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Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes #2
The Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2
'"Is it really possible, do you suppose," said Sherlock Holmes to me one morning, as we took breakfast together, "that a healthy and robust man may be so stricken with terror that he drops down dead?"' So begins 'The Adventure of the Brown Box'.
Even better than his first collection, twelve new stories from the much praised Denis O. Smith, including 'The Adventure of the Velvet Mask', 'The Adventure of the Tomb on the Hill', and 'The Secret of Shoreswood Hall'.
Smith's stories are of the sort most eagerly devoured by avid fans of Holmes and Dr a would-be client tells Holmes a strange tale, and he is drawn in to a seemingly impenetrable mystery.
Whether in the shrouding fog of London, or far from the city, deep in the countryside, these fast-paced stories, set in the late nineteenth century, before Holmes's disappearance at the Reichenbach Falls, recreate with wonderful fidelity the world of Conan Doyle's best Holmes stories.
This captivating anthology brings to a new audience the very best of Denis O. Smith's work in a satisfyingly hefty compendium.
Even better than his first collection, twelve new stories from the much praised Denis O. Smith, including 'The Adventure of the Velvet Mask', 'The Adventure of the Tomb on the Hill', and 'The Secret of Shoreswood Hall'.
Smith's stories are of the sort most eagerly devoured by avid fans of Holmes and Dr a would-be client tells Holmes a strange tale, and he is drawn in to a seemingly impenetrable mystery.
Whether in the shrouding fog of London, or far from the city, deep in the countryside, these fast-paced stories, set in the late nineteenth century, before Holmes's disappearance at the Reichenbach Falls, recreate with wonderful fidelity the world of Conan Doyle's best Holmes stories.
This captivating anthology brings to a new audience the very best of Denis O. Smith's work in a satisfyingly hefty compendium.
- GenresMystery
538 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2016
1 person is currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Denis O. Smith
30 books18 followersIn the 1980s I published five Sherlock Holmes short stories in individual booklets: The Purple Hand, The Unseen Traveller, The Zodiac Plate, The Secret of Shoreswood Hall and The Christmas Visitor.
In the 1990s, these stories were collected, with the addition of one new story, The Green Umbrella, as the first two volumes of The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes. Two further volumes of The Chronicles followed, containing a further eight stories.
In 2014 and 2016, two volumes of The Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes were published, containing a mixture of new stories and older stories which had appeared over the years in magazines, anthologies etc.
Now, forthcoming in December 2016, is my first Sherlock Holmes novel, The Riddle of Foxwood Grange.
In the 1990s, these stories were collected, with the addition of one new story, The Green Umbrella, as the first two volumes of The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes. Two further volumes of The Chronicles followed, containing a further eight stories.
In 2014 and 2016, two volumes of The Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes were published, containing a mixture of new stories and older stories which had appeared over the years in magazines, anthologies etc.
Now, forthcoming in December 2016, is my first Sherlock Holmes novel, The Riddle of Foxwood Grange.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 27, 2026
I’ve been on a bit of a Sherlock Holmes pastiche kick lately, and this book landed right in the sweet spot of what I want from this sort of thing. This is comfort reading for people who know Baker Street like an old neighborhood and want to spend a little more time there without anything feeling flashy, gimmicky, or unrecognizable.
What Smith does especially well is tone. These stories feel genuinely at home in the Holmes universe. The voice of Dr. Watson is respectful of Conan Doyle’s original style without tipping into parody or stiff imitation. You get that familiar cadence, the careful setup, the polite suspense, and Holmes himself unfolding a mystery with quiet confidence rather than showboating brilliance. I appreciated that restraint. Too many modern Holmes pastiches turn him into a kind of Victorian superhero. Smith keeps him human, brilliant, but also grounded.
The plots themselves are solid in a very Holmesian way. They are not about massive twists or shocking reveals. Instead, they unfold patiently, clue by clue, conversation by conversation. I found myself enjoying the process more than rushing toward the solution, which feels exactly right for Sherlock Holmes. This is the kind of book where you settle into your chair, maybe with a cup of tea, and let the mystery take its time. No explosions required.
Another strength is the period detail. Smith clearly loves the late Victorian world, and it shows. The settings feel lived in, from foggy streets to drawing rooms where important conversations happen over polite refreshments. None of it feels over-researched or weighed down with trivia. It is just enough texture to keep the illusion intact. I never once felt yanked into the modern world by a wrong turn of phrase or a contemporary mindset sneaking in.
I also enjoyed how consistently readable the stories are. This volume works beautifully as a short story collection you can dip into. Read one tale, put the book down, then come back a day later and pick up another without losing momentum. That episodic pleasure is something modern fiction sometimes forgets how to deliver, and here it is handled with care.
That said, there are a few small drawbacks worth mentioning. There are moments when the mysteries resolve a little too neatly. Holmes, being Holmes, is always convincing, but a couple of conclusions arrive with such smooth elegance that I wanted just a bit more friction along the way. A false step, a wrong assumption, or a brief stumble might have added tension. This is a minor quibble, but noticeable if you read several stories in a row.
Still, these are the kinds of criticisms you make when a book is already doing most things right. Overall, this book succeeds because it understands its mission. It is not trying to replace Conan Doyle. It is not trying to modernize Holmes into something unrecognizable. It is simply offering more time with characters we already love, told by an author who respects them.
If you enjoy traditional Sherlock Holmes short stories and prefer pastiches that stay close to the original tone and spirit, this volume is an easy recommendation. It feels like discovering a slim, forgotten volume tucked onto the shelf at Baker Street, and sometimes that quiet pleasure is exactly what you are looking for.
What Smith does especially well is tone. These stories feel genuinely at home in the Holmes universe. The voice of Dr. Watson is respectful of Conan Doyle’s original style without tipping into parody or stiff imitation. You get that familiar cadence, the careful setup, the polite suspense, and Holmes himself unfolding a mystery with quiet confidence rather than showboating brilliance. I appreciated that restraint. Too many modern Holmes pastiches turn him into a kind of Victorian superhero. Smith keeps him human, brilliant, but also grounded.
The plots themselves are solid in a very Holmesian way. They are not about massive twists or shocking reveals. Instead, they unfold patiently, clue by clue, conversation by conversation. I found myself enjoying the process more than rushing toward the solution, which feels exactly right for Sherlock Holmes. This is the kind of book where you settle into your chair, maybe with a cup of tea, and let the mystery take its time. No explosions required.
Another strength is the period detail. Smith clearly loves the late Victorian world, and it shows. The settings feel lived in, from foggy streets to drawing rooms where important conversations happen over polite refreshments. None of it feels over-researched or weighed down with trivia. It is just enough texture to keep the illusion intact. I never once felt yanked into the modern world by a wrong turn of phrase or a contemporary mindset sneaking in.
I also enjoyed how consistently readable the stories are. This volume works beautifully as a short story collection you can dip into. Read one tale, put the book down, then come back a day later and pick up another without losing momentum. That episodic pleasure is something modern fiction sometimes forgets how to deliver, and here it is handled with care.
That said, there are a few small drawbacks worth mentioning. There are moments when the mysteries resolve a little too neatly. Holmes, being Holmes, is always convincing, but a couple of conclusions arrive with such smooth elegance that I wanted just a bit more friction along the way. A false step, a wrong assumption, or a brief stumble might have added tension. This is a minor quibble, but noticeable if you read several stories in a row.
Still, these are the kinds of criticisms you make when a book is already doing most things right. Overall, this book succeeds because it understands its mission. It is not trying to replace Conan Doyle. It is not trying to modernize Holmes into something unrecognizable. It is simply offering more time with characters we already love, told by an author who respects them.
If you enjoy traditional Sherlock Holmes short stories and prefer pastiches that stay close to the original tone and spirit, this volume is an easy recommendation. It feels like discovering a slim, forgotten volume tucked onto the shelf at Baker Street, and sometimes that quiet pleasure is exactly what you are looking for.
May 22, 2023
One of Holmes' clients speaks continuously for twenty pages!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews