Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas

Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas #1-2

by Roger Riccard

Twelve festive mysteries for your Christmas wish list…

Roger Riccard, having published two previous Sherlock Holmes novels, The Case of the Poisoned Lilly and The Case of the Twain Papers, has again taken pen in hand to bring forth a series of twelve short stories from the Christmas seasons of Holmes’ career.

From a case endangering Queen Victoria to his old arch-nemesis Moriarty, follow Sherlock as he encounters the most unfathomable mysteries, all portrayed with Riccard’s trademark style and immersive historical detail. Just who did shoot Sir James Piersall at the stroke of midnight? And can Holmes and Watson prevent an assassination at Christmas Eve dinner - without knowing which of the royal guests is the intended target?

Brimming with wit, intrigue and mystery, Sherlock enthusiasts will be transfixed and delighted by this collection.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Short Stories, Fiction, Holiday, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

581 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2018

Reviews

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as pastiches go, these are well-written ones that capture the charm and wit of mystery's most famous duo. The titles of the stories alone are so cleverly matched to the Christmas song the book was named for.

[Chris St Laurent · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are 12 short stories named from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. The stories are not in chronological order and skip around in the lives of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. There are missing persons, thefts, attempted murder and addiction is addressed. The book grew on me the more I read, some stories are better than others and I do enjoy the time period. I also enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie between Holmes and Watson.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories jump around in time which is very disconcerting. One moment Watson is newly married, then a widower and the next is a young man again!
I didn't really enjoy any of the tales, they lacked the magic of Conan Doyle's characters and there were far too many Americanisms which could easily have been avoided with more rigorous research.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable collection of 12 cases that required the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, one of which took them to Edinburgh where Watson met a relative previously unknown to him. Each of the twelve Christmas-themed cases were entertaining and provided a satisfying reading experience. Watson is the narrator, of course.

Kindle Unlimited

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Partridge in a Pearl Tree: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/13/2020
This story was about the disappearance of the valuable Partridge in a Pearl Tree crown from a Cathedral. Holmes and Watson accept the case and go to investigate. The story’s ending is very touching, but the mystery itself wasn’t all that intriguing. Plus it was much longer than was necessary.

Two Turtle Doves: ⭐️⭐️
12/14/2020
This story was about the disappearance of Mr. Roise’s painting, known as the Two Turtle Doves. It was promising at the beginning, but the story wasn’t the best. The ending was funny and cute, but sort of disappointing. There was no big reveal and capture of the criminal. Perhaps I shouldn’t give it only 2 stars
for that, but I adore the dramatic Holmesian deductions and revelations.

Three French Henchmen: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/15/2020
FIVE STARS! This story was great! There are a lot of books about what Sherlock was doing during “The great hiatus” (when he was pretending to be dead) but not so many about Watson! In this story, Watson looks back on a Christmas before Sherlock returned and before Mary died. Watson and his wife are being threatened by three French henchmen (of a certain colonel!) for ruining Professor Moriarty’s reputation. Mycroft helps them to evade danger and at the end, there is a note from one of Mycroft’s spy’s saying that he delivered the funds to “Sigerson”!!!!!!!!!!!! EAK!!!! *unintelligible fangirl shrieking**faints from happiness*

The Four Calling Birds:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/16/2020
This story was about the murder of Mr. Samuelson. Holmes and Watson are called on by the American embassy to prove that a group of American singers are innocent. A used by Mr. Samuelson’s wife,
they have a tough case against them. Great mystery, a bit short though.

Five Golden Rings:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/17/2020
This story was about the theft of five giant golden Olympic rings. Meant as a Christmas gift to the King of Belgium from the King of England, the rings have been made to commemorate the Olympic Games as well as peace and friendship between the two countries. When they are stolen, Holmes is once again called upon to solve the case. Now retired and living on the Sussex Downs, Holmes is visiting with Watson for the first time since the war ended. Together once again, the duo heads off to solve the case. This story was really lovely! Holmes and Watson’s friendship is adorable and they talk a lot about the late (at least in this story) Inspector Lestrade.

