The Legacy of Deeds

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Titan Books #12

by Nick Kyme

It is 1894, and Sherlock Holmes is called to a Covent Garden art gallery where dozens of patrons lie dead before a painting of the Undying Man.
 
Holmes and Watson are soon on the trail of a mysterious figure in black, whose astounding speed and agility make capture impossible. The same suspect is then implicated in another murder, when the servant of a visiting Russian grand duke is found terribly mutilated in a notorious slum. But what links the two crimes, and do they have anything to do with the suicide of an unpopular schoolteacher at a remote boarding school? So begins a case that will reveal the dark shadows that past misdeeds can cast, and test the companions to their limits...

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Detective, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Victorian

270 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

Nick Kyme (b. 1977) writes mostly for Black Library. His credits include the popular Salamanders series and several audio dramas.

Reviews

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

1894 once again the mind of Holmes is bored no case so it's off To Swan Lake not His idea but Watson's But this the dieing Swan for lot of people when mad poisoning takes place a toast to death in champagne of death.
This an interesting Holmes but the author has for me used to meny words that are out of place in Victorian languishing tongue of the period which Spoils the story.This good but not brilliant.
I always say it's the little things that can spoil a book maybe I am nit picking but it's silly mistake in a few books that spoil the mood
This book is perfect example of why chaining was banned in schools in hands of sadomasochists

[4cats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes and Watson find themselves investigating a mass murder at an art gallery, the trail leads them to the Russian aristocracy. This is an excellent series when you need a bit of Sherlock Holmes in your life.

[Marialena {bookfoxy} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Σέρλοκ και ο συνεργάτης του καλούνται να αντιμετωπίσουν μια νέα πρόκληση καθώς έρχονται αντιμέτωποι με ένα αποτρόπαιο έγκλημα, τη μαζική δολοφονία πολλών αθώων κατά τη διάρκεια μιας εκδήλωσης σε μια γκαλερί.

Είναι αποφασισμένοι να ανακαλύψουν πως έγινε και ποιος κρύβεται από πίσω, ο Σέρλοκ με τη παρατηρητικότητα και την ευφυία του θα συλλέξει τα στοιχεία του και καθώς οι δολοφονίες κάποιων προσώπων, άσχετων μεταξύ τους, στην αρχή θα τον προβληματίσουν στη συνέχεια θα βρει μια σύνδεση και θα φτάσει αρκετά κοντά στο να ξεσκεπάσει τον μυστηριώδη ένοχο αποκαλύπτοντας σκοτεινά μυστικά.

Η ιστορία είναι ωραία δομημένη και ξετυλίγεται σε μικρά κεφάλαια, κάνοντας την αγωνία και το ενδιαφέρον ολοένα να μεγαλώνει.

Ένα καλό αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα που με πήγε πίσω στο χρόνο και απόλαυσα κάθε σελίδα του και χαίρομαι που ο Σέρλοκ και ο Τζον μας κρατάνε και πάλι συντροφιά, συνεχίζοντας να λύνουν δύσκολες και περίπλοκες υποθέσεις.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was ALL OVER THE PLACE.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

London 1894: People have been mysteriously poisoned at a Covent Garden art gallery; and a Russian Grand Duke is asking for Holmes' to find the murderer of his manservant.

Are these two cases for Holmes... or only one? Add in an apparent suicide at a girl's school and you have the recipe for an exciting and absorbing Sherlock Holmes mystery.

Well plotted and well written, as well as relatively well researched.

Sherlock Holmes is nicely ascerbic, without being too ill-mannered. John Watson has a nice balance of outrage and sass, as well as being a valuable partner to Holmes, not a patsy. A well balanced Holmes/Watson team.

The Scotland Yard inspector involved in this case is Tobias Gregson. Nick Kyme pads Gregson out nicely. He managed to make my least favourite yarder quite likeable. I am hoping he writes more Holmes/Watson/Gregson offerings in the future.

Highly recommended.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous Sherlock Story, full of dark twists and turns. Sherlock and Watson are called to an Art Gallery in Covent garden where dozens of patrons lie dead before a painting called The Undead Man. It's not long before the great detective and the Doctor are on the trail of a mysterious figure who leads them a merry dance through some of the darkest streets and roof tops of London town. I loved this.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy books that are based on Sherlock Holmes and that era of mystery writing but when you are actually reading a story about Holmes and Watson, it is, of course, difficult not to compare it to the original master storyteller. But I am happy to report that SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE LEGACY OF DEEDS by Nick Kyme really worked for me and at times I even forgot that I wasn't reading a story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself.

Brimming with misdirection, danger, nefarious deeds, and the wonderful relationship that existed between Holmes and Watson, THE LEGACY OF DEEDS swept me back in time and kept my gaze riveted to each and every page from beginning to end. When a horrific murder occurs at a local gallery, Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate but as ever things are never quite as they seem. As they delve deeper into the case, there are many twists and turns and Holmes is, as always, one step ahead of everyone else, but as we begin to catch up to him, we will begin to question just who exactly are the victims?

Well-paced, exquisitely detailed, and doffing its cap to the lord of mystery, SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE LEGACY OF DEEDS by Nick Kyme is the perfect read for historical crime fiction fans everywhere and a must-read for Sherlock Holmes fanatics. It is definitely a book that I will re-read again and I highly recommend it. It would make a great Christmas gift too!

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.dominicamat.gr/2022/01/sh...

...Πρώτα ξεκίνησα με το βιβλίο του συγγραφέα Nick Kyme (Νικ Κάιμ),με τίτλο ''Sherlock Holmes-Φόνος στο μπαλέτο" (Sherlock Holmes: The Legacy of Deeds). Από τον τίτλο κιόλας θεωρώ πως μας έχουν δοθεί λίγα,αλλά σημαντικά στοιχεία για την υπόθεση του βιβλίου. Το ερώτημα,όμως,που τίθετο ήταν αν κατά πόσο ένας φόνος σε ένα μπαλέτο καί η επίλυσή του θα ήταν αρκετά ώστε να κρατήσουν ακμαίο το ενδιαφέρον του ήρωά μας. Γιατί κακά τα ψέματα,μιλάμε για ένα ιδιαίτερο άνθρωπο με χαρακτήρα που δύσκολα μπορούσε να κατανοηθεί από τους γύρω του καί πόσο μάλλον να αφοσιωθεί σε κάτι που δεν θα το θεωρούσε ως δυσεπίλυτο. Τί παραπάνω υπήρχε πέρα από το όποιο προφανές που άξιζε την προσοχή καί τη καίρια συμβολή του ήρωά μας για την εξιχνίαση του εγκλήματος;
"Λονδίνο, 1894. Ο Σέρλοκ Χολμς καλείται επειγόντως στην Γκαλερί Γκρέισον, στο Κόβεντ Γκάρντεν, για να εξετάσει μια ανεξήγητη και φρικιαστική υπόθεση: δεκάδες επισκέπτες έχουν πέσει νεκροί μπροστά στον πίνακα ζωγραφικής με τίτλο Ο Αιώνιος Άνθρωπος. Πολύ σύντομα ο Χολμς και ο Γουάτσον επιδίδονται στο κυνήγι μιας μυστηριώδους μαυροντυμένης φιγούρας που η ταχύτητα και η ευελιξία της καθιστούν τη σύλληψή της αδύνατη. Η ίδια αινιγματική φιγούρα φέρεται να εμπλέκεται σε ένα ακόμα έγκλημα: ο υπηρέτης ενός Ρώσου δούκα εντοπίζεται κατακρεουργημένος σε μια κακόφημη φτωχογειτονιά του Λονδίνου. Πώς μπορεί να συνδέονται τα δύο αυτά εγκλήματα και τι σχέση έχουν με την αυτοκτονία μιας αντιπαθητικής δασκάλας σε ένα οικοτροφείο θηλέων; Πρόκειται για την αρχή μιας υπόθεσης που κρύβει σκοτεινά και ένοχα μυστικά, μιας υπόθεσης που θα θέσει σε μεγάλη δοκιμασία τα όρια και τις αντοχές των δύο φίλων." (Περίληψη οπισθοφύλλου)
Διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο μου άρεσε πολύ ο στρωτός καί συνεχόμενος λόγος του συγγραφέα,η διαρκής δράση,η κινηματογραφική περιγραφή των σκηνών,η έντονη παρουσία του μυστηρίου,το έξυπνο παιχνίδι με το μυαλό καί την ψυχολογία τόσο των προσώπων του κειμένου,όσο καί των αναγνωστών/στριων,καθώς καί ο διαχωρισμός ανάμεσα στον Σέρλοκ Χολμς καί του alter ego του δρ.Γουάτσον. Δύο πρόσωπα που πρωταγωνιστούν στην ιστορία,χωρίς να καλύπτει το ένα το άλλο,αλλά να αλληλοσυμπληρώνονται μέσα από αυτήν την αντιφατική τους φύση καί χαρακτήρα. Κι ενώ στο προσκήνιο είναι ο Σέρλοκ Χολμς,ο δρ. Γουάτσον γίνεται ένας πρωταγωνιστής τόσο μέσα από την παρουσία του στην πλοκή,όσο καί από την εξιστόρηση των γεγονότων. Είναι σαν να βλέπουμε ακόμη μία αθέατη πλευρά του Χολμς καί σαν να ανακαλύπτουμε κάτι επιπλέον για εκείνον. Μην σας πω σαν να τον γνωρίζουμε για πρώτη φορά καί να επιζητάμε να μάθουμε παραπάνω. Εγώ,από τη μεριά μου,διέκρινα καί μία πιο ανθρώπινη πλευρά του Χολμς καί μία ευαισθησία που έκρυβε καλά καί δεν άφηνε να βγεί προς τα έξω. Ειδικά δε ο επίλογος με άφησε με τις καλύτερες εντυπώσεις...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather Good ! As a true Sherlock fan, or perhaps i should say a fan of the 'true Sherlock', i have been wary of the many pastiches which are now available. This took my eye in the libary and I have to say it fairly fizzed along. The period and locations were well evoked, and the characters of Holmes and Watson, and the relationship between them, were well realised. I have seen far worse attempts at a Sherlockian narrative from far more well-known writers.

In a word - bracing.
..or perhaps 'Exemplary!'

[Irrlicht · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars rounded up to 4.

I really enjoyed reading that book. It was not un-put-awayable, but it was a good read.

The case itself wasn’t too thrilling and quite straight forward imo (especially since it went into a completely different direction than I thought it would, but that’s hardly the author’s fault), but I think Nick Kyme got really close to the Holmes/Watson dynamic of the ACD stories.

As far as Holmes pastiches go, this is definitely one of the better ones.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as I know, this is Nick Kyme's only Sherlock Holmes novel. A pity, since I would gladly read another.

My only complaint is, I don't see how Watson can have any sympathy with the murderer. The revenge is out of all proportion to the motivation. I don't think I've seen a character who values human life so little.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1894; Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson have been summoned to a Covent Garden art gallery. Dozens of patrons lie dead in a portrait gallery, their means of death unclear.

The search for clues leads them to cross paths with a mysterious figure in black, whose amazing speed and agility make capture impossible. This same person is suspect in a second murder when the servant of a visiting Russian grand duke is found mutilated in a notorious slum. The question is what connects these two events? And how are they connected to the apparent suicide of a teacher at a nearby girls’ boarding school?

So begins a case that reveals the shadows that past misdeeds can cast and the limits the detectives can face.

