Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Raleigh Legacy

by L.B. Greenwood

The mysterious events surrounding an old college chum's legacy from Sir Walter Releigh--a legacy that appears to be an indecipherable Elizabethan letter--gives Sherlock Holmes a reasonable cause to investigate

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Greenwood did an excellent job of capturing Watson's original voice as well as some urgency to keep one reading, his Holmes does some uncharacteristic things here, like quite poetry and scripture to solve the case, areas Watson has noted (in Conan Doyle's version) that he is notoriously spotty in. Otherwise an engaging read.

[Jim Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man, who Watson knew in his days before he met Holmes, is a descendent of Sir Walter Raleigh. His legacy is a letter, written in Elizabethan times, that obscurely mentions a treasure. In a plot that involves murder and attempted murder, people who aren't always who they seem, and even the villain doing research in the British Museum, Holmes figures out the meaning of the letter.

Greenwood has created a good Holmes pastiche, capturing the spirit and voice of Doyle's originals.

[Outlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tale seems to be a long time solving from arriving on the doorstep of 221B Baker Street till the culmination and the big reveal - too long for Holmes. Watson is described and "heard" a lot but not "in character" to my mind, more prone to the ideal of the romance. Written in the style of The Musgrave Ritual but for Watson's past rather than for Holmes past. There were plenty of red herrings and clues, but I spotted the murderer early but then I'm Scottish and have a suspicious mind.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Sherlock Holmes story (as were the other two pastiches by this author), with correct setting and "voices" and not overly long, but you can still skip the last 19 pages or so.
One funny exchange:
Mrs. Raleigh: "Have you ever fallen in love, Mr. Holmes?"
Holmes: "That is one disaster which I have so far been spared."

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Sherlock Holmes pastiche. The tone and writing style seems authentic and the historical mystery is enjoyable if a little reminiscent of The Musgrave Ritual. It is definitely worth a read if you are looking for more Holmes than exists in the canon.

[Sean O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way better than I expected

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Holmes pastiche that I stumbled across at the library while looking for something else. There's a third one that's been waiting in my queue for awhile. These aren't earth-shattering tomes, but they're entertaining, and she gets Holmes and Watson right. These are the only other Holmes pastiches I've enjoyed, except for Laurie R. King's excellent books, which are different beasts than this. Recommended if you like Holmes.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good but flawed Sherlock Holmes pastiche. Watson takes the stage more often than Holmes, ala Hound of the Baskervilles-style. If you know nothing about England in the Elizabethan era (let alone the Victorian era), then you're going to be screwed. Think of enjoying books like this as one of the rewards for paying attention in History class. The plot has some nice ACD-type twists, but the murderer is not hard to identify. Here's the cover of the hardback:

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really liked this story. It was a little slow at times, but even so felt solid and plausible. The character voices were very good, if not quite exact. Overall, this author does very well at bringing Holmes and Watson to life and I am glad to have this book as a part of my ever-expanding collection!

[Nicholas Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummm, it was okay. It got a little silly, and it got a little boring, but I guess that is a part of the 'who done it' thing. I think I liked this least of all the Holmes stuff I've read. I can't even really think of much to say. It was just... mediocre.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is a good rating for this Sherlock Holmes pastiche. A reasonably good puzzle to solve which wraps up rather quickly at the end. Entertaining but not greatly so. Lacking the little Holmes quirks or oddities that make for superior Holmes fiction.

[Ronald · Rating 2 out of 5]

read some time in 1990

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

More accurately a 3.5

Canadian author was nice aspect.

Good solid mystery with lots of threads to deal with.

[Eric Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy addition to the Holmes pantheon. Twists & turns are sure to keep you interested in this mystery.