Six Geese at a Gander(Aka The Case of the Foul Fowl):⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/18/2020
In the story, Holmes is consulted by a confused man whose geese seem to have been replaced. He is desperate for Holmes’s help since the Prince and Princess are due to visit him on Christmas Eve, and everything must be safe. The plot thickens as Holmes and Watson uncover a dead body as well as a murder plot against one of the royal guests. The stakes have never been higher, or, as Holmes would put it, “We are up against one of the oldest and most dangerous of motives there is, Doctor. A woman scorned.” This story was GREAT! I love a good mystery/drama and this did not disappoint! Five well-earned stars!

The Seventh Swann:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/19/2020
Lord Swann’s son Seamus (Who will become the seventh Lord Swann) has disappeared while away on business. There is no evidence of foul play but they are still concerned. Holmes and Watson go looking for the rouge son and find some Christmas cheer along the way. This story had some sweet moments for Watson (Particularly about getting over Mary) but the solution to the mystery was a bit disappointing.

The Eighth Milkmaid:⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/20/2020
Holmes and Watson are invited by one of Holmes’s old professors to come to stay for Christmas. There isn’t really a mystery but Holmes helps a father reunite with the daughter he never knew he had.

The Ninth Ladyship at the Dance:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/21/2020
Holmes and Watson are invited to a royal ball and are each allowed to bring a guest. Holmes and Watson bring Mycroft and Marry respectively, and together the four of them uncover a plot to murder the princess. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at the beginning of this story, but it was really good, and Mrs. Hudson had a really sweet moment to shine.

The Tenth Lord Leaping: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/22/2020
Lady Dunbar consults Holmes about her son Aurthur who after acting very peculiarly, has disappeared. With a possible scandal on their hands, Holmes and Watson must proceed with caution to protect not only the Dunbar family but the Forcastles as well. This story had a lot of potential, but the end was a bit disappointing, so only three stars.

The Eleven Pipe Problem:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/23/2020
One of Holmes’s old college friends, who now works for the police, calls upon him to help solve a case. There have been multiple thefts during funerals. The public is outraged that anyone could do such a thing to a grieving family and that the police haven’t done anything about it. Holmes and Watson head to Scotland to try and solve the case before another mourning family is robbed. This story was quite good! We got to meet a few of Watson’s relatives, and the banter between Holmes and Watson was very funny and heartwarming.

The Twelfth Drumming:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12/24/2020
Mr. James Smith calls upon Holmes and Watson to help solve the case of his client, Mr. Carlton. However, there is one problem: Mr. Carlton is dead. And he wants Holmes to solve his murder. Holmes and Watson set off to visit the late Mr. Carltons home, but everything is not as it seems... This story was AMAZING! A great way to wrap up this book. FIVE STARS!

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve Christmas tales that coincided with the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. I confess that I found the jumping back forth between years to be disconcerting as Watson and Homes were at different places in their lives during the different years. That being said, I enjoyed each mystery and found that most of the writing conformed to the original style of writing of the original stories by Doyle.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixture of enjoyable Christmas stories. They tend to be uneven in quality, but my favorite was '5 Gold Rings'. The 'introduction' of Lestrade was most enjoyable as a follow-up to Toby. Glad I read these small tastes of the holiday season.

[Gordon Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable read, the stories themselves are ok. Unfortunately RR has not captured ACD's writing style, nor has he managed to replicate the dialogue between the main characters. There are also a number of inaccuracies that took me out of the story. I do not believe that Holmes and Watson would wish each other 'a happy holiday' (an Americanism) nor would they drink 'eggnog' , they may have drunk a similar drink but they would not have called it 'eggnog'.The worst of the inaccuracies,however was the naming of the station hotel the Balmoral when our heroes travel to Edinburgh. The Hotel at Waverley Station was opened in 1902 and was called the North British Hotel until 1991 when it was renamed 'The Balmoral'. The story itself does not say what year it was set but I am willing to state that it was not 1991.
Unfortunately I will not be reading anymore RR Sherlock Holmes.

[Gayle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is great. Although new stories, you would think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself wrote them. The stories have our favorite characters, Sherlock, Dr. Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft. The writing and language is in the same style as the "originals". Wonderful footnotes that explain interesting references to items and customs of the time period and to previous "cases" worked on by Sherlock and Watson. Interesting stories with all of Sherlock's usual antics. Sherlock fans will love this and others new to Sherlock Holmes too.
I received a free copy.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun holiday read

I hadn’t read any Sherlock Holmes books or stories but had gotten hooked on the pbs series so I wanted to see if I would enjoy the literary Holmes too. This was a good primer to get a feel for him (and of course Watson too). I wasn’t disappointed. I’m inspired to dig into full length stories now!

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given a choice between a collection of short stories and a single longer work, I will almost always choose the novel or novella. Except in rare cases, short stories are like a piece of chocolate—enjoyed for the moment but soon forgotten. For this reason, I find it necessary to note the essence of each tale as I read it.

I have taken to reading Christmas-related books and stories in December to put myself in the spirit of the season. However, the tales I choose are not the usual sappy Hallmark Movie type since what I normally read is speculative or crime-related. This year, I have been reading some of the many books written by the Sherlock Holmes cottage industry of writers. Many of them take the Great Detective and put him in situations that either add to the canon or veer off on another path altogether. I find that most succeed in broadening the scope of this beloved character.

"The Partridge in a Pearl Tree" — A fabulous ruby shaped like a bird. Precious pearls on a golden tree set upon a golden crown. Theft and deception. Holmes and Watson must follow the clues.—one ruby partridge.

"The Two Turtledoves" — It is 1883, and Holmes and Watson are engaged by one Sir William Roise, whose title stems from his bravery in Afghanistan. An oil painting depicting "two half-naked little girls, engaged in an open-mouth kiss." Given the Victorian setting, I was surprised that no more was said about an image that would certainly be classified as kiddy porn today.—two lovey-dovey sisters.

"The Three French Henchmen" — Set during The Great Hiatus, the characters tasked with solving the crime are Mycroft Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade. Mary Watson, the good doctor's wife, also plays a significant part. Who is behind the crimes? Perhaps Moriarty's henchmen out for revenge. Perhaps not.—three French men.

"The Four Calling Birds" — The J-Birds, an American men's quartet, are performing in London, consisting of Jonas and Jason Hawk, John Crowe, and Jack Finch. Holmes and Watson have been summoned by the American Minister, Robert Todd Lincoln, to the American Legation. (Today, he would be the Ambassador summoning them to the American Embassy.) There is a charge of murder against three of the young men, which caused them to seek refuge at the American Legation. Holmes, with the help of Watson and Mary Watson, must untangle disparate testimony from the wife of the deceased and the accused.—four J-Birds singing.

"The Five Gold Rings" — The gold rings in this story are to be a gift to King Albert I of Belgium from England's King Edward, for the reinstated Olympic Games of 1920. Dr. Watson is on his way to visit Holmes at his cottage in Sussex, where he is retired and keeping bees.—five golden rings.

"Six Geese at a Gander" — 'Tis the season to have dinner parties, and what would a Victorian dinner party be without a fatted goose? Or, in this case, six fatted geese? The caretaker of the geese at Kew Palace beseeches Holmes for help figuring out why the six geese he has been feeding have been swapped for six different geese. How does he know they are not his geese? By the pattern of the gray feathers on their backs. Truly a Christmas conundrum for Holmes and Watson.—six geese a slaying.

"The Seventh Swann" — The year is 1894. Holmes and Watson find themselves traveling to Ireland to find the missing heir to the Swann Estate. The missing heir has little interest in claiming his birthright and has a younger brother far more suited to the role. What has become of Seamus O'Toole, the missing heir?—seventh swan gone missing.

"The Eighth Milkmaid" — At Christmastime, in the second year of their friendship, Holmes invites Watson to accompany him to the home of his favorite professor, who lives in Aylesbury. The professor, Christopher Nichols, is semi-retired and has inherited the family estate, which includes a dairy farm. There are seven milkmaids and Tina, who is a maid in the manor house. She milks a cow twice a day to meet the needs of the kitchen.—eighth maid a milking.

"The Ninth Ladyship at the Dance" — Holmes and Watson are invited to a grand Christmas Eve Ball at Cunningham Place, the home of a client they helped earlier in the year. The Duke of Cunningham, Thomas Howard, will be entertaining an array of royalty, including Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, and her husband, Prince Henry of Battenberg. Dr. and Mrs. Watson are attending along with Holmes and a mysterious plus one. Holmes warns of possible danger with no detail as to what it might be.—ninth lady dancing.

