The Misadventure of Sherlock Holmes

by Giles Chanot

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson investigate a sequence of mysterious crimes in the nation’s capital. A young woman is kidnapped and ransom is demanded, but the real motive is unclear. Heinous crimes are committed, in public, right under Sherlock’s nose. Can it be mere coincidence? London’s newspapers are full of Holmes and Watson’s exploits, but can even these be trusted? In the meantime, any number of potential clients are coming forward to engage the services of the England’s leading detectives, and they must sift the time wasters from the genuine cases. Setting aside the ridiculous lost cat that wasn’t, the engagement ring that appeared to vanish but didn’t, and the break-ins which resulted in the theft of the most unlikely items, Holmes believes the real crimes are more than they appear, despite being seemingly unrelated, whilst Watson takes some convincing. Together, they must solve the puzzle before one of them pays the ultimate sacrifice.

Genres: Mystery

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2016

About the author

Giles Chanot was born in London and educated at a well known University in Oxfordshire. When not writing books he makes his living writing iPhone and iPad apps.

He lives in Bristol with his wife and three children.

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through netgalley.

I didn't really like the book, it wasn't horrible but it wasn't good either. Holmes was very nice, considerate and humble, ugh! And I didn't like the idea of him and Irene getting married. It just didn't fit. The cases were a bit boring and I wasn't a fan of the ending.

[Paromjit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story where not only Sherlock, but other characters from the series have a personality reboot. It is a short read that shakes up Arthur Conan Doyle's books and out comes something different in nature. This is a slight and entertaining read but missing the big case in the story. However, it is still enjoyable if you accept the changes. Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book via netgalley.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson start investigating numerous crimes in London starting with a kidnapped wife. Which bring in more clients one of which is Mary Anderson, or is Irene Adler, and her agent M.
But there is a puzzle, or a master plan, and they have a limited time to solve it.
An entertaining book, and I do like Holmes and Watson mysteries.
A NetGalley Book.

[Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

When I first saw this title, I immediately begin to squee. I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan! I was under the impression that I could read about these character no matter who has written the story. Well it didn't go as plan in my mind. I found these characters a slight to nicer than the ones I'm familiar with. I found the plot lacking in nefarious or complex dealings.

It didn't have the whodunit I had expected. It was an almost breath of fresh air from the usual circumstances that Holmes and Watson find themselves in. I really couldn't get pass how freaking nice, or respectful Holmes was. Not saying that he isn't always a disrespect, empathy lacking git. Where was his disregard for other? I was able to look passed that. Then it was the introduction to Mary/Irene. I didn't like those characters so confined together. They are two different people in every publication I've read. The big bad in this one was a sure letdown of what we all know of Professor Moriarty.

I did appreciate the author's dialogue, as well his history on the setting. I liked the writing a bit, and I might find myself checking out other publications of his. That was well done chap!

**Special thanks to Netgalley. I received this book in return for an unbiased rating and review**

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest,I like the idea of Holmes more than I do the books, I've always felt they were a bit of a slog...
Not this one,I don't think it the more modern speech either, it just had a lighter air about it, that made it a breeze to read.
A lot of the familiar names in there,Holmes, Watson,Lestrade,Adler, nicely put together.
Holmes mostly seemed normal in this one, except for his infatuation with Adler, which I couldn't decide if was real or not....
Good fun.

[amomentsilence · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/3 Stars. Could have been better, but it wasn't horrible either. That ending was quite abrupt though. The general language and writing structure was fine, with some moments of clunkiness, but overall decent. I doubt I'll be reading it again, though.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your usual Sherlock Holmes! In fact this one falls in love and gets married apparently leaving Watson to do the hard work while Holmes goes swanning about with his lady love. Not really a good read for Conan Doyle fans.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Treva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson taken in by the likes of Irene Adler and Moriarty.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holmes in love? A wedding in the works? Watson as best man? Okay, that last one actually sounds possible, but not the rest. The author takes characters from the original stories and comes up with a totally new plot. The misadventures include the appearance of Irene Adler and Moriarty, but there is no scandal in Bohemia or even an actual encounter with the criminal mastermind. Holmes and Watson have to figure out how a stolen page of sheet music, a murder at the theater, another murder at the museum, forged artwork, a flash mob, and a mysterious railway car all have in common. The events are told from Watson's point of view and he also includes several articles from London newspapers that pertain to the various pieces of the puzzle. The poor doctor is severely frustrated by the distraction from detective work that Sherlock's new love life causes.

Chanot is able to create a story that contains the remarkable ability of Holmes to piece seemingly disparate facts and events together, while at the same time showing a more human and imperfect man. Just imagine Holmes dating, buying flowers, or seemingly passed out in his soup bowl. The whole time one is reading there is the unmistakable feeling that the famous duo are being led on a merry chase and toyed with in a game of cat and mouse. I also appreciated the way the author slipped himself into the story in the character of the violin shop owner.

