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In Unhallowed Rest: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
Holmes being away for the day Watson receives an anonymous request for a meeting at Waterloo station. More for interest sake than any other reason, he attends the railway station and is confronted by a man whom appears in the last vestiges of physical and mental stress. According to Brinton he has but little time before both his imminent death and worse, his immortal soul is cast forever into eternal damnation. Detective Inspector Lestrade joins Holmes and Watson in their quest to tackle a series of grisly murders that point to a Satanic cult of Vampirism.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 3, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 15, 2025
I'm no purist when it comes to Holmesiana, so I'll gladly venture beyond the traditional pastiches. Occasionally, such a foray can be incredibly rewarding. This time... ummm... honestly, it was bad in an enjoyable way.
I've seen this described as a cross between a Sherlock Holmes story and a Hammer Film Production, which is apt. (Although I'd say it's more Hammer Monster Movie with the character who may be Sherlock Holmes thrown in.) Not a bad combo, but I personally lean more towards a different style, and overall, I expected something a little bit different from this. Still, lacklustre characterisations aside, it was a decent vampire story, reminiscent of Dracula in certain ways, though lacking the delightful, eerie atmosphere.
Speaking of characterisation... I've had worse, certainly a lot worse, but I wasn't entirely sold on these people being Holmes and Watson either. Oddly enough, the fact that the one with the initial knowledge of the paranatural, who had to persuade other characters that they are facing something beyond their comprehension, was Holmes - now, that was rather refreshing, but somehow, sadly, underdeveloped. A missed opportunity for interesting storybuilding, I'd say.
I still chuckled out loud several times, so that's a plus.
The audiobook narrator (Steve White, I believe) did a pretty good job, both pronunciation-wise and in differentiating between characters. Yet, his interpretation of Holmes' voice grated on me a bit; I cannot exactly tell why. I don't think it was just because the author leaned more into Holmes' acerbic and waspish character traits.
I've seen this described as a cross between a Sherlock Holmes story and a Hammer Film Production, which is apt. (Although I'd say it's more Hammer Monster Movie with the character who may be Sherlock Holmes thrown in.) Not a bad combo, but I personally lean more towards a different style, and overall, I expected something a little bit different from this. Still, lacklustre characterisations aside, it was a decent vampire story, reminiscent of Dracula in certain ways, though lacking the delightful, eerie atmosphere.
Speaking of characterisation... I've had worse, certainly a lot worse, but I wasn't entirely sold on these people being Holmes and Watson either. Oddly enough, the fact that the one with the initial knowledge of the paranatural, who had to persuade other characters that they are facing something beyond their comprehension, was Holmes - now, that was rather refreshing, but somehow, sadly, underdeveloped. A missed opportunity for interesting storybuilding, I'd say.
I still chuckled out loud several times, so that's a plus.
The audiobook narrator (Steve White, I believe) did a pretty good job, both pronunciation-wise and in differentiating between characters. Yet, his interpretation of Holmes' voice grated on me a bit; I cannot exactly tell why. I don't think it was just because the author leaned more into Holmes' acerbic and waspish character traits.
March 31, 2018
My thanks go out to Steve and Time at MX Publishing for my copy of this book. Undershaw forever!
In this case, ghosts do apply…
Watson goes to the aide of Simon Brinton, as Sherlock Holmes is out on other business. Brinton is in shocking physical condition. He states that he doesn’t have long to live and he fears his soul is damned for all of eternity. He then mentions a chilling word—vampires!
This is not your father’s Sherlock Holmes story. When Holmes was contacted in “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire” he stated that no ghosts need apply, that his agency stands firmly upon logic. However, in this case, he readily accepts the idea of vampires. He already has a book handy to deal with how they appear and how to combat them.
Holmes in the original stories is hardly a religious man, but in this one, he acknowledges the value of crucifixes and holy water as weapons against the undead evil. He knows that vampires must follow certain rules, such as sleeping in a coffin during the day and being unable to enter a house without an invitation. This is stretched a bit, saying an open window is an invitation, but the point is he has knowledge that he formerly scoffed at.
I found the illustrations delightful, really giving support to the author’s prose. If you are not a Holmes purist and can take this tale in the spirit in which it is presented, it’s a pretty good read!
There are a few times when I felt that the story dragged a bit. Therefore, I give the book four stars.
Quoth the Raven…
In this case, ghosts do apply…
Watson goes to the aide of Simon Brinton, as Sherlock Holmes is out on other business. Brinton is in shocking physical condition. He states that he doesn’t have long to live and he fears his soul is damned for all of eternity. He then mentions a chilling word—vampires!
This is not your father’s Sherlock Holmes story. When Holmes was contacted in “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire” he stated that no ghosts need apply, that his agency stands firmly upon logic. However, in this case, he readily accepts the idea of vampires. He already has a book handy to deal with how they appear and how to combat them.
Holmes in the original stories is hardly a religious man, but in this one, he acknowledges the value of crucifixes and holy water as weapons against the undead evil. He knows that vampires must follow certain rules, such as sleeping in a coffin during the day and being unable to enter a house without an invitation. This is stretched a bit, saying an open window is an invitation, but the point is he has knowledge that he formerly scoffed at.
I found the illustrations delightful, really giving support to the author’s prose. If you are not a Holmes purist and can take this tale in the spirit in which it is presented, it’s a pretty good read!
There are a few times when I felt that the story dragged a bit. Therefore, I give the book four stars.
Quoth the Raven…
August 2, 2026
If one reads this as not Sherlock Holmes, it is OK. As a Sherlock Holmes story, it lacks. Holmes is not Holmes but Van Helsing. Watson and Lestade are mere wisps of their normal selves. One might be better off watching a Hammer Horror movie with Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.
Additional note: The formatting of this book is irritating. Paragraphs are not indented and there is a blank line between each one. There are numerous typos caused by dropped letters; for instance, timber becomes timer. Shabbily done.
Additional note: The formatting of this book is irritating. Paragraphs are not indented and there is a blank line between each one. There are numerous typos caused by dropped letters; for instance, timber becomes timer. Shabbily done.
May 20, 2025
Sort of a cross between Hammer Vampire movies and Sherlock Holmes Stories, works for the most part, but could use a little more magic.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews