The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade

Sholto Lestrade Mystery #1

by M.J. Trow

It is 1891, and London is still reeling from the horror of the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders when Inspector Sholto Lestrade is sent to the Isle of Wight to investigate a strange corpse found walled up in Shanklin Cline. Lestrade whirls from ballroom and barroom, from vicarage to spiritualist gather, from the studio of the celebrated Alma-Tadema to 221B Baker Street with spell-binding panache.

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

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 1985

About the author

Meirion James Trow is a full-time teacher of history who has been doubling as a crime writer for seventeen years. Originally from Ferndale, Rhondda in South Wales he now lives on the Isle of Wight. His interests include collecting militaria, film, the supernatural and true crime.

Reviews

[Ruth Downie]

The much-maligned Inspector LeStrade (who has actually solved the Ripper murders but gets no credit for it) finally gets a chance to set the record straight - Sherlock Holmes is not the genius we all thought, and Doctor Watson makes things up!

[Anna Catharina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eigentlich null Sterne, denn das war das schlechteste Buch, dass ich seit Ewigkeiten gelesen habe. Der Schreibstil abgehackt, die Handlung sprunghaft und wirr. Dazu Tierquälerei... einfach ein schlechtes Buch.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many pastiches and spin offs featuring the world’s greatest detective, though nothing quite like this, with Sherlock being a minor player of pompous nature, while the much beleagued and made fun of in the books Inspector Lestrade takes the center stage. And that’s the premise and the main gimmick of this book, the first in series, featuring the memorably named Sholto Lestrade as an intrepid crime solver in his own right. The main thing with that is that while Sherlock is a genius, Lestrade is a mere man, so he plods diligently and methodically, lacking panache and pizazz of deductive method and spectacular powers of observation. And so it takes him quite a while to find the serial killer terrorizing London in 1891, all too soon after the Ripper case. And so as a murder mystery it’s a pretty standard serial killer story, murders occur according to child cautionary rhymes and the ending twist is a doozy, not to mention exceptionally progressive for the times. But as a work of fiction it’s a delight, the way the author disposes with Sherlock alone is worth the entire read. But then there’s the use of real life historical figures, woven in pretty cleverly. And it’s surprisingly funny, at times almost laugh out loud so. Made the entire read very…charming. Mind you, there’s plenty of murder and suspense for genre fans, but for me it was all the bonus extras that made the book. Lestrade is the proverbial straight man who isn’t in on the joke, he isn’t well read, he’s terribly serious (although not at all humorless), he’s very dedicated to his job. Not world’s greatest, not even close, but a respectable leading man doing a credible, if not extraordinary, job. This book’s characterization of his doesn’t exactly make one go…oh wow, time to rethink the (fictional) historical accounts, but it’s a clever and interesting twist. The twist that outshines its subject, actually. Thanks Netgalley.

[Roddy Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have worked quite well if the author had taken the time to think through what he wanted the novel to be. It has other serious flaws but in the main one is confused as to whether this is a comic novel, a pastiche or a complex murder mystery.
As a comic novel it fails since the comedy is sporadic and reliant for effect on Carry On style 'double entendre' and cheap puns. It is draining to read since - for one thing - the style of the comedy is far too modern and sits uneasily in a late Victorian setting. Sometimes it hits the nail but most of the time it is just not funny or severely laboured. There is a section where Lestrade meets Oscar Wilde which is particularly painful to read, brief though it is, as it seems it was only included for its comic value.
The basic premise is that Inspector Lestrade (of the Sherlock Holmes tales) is in fact a real Inspector and exists in the real world alongside Holmes, Watson and Conan Doyle. Holmes and Watson are reduced to one-dimensional buffoonish stereotypes, while the rest of the cast struggle to get beyond two dimensions.
Lestrade is tasked with investigating a series of peculiar murders which are based around Hoffman's cautionary verses of Struwellpeter, or Shock Headed Peter.
Lestrade - for no good reason - comes into contact with various famous Victorians, such as Tennyson, Swinburne, The Prince of Wales, Prince Albert Victor (whose presumed homosexuality, like that of Oscar Wilde, is presented to us for no other reason than the author knows all about it and presumes he is telling us things we never knew... Oh, and it gives him the excuse to use the derogatory term for gay men 'cottage loaf' several times) and various others.
The murders themselves are quite preposterous and would be impossible to put into practice in real terms. Had the author taken some time to construct more credible scenarios it might have saved this novel from ruin.
It's not that difficult to work out who the murderer is either, but I'll leave that for you to determine.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my never ending mission to read as many Sherlock Holmes pastiches as I can... we'll try this one!