For all the myriad fans of Holmes in all his incarnations, this is one more to add to their collection. Humor, suspense, mystery (obviously), danger, and romance keep the story moving along quickly and it is over more quickly than expected. I am curious to see if the author will continue with the unanswered questions in a sequel.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Cai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes, originally the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is a consultant who uses logical reasoning and unorthodox methods to assist Scotland Yard in solving crimes. In this tale, Watson narrates as the notorious Professor Moriarty begins to toy with them and the popular Irene Adler.

I love Sherlock Holmes. He is fantastic and brilliant. He is sharp and witty. That is, when he is written by Sir Arthur. At best, this is story is mediocre fan fiction with an element of steam punk. For those who felt there needed to be an actual romance between Holmes and Adler, your wish has been granted.

BUT!! If you are like me, and prefer the characters as they were originally written then this book is not for you. Chanot makes Holmes seem incredibly rude and Watson ridiculously dim-witted. Now I know that Watson is not as smart as Holmes and that Holmes can be arrogant and slightly condescending but something just did not sit right with me when it came to the ultimate fictional bromance. In fact, there wasn’t really any bromance between the two in this book. Holmes was just too infatuated with Adler. In my opinion, Chanot takes the characterization too far.

At times, it felt like the author was trying to hard to replicate the original style. It just wasn’t working. The whole story was just too predictable, losing several points. The original works appealed to me so much because they were unpredictable. You could guess straight away that it would eventuate in either Holmes being framed or being led into a trap of some sort.

I will not hold back. I was disappointed. As a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, I have enjoyed the countless remakes, even when the authors are liberal, but this just didn’t cut the mustard.


I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I noticed about this book was the excellent use of the stilted English found in publications from the late nineteenth century. It is also a book that fits well within the bounds of the Holmes canon. The characters include all of the requisite persons... Holmes and Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, Irene Adler and one or two of the Baker Street Irregulars, and, of course, Moriarity.

I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes... the original tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the various tv shows showing either a classic or modern day Holmes, and the newer body of work by authors today. THE MISADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is Victorian in setting and shows a bit of steampunk as a lady might show a bit of lace. There are no airships or fantastical steam contraptions, but there are some very interesting devices strewn about London.

Giles Chanot gives us a new look at the relationship between Holmes and Miss Adler, as well as how that relationship affects Watson. Modern authors have a rich heritage upon which to build, and when a writer makes full use of it, the result is a story that insinuates itself pretty seamlessly into the canon.

Where Conan Doyle always presented Holmes through the eyes of Watson, THE MISADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is totally written from Watson's point of view. In some respects, it gives a quite different view of Watson.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a classic mystery a la Holmes and Watson.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review.

[Creative Caprice · Rating 2 out of 5]

You would think as a big Sherlock Holmes fan that I'd be the target audience for this book. Unfortunately it failed to live up to my expectations.

Overall the writing was fairly good and the details were faithful to the period, but at times it got a little clunky and disjointed. Without giving anything away, I was not a fan of the ending or the abrupt way in which the story concluded. Nor did I find the ending in keeping with the personalities of the characters as written originally by Conan Doyle.

And I think there's the crux of my issues with this book. Sherlock, Watson, Irene- even Lestrade all differ significantly from their original counterparts. The only one I felt was somewhat faithful to his original diabolical self was Moriarty. I don't have an issue with authors using established characters, but that's the point, they are established already. Deviate too much from their customary traits and for me it just becomes frustrating.

It's too bad because the mystery and plot itself were actually quite well done and engaging. Whenever I could "forget" that it was supposed to be Sherlock Holmes I quite enjoyed reading this book. And I can't help but feel that the author would have been better served taking his plot and ideas and using original characters for it.

If you are unfamiliar with Sherlock Holmes or just want to read a decent historical mystery, this book is likely something you'd enjoy. If you are specifically hoping to return to the world of Sherlock as imagined by Conan Doyle, this is probably not for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
I have always been a huge fan of all things Sherlock, so when I saw the blurb for this book I knew I had to read it.
The story, told from Watson’s point of view and with a faint steampunk vibe includes all the main characters, Adler, Moriarty and Lestrade.
Now it’s been awhile since I last read the book, and maybe Benedict Cumberbatch has influenced my opinion in this, but the Sherlock in this book is too civil in this book for my liking. He’s nice to everyone and is so enamored with Adler that his case solving abilities suffer which was a bit of a let down for me. The reason the original Sherlock and Adler worked so well as a couple was that Sherlock was anti social in the extreme and Adler a rogue charming enough to tempt him. Plus the whole basis of their relationship was a battle of wit and since that aspect was missing in this book I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have.
This being said I did like how all the threads of the mystery were tied together and that little twist at the end is just enough to whet the appetite for the next installment should there be one.
On the whole this was a three star read for me, a good read for anyone who likes Sherlock fan fiction with a twist and don’t mind a departure from the original character sketches.

