The Spirit Box

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Titan Books #6

by George Mann

Summer, 1915. As Zeppelins rain death upon the rooftops of London, eminent members of society begin to behave erratically: a Member of Parliament throws himself naked into the Thames after giving a pro-German speech to the House; a senior military advisor suggests surrender before feeding himself to a tiger at London Zoo; a famed suffragette suddenly renounces the women's liberation movement and throws herself under a train.

In desperation, an aged Mycroft Holmes sends to Sussex for the help of his brother, Sherlock. 

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Steampunk, Historical Mystery, Detective

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

George Mann is an author and editor, primarily in genre fiction. He was born in Darlington, County Durham in 1978.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.

Reviews

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...

Back in 2011 Titan Books launched there own Sherlock Holmes series with The Breath of God by Guy Adams, the series quickly picked up pace and now a few years later already 6 books have been published. The series so far has featured two books by Guy Adams, two books by James Lovegrove and now also two by George Mann. My first encounter with George Mann's writing was with The Casebook of Newbury and Hobbes and later with Will of the Dead (the fourth book in this series). Having read several authors all writing in the Sherlock universe I have to say that George Mann also did a terrific job with showing this enigmatic detective duo, he even takes the Sherlock universe those steps further by integrating it with his own devised detective duo Newbury and Hobbes, their stories run parallel to the that of Sherlock and Watson. And it happens to be so in The Spirit Box.

So far all the Sherlock books that I have read have featured in the proposed time frame of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. George Mann takes the story of The Spirit Box into a new era, 1915. Sherlock Holmes has retired to the quite country side of Sussex leaving the busy streets of London and his Baker Street residence behind. In his retirement Sherlock picked up a perhaps unlikely new career, that of keeping bees. Watson still lives in London but with a growing fear. He has evacuated his wife to the countryside, London faces an ever mounting threat with the first World War, zeppelins are bombing parts of London and it isn't a safe place to live any longer. Watson is not only in grief for missing his wife but also a different family member, one of his favorite nephews has become a casualty in the war trenches of the first World War. The hardest part for Watson is that he has to go through it all alone and this becomes very notable from the start, he is depressed, mourning everything, even missing the "old" times with his friend Sherlock. All of this is about to change when Sherlock's brother Mycroft comes with a new task for out investigative duo. A bunch of unexplainable suicides have been occuring, all without any reason, the persons involved were wealthy and well renown and important persons. This is just the case that both re-unite Sherlock and Watson and rekindle their investigative desires.

Early on in the investigation they stumble upon the vague references of the Spirit Box, but they do not find out just what this box exactly does. Later on when Sherlock and Watson get deeper into their investigation they learn that the Spirit Box is an apparatus that captures the persons soul on camera... This definitely added a supernatural element to the storyline, more in the lines of George Mann's Newburry and Hobbes stories. And didn't I mention that The Spirit Box is a crossover? Sherlock Holmes requires the attention of Maurice Newbury. Sherlock might be one of the smartest person alive but when it comes to dealing with the occult there is no one better then Maurice Newburry. So the game is once again afoot but not with Sherlock and Watson but with Sherlock, Watson and Newbury.

I really liked the premise of the story that George Mann introduced, I know him from his supernatural stories with Newbury and Hobbes and don't get me wrong I really enjoyed those but what he does with The Spirit Box is quite different, yes there is still a supernatural element to the story but in the end it goes towards quite a thrilling sort of element. In the earlier books of this Sherlock series we have seen some "weird" stories with the vivisection of Guy Adams in The Army of Dr. Moreau and a heavy steampunk elements with the stories of James Lovegrove The Stuff of Nightmare and again don't get me wrong I am a huge fan of these kind of things but George Mann really takes Sherlock back to the elementary parts of him being a detective.

Another element that rings true is the imminent threat of the Germans and the troubles of the First World War. George Mann brings this readily to the forefront instead of just having it mentioned on the blurb and letting it simmer in the background. The way that the story is written clearly produces a vision that the times wherein The Spirit Box takes place are far from happy, it is a harsh time and it is far from safe. The best thing of the book is how interconnected the story is , the First World War and how it is cleverly connected with the plot line. This causes that The Spirit Box is far from your ordinary Sherlock story. George Mann really knows how to execute a smart and clever story.

In writing his story George Mann sticks closely to how Sherlock and Watson were shown in the original story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but he does excert his own influence on them. The story if told from the perspective of Watson and in the beginning of the book I really liked the personal emphasis on Watson's character, normally the story focuses more on Sherlock and the case itself, but giving that more of a glimpse in Watson personal experience was really great to see.

The Spirit Box is a solid addition to the growing Sherlock fiction, with it George Mann has definitely brought his A game. I enjoyed Will of the Dead but The Spirit Box is really a powerful show of both an occult investigation and a very dire and real threat to the British empire. If The Spirit Box is any indication of what else will be in store for the continuation of this Sherlock Holmes series you can surely count me in for many more books. Added to this is that George Mann has take Sherlock out of retirement and taken him beyond the story arc of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... I am very curious to see just how the story will unfold...

[Fred Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story in the new Sherlock Holmes series.

In this story we find Sherlock and Watson pulled out of retirement to work on a case at the highest levels of government. Of course Sherlock's brother Mycroft is at the rot of this new assignment.

In an alternate time line the German bombing of London is slowly dissolving the resolve of the residents of the City and the Country and it's up to Sherlock and Watson to determine what is really going on.

What is the mysterious "Spirit Box" ?

Will the German spies get to it before Sherlock ?

What is Mycroft actually after ?

A great read

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice Sherlock Holmes pastiche, which is set in George Mann's Newbury and Hobbes universe.

It is 1915 and England is at war with Germany. Zeppelins are bombing London and a miasma of fear and misery sits over the city.

Mycroft Holmes is concerned about a spate of unusual suicides and summons his brother up from Sussex and Dr Watson from his home in Ealing.

Reunited, the two men take on a case that leaves the fate of England in their hands.

Are they up to the challenge?

Of course they are!

[Dolores · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me, this mystery ended suddenly, leaving me thinking, "that's it?" I've read a lot of Sherlock Holmes over the years and this one was disappointing.

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.dominicamat.gr/2022/04/sh...

Βαθμολογία 3.5/5

Πόσο περηφάνεια θα ένιωθε ο αείμνηστος συγγραφέας σερ Άρθουρ Κόναν Ντόυλ βλέποντας το πνευματικό του παιδί,τον Σέρλοκ Χολμς,να γίνεται ένας από τους λίγους διαχρονικά αγαπητούς ήρωες στο αναγνωστικό κοινό με φανατικούς υποστηρικτές ανά την υφήλιο; Εγώ,πολλάκις,έχω αναφερθεί στην αδυναμία που τρέφω για τον συγκεκριμένο ήρωα καί την οξυδέρκεια του μυαλού καί της σκέψης του. Πολλοί καί πολλές έχουν επανειλημμένως καί με απόλυτη αποτυχία να τον αντιγράψουν καί συναγωνιστούν. Είναι αλήθεια πως το αντίγραφο ποτέ δεν φτάνει σε αξία το πρωτότυπο! Όμως,από τις εκδόσεις Ελληνικά Γράμματα κυκλοφορεί η σειρά βιβλίων ''Sherlock Holmes'',που όπως αντιλαμβανόμαστε,πρόκειται για αυτοτελείς ιστορίες με κοινό πρωταγωνιστή,προφανώς,τον Σέρλοκ Χολμς,μα με μία ιδιαιτερότητα. Κάθε βιβλίο είναι γραμμένο από διαφορετικό συγγραφέα. Αυτό μας βοηθά να βλέπουμε τον Σέρλοκ Χολμς σε διαφορετικές στιγμές της ζωής του καί μέσα από ποικίλες οπτικές. Μία νέα προσθήκη,λοιπόν,το βιβλίο ''Sherlock Holmes- Η Ψυχοπαγίδα" που υπογράφει ο συγγραφέας George Mann (Τζορτζ Μαν) καί σήμερα έχω την χαρά να σας μιλήσω γι'αυτό.
"Καλοκαίρι 1915. Ενώ τα γερμανικά Ζέπελιν βομβαρδίζουν το Λονδίνο και σπέρνουν τον πανικό, διάφορες σημαντικές προσωπικότητες αρχίζουν να συμπεριφέρονται αλλόκοτα: ένας βουλευτής αυτοκτονεί βουτώντας γυμνός στον Τάμεση έπειτα από μια φιλογερμανική αγόρευσή του στο Κοινοβούλιο· ένας ανώτερος στρατιωτικός σύμβουλος παίρνει θέση υπέρ της συνθηκολόγησης και στη συνέχεια πέφτει στο κλουβί με τις τίγρεις, στον Ζωολογικό Κήπο του Λονδίνου· μια διάσημη σουφραζέτα αποκηρύσσει το κίνημα της γυναικείας χειραφέτησης και ρίχνεται στις ράγες του τρένου. Αντιμέτωπος με αυτά τα ανεξήγητα και ανατριχιαστικά περιστατικά, ο ηλικιωμένος πλέον Μάικροφτ ζητά τη βοήθεια του αδελφού του, του Σέρλοκ Χολμς, καθώς και του πιστού φίλου του, του δόκτορα Γουάτσον, οι οποίοι καλούνται να λύσουν το μυστήριο της «ψυχοπαγίδας»." (Περίληψη οπισθοφύλλου)
Δεν ξέρω για εσάς,αλλά εγώ όταν διαβάζω βιβλία με τις περιπέτειες του Σέρλοκ Χολμς καί του φίλου του δόκτορα Γουάτσον,αισθάνομαι σαν να γίνομαι το τρίτο μέλος που συμπληρώνει αυτό το αχτύπητο δίδυμο. Έχω οξυμένες όλες τις αισθήσεις μου,παρατηρώ τα πάντα,-ακόμα καί τα φαινομενικά πιο απλά κι αδιάφορα-,και ψάχνω διακαώς για νέα στοιχεία που μπορεί να με βοηθήσουν καί να οδηγηθώ πιο εύκολα καί γρήγορα στην επίλυση της υπόθεσης. Στο παρόν έργο,από τον τίτλο του ήδη ένιωθα πως είχα ένα σημαντικό στοιχείο στα χέρια μου. Αυτή η ψυχοπαγίδα,τί μπορεί να συμβόλιζε καί τί ρόλο θα έπαιζε μέσα στην ιστορία; Ο συγγραφέας έχει τοποθετήσει τις βάσεις για ένα ευφυές παιχνίδι του μυαλού με την συνεχή παρουσία του μυστηρίου,αλλά καί την επιτρεπτή δόση μεταφυσικού στοιχείου. Άραγε,καθώς ο αγαπημένος μας ήρωας μεγαλώνει σε ηλικία (δεν βρίσκεται πια στην πρώτη νιότη),θα μπορέσει να βρει τη λύση; Τον έχουν εγκαταλείψει τα χαρίσματά του; Ή η επίλυση της υπόθεσης θα λειτουργήσει σαν τονωτικό που μπορεί να τον βγάλει από την όποια αδράνεια;
Θετικά στοιχεία του βιβλίου:
- Σωστή δομή ιστορίας
- Αρκετές ανατροπές
- Γρήγορη καί συνεχόμενη δράση
- Άφθονο,οικείο λεξιλόγιο σε συνδυασμό με ρεαλιστικούς διαλόγους
- Περιγραφικές εικόνες καί χρήση λοιπών εκφραστικών μέσων
- Περιεκτικά κεφάλαια
Εμένα το βιβλίο μου άφησε αρκετά καλές εντυπώσεις καί μελλοντικά θα αναζητήσω να διαβάσω καί προηγούμενα,αλλά καί τα επόμενα που μπορεί να κυκλοφορήσουν με δεδομένο πως διαβάζονται άκοπα κι ευχάριστα ανεξάρτητα το ένα από το άλλο. Αναζητήστε το!
Καλή ανάγνωση!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Sherlock Holmes book by George Mann! I love the style of Mann's books, it fits very well with Watson's style while still being engaging and compelling. This book is set in an alternate Britain but WWI rages on even so. I love how this book was firmly set in WWI in London, with the bombing raging on and morale being low, as well as receiving news of deaths overseas (this book opens with Watson talking about his nephew dying at the front), while the mystery continued on. The time and setting was integrated nicely, as well as showing that Holmes and Watson, while still being brilliant, are not young men anymore and so aren't able to fight foes like they would have done in Doyle's books. I liked how this was all going on in the background while never taking the focus away from the mystery.

I found the mystery really fascinating and I loved the climax of the whole book. I was thinking that it was very out of character for Mycroft Holmes to trust anyone with such dangerous knowledge that could bring down the country but Mann was two steps ahead and I like how it was all resolved, feeling very IC for all of the Holmes characters.

These books definitely spike my interest in Mann's other novels. Four stars!

[Gilbert G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Mann is an incredible author who, in my opinion, is a good Arthur Conan Doyle. This guy is incredible and is an incarnation of Sir Doyle.
This book has so much intrigue, twists and turns and bring ms Sherlock and Doctor Watson together during WW1 when Kaiserslautern Wilhelm was dropping bombs from dirigibles and Watsons wife is miles away in safety and Sherlock is tending to his bees in a safe area.
One call from Mycroft brings the semiretired partners together again to find the suicide (?) of a member of of the government. Then the mysterious Spirit Box is assumed to provide German agent with information about the tactics the British Government intend to defeat the Germany. Love this book and especially this Author! Enjoy Friends!!

[Bookish Bluestocking]

3,5 αστεράκια για αυτή την αξιοπρεπεστατη προσπάθεια συνέχισης των ιστοριών Σερλοκ Χολμς. Η ιστορία εκτυλίσσεται το 1915 εν μέσω ΑΠΠ με μια κοινωνία που για πρώτη φορά ζει τέτοιες καταστροφές, τέτοιες απώλειες και τέτοια καταρρακωση κάθε αξίας και ιδεώδους.
Μου άρεσε που έχω ο Γουωτσον δεν ήταν απλώς ο τζουτζες του Χολμς αλλά είχε πιο αποφασιστικό ρόλο.
Εν κατακλείδι διαβαζόταν ευχάριστα αν και ήτα σχετικά σύντομο και έβαλαν άλλη μια ιστορία στο τέλος για να γεμίσουν τις, σελίδες.
Μικρή παρατήρηση για τη μετάφραση - που δεν ήταν κακή - αλλά το war office δεν μεταφράζεται ως γραφείο πολεμου αλλά ως Υπουργείο Πολέμου

[Mabji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das war mal eine Geschichte der anderen Art.
Ich fand, dass die Stimmung die im ersten Weltkrieg auf John einwirkt, sehr gut eingefangen werden konnte. Auch werden die Scenarien der Welt um sie herum immer wieder geschickt genug eingefädelt, sodass die Geschichte nicht wie ein Isoliertes Konsturkt wirkt.
Der Fall selbst war recht unterhaltsam, auch wenn ich fand, dass das Ende recht plötzlich kam und hier und da ein paar lose Fäden blieben, was Dr. Watson aber ja selbst aufgefallen ist.
Insgesamt bin ich mit diesem Buch sehr zufrieden.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my other reviews at Never Enough Books

It is the summer of 1915. As zeppelins rain fire upon the people of London, some of the more eminent members of society begin to show erratic behavior.

A famed suffragette suddenly denounces the women’s movement and just as suddenly throws herself beneath a passing train.

A senior military adviser speaks of surrender before jumping among the tigers at the London Zoo.

A member of Parliament gives a pro-German speech to other members of the House and later that day is found drowned in the Thames.

Desperate for some kind of answer, Mycroft Holmes reaches out to his younger brother – the now retired but still famed detective, Sherlock Holmes.

George Mann returns again with another page turning novel set in the ever familiar Sherlock Holmes universe. This particular tale is set during World War 1, some twenty years after Holmes’ and Watson’s heyday. Both men have retired; to Sussex and to the London suburbs, respectively. Yet when each hears the siren’s call of a new case, age is but a number and neither man can resist.

Astute readers will notice how age has changed both Holmes and Watson, almost reversing some of their traits. In The Spirit Box, Holmes has softened a bit in his mannerisms though certainly not in his detective skills or his wit. On the other hand, Watson has become a bit crotchety – something he admits himself! Time, and the knowledge that comes with it, can change a man and even great minds like Holmes and Watson are not immune.

Mann has done a quite successful job in adding to the Holmes “library” with this particular tale. While not completely reminiscent of Doyle’s original stories, it does have a similar literary flavor. It is also a crossover or sorts; introducing the reader to Sir Maurice Newbury – another character from another series Mann has penned. Newbury’s role is important and is also enough to possibly whet the appetite of the reader and cause them to seek out this other series.

I loved reading The Spirit Box. I certainly don’t need to tell any one here how I eagerly seek out new stories with this fictional detective, and while I am sometimes disappointed, books like this more than make up for it. In my opinion.

[Richard Marman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aging Sherlock and Watson come out of retirement to solve a case involving the fate of Britain during the Great War. What is the Spirit Box? What does it do and why are seemingly unconnected deaths associated with it? ? Why is it so important to Sherlock's brother Mycroft? Watson and Holmes must unravel the mystery and deal with treacherous baddies along the way. This is good solid H & W fare with a nifty short short afterwards concerning Sir Maurice Newbury who features in the main plot. Well worth a read for Holmes fans and anyone else for that matter.

[Redderationem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nulla da eccepire sulle abilità narrative dell'autore, solo che ho avuto l'impressione di avere fra le mani una sceneggiatura di "Agente speciale" (The Avengers) spostata indietro di cinquant'anni, ritagliata e riattata sulle figure di Sherlock e Watson. Tanto che a un certo punto Mycroft mi è apparso con le fattezze di Mammina, cosa che comunque in molti pastiche che lo chiamano in causa rischia sempre, per qualche analogia che i personaggi hanno fra loro.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I am not a big fan of Sherlock Holmes stories written by someone other than Conan Doyle. This book is an exception. Except for what seemed like too much smiling on Holmes part the book stayed fairly close to the original in spirit. There were occasional lapses into modern phrases ("Where's the fun in that?") but they were forgivable over all.

[Andrea Elkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose I've been spoiled by the many superb PBS adaptations of the Holmes stories, but this book seemed too glossy and superficial. I can't pinpoint a specific flaw, but my attention frequently wandered and my eyes would slip to the facing page, skipping ahead. The mystery itself also was not very difficult to solve, tho the evidence was sketchy.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good Holmes pastiche. I like these older versions of Holmes and Watson. I even like how Mann snuck in some version of his other characters and throws out a multiple reality theory. We play with the occult scene of the time, but stay grounded in real world London, if that's a something you worry about.

[Outlander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second pastiche by this author, the first was "The Will of the Dead" which also earned 4 stars. A WW1 espionage adventure and a pretty good Sherlock Holmes pastiche all round, worth a read by all who love Sherlock.

[Gaylen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes and I have read stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and many other authors. George Mann did a good job with this story, he has the ability to make you feel like you are reading something written by Conan Doyal.

[Nancy Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as true to the Canon as I would like. Good plot which dabbles in the occult.

[Patricia Gulley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aged Holmes and Watson during WW1. Good story, but filled with action interrupted by long descriptions of rooms, hallways, clothes and scenery.

[Shawn Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly decent read that avoids the trap that most post-Doyle Holmes stories do; have Hoimes running around to and fro without really accomplishing anything.

[Loyc Kayanula · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the Sherlock master pieces

[Kate Stanton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite slow and felt like it was dragging. Wasn't fully engaging, but good plot twist

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, I wasn’t sure about a Sherlock book written by an author other then arthur Conan Doyle but it stayed pretty true to form. It is about Sherlock and Watson when they are older during WW1

[WroteTrips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot a bit ridiculous, but fun.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent Sherlock Holmes story - enjoyable.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done!

[Nefty123 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mann has a flair for Conan Doyle's style. This has a wonderful plot as well as scenery.

[Jason Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly written. This could have very easily been written by ACD himself. Adding in the extra complexity of the aging Holmes and Watson, and maybe a somewhat lighter touch to Holmes fit perfectly.

[Nancy Hortaridou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ωραία υπόθεση αλλά λίγο βαρετή γραφή 🫠

[Emilia Szymczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes so much