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Sherlock Holmes Adventures #2
Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein
A darkly supernatural case for the famed crime-solving duo, Holmes and Watson.
Professor Van Helsing is in town visiting the Royal Society to discuss the phenomenon of vampires. A horrifying encounter with something seemingly beyond this world convinces the once sceptical Holmes of the danger Helsing's foes pose.
Inspector Lestrade, however, has bigger problems for Holmes — there have been murders on Hampstead Heath and there is heightened talk of a strange phantom lady. The chilling discovery that awaits them on the Heath leads them back to Devon and the bleak terrain of Dartmoor.
The nightmare that is the tangled skein is now in full force. Their investigation will bring them to the true embodiment of evil, the most powerful vampire of all.
David Stuart Davies is one of Britain’s leading Sherlockian writers. He was the editor of Sherlock Holmes the Detective Magazine, and is the author of several Holmes novels, the hit play Sherlock The Last Act , and an acclaimed biography of Jeremy Brett. He is also an advisor to Granada Studios’ Sherlock Holmes museum, and he contributed commentaries to the DVD releases of the Basil Rathbone Holmes films.
Professor Van Helsing is in town visiting the Royal Society to discuss the phenomenon of vampires. A horrifying encounter with something seemingly beyond this world convinces the once sceptical Holmes of the danger Helsing's foes pose.
Inspector Lestrade, however, has bigger problems for Holmes — there have been murders on Hampstead Heath and there is heightened talk of a strange phantom lady. The chilling discovery that awaits them on the Heath leads them back to Devon and the bleak terrain of Dartmoor.
The nightmare that is the tangled skein is now in full force. Their investigation will bring them to the true embodiment of evil, the most powerful vampire of all.
David Stuart Davies is one of Britain’s leading Sherlockian writers. He was the editor of Sherlock Holmes the Detective Magazine, and is the author of several Holmes novels, the hit play Sherlock The Last Act , and an acclaimed biography of Jeremy Brett. He is also an advisor to Granada Studios’ Sherlock Holmes museum, and he contributed commentaries to the DVD releases of the Basil Rathbone Holmes films.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
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253 people want to read
About the author
David Stuart Davies
184 books141 followersDavid Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 31, 2012
A few times on GR I have come across those wonderful reviews where people have had celebrity fights between Jane Austen and Hamlet or Alice in Wonderland and Little Nell etc. They always make me laugh and show me again adn again how clever Goodreads reviewers can be. David Stuart Davies wrote this story in 1992 so long before those reviews began to appear but I am not quite certain whether his novel was an extended ahead of the game celebrity death-match in which Holmes and Dracula slug it out or whether it is a genuine attempt to bring two great characters together in one story.
In an anthor's note at the beginning he relates how he has come into possession of Watson's journal and from this he has fleshed out the novel we now read. Holmes and Dr Watson struggle through myth, scepticism and confusion as they encounter, battle with and ultimately defeat the Lord of the Undead. Throwing into the mix, none too believably, the miraculously escaped Hound of the Baskerville trainer Dr Stapleton who didn't actually drown in Grimpen Mire the first time, a guest appearance by Dr Van Helsing himself, assorted Brides of Dracula and the normal Inspector LeStrade and Mrs Hudson, the story trundles along at a merry old pace and though there is a tendency for the breathless ' and with one leap he was free' type plot movements it is quite fun.
Davies hs captured the wonderfully clipped and sometimes understated prose of the supposed narrative style of Dr Watson:
'I confess I was somewhat dsmayed by Holmes' casual attitude to the threat hanging over him.......I felt he was being most remiss in not attempting to track down his would-be murderer'
I love that. How stiff-upper-lippy can you get.
The whole thing is quite nutty and odd but was fun, took very little time to read and succeeded in capturing, if not perfectly then quite adequately, Conan Doyle's atmospheric writing. Davies does heartily enjoy the whole decapitation aspect of de-powering vampires and I would not enter a woodshed wth him for all the tea in china for if you do, you are likely to see a good deal more than could ever have affrighted Great Aunt Ada Doom. (Actually there is a death match; Ada Doom and Flora Poste versus Dr Stapleton adn the Hound of the Baskervilles)
Dr Watson's inability to stop opening cupboards or leaning to close to Brides of Dracula or even, for the love of God, opening coffins from which he hears pleas for help does get a little ridiculous. I mean for crying out loud John, you have o'levels and everything; think man think.
