The Incredible Schlock Homes: 12 Stories from Bagel Street

Bagel Street #1

by Robert L. Fish, Anthony Boucher (Introduction)

Twelve loving parodies of the great detective—each a masterpiece in its own right

The world-famous amateur detective Schlock Homes is making his way through breakfast when a telegram arrives. It takes but a moment’s deduction for the brilliant sleuth to determine that it was sent by a woman named Miss Wimpole, and that she is terribly upset. Homes knows this because the telegram reads, “I am terribly upset,” and is signed, “Miss Wimpole.” Miss Wimpole brings a case that stretches from the tombs of Egypt to the deserts of Mexico, with a stop at the racetrack in between, and it is but the first misadventure in this riotous collection of tales.

Whether chasing a counterfeit sovereign or an “Adam Bomb,” Schlock Homes and Dr. Watney never fail to have a marvelous time—even if they don’t quite catch their man.

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Comedy, Fiction

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1965

About the author

Robert Lloyd Fish was an American writer of crime fiction. His first novel, The Fugitive, gained him the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award for best first novel in 1962, and his short story "Moonlight Gardener" was awarded the Edgar for best short story in 1972. His 1963 novel Mute Witness, written under the pseudonym Robert L. Pike, was filmed in 1968 as Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen.

Reviews

[Zain]

Delightful Parody!

I love the pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and this book is both a pastiche and a parody.

I think I take my Holmes seriously, but this book doesn’t.

So if you like a bit of comedy with your mystery, you’re barking up the right tree.

It is a mystery how Holmes solves the mystery. It is definitely another story in itself.

Each story is excellent and worth reading. Try this book and you’ll see what I mean.

[Luciana Nery]

Hilarious and extremely clever! Laughed out loud at some points. I recommend reading it piecemeal - one story here, another there, otherwise the parody can wear itself out a little. But do that and each story will be a delightful indulgence, like cigar, violin or heroin.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: twelve stories from Bagel Street, a collection of humourous Sherlock Holmes pastiches from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

[Aimee]

Twelve lovely parodies of the Sherlock Holmes stories, starring Schlock Homes, his friend Doctor Watney, Mrs. Essex, and Homes' brother, Criscroft Homes, of the Home Office. The better you know your Holmes, the more enjoyable these stories are; they contain many nods to the original stories, warped and turned upside down. Fish doesn't stop at parodying Conan Doyle, either - Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and P.G. Wodehouse characters and settings show up, too. I was greatly amused by the appearance of Lord Epsworth and his prize pig, the Dutchess of Bloatings. Quite a fun read.

[Michelle]

I really wanted to like this more. But it just didn't work for me. The stories where Homes reached the right results from the wrong conclusion were enjoyable. But there were so many stories where he made everything worse from beginning to end. Yet he was still considered the greatest detective. It was frustrating at times.

[Raquel Santos]

Uma sátira ao maior detective do mundo. O detective Homes e seu amigo Whatley investigam crimes.
Li recentemente outra sátira com a mesma personagem, do Maurice LeBlanc, e é superior.

[Susan]

If you fear puns, don't dare pick up this book! Schlock Homes (he lives on Bagel Street) and his friend Dr. Watney face a dozen different criminal cases here, and each one includes more than one pun that will leave you cowering. Schlock Homes solves all his cases, of course; you may be puzzled that your solution is not quite the same as his, but he, Watney, and all the other characters involved are quite satisfied with his conclusions. His vile adversaries, Professor Marty and Colonel Moron, are on hand as well.