"The Tenth Lord Leaping" — The weather is bad; the streets are icy, and Holmes takes a fall that damages his knee. He cannot climb the seventeen steps to the apartment he shares with Watson, so he is forced to meet with a client in Mrs. Hudson's parlor. Angeline, Countess Dunbar, Dunbar Manor, Warwickshire, relates a strange tale about her son who is missing. She implores Holmes to find him. Injury be damned, Holmes takes the case.—the tenth lord is leaping.

"The Eleven Pipe Problem" — Being an aficionado of Sherlock Holmes, the title said to me this was going to involve eleven dips into the Persian slipper. However, the tale takes Holmes and Watson to Scotland, where there are pipers of the bagpipe variety. The crime is theft at high society events and at funerals. What could these have in common?—eleven pipers piping.

"The Twelfth Drumming" — Holmes and Watson are summoned by a dead man to investigate his death. It is a closed-door mystery most perplexing. Was it murder? Suicide? Were previous attempts on the life of Sir James Piersall near misses before his demise? It is always best to save the most intriguing case for last.—twelve notes of drumming.

December brings cold weather and snow to the British Isles. Winter weather and holiday merriment will not stay Sherlock Holmes from tackling a case that interests him. Fans of the Great Detective will want to savor these stories as they are reminded of the lively tune "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and each day's gift cleverly woven into Dr. Watson's recounting.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are good plot ideas here but unfortunately, for me, they are ruined by a ponderous writing style and misuses of words. Some phrases are just inept e.g., "the death... resulted in the catastrophe we averted." The notes to the stories are listed in a difficult-to-use way at the end of the book.

There are lots of Americanisms, which jarred, especially " the holidays", frequently used where a British speaker/writer, especially at that time, would say "Christmas", and a number of elementary errors which a little Google research could have sorted. For instance, in "The Five Gold Rings", set in 1919, there are references to the current British monarch as King Edward not King George V (1910-1936). British titles are another minefield, but are easily checked Why also do so many American authors think that British aristocrats live in "Manors"?

To take just one story, "The Eleven Pipe Problem", set in Edinburgh. It has Holmes and Watson travel there via Glasgow which makes little sense, given the existence of the express route from King's Cross direct to Edinburgh, leaving at 10.00am.The detectives, on arrival, go to the Balmoral Hotel, next to the station. The station hotel, with its famed clock tower, was, from 1902, the "NB" or North British, only becoming the Balmoral in 1991. There are other, less serious, but irritating mistakes throughout this tale.

Disappointing.

[Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Twelve Days of Christmas were the inspiration for the stories in this collection. Each of the days is someway related to one of the stories. And, they are pretty creatively connected!

Overall the stories are good, consistent, and enjoyable.

On the less exciting side, the stories are perhaps too consistent. They follow a very similar pattern. The relationship and even behaviors of Holmes and Watson become predictable. Being that they are all set near Christmas, there is very little difference in setting, climate, and holiday atmosphere. So, the stories suffer a little from similarity.

Still, a create collection. If you enjoy mysteries, and especially if you enjoy Holmes and Watson, you'll enjoy this collection. Enjoy!

[Evelyn Grabas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Riccard has done Sherlock proud in continuing his legacy. I enjoyed all the stories immensely although Sherlock Holmes is far from my favorite sleuth. His arrogance, egotism and just his being "full of himself" turns me off. The stories, old and new, would continue to be great stories without his egotistical musings, which I call his pointing out his observations as to a person's origin, etc. for no other reason but to, in his way, say "look how great I am". But, I love mysteries and the ones about Sherlock are good.
As a point of interest, from an Italian, don't ever go to Italy and ask for "gravy", as they will tell you, "we don't make gravy, we make sauce". The difference, which my Calabrian Grandmother would tell you, is that gravy is made from meat stock, its basis, and sauce, any sauce, is not, as sauces are essentially vegetable based.
But I do look forward to more by Mr. Riccard, as I love a good mystery.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this collection of Sherlock Holmes story is Riccard’s success in fashioning a mystery inspired by each day of the famous Christmas song. A close second is his incredible familiarity with the Sherlock Holmes canon. He naturally sets each story on a different Christmas day and so he has to establish each time period for each tale. Is Holmes young or old? Is Watson's wife Mary still alive? And so forth. A couple of the most enjoyable stories don’t even end up focusing on a crime, but still make wonderful use of Holmes’ unique talents. Overall, I enjoyed this collection very much.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Mr. Riccard successfully entered the world of Sherlock Holmes created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The historical detail, the mysteries solved, and the rapport between Holmes and Watson rang true. I did prefer the shorter tales rather than those few that took over an hour to read, but they were all well-written. If I had to pick favorites, they would probably be "The Four Calling Birds", "The Eighth Milkmaid", and "The Twelfth Drumming." I do like when Sherlock Holmes interacts with children.