As a fan of the characters Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, I am always interested in the interpretations different authors can bring. What one author does, another might not, even if both are using the same characters set in the same universe.

Such can be said about Kyne’s The Legacy of Deeds. For while the characters bear the names we readers are familiar with, at times they did not seem to be the same individuals from the original Doyle stories.

To start with, the titular character Sherlock Holmes. While he is still the brilliant detective; brooding moodily when he is bored, cold and blunt when questioning others, skilled in combat, and completely dedicated to the pursuit of justice, his softer side is more evident. Something we do not see often – if at all – in Doyle’s version. It is certainly not something I am complaining about, dear reader, but it is something I thought pertinent to point out.

John Watson has also gone through a few minor changed from the original canon. He is still loyal to Holmes, clucking over him much like a mother hen and always trying to do the right thing, yet he is a bit overly melodramatic at times. Something Holmes himself comments on towards the end of the story. This does not detract from him doing what he can to assist Holmes and Scotland Yard in following the clues to their eventual conclusion.

One thing I did find different about The Legacy of Deeds was the actual conclusion. More often than not the culprit is revealed and arrested and the case is closed. This doesn’t quite happen here. For fear of giving away the end of the story, all I can say is that there is no clear cut resolution. The ending is shrouded in shades of gray much like the foggy streets of London where the majority of the action takes place. Some readers – much like our dear Sherlock Holmes – might find this bothersome. To not have an ending to a mystery that is neat and tidy can be irksome to some.

My overall impression of The Legacy of Deeds is a favorable one. While Kyme tends to use more modern day vernacular and phrasing for his prose, he has a good handle of the characters and uses them well. Fans of the Holmes genre will likely enjoy it and add it to their bookshelves as I have.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would seem, even on innocent outings, that Sherlock and Watson can find themselves colliding with mystery and murder. Legacy of Deeds is a delightful offering for those who like reading the exploits of the great detective. The book is a strong read, full of twists and delightful writing. However, the conclusion was weak.

Frustratingly, the majority of this book was perfect, but the last three chapters undermined it all. With all the bloodshed, murders, and cunning of the main villain, I just expected a more complex motivation to match. This could speak to the villain's maturity, but it feels off. Plus, there was a mismatch of facts How is it that the Grand Duke’s henchman recognized our villain in a large crowd of people if they had only seen them once as a small child? It seems like Kyme had a different version of the villain and scrapped it, but some remnants were left behind. This feels more like a nitpicky complaint, Kyme’s Watson was great, but he overplayed the war injury trope. It probably only needed to be mentioned a couple of times, however, whenever there was an action sequence, it was described excessively.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I was a little disappointed to see that this was Nick Kyme’s only Sherlock Holmes tale, as I think he did a fantastic job. His characterization of Watson and Holmes was spot on. He did not leave large gaps where Watson was off on his own while Sherlock was investigating in the background; when these instances did occur, they were short and made sense. There were not any leaps in logic, and refreshingly, when the great detective was stumped, it was kind of a *wink wink* moment from the author letting us know we didn’t have all the facts yet. It would have been a 5-star read if it wasn’t for that pesky ending.

[Elite Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable yarn – Conan Doyle would have approved

When the Russian Grand Duke Konstantin arrives in London, he brings not only his entourage but a raft of memories that result in murderous activities.

When Edmund Garrett visits Holmes & Watson to tell of murders most heinous, not for the first time Watson is treated to Holmes’s famous powers of deduction as he reads all the signs and tells who Garrett is and where he is from. The scene of the crime is The Grayson Gallery of Wellington Street, and Watson & Holmes are confronted by a gruesome exhibition of murder most foul.

This was a most pleasant read and combined the fine use of the English language with a good plotline. Everyone knows who Holmes & Watson are and many ‘copycat’ versions have been written. I would dare to suggest that this is one of the better efforts and Sir Arthur Conon Doyle would have told Nick Kyme that he had done a good job.

The story flows effortlessly and you just have to keep reading another chapter. Of course, all will be revealed in the end and Holmes’s deduction and knowledge will solve the case. But along the way we are treated to fine descriptions of London around the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th, together with some interesting colloquial words of the time, such as gawkers, filchers, dollymop and ninnyhammers, to name but a few. Also, Mr Kyme reminds us that at times Sherlock Holmes, by virtue of his personality, had to resort to his ‘Morocco case’, as did many brilliant artists, musicians and writers of the time.

All in all, a fine read and thank you Nick Kyme.

Sméagol

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death is an art it seems…

Holmes and Watson are called to a murder at the Grayson Gallery of Wellington Street, a small but apparently beloved art gallery. It is something that Edmund Garret, who works for the gallery, will not even try to describe. When Holmes and Watson reach the gallery, they are stunned to see a very horrible scene. Over thirty patrons of the Grayson Gallery lie dead on the floor, many near the exit. Something has happened that resulted in this mass extinction of human life.

The gallery’s owner Damien Graves turns out to be a very mysterious person. Holmes believes him to have given false statements when the detective first interviewed him about the deaths. Watson tries shadowing the man, who leads him far into the Old Nichol slums. The man has a secret, but what is it that he is hiding, or whom…

This story builds nicely, and several incidents that seem to have no connections latter prove to be very important. I liked the characters a lot, especially our protagonist. A whispered line, ‘the legacy of your deeds” provides the title of the book. The pacing flows from chapter to chapter smoothly, with tantalizing clues to discover all along the way. The final reveal is well worth the reading. A wonderful book!

I did think the background of the protagonist could have been explored further, but it is simply one man’s opinion…

I give this book four stars.

Quoth the Raven…

[Nasche · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much better than I had expected. Every bit as engaging as other Sherlock Holmes works I've loved, both old and new. The story had an exciting and satisfying conclusion for me personally. I struggled a bit with some of the vocabulary and resorted to keeping a sticky note inside the book to note words to Google later, so besides the actual story, this might be a good book to improve EASL students vocabulary range.
Their are other books by other authors in this series that have found a place in my wtr list.

[PATRICIA KUNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another good mystery of Sherlock.

Sherlock and Watson have to find the killer of several people.
They go to various places.

They do find out that a teacher did not kill herself.

This mysterious figure is fast and quick.

They do figure out that this killer is seeking revenge against a Duke from Russia.

I like this series.

[Outlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3 1/2 star tale but not quite 4 stars. My first SH from this author and not a bad all round effort either. The grammar and Victorian language is good, as is the correct era feel for the whole project, including the SH & JHW interplay. The story is pretty good, but the cover gave away the gender of the miscreant.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characterization was spot-on (I particularly appreciated Holmes-with-a-heart, as I always do) -- but I apparently just need more adventure in my Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Pretty good mystery, though!

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was reading this book, my father asked my sister and I what Watson's first name is. I told him it was "John" and he didn't believe me. I read way too many Sherlock Holmes stories to be wrong about that.

[Scott E · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the best of the extra canonical Holmes I’ve read. An absolute blast from start to finish with no filler. Natural writing of the characters with no over embellishments on the Holmesian tropes. Very impressed with it

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Holmes story, in what I perceived as a Conan Doyle style

[Taylor - Muse Ignited Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Mabji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicht schlecht.
Hier und da waren ein paar Sachen doch recht offensichtlich, zumindest für meinen Geschmack, aber im großen und ganzen eine spannende Geschichte mit einem Hauch von Romanze.

[Josef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I give five stars, I think it deserves it, However I have not read the whole book becasue I got bored of the gamra not the story.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good mystery for SH.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson very good story.

[Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very true to the genre

[Sjfstudio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy a good Sherlock and Watson murder mystery and Nick Kyme does a good job filling Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's shoes. An engrossing tale with the heros solving the unsolvable.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting in the beginning but then it got too wordy for me.