Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly:: And Other New Adventures of the Great Detective

Lost Sherlock #5

by Donald Serrell Thomas

"Have you ever seen a ghost, Mr. Holmes?" asks Victoria Temple, and Sherlock Holmes, at the height of his powers in 1898, must face a new challenge, one that plunges the great detective into the realm of the supernatural. Miss Temple has been found guilty - but also insane - at her trial for murdering a child under her care. She is locked away in the Broadmoor lunatic asylum, and worse still, she believes fully in her own guilt. But were the hauntings at the Elizabethan manor house of Bly a vision of the walking dead, perhaps, rather than delusions of her tormented mind? Or could it be that a criminal conspiracy is to blame for the psychic phenomena, as well as a second murder cunningly concealed in the past?

In the company of Dr. Watson, the indefatiguable Holmes will track down the perpetrators through the occult underworld of Victorian London.

Next, on the eve of World War I, Holmes is confronted with fraud and forgery at the Royal Naval Academy in "The Case of a Boy's Honor". While back in London, behind the scenes of the Herculaneum Theatre in the Strand, "The Case of the Matinee Idol" embroils Holmes and Watson directly in an apparent on-stage murder. How did poison get into two Shakespearean goblets when only the victim, now dead, had access to them and the most likely suspect was a mile away with an unthinkable alibi?

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Fiction

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

aka Francis Selwyn

Donald Serrell Thomas is an English author of (primarily) Victorian-era historical, crime and detective fiction, as well as books on factual crime and criminals, in particular several academic books on the history of crime in London. He has written a number of biographies, two volumes of poetry, and has also edited volumes of poetry by John Dryden and the Pre-Raphaelites.

Reviews

[Cris · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are three stories and one 'intro' that sets up the third story. Overall the stories come close in duplicating Doyle's tone and mood, but Thomas doesn't do a great job with the characters of Holmes and Watson and the interaction between them often disappoints.

"The Case of a Boy's Honour", 88 pgs long -- Closest to duplicating the appeal of Doyle's stories. Thomas created a fairly good mystery, Sherlock Holmes is appropriately mysterious and explanatory. The pacing is more leisurely than in Doyle's stories. The same amount of tension and suspense are stretched out over 88 pages instead of 10-15 pgs.

"The Case of the Ghosts at Bly", 182 pgs long -- Ugh. By the time I finished this story my interest in Holmes' pastiches was in critical care. This story was way, way, *way* too long. The basic plot might have made a half-decent story at less than 10 pgs, but at 182 pages it was boring. And the interaction between Holmes and Watson made me wince more than once. The Holmes-Watson twist at the end, when Holmes defends his intention to protect Maria Jessel threw me out of the story completely because Thomas mangled Watson's character badly.

"Sherlock Holmes the Actor" 14 pgs -- Pointless, unless Thomas needed to beef up his page count.

"The Case of the Matinee Idol" 79 pgs -- Better than "the Ghosts at Bly", but then it would be difficult to do worse. I skimmed through this story, my interest completely exhausted by the "the Ghosts".

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Holmes pastiche -- top of the line is Laurie R. King and the one of the best short stories I've ever read, pastiche or otherwise, Daniel Stashower in The Ghosts in Baker Street: New Tales of Sherlock Holmes and The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel was pretty good. I don't get all up in arms about non-Canonical behaviors (although the woman/gay thing is very annoying).

These stories are good pastiche. And the narration is EXCELLENT. I've just bought the next one in the series and plan to walk around the house with earbuds in my pjs for the remainder of the day.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

These pastiches are losing their allure. Something's missing.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three 'new' adventures of Sherlock Holmes, written in the style of Conan Doyle and set within canon timeframes. In the first, a boy at a naval school is charged with stealing pocket money and trying to kill himself, and for reasons never made really clear, the Navy wants Holmes to prove he didn't. In the second, supposed hauntings at a country manor apparently lead to the death of two children, and their governess is declared insane and imprisoned in Broadmoor. At the request of someone who believes her innocent, Holmes investigates, and uncovers a complicated nest of crimes. In the third, a 'matinee idol' is poisoned, apparently through wine he drinks as King Claudius in Hamlet. Holmes and Watson go backstage at the theater, where former actor Holmes makes himself at home and makes himself arbiter of justice.

I enjoyed these stories well enough--they were fairly entertaining, and the writing style felt appropriate, although I don't know if Conan Doyle was ever so frank about nudity and extramarital affairs. I did find the stories confusing, with the number of characters involved, some of which had similar names. In one, the murderer turned out to be someone I didn't recall ever hearing of until that moment, and I still don't understand the relationships involved. In another, I guessed most of the basic setup of the crime fairly early on, before Holmes revealed it, but then the second half of the story was just chasing the criminal down, so it was more 'thriller' than 'mystery.' Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to Mr. Thomas’s take on one of literature’s most famous detectives. I have to admit myself impressed. Everything is on display here: Holmes’s incisive intelligence, prodigious memory, strict adherence to the truth, impatience with fools and immense knowledge on a variety of disparate subjects. Watson, as usual, stands in as an observer and occasional helper in Holmes’s exploits.

The great detective takes on a few cases in this anthology and brings his forceful intelligence to bear on each. In one, that is a splendid imagined sequel to Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, the great detective tries to unravel a story of madness, depravity and the supernatural to get at the truth. It’s arguably the best story of the lot, being an accurate rendition of Holmes’s love of the theatrical, chivalry, bravery and coolness under fire.

Mr. Thomas clearly has an in-depth knowledge of his subject, undoubted erudition and a firm grasp of Victorian manners, mores and habitat. For those Sherlockian fans out there, this book is a praiseworthy effort by another modern writer who would give them more glimpses of Sherlock Holmes.

[S.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an decent fan fic of Sherlock and Watson. There were times however where I had to force myself to keep reading which always disheartens my reading stamina.

The most interesting tale is the Title tale and the reason I picked the book up in the first place.

I will read just about anything that ties into The Turn of The Screw.

If you also enjoy various takes on Henry James' work mashed up with a favorite literary detective, I would give this a read.

If not, there are other more interesting Holmes pastiches to check out such as The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (5 out of 5 stars on that one)

[Outlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this authors' Sherlock Holmes pastiches, his short stories are brilliant, this is the second longer story I have read, so far. This long story (as Sir A C Doyle did with his 4 long tales) shows how, with clever illusions and deceptions it's possible to question one's sanity. Mr Thomas was one of the better SH pastiche authors I have read to date, worthy of Doyle's mantel, and is a great loss to the noble art of the wordsmith.

[Pat Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stories uneven in quality. The one the book was named for "The Ghosts of Bly" was the best and up to par with some of Doyle's works. I didn't care as much for the last one. All in all though, worth reading.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read of post-Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. One fun thing is that the title story, "The Ghosts of Bly" solves one of the mysteries of Henry James' "Turn of the Screw."

[sbs transit · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't really go wrong with a Sherlock Holmes story

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

creepy stories...fun ! great stories and great narration!!!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

PUSSY SLAAAAAY

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find myself giving this book a "3" which is pretty close to the current, running average. That's not the ranking I would have hoped or expected to give a collection of stories about the world's greatest consulting detective! I am and have been since an early age, an unabashed fan of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. (Not that I confuse him with an actual living or deceased person.) I have read every lick written by Conan Doyle and many, many pastiches by both his contemporaries and more recent authors. No matter how trite or schlocky, I am a sucker for Holmes w/wout Watson. So, whenever I cannot give at least a "really liked" to any such work, I feel disappointed.

The funny thing is that this is not a bad book. It just feels "hollow". (Now, that's going to be a good one to try and explain.) And, since I am such a big S.H. aficionado, I have added this author's other Holmes mysteries to my "to-read" list. So, I am more than willing to give him another shot at impressing me with his command and use of the character.

So, what makes this book "hollow". Most of the book is about clever sleuthing, so it isn't that he has left the character without a profession, but the pace of the tales feels far too slow. (Another intangible.) The ACD stories were (including the serialized four novels) written for magazine publication. They, like many other successful S.H. works push the story along with a lot of energy, at times even a frenzied pace. Of course, this is tempered by moments of (seeming) languid repose or inactivity by the Great Detective - often to Watson's frustration. This book feels like it is in slow motion for virtually it's entire length and the longest tale (novella length) is the worst culprit. That makes it feel less like the story it should be.

In addition to the pace of the plots, I found that the mannerisms of Holmes and Watson to be near, but not "on the mark". In one there is a great deal of mention (to allow a plot point and clue discovery) of Holmes wearing and adjusting his deerstalker. Now, we know that ACD did not make use of such a fashion accessory in his writing - it was the illustrator that created the cape & cap which is associated by many with Holmes. Ii found the use of that specific headgear to be a bit "lazy" in that it reaches for the LCD of Holmes' fans. Using any generic cap would have served the plot just as well.

The dialogue between the two protagonists seems a bit off too. I can't put my finger on it, but it might be their patterns rather than the actual words in their mouths. It just struck me as atypical as I was reading. I also had some thoughts on how Watson "thinks", but after considering the idea I will let it ride.

I am very hopeful that I will find the author's previous tales of Mr. Holmes to be more enjoyable. I noticed, when adding his other works to my list that previously he had published books on Holmes at intervals of two or more years. This one came out only 1 year after the most immediate predecessor. Perhaps it was a bit forced.

If you are a huge fan, then go ahead and read this book, but do it for the newness of more tales involving our detective, not with any great expectations.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading the new Sherlock Holmes books by Donald Thomas back to back. I have to admit that my first instinct was why anyone would want to recreate Sherlock Holmes, the enigma? Also, with the mental image of that we already have of Holmes, it would be difficult for any author to make us fall in love with his version. In the end, I guess, it is a fact that we want the legends to live on forever and give us more and more. So, I tried to wipe clean my mind of the Sherlock who has reigned in my mind for quite long, in order to be able to accept this newer version.

There are four stories in this instalment - The Case of the Boy’s Honour, The Case of the Ghosts at Bly, Sherlock Holmes: The Actor and The Case of the Matinee Idol. The first story deals about a soldier in training in the Royal Naval Academy just before the World War I. Sherlock turns around the case completely. The Case of ghosts at Bly shows us Sherlock setting a woman free when she herself was convinced of her own guilt. The third story gives us a glance at Sherlock as a Theatre actor and also sets up the stage for the fourth story where a popular actor is found murdered.

Without giving away much of the plot, I can only say that these four stories are very different from each other in terms of plot, twists and action. Donald Thomas’s Sherlock Holmes is everything that the original Sherlock stood for, only a notch below though. Also, there was something missing in the dynamics between Sherlock and Watson. I just can’t put a finger on what exactly it was – whether their friendship in general or their dialogues or their reaction to each other. The setting, the plots and the characters were all acceptable but the one thing that kept bugging me was the pace. Sherlock is beyond ordinary and as such he always worked at an extraordinary pace. I missed the fast pace of Arthur Conan Doyle a lot. But yes, Donald Thomas has done an excellent job with his narration style.

Overall, Donald Thomas has managed to produce a couple of good stories that entertained me well. He had a humungous shoe to fill in and he has risen way above my expectations. I would surely suggest Sherlock fans to give this one a try with an open mind.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently, my wife returned from the library with a relatively new book which I had not read: "Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly: And Other New Adventures." The book, by Donald Thomas, is a collection of three short stories; one of which, the title story, is really a novelette or a novella. Each story is clever and unique. Thomas does a good job - but not great - of capturing the personality of Holmes and Watson. He is perhaps one of the better current writers of Holmes today, but my personal preferences for contemporary writers of Holmes are Laurie King and Larry Millett. However, the three short stories presented by Thomas in this collection about Sherlock Holmes are entertaining and are worth reading.

“Have you ever seen a ghost, Mr. Holmes?“ asks Victoria Temple, and Sherlock Holmes, at the height of his powers in 1898, must face a new challenge, one that plunges the great detective into the realm of the supernatural. Thus begins our title story, "The Ghosts at Bly," which involved investigating the guilt of a woman accused of murdering a child under her care. Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw" provides the inspiration for the lengthy title tale; here Holmes works to solve the mystery, the death of the two children as in James' supposed ghost story. Even the governess, Miss Temple as seen the ghosts, but as we know, Holmes does not believe in ghosts.

In "A Case of a Boy's Honour," Thomas presents a case just before WWI at the Royal Naval Academy and a question of honor with a young man in training to become an officer. The facts look bleak against the young man, but when Holmes enters the picture, the plot takes altogether new turns. "Sherlock Holmes: The Actor," which presents Homes as an actor and his background in the theatre, is presented as a third story, but in many ways, it sets up the final short story: "The Case of the Matinee Idol." In "The Case of the Matinee Idol," a famous actor, one with whom Holmes has previously acted when he was on the stage, is murdered just after a performance.

[Suzanna Renea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book a couple weeks ago and honestly I don't remember much of the story. It's an acceptable Sherlock book though.

[Cindy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the "new" Holmes tales are disappointing, this isn't.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written by a Sherlock Holmes 'authority' in the style of the original books, but it wasn't the same. It did make we want to reread the Doyle books to be sure I still like them as much as when I read them 20 years ago. This book included four stories.
"The Case of the Boys Honor" is a case just before WWI at the Royal Naval Academy. "His voice was cool and detached with all the amiability of a crocodile."
"The Case of the Ghosts at Bly" involved investigating the guilt of a woman accused of murdering a child under her care. "I looked at my watch again and was cross with my thoughts." "Suburban homes of this type too often attract rackety people with more money than sense."
"Sherlock Holmes: The Actor" Holmes appeared in a few plays. "Caradoc was apt to forget, as Holmes put it politely, where he should be sleeping."
"The Case of the Matinee Idol" A famous actor is murdered just after a performance. "Stupidity hangs more men than wickedness alone."

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title story, which was a takeoff on James' Turn of the Screw, was interesting, but about a third too long. The author wasn't satisfied to have Holmes solve the mystery, but felt some need to have an exciting chase with the villain of the piece, which added little, in my opinion, to the story (it showed less of Holmes' skill at deduction), except length. The third story, while shorter, was so complicated with various people lying and characters too quickly introduced that it lacked all the usual satisfaction of a Sherlock Holmes story.

Probably the best story of the lot was the first one, inspired by The Winslow Boy; in it, Holmes acts like Sherlock Holmes and sees what others don't, and interprets what others have misinterpreted in his best style. If someone asked me whether to read the book, I would suggest they read the first story and skip the other two.

[Judy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since the main novel in this collection is based on the Turn of the Screw it is obvious that the author is knowledgeable about not just Sherlock Holmes. He has a scholarly voice and I very much like his portrayal of Watson. He falls a little short on Holmes because he falls a little short on story. His narrative is labored. The Ghosts of Bly could have been 50 pages shorter and been better for it. The other two mysteries were too long as well. The first story had a bad name. I know that's picky, but that's the way it was.

The segment named Sherlock Holmes The Actor, I expected it to be a "biographical" sketch of Holmes time on stage. While it touched on that it spent more time on his employer, who was the victim in the last tale.

I will read more by Thomas, but this is not my favorite Holmes tale.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by the relatively low ratings given to Thomas's Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm a fan of Doyle's SH and have been reading (and re-reading) them since I was in high school and I actually found several of Donald Thomas's Sherlock tales MORE entertaining and well-written than many of those by Doyle. HERESY! YES! I KNOW! Of course, like all fanatics, self-professed Sherlockians take themselves and their demi-god ACD far too seriously. Thomas is a gifted writer who does a masterful job of re-creating the prose and atmosphere of the original stories. My favorite so far is The Ghosts of Bly, which is a fun twist on the (over-rated) classic Turn of the Screw.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short stories about Sherlock Holmes are entertaining less because they carry much of the local color of the Doyle stories (they're not bad, but they're not overwhelmingly convincing either) but because I recognize that the stories in two of them are taken from sources that Thomas did not imagine. For instance, the longest story has Holmes solving the mystery presented by Henry James in "The Turn of the Screw." If James' psychosexual or supernatural readings are not sufficient for you, look at what Holmes comes up with!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has made a really good attempt to write Sherlock adventures like Conan Doyle. Generally, I really felt the style, the setting, and the characters of the original were preserved. However, this author included a little bit of social justice message which I don't remember finding in Conan Doyle - the message about anti-bullying and child abuse. He also had Sherlock acting to help the guilty escape where he felt that was true justice, something that seems to me did appear in original at times.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So so. I am a little disappointed without Mary...Laurie King's female addition to Sherlock Holmes...a continueation of what might have been...rather than trying to just enter into the original. Of course in my minds eye it all is the PBS background for all..
Short stories...assuming the reader already has the rich background of the original.

[Shawna Millard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't tell you how happy I was to have found another author who writes Sherlock Holmes stories. Sir Doyle lives on! I absolutely loved the quirky story twists. The stories were original, well thought out, and a refreshing change to the same old murder mystery.

[Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main story is a pastiche of Henry James' "Turn of the Screw." Thomas does a great job of making it a showcase for Holmes and Watson. I have read other anthologies by Thomas and enjoyed them also.

[Shawn Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading House of Silk, I wasn't sure how well other "non-Doyle" stories would hold up. This was a nicely done collection. My only gripe is that Watson refers to his and Holmes' detective business. I am pretty sure he wouldn't have phrased it that way.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, as I love Sherlock stories. This is more than one story. Each story is very well written, and I love the Sherlock as he portrays him. Each story is well plotted out, and the characters are well defined. It was a very good read....especially for Sherlock Holmes fans....

[Kara Fogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes the story of Henry James' "Turning the Screw" & what if the governess had been arrested for killing the kids in her care. Sherlock Holmes steps in & solves the mystery, sort of.
Very interesting take! Enjoyed it very much!!