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Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon
Echoes of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon
In a stunning follow-up to the acclaimed In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger present a brand-new anthology of stories inspired by the Arthur Conan Doyle canon.Echoes of Sherlock Holmes puts forth the What happens when great writers/creators who are not known as Sherlock Holmes devotees admit to being inspired by Conan Doyle stories? While some of these talented authors are highly-regarded mystery writers, others are best known for their work in the fields of fantasy or science fiction. All of them, however, share a great admiration for Arthur Conan Doyle and his greatest creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Some stories tell of Holmes himself (in Victorian Baker Street or modern New York, in various guises or a different gender), while others explore various Conan Doyle characters. Although not a formal collection of new Holmes stories (though some do fit that mold), these tales are inspired by the Conan Doyle canon. The results are breathtaking—for long-time fans of Holmes and Watson, for readers new to Doyle’s writing, and for all readers who love exceptional storytelling. Featuring stories by Tasha Alexander, Cory Doctorow, Hallie Ephron, Meg Gardiner, William Kent Krueger, Jonathan Maberry, Catriona McPherson, David Morrell, Anne Perry, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and more.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2016
74 people are currently reading
1759 people want to read
About the author
Laurie R. King
135 books6,842 followersEdgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum is
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.
King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]
King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.
Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.
King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]
King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.
Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
October 3, 2016
This is a collection of 16 stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle, written by different authors. I enjoyed reading the stories and in their own way, each has merit. John Connolly gives us tale that is fantastical and stretches the fabric of reality where literary characters turn up at the Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository. Sherlock Holmes is one of them. Meg Gardner weaves a story involving the irregulars and a supposed suicide that is anything but. Dana Cameron writes of daring adventure involving the location of a legacy. Tasha Alexander gives us an insight into Irene Adler and her affair with the Crown Prince of Bohemia. David Morrell has Sherlock question Conan Doyle over the evidence for his belief in fairies and whether a photograph really does capture them. Lee & Musson have Mrs Hudson investigate. Hank Ryan's creation, Annabelle Holmes, gets to the bottom of the mystery of a man's fiance and a dastardly dance studio owner! Anne Perry gives us the charming tale of a 9 year old girl who mistakenly assumes an actor who plays Holmes is Holmes and asks him to help get her kidnapped mother back. Michael Scott tells the wonderful tale of Katherine who uncovers what happens to the missing Irish Crown Jewels. Hallie Ephron focuses on Irene Adler, or rather her portrayal on film. Gary Phillips has a murder in Harlem. The Painted Smile is a touching story of a child, who insists he is Sherlock and that Moriarty, the clown, is going to try and kill him. Catriona MacPherson has a marriage and financial ruin addressed. Deborah Crombie writes a delightful tale of the speckled trout that turns out to be crucial in preventing a murder. Jonathan Maberry has Watson meet Dupin who featured in Edgar Allan Poe's books to address major crime. Denise Mina gives us the odd tale of a murderer driven to kill because of limited resources on the remotest of Scottish islands. Cory Doctorow has Holmes and his brother at odds over important principles. Wonderful book. Thanks to Pegasus Books for an ARC.
December 15, 2018
How about that, I got approved for an ARC of this book on NetGalley! I must admit that I started to read this book the very same evening I got the approve mail.
Here is some thought about each story from the collection:
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly - 5 stars
Despite having read this story before did I have no problem reading it again. But, then again, this is one of my favorite stories, written by one of my favorite authors. And, it's still just as funny as it was the first time I read it.
Irregular by Meg Gardiner - 2 stars
This story just didn't work that well for me: I found quite bland and when the suspect was revealed could I not for a moment place him, despite the stories short length. Yes, I read part of the story walking my cat, but honestly, I usually remember the characters better if they make an impression. I just didn't find the story intriguing
Where there is honey by Dana Cameron - 3 stars
A bit better than the previous story, but still not a favorite in the book. I found Dr. Watson a bit caddish in the book and it felt odd to think of him having had a relationship with Mrs. Hudson. However, he did seem to be smarter than he sometimes is portrayed and that I liked.
Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander - 3.5 stars
This story, however, is one that I like very much since it gives us the story about how Irene Adler came to meet the crown prince and how she ended up with the photo of them both that he so desperately wanted back. I especially liked how Irene is portrayed as not a cunning shrewd woman out to deceive the crown prince.
The Spiritualist by David Morrell - 3 stars
Interesting story with Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle getting a surprise visit that makes him question his belief in the spirit world.
Mrs. Hudson Investigates by Tony Lee & Bevis Musson - 1 star
A comic that tries to be funny, but felt more and less like a tiresome way of showing how clever Mrs. Hudson is. As a deeper story and not a comic perhaps it would have been better, but honestly, I doubt that since it was way too silly.
The Adventure of the Dancing Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan - 3 stars
Ah, this story was actually quite amusing to read. I see great potentials with both the characters and the story. This would make a lovely cozy mystery series with "Holmes" & "Watson" solving crimes. I quite liked it, it was easygoing to read.
Raffa by Anne Perry - 3.5 stars
Such a sweet and heartwarming story. This I could see as a real book as well with an actor playing Sherlock Holmes solving real case beside his acting job. Pretty cool!
The Crown Jewel Affair by Michael Scott - 3 stars
Not bad at all, but this is a story that would have been better if it's been longer and more fleshed out since I quite liked the idea of a female thief/bordello madame.
Understudy in Scarlet by Hallie Ephron - 3.5 stars
I quite liked this story about an aging actress that thinks that she is getting the young Irene Adler part, but as it turns out is a bit wrong. Feels a bit like Murder She Wrote episode, but without Jessica Fletcher of course...
Martin X by Gary Philips - 2 stars
Not a story that made a big impression on me.
The Painted Smile by William Kent Krueger - 2 stars
This one also was a bit bland.
The First Mrs. Coulter by Catriona McPerson - 3 stars
This one at least had a clever ending that I at first missed but got when I re-read the ending to see what the point of it was.
The Case of the Speckled Trout by Deborah Crombie - 2 stars
Not my cup of tea. it seems that the best stories came first in this collection.
The Adventure of the Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry - 2 stars
Started off interesting and then my interest was promptly lost.
Limited Resources by Denis Mina - 2 stars
Same as the story before. I liked the twist to the story, but I can't say I really cared that much about the whole story. Mostly because I couldn't see how any motive to murder, Well, of course, being a crazy murderer doesn't really mean that you have to have a motive other than being crazy...
The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition by Cory Doctorow - 1 star
DULL! The one story in the collection that I mostly skimmed just to get through.
Final thoughts:
When it comes to anthologies have I never, as far as I know, read one where all the stories work for me. However, I had high hopes for this one and it started off great with Holmes on the Range by John Connolly a favorite story of mine, one that I read before and didn't mind reading again. Then, the stories varied quite a lot with some quite good, and some less interesting to read. For me, some were really interesting because I could see the potential for longer stories, or even a series of stories. Others were even hard to read, despite being novellas and not novels.
I want to thank Pegasus Books for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
Here is some thought about each story from the collection:
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly - 5 stars
Despite having read this story before did I have no problem reading it again. But, then again, this is one of my favorite stories, written by one of my favorite authors. And, it's still just as funny as it was the first time I read it.
Irregular by Meg Gardiner - 2 stars
This story just didn't work that well for me: I found quite bland and when the suspect was revealed could I not for a moment place him, despite the stories short length. Yes, I read part of the story walking my cat, but honestly, I usually remember the characters better if they make an impression. I just didn't find the story intriguing
Where there is honey by Dana Cameron - 3 stars
A bit better than the previous story, but still not a favorite in the book. I found Dr. Watson a bit caddish in the book and it felt odd to think of him having had a relationship with Mrs. Hudson. However, he did seem to be smarter than he sometimes is portrayed and that I liked.
Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander - 3.5 stars
This story, however, is one that I like very much since it gives us the story about how Irene Adler came to meet the crown prince and how she ended up with the photo of them both that he so desperately wanted back. I especially liked how Irene is portrayed as not a cunning shrewd woman out to deceive the crown prince.
The Spiritualist by David Morrell - 3 stars
Interesting story with Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle getting a surprise visit that makes him question his belief in the spirit world.
Mrs. Hudson Investigates by Tony Lee & Bevis Musson - 1 star
A comic that tries to be funny, but felt more and less like a tiresome way of showing how clever Mrs. Hudson is. As a deeper story and not a comic perhaps it would have been better, but honestly, I doubt that since it was way too silly.
The Adventure of the Dancing Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan - 3 stars
Ah, this story was actually quite amusing to read. I see great potentials with both the characters and the story. This would make a lovely cozy mystery series with "Holmes" & "Watson" solving crimes. I quite liked it, it was easygoing to read.
Raffa by Anne Perry - 3.5 stars
Such a sweet and heartwarming story. This I could see as a real book as well with an actor playing Sherlock Holmes solving real case beside his acting job. Pretty cool!
The Crown Jewel Affair by Michael Scott - 3 stars
Not bad at all, but this is a story that would have been better if it's been longer and more fleshed out since I quite liked the idea of a female thief/bordello madame.
Understudy in Scarlet by Hallie Ephron - 3.5 stars
I quite liked this story about an aging actress that thinks that she is getting the young Irene Adler part, but as it turns out is a bit wrong. Feels a bit like Murder She Wrote episode, but without Jessica Fletcher of course...
Martin X by Gary Philips - 2 stars
Not a story that made a big impression on me.
The Painted Smile by William Kent Krueger - 2 stars
This one also was a bit bland.
The First Mrs. Coulter by Catriona McPerson - 3 stars
This one at least had a clever ending that I at first missed but got when I re-read the ending to see what the point of it was.
The Case of the Speckled Trout by Deborah Crombie - 2 stars
Not my cup of tea. it seems that the best stories came first in this collection.
The Adventure of the Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry - 2 stars
Started off interesting and then my interest was promptly lost.
Limited Resources by Denis Mina - 2 stars
Same as the story before. I liked the twist to the story, but I can't say I really cared that much about the whole story. Mostly because I couldn't see how any motive to murder, Well, of course, being a crazy murderer doesn't really mean that you have to have a motive other than being crazy...
The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition by Cory Doctorow - 1 star
DULL! The one story in the collection that I mostly skimmed just to get through.
Final thoughts:
When it comes to anthologies have I never, as far as I know, read one where all the stories work for me. However, I had high hopes for this one and it started off great with Holmes on the Range by John Connolly a favorite story of mine, one that I read before and didn't mind reading again. Then, the stories varied quite a lot with some quite good, and some less interesting to read. For me, some were really interesting because I could see the potential for longer stories, or even a series of stories. Others were even hard to read, despite being novellas and not novels.
I want to thank Pegasus Books for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
October 20, 2016
I really enjoyed this story collection, with 16 hits of 18 total stories.
The connections to Holmes vary in degree and often are not, in themselves, an indication of how much I liked an individual story. Several, including the final, by Cory Doctorow, left me wishing I could read the non-existent next page. I was pleased to encounter John Connolly' s Holmes on the Range, a story I read in that author's own story collection. A true keeper for lovers of Holmes and Doyle and libraries and stories with a touch of fantasy. Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron had some interesting variations on the usual themes and characters of Doyle's works; it was just that wee bit off from expected which added spice (or honey) to the tale.
All in all, I definitely recommend this collection and fully intend to check out the others in this series: A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes and don't mind a bit of playing around with the master, this will be a pleasure.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The connections to Holmes vary in degree and often are not, in themselves, an indication of how much I liked an individual story. Several, including the final, by Cory Doctorow, left me wishing I could read the non-existent next page. I was pleased to encounter John Connolly' s Holmes on the Range, a story I read in that author's own story collection. A true keeper for lovers of Holmes and Doyle and libraries and stories with a touch of fantasy. Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron had some interesting variations on the usual themes and characters of Doyle's works; it was just that wee bit off from expected which added spice (or honey) to the tale.
All in all, I definitely recommend this collection and fully intend to check out the others in this series: A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes and don't mind a bit of playing around with the master, this will be a pleasure.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 9, 2023
Some very enjoyable stories, some not so good, and one particularly frustrating as it didn't end and not a great conclusion.
There are some amazing takes on the Sherlock Holmes idea in this collection of short stories, something for everyone to enjoy.
There are some amazing takes on the Sherlock Holmes idea in this collection of short stories, something for everyone to enjoy.
August 8, 2023
My favorite top three stories:
1. Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron
2. The Adventure of the Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry
3. The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition by Cory Doctorow
1. Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron
2. The Adventure of the Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry
3. The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition by Cory Doctorow
September 26, 2021
Really mixed quality but lots of fun.
February 28, 2017
Early on in this third collection of stories inspired by the Holmes Canon..."Our eyes met, and a slow smile spread across my face. It was mirrored by Holmes's own rather feral grin. A client with deep pockets and the promise of violence? Better than plum pudding on Christmas Day."
My anticipation was something like that in starting this book, and I did find at least four of the stories outstanding entertainment. It is difficult to downgrade my estimation of the book for the number of stories I did not enjoy, but there it is. It was a mixed bag for me.
I think I will backtrack and go to the second collection when I am in the mood for more as I really do appreciate the effort that must have gone into putting these books together.
My anticipation was something like that in starting this book, and I did find at least four of the stories outstanding entertainment. It is difficult to downgrade my estimation of the book for the number of stories I did not enjoy, but there it is. It was a mixed bag for me.
I think I will backtrack and go to the second collection when I am in the mood for more as I really do appreciate the effort that must have gone into putting these books together.
September 14, 2017
Short stories are hard and Mixed-author anthologies are exceptionally hard to rate because there are always some authors and stories that work for a reader and some that don't. This is probably closer to a 3.5—there were no 5-star stories, but nor were there any 1-star stories—but it's not quite consistent enough to round up to four=stars.
February 24, 2021
meh. Some of the stories were imaginative but most were just meh. Funnily I realized that the stories that I did like were mostly by women authors.
September 11, 2019
And just when I thought I’d read all the Sherlock Holmes material possible, I find another volume. I found the modern Holmes and genderbent detective most interesting
April 13, 2021
As anthologies go, this is quite a good one. Some of the stories work better, some less. I'll try to classify them below:
A. A "lost" Holmes story.
B. Prequel/Sequel to a Holmes story.
C. Period piece, with other characters whose names/traits are a play on/homage to Holmes.
D. Set in modern times, with Holmes.
E. Set in modern times, with other characters whose names/traits are a play on/homage to Holmes.
F. Fourth wall breakers.
Now let's give brief ratings for each story:
"Holmes on the range" (John Connolly) - F, 4/5
"Irregular" (Meg Gardiner) - E, 3/5
"Where there is honey" (Dana Cameron) - A, 1/5 (Why so much gore? Nothing wrong with gore per se but it serves no purpose here).
"Before a Bohemian scanda" (Tasha Alexander) - B, 5/5
"The Spiritualist" (David Morrell) - F, 5/5
"Mrs. Hudson Investigates" (Tony Lee & Bevis Musson) - B, 2/5 (1 star added for the attempt to do it as a comics story)
"The adventure of the dancing women" (Hank Phillippi Ryan) - E, 5/5
"Raffa" (Anne Perry) - E, 5/5
"The crown jewel affair" (Michael Scott) - C, 1/5 (Maybe I missed something crucial? I didn't get
what this was all about at all.)
"Understudy in scarlet" (Hallie Ephron) - E, 4/5 (I loved the mystery and the main character. But justice was not really served there, in my opinion, and we have enough injustice IRL).
"Martin X" (Gary Phillips) - E, 2/5
"The painted smile" (William Kent Krueger) - E, 5/5
"The first Mrs. Coulter" (Catriona McPherson) - C, 5/5
"The case of the speckled trout" (Deborah Crombie) - D, 4/5
"The adventure of the empty grave" (Jonathan Maberry) - B, 2/5 (Good idea. Something off about the execution)
"Limited resources" (Denise Mina) - E, 2/5 (Once again, maybe I missed something?)
"The adventure of the extraordinary rendition" (Cory Doctorow) - F, 4/5 (Very good but (i) too open-ended for my liking of this kind of thing (ii) too bleak, too realistic)
A. A "lost" Holmes story.
B. Prequel/Sequel to a Holmes story.
C. Period piece, with other characters whose names/traits are a play on/homage to Holmes.
D. Set in modern times, with Holmes.
E. Set in modern times, with other characters whose names/traits are a play on/homage to Holmes.
F. Fourth wall breakers.
Now let's give brief ratings for each story:
"Holmes on the range" (John Connolly) - F, 4/5
"Irregular" (Meg Gardiner) - E, 3/5
"Where there is honey" (Dana Cameron) - A, 1/5 (Why so much gore? Nothing wrong with gore per se but it serves no purpose here).
"Before a Bohemian scanda" (Tasha Alexander) - B, 5/5
"The Spiritualist" (David Morrell) - F, 5/5
"Mrs. Hudson Investigates" (Tony Lee & Bevis Musson) - B, 2/5 (1 star added for the attempt to do it as a comics story)
"The adventure of the dancing women" (Hank Phillippi Ryan) - E, 5/5
"Raffa" (Anne Perry) - E, 5/5
"The crown jewel affair" (Michael Scott) - C, 1/5 (Maybe I missed something crucial? I didn't get
what this was all about at all.)
"Understudy in scarlet" (Hallie Ephron) - E, 4/5 (I loved the mystery and the main character. But justice was not really served there, in my opinion, and we have enough injustice IRL).
"Martin X" (Gary Phillips) - E, 2/5
"The painted smile" (William Kent Krueger) - E, 5/5
"The first Mrs. Coulter" (Catriona McPherson) - C, 5/5
"The case of the speckled trout" (Deborah Crombie) - D, 4/5
"The adventure of the empty grave" (Jonathan Maberry) - B, 2/5 (Good idea. Something off about the execution)
"Limited resources" (Denise Mina) - E, 2/5 (Once again, maybe I missed something?)
"The adventure of the extraordinary rendition" (Cory Doctorow) - F, 4/5 (Very good but (i) too open-ended for my liking of this kind of thing (ii) too bleak, too realistic)
August 18, 2017
A mixed bag, to be sure. It was perfectly satisfying to while away the summer but I wouldn't put in on a must read list by any means.
February 1, 2017
I have many favourite Sherlocks: literary, media, old and new, not the least being Cumberbatch, who I sincerely hope plays Mr Holmes, husband of Mary Russell, as written by Laurie King. The original Sherlock Holmes, the fictional English detective extraordinaire, was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887 (A Study in Scarlet) and has never died. This legendary figure lives on in current literature, television and movies. I have especially liked many of the modern takes, including the short stories of King and Klinger. Each collection has had spectacular tales by some of the best writers of our time: (King, Klinger, Connolly, Bradley, Gaiman, ...) Indeed, each volume I couldn't wait to see who wrote another installment! Every volume has a fascinating, charming, unsettling story for everyone, so don't miss them.
Title: Echoes of Sherlock eds Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger
Publisher: Pegasus crime
Genre: mystery, thriller fiction, series, short stories,
5+ stars
Authors:
Laurie R King is a best selling author of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, SanFran homicide inspector Kate Martinelli mysteries, as well as highly recommended stand alone suspense novels. She has been nominated for and won many awards for her writing, (including a Nero for A Monstrous Regiment of Women, (Russell/Sherlock) and a MacCavity for Touchstone, one of my favourite mysteries). Recently, she was awarded an Agatha for best historical 2015 Dreaming Spies! The first Russell/Sherlock is The Beekeeper's Apprentice (1994).
Leslie Klinger is an American attorney and writer AND an eminent literary editor and annotator, particularly of the Sherlock Holmes Canon. His New Annotated Sherlock Holmes won an Edgar (the annual Edgar Allan Poe awards). Both King and Klinger are Baker Street Irregulars. They have edited three collections of stories inspired by the canon. The previous book in this series In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Tales Inspired by the Holmes Canon, won both the Anthony and the Silver Falchion awards for “Best Anthology”.
