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The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #31
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Revenge from the Grave
A brand-new Sherlock Holmes mystery from acclaimed Sherlockian author David Stuart Davies, featuring the return of the sinister Moriarty gang...When Professor James Moriarty plunged over the Reichenbach Falls the world believed that Sherlock Holmes was also dead. Three years later, Holmes has returned – but so, too, has a deadly threat. With Moriarty’s criminal empire still very much alive, Holmes and Watson are forced to ask themselves if their greatest foe really did perish…
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2022
16 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
David Stuart Davies
185 books140 followersDavid Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 4, 2022
This the sort of Holmes book that every fan wants its action all the way with the shadow of The 'Professor' in the back ground is still with us? I hate people that spoil books so if want find out you will have to read the book.
I read this in few hours so that says how good it was. But is by an author who has does Holmes so good.
I read this in few hours so that says how good it was. But is by an author who has does Holmes so good.
November 20, 2022
Wow - what a book! Loaded with action, that slick cobblestones by gaslight in the fog atmosphere, a fiendishly nasty adversary to Holmes and the cat and mouse game that was played. At first the villain was a step ahead of the frustrated Holmes but towards the end of the book the table was turned...or was it?
I very much enjoyed this story. The author certainly gave off that A.C. Doyle vibe, maybe even more than A.C.D. himself. I appreciate the different stages of the character's planning and thoughts that went into this adventure and I am very much looking forward to reading another Holmes story by this author.
If you want a completely absorbing story to read, this one is it!
I very much enjoyed this story. The author certainly gave off that A.C. Doyle vibe, maybe even more than A.C.D. himself. I appreciate the different stages of the character's planning and thoughts that went into this adventure and I am very much looking forward to reading another Holmes story by this author.
If you want a completely absorbing story to read, this one is it!
May 7, 2022
As I've mentioned in numerous reviews, I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes - both the original Arthur Conan Doyle canon and the numerous pastiches that have been written by other authors over the years. That includes the Titan Books "Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" series, of which this is one.
The reality is that some of the pastiches I read are so good they easily could pass as one of Conan Doyle's creations. Others, however, just don't capture the voice, feel, plot, setting, etc. of the original canon works.
Unfortunately, this effort by David Stuart Davies falls closer to the latter.
As you know, I never go deeply into plot details in these reviews to avoid spoilers. But I will say that the premise of this pastiche is intriguing. What if Holmes' arch-enemy Professor Moriarty DIDN'T die when he plunged over the Reichenbach Falls in "The Final Problem?" Because not long after Holmes' return from the world thinking he also met his demise at the Falls, it becomes apparent to him that the Professor's criminal empire "the Organization" is very much still alive. It also appears the Professor might be too.
But as intriguing as that plot premise is, Davies never really delivers upon it. A large part of the problem is that Holmes spends much of the book's second half in disguise as a master safe cracker named Nigel Harrison. That means there is little interaction between Holmes, Watson, Sherlock's brother Mycroft, and Inspector Lestrade, which creates a disjointed narrative because each of them tells part of the story. (And when there IS interaction between the characters, their dialogue is not quite right - they just don't sound like the characters we know so well.)
A final problem (pun intended!) is the pacing of this promising plot. It drags at times, so I found my attention starting to drift. Then when the action culminated in the novel's climax and denouement, I responded with a noncommittal shrug. Hence the two-star "It was okay" rating.
The reality is that some of the pastiches I read are so good they easily could pass as one of Conan Doyle's creations. Others, however, just don't capture the voice, feel, plot, setting, etc. of the original canon works.
Unfortunately, this effort by David Stuart Davies falls closer to the latter.
As you know, I never go deeply into plot details in these reviews to avoid spoilers. But I will say that the premise of this pastiche is intriguing. What if Holmes' arch-enemy Professor Moriarty DIDN'T die when he plunged over the Reichenbach Falls in "The Final Problem?" Because not long after Holmes' return from the world thinking he also met his demise at the Falls, it becomes apparent to him that the Professor's criminal empire "the Organization" is very much still alive. It also appears the Professor might be too.
But as intriguing as that plot premise is, Davies never really delivers upon it. A large part of the problem is that Holmes spends much of the book's second half in disguise as a master safe cracker named Nigel Harrison. That means there is little interaction between Holmes, Watson, Sherlock's brother Mycroft, and Inspector Lestrade, which creates a disjointed narrative because each of them tells part of the story. (And when there IS interaction between the characters, their dialogue is not quite right - they just don't sound like the characters we know so well.)
A final problem (pun intended!) is the pacing of this promising plot. It drags at times, so I found my attention starting to drift. Then when the action culminated in the novel's climax and denouement, I responded with a noncommittal shrug. Hence the two-star "It was okay" rating.
November 8, 2022
Sherlock Holmes has returned three years after everyone thought he'd died along with Professor Moriarty, at the Reichenback Falls.
But what if his arch enemy survived also?
Revenge From The Grave had a different feel to it compared to the others in this series. It's not all Watson's POV, and we get to go undercover with Sherlock. I really enjoyed this, it's fast paced, with the usual Holmes/Watson dynamics.
Fabulous!
But what if his arch enemy survived also?
Revenge From The Grave had a different feel to it compared to the others in this series. It's not all Watson's POV, and we get to go undercover with Sherlock. I really enjoyed this, it's fast paced, with the usual Holmes/Watson dynamics.
Fabulous!
April 11, 2024
This is not the worst thing that Davies has written; however, that is not saying a whole lot. All of the twists were highly
visible from miles away.
Holmes disguises himself three times, in three different costumes, and the villain uses two disguises. That’s a lot of disguising for 280 pages. The final showdown features them confronting each other while disguised, so I hope anyone who reads this really likes that characteristic of Holmes.
visible from miles away.
Holmes disguises himself three times, in three different costumes, and the villain uses two disguises. That’s a lot of disguising for 280 pages. The final showdown features them confronting each other while disguised, so I hope anyone who reads this really likes that characteristic of Holmes.
May 27, 2022
Very silly, but lots of fun. I’m afraid Mr. Stuart Davies is too successful to work with a great editor. For all the clever Holmes-speak, there are a few awkward clunkers that a tough editor would smooth out. Unfortunately, they stop the flow and remind the reader that this not an original. So close!
March 27, 2022
Revenge Thwarted!!
This very fast-pa
ced novel of Sherlock Holmes defending himself against the revenge of Moriarty's daughter. Truly an engaging and difficult novel to put down. Well done, David Davies!
This very fast-pa
ced novel of Sherlock Holmes defending himself against the revenge of Moriarty's daughter. Truly an engaging and difficult novel to put down. Well done, David Davies!
April 21, 2024
Three and a half. Resurrecting Professor Moriarty is a common storyline of Sherlock Holmes pastiches, often making me roll my eyes, but this was one of the better ways you could’ve continued the struggle between Holmes and Moriarty after “The Final Problem.”
September 29, 2024
Better than most of the previous titles I have read by D S Davies, this one is in the same category as his short stories which he does better. A bit padded and convoluted with a disappointing ending - too open with the protagonist's body not being found.
February 25, 2022
David Stuart Davies has done it again. He has written what you would assume is a next chapter of Holmes vs. Moriarity. Well done and continue to add new chapters to the series of Further Adventures.
May 27, 2022
Very good Holmesien fare. It has the correct tone and feels in-keeping with the original
August 3, 2022
While a few times the 'voice' seemed a touch off, this was a most excellent story and I do expect 'she' will emerge again ;)
August 13, 2022
A really enjoyable read and a great tribute to the original works. An exciting mystery and an excellent villain. I highly recommend this book.
December 16, 2025
a decent book spoiled by a lame ending
February 5, 2025
It’s been a while since I’ve read any Holmes (Doyle or otherwise), so some of the in-depth tie-ins to past Holmes lore was probably lost on me (I did google a few things, but I read most of this while on a plane and without Wi-Fi).
While it’s not a Doyle-written Holmes story, it still has a similar feel (of course) - return of our known protagonists and sidekicks, setting, and feel. It’s not a true whodunnit, which I’ll admit is a bit disappointing - and not only that, the story and twist are almost blindingly obvious essentially from the get-go.
I mean, I understand this is supposed to be taking place soon after the whole Holmes/Moriarty/Reichenbach Falls thing, so it makes sense that he keeps thinking about that - and it is obviously amplified by someone pretending to be Moriarty being involved in the on-goings. But like, way, way too obvious. And made even easier by the few chapters that are told not from Watson’s journal.
Aside from that, though, it’s not bad. The action pretty much keeps up throughout the story, meaning that things are constantly happening.
And hey, it’s a pretty good Holmes novel. That’s honestly probably good enough.
I mean, sure, it’d be nice if people would develop their own characters instead of just telling more stories of Holmes or Poirot or whatever, but on the other hand, it is always nice to revisit these characters as well.
That said, it does feel pretty true to Holmes overall - setting, mystery, characters, etc. Which, quite honestly, is all I was really looking for when I picked this book up. The ending, maybe, leaves a bit to be desired, and the “twist” is something you can probably see coming from miles away, but that doesn’t really negatively impact the story overall. For someone who has read Doyle and is looking for more adventures of Holmes and Watson, this will probably fit the bill. For someone who wants an outright whodunnit where we’re kept in the dark the whole time… uh, maybe not.
While it’s not a Doyle-written Holmes story, it still has a similar feel (of course) - return of our known protagonists and sidekicks, setting, and feel. It’s not a true whodunnit, which I’ll admit is a bit disappointing - and not only that, the story and twist are almost blindingly obvious essentially from the get-go.
I mean, I understand this is supposed to be taking place soon after the whole Holmes/Moriarty/Reichenbach Falls thing, so it makes sense that he keeps thinking about that - and it is obviously amplified by someone pretending to be Moriarty being involved in the on-goings. But like, way, way too obvious. And made even easier by the few chapters that are told not from Watson’s journal.
Aside from that, though, it’s not bad. The action pretty much keeps up throughout the story, meaning that things are constantly happening.
And hey, it’s a pretty good Holmes novel. That’s honestly probably good enough.
I mean, sure, it’d be nice if people would develop their own characters instead of just telling more stories of Holmes or Poirot or whatever, but on the other hand, it is always nice to revisit these characters as well.
That said, it does feel pretty true to Holmes overall - setting, mystery, characters, etc. Which, quite honestly, is all I was really looking for when I picked this book up. The ending, maybe, leaves a bit to be desired, and the “twist” is something you can probably see coming from miles away, but that doesn’t really negatively impact the story overall. For someone who has read Doyle and is looking for more adventures of Holmes and Watson, this will probably fit the bill. For someone who wants an outright whodunnit where we’re kept in the dark the whole time… uh, maybe not.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews