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Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon
In the Company of Sherlock Holmes
This follow-up to the national bestseller "A Study in Sherlock" is a stunning new volume of original stories compiled by award-winning Sherlockians Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger.
The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were recently voted the top mystery series of all time, and they have enthralled generations of readers and writers.
Now, Laurie R. King, author of the "New York Times" bestselling Mary Russell series in which Holmes plays a costarring role, and Leslie S. Klinger, Edgar Award-winning editor of "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes," have assembled a stellar group of contemporary authors from a variety of genres and asked them to create new stories inspired by that canon. Author included here are Michael Connelly, Cory Doctorow, Sara Paretsky, John Lescroart, Lev Grossman, Harlan Ellison, and many more.
Inside you ll find Holmes in times and places previously unimagined, as well as characters who have themselves been affected by the tales of Sherlock Holmes. The game is afoot again!"
The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were recently voted the top mystery series of all time, and they have enthralled generations of readers and writers.
Now, Laurie R. King, author of the "New York Times" bestselling Mary Russell series in which Holmes plays a costarring role, and Leslie S. Klinger, Edgar Award-winning editor of "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes," have assembled a stellar group of contemporary authors from a variety of genres and asked them to create new stories inspired by that canon. Author included here are Michael Connelly, Cory Doctorow, Sara Paretsky, John Lescroart, Lev Grossman, Harlan Ellison, and many more.
Inside you ll find Holmes in times and places previously unimagined, as well as characters who have themselves been affected by the tales of Sherlock Holmes. The game is afoot again!"
9 pages, Audio CD
First published November 11, 2014
92 people are currently reading
2119 people want to read
About the author
Laurie R. King
130 books6,826 followersEdgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum is
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.
King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]
King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.
Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.
King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]
King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.
Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 247 reviews
December 29, 2016
Sixteen stories that were generally pretty good, all built around Sherlock Holmes. There were some ingenious takes on this which was surprising given how much has been done already. I bought this book simply for the first story which was disappointing, but found some real treasures buried in the rest.
The Crooked Man by Michael Connelly is the story I bought this book for & it was OK, but not great. It fits the anthology title very well, but not much happens. The biggest disappointment is that it is rife with inconsistencies in the Harry Bosch Universe time line which Connelly has been very careful of up until now. Harry is partnered with Edgar which would put it before #12 Lost Light, but Hannah is his girlfriend (books #23 & 24) & he is 60. This is a new murder, OK for when he was in Hollywood with Edgar, but he is in RHD Open-Unsolved, so a new murder is an exception. I'll settle for #23.6 in the timeline, I guess. Disappointing needing to juggle inconsistencies, though. 2 stars, barely.
The curious affair of the Italian art dealer by Sara Paretsky was too big a story for the space it was given, but very good for all that. It features the lead of The Amelia Butterworth Mysteries solving a case with Sherlock & Dr. Watson. I had always thought Sherlock was the first of this sort of detective, so I appreciate Paretsky for teaching me otherwise. Anna Katherine Green, the author of the Amelia Butterworth & Ebenezer Gryce, is an author I need to read. 4 stars
The memoirs of Silver Blaze by Michael Sims was fun, although I don't think he really knows what a horse feels. The end didn't make a lot of sense to me, although the rest of the story was well told. I'd give it 2 stars, except I liked the horse, so I'll make it 3 stars.
Dr. Watson's casebook by Andrew Grant was written as Facebook posts. No. Just no. As a quick joke, I might have liked it. As a whole story, it sucked. 1 star
The adventure of the laughing fisherman by Jeffrey Deaver had an excellent twist! 4+ stars.
Art in the blood by Laura Caldwell wasn't very Sherlockian, just a tragic love story. Not awful, but not what I was looking for in this collection. 2 stars, maybe 3.
Dunkirk by John Lescroart also wasn't what I was looking for, but excellent for all that. If you're not familiar with it, the Wikipedia entry on the evacuation of Dunkirk will fill you in, but it's not necessary. This fictionalized account does the job well & shows a side of The Great Detective that is rarely seen. Very well written. 5 stars.
The problem of the empty slipper script by Leah Moore & John Reppion ; illustrations by Chris Doherty and Adam Caldwell was a fun cartoon adventure. Very enjoyable. 4 stars
Lost boys by Cornelia Funke took a look at the Baker Street Irregulars & why Holmes had such a soft spot for them. Interesting & well done. 4 stars
The thinking machine by Denise Hamilton was pretty depressing & felt like it was shoe-horned into the canon. Not a bad idea, but it could have been done better. 2 stars
By any other name by Michael Dirda was kind of a funny mess. Who did write the tales? 3 stars
He who grew up reading Sherlock Holmes by Harlan Ellison was the purest dreck. 1 star
The adventure of my ignoble ancestress by Nancy Holder was kind of round about & didn't make too much sense, but it was interesting. 3 stars.
The closing by Leslie S. Klinger wasn't very Sherlockian, but touching for all that. 3 stars
How I came to meet Sherlock Holmes by Gahan Wilson was a waste unless you like his art. I don't care for it much. I never understood why Zelazny used it in A Night in the Lonesome October. 2 stars
The Crooked Man by Michael Connelly is the story I bought this book for & it was OK, but not great. It fits the anthology title very well, but not much happens. The biggest disappointment is that it is rife with inconsistencies in the Harry Bosch Universe time line which Connelly has been very careful of up until now. Harry is partnered with Edgar which would put it before #12 Lost Light, but Hannah is his girlfriend (books #23 & 24) & he is 60. This is a new murder, OK for when he was in Hollywood with Edgar, but he is in RHD Open-Unsolved, so a new murder is an exception. I'll settle for #23.6 in the timeline, I guess. Disappointing needing to juggle inconsistencies, though. 2 stars, barely.
The curious affair of the Italian art dealer by Sara Paretsky was too big a story for the space it was given, but very good for all that. It features the lead of The Amelia Butterworth Mysteries solving a case with Sherlock & Dr. Watson. I had always thought Sherlock was the first of this sort of detective, so I appreciate Paretsky for teaching me otherwise. Anna Katherine Green, the author of the Amelia Butterworth & Ebenezer Gryce, is an author I need to read. 4 stars
The memoirs of Silver Blaze by Michael Sims was fun, although I don't think he really knows what a horse feels. The end didn't make a lot of sense to me, although the rest of the story was well told. I'd give it 2 stars, except I liked the horse, so I'll make it 3 stars.
Dr. Watson's casebook by Andrew Grant was written as Facebook posts. No. Just no. As a quick joke, I might have liked it. As a whole story, it sucked. 1 star
The adventure of the laughing fisherman by Jeffrey Deaver had an excellent twist! 4+ stars.
Art in the blood by Laura Caldwell wasn't very Sherlockian, just a tragic love story. Not awful, but not what I was looking for in this collection. 2 stars, maybe 3.
Dunkirk by John Lescroart also wasn't what I was looking for, but excellent for all that. If you're not familiar with it, the Wikipedia entry on the evacuation of Dunkirk will fill you in, but it's not necessary. This fictionalized account does the job well & shows a side of The Great Detective that is rarely seen. Very well written. 5 stars.
The problem of the empty slipper script by Leah Moore & John Reppion ; illustrations by Chris Doherty and Adam Caldwell was a fun cartoon adventure. Very enjoyable. 4 stars
Lost boys by Cornelia Funke took a look at the Baker Street Irregulars & why Holmes had such a soft spot for them. Interesting & well done. 4 stars
The thinking machine by Denise Hamilton was pretty depressing & felt like it was shoe-horned into the canon. Not a bad idea, but it could have been done better. 2 stars
By any other name by Michael Dirda was kind of a funny mess. Who did write the tales? 3 stars
He who grew up reading Sherlock Holmes by Harlan Ellison was the purest dreck. 1 star
The adventure of my ignoble ancestress by Nancy Holder was kind of round about & didn't make too much sense, but it was interesting. 3 stars.
The closing by Leslie S. Klinger wasn't very Sherlockian, but touching for all that. 3 stars
How I came to meet Sherlock Holmes by Gahan Wilson was a waste unless you like his art. I don't care for it much. I never understood why Zelazny used it in A Night in the Lonesome October. 2 stars
February 16, 2015
My New York Times review:
IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon
Edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger
Pegasus Crime, $24.95.
These short stories were “inspired by” Arthur Conan Doyle’s own, rather than written in his style, and thank goodness for that. For one thing, very fine writers indeed, from Caleb Carr to Michael Chabon, have foundered on those shoals; for another, it’s high time to take a stand against all these ersatz Wodehouse and Christie and Sayers “homages,” by which publishers have remorselessly commoditized the uncritical love so many of us bear for some of the last century’s least imitable writers. This book’s wiser editorial brief offers a wide latitude: Sara Paretsky contributes an excellent feminist pastiche, Gahan Wilson some amusing cartoons, Andrew Grant a whimsical social-media update of “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” Jeffery Deaver a well-constructed tale about a man who idolizes not Holmes but Moriarty. There are lesser moments, inevitably, as when Michael Connelly has his noir detective Harry Bosch meet an observant deputy coroner named Art Doyle, which is perhaps not the flight of sparkling slyness Connelly believes. John Lescroart’s tale of Holmes at Dunkirk drags on and on.
In general, though, this is a sharp, affectionate, light-footed collection. It’s graced by the presence of the Holmes scholar Leslie S. Klinger, who not long ago produced an indispensably wonderful annotated edition of the entire canon. That book is worth reading, oh, 40 or 50 times. By then you might be in the mood for a slight change of pace, and ready for these stories.
IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon
Edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger
Pegasus Crime, $24.95.
These short stories were “inspired by” Arthur Conan Doyle’s own, rather than written in his style, and thank goodness for that. For one thing, very fine writers indeed, from Caleb Carr to Michael Chabon, have foundered on those shoals; for another, it’s high time to take a stand against all these ersatz Wodehouse and Christie and Sayers “homages,” by which publishers have remorselessly commoditized the uncritical love so many of us bear for some of the last century’s least imitable writers. This book’s wiser editorial brief offers a wide latitude: Sara Paretsky contributes an excellent feminist pastiche, Gahan Wilson some amusing cartoons, Andrew Grant a whimsical social-media update of “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” Jeffery Deaver a well-constructed tale about a man who idolizes not Holmes but Moriarty. There are lesser moments, inevitably, as when Michael Connelly has his noir detective Harry Bosch meet an observant deputy coroner named Art Doyle, which is perhaps not the flight of sparkling slyness Connelly believes. John Lescroart’s tale of Holmes at Dunkirk drags on and on.
In general, though, this is a sharp, affectionate, light-footed collection. It’s graced by the presence of the Holmes scholar Leslie S. Klinger, who not long ago produced an indispensably wonderful annotated edition of the entire canon. That book is worth reading, oh, 40 or 50 times. By then you might be in the mood for a slight change of pace, and ready for these stories.
November 30, 2014
Ugh I should have know I wouldn't be a huge fan of this book since I'm not crazy about Laurie R. King and her Mary Russell series. I've never been a fan of Sherlock being in a romantic relationship with anyone and it makes me really irritated at the thought. It's just way to out of character and not true to Arthur Conan Doyle's characterization of Holmes. So I never was able to get into Laurie King's novels at all although I do have respect for her love of Sherlock Holmes. This book is a new compilation of stories from authors ranging from Jeffery Deaver to Denis Hamilton. I only enjoyed three of the stories presented in this new volume of stories. I thought the story from the point of view of Silver Blaze was really intriguing and really well written. There was also a great comic in the middle of the book written by Leah Moore and John Reppion, drawn by Chris Doherty, and inked by Adam Cadwell. The comic was really fun and wonderful to read. Sara Paretsky’s “The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer was the only other story I really enjoyed, it flowed just like a classic Holmes story and was very detailed and took place in Sherlock's normal era. All the other stories just fell super flat to me and didn't hold my attention at all, a good effort but not good enough for Sherlock, He always deserves better story telling in my opinion!
May 4, 2015
An overall enjoyable collection of stories about or somehow relating to Sherlock Holmes. Some stories have characters with personalities or traits similar to Holmes, some involve him directly, covering many time periods. My favorites were The Crooked Man by Michael Connelly featuring Harry Bosch and The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman by Jeffery Deaver, which I think alone is worth reading the book for. The Memoirs of Silver Blaze which is narrated by kidnapped racehorse Silver Blaze himself, is also a good read. ”
August 4, 2017
This is a solid collection of short stories. Though on buying it, I mistook "inspired" in the title to mean that these were pastiches. Not so. The vast majority of the stories are related in some sense to Holmes -- whether names are borrowed or storylines mirrored -- rather than attempts to more closely recapture Conan Doyle's Holmes.
That said, there are quite a few good stories here. I betray my own bias by saying that, by far, the best were those which were more closely related to the Canon. These include the fabulous "Dunkirk" (which I will not ruin by saying more than the fact that Lescroart gets the character spot on), and the equally great (though more pastiche) "The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer."
There were some less effective, but no less ingenious contributions. "The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman" is a great example. While it was not the best story, it was clever and had a nice twist that was quite rewarding.
Finally, and sadly, there are some stories that are less enjoyable. "By Any Other Name" was infuriatingly poor, as was "Lost Boys." Both suffered, I feel, from a faux closeness to either Holmes or Doyle that was betrayed by a total misunderstanding of the characters. This was particularly the case with "Lost Boys."
Overall this is still a highly enjoyable collection. Though, and I may perhaps be a stickler on this, there were (again) numerous typos throughout. I am not sure who was employed to copyedit "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes," but they need to read more carefully.
That said, there are quite a few good stories here. I betray my own bias by saying that, by far, the best were those which were more closely related to the Canon. These include the fabulous "Dunkirk" (which I will not ruin by saying more than the fact that Lescroart gets the character spot on), and the equally great (though more pastiche) "The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer."
There were some less effective, but no less ingenious contributions. "The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman" is a great example. While it was not the best story, it was clever and had a nice twist that was quite rewarding.
Finally, and sadly, there are some stories that are less enjoyable. "By Any Other Name" was infuriatingly poor, as was "Lost Boys." Both suffered, I feel, from a faux closeness to either Holmes or Doyle that was betrayed by a total misunderstanding of the characters. This was particularly the case with "Lost Boys."
Overall this is still a highly enjoyable collection. Though, and I may perhaps be a stickler on this, there were (again) numerous typos throughout. I am not sure who was employed to copyedit "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes," but they need to read more carefully.
April 26, 2021
Bat shit horrible. Bloody darned wastage of my time. Avoid please.
September 26, 2014
Once again, thank you to Edelweiss (National Association of Independent Publishers Representatives) and Avon Books for allowing me to read this e-book. I am fortunate that I was able to read this book before it was published.
I have not read the first volume of stories that King and Klinger put together, but I will go looking for it now. I had a lot of fun reading these stories, especially the ones by Sara Pretsky, John Lescourt and Michael Dirda.
I know that for some people, Sherlock Holmes should not be messed with. There are the stories by Doyle and all the rest are sacrilege. However, I have loved King's Sherlock and Mary Russell. And that is my major problem with this book. Mary Russell does not appear. Otherwise the collection is wonderful.
If you like short stories and you don't mind seeing Sherlock Holmes through new eyes, I recommend this collection to you. You may not like every story, but I am confident that you will spend some pleasant hours with this book.
I have not read the first volume of stories that King and Klinger put together, but I will go looking for it now. I had a lot of fun reading these stories, especially the ones by Sara Pretsky, John Lescourt and Michael Dirda.
I know that for some people, Sherlock Holmes should not be messed with. There are the stories by Doyle and all the rest are sacrilege. However, I have loved King's Sherlock and Mary Russell. And that is my major problem with this book. Mary Russell does not appear. Otherwise the collection is wonderful.
If you like short stories and you don't mind seeing Sherlock Holmes through new eyes, I recommend this collection to you. You may not like every story, but I am confident that you will spend some pleasant hours with this book.
January 29, 2015
As with any collection, especially one that consists of stories by several authors, some are better than others. This collection really vacillated in its quality of stories. Some seemed to be adhering to the tone set forth by Doyle, while others were clearly striving to be something else. Some seemed to ramble on, leaving the reader to wonder where the story was going. With others, it seemed that just when they got really interesting, the stories ended. Alas, that is the inherit problem with short stories: they are too short. The best stories in this collection were the ones that had more than a token mention of Holmes. My favorite was the retelling of Silver Blaze, told by Silver Blaze himself, gentleman horse. The collection is worth reading, but it not in the same league as the original Holmes canon.
April 18, 2021
I really had high hopes about this anthology, since 'A Study in Sherlock'— the predecessor to this book, was full of quirky delights. Alas, this one was full of drab and grey tales, except a few memorable short pieces which could have been placed anywhere. Those few pieces to remember were:
1. 'The Crooked Man' by Michael Connelly
2. 'The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman' by Jeffery Deaver.
3.'Lost Boys' by Cornelia Funke
There were several irreverent works that ruined the classics rather than adding anything or even being funny. Rest was mostly boring stuff spewed by authors too obsessed with their own worlds than that of Holmes and Watson.
Felt bad, really.
1. 'The Crooked Man' by Michael Connelly
2. 'The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman' by Jeffery Deaver.
3.'Lost Boys' by Cornelia Funke
There were several irreverent works that ruined the classics rather than adding anything or even being funny. Rest was mostly boring stuff spewed by authors too obsessed with their own worlds than that of Holmes and Watson.
Felt bad, really.
February 18, 2015
The Crooked Man: 3 stars
The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer: 5 stars
The Memoirs of Silver Blaze: 3 stars
Dr. Watson's Casebook: 3.5 stars
The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman: 5 stars
Art in the Blood: 3 stars
Dunkirk: 3.5 stars
The Problem of the Empty Slipper: 4.5 stars
Lost Boys: 5 stars
The Thinking Machine: 4 stars
By Any Other Name: 3 stars
He Who Grew Up Reading Sherlock Holmes: 3 stars
The Adventure of my Ignoble Ancestress: 4 stars
The Closing: 3.5 stars
How I Came to Meet Sherlock Holmes: 3.5 stars
The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer: 5 stars
The Memoirs of Silver Blaze: 3 stars
Dr. Watson's Casebook: 3.5 stars
The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman: 5 stars
Art in the Blood: 3 stars
Dunkirk: 3.5 stars
The Problem of the Empty Slipper: 4.5 stars
Lost Boys: 5 stars
The Thinking Machine: 4 stars
By Any Other Name: 3 stars
He Who Grew Up Reading Sherlock Holmes: 3 stars
The Adventure of my Ignoble Ancestress: 4 stars
The Closing: 3.5 stars
How I Came to Meet Sherlock Holmes: 3.5 stars
January 12, 2015
This is a good anthology of Sherlockian tales. While not bringing anything new to the genre and canon that is Sherlock Holmes, the perspectives are fresh and current.
In fact, some of the main characters in the story have Sherlockian characteristics in non Sherlockian vocations; I guess they all can't be consultants.
This adds to the fresh perspective on a brilliant character with an unorthodox world view and low people skills, as it relates to the mundane day to day interaction.
There is even a short cartoon in the mix.
Well done
In fact, some of the main characters in the story have Sherlockian characteristics in non Sherlockian vocations; I guess they all can't be consultants.
This adds to the fresh perspective on a brilliant character with an unorthodox world view and low people skills, as it relates to the mundane day to day interaction.
There is even a short cartoon in the mix.
Well done
October 4, 2015
An uneven collection. Michael Connelly alone is responsible for knocking this down a star. I did like Sara Paretsky and Jeffrey Deaver's stories. Great premise, just didn't deliver consistently.
June 21, 2017
It's simple: if you love Sherlock Holmes stories, you'll love these.
August 28, 2017
The Crooked Man by Michael Connelly - Harry arrives at a crime scene, where a studio exec. is dead, and his wife and her lawyer (who is called Klingner, possibly a shout-out to the editor?) are in another room. Luckily, the medical examiner on the case is known as "Sherlock" for good reason.
The curious affair of the Italian art dealer by Sara Paretsky - Dr Watson's wife is away, so he returns to London, to find Holmes' upstairs neighbours insistent that he NOT play violin between 2 and 6am,so that they might sleep. Holmes is going to self-medicate, but Watson is called to attend a young man who has been injured at a very discrete hotel.
The memoirs of Silver Blaze by Michael Sims - Written from the PoV of the (very well brought up) Blaze himself. A fabulous job of retelling the classic Conan Doyle tale. Horses can understand dogs, did you know?
Dr Watson's Casebook by Andrew Grant -Another re-write of a classic story, this one 'Hound of the Baskervilles', but instead of a PoV change, this used Facebook-like Likes, and Events. Didn't really work for me.
The adventure of the laughing fisherman by Jeffrey Deaver - opens with a therapist suggesting to a patient that perhaps his skills in observation, and interest in the stories of Conan Doyle might be put to good use in assisting law enforcement. . Very nice twist.
Art in the Blood by Laura Caldwell -This was a disappointing tale of an art dealer, who realises his reputation is on the line,
Dunkirk by John Lescroart - Siggerson is aboard a boat with two young boys, and their uncle the captain, during the evacuation of Dunkirk. It's very effective. Mention was made of the oil fires on the beaches the first night, then the discipline of the lines of the men on the beach, including a mention of a major who cuts the line, nearly swamped the other boat, and was shot dead. They've done four days of relaying 60 men at a time over the channel, then evacuate nearly 40 men on a spit, from a company run by Col. Hagan. He decides he'll have them land on a levvy behind the German Panzer tanks, cutting off the German exit point. The dimwit loses twelve men and dies himself, but the rest get out because the Germans fall back to the town - all because Siggerson has been monitoring German radio, and feeds them false information. The Victoria Cross in his name is never claimed.
The Problem of the Empty slipper script by Leah Moore & John Reppion
This was not included in the audio book. It is available in the downloadable PDF.
When I attempted to download that, I got "Unfortunately, PDF eBooks are not supported by the OverDrive app.".
Lost Boys by Cornelia Funke
Holmes and Watson are hosting the Baker St irregulars, who bring along a new boy. Dirty, but in good clothes and shoes, he attempts to steal a fork. After examing him, Watson sees his father had been beating him. The kid disappears, his mother's suicide is shortly reported, and Holmes writes a blackmail letter to the father, to ensure the boy is sent to the best school, and doesn't have to return home for holidays ever again. Because Mycroft and Sherlock similarly had to blackmail their father, and their mother never forgave them when he ran away to the colonies with most of the money.
The Thinking Machine by Denise Hamilton
Only glancingly a Holmes novel. The boss is called Moriarty. The work database is named Sherlock. A guy on the autistic scale, happily married to Lisa, with two daughters, Portia (about to do SAT's), and DOS, uses data analytics to predict buyer behaviour. The company send specifically oriented catalogues to pet owners, and those with children about to go away to university. Then he gets to work on pregnancy prediction. Lisa, meanwhile, is desperate for another child. Finally, our hero gets home to find a catalogue seeded with baby items, but all is not as it seems.
By Any Other Name by Michael Dirda
A weird tale where the editor Grenneff-Smith, of the Strand has been farming out the stories, all of which were written by *A* Conan Doyle. It started as work by doctor John H. Watson, about his flatmate Holmes' work. Then, when Miss Leckie asks, Arthur Conan Doyle, who had been earning a percentage off the works by pretending to be the author, decided *he* has to do some writing, which is where the spiritualism stuff comes from. It's basically a callout piece, for writers of the time who may have had similar styles to different Holnesian stories. But it ignores the idea that pen-names are really associated with authors, rather than editors, in most cases.
He who grew up reading Sherlock Holmes by Harlan Ellison
Bizarre and unneccessary series of unrelated facts are listed. This finishes with a confrontation with a little old lady, at her property
The adventure of my ignoble ancestress by Nancy Holder
PoV story from a writer, who lost her parents to an alleyway crime, then inherits a property mentioned in a Holmes book. After finding an apple, she also finds letters, which might explain what actually happened to Mary Holder, mentioned in the book. This finished with a book pitch, and the editor suggesting it remain open-ended. The editor loves the idea. I didn't.
The closing by Leslie S. Klinger
James McParland and his ex-wife Rachel, who had subsequently married Bill,come together to sign the papers to sell a property. James remembers visiting the dying Bill, in hospital, and thinks about what Sherlock would have said - "Your life is not your own".
How I came to meet Sherlock Holmes by Gahan Wilson
Kid "meets"Sherlock Holmes on a train. The end.
The curious affair of the Italian art dealer by Sara Paretsky - Dr Watson's wife is away, so he returns to London, to find Holmes' upstairs neighbours insistent that he NOT play violin between 2 and 6am,so that they might sleep. Holmes is going to self-medicate, but Watson is called to attend a young man who has been injured at a very discrete hotel.
The memoirs of Silver Blaze by Michael Sims - Written from the PoV of the (very well brought up) Blaze himself. A fabulous job of retelling the classic Conan Doyle tale. Horses can understand dogs, did you know?
Dr Watson's Casebook by Andrew Grant -Another re-write of a classic story, this one 'Hound of the Baskervilles', but instead of a PoV change, this used Facebook-like Likes, and Events. Didn't really work for me.
The adventure of the laughing fisherman by Jeffrey Deaver - opens with a therapist suggesting to a patient that perhaps his skills in observation, and interest in the stories of Conan Doyle might be put to good use in assisting law enforcement. . Very nice twist.
Art in the Blood by Laura Caldwell -This was a disappointing tale of an art dealer, who realises his reputation is on the line,
Dunkirk by John Lescroart - Siggerson is aboard a boat with two young boys, and their uncle the captain, during the evacuation of Dunkirk. It's very effective. Mention was made of the oil fires on the beaches the first night, then the discipline of the lines of the men on the beach, including a mention of a major who cuts the line, nearly swamped the other boat, and was shot dead. They've done four days of relaying 60 men at a time over the channel, then evacuate nearly 40 men on a spit, from a company run by Col. Hagan. He decides he'll have them land on a levvy behind the German Panzer tanks, cutting off the German exit point. The dimwit loses twelve men and dies himself, but the rest get out because the Germans fall back to the town - all because Siggerson has been monitoring German radio, and feeds them false information. The Victoria Cross in his name is never claimed.
The Problem of the Empty slipper script by Leah Moore & John Reppion
This was not included in the audio book. It is available in the downloadable PDF.
When I attempted to download that, I got "Unfortunately, PDF eBooks are not supported by the OverDrive app.".
Lost Boys by Cornelia Funke
Holmes and Watson are hosting the Baker St irregulars, who bring along a new boy. Dirty, but in good clothes and shoes, he attempts to steal a fork. After examing him, Watson sees his father had been beating him. The kid disappears, his mother's suicide is shortly reported, and Holmes writes a blackmail letter to the father, to ensure the boy is sent to the best school, and doesn't have to return home for holidays ever again. Because Mycroft and Sherlock similarly had to blackmail their father, and their mother never forgave them when he ran away to the colonies with most of the money.
The Thinking Machine by Denise Hamilton
Only glancingly a Holmes novel. The boss is called Moriarty. The work database is named Sherlock. A guy on the autistic scale, happily married to Lisa, with two daughters, Portia (about to do SAT's), and DOS, uses data analytics to predict buyer behaviour. The company send specifically oriented catalogues to pet owners, and those with children about to go away to university. Then he gets to work on pregnancy prediction. Lisa, meanwhile, is desperate for another child. Finally, our hero gets home to find a catalogue seeded with baby items, but all is not as it seems.
By Any Other Name by Michael Dirda
A weird tale where the editor Grenneff-Smith, of the Strand has been farming out the stories, all of which were written by *A* Conan Doyle. It started as work by doctor John H. Watson, about his flatmate Holmes' work. Then, when Miss Leckie asks, Arthur Conan Doyle, who had been earning a percentage off the works by pretending to be the author, decided *he* has to do some writing, which is where the spiritualism stuff comes from. It's basically a callout piece, for writers of the time who may have had similar styles to different Holnesian stories. But it ignores the idea that pen-names are really associated with authors, rather than editors, in most cases.
He who grew up reading Sherlock Holmes by Harlan Ellison
Bizarre and unneccessary series of unrelated facts are listed. This finishes with a confrontation with a little old lady, at her property
The adventure of my ignoble ancestress by Nancy Holder
PoV story from a writer, who lost her parents to an alleyway crime, then inherits a property mentioned in a Holmes book. After finding an apple, she also finds letters, which might explain what actually happened to Mary Holder, mentioned in the book. This finished with a book pitch, and the editor suggesting it remain open-ended. The editor loves the idea. I didn't.
The closing by Leslie S. Klinger
James McParland and his ex-wife Rachel, who had subsequently married Bill,come together to sign the papers to sell a property. James remembers visiting the dying Bill, in hospital, and thinks about what Sherlock would have said - "Your life is not your own".
How I came to meet Sherlock Holmes by Gahan Wilson
Kid "meets"Sherlock Holmes on a train. The end.
October 11, 2018
In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, edited by Laurie King, is a rather entertaining anthology of short fiction inspired by the Conan Doyle stories. There us, of course, a wide range of approaches, some of which feature Holmes and Watson themselves, others which reveal the exploits of characters based on Holmes and his venerable associate, or other key characters from the stories.
Some are very closely inspired indeed - such as “The Memoirs of Silver Blaze,” by Michael Sims, a close retelling of “The Adventure of Silver Blaze” from the point of view of the horse in question - while others draw on the spirit of deduction to create a completely new set of characters and situations. Some I found less than inspiring, such as “Doctor Watson’s Casebook,” by Andrew Grant, a reworking of Hound of the Baskervilles as a series of entries in a social media app. And for me, one story - “The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman” by Jeffery Deaver - delivered the brilliance and unexpected twist - though without the supernatural elements - of Neil Gaiman’s brilliant “A Study in Emerald.”
Some were profoundly moving, including John Lescroart’s “Dunkirk,” a taught narrative of one of the many small boats that took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, this one with a volunteer crewman, an old but still hale civilian named Sigerson, of Sussex Downs. And then there’s the heart-breaking “Lost Boys,” by Cordelia Funke, that imagines an all-too-likely reason behind so many of the peculiarities, and defenses, of Holmes.
All in all, a decent collection, with, I expect, something for everyone who loves Holmes.
*This anthology contains 15 stories, five written by women, nine written by men, and one written by a woman and a man.
Some are very closely inspired indeed - such as “The Memoirs of Silver Blaze,” by Michael Sims, a close retelling of “The Adventure of Silver Blaze” from the point of view of the horse in question - while others draw on the spirit of deduction to create a completely new set of characters and situations. Some I found less than inspiring, such as “Doctor Watson’s Casebook,” by Andrew Grant, a reworking of Hound of the Baskervilles as a series of entries in a social media app. And for me, one story - “The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman” by Jeffery Deaver - delivered the brilliance and unexpected twist - though without the supernatural elements - of Neil Gaiman’s brilliant “A Study in Emerald.”
Some were profoundly moving, including John Lescroart’s “Dunkirk,” a taught narrative of one of the many small boats that took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, this one with a volunteer crewman, an old but still hale civilian named Sigerson, of Sussex Downs. And then there’s the heart-breaking “Lost Boys,” by Cordelia Funke, that imagines an all-too-likely reason behind so many of the peculiarities, and defenses, of Holmes.
All in all, a decent collection, with, I expect, something for everyone who loves Holmes.
*This anthology contains 15 stories, five written by women, nine written by men, and one written by a woman and a man.
June 24, 2018
Finding authors who delight in Sherlock Holmes as much as I do and have the talent to add to his history is a delight. My parents got me this lovely compilation for Christmas and I read it as soon as I finished my current book (I received my Christmas presents in June this year, due to that awful pancreatitis bout last December). I will keep this on my shelf for re-reading, as these stories, like the originals, often reveal more details as one gains life experience.
July 28, 2020
Laurie King and Leslie Klinger have collected an intriguing array of short stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes and written by some of the masters of mystery. Authors such as Jeffery Deaver, Harlan Ellison and Sara Paretsky entertain us with stories involving Sherlock wannabes, Moriarty fans and the great man himself. One is even told from the perspective of a horse. This anthology has something for everyone, even if your not a Sherlock enthusiast.
May 25, 2020
An interesting collection of writers inspired by Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
July 9, 2025
Found it irritating to listen to but loved the idea behind it.
August 26, 2018
Fun, creative stories - and all have a connection, however loose, to Sherlock Holmes. I plan to look up some of those writers and read more of their works.
July 6, 2018
The stories are fairly well-written but I found more than half of them tedious to get through. I think that the bad out ways the good in this collection unfortunately.
February 7, 2019
If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan then skip this book. Only one good story and I cant remember the name of it. The one with the boy who struggles socially that helps crack the slasher case... The other ones seem to have been written on a very tight timeline and are either rushed or not creative.
February 14, 2018
This is a failing on my part, but: I don't like short story anthologies.
I keep trying and trying and trying, but I just...don't like them.
Unfortunately, despite some excellent narration (not all of the stories, but some of them), I didn't really like this collection.
The best story in this was easily Sara Paretsky's The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer. However, it seems that they decided that her story could only be 'so long', so instead of showing us Mrs Butterworth's investigative prowess, we get a long expository passage about the investigating. The rest of the story was very Holmesian and well-written, so I suspect that page constraints is why this wasn't allowed to be as long as it should have been.
The Silver Blaze story was...ok. I wasn't expecting it to be amazing, and it wasn't, but it was decently entertaining.
Michael Connelly's story (The Crooked Man) nearly turned me off the entire anthology, which was unfortunate given that it's the first one!
The worst part about that story was that there's a rapid-fire verbal exchange passage between the police detective and the "Sherlock Holmes" character (not actually Holmes in this story), and Connelly INSISTED ON SAYING "[Character] SAID" AFTER EVERY LINE.
I was super close to turning off the audiobook at that point, because it basically went like this: "Statement," Bosch said. "Response," Doyle said. "Counter-statement", Bosch said. "Secondary response," Doyle said. "Question?" Bosch said. "Answer," Doyle said. AND IT GOES ON LIKE THAT FOR ALMOST TWO SOLID MINUTES (I checked).
(Audiobooks will occasionally remove stuff like this, for obvious reasons. I have no idea why this story didn't.) Also? They don't resolve the crime in that story. Just suggest a resolution.
I'm done. These stories are so meh. I was hoping for another A Study in Emerald (links to the PDF) and instead got A Study in Blah.
I keep trying and trying and trying, but I just...don't like them.
Unfortunately, despite some excellent narration (not all of the stories, but some of them), I didn't really like this collection.
The best story in this was easily Sara Paretsky's The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer. However, it seems that they decided that her story could only be 'so long', so instead of showing us Mrs Butterworth's investigative prowess, we get a long expository passage about the investigating. The rest of the story was very Holmesian and well-written, so I suspect that page constraints is why this wasn't allowed to be as long as it should have been.
The Silver Blaze story was...ok. I wasn't expecting it to be amazing, and it wasn't, but it was decently entertaining.
Michael Connelly's story (The Crooked Man) nearly turned me off the entire anthology, which was unfortunate given that it's the first one!
The worst part about that story was that there's a rapid-fire verbal exchange passage between the police detective and the "Sherlock Holmes" character (not actually Holmes in this story), and Connelly INSISTED ON SAYING "[Character] SAID" AFTER EVERY LINE.
I was super close to turning off the audiobook at that point, because it basically went like this: "Statement," Bosch said. "Response," Doyle said. "Counter-statement", Bosch said. "Secondary response," Doyle said. "Question?" Bosch said. "Answer," Doyle said. AND IT GOES ON LIKE THAT FOR ALMOST TWO SOLID MINUTES (I checked).
(Audiobooks will occasionally remove stuff like this, for obvious reasons. I have no idea why this story didn't.) Also? They don't resolve the crime in that story. Just suggest a resolution.
I'm done. These stories are so meh. I was hoping for another A Study in Emerald (links to the PDF) and instead got A Study in Blah.
December 24, 2014
I like this volume a little less than Leslie Klinger and Laurie R. King's previous collection "A Study in Sherlock" but this was a nice way to spend an evening. Most of the stories are in the spirit of Holmes rather than starring him so if that's fine with you you'll enjoy this book. There are some nice twists on different stories, reimaginings, and some very sweet tips of the hat. Certainly worth a look.
October 10, 2014
“A unique, engaging collection of short stories written in honor of Sherlock Holmes. It’s wonderful reading all of the different styles with twists on the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tales, such as a Facebook-type narrative and a story written from the point of view of a horse. Sherlock aficionados will appreciate the whispers of the great detective on every page.”
Paulette Brooks, Elm Grove Public Library, Elm Grove, WI
Paulette Brooks, Elm Grove Public Library, Elm Grove, WI
June 12, 2016
It's pretty impressive when there's not one story in a Holmes pastiche collection that I like, but I guess this book proves it can happen. An example of what's inside: 'Silver Blaze' as retold from the horse's point of view. That alone has to be one of the stupidest concepts I've ever heard, yet here it was, published as an actual story. Granted, not every inclusion in the book is quite that bad, but they aren't good either. I wouldn't recommend anyone waste their time with this one.
January 3, 2015
In this volume a group of contemporary authors from a variety of genres create new stories inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Michael Connelly's lead tale, "The Crooked Man" featuring Connelly's Harry Bosch sets the tone and the collection reaches its high point with Jeffrey Deaver’s entry, “The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman.”
January 10, 2016
I need Sherlock Holmes vitamin in my life. Unfortunately, this book sucks (and is stupid). BBC Special Sherlock Episode The Abominable Bride is simply made to please loyal fans. And even Elementary Season 4 is kind of going downhill.
December 8, 2015
There were 3 or 4 stories in this group of stories I thoroughly enjoyed, the rest I didn't.
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