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Elementary: 4 Mysteries from the Case Files of Sherlock Holmes
Follow Sherlock Holmes on four mysteries that after collecting dust for years, his friend and raconteur, Dr. Watson, has finally decided to A wealthy businessman is found bludgeoned to death in his locked and guarded hotel room; Poison has mysteriously found its way into the sacramental wine at a Mass in a rural village with deadly consequences; An alchemist is found shot to death after having seemingly turned lead into gold; And finally, an irritatingly unsuccessful suit salesman plummets to his death from one of the steepest cliffs in England...only he didn't jump.
- GenresMystery
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2020
86 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 23, 2020
4.5 review.
This book is a compilation of four short stories that feature Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. I felt that the author was very true to Arthur Conan Doyle in his style and writing manner, in the way he developed his characters and his plots. I love how they were done in short stories so that you didn't have to read the book all at once you could read it a story at a time.
If you, like me, are a fan of golden era mysteries featuring the famous Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Doctor Watson, you will definitely enjoy this book. I appreciate the fact that the author did not try to add any new characteristics to the characters. Hee held true to the beloved mystery icons.
Sitting down with this book and a cup of coffee while mmersing myself in further adventures with Holmes and Watson was like revisiting an old friend.
I would like to thank William Todd, BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This book is a compilation of four short stories that feature Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. I felt that the author was very true to Arthur Conan Doyle in his style and writing manner, in the way he developed his characters and his plots. I love how they were done in short stories so that you didn't have to read the book all at once you could read it a story at a time.
If you, like me, are a fan of golden era mysteries featuring the famous Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Doctor Watson, you will definitely enjoy this book. I appreciate the fact that the author did not try to add any new characteristics to the characters. Hee held true to the beloved mystery icons.
Sitting down with this book and a cup of coffee while mmersing myself in further adventures with Holmes and Watson was like revisiting an old friend.
I would like to thank William Todd, BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
April 15, 2020
Disclosure: I received this book from Books Go Social on NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is a compilation of four short stories featuring our favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes, and of course, Dr. Watson.
I felt the author was very faithful to the Conan Doyle style and prose. Each of the 4 stories was different, but all 4 were interesting. The nice thing about short stories is that you can read one, wait a couple of days, and read another...the next one being fresh and new.
If you like Sherlock Holmes stories, regardless of whether written by Conan Doyle or by more current authors, you will enjoy this set of short stories. Todd did not try to reinvent the Holmes character; rather, is entirely faithful to the original. Thus, it's like meeting with an old friend.
This is a compilation of four short stories featuring our favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes, and of course, Dr. Watson.
I felt the author was very faithful to the Conan Doyle style and prose. Each of the 4 stories was different, but all 4 were interesting. The nice thing about short stories is that you can read one, wait a couple of days, and read another...the next one being fresh and new.
If you like Sherlock Holmes stories, regardless of whether written by Conan Doyle or by more current authors, you will enjoy this set of short stories. Todd did not try to reinvent the Holmes character; rather, is entirely faithful to the original. Thus, it's like meeting with an old friend.
May 19, 2020
I am thankful to Netgalley for my review copy of Elementary by William Todd!
This is a nice little package of four short-stories, one of them longer than the others, featuring Sherlock Holmes and narrated by his friend, Dr. Watson. The author has succeeded in recreating the writing style of Doyle and the result is quite enjoyable. The settings of the stories are varied, as are the plots, and all are engaging, with interesting characters and well described scenes. As with the original stories by Doyle, there are some elements that feel implausible, but that does not affect the fun of the stories much. Elementary is a book that will appeal to all those fans of Holmes who can't get enough of the great detective.
This is a nice little package of four short-stories, one of them longer than the others, featuring Sherlock Holmes and narrated by his friend, Dr. Watson. The author has succeeded in recreating the writing style of Doyle and the result is quite enjoyable. The settings of the stories are varied, as are the plots, and all are engaging, with interesting characters and well described scenes. As with the original stories by Doyle, there are some elements that feel implausible, but that does not affect the fun of the stories much. Elementary is a book that will appeal to all those fans of Holmes who can't get enough of the great detective.
April 13, 2020
I'm not by any means a Sherlock Holmes expert, but I have read a good handful of the original stories, and I think these ones are very well done and a good representation of the originals. If someone had told me that they were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I would have believed them.
