Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Seven

by Martin Rosenstock

A stunning collection of seven brand-new novellas featuring the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler Dr John Watson.

A collection of seven brand-new novellas written by masters of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche, including Andrew Lane, author of the Young Sherlock series, New York Times bestseller James Lovegrove, and Edgar Award nominee Lyndsay Faye.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, Anthologies, Historical Mystery

511 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2019

About the author

Martin Rosenstock studied modern literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara and creative writing at the University of East Anglia. He has taught at universities in the U.S., Kuwait, and Iraq. When not brooding over plot twists, he spends too much time traveling.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

always enjoy a mystery story, whether it be modern or classic stories featuring maverick detectives like Sherlock Holmes, so I was excited to read this new collection of seven short stories featuring Holmes and Watson. The stories are each quite different, covering different conundrums and locations. Although many stories stay in and around London, we also travel as far as America in one tale called The Adventure of the Koreshan Unity.

There are some serious topics addressed in these stories, and many feel very relevant today - some were presented with humour to help reinforce issues such as gender equality (I loved reading about the commune in Koreshan Unity where women are equal to men, and certainly hold plenty of power in their community - some of the characters' lines really made me laugh) whilst others were shown in a more serious light.

As is natural with a collection of stories, I enjoyed some more than others. A few of my favourites include Death of a Mudlark, which felt quite convincing in its subject matter and kept me wondering as to 'whodunnit', and The Adventure of the Koreshan Unity also shone for me. It was also great to have a different point of view - that of Detective Lestrade - for the final story, called The Common Correspondent, and this offered an enjoyable change from Watson's narratives.

The one thing I didn't like as much about these stories was the way that Sherlock Holmes' noticing of small/ insignificant things was really played up. Almost (but not quite) every story honed in on the fact that in the original stories Holmes tends to notice very small, seemingly insignificant details about a person and then declare them out loud. Although I accept this is part of what makes the character so brilliant, it felt a little forced and like the authors felt they had to include this because it's a Sherlock Holmes story. That is just me being very picky, though - everything else about this collection was very enjoyable.

The Sign of Seven is a great way to spend a few hours for any mystery fan; enjoy losing yourself in not one but seven Sherlock Holmes mysteries!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven Sherlock novellas by seven authors - four of whom I'd previously read. I really enjoyed the stories but the last one not so much. I'd read Dust and Shadow and the Timothy Wilde trilogy by Lyndsay Faye and loved them but Our Common Correspondent didn't quite hit the spot.

[Runalong · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy new spins on Holmes then this collection is a great one to have a look at. From the weir to the unsettling with some nice ideas on the main characters

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed most of the stories, this is sadly a rather mediocre collection.

The stories:

Death of a Mudlark by Stuart Douglas: good, but not great. The author over-explained a bit in an effort to show off knowledge of cannon and Sherlock's methods. The story itself wasn't that interesting though.

The Adventure of Deadly Seance by James Lovegrove: dnf. The author put Sherlock Holmes in brown face. I don't think I need to explain why this is a problem in 2020. I don't care if Sherlock himself had no idea what that was and that back then it probably wouldn't have been a problem. It is today. There was absolutely no need for it to be part of the plot. Also uses the g*psy slur and uses Native American lore in stereotypical fashion. I was kind of shocked when I looked the author up and saw that he was moderately well know and that he wrote for the Firefly tv show.

The Adventure of a Heroic Tobacconist by Derric Belanger: good story with an interesting mystery and a satisfying ending.

The Dark Carnival by Andrew Lane: interesting story, but there wasn't really an ending to it, and no resolution. Except maybe rich people are fucked up.

The Monkton House Mystery by David Stuart Davies: the best story in the collection. Interesting premise, great mystery, good writing. He even threw in a few red herrings and an unexpected villain. Great resolution.

The Adventure of the Koreshun Unity by Amy Thomas: weak premise and uninteresting plot. I didn't believe for a second that Holmes would come out of retirement for this weak sauce mystery. Or travel the Atlantic for it.

Out Common Correspondent by Lyndsey Feye: interesting premise, but not as good as I expected it to be considering I bought this book for this story. Feye wrote some of my favorite pastiches so my expectations were high. I loved that she took on Lestrade as the narrator instead of Watson because it's refreshing to see Holmes from the point of view of someone who doesn't idolize him and Lestrade's endless digs as Holmes were funny. But I can't say I liked the mystery that much and there wasn't really resolution. Also docking points for using the term "street Arabs" again, I don't care that Doyle himself used the term, it was a different time and using "urchins" or "homeless" would have been just as authentic.

So overall, a mixed collection of good and bad stories. Would recommend borrowing from the library.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I *adored* this.

While short stories are arguably the best medium that Sherlock Holmes has ever appeared in (Conan Doyle did four novels with Holmes total, but, with the exception of The Hound of the Baskervilles, it is the 56 short stories that [rightly] tend to get the most attention) ... I tend to prefer Holmesian novels. I *like* novels better than short stories overall, because it gives me more adventure and more character development to sink my teeth into.

However, I will admit that there are many Holmes pastiche novels that run a little long, despite their authors' best intentions. So this collection -- seven full-length novellas -- is, in my opinion, sort of the best idea ever. I took my time with it, reading the novellas one at a time and picking up other things in between. I enjoyed all seven tales, but four in particular really stood out for me:

- "Death of a Mudlark" by Stuart Douglas: Solid mystery, intriguing supporting characters -- and some really great adventure sequences. This was one of the longer novellas in the book, but the pace never drug.

- "The Adventure of the Deadly Seance" by James Lovegrove: I expected to love this one because Lovegrove is in my top three favorite pastiche writers. It was an extra pleasure that I loved it even more than expected. It touches on spiritualism, which is a historical fascination of mine; and I loved watching Holmes taking on the historical equivalents of John Edward. It also was surprisingly heartfelt, from the unmasking of the true motive of our main "villain" to Watson dealing with unresolved feelings over the loss of his brother. The ending left me a bit misty-eyed.

- "The Adventure of the Koreshan Unity" by Amy Thomas: I generally love any tale that sends Holmes and Watson traveling, and this story was no exception. While, in many ways, it was a fairly straightforward mystery (Holmes and Watson interview some suspects, examine some crime scenes, and solve the case, with not much in the way of "adventure"), I *really* dug the character exploration and, especially, the friendship between Holmes and Watson. This makes me want to look up Thomas's own Sherlockian series.

- "Our Common Correspondent" by Lyndsay Faye: Faye is another of my top-three favorite pastiche writers, but I wasn't sure if I'd be as enthusiastic for this tale as some of her others, as it's from Lestrade's perspective. I love Lestrade, but I tend to want my Holmes stories to focus on Holmes and Watson. But it turns out I shouldn't have doubted Faye; in addition to highly enjoying Lestrade as our narrator, this story is still suffused with the friendship between Holmes and Watson -- with the added bonus of exploring the unlikely friendship between Holmes and Lestrade. The mystery is excellent and personal, and the character development and heart is outstanding. I laughed out loud; I found myself tearing up. A fantastic note to end the collection on.

My most enjoyable Sherlockian read of the year. I'll be rereading this one in years to come.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher.

A wonderful collection of eclectic and fascinating mysteries with all the magic and mayhem of Holmes and Watson, THE SIGN OF SEVEN is a must-read for even the most critical of Sherlock Holmes fans.

When I picked up this book I hoped for some good short stories where I could lose myself in the mystery for a while but what I got was so much more. While these stories are not full-length novels, they feel like they are - the settings, character development, and mischief involved were all excellently depicted and I never felt like the plot was rushed to make it shorter than your usual novel.

I enjoyed all seven of these stories but I have to say that The Adventure of the Heroic Tobacconist by Derrick Belanger was one of my favourites as it contained all of the elements needed to make it an excellent mystery.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE SIGN OF SEVEN is the perfect collection for historical mystery fans and Holmes fans alike and I highly recommend it as it is definitely a book that I will re-read again and again.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most collections range widely in terms of enjoyment. This one was above the average throughout all seven tales. Thoroughly enjoyed.

[bryan fothergill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good collection of pastiche of the Great detective.
Great fun for any fan of Sherlock Holmes.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea behind this anthology was to provide the authors with more space, as admitted by the editor. It's true that complexities in characters as well as plots can be developed better, if the authors are given that freedom.
How did they fare?
1. 'Death of a Mudlark' by Stuart Douglas: Good story. The additional space was utilised in reflecting a part of Victorian society that Sir Arthur would have never shown.
2. 'The Adventure of the Deadly Seance' by James Lovegrove: There was no mystery. The story could have been told in a more crisp and effective manner in half the space. Bad penny in the lot.
3. 'The Adventure of the Heroic Tobacconist' by Derrick Belanger: Good story. The additional space was properly utilised by characterisation and depiction of grim realities.
4. 'The Dark Carnival' by Andrew Lane: One of the darkest and best pastiches that I have read. This one stands proudly in the pantheon otherwise dominated by 'The House of Silk'. Must read.
5. 'The Monkton House Mystery' by David Stuart Davies: Good story. Nevertheless, in my humble opinion, it could have been shortened quite effectively.
6. 'The Adventure of the Koreshan Unity' by Amy Thomas: An overlong story.that dragged Holmes and Watson to Florida, with a half-baked solution. Worse, there was no resolution to all the so-called issues highlighted in the work. Another bad one.
7. 'Our Common Correspondent' by Lyndsay Faye: THE BEST STORY OF THE BOOK. It's dark, yet hilarious. Poignant, yet mysterious. But the best thing about this story was the humour. Infact, ever since reading Patrick LoBrutto's 'The Little Problem of the Grosvenor Square Furniture Van', this was the first time that I laughed so much while reading a pastiche.
So, two outstanding, three good, two duds. Definitely recommended.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Mark Mower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great anthology of new Sherlock Holmes tales. As editor of the collection, Martin Rosenstock, suggests, the seven chapters are a little too long and too complex to be called short stories, but are not quite novels – they inch into the territory we commonly refer to as novellas. And what a fantastic crop of novellas he has selected for us!

Death of a Mudlark (Stuart Douglas) – Watson is no longer living at 221B. He is summoned by Holmes to a mortuary on Millbank Street. So begins a most intriguing and noxious tale concerning two corpses, one the body of the Latverian Ambassador. Douglas has a great Watsonian voice and the historical detail is compelling – he certainly knows his Victorian London. A clever plot, neat clues and great deductions; this is pastiche writing at its best and this is a fitting opener to the book.

The Adventure of the Deadly Séance (James Lovegrove) – It is the autumn of 1889. London is gripped by persistent fog and a young clerical worker, Alec Carstairs, calls on Holmes in a state of distress. He has been accused of killing his employer, Sir Hubert Cole, a wealthy shipping magnate. A clever tale, neatly solved by Holmes, who employs both disguise and deduction to uncover the secret behind the ‘deadly séance’. Lovegrove’s style is engaging and entertaining, and this is a fine piece of writing.

The Adventure of the Heroic Tobacconist (Derrick Belanger) – Concerns the death of shopkeeper Mr. Calyxtus Reginald Armstrong. Holmes is alerted to the case by Mr. Armstrong’s bookkeeper, who visits 221B troubled that the police have arrested the wrong man for the murder. This is an enjoyable story in which Holmes demonstrates all of his deductive capabilities. The narrative is fast-paced and witty and the characterisation reassuringly familiar. A first-class pastiche.

The Dark Carnival (Andrew Lane) – Holmes is asked by the Home Office to investigate a frenzied assault by Lord Elmsfield on a number of his esteemed peers. So begins an intriguing and bizarre tale involving many of the country’s elite. Lane is the author of the rightfully-acclaimed ‘Young Sherlock’ series. This novella lives up to the same high standard. It’s full of action and adventure and takes us on a thrilling romp through subterranean London.

The Monkton House Mystery (David Stuart Davies) – Set in the winter of 1899, a fallow period for the bored Holmes. The story involves the murder of Alfred Langton, a butler to the famous Egyptologist Sir Ronald Martin. It’s great to see the reappearance of some familiar characters – Inspector Stanley Hopkins and Langdale Pike. The novella has great pace, a solid plot, and a neat red herring. Like all of Stuart Davies’ pastiches, this is true to the original feel and style of the canon. Great stuff!

The Adventure of the Koreshan Unity (Amy Thomas) – It is New Year’s Eve 1908 and we find Holmes and Watson on a ship bound for Florida. They have been asked to investigate the death of Cyrus Reed Teed , the so-called ‘Floridian Messiah’. Arriving in the US, they set out to unravel the curious train of events which have led to the death of the cult leader. The chapter contains my favourite passage in the book – “Murder has no particular appearance,” Holmes retorted, “however much the public may wish otherwise. I have known many a pleasant murderer and many a repugnant law-abiding citizen.” This is a fascinating and lively tale, with a refreshing feel - it’s great to see our heroes in a setting quite apart from the poverty and grime of the British Capital.

Our Uncommon Correspondent (Lyndsay Faye) – The only tale not narrated by Dr. Watson. We are treated to a number of diary extracts written by Inspector Geoffrey Lestrade. The story is perfectly set up. Watson is about to marry Mary Morstan and has asked Holmes to be his best man. The Great Detective seeks some advice from the Scotland Yarder! This is a delightful tale in which we learn so much about the dutiful Inspector and those nearest and dearest to him. It’s like pulling back layers of wallpaper in a familiar room and discovering a rich seam of secrets previously unknown. An enlightening chapter, exceptionally well told by one of the best pastiche writers in the business.

If you share a passion for new tales about Holmes and Watson, this book will not disappoint. It is truly a five-star read. Full credit to the editor, who is himself an accomplished writer of extra-canonical stories.

[Eff's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't really for me, maybe because I hold Arthur Conan Doyle's original writing dear to my heart and knowing these authors are pastiche makes me extra picky with their writings.


Death of the Mudlark by Stuart Douglas
- This story was okay, I'll give it a 5/10 or maybe a 6/10 because I did finished it till the end.

However, it was a let down, the story seemed to drag on forever and there are many lack of clarity in the story. Everything was just 'okay', nothing particularly stands out as memorable. I only remember Sherlock's deduction that the guy might know and wish to have revenge from misconception, the cause of the initial murder or why the 2nd guy was murdered isn't really interesting.


The Adventure of the Deadly Seance by James Lovegrove
- 9/10, love the story, everything seems in place except some of the explaination seems very stretched. I love the supernatural topic and the introductory paragraph reminds me of Doyle's writing in "The Adventure of Copper Beeches".


The Adventure of the Heroic Tabacconist by Derrick Belanger
- 7/10, the story is very interesting. However, I need to flip through the book again in order to even write this review because the story isn't really memorable but it is undoubtedly interesting. I love the romantic ending of the widow remarrying her saviour.


The Dark Carnival by Andrew Lane
- A 9/10, very political, but the style of writing from the author keeps me on the edge of my seat and I am very pleased reading it. The story is very memorable because of its peculiarity and somewhat haunting possibility of being a reality.

However, at some points/scenes in the story Watson's character is very off-putting.


The Monkton House Mystery by David Stuart Davies
- A solid 10/10, I love how the author wrote the story, it honestly reminds me of Doyle's work. The suspense and the misleading storyline makes me suspect one person after another is genius! Reminds me of "the adventure of the Beryl Coronet"


The Adventure of the Koreshan unity by Amy Thomas
- This story is a 5/10, very harsh for a slightly interesting topic, cult who gives equality to women. However, we need to consider how out of character Holmes is as in this story, without proper proof and reasoning, Holmes points his finger and told Watson who was the murder. Which frustrates me when reading because this is a pastiche of Doyle. In the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes book, there are times when Holmes doesn't explicitly told Watson how he reached to his conclusion but there would be little hints to pinpoint the reader how he manage to reach to his conclusion. This story however, as I was reading, it felt like I was left in the dark and Holmes seem almost alien to me.


Our common correspondent by Lyndsay Faye
- 1/10, it's just not my cup of tea. Was about to not even rate the story but there's effort so I will acknowledge it.

I can't even get pass 10 pages into this story as it was written in Lestrade's POV through his journal which I found it ridiculous as it adds unnecessary or inexistent detail of Holmes which I'm not fond of. I feel like it becomes unreliable to read and I don't feel reading a new information of Holmes and Watson or their relationships by a pastiche is interesting, similarly to the book The Innocent Man by John Grisham, retelling or imitating a story which you are not the original author of in great detail becomes very questionable.

Although, I love POV of Watson but this story is very uninteresting and a let down. I didn't finish the story.

[Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I would like to thank Titan Books for sending me a copy of this book for review. It’s fair to say that the recent TV incarnation of Sherlock Holmes has piqued my interest, so when the opportunity for a written pastiche was offered I jumped at the chance. Seven novella length stories all with very different takes fill the pages. Death of a Mudlark by Stuart Douglass is the opener and the strongest of the novella’s in my view. It felt the most comfortable in it’s setting and the least far fetched, I liked how it didn’t get tumbled up in complexities and felt like a genuine mystery rather than playing up to what we now see of Sherlock Holmes. There are still plenty of flourishes but it was a great down to earth story to ease the reader in to the tales that come next!

The novella’s are all readable in a single sitting, which was really nice as they are the sort of thing you wouldn’t want to stop in the middle, such is the pace and flow. It was a great mix of murder and missing person mystery, moving from the somewhat mystical to the macabre. Holmes’ deductions will have the most seasoned of readers scratching their heads, these are certainly stories in which I could never see the culprit coming and the freedom to take the characters in the most unusual of directions was as intriguing as the mysteries themselves. There is a fair bit of humour and Amy Thomas really shone out casting Holmes as the king of the burn, with phrases such as “resentment suggests a level of care that I don’t remotely possess” in her The Adventure of the Koreshan Unity; it’s certainly one I’m going to keep back for an appropriate cutting moment!