'This was no unfortunate cruelly imprisoned by our enemies; I had been tricked, this was a blood-lusting vampire'....oh really, who would ever have thought it.
Nevertheless having read it I am still not 100% certain whether i am supposed to have taken it seriously or tongue in cheekly. It is a bit gory, a bit atmospheric, a bit literary and has a good deal of sad eye stuff over frail and fading young ladies but it is fun. Oh and there is a dwarf, I almost forgot the dwarf and then there is a wonderfully silly guest apearance right towards the end as the Count gets his comeuppance, by a crossover character from a previous story.
I won't say read it and weep but if you are a little precious about your classics this might not be to your taste. The whole wonder of Holmes' cases are they are all explicable in the world of logic and reason, the whole wonder of Bram Stoker's creation is he is far beyond reason. Does Davies succeed in marrying the two; imo, if it is a serious work then no but if it is a gentle spoof/homage then perhaps.
In an anthor's note at the beginning he relates how he has come into possession of Watson's journal and from this he has fleshed out the novel we now read. Holmes and Dr Watson struggle through myth, scepticism and confusion as they encounter, battle with and ultimately defeat the Lord of the Undead. Throwing into the mix, none too believably, the miraculously escaped Hound of the Baskerville trainer Dr Stapleton who didn't actually drown in Grimpen Mire the first time, a guest appearance by Dr Van Helsing himself, assorted Brides of Dracula and the normal Inspector LeStrade and Mrs Hudson, the story trundles along at a merry old pace and though there is a tendency for the breathless ' and with one leap he was free' type plot movements it is quite fun.
Davies hs captured the wonderfully clipped and sometimes understated prose of the supposed narrative style of Dr Watson:
'I confess I was somewhat dsmayed by Holmes' casual attitude to the threat hanging over him.......I felt he was being most remiss in not attempting to track down his would-be murderer'
I love that. How stiff-upper-lippy can you get.
The whole thing is quite nutty and odd but was fun, took very little time to read and succeeded in capturing, if not perfectly then quite adequately, Conan Doyle's atmospheric writing. Davies does heartily enjoy the whole decapitation aspect of de-powering vampires and I would not enter a woodshed wth him for all the tea in china for if you do, you are likely to see a good deal more than could ever have affrighted Great Aunt Ada Doom. (Actually there is a death match; Ada Doom and Flora Poste versus Dr Stapleton adn the Hound of the Baskervilles)
Dr Watson's inability to stop opening cupboards or leaning to close to Brides of Dracula or even, for the love of God, opening coffins from which he hears pleas for help does get a little ridiculous. I mean for crying out loud John, you have o'levels and everything; think man think.
'This was no unfortunate cruelly imprisoned by our enemies; I had been tricked, this was a blood-lusting vampire'....oh really, who would ever have thought it.
Nevertheless having read it I am still not 100% certain whether i am supposed to have taken it seriously or tongue in cheekly. It is a bit gory, a bit atmospheric, a bit literary and has a good deal of sad eye stuff over frail and fading young ladies but it is fun. Oh and there is a dwarf, I almost forgot the dwarf and then there is a wonderfully silly guest apearance right towards the end as the Count gets his comeuppance, by a crossover character from a previous story.
I won't say read it and weep but if you are a little precious about your classics this might not be to your taste. The whole wonder of Holmes' cases are they are all explicable in the world of logic and reason, the whole wonder of Bram Stoker's creation is he is far beyond reason. Does Davies succeed in marrying the two; imo, if it is a serious work then no but if it is a gentle spoof/homage then perhaps.
December 5, 2016
When it comes to Sherlock Holmes I must admit that I am only really a fan of stories written by Conan Doyle himself. Over many years I have been constantly disappointed by authors attempts to bring the great detective to life. There have occasionally been rare treats, such as Art In The Blood by Bonnie MacBird, but these are few and far between. So here I was setting out to read Sherlock Holmes Vs Dracula in The Tangled Skein after being recommended it (thanks, Rich!) with some trepidation. What a surprise it was to be. The story is a worthy sequel to The Hound Of The Baskervilles and also sees Holmes & Watson battle the legendary vampire Count Dracula. There are a few minor criticisms, such as the author making Watson a little too much like Nigel Bruce's bumbling screen interpretation, rather than Doyle's original creation. That aside it's a great story & includes a wonderful introduction by the late great Peter Cushing, not only an authority on Holmes but probably the only actor to play Holmes & Van Helsing in some fantastic old Hammer films. As an aside, David Stuart Davies is also the author of the excllent factual book Starring Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps it's now time to get my copies of Hammer Studio's Dracula & The Hound Of The Baskervilles off the shelves & give them yet another viewing.
December 1, 2008
Sherlock Holmes vs Dracula.
A very brief synopsis that made me wonder how seriously to take this book (though it was a relief after Dombey & Son). Do people really take the ancillary fiction of major characters seriously? (And I know that with Sherlock Holmes there is a lot.) Is this not something I might have seen in a Scooby Doo episode once upon a time? Thinking about it, isn't there actually a film with the same idea?
To be fair the book is a gripping, if undemanding lead. It functions as a sequel to Hound of the Baskervilles, with Holmes and Watson returning to Devon to fight the Transylvanian count.
Davies does capture Conan Doyle's spirit very well, and actually does a credible job with both main characters (although I am with Chandler in thinking that Holmes is more some snappy dialogue and an attitude, than a real rounded character.) My problem is more with Dracula who is more sketched in than rounded out, and seemed quite Bela Lugosi for my tastes. (Although it is a long time since I've read Stoker's book so maybe it is actually very accurate.)
Not the most brilliant book you will ever read, and there are probably novels that do more intersting things with Holmes (or Dracula for that matter) but a perfectly entertaining afternoon's read.
A very brief synopsis that made me wonder how seriously to take this book (though it was a relief after Dombey & Son). Do people really take the ancillary fiction of major characters seriously? (And I know that with Sherlock Holmes there is a lot.) Is this not something I might have seen in a Scooby Doo episode once upon a time? Thinking about it, isn't there actually a film with the same idea?
To be fair the book is a gripping, if undemanding lead. It functions as a sequel to Hound of the Baskervilles, with Holmes and Watson returning to Devon to fight the Transylvanian count.
Davies does capture Conan Doyle's spirit very well, and actually does a credible job with both main characters (although I am with Chandler in thinking that Holmes is more some snappy dialogue and an attitude, than a real rounded character.) My problem is more with Dracula who is more sketched in than rounded out, and seemed quite Bela Lugosi for my tastes. (Although it is a long time since I've read Stoker's book so maybe it is actually very accurate.)
Not the most brilliant book you will ever read, and there are probably novels that do more intersting things with Holmes (or Dracula for that matter) but a perfectly entertaining afternoon's read.
May 4, 2024
Not the best of Holmes pastiches. It reads pretty well and is never boring, but the Holmes/Watson aspect is rather stilted and seems cut and pasted out of a few Doyle-Holmes stories. Mostly this is a pastiche of the Bram Stoker Dracula story with Holmes (and some bits from The Hound of the Baskervilles) cut into the plot. A fine airplane read, or somewhere else where concentration is a challenge. I think the attraction might be more for fans of vampire stories (though they might view it as more for fans of Sherlockian stories).
October 19, 2019
And now I pass on to another thread which I have extricated out of the tangled skein, the mystery of the sobs in the night, of the tear-stained face of Mrs. Barrymore, of the secret journey of the butler to the western lattice window. (The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 9)
It is the autumn of 1888. Following the successful conclusion of the investigation into the affair of the Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have returned from Dartmoor, little realising that fate will see them back in Devon before the year is out.
At Baker Street Holmes receives a potentially lethal package, the first strand in ‘the tangled skein’, which he will need to unravel before this new adventure is resolved. There is a threat to Holmes' life and strange murders on Hampstead Heath which lead Holmes and Watson into the most dangerous investigation they have ever undertaken. As part of their investigations of the Hampstead Heath deaths they meet Professor Van Helsing, who is in town visiting the Royal Society to discuss the phenomenon of vampires.
Though sceptical, Holmes and Watson are convinced by their meeting with van Helsing and their encounter with a strange phantom lady on Hampstead Heath to return to Devon and the bleak terrain of Dartmoor.
The nightmare that is the tangled skein is now in full force. Their investigation will bring them to the true embodiment of evil, the most powerful vampire of all - Count Dracula, the Lord of the Undead.
This is a great find to start my Halloween reads this year. First published in 1995, this meeting of the world’s most famous detective and the world’s most famous vampire manages to combine the Victorian murk of gaslit streets and foggy bogs with the Gothic chill of the undead.
Although it is short – at 170-ish pages, more of a novella than a novel – it has the feel of a Conan Doyle story, but with a little something extra. It probably helps that it is written by David Stuart Davies, who is regarded as one of Britain’s leading experts on Sherlock Holmes. He uses his knowledge to embody the tone and style of a tale written by Arthur Conan Doyle.
There’s lots of little touches that feel real – the description of the detective, the dialogue, Holmes’ actions and mannerisms, even down to the descriptions of food and places that he and Watson encounter, for example. It also helps that the story builds on the original timeline created by Sir Arthur by setting the tale immediately after The Hound of the Baskervilles. Not only is this a return to one of Sir Arthur’s most famous stories, which readers will appreciate, but it is also relevant to this story.
The big lure, of course, is that Davies manages to show us what would happen when the principal of rational, clinical analysis meets something that is decidedly un-rational. What would the master of criminal investigation make of something – or someone - that defies logic? It is something that clearly affects Holmes and the author is careful to show that events here do not have a simple solution, nor leave the detective unchanged. The skill of the writer is that he makes Holmes’ response feel correct, and that all of the characters react and respond as readers of Conan Doyle’s original tales would expect them to.
At the same time, Davies’ reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s main creation is also closer to Stoker’s version than that of Hammer Horror’s Christopher Lee – although I must admit that the iconic image of Mr. Lee as the titular Count still appeared in my imagination whilst reading. Dracula is undoubtedly evil but also intelligent, if arrogant, and it is this that is his undoing in the end. Some readers may be a little disappointed that Van Helsing has a minor role in the novella, perhaps less than I expected, though it is important. However, it makes sense – could Holmes share the spotlight with someone else? Davies makes the right decision to move van Helsing away from the action once his experience has been used by Holmes and Watson.
Whilst Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein is obviously an homage to the original tales, a pastiche written in honour of the original author and his characters, it is not a minor effort. Instead, it is one of quality, written with knowledge, skill and love. This is a story that manages to generate the odd chill along the way, and the detail of what could happen when two literary icons meet is worth the time with this story alone.
It is a great start to my Halloween reads this year.
It is the autumn of 1888. Following the successful conclusion of the investigation into the affair of the Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have returned from Dartmoor, little realising that fate will see them back in Devon before the year is out.
At Baker Street Holmes receives a potentially lethal package, the first strand in ‘the tangled skein’, which he will need to unravel before this new adventure is resolved. There is a threat to Holmes' life and strange murders on Hampstead Heath which lead Holmes and Watson into the most dangerous investigation they have ever undertaken. As part of their investigations of the Hampstead Heath deaths they meet Professor Van Helsing, who is in town visiting the Royal Society to discuss the phenomenon of vampires.
Though sceptical, Holmes and Watson are convinced by their meeting with van Helsing and their encounter with a strange phantom lady on Hampstead Heath to return to Devon and the bleak terrain of Dartmoor.
The nightmare that is the tangled skein is now in full force. Their investigation will bring them to the true embodiment of evil, the most powerful vampire of all - Count Dracula, the Lord of the Undead.
This is a great find to start my Halloween reads this year. First published in 1995, this meeting of the world’s most famous detective and the world’s most famous vampire manages to combine the Victorian murk of gaslit streets and foggy bogs with the Gothic chill of the undead.
Although it is short – at 170-ish pages, more of a novella than a novel – it has the feel of a Conan Doyle story, but with a little something extra. It probably helps that it is written by David Stuart Davies, who is regarded as one of Britain’s leading experts on Sherlock Holmes. He uses his knowledge to embody the tone and style of a tale written by Arthur Conan Doyle.
There’s lots of little touches that feel real – the description of the detective, the dialogue, Holmes’ actions and mannerisms, even down to the descriptions of food and places that he and Watson encounter, for example. It also helps that the story builds on the original timeline created by Sir Arthur by setting the tale immediately after The Hound of the Baskervilles. Not only is this a return to one of Sir Arthur’s most famous stories, which readers will appreciate, but it is also relevant to this story.
The big lure, of course, is that Davies manages to show us what would happen when the principal of rational, clinical analysis meets something that is decidedly un-rational. What would the master of criminal investigation make of something – or someone - that defies logic? It is something that clearly affects Holmes and the author is careful to show that events here do not have a simple solution, nor leave the detective unchanged. The skill of the writer is that he makes Holmes’ response feel correct, and that all of the characters react and respond as readers of Conan Doyle’s original tales would expect them to.