The stories range in length, with the first one being longer and the other three being more similar. I thought the mysteries were quite nice, and they definitely showed off the typical Holmes mental patterns of detection. The results of his deductions were surprising and showed that a good deal of thought went into the planning of the mysteries. (I myself can't imagine how people are able to come up with this stuff half the time...)
There did seem to be a lot of formatting errors, though, but I'm not quite sure if that is just specific to my device. However, it did kind of take away from the story when there were lines of text (that should have been together) in a separate paragraph and vise versa.
Regardless, it was an enjoyable read. The mysteries were fast-paced and made my time pass quickly.
The stories range in length, with the first one being longer and the other three being more similar. I thought the mysteries were quite nice, and they definitely showed off the typical Holmes mental patterns of detection. The results of his deductions were surprising and showed that a good deal of thought went into the planning of the mysteries. (I myself can't imagine how people are able to come up with this stuff half the time...)
There did seem to be a lot of formatting errors, though, but I'm not quite sure if that is just specific to my device. However, it did kind of take away from the story when there were lines of text (that should have been together) in a separate paragraph and vise versa.
Regardless, it was an enjoyable read. The mysteries were fast-paced and made my time pass quickly.
April 16, 2020
1 Death of A Salesman - Holmes and Watson are off on holiday to the Kerrek House on the Penwith Peninsula in Cornwall. Many of the passengers on their train also arrive at the hotel. But the next morning Watson witnesses a murder - a man standing near the cliff edge is shot from the hotel by an arrow. But what is the motive and who is the guilty party.
2 Elementary - Lestrade invites Holmes and Watson onto his case. The murder of a Professor Harold Austin in his laboratory in his home. Is his death connected to his experiments
3 The problem at Witney - Holmes receives a telegram from hotel owner Milton Hughes. A guest Francis Erdley has been murdered in his room. A room that was guarded at the door and around the hotel. A necklace was also stolen, but how did the murderer enter and leave the room unseen.
4 Mass Murder - Holmes and Watson are visiting their friend Phineas Whympenny in Woodford-Upon-Lea, when they come across a crime scene. The police are investigating the death of four men and attempted murder of a female.
Four enjoyable and well-written mystery stories.
A NetGalley Book
2 Elementary - Lestrade invites Holmes and Watson onto his case. The murder of a Professor Harold Austin in his laboratory in his home. Is his death connected to his experiments
3 The problem at Witney - Holmes receives a telegram from hotel owner Milton Hughes. A guest Francis Erdley has been murdered in his room. A room that was guarded at the door and around the hotel. A necklace was also stolen, but how did the murderer enter and leave the room unseen.
4 Mass Murder - Holmes and Watson are visiting their friend Phineas Whympenny in Woodford-Upon-Lea, when they come across a crime scene. The police are investigating the death of four men and attempted murder of a female.
Four enjoyable and well-written mystery stories.
A NetGalley Book
April 17, 2020
189 pages
4 stars
This book is an anthology of four short stories during the life and times of Sherlock Holmes and his ever faithful sidekick Dr. Watson.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and felt that Mr. Todd did a remarkable job of staying faithful to the true Sherlockian style. Dr. Watson speaks with the same “accent” and authority with which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle imbued him. I felt like I was visiting an old friend. I've got most of Doyle's books and have always treasured them. The stories are not connected and can stand alone for a more leisurely reading pace.
The formatting was awful. Perhaps it is just my Kindle? So I didn't take any stars off for that. Hopefully, this problem will be fixed for the final publication.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review.
4 stars
This book is an anthology of four short stories during the life and times of Sherlock Holmes and his ever faithful sidekick Dr. Watson.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and felt that Mr. Todd did a remarkable job of staying faithful to the true Sherlockian style. Dr. Watson speaks with the same “accent” and authority with which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle imbued him. I felt like I was visiting an old friend. I've got most of Doyle's books and have always treasured them. The stories are not connected and can stand alone for a more leisurely reading pace.
The formatting was awful. Perhaps it is just my Kindle? So I didn't take any stars off for that. Hopefully, this problem will be fixed for the final publication.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review.
April 18, 2020
This Book is a Collection of four short stories. All the four stories include Murder Investigation by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I liked the Todd’s style of writing, pretty simple, yet so descriptive. Plots have been developed well with intrigued story line. Characters and Scenes have been described well especially in the context of murder investigation. All the stories are fast paced with great twists and mystery. I was surprised by the ending which was so unpredictable in each of the short story.
Formatting errors throughout the book were the only let down for me.
Four Short Stories in this Book are:
1) Murder of Suit Salesman Newbury
2) Murder of Chemistry Professor Harold Austin
3) Murder and Theft in Hotel
4) Four Murders in Woodford-UponLea
If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you would certainly like these short stories.
Formatting errors throughout the book were the only let down for me.
Four Short Stories in this Book are:
1) Murder of Suit Salesman Newbury
2) Murder of Chemistry Professor Harold Austin
3) Murder and Theft in Hotel
4) Four Murders in Woodford-UponLea
If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you would certainly like these short stories.
May 28, 2020
4 Stars
Thank you Netgalley, William Todd and BooksGoSocial for the Netgalley review copy in return for an honest review.
Having read a few original Sherlock Holmes book, I can say that William Todd definitely embodied the writing style and atmosphere of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I had really fun reading these short Sherlock Holmes stories. It were 4 very different cases and different methods were used. All of them were well explained in a Sherlock Holmes fashion.
The four cases are:
1. Death of a Salesman in a hotel during Sherlock Holmes vacation
2. An alchemist is found shot to death
3. Death and Robbery of a ruby Necklace in a locked and guarded room
4. 3 men poisoned in a church
I do have to say that my kindle edition had a few formatting errors, but I didn't take that into account in my rating.
Thank you Netgalley, William Todd and BooksGoSocial for the Netgalley review copy in return for an honest review.
Having read a few original Sherlock Holmes book, I can say that William Todd definitely embodied the writing style and atmosphere of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I had really fun reading these short Sherlock Holmes stories. It were 4 very different cases and different methods were used. All of them were well explained in a Sherlock Holmes fashion.
The four cases are:
1. Death of a Salesman in a hotel during Sherlock Holmes vacation
2. An alchemist is found shot to death
3. Death and Robbery of a ruby Necklace in a locked and guarded room
4. 3 men poisoned in a church
I do have to say that my kindle edition had a few formatting errors, but I didn't take that into account in my rating.
June 3, 2020
When I was in my early teens I devoured every bit of the Sherlock Holmes opus, all 4 novels and the 5 collections of short stories. In fact I think I read most of them twice! Since then I have read a few attempts to extend the series, some have worked quite well (e.g. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz) and some have fallen short.
Elementary by William Todd comprises “4 mysteries from the case files of Sherlock Holmes” which Dr Watson had not published. It didn’t work for me, it felt formulaic and somewhat predictable. To be honest I couldn’t bring myself to read all 4 of the stories, 2 were more than enough!
Unless you have read and remember all of the original Conan Doyle stories you might do better to go back to the originals and even if you do remember them I would still rather read the originals again than these wooden homages.
Elementary by William Todd comprises “4 mysteries from the case files of Sherlock Holmes” which Dr Watson had not published. It didn’t work for me, it felt formulaic and somewhat predictable. To be honest I couldn’t bring myself to read all 4 of the stories, 2 were more than enough!
Unless you have read and remember all of the original Conan Doyle stories you might do better to go back to the originals and even if you do remember them I would still rather read the originals again than these wooden homages.
May 17, 2020
An entertaining collection of four short stories involving that great detective, Sherlock Holmes. The author's style of writing and approach to recreating Sherlock Holmes and his unique characteristics is commendable.
The characters and scenes, created in the short stories, bear enough resemblance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle without comprising the author's writing. He allows the reader to reflect back and encourage us to want to read further. These stories have the ability to stand on their own and at the same time be a compliment to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with the respect he most assuredly deserves.
I want to thank Net Galley for an advance copy and I would highly recommend it.
The characters and scenes, created in the short stories, bear enough resemblance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle without comprising the author's writing. He allows the reader to reflect back and encourage us to want to read further. These stories have the ability to stand on their own and at the same time be a compliment to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with the respect he most assuredly deserves.
I want to thank Net Galley for an advance copy and I would highly recommend it.
April 29, 2020
Four Sherlock Holmes- like mysteries in one book, very enjoyable, Sherlock is a little softer in personality in this book, and I think I enjoyed it a little more. The mysteries are good, well written with good story lines and intriguing plots. Dr Watson is a little smarter, and there is a real friendship that come through
June 12, 2021
Excellent
Mr. Todd is an exceptional writer for Sherlock Holmes stories. These were wonderful, especially the very last one. This book contains four stories. Each has excellent flow, character portrayal, and tone. There were a few humorous scenes that I laughed at. Those kinds of scenes are a bit rare in Holmes pastiches. Elementary is definitely worth a read.
Christa
Mr. Todd is an exceptional writer for Sherlock Holmes stories. These were wonderful, especially the very last one. This book contains four stories. Each has excellent flow, character portrayal, and tone. There were a few humorous scenes that I laughed at. Those kinds of scenes are a bit rare in Holmes pastiches. Elementary is definitely worth a read.
Christa
April 23, 2020
I love all four stories! Usually, in an anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories, I'll only like one. Each of these were interesting and didn't leave me feeling that more story was needed to make it feel completed.
Each story has a consistent "Dr. Watson" voice, and an interesting Holmes!
Each story has a consistent "Dr. Watson" voice, and an interesting Holmes!
November 28, 2020
Nice adds to the Holmes stories
Four captivating short mysteries with Holmes doing what he does so well, observing collecting facts and solving murder or the crime.
Highly recommend for a little intellectual stimulation.
Four captivating short mysteries with Holmes doing what he does so well, observing collecting facts and solving murder or the crime.
Highly recommend for a little intellectual stimulation.
January 25, 2021
More stories with Sherlock
The stories move along at a quick pace, I was able to read a mystery per night. Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite detective, and William Todd does good justice by him. Read and enjoy!
The stories move along at a quick pace, I was able to read a mystery per night. Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite detective, and William Todd does good justice by him. Read and enjoy!
April 3, 2021
Intrigue from Baker Sreet
I loved these easy reading mysteries from everyone’s favorite detective. They always make me pause and reread lines, to not miss a point ❤️
Very enjoyable, Thanks!
I loved these easy reading mysteries from everyone’s favorite detective. They always make me pause and reread lines, to not miss a point ❤️
Very enjoyable, Thanks!
August 11, 2025
Very good stories
A worthy addition to the Sherlock Holmes collection. The stories are authentic to the period and the voice of Dr. Watson rings true. The stories are well written and Holmes sees what others cannot.
Hoping to find other collections by this author.
A worthy addition to the Sherlock Holmes collection. The stories are authentic to the period and the voice of Dr. Watson rings true. The stories are well written and Holmes sees what others cannot.
Hoping to find other collections by this author.
August 18, 2025
Enjoyable
William Todd has included 4 stories in this book. He does a pretty good job of picking up the use of words and the rhythm of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories present the right time period and mood. It was a fun and very fast read.
William Todd has included 4 stories in this book. He does a pretty good job of picking up the use of words and the rhythm of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories present the right time period and mood. It was a fun and very fast read.
April 15, 2020
I Enjoyed everything about this book there was nothing I didn't like about the book. I would gladly reread it again. I Would recommend this book to anyone. I like the story that was being told.
July 18, 2020
A nice set of short stories.
August 24, 2020
Perfection
Absolutely loved the stories. They were kept in the style of Mr. Doyle. Will definitely be reading more from William Todd!
Absolutely loved the stories. They were kept in the style of Mr. Doyle. Will definitely be reading more from William Todd!
January 11, 2021
Good read
Occasionally a little purple in prose, but well researched and very enjoyable. I will look for more works by this author.
Occasionally a little purple in prose, but well researched and very enjoyable. I will look for more works by this author.
November 1, 2020
Very well written short stories that replicate the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle very well. Each story captures your interest and it is important for the reader to carefully follow the hidden clues that lead to the suspenseful ending. For the lovers of Sherlock Holmes, you won't be disappointed.
May 4, 2024
Elementary by William Todd is a collection of four mysteries that have been written by Dr Watson that have previously not been published about his friend Sherlock Holmes. I liked this but didn't love it as much as I wanted to. The writing was good but it just didn't have the Holmes feel to me.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews