The Sherlock Holmes Stories of Edward D. Hoch

by Edward D. Hoch

A dozen marvelous tales of deduction, featuring history’s most famous detective

In a heavily mortgaged country house, an heiress’s sinister guardian attempts to trap her in a bedroom with a rare Indian swamp adder—a murder averted only by the timely intervention of Sherlock Holmes. Five months after the events of The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Holmes and Watson are called back to Stoke Moran by a frightened gypsy who claims that the viper has gotten loose again. Holmes is unsure which poses a greater danger: the rumored snake, or the possibility that the gypsy is telling lies.

In these dozen tales, short story master Edward D. Hoch resurrects the most brilliant mind in the history of detective fiction. In the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes tangles with circus tigers, Druidic curses, and a pair of Christmas killings. Here is the finest detective of the Victorian age—recreated by one of the greatest mystery writers of the twentieth century.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories

172 pages, ebook

First published November 26, 2013

About the author

Edward D. Hoch is one of the most honored mystery writers of all time.

* 1968 Edgar Allan Poe Award (Mystery Writers of America): "The Oblong Room", The Saint Mystery Magazine, July 1967
* 1998 Anthony Award (Bouchercon World Mystery Convention): "One Bag of Coconuts", EQMM, November 1997
* 2001 Anthony Award (Bouchercon): "The Problem of the Potting Shed", EQMM, July 2000
* 2007 Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award (awarded 2008): "The Theft of the Ostracized Ostrich", EQMM, June 2007
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Private Eye Writers of America), 2000
* Grand Master (Mystery Writers of America), 2001
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Bouchercon), 2001

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Stories!

Edward D. Hoch is a member of the Great Authors Club! He is a wonderful writer and author of this book.

This book is a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes, told in the voice of Watson. I’m sure glad that I got to read this book. Because it is a wonderful pastiche, filled with amazing stories of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Edward D. Hoch is a brilliant writer of short stories. He’s written a short story for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine for 35 years. Until his death, in January, 2008.

He’s written well over a thousand stories and has millions of fans the world over. I am glad to be one of his fans, even though this is the first book of his that I’ve ever read. I can’t wait to read more of his books.

Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫

[Delia Binder · Rating 2 out of 5]

To quote another Great Detective I often read (no, not Eve Dallas for a change!), "Pfui!" I skimmed through the stories hoping to find one that felt to me like it was an actual Sherlock Holmes mystery - which plenty of other authors have done quite well with, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian working with John Dixon Carr (The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes); to Nicholas Meyer's Holmesian pastiches like The Seven Percent Solution and The West End Horror; to some surprisingly spot-on fanfic I read decades ago, when I was a more active Sherlockian than I am now!

Edward D. Hoch, sadly, doesn't get the flavor of Conan Doyle in his stories - so I'm glad it only cost me a couple bucks on BookBub.

[Randy Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

You couldn't ask for a better collection of Sherlock Holmes pastiches. There are two Christmas Stories, as well as plenty of Easter eggs. One story is set on the Titanic, which was especially fun. If you love Holmes, this collection is worth your time.

[Chuck Barksdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of the stories written by Edward Hoch or about Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this collection of 12 short stories. Hoch had worked on this collection in 2007 just before his death which held up the ultimate publication. These stories follow the format of Arthur Conan Doyle, the original writer of the Holmes stories, with 10 of the stories being recounted adventures by Holmes friend and frequent companion, Dr. Watson. Only the first story, “The Most Dangerous Man,” where Holmes, although an important part of the story, is not the main character and the last, “The Adventure of the Dying Ship, where Holmes is the writer and Watson is not present, do not follow this pattern. (Doyle did write a few stories that did not follow the Dr. Watson as narrator format.) The second one of these non-traditional stories is one of the best, with a late in life Holmes, taking a ride on the maiden voyage of The Titantic. Hoch adds a little fact in with his fiction as one of the characters in the book is American mystery writer Jacques Futrelle, who was one of the many who died when The Titantic sank. (Holmes, of course, survives.)

The stories are told in chronological order and include many references to the original Doyle stories. Unfortunately, I’ve not read the original stories in many years and missed several of the references except for the obvious references to Professor Moriarty and Inspector Lestrade. Irene Adler, one of the few women in Holmes life (except for Holmes’ landlady Mrs. Hudson), makes an appearance in “A Scandal in Montreal” where Holmes temporarily comes out of retirement in 1911 to go to Montreal to assist the widowed Irene Norton (the former Irene Adler), a now 53 year-old woman Holmes thought dead for twenty years. (Holmes was 57 at the time.)

My favorite of the stories is “The Christmas Client” a story that takes place on Christmas Day, 1888, where Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) seeks Holmes assistance. Holmes did not immediately know who Dodgson was, but uses his normal deductive powers to determine quite a bit about him:

Our slender visitor seemed taken aback by his words. “Do you know me, sir? Has my infamy spread this far?”
Sherlock Holmes smiled. “I know nothing about you, Mr. Dodgson, other than you are a minister and most likely a mathematician at Oxford’s Christ Church College, that you are a writer, that you are unmarried and that you have had an unpleasant experience since arriving in London earlier today.”

“Are you a wizard?” Dodgson asked, his composure shaken. I had seen Holmes astonish visitors many times, but I still enjoyed the sight of it.

Holmes for his part, casually reached for his pipe and tobacco. “Only a close observer of my fellow man, sir. Extending from your waistcoat pocket, I can see a small pamphlet on which the author’s name is given as Rev. Charles Dodgson, Christ Church. Along with it is a return ticket to Oxford. Surely if you had come down to London before today, the ticket would not be carried in such a haphazard manner. Also, on the front of the pamphlet, I note certain advanced mathematical equations jotted down in pencil, no doubt during the train journey from Oxford. It is not the usual manner of passing time unless one is interested in mathematics as a profession. Since you have only one return ticket, I presume you came alone, and what married man would dare leave his wife on Christmas Day?”

This excerpt shows how Hoch has done a great job in following along in the Doyle format and providing Holmes fans more enjoyable stories. I’ve read many other stories by the Hoch, a prolific and excellent story writer but overall prefer his original stories, such as the ones with Dr. Sam Hawthorne, Ben Snow, Nick Velvet and others better as in the end, I’m just a casual Holmes fan and find the Hoch stories more enjoyable.

This review is based on a digital copy of this book I received from Net Galley. The digital version was formatted correctly with no apparent errors.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the Conan Doyle stories and I have also enjoyed a lot of the newer Sherlock Holmes stories, mostly in the anthologies put out by MX Publishing.
The one thing I look for in a Sherlock Holmes story is the writers ability to make me believe it was written by Conan Doyle. And I've come across a few who do such a good job that it's hard to settle for just a story with a guy named Sherlock Holmes involved in a story that doesn't sound Canonical.
Disappointed.

[KBS Krishna · Rating 1 out of 5]

A detective bothered about his appearance; a detective desperate to please women; a detective who lies to his brother; a detective who has serious sibling rivalry, and is petty; a detective who is fastidious about how his room looks to guests; a detective who calls the mores of the age Victorian while very much a product of the age; a detective who is invariably polite; a detective who respects police...
I can go on and on.
This is Hoch's protagonist.
Whoever he is, he isn't Sherlock Holmes.
However, even this wouldn't matter if the stories were great. They aren't.
Riddled with name dropping, and shamelessly drawing on literary history and history books, the stories are the kind that a student would churn out for an assignment if he fancies himself a mystery writer. Hardly any mystery; literally no detection.
I am sorry if this seems harsh.
But I am hardly scraping the surface.
Every bit of literary trivia from the age is exploited. Lewis Caroll makes an appearance complaining that he is being blackmailed for taking nude pictures of children; Erskine Childers speaks about Germany, boats, and spies; Futrelle combines with Holmes to guess a murderer while on the Titanic, before the former goes down with it; Stephen Leacock lends his parodies of Holmes stories to Watson, yada-yada, and more yada. And while we are at it, there is a lot of stuff on Caroll's real name, the Thinking Machine's name, that Leacock writes humour. You get it. Nothing that one wouldn't get in a half decent literary history book.
Where is the imagination? Where is the mystery? Whither detection?
There is a sense of deja vu too, as Irene Adler and the speckled band make an appearance; and there are stories that draw upon the dancing man, the blue carbuncle, and the lion's mane. Of course, that is a minor quibble and wouldn't be an issue, if not for the other problems.
In fact, a couple of stories aren't altogether bad.
But I just can't digest that Holmes wouldn't know a ship is drowning while he is on it till the sailors tell him; and that Watson's observation skills are good enough to deduce whatever Holmes can; and Watson or anyone from that age would call someone a pervert on their face, and continue to be friends with them; and a Victorian would call the queen "Old dame".
These stories would have been better if the Holmes name wasn't used.
But then I wouldn't have read them, and perhaps many wouldn't either.

[Nigel Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is more intended to be a nostalgic tribute to the greatest detective ever in literature.. The stories are truly short. If i should compare it to the original short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Hoch's prose style fails to imitate the writing of the Victorian era we are used to in Doyle's works by a long margin. But notwithstanding this minor lapse in creating that connect to the Doyle stories, the Hoch stories are still enjoyable quick reads and manage to surprise more so with the methods and motives of crimes than with the actual identity of the perpetrators which could be reasonably expected with the shortness of the stories which cramps the space for allowing more twists or red herrings to divert the reader's attention... All in all a 3.5 star experience

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun

Mr. Hoch's interpretation of Sherlock Holmes is a lot of fun. He follows up on some of the characters and stories from the original writings.
He is able to maintain most of the mood and creativity of the beloved detective. It is an enjoyable and very fast read. He covers a broad period of time and includes, among other people and events, a follow up to The Speckled Band, another visit with Irene Adler, appearances by Moriarty, the wonderful Dr. Watson and an adventure on the Titanic.
Relax and enjoy!

[Theunis Snyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Sherlock Holmes can’t get enough of him. That’s why there appears a plethora of New Holmes stories every year. Many are not worth very much. This is one of the better collections. Hoch infuses the stories with his usual ingenuity. i like the stories with Hoch’s own detectives beter. I can’t get enough of Hoch’s stories. He is more ingenious than most of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. I know that some will consider sacrilege. I really enjoyed this collection.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories are okay. They are certainly true to the canon--in fact they harp endlessly on it, referring constantly to famous lines and characters. The mysteries tend to be somewhat clumsy, and the endings are always so. Not a candle to Laurie R. King.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not up to Par

Short stories are not my favorite form of literature. That is probably why I was disappointed in this assortment of stories.

[Michael Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like stories by Edward D Hoch and I like Sherlock Holmes stories, so what could go wrong when you combine the two? I don't know but they never just worked out for me.

[Lisa Tollefson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are well done stories. Not a surprise; I've always liked Hoch's work. But it was a surprise to find Holmes stories that do sufficient honor to the originals to make them worth reading.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were good short stories from one of my favorite writers!

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read, easy to solve.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Sherlock Holmes Stories of Edward D. Hoch' collects the prolific writer's twelve Sherlock Holmes stories. Hoch saw publication in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (among others). He is credited with writing over 950 short stories (and a number of novels).

The stories represented here interweave with Holmes' career and happen throughout his life. Some involve Dr. Watson and some are solo cases. Some involve real people and events. One story has Sherlock Holmes aboard the Titanic with author Jacques Futrelle. Another features Lewis Carroll.

The stories in this book are all fun to read, but feel more like the old films with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The mysteries aren't taxing and sometimes not very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, but I still enjoyed them.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jump on this winning combination – Sherlock Holmes? Edward Hoch?
How can you miss?

If you have read, reread and maybe rereread Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes stories, and you want to read more – well, not Conan Doyle – but by other good writers, then you go no further than this guy – Edward Hoch.

He wrote stories for over 50 years – an amazing writer – whenever I would come across an Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, I would look first to see if there were a story by Hoch – and that would be the best.

Want some great entertainment? Then hook on to this great collection of more Sherlock Holmes tales by one of the more modern masters of the form.

[Raja99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of quite enjoyable Sherlock Holmes pastiches by a master of mystery short stories. One flaw is that some of the stories are so short that there's no room for red herrings--the guilty party is fairly obvious. On the plus side, Hoch does a clever job of fitting these in the interstices of the Doyle canon.

(Finished on 2014-10-11--in the afternoon, I think.)

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know how artificial strawberry or banana tries to capture the essence of the real thing but doesn't quite get it? The thing that makes it strawberry eludes the artificial. Hoch manages to get close to the thing that is Sherlock Holmes - the cadence, the language, the...something that I can't explain but know it when I read it. Good Holmes fix.

[Puzzle Doctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking set of mysteries - more whodunnits that Conan Doyle ever produced but a lot of fun.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Close, but not quite Sherlock. That said, it's not a bad read.

[Nancy Newton]

What can I say about one of the master short story tellers of all time.