Beyond Watson

by Derrick Belanger, Richard Paolinelli, Jack McDevitt

Imagine a Holmes Without his Boswell... Or, as is the case with the volume you now hold in your hands, imagine a Holmes without the voice of Watson. Is there a difference? After all, we have learned about the great detective not through his own voice and eyes, but through that of his loyal companion, his dear friend, his Boswell. What might we be missing? Who else could tell of the great detective’s feats? Find out as today's best Sherlock Holmes authors including Derrick Belanger, Luke Kuhns, Kieran Lyne, David Marcum, Jack McDevitt, Richard Paolinelli, David Ruffle, Geri Schear, Don Smith, Elizabeth Varadan, Daniel Victor, and Marcia Wilson tell stories from the perspectives of: Sherlock Holmes Mrs Hudson Colonel Sebastian Moran Raymond Chandler Inspector Lestrade Winston Churchill Violet Hunter Henry Mencken and many others... Experience Holmes like never before as you go Beyond Watson! Includes a special introductory toast from Mark Levy, BSI

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

326 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2016

About the author

Author Derrick Belanger's publications include an eclectic mix: book reviews, articles for education journals, short stories, poems, comic books, and the graphic novel, Twenty-Three Skidoo! A former instructor at Washington State University, and a current middle school Language Arts teacher, Derrick lives in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife Abigail Gosselin and their two daughters, Rhea and Phoebe. Currently, Derrick is working on several Sherlockian projects: the Young Adult novel Sherlock Holmes and the Transformers of Time, the teaching guide Sherlock Holmes for Teachers, the pastiche novel The Funeral of Sherlock Holmes, and the film studies book The Hound of the Baskervilles: From Page to Screen. He also co-authors the web site Mystery Aircraft.com with author Chuck Davis.

Reviews

[Cameron Greatorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Watson is a very interesting anthology or Sherlock Holmes themed short stories. Most Holmes anthologies have interesting tales in them but this one has a very cool twist. None of the stories are told in the voice of Doctor Watson. These stories are told in a number of other voices. This runs from cannon characters like Inspector Lestrade to Mrs. Hudson. Then we have historical characters giving us their thoughts on the famous detective, ranging from Raymond Chandler to Winston Churchill. Finally we have characters created from ‘whole cloth’ by authors like Elizabeth Varaden and Kieran Lyne. In fact before the book is finished even an older Sherlock Holmes reminisces about a long lost case of his. All of these stories are told from the point of view of the characters and their meetings with the great detective.

Some of my personal favorites are Marcia Wilson’s tale told form the point of view of Inspector Lestrade. Two things stand out from this story. How much of a poetic bent the good inspector has in his descriptions of what he sees around him. Also that there is no real mystery to this story. The mystery is wrapped up and the crook about to be nabbed by the time we join the narrative. But before you skip this one over I would advise against it. Through the inspector’s eyes we get a new view on both Holmes and the good Doctor who stands by his side. And the addictions they both have!

An Adventure in the Mid-Day Sun, by Daniel Victor, is Raymond Chandler remembering his young days around the great detective and his meeting with a younger version of a soon to be great actor. Imagine a Sherlock Holmes story told with a Raymond Chandler voice and you get a good idea what you are in for.

Richard Paolinelli tells a great tale about Winston Churchill meeting Holmes and getting shooting lessons from the dead shot of Doctor Watson. In another story we get a view inside of the mind of Col. Sebastian Moran and a close up view of Professor Moriarty from the Colonel’s point of view. Finally, the editor of the collection wraps up the tales with one told from the point of view of a man set straight by Sherlock Holmes. But be prepared for not everything is what it seems.

All in all this is an interesting concept for a collection and a good collection of stories.

[Paula Berinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn't often that I read a book that leaves me dying to take writing lessons from the author, but that's exactly what happened with this volume. All the stories are interesting and clever, but some are so achingly beautiful and well constructed that as I read them I thought, "I wonder if this writer gives lessons." And I'm a writer and have been for decades!

The concepts upon which these tales are built are so compelling! Imagine a Sherlock Holmes story told by Raymond Chandler in which Charlie Chaplin is a character. Or a Lestrade who contemplates Holmes's drug use and concludes that it is no more, no less an addiction than Watson's enthrallment by the pen. (Watson an addict!) Or a story told from the viewpoint of the blackguard Sebastian Moran. What a collection this is!

The things these authors know about Victorian England! Good grief, the detail. Do they know all of this from having read Conan Doyle for years? Did they research the period? If so, how long did it take them? How do they know every alleyway, every establishment in London? The dress, the customs, the daily life. (Of course the skeptic in me wonders if they're just making it up, but then I think, "That would be way too cheeky.") How glorious these specifics are!

(I will say that there are a few anachronisms and some inconsistencies regarding British English vs. American English in some of the stories, but I forgive those because 1) I'm just not that picky, and 2) every author/producer/actor is entitled to his or her own interpretation. But beware that they do exist.)

I very much hope that the publisher is planning many more of these volumes because I really, really want to see what these inventive writers come up with next. In the meantime, be assured that I will be looking up and devouring their other works.

And if any of these writers plans to give a course, may I request that they add me to their mailing list.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most anthologies this was one was also a mixed lot, with a few very poor efforts dragging the level of the entire collection down. But at the end there were enough memorable stories to elevate this book to another level.
My favourites were~
1. Geri Schear's "Mrs Hudson's Lodger";
2. David Ruffle's "The Tarleton Affair";
3. David Marcum's "Some Notes Upon the Matter of John Douglas";
4. Luke Benjamin Kuhns's "The Tiger's Master";
5. Daniel D Victor's "An Adventure in the Mid-day Sun";
6. Richard Paolinelli's "A Lesson in Mercy";
7. Jack McDevitt's "The Lost Equation";
8. Derrick Bellanger's "Yes, Virginia, There is a Sherlock Holmes"— the Koh-i-Noor of this collection.
Overall, a very good collection of pastiches. Recommended.

[Marcia Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is quite similar to Tom Turley's. There was some uneven quality among the stories, with one being quite terrible. Worthy for the collector who is as excited as we are that Jack McDevitt contributed his first pastiche to the cause, and Kieran Lynn's work was a treat. For the great stories I would tell the readers this is worth buying, and to overlook the cartoony images on the front cover. I know that will give a negative impression on how serious the book project is; it did with me, but I am hopeful the next book will be different. Overall a 4 out of 5 stars.

[Thomas Turley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While he is by no means “anti-Watson,” Derrick Belanger has compiled the first in a new series of anthologies that allow other characters to narrate Sherlockian tales. He has been well served by veteran Sherlockian authors. Besides Belanger’s own touching story, Geri Shear, Marcia Wilson, David Marcum, and David Ruffle contribute excellent entries, told (respectively) by Mrs. Hudson, Inspector Lestrade, Colonel Moran, and Holmes himself. Kieran Lyne’s finely crafted tale demonstrates why his controversial first novel received the seal of the Conan Doyle Estate. Elizabeth Varadan’s story amusingly stars the budding detective from her young adult novels, while Daniel D. Victor’s incorporates both Raymond Chandler (“The Last Page of Baker Street”) and Charlie Chaplin. Other historical, literary, or Canonical figures (Winston Churchill, H.L. Mencken, and Violet Hunter from “The Copper Beeches”) show up elsewhere. Among the non-Sherlockian contributors, Belanger has scored a major coup by acquiring Jack McDevitt’s first Holmes pastiche for the anthology. On the downside, a few stories suffer from poor writing and/or inauthentic renditions of Canonical or historical characters. At least one is so bad that it should not have been included. After this excellent beginning, let us trust that the anthology's editor will consistently employ a Watson-like “power of selection,” even if the good doctor is excluded from narrating the tales.

[Bonnye Reed]

Endeavor Media Holmes Advent Calendar 99

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited While not bothered with Sherlock without Watson telling the stories {Sherlock has told his own a couple or so times}, this collection had issues other than that; some of it was stories that meandered back and forth but led basically nowhere interesting, others used terminology not used in that time period, and the worst crime of all was making Sherlock Holmes story/-ies boring. Had such high hopes for this book, love Holmes, but some these stories/writers eh not so much. The '3' rating is for the writers did like, and had they been in something all their own probably would have gotten a 4 or 5.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks go out to Derrick Belanger of Belanger Books for my copy of this book. I do apologize for being so long in writing this review. God bless.

In the Sherlock Holmes canon, there are only three stories that are not written by Doctor Watson. One is told by Holmes himself, and the others are told in the third person.

Of course in the vast multitude of pastiche stories, many are told in the third-person or narrated by someone other than Watson. This book is a collection of a dozen tales told by clients, irregulars, Mrs. Hudson and so on. I will only touch briefly on each story, and award what I believe is “Best in Book.”

• In “Mrs. Hudson’s Lodger” by Geri Schear, Mrs. Hudson recounts how she came to be Holmes and Watson’s landlady…
• “The Tarleton Affair” by David Ruffle is told in first-person by Holmes himself, with a brief aside in the words of his client…
• “The Mortal Condition” by Marcia Wilson is an unsung commentary on a stakeout featuring Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade…
• “Some Notes upon the Matter of John Douglas” by David Marcum explores further the novel “The Valley of Fear.” The story is narrated in altering statements by Colonel Moran and Doctor Watson…
• “The Curse of Cairgannham” by Don Everett Smith is an excellent mystery involving dying apple trees and a masked man known as the Master! Kudos for such a magnificent character! I give this story “Best in Book!”
• “The Tiger’s Master” by Luke Benjamine Kuhns is narrated by Violet Thane, nee Hunter, a former client from “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.”
• “Kidnapped” by Elizabeth Varadan by Miss Imogene, whose mother was a former client of Sherlock Holmes. The story is also narrated by Mrs. Parker, a servant at Imogene's home. Kudos for “The Walrus Detective Agency!”
• “The Adventure of the White Cedar Hotel” by Kieran Lyne is told by
Mr. Percival Tremayne who works for the titular establishment, which is very strange indeed!
• “In the Midday Sun” by Daniel D. Victor is related by Billy the Page Boy, AKA Ramon Chandler. Billy meets a little tramp…
• “A Lesson in Mercy” by Richard Paolinelli is told by none other than Sir Winston Churchill!!
• “The Last Equation” by Jack McDevitt is told by Henry Mencken. What if Moriarty had a rival for criminal mastermind?
• “Yes, Virginia, There is a Sherlock Holmes” by Derrick Belanger rounds out the book with a bang! Told from the viewpoint of New York postman Bert Provencher, the story ends with a twist that is genius! I must give this one runner-up for “Best in Book.” I can almost guarantee you won’t see the ending coming!

This book is a treasure for any Holmes aficionado! I give the book five stars plus!

Quoth the Raven…

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 Holmes stories narrated by other than Dr Watson
1 Mrs Hudson's Lodger - Her first meeting with Holmes in 1877
2 The Tarleton Affair - 1878 Josiah Wakeley, solicitor, wishes to prevent a crime
3 The Mortal Condition - Lestrade while waiting for a criminal reflects on Holmes and Watson
4 Some Notes Upon the Mztter of John Douglas - Sebastian Moran in prison in 1894 reflects upon the past and Ted Baldwin's association with the Professor
5 The Curse of Cairgannham - Reporter Larkin Cobb and the masked man
6 The Tiger's Master - Violet Thane, née Hunter, involves Holmes in the problem of the Joneses
7 Kidnapped - ex-mudlark Rusty Russell has gone missing, feared kidnapped, but why.
8 The Adventure of the White Cedar Hotel - Holmes is approached by servant, Percival Tremayne because he is concerned about the events at the hotel and the owner.
9 An Adventure in the Midday Sun - 14 year old Raymond Chandler is working as a pageboy for Holmes and helps in the retrieval of diamonds.
10 A Lesson in Mercy - Winston Churchill looks back to his 14 year old self at Harrow where he is accused of theft. Enter Holmes.
11 The Lost Equation - Why did not Steve Addington's equation of relativity appear in public before Einstein's publication.
12 Yes, Virginia, There is a Sherlock Holmes - Bert Proven her intends to prove that Holmes really does exist to a young Virginia, reader of the Holmes stories.
An entertaining and well-written set of Holmes short stories

[Derek S. Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection!

I first heard of this from the social media posts of one of my favorite authors Jack McDevitt (who contributed a fine story to this book, by the way). Each story in Beyond Watson is top-notch classic style, that would have fit well into the original Holmes era. Storytelling is captivating all throughout the book, too. I was surprised (and disappointed a bit) when I actually reached the end today. The authors left me wanting more! Great job!

[Michael Hillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of stories about Sherlock Holmes NOT written by Dr Watson. A mix of good and not so good stories. Unfortunately not very good proof reading by the publishers, and some strange wordings. Holmes "reaches out" to an informant, and an unmarried young lady is referred to as Ms.! Definitely not 19th Century.

[Christa Saccullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasant read

I wasn't sure if I would like these very much, but I was surprised that I did. The first few stories had me hooked. The last story was cute and pleasant, but it was The Curse of Cairgannham that got me laughing. If you've ever actually read The Curse of Capistrano, you'd understand.

Christa

[J Pryor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun

I enjoyed reading this book the whole concept of stories written by others about Holmes is quite a neat way to Tell a story

[Crystal B · Rating 1 out of 5]

less terf twitter, more good writing : )

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty mixed set of short stories. I did like the first one.