[Nicol Legakis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes, even a modern Sherlock. But I DON'T like a Holmes whose character deviates so much from Doyle's creation. Unfortunately, that was the case with this story. Holmes, through the eyes of Chanot, is a polite, middle-aged gent who is moon eyed over an actress (enter Irene Adler). So moon eyed, in fact, that he pays no attention to his cases and behaves like a love sick puppy. Yuck!

The plot is convoluted. The vernacular is pretty good with the MAJOR exception that everyone insists on using each other's first names which is inappropriate to the era. The description of a lady in a knee length dress is appalling, and the idea that a single Watson would invite an unmarried lady to travel with him to Paris is shocking. They visit one another alone and in private quarters repeatedly. Tsk, tsk. Has the author no concept as to appropriate behavior during the Victorian era?

I'm sorry to say this was not well done.

**I received a free copy of this from Netgalley for a fair review.

[Paul Franco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sherlock and Watson battle Moriarty, with Sherlock marrying Irene Adler though not knowing whose side she’s on. And John has a girlfriend not named Mary.
First, the characterizations. This sounds like Watson, though he’s a bit more snarky than usual. The problem is this rarely sounds like Sherlock, and definitely doesn’t act like him. Even if he was playing Irene, and there’s no evidence of that at the end, it’s too weird. The wedding reception feels like it’s right out of the series, but other than that I didn’t like this story or the writing very much; I caught myself reading without really reading, just because at some points it got quite boring. The best part was the fun use of the audio wax cylinder, what had to be modern tech for the time.
Ugh, ends in a cliffhanger. . .

[Paul Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this through Netgalley from the publisher for an honest review and opinion.

When I first got this book, I wondered what the title could imply. What it turned out to be was a pretty good book. Told from the perspective of Watson, this is a story about Holmes and Ms Adler. It also brings in the introduction of Progessor M.

Quite an interesting story with cases along the way that then seem to connect together and bring about the whole "master plan".

Do our duo succeed? Well need to read to find out.

Quite a short read but very good and I hope the first of many. Good interplay in the characters, and with watching the BBC adaptation of Holmes and Watson you have to think of that as reading about them in the earlier times.

A good book.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, I was excited when I saw the book, as I love all things Holmes, in all his different actor portrayals and incarnations.

However, Sherlock is not typically so, well, nice. There wasn't the tension between May/Irene and Sherlock that there usually is. Lestrade was such a minor character in this book and Moriarty not nearly as evil and devious. Where was the whodunnit?

That being said, the author wrote well, it read smoothly and I did enjoy it, I was just a bit let down. I wanted to be wowed. I would be willing to read another book by this author.

*Thank you to the author/publisher/netgalley com for the ARC in return for an honest review.*

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you are looking for this to be another book with the same characters from the original by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle you will find them. Irene Adler, Holmes, Sherlock, and Moriarty. But, if you are looking for one great mystery to be solved, for Holmes to be his normal self, for the ending to be smooth and the plotlines to be similar, then this is not where to look.

If you approach this book realizing those things you may find it enjoyable and entertaining, but for die hard fans of the original, you may have a hard time getting through this version.

[Carol Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes. I read all the originals, have watched TV series, and considering all this I could say I'm a fan. I didn't hesitate to snatch this book up and try it out. I enjoyed the story, but the characters are not in character. If you go ahead and adjust to that it gets pretty good. I still enjoyed the mystery/story and I'm not sorry that I read it. It's a reasonably fast read as well.

My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for NetGalley.

This book is a witty and elegantly written Sherlock Holmes novel. All the major characters are present (Moriarity is always in the background, though he never makes a physical appearance), especially Irene Adler. And Sherlock Holmes marries, and loses her.

A very enjoyable Sherlock Holmes novel - Mr. Chanot's humorous take on the logical and rational is very entertaining. A worthwhile read for all Sherlock fans!

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read, had a touch of steampunk about it, in my mind. I did like the twist as it was different to what I expected, which push me into reading it well into the evening. I think Sherlock Holmes fans will get a kick out of it - I certainly did.
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously I knew this wasn't going to be like Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock, exactly, but I had hoped it would be a little more like him? It just didn't feel like Sherlock and Watson to me. Was the story line line good and entertaining? Yes. I don't regret reading it and I do love Sherlock Holmes books, but this just wasn't for me. 3 out of 5 stars.

[Mitesh Shanbhag · Rating 3 out of 5]

nor a story I enjoyed, and a very abrupt ending.