I enjoyed how Amy Thomas took Holmes and Watson outside of London for her escapade, after five of the stories in the setting it gave a much needed change of scene and dynamic. I enjoyed how it again freed up the characters to be not what is expected of them as their reputation preceded them to a smaller degree. The dig at the ludicrous religious cults that pop up felt fairly topical, especially when looking at the role of women in equal society at that time. It’s a shame, because what I did find frustrating was that the 2 books written by women were relegated to the last two stories and whilst Our Common Correspondent by Lyndsay Faye was a great choice to end, it irked me a little especially as both were adding a much needed feminist voice, it really stood out to me that they were really trying to bring diversity in their works. The change of pace from Dr Watson’s point of view to Detective Lestrade’s wrapped up the book nicely in Our Common Correspondent, and again showed editorial thought.

Although set in the time of the original texts, it was refreshing to have modern themes present, the topic of domestic violence was dealt with over a couple of stories, and whilst I accept this behaviour has sadly been part of our society for some time, it’s always encouraging to have the issue brought forward, animal cruelty and poverty are also striking themes and really are testament to the diversity that novella collections can bring.

This is going to be a must for Holmes fans and if, like me, you’re wanting a more accessible book to keep you with the characters you have come to love through other mediums, it’s a great introduction.

[Leonie Hinch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Titan Books for my copy of The Sign of Seven in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis: a collection of Seven new novellas featuring Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan but loving the originals doesn't mean I don't enjoy the odd pastiche. I recently enjoyed Philip Purser-Holland's Sherlock Holmes story The Vanishing Man. I also really enjoyed the TV series. But for some reason I just could not get on with this collection of novellas. I think my main issue was the way that certain aspects of Holmes's personality have become almost forced. I thought at first this might be specific to the first story but as I read on it became a clear feature of all of them.

My main issue is this; yes, Sherlock Holmes was known for deducing things about people from his observations I.e things like 'you have a cat' (cat fur on clothing) 'you caught the early train' (ticket sticking out of pocket) but these novellas seemed to latch onto that a little too much and I found it distracted me from the story too much, it also felt really out of context like it was pushed in just to prove a point.

I don't like giving books low ratings but I do think that a true imitation of another writer's work while it should stay true to its origins, should also be aware of not focusing too strongly on one element.

[Bert Fechner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having devoured everything Arthur Conan Doyle wrote on the famous detective I craved more and after working my way through a few adaptations by a few authors , some great some not so much-I stumbled onto this book and thought I'd give it a try as the original Holmes run consists mostly of short stories anyway. All these writers nail the feeling of SH, in tone if not in character. And some stories are better than others with one being a bit too far-fetched for my tastes but this may differ from reader to reader with some liking the ones I didn't and vice-versa. James Lovegrove was the only contributor I was familiar with and I'd say they all did an adequate job but there are similarities that repeat in the stories; callbacks to original Holmes stories, either being winked at or re-worded here and that can get a little bothersome. Also- and no fault to the writers but while all the mysteries are intriguing none have captured that "Eureka!" moment of the original Holmes stories. I will say one of my favorites was the final story here by Lindsay Faye told through LeStrade's point of view and focusing more on character storytelling than solving a mystery. This was actually a very welcoming change of pace and quite refreshing.

[KaroLin (Fiktion fetzt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sign of Seven is, as the name suggests, a collection of seven Sherlock Holmes stories. A little too long for short stories, but not yet long enough to be novels, these stories inch into the area of novella. All of them get the victorian ambiance just right and you get that „Holmes-Feeling“, which is essential for a good pastiche. But I have to admit that I won’t remember all of these stories for very long. I’m already starting to forget the details of some of them – even though they were certainly entertaining while I read them. However there were two stories that stuck out to me. These are Andrew Lane’s „The Dark Carnival“ (dark secrets luring in London’s High Society – always fun) and of course Lyndsay Faye’s „Our Common Correspondent“ (a very moving story written from Lestrade’s perspective). All in all a very nice collection which I would recommend.

[Cora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a real mixed bag. Firstly, the editing was quite patchy, with a lot of typos and a somewhat odd ordering of the stories (if you're only going to include two women writers, why leave them both till last?)

The stories themselves were of wildly mixed quality. A few were pretty appalling, two of which I didn't even care what the outcome was. A few were quite fun, and one was pretty good. The only one that was actually excellent and really quite unique was Lyndsay Faye's, told from the point of view of Lestrade. All the threads were so brilliantly woven together with a really good mix of day to day life - exploration of the characters, and the actual case, as well as a strong theme running through it. The characters were so well drawn, miles ahead of all the other stories. Faye's was definitely a five star novella.

[David Knapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes - both the original Arthur Conan Doyle canon and the numerous pastiches that have been written by other authors over the years. So I was excited to read this pastiche collection of seven novellas.

Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the collection - although a few of the novellas were good. I especially enjoyed "Our Common Correspondent" by Lindsay Faye, which employed Inspector Lestrade as the narrator. That was a creative twist to the Holmes stories.

"The Monkton House Mystery" by David Stuart Davies also was enjoyable. And "The Adventure of the Heroic Tobacconist" was good.

But I thought the other four novellas ranged from "meh" to bad. And the fact that I wasn't impressed by four of the seven entries is why I gave it only three stars (and actually considered only two).

[Bkunkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good revival of Sherlock Holmes

I would give this collection of seven stories four and a half stars if I could. Of the seven stories, I enjoyed the first and last stories the least. The first was a bit too long and spent a lot of time in a London sewer tunnel--which would not be my choice of setting. The next five stories were very enjoyable. I thought the authors did an excellent job of channelling Doyle.

The last story is told from Lestrade's perspective. I found it to be entirely too wordy and a little tedious. Still, in the end, it was entertaining.

If you have not yet had enough of Sherlock Holmes, I recommend this collection of stories where the game is still afoot.

[Peter Cohron · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SIGN OF SEVEN Edited by Martin Rosenstock. Sherlock Holmes will never go away, like Andy Griffith Show and Star Trek. Sherlockians mimic the prose of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and keep, keep, keep coming up with new SH stories.
These collections are usually passable--only usually, as one other collection I read recently was awful--and this one will pass muster with SH fans.
My only criticism is that there seems to have been a minimum length for the stories, so there is more than a bit of unnecessary fluff to a number of them.
The title may seem a takeoff of the SH novel, THE SIGN OF FOUR, but there is no reference to it. There are 7 stories in the book, that is all.

[Joe Slavinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlockania is one of the largest cottage industries, within the literary world. I'm not involved, at all, but I do occasionally enjoy reading the pastiches produced. This one was particularly good. All the usual dramatic deducting by the great sleuth, as told by Dr. Watson. One notable exception, among the seven novellas in this book, was "Our Common Correspondent", by Lindsay Faye. This story was told by Inspector Lestrade, by means of his diary entries, which I found refreshing, and original. All seven novellas were well done, and I would recommend this book, to even the most nascent fan.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book three stars because I liked some of the stories, but not others. Least liked was the story set in Florida. It was such a stretch to imagine Holmes and Watson traveling all that way for a fairly weak case. That story was also quite convoluted and difficult to follow. I actually stopped reading it about 3/4 of the way through. Most others were entertaining but none rose to the level of the great Arthur Conan Doyle.

[Richard Mellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Collection

This is an excellent collection of Holmes and Watson with a look at our friend Lestrade to boot ... All good stories from the authors we have come to trust with the telling of tales of our good friends as we trusted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with the job ... Well Done ...

[Tim Gambrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A varied and accessible collection of Conan- Doyle pastiches, plus a final entry that comes from slightly more left field and, arguably, owes a greater debt to the BBC TV series ‘Sherlock’ (not in setting, but in style and content).
A highly enjoyable book and one I suggest is best enjoyed as I have done, dipped into from time to time, rather than read cover to cover.

[Outlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five-star read for fans of Sherlock Holmes - especially if your preference is for the correct era and true to the Canon. There was only one fly in the ointment with a tale set in Florida written by A Thomas as this one was a dismal 1 star effort. The other six were all pretty well perfect, I especially enjoyed the L Faye tale penned as Inspector Lestrade.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent but not great.

This is a collection of short stories obviously. They are of varying quality. Of course none rise to the originals. Some are merely interesting and some are boring. And one might be considered shocking if the twist wasn't one I had read many times before.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this elsewhere so I'm afraid just a short 'I've read it' message here. I'll pop the full review in when it has gone up.

[jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the last three, especially Faye's Lestrade novella.

[Robert Perret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every story was a winner. I highly recommend this collection!

[Sean Cisneros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every story was absolutely great !