[Christa Saccullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Holiday Buy!

I really liked this book.
As far as story goes, there were a few in the beginning that felt a bit slow, but then they got more interesting.
A wonderful addition to any Holmes fan; this collection of stories is a perfect enjoyment for the holidays.
Though it may seem a little cheesy that the author named each story after the items in the Christmas song, he actually pulls off very believable scenarios that fit the name. My two favorites were stories 8 & 9.
And Watson is done full justice as an author, doctor, and friend...

Christa

[Keith Stafford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories much better than others. The splatter of Americanisms served as a constant reminder that the book was not an authentic Doyle creation and I was not allowed to forget that, this did the book and writer a great disservice.

For example It's never 'the holidays', it's always Christmas, worth every cent....err every penny, closets are always wardrobes, it's never a sidewalk it's always a footpath. It's a bedside table not ever a nightstand. All you need is a native Brit to proof read.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Wonderful voice of Conan Doyle. Believable Sherlock Holmes and in several cases a more important for Dr. Watson. Picked up on several clues and lines of inquiry early -- partly from clever titles, but most solutions were revelations. Hope the author continues to write in this vein.

[LAWRENCE GILSDORF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Entertained

...this is how you should feel after reading these twelve short stories patterned after a famous Christmas Carol. The final story was my personal favorite. However, please feel free to pick your own.

Mr. Riccard is to be thoroughly commended for replicating the famous Arthur Conan Doyle with skill and aplomb.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable seasonal stories.

This was a collection of enjoyable Christmas mysteries themes to the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. Richard writes reasonably close to the original Conan-Doyle/Watson style with just an occasional break and a couple of too modern ideas. Not the best Holmes pastiche but very far from the worst.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes!!

Being a very long time Holmes fan, all I can say is "Bravo". Your stories rang true to his creator's writing style. I have read all of his Holmes stories and viewed every Holmes movie made in the last 80 years. Again, Bravo! I will be purchasing your 2 other Holmes novels 💗

[Ross Vincent]

Once again, my holidays were spent reading new holiday themed mysteries involving the Master Detective, Sherlock Holmes.
These short stories/ novellas centered around the events that happened to Holmes during various Christmas times - some early in his career, others during the height, and even on after his retirement.

A must read for any fan of Sherlock Holmes

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent and fun addition to Sherlock Holmes legacy. Enjoyed the inserting of other Sherlock story details into storylines for reference of timeline. I also enjoyed the spirit of the original writing style. While no Doyle I truly felt entertained and was happy to have some new tales about some old “friends”.

[Ken Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed these stories. While they all were Christmas themed in some way, the variety was significant and some were especially enjoyable. I liked the humanness of Holmes and Watson in these stories and the settings were both familiar and unique at the same time. Not all are deep mysteries, but all are fun to read. Worth the time for a Holmes enthusiast.

[Melodie Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written stories!

These Sherlock Holmes seasonal mysteries are marvelous, highly entertaining and extremely well written. I began reading with skepticism which turned to delight from the first page. It has my highest recommendation to fellow Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans. Well done!

[Lucile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book # 14 was a wonderful read on several levels. The author is true to the character of Holmes as we’ve come to know him. The well imagined cases fit the 12 Days of Christmas theme without seeming forced. The individual mysteries kept me engaged and doing my own deducing.

[joseph w clouser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories

Very well written in the style of the original Holmes and Watson stories. Could have been written by Conan Doyle himself. Highly recommended for fans of Holmes and Watson.

[Eleanor Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas stories of theft and murder

Very interesting stories that could have been written by Conan Doyle. I particularly enjoyed the last where the son is saved from the true knowledge of his father's death.

[Kathleen L. Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reading!

Enjoyed the "feel" of ACDoyle this author captured and the footnotes. The holiday theme is a nice touch linking the short stories which are a blend of serious to lighter fare.