite well with the traditional set.

"The Christmas Gift" by Anne Perry is a nice little piece about a stolen Stradivarius and a couple who want to marry against the wishes of the young lady's father. There is an excellent red herring, one of the few in this anthology.

In "The Four Wise Men" by Peter Lovesey, Watson must answer a call to duty from his former commanding officer in the Army, in order to help guard a medieval treasure in a Christmas pageant. The game is soon afoot, and Sherlock's powers of observation are as keen as ever.

Barbara Paul's "Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson" gives Holmes a jewel theft and a kidnapping to solve, which he does in his inimitable way. One clue seemed slightly too obvious to me, but it may not to other readers.

In "The Adventure of the Greatest Gift" by Loren D. Estleman, Holmes receives a wax cylinder containing a recording of a song popular in America. He takes it as a warning of a crime which could lead to war between Britain and France, and of course he leaps into action. This is Mycroft Holmes' only appearance in the volume.

There's plenty of misdirection in "The Case of the Rajah's Emerald" by Carolyn Wheat. Somehow, though, I suspected one of the great revelations in this one from the beginning, but I couldn't tell you exactly why. It didn't ruin the story for me, and there was still a surprise at the end.

On the other hand, Edward D. Hoch's "The Christmas Conspiracy" managed to take me completely unawares. I couldn't fathom why the crime would be committed or by whom, despite having a major clue dropped by one character. Very well done!

"The Music of Christmas" by L.B. Greenwood telegraphed the identity of the criminal from the start, but was well worth reading. One of the characters also tugged at the heartstrings.

Bill Crider's "The Adventure of the Christmas Bear" is largely memorable because of the appearance of Oscar Wilde as a character.

"The Adventure of the Naturalist's Stock Pin" by Jon L. Breen gives us Charles Darwin as Holmes' client. The mystery is less Sherlockian than some of the others, but I didn't mind reading it.

Daniel Stashower's "The Adventure of the Second Violet" was an interesting twist on a well-known Christmas story. I cannot say more without spoiling it, but he has a nice touch.

"The Human Mystery" by Tanith Lee is as dark as I expect from her, and was a depressing ending to the collection. It was, however, very well-written.

The anthology left me hungry for more Holmes, and wishing that I weren't between seasons of BBC's Sherlock or that I had another collection of stories on hand. That's the sign of a success, I think.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of good short stories featuring our favorite detective Sherlock Holmes written by a series of mystery writers. All of the tales occur during Christmas and the descriptions of the snowy weather and the challenges of winter add to the seasonal feeling. One of the best holiday books I have read in a while.

[Sem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd like to give this collection more than two stars but, although I enjoyed it, I felt that few of the stories rose above the mediocre.

[Trae Stratton]

Started visiting Baker Street for one Christmas story a year in 2011. There are eleven stories in the book, so I should have finished in 2022. As you can see by the gaps, sometimes the season just flies by.


2011: The Adventure of the Second Violet. * * *
2012: The Music of Christmas. *
2013: Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson * * * 1/2
2014: The Adventure of the Naturalist’s Stock Pin. * * *

2016: The Case of the Rajah’s Emerald. * * * *

2023: The Christmas Conspiracy. * * * *
2024: The Four Wise Men. * * * 1/2

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly decent stories, though there were far too many for my liking that merely shoved Holmes and Watson into a story for the sake of celebrity guest stars (Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Charles Dawkins, Timothy Cratchit, etc.). I think I've got to face facts and admit that I've got no patience left for Holmes and Watson stories.

[A.L. Bellettiere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, to keep in mind on this book, I liked it for the two stories in this collection of stories, The Four Wise Men and The Music of Christmas. These could have very well stood on their own. The other ones left a lot to be desired. I had intended to start these in December and finish by Christmas but it didn't work that way.

[Gus Scholtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always try to read a Holmes related Christmas book during the holidays. This was the second Christmas collection I have read in this series. It is as good as the first. My two favorite stories The Case of the Rajah’s Emerald and a one I will read again is The Case of the Greatest Adventure in which Dickens characters are brought in to merge a great Christmas read.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some clever mysteries that approximate the voice and flavor of the originals and provide light holiday reading. I enjoyed this more the second time around. Per the usual for pastiche collections, some include famous people concurrent with Holmes or reference stories from the ACD canon.

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solide Sammlung an weihnachtlichen Holmes-Geschichten. Von 11 Stories hat mir etwa die Hälfte so gut gefallen, dass ich sie nochmal lesen würde. Am besten fand ich die letzte Story, "The Human Mystery".
Insgesamt hat mir aber Band 1, "Holmes for the Holidays", einen Ticken besser gefallen.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy reading Sherlock Holmes stories that follow in the style of the canon. Many of the stories are well done in this collection. A few not so much. Still worth a read for the Sherlock Holmes fan.

[Outlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars to these 11 Sherlock Holmes short stories all set around the festive season and all true to the canon - nice one ! I have only one reason to find a few irksome, namely using the old name dropping by bringing in well-known characters, both factual and fictional.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading.

Easy to read and amusing. The mysteries were not challenging enough. Perfect reading for the holidays but of limited value otherwise.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received just in time for season. Loved it. Better than book one. Great for seasonal reading!

[Monisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories were excellent.. Some not so much

[JoAnn Steinly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun. Some you will love, some perhaps not. Well worth the read.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of new Holmes and Watson short stories. A quick read one worth reading if you're at all a Sherlock fan.

[Ana Mo Shoshin]

I only read the Tanith Lee story in this anthology.
The Human Mystery by Tanith Lee. 43 pages, copywrite 1999.

[Alex Budris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written seasonal pastiches.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent collection of Sherlock Holmes pastiches written with a Christmas holiday theme. There are eleven stories in all--written by well-known mystery writers like Anne Perry, Edward D. Hoch, Peter Lovesy and Jon Breen as well as tales from science fiction and western writers like Bill Crider and Tanith Lee. And a few of the authors have dipped their toes in Holmes tributes in the past (Loren D Estleman and Daniel Stashower, for example). There are a wide range of themes from a stolen Stradivarius to a second adventure with a previous client to a puzzle involving a beautiful woman and a family curse. We also find Holmes solving mysteries for the likes of Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Charles Darwin and Timothy Cratchit (Tiny Tim).

Just as there is a wide range of themes, there is a fairly wide range of expertise in this collection. The stories are obviously meant as homage to the Master, but few of the authors get the voice of Watson down correctly and there are occasional missteps in the relationship between Holmes and the good doctor. But regardless of the flaws, the stories are on the whole interesting and well worth the read--especially at this time of year. Three stars.

[Chelsea Cahill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this anthology was fairly enjoyable, with a few really good stories. However, there did seen to a be theme of author laziness, to an extent-- particularly with the story regrading the Chinese carolers. While it's true people in that period would likely have been racist through their own ignorance, a modern author shouldn't necessarily mold the story with that viewpoint. Why does the white, English villain get a sad backstory, but there's nothing for the Chinese one who works with him? He's reduced to a stereotype. Some of the other stories used elements from other popular Victorian novels or figures-- such as Ebenezer Scrooge, Charles Darwin, and Oscar Wilde. Maybe it was the restraint on story length, but t seemed as if these figures were more thrown in for the popularity of their names than actually being a part of an interesting and developed case. It seemed like there needed to be more pages to really make it developed.

However-- for some light holiday reading, it's not a bad option. Would be interesting to see how the original Holmes for the Holidays is.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book based on two things, both of which are part of the books title: 1) That the stories in this collection would feature Sherlock Holmes and 2) That they would have a holiday theme. This combination seemed perfect for some December light reading. My deduction was correct and I enjoyed each of the eleven short stories in this collection. My two favorites were THE FOUR WISE MEN, by Peter Lovesey a very unusual jewelry heist and THE CASE OF THE RAJAH’S EMERALD, by Carolyn Wheat, which sounds like a jewelry caper, but is something quite different; it cleverly adds some of the characters from Dicken’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL into a case suitable for Sherlock Holmes. MORE HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a pleasing anthology of holiday whodunits. If you are a fan of Holmes and Watson you too will find these stories delightful.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the last anthology I read, A Study in Sherlock: Stories inspired by the Holmes canon. That one had some real clunkers.

I thought that the most Doyle-ish of the stories was "The Adventure of the Christmas Bear" by Bill Crider. But the most atmospheric story was "The Case of the Rajah's Emerald" by Carolyn Wheat. The most clever story was "The Adventure of the Naturalist's Stock Pin" by Jon L Breen. The way too cute story was "The Adventure of the Second Violet." Even the disappointment, "The Human Mystery," wasn't as bad as all that. Just that I expected something different from Tanith Lee.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is certainly not my favorite collection of non-canonical Sherlock Holmes stories. Nonetheless, I did enjoy it. In addition to sharing a common Christmas-time setting, many of these stories include some high profile clients (some real and some fictional). The cast of characters that call on Holmes for his help include Tim Cratchit (aka Tiny Tim), Oscar Wilde and Charles Darwin. Holmes even comes to the aid of the author known as O. Henry in a case that supposedly was the inspiration for his classic story "The Gift of the Magi." Buffalo Bill Cody also gets a shout out in one story for having recently visited London to present his Wild West Show to the queen.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah the joy of browsing! I found this collection while looking for something else and checked it out on impulse. It was a delightful and entertaining choice especially for a non-stop week of holiday celebrations, visitors and family. The format was perfect for the celebratory chaos and the stories were varied and all quite good.

I am not a Holmes expert - just a big fan - so the scholars may find some quibbles but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. An added bonus is that I've not read some of the authors before and will certainly look for other books by some of them.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of Sherlock Holmes stories written by some of today's best mystery writers. All of the stories are set at Christmas. The ones that were best (including Anne Perry's) tried to write more like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while others that tried to tie in Darwin, Scrooge, O. Henry and other notables fell a little flat. Overall, a very good book.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christmas mysteries, especially those set in earlier times like Victorian England. This collection of short stories was just right. Most of the stories were very faithful to the Holmes Setting and timeline. I especially enjoyed the entry from the late Edward D Hoch.

[astrangerhere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite as good as the first collection, and entertaining as always. Its been a number of years since this has been done, I'd like to see another collection of Sherlockania soon.

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and easy reading for fans of Sherlock Holmes who don't mind modern authors who write in the Conan Doyle style.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed these stories. of course, I love sherlock holmes.