OK, not bad. Not great, but not bad. This is about Inspector Lestrade, Holmes' main contact at Scotland Yard. In this story, Lestrade is not a buffon, as Conan Doyle sometimes portrays him. I did enjoy the character.

I had a tough time following some of the plot, but it got rolling in the end. And the Struwwelpeter plays a major role (see fertileplots entry about this).

One very odd thing - there are two random sex scenes in this book. Not well done. Not appropriate. Do not fit with the story. No reason for them. Very odd.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although there are many Sherlockian pastiches and spin offs featuring the world’s greatest detective, there is nothing quite like this series: Sholto Lestrade Mysteries. Holmes fans are all familiar with Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard who is famous for his Sherlock Holmes connection. He is well known from the Doyle Canon for coming to the detective for help in some of Lestrade’s more baffling cases. Holmes tends to make fun of the bumbling Lestrade but solves his cases and lets him take the credit. In Trow’s series, Lestrade is a stand-alone character who is a much better inspector than he is in the Doyle.

“The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade” opens as in 1891 shortly after the horrors of the Ripper. Inspector Lestrade is sent to the Isle of Wight to investigate the death of a man who has been walled up in Shanklin Chine. As this is just the start of the random killings, interestingly, one must wonder if there is a serial killer again. I enjoyed the premise of a Lestrade mystery; however, the story did take time to get going. Doyle himself makes an appearance as a somewhat hack writer, a murder suspect, and even a questionable physician. One thing that began to bother me was a sense of humor (comedy?) that seemed to grow throughout the book. Sadly, this detracted from the mystery for me.

[Chris Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent pastiche on Sherlock Holmes. Lots of fun with great Victorians having walk on parts.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 1 out of 5]

The apparent idea of this book - that Lestrade is the great detective and Holmes is simply an attention-seeker whose exploits are largely made up by Watson - was what sold me on it. Unfortunately, Holmes is essentially absent and, by the end of it, I still had no real idea of who Lestrade is, or what he's like because he's so blandly and poorly characterised. Worse still, Trow sees fit to shoe-horn in every late nineteenth century fad (spiritualism predictably plays its part) and celebrity he can possibly think of, all of which ends up feeling numbing, gimmicky and pointless, especially when they're as badly done as a decrepit Tennyson and a not-as-witty-as-you'd-think Wilde (in one of the most needless passages I've ever read). The tone of the book is all over the place, too. After a while, I realised it was meant to be funny. Though this was only after noticing just how many torturous puns were involved. The central mystery, based around Heinrich Hoffman's gruesome children's book 'Struwwelpeter' is preposterously and pleasingly over-the-top but that's not enough to save this. Oh, and finally, to add insult to several other insults, the Kindle edition is littered with distracting and amateurish typos. This is the first book in a series. I won't be reading any of the others.

[Jud Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Lestrade is fresh off the Ripper case when he is once again thrown into the middle of a bizarre mystery. He is called to a murder scene in which the victim was sealed up behind a wall. When he returns to the Yard, he finds a letter on his desk containing an excerpt from a book of poetry, the content of which bears a striking resemblance to the murder scene he just visited. When a second body is discovered and then a third, also followed by peculiar letters, Lestrade knows he is facing a very adept foe. As the body count rises and the pressure to catch the killer mounts, Lestrade will be tested to the very limit of his abilities.

"The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade" by M.J. Trow features not Holmes but a supporting cast member of the Holmes stories, Inspector Sholto Lestrade of Scotland Yard. Although portrayed by Doyle as something of a misfit, Trow allows Lestrade to shine in the way he solves a series of murders without the help of Holmes. I've been a Holmes fan most of my life and thoroughly enjoyed the first entry in this spinoff series. Anyone who enjoys mysteries should check out this series. I give it 4/5 stars.

*A copy of the ebook was the only consideration received for this review.*

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a tale of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard as a stand alone character. Lastrade is famous for his Sherlock Holmes connection. He is known for coming to the detective for help in some of Lestrade’s more baffling cases. Sherlock Holmes always makes fun of the bumbling detective but solves his cases and lets him take the credit, thereby establishing Lestrade’s credentials as a famous Inspector. In this particular story Holmes makes a brief appearance but is in no way part of the narrative or the solution. As Lestrade struggles with a series of murders he is sure he can solve, he accepts a new constable to teach the ropes to and takes on murder after murder with only the wrong conclusions. The story is meant to absolve Lestrade of the contempt of Holmes and show he can do what he needs to do eventually. This makes him less of a hero and more of a laughing stock in the story, as the author intends. This is not a serious mystery but a good read if you are looking for something light and funny.

[Susanne Tz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leider sehr schlechter Schreibstil. Handlungen und Dialoge sind abgehackt, oft weiss man nicht einmal, wer gerade mit wem spricht. Dazu fehlen Zeilenabstände, sodass man nichtmal einen neuen Abschnitt mitkriegt. Lestrade bleibt blass, hat kein Profil, die Morde kommen wie einzelne Kurzgeschichten daher, es kommt daher nicht wirklich Spannung auf. Dazu viel zuviele unwichtige Personen mit möglichst komplizierten Namen und immer wieder Fachausdrücke zu ungeläufigrn Themen. So mühsam, dass man nur noch oberflächlich liest, Details sind eh alle unwichtig. Die Auflösung ist unglaubwürdig. Es hätte von der Grundidee her ein toller Roman werden können, aber die Umsetzung ist schlecht. Cosy Crime ist es auch nicht, allein schon die Sache mit den Tieren...darauf hätte verzichtet werden können.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through this book I told my husband, "This is so weird. Read this scene." After reading it he commented, "It reminds me of P.G. Wodehouse." I was like, "No way." But I guess after reading other reviews, I see that the book was meant to be humorous? Rather gruesome humor, if so. Definitely don't read this for the mystery plot. It's totally meandering and seems kinda pointless.

I was thinking maybe this suffered from first in series syndrome, but reviews of other books don't make me feel hopeful, so I won't read any further.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It all started in 1891 when Inspector Lestrade is sent to the Isle of Wight. There he investigates the death of a man who has been walled up in Shanklin Chine. But this is just the start of the random killings. Is there a serial killer stalking England.
Interesting mystery which did take it take time to get going, but there were moments when I felt it was verging towards a comedic story which I believe let it down.
A NetGalley Book

[Tamsin Ramone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was actually quite entertaining but as a Sherlock Holmes fan I couldn't like his portrayal of Holmes or Watson or their relationship. The only reason I read this book is because of it's Sherlock connections. After reading it I think it does stand up on its own as a good old fashioned who dun it but if you love Sherlock Holmes be prepared to get a bit shirty.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about the exploits of Holmes' contemporaries - first Moriarty now Lestrade.

Finally the Inspector gets his own place in the sun, and Holmes is relegated to the shadows.

MJ Trow is one of my favourite authors - so I am looking forward to more.

[David Highton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent idea to create a book elevating the character of Lestrade from the Sherlock Holmes book, also waeving in the Holmes and Watson and Conan Doyle characters - however, a complex plot, a slow moving pace and quite poor attempst at comic interludes made this a frustrating book to read.

[Kate Sheldon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a hard time following the story since it jumped around rather than flowing. I continued in spite of this until I got to animal torture. After 40 pages, I decided this is not a book I want to read. I am disappointed since first in a series. I was hoping I'd like it.

[Cherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just not into spin-offs. I tried but... just not my thing.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Just too twee. Lestrade talks to many members of British history but doesn’t solve one mystery he has come across. At least not in the first hundred pages.

[Maxie Froelicher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually 2.5 stars but it was not great

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK mystery read about a London investigator in the 19th century . Would read another.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sholto Lestrade was much smarter than Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson put together. At least, that is the premise of this delightful series of books—part detective novel and part historical fiction. For fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the revisionist version of the Holmes legend would be damnable heresy. Doyle himself makes an appearance as a hack writer, murder suspect, and questionable physician. If I were casting the part for a BBC series, it would be tremendously tempting to cast a younger Stephen Fry in the role with occasional cameos by his old comedy partner, Hugh Laurie, as “The Great Detective.”

This mystery could just as easily have been entitled “The Struwwelpeter Murders” as the theme running through the recounted events are laboriously tied to a series of bizarre, sometimes macabre, children’s rhymes by Henrich Hoffman. (I’m told that a reference to these rhymes appeared about three years ago on an episode of Family Guy.) In an homage to the Jack the Ripper case, Lestrade keeps getting notes in doggerel that tie the murders to Der Struwwelpeter, a doggerel that allows Lestrade to interview the unbalanced poet, Algernon Charles Swinburne ("Death, if thou wilt, fain would I plead with thee: / Canst thou not spare, of all our hopes have built, / One shelter where our spirits fain would be / Death, if thou wilt?").

As with Swinburne, some of the most delightful (and comic moments) in this mystery are tied to cameo appearances by well-known personalities of the time: General William Booth of the Salvation Army, Swinburne, Doyle, and others. And, as with any historical novel, some of the joy is found in the detail where public works projects have begun, reform efforts are taking place, and advances in technology (in this case, forensics) haven’t caught up with the institutions which need them. Most particularly, I enjoy the characterization of the literary efforts—not just Doyle’s The Strand, but the ridicule dumped on the Metropolitan Police by Punch and the news organs of the time.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

****Contains possible spoilers***

I am a fan of the original Sherlock Holmes books, and have read and enjoyed several pastiches, parodies, and immitations. I am not sure if this is supposed to be a pastiche or a parody. I felt all the characters were less than three dimensional, and was a little peeved at the depiction of Holmes - fortunately he only appeared in passing. As did several other historical characters, often for reasons which escaped me. Characters with the same name as other fictional detectives also made fleeting entrances. All very clever if you like that sort of thing - I prefer a bit more originality.

The story itself was entertaining enough. The murders are based on stories from Struwwelpeter (a book I remember well from my childhood) and part of the hook for me was in seeing how the murderer would interpret the stories. But I figured out quite early on that these were random killings - either to hide one murder in among several others (as in the ABC Murders), or by a psychopath intent on bringing the Struwwelpeter book to life. I had hoped for a more unexpected denouement than the one provided.

But my main gripe was in the number of typos and other errors throughout the text. On one page Lestrade is told he has been in a comma for three days. "Two days" he exclaims ... I know of several proofreaders who would be glad of the work!

I downloaded this to my Kindle reader when it was on offer for free. I don't feel inclined to buy any more in the series.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It is 1891 and London is still reeling from the horror of the Ripper murders when Inspector Lestrade is sent to the Isle of Wight to investigate a strange corpse walled up in Shanklin Chine. But this is only the start of the nightmare – the first in a series of killings so brutal, so bizarre and apparently so random that only a warped genius (and a master of disguise) could be responsible."

This is very entertaining if you don't take it too seriously. I enjoyed the plot apart from mercifully brief paragraphs about animal abuse - nothing too graphic but still and it was interesting how the author worked (the real) Conan Doyle and (the fictional) Holmes & Watson into the story. The humour was dry, sarcastic, and slightly ribald in places, which of course being British, appeals to me. Will definitely be reading the next in the series. Rating: 4 stars

[Helen Sews-Knits · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is bad, really really bad. I actually wrote a massive review as I went along with lots of notes and points about how it felt like fan fiction with gratuitous cameo appearances from too many famous figures, the ones with Swinburne and Wilde were just awful, and that it would have worked much better with the Holmes, Watson and Conan Doyle stuff taken out and the character of Lestrade changed slightly so he was a new Victorian detective. I'm not a Sherlock Holmes purest but trust me if you are you will be incandescent with rage before you hit chapter 2.

I wrote all this because it looked like it had a decent plot that was going places and that even with all of this it was a book worth reading, but then *that* last chapter happened and the whole book just bought the farm. Avoid.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly but very entertaining pastiche revolving around the much maligned inspector Lestrade from the Sherlock Holmes books, (who incidentally makes only 13 appearances in them) despite being featured as the buffoon in most adaptations. In this version Lestrade is clever but clumsy, walking into doors and having the occasional piece of military equipment run over his toes. There are notable appearances by Conan Doyle who keeps complaining about the lack of interest in his serious writings when all everyone wants to read about is Holmes, and Holmes and Watson themselves as well as a geriatric Tennyson. I read many of these years ago and was pleased to discover they are available digitally now so I can read the whole series.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

The period prose and references make it a bit difficult to follow at times unless you're well acquainted with 19th century England (which I'm not, especially), but I found this a fun Victorian murder mystery. In this first book of a series, Lestrade is the protagonist. He's still a bit of a bumbler, certainly not a genius, but he's not a complete dunce. Holmes and Watson, on the other hand, are portrayed as detective wannabes, although they only appear as peripheral characters. At the end of this whodunit, I still was unsure who done it. I had three candidates. The culprit did turn out to be one of them. I can recommend this for original Holmes fans and others who might like a light read in the tradition of the old serials.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled on this one at the library. There was a lot in here that I appreciated - the irony was well done and very enjoyable. The appearances of real historical figures was fun and accurate, for the most part. I liked the twist on the classic vision of Holmes and Watson. But the violence was really over the top. Besides that, I couldn't believe how long it took Lestrade to solve these crimes. I had figured out the murderer after the second or third death. Instead it takes him to the very end, after 11 people are dead! I won't reread and I won't read more in the series.

[Harriet Steel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Victorian pastiche, written from the point of view of Inspector Lestrade of Sherlock Holmes fame, is based on an amusing conceit. The murders follow the stories of the cautionary tales for children, Straw Peter. The author takes the opportunity to bring in a host of Victorian people, fictional or real but to me, that sometimes made the plot feel disjointed. What really spoiled my enjoyment though was the heavy - handed humour. Comic writing is hard I know, but I'm afraid I won't try another of these. George Mac Donald Fraser's Flash man books are far more fun.