Story line:
This is the third editorial collaboration of Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger of newly commissioned tales from somewhere in the Sherlock Holmes tradition or canon. Like the previous collections, A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, this edition has 18 short stories, memorable, wonderful, intriguing and suspenseful. There are two that didn't appeal to me but most have widely different takes, so I would recommend reading one or two an evening, savouring each gem. Too many at once dims the appreciation of these unique stories. Enjoy the different takes in Victorian life, fresh imagination, reflections of current Holmes/Watson (PSTD) with complex cases and nasty villains. They all pale in comparison to John Connolly's (soon to be award winning!) contribution. I have absolute favourites in each of these three volumes and would love to have them in a best of volume! My top three would be Connolly, Alexander, Perry, followed closely by David Morrell, Dana Cameron. Indeed I will be reading more of some of these authors. Several left me wanting to turn the page for continued story. Continue the anthology please! Keep the new stories and varied authors coming. I had no idea so many people would like to try their hand at Holmes.
Read on
A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon.
Caleb Carr The Italian Secretary
Anthony Horowitz The House of Silk, Moriarity
Laurie R King Mary Russell series
Alan Bradley Flavia deLuce series
Jasper Fforyde Eyre Affair Tuesday Next series
Quotes:
All of which only goes to prove that when one is dealing with Sherlock Holmes, a man “who never lived and so can never die,” physics goes out the window.
Holmes on The Range by John Connolly is both my favourite and the best of this collection. It extends his Edgar award winning novella The Caxton Private Lending Library 2014 in Night Music. Don't forget to read his first set of unsettling supernatural short stories Nocturne.
The history of the Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository has not been entirely without incident, as befits an institution of seemingly infinite space inhabited largely by fictional characters who have found their way into the physical realm.
Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository was established as a kind of rest home for the great, the good and, occasionally, the not-so-good-but-definitely-memorable, of literature, all supported by rounding up the prices on books by a ha’penny a time.
“I don’t profess to be an expert in every field,” he replied. “I have little interest in literature, philosophy, or astronomy, and a negligible regard for the political sphere. I remain confident in the fields of chemistry and the anatomical sciences, and, as you have pointed out, can hold my own in geology and botany, with particular reference to poisons.”
“It’s not the way I was written. I’m written as a criminal mastermind who comes up with baroque, fiendish plots. It’s against my nature even to walk down the street in a straight line.
Believe me, I’ve tried. I have to duck and dive so much that I get dizzy.”
“By the way, is my archnemesis here?” asked Holmes. “I’m not expecting him,” said Mr. Headley. “You know, he never seemed entirely real.”
He then returned to the bowels—or attic—of the library, and found that it had begun to create suitable living quarters for Holmes and Watson based on Paget’s illustrations, and Watson’s descriptions, of the rooms at 221B Baker Street.
The Spiritualist by David Morrell (where Conan Doyle gets a ghostly visit from Holmes full of family history)
“But the great actor, William Gillette, used it as a prop when he portrayed me on stage. It looks more dramatic than an ordinary straight pipe.
Raffa by Anne Perry is a lovely, charming tale of a 9 year old who needs Sherlock.
He drew in his breath to try to explain to her that he was Marcus St. Giles, playing Sherlock Holmes on television.
Her wide blue eyes did not waver from his. The trust in them was terrifying. Was the real Sherlock Holmes ever faced with . . . but now he was being idiotic.
There was no ‘real’ Sherlock Holmes! “That sounds about right,”
“The things we love matter, whatever they are,”
“I think you are a lot nicer for real than you are in the stories that Dr Watson writes about you.”
The Crown Jewel Affair by Michael Scott
This once-elegant street was now the cancer at the heart of Dublin, the second city of the British Empire. Crime, perversion and disease were rampant and it was ruled by a series of terrifying women:...
“Mr. Corcoran, there are more whores in this city than in London and Manchester combined. That is because we are a garrison city, a port city. We have English regiments training in the Royal Barracks and on the Curragh, and the quays are busy with British warships and merchantmen from around the world. All those soldiers and sailors are looking for relief.
The Case of The Speckled Trout by Deborah Crombie
I’d never been north of the Border, so as the train gathered speed out of Edinburgh’s Waverly Station I looked out the window with interest.
While I was trying to decide whether I had sold myself into Dickensian slavery—or was destined to be a Scottish Jane Eyre, stuck on the moor with a dour master and a mad wife—the road ran downhill and we were again in the land of green glens and burbling streams
Cooking, it turned out, was only chemistry.
The Adventure of The Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry (Watson meets Dupin, the first fictional detective of EA Poe)
Dupin was clearly possessed some of the same intellectual qualities as my late friend, but he also had a fair few of the less appealing habits that apparently are part and parcel. Superiority and condescension, not the least.
Received as an ARC ebook from Netgalley, as well as purchased hardcover.
Title: Echoes of Sherlock eds Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger
Publisher: Pegasus crime
Genre: mystery, thriller fiction, series, short stories,
5+ stars
Authors:
Laurie R King is a best selling author of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, SanFran homicide inspector Kate Martinelli mysteries, as well as highly recommended stand alone suspense novels. She has been nominated for and won many awards for her writing, (including a Nero for A Monstrous Regiment of Women, (Russell/Sherlock) and a MacCavity for Touchstone, one of my favourite mysteries). Recently, she was awarded an Agatha for best historical 2015 Dreaming Spies! The first Russell/Sherlock is The Beekeeper's Apprentice (1994).
Leslie Klinger is an American attorney and writer AND an eminent literary editor and annotator, particularly of the Sherlock Holmes Canon. His New Annotated Sherlock Holmes won an Edgar (the annual Edgar Allan Poe awards). Both King and Klinger are Baker Street Irregulars. They have edited three collections of stories inspired by the canon. The previous book in this series In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Tales Inspired by the Holmes Canon, won both the Anthony and the Silver Falchion awards for “Best Anthology”.
Story line:
This is the third editorial collaboration of Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger of newly commissioned tales from somewhere in the Sherlock Holmes tradition or canon. Like the previous collections, A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, this edition has 18 short stories, memorable, wonderful, intriguing and suspenseful. There are two that didn't appeal to me but most have widely different takes, so I would recommend reading one or two an evening, savouring each gem. Too many at once dims the appreciation of these unique stories. Enjoy the different takes in Victorian life, fresh imagination, reflections of current Holmes/Watson (PSTD) with complex cases and nasty villains. They all pale in comparison to John Connolly's (soon to be award winning!) contribution. I have absolute favourites in each of these three volumes and would love to have them in a best of volume! My top three would be Connolly, Alexander, Perry, followed closely by David Morrell, Dana Cameron. Indeed I will be reading more of some of these authors. Several left me wanting to turn the page for continued story. Continue the anthology please! Keep the new stories and varied authors coming. I had no idea so many people would like to try their hand at Holmes.
Read on
A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon.
Caleb Carr The Italian Secretary
Anthony Horowitz The House of Silk, Moriarity
Laurie R King Mary Russell series
Alan Bradley Flavia deLuce series
Jasper Fforyde Eyre Affair Tuesday Next series
Quotes:
All of which only goes to prove that when one is dealing with Sherlock Holmes, a man “who never lived and so can never die,” physics goes out the window.
Holmes on The Range by John Connolly is both my favourite and the best of this collection. It extends his Edgar award winning novella The Caxton Private Lending Library 2014 in Night Music. Don't forget to read his first set of unsettling supernatural short stories Nocturne.
The history of the Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository has not been entirely without incident, as befits an institution of seemingly infinite space inhabited largely by fictional characters who have found their way into the physical realm.
Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository was established as a kind of rest home for the great, the good and, occasionally, the not-so-good-but-definitely-memorable, of literature, all supported by rounding up the prices on books by a ha’penny a time.
“I don’t profess to be an expert in every field,” he replied. “I have little interest in literature, philosophy, or astronomy, and a negligible regard for the political sphere. I remain confident in the fields of chemistry and the anatomical sciences, and, as you have pointed out, can hold my own in geology and botany, with particular reference to poisons.”
“It’s not the way I was written. I’m written as a criminal mastermind who comes up with baroque, fiendish plots. It’s against my nature even to walk down the street in a straight line.
Believe me, I’ve tried. I have to duck and dive so much that I get dizzy.”
“By the way, is my archnemesis here?” asked Holmes. “I’m not expecting him,” said Mr. Headley. “You know, he never seemed entirely real.”
He then returned to the bowels—or attic—of the library, and found that it had begun to create suitable living quarters for Holmes and Watson based on Paget’s illustrations, and Watson’s descriptions, of the rooms at 221B Baker Street.
The Spiritualist by David Morrell (where Conan Doyle gets a ghostly visit from Holmes full of family history)
“But the great actor, William Gillette, used it as a prop when he portrayed me on stage. It looks more dramatic than an ordinary straight pipe.
Raffa by Anne Perry is a lovely, charming tale of a 9 year old who needs Sherlock.
He drew in his breath to try to explain to her that he was Marcus St. Giles, playing Sherlock Holmes on television.
Her wide blue eyes did not waver from his. The trust in them was terrifying. Was the real Sherlock Holmes ever faced with . . . but now he was being idiotic.
There was no ‘real’ Sherlock Holmes! “That sounds about right,”
“The things we love matter, whatever they are,”
“I think you are a lot nicer for real than you are in the stories that Dr Watson writes about you.”
The Crown Jewel Affair by Michael Scott
This once-elegant street was now the cancer at the heart of Dublin, the second city of the British Empire. Crime, perversion and disease were rampant and it was ruled by a series of terrifying women:...
“Mr. Corcoran, there are more whores in this city than in London and Manchester combined. That is because we are a garrison city, a port city. We have English regiments training in the Royal Barracks and on the Curragh, and the quays are busy with British warships and merchantmen from around the world. All those soldiers and sailors are looking for relief.
The Case of The Speckled Trout by Deborah Crombie
I’d never been north of the Border, so as the train gathered speed out of Edinburgh’s Waverly Station I looked out the window with interest.
While I was trying to decide whether I had sold myself into Dickensian slavery—or was destined to be a Scottish Jane Eyre, stuck on the moor with a dour master and a mad wife—the road ran downhill and we were again in the land of green glens and burbling streams
Cooking, it turned out, was only chemistry.
The Adventure of The Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry (Watson meets Dupin, the first fictional detective of EA Poe)
Dupin was clearly possessed some of the same intellectual qualities as my late friend, but he also had a fair few of the less appealing habits that apparently are part and parcel. Superiority and condescension, not the least.
Received as an ARC ebook from Netgalley, as well as purchased hardcover.
July 26, 2024
I am usually not a fan of short stories. It usually just doesn't feel like I get a full serving of a story. But a friend recommended this to me, and I actually did quite enjoy this.
First, I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes and I do enjoy current authors delivering new takes on the character or homages to the time or the pantheon.
This book is a pastiche of a variety of stories that as the foreword notes evoke "the feel" of Holmes. Some have Holmes or Watson actually in the story, others have unique characters who are "Holmes-like" or other aspects that evoke Holmes.
I have read and very much enjoyed other books from a number of the authors who have contributed stories to this collection and I saw their styles in the stories they provided for this book so it was fun.
I had this as an audio book from my library and there were a variety of narrators each of whom felt perfect to bring their particular story really to life.
This was a fun way to pass the time while going for my daily walk or travelling on transit. I enjoyed it.
First, I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes and I do enjoy current authors delivering new takes on the character or homages to the time or the pantheon.
This book is a pastiche of a variety of stories that as the foreword notes evoke "the feel" of Holmes. Some have Holmes or Watson actually in the story, others have unique characters who are "Holmes-like" or other aspects that evoke Holmes.
I have read and very much enjoyed other books from a number of the authors who have contributed stories to this collection and I saw their styles in the stories they provided for this book so it was fun.
I had this as an audio book from my library and there were a variety of narrators each of whom felt perfect to bring their particular story really to life.
This was a fun way to pass the time while going for my daily walk or travelling on transit. I enjoyed it.
March 6, 2018
A fantastic and fresh perspective on the Holmes canon. Here we find Holmes in the manner of several female interations including a madame, as a black man, and a hyper intelligent 10 year old boy trying to deal with Moriarity. Time period covered is original to modern.
All the stories are great mysteries and the stories grab you right away as you recognize the "Sherlock" in them.
SUPER HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the Holmes fan. You will not be disssappointed .
All the stories are great mysteries and the stories grab you right away as you recognize the "Sherlock" in them.
SUPER HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the Holmes fan. You will not be disssappointed .
October 9, 2017
A delightful anthology. I think my favorites are the first story, about a private lending library that's actually a retirement home for famous fictional characters, and the story where an actor who plays Holmes gets asked for help by a little girl.
January 18, 2018
While overall I enjoyed this more than the previous two in the series, I still can't give it more than three stars for the same reason- some of the stories were outstanding (some I would have actually preferred to see as a full-length novel) and others were just not so great, which dragged it down.
April 25, 2021
A passable collection of Holmesian pastiche admirably narrated in a single volume. Some of the good ones explored a newer aspect of Watson/Holmes and the horrid ones went bonkers into the supernatural region. Still worth a listen on rainy weekends in these crazy times!
My Rating - 3/5
My Rating - 3/5
April 15, 2018
I read only the short story by Hank Phillippi Ryan, but I enjoyed every page!
She has an incredible way to establishing characters and plots in such a short span.
She has an incredible way to establishing characters and plots in such a short span.
Read
December 8, 2024DNF. Not my cup of tea.
September 28, 2025
I love the SherlockHolmes universe. what does that mean? The original stories,the movies and attachments that create a co existence of truth, anti fiction, reality, disbelief and nuanced portrayals presented in this collection. I am going to write a review of each story as I complete it but promise it will be short and only influenced by my previous comments of admiration and direct participation in the shu to borrow a marvels anachronistic ploy. (Sherlock Holmes Universe)
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly . No late fees can be assessed, no suspension of belief required as the author completes his acquisition of your reality and substitutes it for your required participation in SHU, the eternity of the written word , the power of the reader and a strong dose in the never ever could be. My only criticism is the reaction and action of Sr. Arthur but it is understood his protection warranted even if not as believable as the other.
Highly recommend and encourage your participation,
2) Irregular by Meg Gardiner. Not my cup of tea? Put the kettle on please. The connection to Holmes is a bit stretched and the character development and story line is weak. Not my favorite I would give this a C minus , return the story and ask for a second effort. It is true to its title.
3)Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron. What if. You ran into a kick ass gambling ; Womanizing physician who may or may not be suffering from PTSD and who sleeps with his landlady when the rent is late and fancies himself a bit of a writer, no documentarian for the great Sherlock Holmes. The detective is more interested in drugs and discovery but is adequately connected to the world of criminals to be effective in discovery and recovery. These two chumps are hired to do some recovery and their 20 century language and carousing along with their 19th century surroundings makes for an intriguing Sr. Arthur ish story with changes in character quality, following a well known storyline that ends just and so. I highly recommend the sting of the characterization and the honey of a story,
4) Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander. What a gutsy move to take on the iconic challenger to Sherlock, Ms. Irene Adler. This prequel to the Bohemian Scandal seems to have been written as such forcing Sr Arthur to write a sequel involving his detective. Without a mention of the up coming clash with the dynamic duo Ms. Alexander engages all the right tones wrapping up a story of intrigue and deception neatly brought to a conclusion but leaving a strand of hair not properly tucked in place begging for adjustment but if pulled will cause all to unravel. Well done…tempting the reader to pursue the next Holmes adventure,
5)The Spiritualist by David Morrell. It is my opinion the genera of a story includes the approach as well as the method. My point is I found the method of engaging the reader by telling he/she rather than allowing discovery to be a but disconcerting. For example. Sir. Arthur enters his bookshop and “rather than turn up the gas lights, flips the switch” because it’s 1926. Could it not been more interesting to discover the year. It’s a book store so I presume they sell newspapers. It’s early morning and the sounds of the city having been described might they include the delivery of the bundle to the store which Sir Arthur “trips over” as he enters glancing at the headline which would cause the reader to “Acquire” the year as well as impart whatever information the writer might want to tease for what’s up and coming. ? Perhaps it may have been 10/31/1926 and the headline read…. The story is interesting in that it seems to reflect a common thread of being pissed off that Sir Arthur killed Sherlock in the final reckoning and then brought him back as some second rate version of himself…the introspective quasi visit to the Sherlock house of psychiatric analysis is a bit trite for me. However it was worth the read and I do hope Sir Arthur gets well..
6) Mrs. Hudson Investigates.by Tony Lee and Bevis Masson. Clever, comic versus graphic and well done. The Strand requests first publication and the rights to the novel.
7)The Adventure of The Dancing Woman by Hank Philippi Ryan. Fun, nice twist. Could be the pilot script of Miss Scarlet and the Duke adjusted for time and place.
A good read 🙂
8) Rafa by Anne Perry. What a wonderful engaging story . The approach or “Angle” is so terribly clever, well written with intense believable character development and a superior story construct. Wonderful dialogue and believable in a strange sort of way. Please read, re-read or get the audible version; close your eyes and believe. How wonderful. Thank you Anne Perry for your imagination and skill and magic. One last comment. WOW!
9) The Crown Jewel Affair by Michael Scott. A definition of Echo includes the following:”An echo the repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves off a surface, creating a softer, distinct copy of the original sound.” In this case the reflection is as distinct and “hard” as the original.” Bravo
10) Martin X by Gary Phillips. Watson….What did you think of that Martin X story?
Oh, I loved it..Never thought of a cross cultural redefinition of Arthur’s Characters
Watson can you bring me another Tonic and. Margarita for Irene?
Yes Ma’am , Will the other Lady’s be joining you here today?
No, tell the chef we will meet up at his restaurant .
Has it reopened since those men fell from the roof.
Yes Ma’am
Will chef Sherlock be serving his famous Bohemian Borscht? Its a receipt that Irene has kept locked away for many years,
Yes Ma’am ,
Oh one more thing Watson, can you make some reservations for ten at the taping of the Sherlock Holmes Television show. I do like how chef Sherlock discovers new ingredients mixed with old country standards . I hear Bobby flay and Professor Moriarity will be the guest judges.
Yes Ma’am
What is the tittle of the new show?
It’s chopped Ma’am ..ah, yes.
By the way, remind me to re read Martin X…how terribly clever..
Yes, Ma’am..shall I call the car around?
Yes and please ask Mycroft to walk Ruff before we go out…She gets so restless if she is just stuffed in her cage while we are out.
11) The Painted Smile by William Kent Jrueger:A well constructed adaptation of a Sherlock wannabe . Interesting that Sherlock plays on many levels calling out psychological intrigue, physical challenges and mental stamina in the echos as well as the original shout out. Well done mate.
12)The First Mrs. Coulter by Catriona McPherson Like a twist or a turn? A trick or a treat? Sir Arthur would enjoy this short interlude and cry …well done!
13) The Case of the Speckked Trout. By Deborah Crombie.A well constructed detective story. I miss the Sir Arthur connection or the correlation to characters but I listened to this one and appreciated the tratorish voice of the highlands, Good story fine writing, I didn’t hear the echo.
14) The Adventure of the Empty Grave. By Jonathan Mayberry. Well done Monsieur. Well done.
15) Limited Resources by Denise Mina. Who wouldn’t love a story that starts out with “Three hundred alcoholics clinging to a rock. That’s what our neighbors call our island…”
16) The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition by Cory Doctrow. There’s not much I can say without giving away the characters,storyline or premise. Let it just be said that the Echo of Sir Arthur is so strong so as not to be an Echo at all but rather the original voice. There is a reason it makes its appearance as the last offering and it does not disappoint. I am sad to finish on such a underwhelming commendation of such a fine production of the original. There is no space between the Author and Sir Arthur and note that this sentence should be considered PGO. (A penetrating glimpse of the obvious)
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly . No late fees can be assessed, no suspension of belief required as the author completes his acquisition of your reality and substitutes it for your required participation in SHU, the eternity of the written word , the power of the reader and a strong dose in the never ever could be. My only criticism is the reaction and action of Sr. Arthur but it is understood his protection warranted even if not as believable as the other.
Highly recommend and encourage your participation,
2) Irregular by Meg Gardiner. Not my cup of tea? Put the kettle on please. The connection to Holmes is a bit stretched and the character development and story line is weak. Not my favorite I would give this a C minus , return the story and ask for a second effort. It is true to its title.
3)Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron. What if. You ran into a kick ass gambling ; Womanizing physician who may or may not be suffering from PTSD and who sleeps with his landlady when the rent is late and fancies himself a bit of a writer, no documentarian for the great Sherlock Holmes. The detective is more interested in drugs and discovery but is adequately connected to the world of criminals to be effective in discovery and recovery. These two chumps are hired to do some recovery and their 20 century language and carousing along with their 19th century surroundings makes for an intriguing Sr. Arthur ish story with changes in character quality, following a well known storyline that ends just and so. I highly recommend the sting of the characterization and the honey of a story,
4) Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander. What a gutsy move to take on the iconic challenger to Sherlock, Ms. Irene Adler. This prequel to the Bohemian Scandal seems to have been written as such forcing Sr Arthur to write a sequel involving his detective. Without a mention of the up coming clash with the dynamic duo Ms. Alexander engages all the right tones wrapping up a story of intrigue and deception neatly brought to a conclusion but leaving a strand of hair not properly tucked in place begging for adjustment but if pulled will cause all to unravel. Well done…tempting the reader to pursue the next Holmes adventure,
5)The Spiritualist by David Morrell. It is my opinion the genera of a story includes the approach as well as the method. My point is I found the method of engaging the reader by telling he/she rather than allowing discovery to be a but disconcerting. For example. Sir. Arthur enters his bookshop and “rather than turn up the gas lights, flips the switch” because it’s 1926. Could it not been more interesting to discover the year. It’s a book store so I presume they sell newspapers. It’s early morning and the sounds of the city having been described might they include the delivery of the bundle to the store which Sir Arthur “trips over” as he enters glancing at the headline which would cause the reader to “Acquire” the year as well as impart whatever information the writer might want to tease for what’s up and coming. ? Perhaps it may have been 10/31/1926 and the headline read…. The story is interesting in that it seems to reflect a common thread of being pissed off that Sir Arthur killed Sherlock in the final reckoning and then brought him back as some second rate version of himself…the introspective quasi visit to the Sherlock house of psychiatric analysis is a bit trite for me. However it was worth the read and I do hope Sir Arthur gets well..
6) Mrs. Hudson Investigates.by Tony Lee and Bevis Masson. Clever, comic versus graphic and well done. The Strand requests first publication and the rights to the novel.
7)The Adventure of The Dancing Woman by Hank Philippi Ryan. Fun, nice twist. Could be the pilot script of Miss Scarlet and the Duke adjusted for time and place.
A good read 🙂
8) Rafa by Anne Perry. What a wonderful engaging story . The approach or “Angle” is so terribly clever, well written with intense believable character development and a superior story construct. Wonderful dialogue and believable in a strange sort of way. Please read, re-read or get the audible version; close your eyes and believe. How wonderful. Thank you Anne Perry for your imagination and skill and magic. One last comment. WOW!
9) The Crown Jewel Affair by Michael Scott. A definition of Echo includes the following:”An echo the repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves off a surface, creating a softer, distinct copy of the original sound.” In this case the reflection is as distinct and “hard” as the original.” Bravo
10) Martin X by Gary Phillips. Watson….What did you think of that Martin X story?
Oh, I loved it..Never thought of a cross cultural redefinition of Arthur’s Characters
Watson can you bring me another Tonic and. Margarita for Irene?
Yes Ma’am , Will the other Lady’s be joining you here today?
No, tell the chef we will meet up at his restaurant .
Has it reopened since those men fell from the roof.
Yes Ma’am
Will chef Sherlock be serving his famous Bohemian Borscht? Its a receipt that Irene has kept locked away for many years,
Yes Ma’am ,
Oh one more thing Watson, can you make some reservations for ten at the taping of the Sherlock Holmes Television show. I do like how chef Sherlock discovers new ingredients mixed with old country standards . I hear Bobby flay and Professor Moriarity will be the guest judges.
Yes Ma’am
What is the tittle of the new show?
It’s chopped Ma’am ..ah, yes.
By the way, remind me to re read Martin X…how terribly clever..
Yes, Ma’am..shall I call the car around?
Yes and please ask Mycroft to walk Ruff before we go out…She gets so restless if she is just stuffed in her cage while we are out.
11) The Painted Smile by William Kent Jrueger:A well constructed adaptation of a Sherlock wannabe . Interesting that Sherlock plays on many levels calling out psychological intrigue, physical challenges and mental stamina in the echos as well as the original shout out. Well done mate.
12)The First Mrs. Coulter by Catriona McPherson Like a twist or a turn? A trick or a treat? Sir Arthur would enjoy this short interlude and cry …well done!
13) The Case of the Speckked Trout. By Deborah Crombie.A well constructed detective story. I miss the Sir Arthur connection or the correlation to characters but I listened to this one and appreciated the tratorish voice of the highlands, Good story fine writing, I didn’t hear the echo.
14) The Adventure of the Empty Grave. By Jonathan Mayberry. Well done Monsieur. Well done.
15) Limited Resources by Denise Mina. Who wouldn’t love a story that starts out with “Three hundred alcoholics clinging to a rock. That’s what our neighbors call our island…”
16) The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition by Cory Doctrow. There’s not much I can say without giving away the characters,storyline or premise. Let it just be said that the Echo of Sir Arthur is so strong so as not to be an Echo at all but rather the original voice. There is a reason it makes its appearance as the last offering and it does not disappoint. I am sad to finish on such a underwhelming commendation of such a fine production of the original. There is no space between the Author and Sir Arthur and note that this sentence should be considered PGO. (A penetrating glimpse of the obvious)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2017
Misc. Musings:
I'm rather keen on the approach taken by this series of anthologies of Sherlock Holmes-related fiction (the other volumes being "A Study in Sherlock" and "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes"). Rather than the umpteenth collection of other writers spinning other adventures of the Great Detective, the editors have have assembled stories "inspired" by the Canon; sure, there may be stories purporting be lost adventures, but there will also be so many tales where the Canon is referenced as an inspiration.
So many metafictional tales (Holmes meets Doyle or Holmes in the real-world) this time around, especially --a bit expected given the subject but after the third or so post-modernist tale a bit dull.
I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series, especially if they diversify the writing pool a bit more.
I'm rather keen on the approach taken by this series of anthologies of Sherlock Holmes-related fiction (the other volumes being "A Study in Sherlock" and "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes"). Rather than the umpteenth collection of other writers spinning other adventures of the Great Detective, the editors have have assembled stories "inspired" by the Canon; sure, there may be stories purporting be lost adventures, but there will also be so many tales where the Canon is referenced as an inspiration.
So many metafictional tales (Holmes meets Doyle or Holmes in the real-world) this time around, especially --a bit expected given the subject but after the third or so post-modernist tale a bit dull.
I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series, especially if they diversify the writing pool a bit more.
October 24, 2016
The game's afoot...
In their introduction, the editors explain that they asked the contributors to this anthology for stories “inspired by Holmes”, and the contributors have risen to this challenge with a huge dollop of originality and imagination. There are 17 stories, some just a few pages, some more substantial. There are plenty of well known names here – Denise Mina, Anne Perry, John Connolly, et al, along with some I hadn't come across before. I always enjoy this type of anthology as a way of being introduced to writers of whom I may have heard but not so far read – in this one, both William Kent Kreuger and Catriona McPherson fell into this category.
The standard is remarkably high, both in terms of creativity and writing. Of course, the quality is variable and my own preferences meant that I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but well over half the stories achieved 4 or 5 star status from me, and of the rest only a couple seriously disappointed. What I liked most was that, because the focus was on inspiration rather than pastiche, each story went off in directions that surprised and often delighted me. Some have based Holmes in the present day, or had their protagonist be inspired by Holmes and attempt to use his methods. Some have looked at stories in the original canon from a different angle. Some concentrate more on aspects of Conan Doyle's life. And some have really used the original stories as a springboard to leap off into imaginative worlds of their own. Here are a few of the ones I enjoyed most...
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly – this is the first story in the book and immediately gave me the feeling I was in for a treat. The Caxton Private Lending Library is a place where the characters of great books go when their authors die. (Isn't that already just such a brilliant idea?) But one day, something very odd happens – although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is still very much alive, Holmes and Watson appear in the library following the events at Reichenbach Falls. They settle in quite happily and all is well, until ACD is persuaded to resurrect Holmes. What will happen when ACD dies? Will the library end up with another Holmes and Watson? Holmes sets his brilliant mind to finding a way out of this dilemma... A lovely conceit with lots of fun references to literature in general and the Holmes stories in particular, this is extremely well written and well told.
Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander – This tells the story of the Crown Prince of Bohemia and Irene Adler, and how she came to have the cabinet photograph that caused all the trouble. Very well told, and remains reasonably true to the spirit of the characters – Irene Adler showing all the spirit and intelligence that led Holmes to think of her as the woman.
The Spiritualist by David Morrell – It's the latter days of ACD's life. He has opened a spiritualist bookstore but can't convince a disbelieving world that it is possible to communicate with the dead. One night when he can't sleep, he is visited by the 'ghost' of Holmes, who takes him back through his life to try to work out why he has become so convinced of the truth of spiritualism. Very well written, and quite moving as we learn of the various tragedies in ACD's life – his father dying in an asylum, the early death of his beloved first wife, the death of his son in WW1. A great story.
Mrs Hudson Investigates by Tony Lee and Bevis Musson – Ha! Suddenly in the midst of all these written stories a fun little graphic story appears! After Reichenbach, Mrs Hudson and Irene Adler team up to foil the nefarious plans of Moriarty's housekeeper! The story is silly, but intentionally so, and the drawings add loads of humour. This is a nice little sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.
Raffa by Anne Perry – this may be my favourite of all the stories, though it's a close call. Actor Marcus St Giles is the latest TV Holmes. One day he is approached by a distraught little girl who believes him to be the real thing. She tells him that her mother has been kidnapped and begs for his help. He takes her to the police, but they think he's pulling some kind of publicity stunt so refuse to believe him. So Marcus is forced to try to solve the case himself, with the help of his friend, the TV Watson. Great writing and quite touching in places, but with a humorous edge. The thing that makes it special is seeing Marcus' character develop as his growing feelings of responsibility towards the little girl overcome his rather spoiled, bored attitude at the beginning of the book.
Understudy in Scarlet by Hallie Ephron – An actress is invited to, she thinks, reprise her role as Irene Adler in a remake of the earlier film that is now a cult success. But when she arrives on set she discovers she has actually been cast as Mrs Hudson and is expected to act as a mentor to the beautiful younger actress cast as Irene. Swallowing her pride, she agrees. But it's not long before things begin to take a sinister turn... Lots of fun, well told and with plenty of Holmes' references, but making no attempt to pastiche.
As you can see, there's plenty of variety in the approach the contributors have taken. Although not every story is 5-star, the standard overall is excellent, and I'm sure will please any fan of the originals as much as it pleased me. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Pegasus Crime.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
In their introduction, the editors explain that they asked the contributors to this anthology for stories “inspired by Holmes”, and the contributors have risen to this challenge with a huge dollop of originality and imagination. There are 17 stories, some just a few pages, some more substantial. There are plenty of well known names here – Denise Mina, Anne Perry, John Connolly, et al, along with some I hadn't come across before. I always enjoy this type of anthology as a way of being introduced to writers of whom I may have heard but not so far read – in this one, both William Kent Kreuger and Catriona McPherson fell into this category.
The standard is remarkably high, both in terms of creativity and writing. Of course, the quality is variable and my own preferences meant that I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but well over half the stories achieved 4 or 5 star status from me, and of the rest only a couple seriously disappointed. What I liked most was that, because the focus was on inspiration rather than pastiche, each story went off in directions that surprised and often delighted me. Some have based Holmes in the present day, or had their protagonist be inspired by Holmes and attempt to use his methods. Some have looked at stories in the original canon from a different angle. Some concentrate more on aspects of Conan Doyle's life. And some have really used the original stories as a springboard to leap off into imaginative worlds of their own. Here are a few of the ones I enjoyed most...
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly – this is the first story in the book and immediately gave me the feeling I was in for a treat. The Caxton Private Lending Library is a place where the characters of great books go when their authors die. (Isn't that already just such a brilliant idea?) But one day, something very odd happens – although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is still very much alive, Holmes and Watson appear in the library following the events at Reichenbach Falls. They settle in quite happily and all is well, until ACD is persuaded to resurrect Holmes. What will happen when ACD dies? Will the library end up with another Holmes and Watson? Holmes sets his brilliant mind to finding a way out of this dilemma... A lovely conceit with lots of fun references to literature in general and the Holmes stories in particular, this is extremely well written and well told.
Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander – This tells the story of the Crown Prince of Bohemia and Irene Adler, and how she came to have the cabinet photograph that caused all the trouble. Very well told, and remains reasonably true to the spirit of the characters – Irene Adler showing all the spirit and intelligence that led Holmes to think of her as the woman.
The Spiritualist by David Morrell – It's the latter days of ACD's life. He has opened a spiritualist bookstore but can't convince a disbelieving world that it is possible to communicate with the dead. One night when he can't sleep, he is visited by the 'ghost' of Holmes, who takes him back through his life to try to work out why he has become so convinced of the truth of spiritualism. Very well written, and quite moving as we learn of the various tragedies in ACD's life – his father dying in an asylum, the early death of his beloved first wife, the death of his son in WW1. A great story.
Mrs Hudson Investigates by Tony Lee and Bevis Musson – Ha! Suddenly in the midst of all these written stories a fun little graphic story appears! After Reichenbach, Mrs Hudson and Irene Adler team up to foil the nefarious plans of Moriarty's housekeeper! The story is silly, but intentionally so, and the drawings add loads of humour. This is a nice little sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.
Raffa by Anne Perry – this may be my favourite of all the stories, though it's a close call. Actor Marcus St Giles is the latest TV Holmes. One day he is approached by a distraught little girl who believes him to be the real thing. She tells him that her mother has been kidnapped and begs for his help. He takes her to the police, but they think he's pulling some kind of publicity stunt so refuse to believe him. So Marcus is forced to try to solve the case himself, with the help of his friend, the TV Watson. Great writing and quite touching in places, but with a humorous edge. The thing that makes it special is seeing Marcus' character develop as his growing feelings of responsibility towards the little girl overcome his rather spoiled, bored attitude at the beginning of the book.
Understudy in Scarlet by Hallie Ephron – An actress is invited to, she thinks, reprise her role as Irene Adler in a remake of the earlier film that is now a cult success. But when she arrives on set she discovers she has actually been cast as Mrs Hudson and is expected to act as a mentor to the beautiful younger actress cast as Irene. Swallowing her pride, she agrees. But it's not long before things begin to take a sinister turn... Lots of fun, well told and with plenty of Holmes' references, but making no attempt to pastiche.
As you can see, there's plenty of variety in the approach the contributors have taken. Although not every story is 5-star, the standard overall is excellent, and I'm sure will please any fan of the originals as much as it pleased me. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Pegasus Crime.
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March 9, 2021
This was an interesting read overall, although I only really liked a few of the stories. As far as I'm concerned, the stars of the collection were:
- "Holmes on the Range" by John Connolly: I really liked the idea of highly popular/influential characters becoming real and someone trying to covertly deal with it. Bringing in Conan Doyle and other elements of real life (the resurrection of Sherlock Holmes after his supposed death) was a nice touch. The concept is creative and the story itself is written well.
- "Irregular" by Meg Gardiner: This story flips the script of the Holmes brothers in a way I thought was really cool. The owner of the agency, Michael Croft, deliberately shaped his security agency to be pseudo-Holmesian, right down the employment of a street team of minors that aren't officially employed by the company. When one of these irregulars, a teenage girl, accidentally discovers the culprit behind a data breach and murder by noticing a clue that no one else did, Sharon Hill is the one to maneuver the murderer into a corner. I liked that this story took liberties with features of the characters while taking care to keep their core characterization true to established mythos. Mike Croft (Mycroft) is still brilliant, detached, and sometimes misses important things because of it. Sharon Hill (choosing to go by Shar Locke by the end of the story, to be better fit with the "Baker Street aura" of Croft Security) is observant, obstinate, and caring beneath a somewhat gruff exterior. This was an entertaining little mystery.
- "Raffa" by Anne Perry: This story follows an actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes after a little girl whose mother has been kidnapped approaches him and begs him for help. The situational setup here is fairly realistic (I've certainly read worse justifications for no police help in fiction, even if I'm pretty sure cops in real life would still send someone to check out a reported kidnapping no matter how sure some desk sergeant is that the report is a publicity stunt), and care is taken not to let the plot get overly complicated or stretch the suspension of disbelief too much (for example, the actor, his coactor, and the girl trade the flash drive demanded as ransom to the kidnappers rather than refusing to hand it over or trying some inevitably terrible rescue attempt). I like how the story is from the actor's point of view, so we - readers - first know him as a reluctant Sherlock Holmes, complaining grumpily in his head that his Holmesian acting is not Macbeth, and later as a someone who understands why Holmes is such a beloved figure of so many. This story is probably my favorite out of the entire collection.
As with the vast, vast majority of all anthologies, this was just okay, overall. Some of the stories were interesting, but not ones that I liked or would reread, more than a few were so dull I nearly skipped them, and there were these few that I really liked. I can't really say I'd recommend the entire collection, especially not if someone wasn't interested in reading Holmesian-type stories, but it is at least okay to someone who's interested in that topic, especially since the collection is available for free with Audible Plus.
- "Holmes on the Range" by John Connolly: I really liked the idea of highly popular/influential characters becoming real and someone trying to covertly deal with it. Bringing in Conan Doyle and other elements of real life (the resurrection of Sherlock Holmes after his supposed death) was a nice touch. The concept is creative and the story itself is written well.
- "Irregular" by Meg Gardiner: This story flips the script of the Holmes brothers in a way I thought was really cool. The owner of the agency, Michael Croft, deliberately shaped his security agency to be pseudo-Holmesian, right down the employment of a street team of minors that aren't officially employed by the company. When one of these irregulars, a teenage girl, accidentally discovers the culprit behind a data breach and murder by noticing a clue that no one else did, Sharon Hill is the one to maneuver the murderer into a corner. I liked that this story took liberties with features of the characters while taking care to keep their core characterization true to established mythos. Mike Croft (Mycroft) is still brilliant, detached, and sometimes misses important things because of it. Sharon Hill (choosing to go by Shar Locke by the end of the story, to be better fit with the "Baker Street aura" of Croft Security) is observant, obstinate, and caring beneath a somewhat gruff exterior. This was an entertaining little mystery.
- "Raffa" by Anne Perry: This story follows an actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes after a little girl whose mother has been kidnapped approaches him and begs him for help. The situational setup here is fairly realistic (I've certainly read worse justifications for no police help in fiction, even if I'm pretty sure cops in real life would still send someone to check out a reported kidnapping no matter how sure some desk sergeant is that the report is a publicity stunt), and care is taken not to let the plot get overly complicated or stretch the suspension of disbelief too much (for example, the actor, his coactor, and the girl trade the flash drive demanded as ransom to the kidnappers rather than refusing to hand it over or trying some inevitably terrible rescue attempt). I like how the story is from the actor's point of view, so we - readers - first know him as a reluctant Sherlock Holmes, complaining grumpily in his head that his Holmesian acting is not Macbeth, and later as a someone who understands why Holmes is such a beloved figure of so many. This story is probably my favorite out of the entire collection.
As with the vast, vast majority of all anthologies, this was just okay, overall. Some of the stories were interesting, but not ones that I liked or would reread, more than a few were so dull I nearly skipped them, and there were these few that I really liked. I can't really say I'd recommend the entire collection, especially not if someone wasn't interested in reading Holmesian-type stories, but it is at least okay to someone who's interested in that topic, especially since the collection is available for free with Audible Plus.
September 10, 2017
This anthology caught my eye for two main reasons: firstly (and more superficially), the cover was stunning; secondly, I don't think I've ever read any of these authors before (apart from Anne Perry), so I was curious to see if some of them stood out to me.
Overall it was an enjoyable read. Most stories were a 3 stars read, and there were a few I didn't much care for, but others I thoroughly enjoyed. My favourites were, in order:
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly: 5 stars.
This first story was marvellous. I absolutely adored the idea of the Caxton Library, and the execution was amusing and clever. It would be hard to choose a favourite moment because I enjoyed them all, from Holmes and Moriarty's conversation (so funny!) to the encounter with Conan Doyle. I also loved the little references to other famous novels.
Where there is honey by Dana Cameron: 4.5 stars.
Apart from , this story worked really well for me. I appreciated how the author decided to portray Holmes and Watson as realistic men with many flaws, and not as totally admirable heroes. Their behaviours seemed a little extreme at times, but for the most part I understood what the author was trying to do, and I really liked it.
Raffa by Anne Perry: 4.5 stars.
Adorable and heartwarming. I really cared about the characters and feared for the outcome of the situation. Marcus's development and growth was also satisfying to read and remarkably well done for such a short story.
Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander: 4 stars.
This story was a prequel to A Scandal in Bohemia, and the plot was in a way reminiscient of it, which I liked. Irene Adler was also true to the original, a smart and resourceful woman, but also more human and relatable than in the original story.
The Adventure of the Dancing Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan: 4 stars.
I loved the gender-swap in this one. I don't think it is an easy thing to do, but here it worked really well for me. The setting was also very nice, and the references to the original stories, upgrated to the modern times, were well done.
Overall it was an enjoyable read. Most stories were a 3 stars read, and there were a few I didn't much care for, but others I thoroughly enjoyed. My favourites were, in order:
Holmes on the Range by John Connolly: 5 stars.
This first story was marvellous. I absolutely adored the idea of the Caxton Library, and the execution was amusing and clever. It would be hard to choose a favourite moment because I enjoyed them all, from Holmes and Moriarty's conversation (so funny!) to the encounter with Conan Doyle. I also loved the little references to other famous novels.
Where there is honey by Dana Cameron: 4.5 stars.
Apart from , this story worked really well for me. I appreciated how the author decided to portray Holmes and Watson as realistic men with many flaws, and not as totally admirable heroes. Their behaviours seemed a little extreme at times, but for the most part I understood what the author was trying to do, and I really liked it.
Raffa by Anne Perry: 4.5 stars.
Adorable and heartwarming. I really cared about the characters and feared for the outcome of the situation. Marcus's development and growth was also satisfying to read and remarkably well done for such a short story.
Before a Bohemian Scandal by Tasha Alexander: 4 stars.
This story was a prequel to A Scandal in Bohemia, and the plot was in a way reminiscient of it, which I liked. Irene Adler was also true to the original, a smart and resourceful woman, but also more human and relatable than in the original story.
The Adventure of the Dancing Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan: 4 stars.
I loved the gender-swap in this one. I don't think it is an easy thing to do, but here it worked really well for me. The setting was also very nice, and the references to the original stories, upgrated to the modern times, were well done.
May 24, 2019
Lately I love stories-inspired-by-Sherlock-Holmes and anthologies, so this was a great read. A couple of the stories I've encountered in other collections, but as usual, I enjoyed them even more the second time around since I picked up on nuances I'd missed at first.
1 star for writing style: John Connolly's "Holmes on the Range" is set in the Caxton Private Lending Library, whose very existence makes me hopeful for a non-dystopian version of The Raw Shark Texts. "The Adventure of the Dancing Women" felt, oddly but charmingly, like a logic puzzle. "Raffa", "Irregular", and "Limited Resources" were all also outstanding and showcased the diversity of writing styles. Otherwise, of all the various authors represented in this collection, there were only a couple whose writing styles were hard to follow or simply unenjoyable.
1 star for storytelling ability: admittedly, even the authors whose styles I didn't love wrote stories that came together neatly and felt properly finished by the end. Here is proof that not all fanfic is travesty.
1 star for character development: in an unusual way. Most of these tales were set in modern, or at least long-post-canon, times; and almost unilaterally, they spun their characters out as made sense for those time frames, while retaining the clear inspiration from the original.
1 star for influence: if you like (a) Sherlock Holmes, (b) anthologies, (c) crime/mystery/thrillers, (d) short stories, (e) kinda-sorta fanfic, (f) discovering new writers via curated literary buffet, you should read this collection.
1 star for writing style: John Connolly's "Holmes on the Range" is set in the Caxton Private Lending Library, whose very existence makes me hopeful for a non-dystopian version of The Raw Shark Texts. "The Adventure of the Dancing Women" felt, oddly but charmingly, like a logic puzzle. "Raffa", "Irregular", and "Limited Resources" were all also outstanding and showcased the diversity of writing styles. Otherwise, of all the various authors represented in this collection, there were only a couple whose writing styles were hard to follow or simply unenjoyable.
1 star for storytelling ability: admittedly, even the authors whose styles I didn't love wrote stories that came together neatly and felt properly finished by the end. Here is proof that not all fanfic is travesty.
1 star for character development: in an unusual way. Most of these tales were set in modern, or at least long-post-canon, times; and almost unilaterally, they spun their characters out as made sense for those time frames, while retaining the clear inspiration from the original.
1 star for influence: if you like (a) Sherlock Holmes, (b) anthologies, (c) crime/mystery/thrillers, (d) short stories, (e) kinda-sorta fanfic, (f) discovering new writers via curated literary buffet, you should read this collection.
October 18, 2016
Originally published at Reading Reality
This collection is the third editorial collaboration of Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger of newly commissioned tales that fall somewhere in the Sherlock Holmes tradition, if not the Holmes canon. Like the previous collections, A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, this outing too is a mixed bag. Some stories are memorable, some stories are wonderful. A few are both. And then there are some that either just didn’t move me or didn’t really feel like they belonged in this particular collection.
I do have several favorites this time around, more than in Company.
Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron drew me in because it feels like a somewhat earthier version of the real Holmes canon. Partly because of the Victorian era reluctance to deal with the earthier and seamier side of life, Holmes often comes off as a plaster saint, either a bit too good or a bit too unworldly to be true. The versions of Holmes and Watson in Cameron’s story feel more like real men, who have real bodies and face real emotional issues. Watson here clearly has PTSD that he keeps at bay through writing, at least some of the time, and likes a good fight. In this story Holmes is every bit as annoying as he can be, but also worries about paying his half of the rent, or Watson sometimes does that for him. The case is complex and nasty in its way, and our heroes enjoy providing the villains’ comeuppance. But they feel real.
Tasha Alexander’s Before a Bohemian Scandal reads like a story that wasn’t in the canon but should have been. In this story, we see Irene Adler’s affair with the Crown Prince of Bohemia from its starry-eyed beginning to its cold-hearted end. It’s impossible not to sympathize with Irene’s predicament, and to see just how nasty a man the future King of Bohemia turns out to be. This story is not just good on its own, but also gives depth to the canon story of A Scandal in Bohemia.
The Adventure of the Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry is another story that could easily be encompassed by the original canon. It takes place during the Great Hiatus between Reichenbach Falls and The Adventure of the Empty House. In this tale a grief-stricken Watson visits Holmes’ empty grave and encounters a most surprising visitor – a man claiming to be the elderly C. Auguste Dupin, the living inspiration for the detective creation of Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin eventually convinces a skeptical Watson both of his reality and his purpose – to warn Watson that even though Moriarty is dead, his criminal enterprise is not. When Dupin disappears in the end, leaving behind the accouterments of his disguise, both the reader and Watson are left to wonder if he was a ghost after all, or a disguised visit from an absent friend.
Several of the stories in this collection are meta in one way or another. Holmes on the Range by John Connolly posits a library straight out of The Eyre Affair, where fictional characters retire to live out their “lives” after their authorial creators have died. The librarian is perplexed when Sherlock Holmes appears after the publication of The Final Problem and alarmed when Holmes is resurrected in The Adventure of the Empty House but also continues to inhabit this very special library. He fears the arrival of a second Holmes upon the eventual death of his author, and fears that having two of the same character will do irreparable harm to the delicate balance that allows the library to exist.
In Raffa by Anne Perry, an actor who plays Sherlock Holmes in one of the inevitable revivals finds himself attempting to serve as the “real” Holmes when called upon by a very desperate and very, very young “client”. Watching the actor become absorbed in the part of Holmes, and his part as rescuer, makes for a lovely little story.
Of the stories where a detective who is very definitely not Holmes uses Holmes’ methods to solve a case, my favorite is definitely Martin X by Gary Phillips. I loved this one because it transplants the methods and a bit of Holmes’ personality to a time, place and person who would initially be assumed to be as far from Holmes as possible. “Dock” Watson is a black private detective, occasional bodyguard and sometimes intelligence officer who is called to investigate the death of a fictional heir to Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. It is 1976 and New York City is still reeling from the “Son of Sam” murders. J. Edgar Hoover may be dead, but his heirs and his methods are still running the FBI, and are still conducting dirty tricks campaigns against the leaders of any movement that twisted brain found suspect – especially the Black Power movement. This Watson finds himself investigating not just the murder of a leader, but also the concerted effort by someone to make sure that the void in leadership stays void – by any means necessary. An undercover Sherlock Holmes, along with Watson, discover a chain of criminality that leads from street gangs in Harlem to someone very dirty in the CIA. This was a terrific story that made me wish there were more. Lots, lots more.
Escape Rating B+: This collection was every bit as good as the first one, A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon. Most of the stories here were at least enjoyable, if not memorable. And there were only a couple that either didn’t feel remotely Holmesian or just didn’t work for me. I hope there will be another editorial collaboration in this series, because each book introduced me either to new perspectives on Holmes, or new authors of mystery.
As a final note, I’m haunted by Cory Doctorow’s The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition. This tale of a 21st century Holmes up against the modern security state embodied by his brother Mycroft felt all too possible. And all too frightening because of it.
This collection is the third editorial collaboration of Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger of newly commissioned tales that fall somewhere in the Sherlock Holmes tradition, if not the Holmes canon. Like the previous collections, A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, this outing too is a mixed bag. Some stories are memorable, some stories are wonderful. A few are both. And then there are some that either just didn’t move me or didn’t really feel like they belonged in this particular collection.
I do have several favorites this time around, more than in Company.
Where There is Honey by Dana Cameron drew me in because it feels like a somewhat earthier version of the real Holmes canon. Partly because of the Victorian era reluctance to deal with the earthier and seamier side of life, Holmes often comes off as a plaster saint, either a bit too good or a bit too unworldly to be true. The versions of Holmes and Watson in Cameron’s story feel more like real men, who have real bodies and face real emotional issues. Watson here clearly has PTSD that he keeps at bay through writing, at least some of the time, and likes a good fight. In this story Holmes is every bit as annoying as he can be, but also worries about paying his half of the rent, or Watson sometimes does that for him. The case is complex and nasty in its way, and our heroes enjoy providing the villains’ comeuppance. But they feel real.
Tasha Alexander’s Before a Bohemian Scandal reads like a story that wasn’t in the canon but should have been. In this story, we see Irene Adler’s affair with the Crown Prince of Bohemia from its starry-eyed beginning to its cold-hearted end. It’s impossible not to sympathize with Irene’s predicament, and to see just how nasty a man the future King of Bohemia turns out to be. This story is not just good on its own, but also gives depth to the canon story of A Scandal in Bohemia.
The Adventure of the Empty Grave by Jonathan Maberry is another story that could easily be encompassed by the original canon. It takes place during the Great Hiatus between Reichenbach Falls and The Adventure of the Empty House. In this tale a grief-stricken Watson visits Holmes’ empty grave and encounters a most surprising visitor – a man claiming to be the elderly C. Auguste Dupin, the living inspiration for the detective creation of Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin eventually convinces a skeptical Watson both of his reality and his purpose – to warn Watson that even though Moriarty is dead, his criminal enterprise is not. When Dupin disappears in the end, leaving behind the accouterments of his disguise, both the reader and Watson are left to wonder if he was a ghost after all, or a disguised visit from an absent friend.
Several of the stories in this collection are meta in one way or another. Holmes on the Range by John Connolly posits a library straight out of The Eyre Affair, where fictional characters retire to live out their “lives” after their authorial creators have died. The librarian is perplexed when Sherlock Holmes appears after the publication of The Final Problem and alarmed when Holmes is resurrected in The Adventure of the Empty House but also continues to inhabit this very special library. He fears the arrival of a second Holmes upon the eventual death of his author, and fears that having two of the same character will do irreparable harm to the delicate balance that allows the library to exist.
In Raffa by Anne Perry, an actor who plays Sherlock Holmes in one of the inevitable revivals finds himself attempting to serve as the “real” Holmes when called upon by a very desperate and very, very young “client”. Watching the actor become absorbed in the part of Holmes, and his part as rescuer, makes for a lovely little story.
Of the stories where a detective who is very definitely not Holmes uses Holmes’ methods to solve a case, my favorite is definitely Martin X by Gary Phillips. I loved this one because it transplants the methods and a bit of Holmes’ personality to a time, place and person who would initially be assumed to be as far from Holmes as possible. “Dock” Watson is a black private detective, occasional bodyguard and sometimes intelligence officer who is called to investigate the death of a fictional heir to Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. It is 1976 and New York City is still reeling from the “Son of Sam” murders. J. Edgar Hoover may be dead, but his heirs and his methods are still running the FBI, and are still conducting dirty tricks campaigns against the leaders of any movement that twisted brain found suspect – especially the Black Power movement. This Watson finds himself investigating not just the murder of a leader, but also the concerted effort by someone to make sure that the void in leadership stays void – by any means necessary. An undercover Sherlock Holmes, along with Watson, discover a chain of criminality that leads from street gangs in Harlem to someone very dirty in the CIA. This was a terrific story that made me wish there were more. Lots, lots more.
Escape Rating B+: This collection was every bit as good as the first one, A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon. Most of the stories here were at least enjoyable, if not memorable. And there were only a couple that either didn’t feel remotely Holmesian or just didn’t work for me. I hope there will be another editorial collaboration in this series, because each book introduced me either to new perspectives on Holmes, or new authors of mystery.
As a final note, I’m haunted by Cory Doctorow’s The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition. This tale of a 21st century Holmes up against the modern security state embodied by his brother Mycroft felt all too possible. And all too frightening because of it.
September 3, 2018
What's the quickest way to this girl's heart? A well-told Sherlock Holmes tale. So imagine how happy this girl is to have read seventeen stories inspired by the greatest detective who never lived. Off the charts happy.
Now, I'm a little nervous of collections like this, because they tend to run the gamut from just okay to amazing, but this is one of the rare short story collections in which nearly all were gems. And the only one I didn't care too much for was not due to the quality; I just wasn't a fan of the genre used to tell the story. I'm shocked at how fantastic each of these stories, including a comic, were. My personal favorites were "Before a Bohemian Scandal" by Tasha Alexander, "Mrs. Hudson Investigates" by Tony Lee and Bevis Musson, "The Adventure of the Dancing Women" by Hank Phillippi Ryan, and "The Adventure of the Empty Grave" by Jonathan Maberry (the reason I decided to read this book).
So, if you like Holmes and enjoy mysteries, this is a great book to try. I hope you'll like it as much as I did.
Now, I'm a little nervous of collections like this, because they tend to run the gamut from just okay to amazing, but this is one of the rare short story collections in which nearly all were gems. And the only one I didn't care too much for was not due to the quality; I just wasn't a fan of the genre used to tell the story. I'm shocked at how fantastic each of these stories, including a comic, were. My personal favorites were "Before a Bohemian Scandal" by Tasha Alexander, "Mrs. Hudson Investigates" by Tony Lee and Bevis Musson, "The Adventure of the Dancing Women" by Hank Phillippi Ryan, and "The Adventure of the Empty Grave" by Jonathan Maberry (the reason I decided to read this book).
So, if you like Holmes and enjoy mysteries, this is a great book to try. I hope you'll like it as much as I did.
March 21, 2021
Interesting premise for the collection beyond the usual pastiche. Most all enjoyable and well-written. I marked my favorites with an asterisk.
Holmes on the Range — clever fantasy
Irregular — good
Where There Is Honey — action oriented, Watson too base for me
Before a Bohemian Scandal — ok
The Spiritualist — interesting premise focusing on ACD's spiritualism interest
Mrs. Hudson Investigates — dislike characters and could barely read speech bubbles
*The Adventure of the Dancing Woman — clever!
*Raffa — cute, unexpected
The Crown Jewel Affair — ok
*Understudy in Scarlet — very good
Martin X — good
*The Painted Smile — excellent, one of the best
The First Mrs. Coulter — good
*The Case of the Speckled Trout — good, like the protagonist
*The Adventure of the Empty Grave — clever, with uncharacteristically dense Watson
Limited Resources — cold-blooded, creepy
The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition — good premise, too bad the author left us hanging as having Sherlock and Mycroft’s “dual” play out would have been even more interesting
Holmes on the Range — clever fantasy
Irregular — good
Where There Is Honey — action oriented, Watson too base for me
Before a Bohemian Scandal — ok
The Spiritualist — interesting premise focusing on ACD's spiritualism interest
Mrs. Hudson Investigates — dislike characters and could barely read speech bubbles
*The Adventure of the Dancing Woman — clever!
*Raffa — cute, unexpected
The Crown Jewel Affair — ok
*Understudy in Scarlet — very good
Martin X — good
*The Painted Smile — excellent, one of the best
The First Mrs. Coulter — good
*The Case of the Speckled Trout — good, like the protagonist
*The Adventure of the Empty Grave — clever, with uncharacteristically dense Watson
Limited Resources — cold-blooded, creepy
The Adventure of the Extraordinary Rendition — good premise, too bad the author left us hanging as having Sherlock and Mycroft’s “dual” play out would have been even more interesting
November 23, 2022
I often struggle with apologies something about the lack of consistency between stories in the book has always turned me off, But I have always loved Sherlock Holmes and Kate Reading is up and away one of the best vocal talents in the trade. So I figured I would give it a chance, assuming I would probably like one story at least.
In the first five short stories I would gladly have read a full length novel from each, of those I would gladly sign on to reading a series with no more than the story I got on three.
Many of these stories play on the world but are so different that without being contained within and a few tongue and cheek references you would not assume they were inspired by Sherlock, but they all blend into a beautiful conglomeration paying off in a seriously enjoyable listen.
I will be honest there was one story I did not like...one... and of the rest most left me wanting more and looking up the authors to see what else they have written.
In the first five short stories I would gladly have read a full length novel from each, of those I would gladly sign on to reading a series with no more than the story I got on three.
Many of these stories play on the world but are so different that without being contained within and a few tongue and cheek references you would not assume they were inspired by Sherlock, but they all blend into a beautiful conglomeration paying off in a seriously enjoyable listen.
I will be honest there was one story I did not like...one... and of the rest most left me wanting more and looking up the authors to see what else they have written.
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