At the same time, Davies’ reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s main creation is also closer to Stoker’s version than that of Hammer Horror’s Christopher Lee – although I must admit that the iconic image of Mr. Lee as the titular Count still appeared in my imagination whilst reading. Dracula is undoubtedly evil but also intelligent, if arrogant, and it is this that is his undoing in the end. Some readers may be a little disappointed that Van Helsing has a minor role in the novella, perhaps less than I expected, though it is important. However, it makes sense – could Holmes share the spotlight with someone else? Davies makes the right decision to move van Helsing away from the action once his experience has been used by Holmes and Watson.
Whilst Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein is obviously an homage to the original tales, a pastiche written in honour of the original author and his characters, it is not a minor effort. Instead, it is one of quality, written with knowledge, skill and love. This is a story that manages to generate the odd chill along the way, and the detail of what could happen when two literary icons meet is worth the time with this story alone.
It is a great start to my Halloween reads this year.
February 14, 2009
In this case, Holmes and Watson battle Count Dracula and his local minions in London and Dartmoor. The author Davies has a good hand at writing new adventures for the great detective, but this is not one of his (nor Holmes') better outings. It's not even the best version of the Holmes vs. Dracula story I've read (I preferred Loren Estleman's "Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula: The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count") . Everyone involved in "The Tangled Skein"-- Holmes, Watson, Van Helsing, even the evil Count himself-- seem to be slower, dimmer shadows of themselves and the book plods as a result. It doesn't help that it takes almost a third of the book before the plot starts to deal with Dracula and vampires directly. I would recommend Davies' "Sherlock Holmes and the Hentzau Affair" (which puts Holmes in the milieu of Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda" books) above this one.
January 26, 2014
A supernatural Sherlock Holmes adventure or Sherlock Holmes vs. vampires. I think I would've preferred the story without the paranormal twist, if it were just some clever scheme to make it look like a vampire attack. As it was, the the book was a bit of a disappointment for me. Wonderfully done as are all Big Finish's audio dramas, but the story itself... I mean, how can you take it seriously when they spout, in an overly dramatic voice, "Count Dracula!" LOL
October 15, 2014
I kept reading hoping it would be a typical Holmes mystery, yet it turned into a sci-fi book with a paranormal plot. I was disappointed there was no clever explanation/resolve to the story. If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, I wouldn't suggest this book. If you like vampire-centered plots...this would be ok.
September 4, 2013
Not bad, I preferred Estlemans' take on the Holmes/Dracula scenario.
December 23, 2013
Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula. The concept practically writes itself. Nothing memorable about this book.
February 15, 2015
4.5 stars. Interesting worlds colliding! Great fun.
May 15, 2019
This book was gathering dust on my bookshelf and I cannot believe I waited ‘til now to read it! I am usually a fan of mystery and detective related books and it is a wonder how I didn’t pick up Sherlock Holmes ‘til now. I believe it may be because of the egoistic male vibe Holmes gives out, hah.
This book is the second book in the series; it talks about Holmes’ encounter with the phantom lady and the infamous Dracula and how Holmes escaped death several times (this shouldn’t be a spoiler alert because come on, if Holmes dies then the series end). If you want a short read that is entertaining and keeps you on your toes, this book is for you.
This book is the second book in the series; it talks about Holmes’ encounter with the phantom lady and the infamous Dracula and how Holmes escaped death several times (this shouldn’t be a spoiler alert because come on, if Holmes dies then the series end). If you want a short read that is entertaining and keeps you on your toes, this book is for you.
December 5, 2024
This is Sherlock Holmes versus Dracula without being campy, so it's quite an achievement. I was reading stories from the Canon just prior to this novel, and there was not a jarring transition. So far David Stuart Davies is my favorite out of the (limited) number of Holmes pastiches I've read. Let me amend that. He's a tie with Basil Copper's Solar Pons.
The edition that I'm reading is the 1995 Calabash Press hardcover, but it has a different jacket than shown, one that's not in the database. These Calabash (Ash Tree) books are really nice.
I would recommend this book to anybody. It's a good read.
The edition that I'm reading is the 1995 Calabash Press hardcover, but it has a different jacket than shown, one that's not in the database. These Calabash (Ash Tree) books are really nice.
I would recommend this book to anybody. It's a good read.
August 30, 2024
This is a fun Holmes adventure for anyone who is a fan of his or Dracula. The plot is easy to follow and acts as a back door sequal to the Hound of Baskervillie which is interesting! My big critique for this novel is how far it strays away from the source novel Dracula. It is a completely different story. That being said it is a fun original work and anyone who is a fan of holmes should check it out!
January 14, 2025
I listened and enjoyed a dramatisation of this story - as I've recorded elsewhere on Goodreads. Sadly, this Audible straightforward reading isn't as enjoyable. The Narrator, David Ian Davies, does his best to provide the necessary oomph, but there's something missing for me.
I just kept thinking "Get on with it" whenever a problem was encountered. Not the reaction that the author, narrator nor Audible want. 3/10
I just kept thinking "Get on with it" whenever a problem was encountered. Not the reaction that the author, narrator nor Audible want. 3/10
February 14, 2019
A Spectral Beast is haunting the moor - and this time it isn't a hound
This is a crossover book combining Sherlock Holmes with characters of another author. A nice touch is the introduction by the late great Peter Cushing who I remember as Holmes from 1968, and doubly qualified by one of his legendary film roles.
This is a crossover book combining Sherlock Holmes with characters of another author. A nice touch is the introduction by the late great Peter Cushing who I remember as Holmes from 1968, and doubly qualified by one of his legendary film roles.
October 19, 2021
Fine interpretation of the Holmes and Watson stories.
I do like a good Sherlock Holmes story. I have quite a few with varying degrees of success.
The cross over was a good idea and worked well.
The story moved along at a cracking pace and wasn't over long.
All in all I really enjoyed it.
I do like a good Sherlock Holmes story. I have quite a few with varying degrees of success.
The cross over was a good idea and worked well.
The story moved along at a cracking pace and wasn't over long.
All in all I really enjoyed it.
August 8, 2017
Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula with a good link to another seemingly supernatural adventure. There is a bit of me that squeaks at he febrile you supernatural in Holmes ; are they compatible ? Well dove though if melodramatic
July 3, 2020
As good as the original? Not quite but passable
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Davies did a very decent job, in my humble opinion, recreating the Holmes’s atmospheric plot with Count Dracula thrown in - and why not!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Davies did a very decent job, in my humble opinion, recreating the Holmes’s atmospheric plot with Count Dracula thrown in - and why not!
May 18, 2021
Frighteningly impressive
The feel of this is pure ACD, very well written by David Stuart Davies a really dramatic and compelling tale.
It did lack a small something of the master sleuth's ingenuity but it also bookended the Baskerville story quite brilliantly.
The feel of this is pure ACD, very well written by David Stuart Davies a really dramatic and compelling tale.
It did lack a small something of the master sleuth's ingenuity but it also bookended the Baskerville story quite brilliantly.
May 23, 2021
David Stuart Davis
Extremely well written if I had not known differently I would have been fooled into thinking this was written by Conan Doyle. I am no going to read the other books written by David S D . Thank you
Extremely well written if I had not known differently I would have been fooled into thinking this was written by Conan Doyle. I am no going to read the other books written by David S D . Thank you
September 16, 2021
Ever tried to convince the most logical mind in the world to believe in the most irrational concept? Even mighty Holmes isn't spared. It's the best remedy to cure the hangover left from the Hound of the Baskervilles.
February 20, 2020
Sherlock Holmes and Vlad Dracula in one novel! Interesting!
November 4, 2021
Count Dracula in a Sherlock Holmes story! Seriously???I kept waiting for there to be some trick, but nooo! That’s what this story is about. No thank you.
March 20, 2016
Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by David Stuart Davies (http://www.davidstuartdavies.co.uk/home). Mr. Davies has published more than a dozen novels, with this being his sixth Sherlock Holmes novel.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The novel is set in 1888 London and surrounding areas.
The primary characters are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. This is a follow on to the well known Hound of the Baskervilles story. While not involving any of the Baskervilles directly, it does primarily take place in that area of England.
An odd package arrives at 221B Baker St. and it turns out to be a device intended to kill Sherlock Holmes. This prompts Holmes to investigate its origin. Inspector Lestrade comes to ask for Holmes and Watson to help with murders that have happened on Hampstead Heath. These deaths seem somehow tied to a strange phantom lady seen in the area at night.
The investigation take a turn for the paranormal when Holmes and Watson, while pursuing the phantom lady, are rescued by Professor Van Helsing. It is his theory that the phantom lady is a vampire. Not only that, but that Count Dracula has come to England to create a local vampire colony.
As expected Holmes and Watson are skeptical of Van Helsing’s claims and continue with their investigation. That leads them to the area of the Baskerville home and their attempt to save a young woman from falling to an evil illness. Watson and Holmes face danger and death more than once in this tale of mystery, facing one of their most clever adversaries.
This was a quick read taking less than five hours for me to complete this 192 page novel. It was a well written story and matches the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I somewhat regret reading it only because the genre (vampires) is really outside my interest area. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The novel is set in 1888 London and surrounding areas.
The primary characters are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. This is a follow on to the well known Hound of the Baskervilles story. While not involving any of the Baskervilles directly, it does primarily take place in that area of England.
An odd package arrives at 221B Baker St. and it turns out to be a device intended to kill Sherlock Holmes. This prompts Holmes to investigate its origin. Inspector Lestrade comes to ask for Holmes and Watson to help with murders that have happened on Hampstead Heath. These deaths seem somehow tied to a strange phantom lady seen in the area at night.
The investigation take a turn for the paranormal when Holmes and Watson, while pursuing the phantom lady, are rescued by Professor Van Helsing. It is his theory that the phantom lady is a vampire. Not only that, but that Count Dracula has come to England to create a local vampire colony.
As expected Holmes and Watson are skeptical of Van Helsing’s claims and continue with their investigation. That leads them to the area of the Baskerville home and their attempt to save a young woman from falling to an evil illness. Watson and Holmes face danger and death more than once in this tale of mystery, facing one of their most clever adversaries.
This was a quick read taking less than five hours for me to complete this 192 page novel. It was a well written story and matches the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I somewhat regret reading it only because the genre (vampires) is really outside my interest area. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
May 22, 2016
When a device arrives at 221B Baker Street that was meant to kill him, Sherlock Holmes sets out to investigate. He is captured by an old adversary from an earlier case whom he had long thought dead. At the same time, a woman arrives at Baker Street and tells Watson that Holmes is walking into a trap. Fortunately, Inspector Lestrade shows up right after she leaves to ask for his aid in solving some very strange deaths and he and Watson are able to rescue Holmes.
Lestrade’s case involves some very unusual murders linked to a phantom woman who is only seen at night. What particularly interests Holmes is the proximity of the deaths to Baskerville Hall. As he and Watson investigate, they meet the famous vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing who tells them that Count Dracula has taken up residence somewhere in England and suggests this may have some bearing on their case. Holmes and Watson are, not surprisingly, somewhat skeptical of this claim but the more they investigate, the more they are convinced that he is right, especially after they encounter the woman. And the more they investigate, the more it seems that this new case is somehow linked to the old adversary.
I am not quite convinced that pitting Sherlock Holmes, that most rational of fictitious detectives with Dracula as author David Stuart Davies does in his novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein, works. Still, if it’s to be done, Davies has chosen the right setting and original Holmes story to serve as backdrop. The Hound of the Baskervilles is, to my mind at least, the most gothic of Conan Doyle’s tales with its dark brooding mansion on the forbidding moors - a setting just guaranteed to raise shivers and which allows for the presence of supernatural elements whether it’s a phantom dog who howls (or doesn’t) in the night to herald a death or vampires.
That aside, this is a well-written tale and an enjoyable read although it would probably appeal more to fans of vampire stories or the paranormal than fans of the original Sherlock Holmes books.
Thanks to Netgalley and Endeavour press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Lestrade’s case involves some very unusual murders linked to a phantom woman who is only seen at night. What particularly interests Holmes is the proximity of the deaths to Baskerville Hall. As he and Watson investigate, they meet the famous vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing who tells them that Count Dracula has taken up residence somewhere in England and suggests this may have some bearing on their case. Holmes and Watson are, not surprisingly, somewhat skeptical of this claim but the more they investigate, the more they are convinced that he is right, especially after they encounter the woman. And the more they investigate, the more it seems that this new case is somehow linked to the old adversary.
I am not quite convinced that pitting Sherlock Holmes, that most rational of fictitious detectives with Dracula as author David Stuart Davies does in his novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein, works. Still, if it’s to be done, Davies has chosen the right setting and original Holmes story to serve as backdrop. The Hound of the Baskervilles is, to my mind at least, the most gothic of Conan Doyle’s tales with its dark brooding mansion on the forbidding moors - a setting just guaranteed to raise shivers and which allows for the presence of supernatural elements whether it’s a phantom dog who howls (or doesn’t) in the night to herald a death or vampires.
That aside, this is a well-written tale and an enjoyable read although it would probably appeal more to fans of vampire stories or the paranormal than fans of the original Sherlock Holmes books.
Thanks to Netgalley and Endeavour press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
March 17, 2024
Book 31 - David Stuart Davies - Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein
Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula...how could I resist especially with a foreword by one of my favourite actors, Peter Cushing? Indeed in an interview he gave to the author shortly before his death he mused over the notion of which part he would play if the novel became a movie - as he had played both Holmes and Van Helsing, Dracula’s famous nemesis, as both are central to the story.
An interesting and terrifying vignette that works both as a sequel to The Hound of the Baskervilles and as a stand-alone story where Holmes and Watson face off against the King of the Vampires.
Very much like Abrams Stoker’s original novel, Dracula doesn’t put in an appearance until the last third of the book and then he looms over the remaining chapters. A brilliant piece of work told once again by Watson but it certainly reads like a novel Conan Doyle could have penned himself.
Brutal in its horror but uplifting its denouement, it is a fitting follow up to perhaps the greatest Sherlock Holmes story ever told. Brilliant.
Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula...how could I resist especially with a foreword by one of my favourite actors, Peter Cushing? Indeed in an interview he gave to the author shortly before his death he mused over the notion of which part he would play if the novel became a movie - as he had played both Holmes and Van Helsing, Dracula’s famous nemesis, as both are central to the story.
An interesting and terrifying vignette that works both as a sequel to The Hound of the Baskervilles and as a stand-alone story where Holmes and Watson face off against the King of the Vampires.
Very much like Abrams Stoker’s original novel, Dracula doesn’t put in an appearance until the last third of the book and then he looms over the remaining chapters. A brilliant piece of work told once again by Watson but it certainly reads like a novel Conan Doyle could have penned himself.
Brutal in its horror but uplifting its denouement, it is a fitting follow up to perhaps the greatest Sherlock Holmes story ever told. Brilliant.
February 7, 2012
Having read quite a few Holmes pastiches in my time, I would rank this amongst the better ones I’ve read. David Stuart Davies has his Holmes and Watson down solidly and indeed he does all elements of the Holmes cannon he brings into play. Davies changes things up a bit by putting the great detective up against Count Dracula himself and, as a weird a combination as that might seem, it actually work rather well. Throughout the book feels like a Holmes tale that features vampires and certain supernatural elements. Davies surprisingly uses the Dracula elements sparingly which helps to give the tale a firm grounding in the reality of the Holmes cannon rather than trying to force Bram Stoker’s Dracula onto Holmes. That being said, I’m not sure how I’m still that comfortable with the whole notion of Sherlock Holmes as vampire hunter to be honest. But if it had to be done, then Davies does it as well as it could be done.
March 15, 2016
The world can always use another riff on the Sherlock Holmes stories and David Stuart Davies’ Sherlock Holmes and the Tangled Skein is a welcome addition to the genre. Set immediately after Holmes has solved the case of The Hound of the Baskervilles, Tangled Skein opens with a pair of attempts on Holmes’ life, followed closely by a series of deaths that appear to be attributable to vampirism. Luckily, Holmes and Watson bump into that expert of the supernatural, Professor Abraham Van Helsing (originally from Bram Stoker’s Dracula). This short novel fills a gap in the canon (a gap readers may not even have known existed) and provides a delightful meeting of the creations of two beloved Victorian authors.
March 14, 2016
Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com
Sherlock Holmes vs Count Dracula. How could anyone pass this up? Well part of me wishes I had and yet I am glad I didn’t. Can you tell I am on the fence about this book?
Written originally in 1992 apparently this is a re-release. Any fan of SH should pick it up just to be sure they have read them all but don’t expect this SH to be what AC Doyle’s originally wrote.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Sherlock Holmes vs Count Dracula. How could anyone pass this up? Well part of me wishes I had and yet I am glad I didn’t. Can you tell I am on the fence about this book?
Written originally in 1992 apparently this is a re-release. Any fan of SH should pick it up just to be sure they have read them all but don’t expect this SH to be what AC Doyle’s originally wrote.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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