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Sherlock Holmes in WWII #2
The Devil's Blaze
Set in London during World War II, a thrilling murder mystery where the world’s greatest detective must uncover the truth behind a seemingly impossible series of high-profile assassinations.
London, 1943.
Across the city, prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Convinced that the Germans have deployed a new terror weapon, a desperate government turns to the one man who can track down the source of this dreadful menace—Sherlock Holmes.
The quest for a solution drives Holmes into an uneasy alliance with the country’s most brilliant scientific genius, Professor James Moriarty. Only Sherlock Holmes knows the truth that behind his façade of respectability, Moriarty is the mastermind behind a vast criminal empire.
As they together pursue the trail of incendiary murders, Holmes is quite sure that Moriarty is playing a double-game—and that there lies ahead a duel to the death from which they will not both survive.
London, 1943.
Across the city, prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Convinced that the Germans have deployed a new terror weapon, a desperate government turns to the one man who can track down the source of this dreadful menace—Sherlock Holmes.
The quest for a solution drives Holmes into an uneasy alliance with the country’s most brilliant scientific genius, Professor James Moriarty. Only Sherlock Holmes knows the truth that behind his façade of respectability, Moriarty is the mastermind behind a vast criminal empire.
As they together pursue the trail of incendiary murders, Holmes is quite sure that Moriarty is playing a double-game—and that there lies ahead a duel to the death from which they will not both survive.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2022
49 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Harris
41 books37 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Robert J. Harris (Bob) is a Scottish academic and author of children's fantasies and historical novels, best known for his collaborations with Jane Yolen. He also designed the fantasy board game Talisman. Recently Bob released his sequel to Talisman, Mythgardia. He lives in Scotland and is married to American author Deborah Turner Harris.
Robert J. Harris (Bob) is a Scottish academic and author of children's fantasies and historical novels, best known for his collaborations with Jane Yolen. He also designed the fantasy board game Talisman. Recently Bob released his sequel to Talisman, Mythgardia. He lives in Scotland and is married to American author Deborah Turner Harris.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 19, 2023
Once again the game is afoot when Holmes and Watson are confronted by a case of several deaths by spontaneous human combustion. Who is targeting important people in the year 1943 while the world is in a struggle with those pesty Nazis.
Very quickly we find out that Holmes finally gets his confrontation with his everlasting nemesis professor Moriarty who has done his bit for the British war effort with of course a very selfish motivation. As Holmes finds a solution for the gruesome deaths Mortiarty ups the game.
Professor MacReady which opened the first chapter of the previous book once again plays a large part. When it comes to brainpower she certainly is up there with Sherlock.
This second WW2 episode by this writer is an excellent and enjoyable book and I can only hope he will continue to write a few more adventures in the spirit of the movieseries with Rathbone as the great detective.
Very quickly we find out that Holmes finally gets his confrontation with his everlasting nemesis professor Moriarty who has done his bit for the British war effort with of course a very selfish motivation. As Holmes finds a solution for the gruesome deaths Mortiarty ups the game.
Professor MacReady which opened the first chapter of the previous book once again plays a large part. When it comes to brainpower she certainly is up there with Sherlock.
This second WW2 episode by this writer is an excellent and enjoyable book and I can only hope he will continue to write a few more adventures in the spirit of the movieseries with Rathbone as the great detective.
May 16, 2023
The second novel from Robert J Harris to feature Sherlock Holmes is once again set in the 1940s & is based on the Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce film versions of the characters.
This time Holmes & Watson investigate a bizzare case of important people dying by spontaneous human combustion. Are these natural events or is the sinister Professor Moriarty behind the deaths ?
Harris spins a good yarn & laces it with some nice humour, including Holmes explaining why he isn't wearing a deerstalker hat!
It all adds up to some fast paced fun & would have made a pretty decent film for the late Basil Rathbone.
This time Holmes & Watson investigate a bizzare case of important people dying by spontaneous human combustion. Are these natural events or is the sinister Professor Moriarty behind the deaths ?
Harris spins a good yarn & laces it with some nice humour, including Holmes explaining why he isn't wearing a deerstalker hat!
It all adds up to some fast paced fun & would have made a pretty decent film for the late Basil Rathbone.
November 12, 2022
Nicely written Sherlock pastiche set in WWII. Always fun to follow Holmes when the game is afoot.
June 6, 2023
A fun take on Sherlock, updating his story to the 1940s during World War 2
August 29, 2023
3.75 stars. An enjoyable romp. Very Sherlockian in tone and style, decent mystery, more hyperbole than needed, but I have to admit that seems to be part and parcel of Sherlock stories.
May 22, 2025
The Devil's Blaze~~~
I've long been a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and usually really enjoy the new novels where Holmes nd Watson are solving new impossible mysteries amid mayhem. I've slobbered over authors Laurie R. King and Anthony Horowitz, for example, as well as Nicholas Meyer and Nancy Springer. I will now add Robert J. Harris to that list. I just blew through Harris' second Holmes' novel The Devil's Blaze, also inspired by old' movies starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes.
I'll be reading his first novel, for sure.
The story is set in 1943 London and involves the evil genius of Professor Moriarty who is trying to outwit Holmes in a deadly game. Holmes is shocked when Moriarty suddenly seeks him out to intimidate him and show who's the boss.
It doesn't go as Moriarty planned. Not once. Holmes is one step ahead of the world dictator-wannabe and Moriarty eats crow in the end.
Does that mean the villain died? Hmm. Things don't always look the way they seem. After Holmes pretends that Moriarty drowned him, the gig is almost up for the professor and it's a devilishly fun ride from beginning to end. At first I thought the ending in Switzerland would be returning to old literary history, but it wasn't. It was thrilling!
I can hardly wait for the next book by Harris.
I've long been a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and usually really enjoy the new novels where Holmes nd Watson are solving new impossible mysteries amid mayhem. I've slobbered over authors Laurie R. King and Anthony Horowitz, for example, as well as Nicholas Meyer and Nancy Springer. I will now add Robert J. Harris to that list. I just blew through Harris' second Holmes' novel The Devil's Blaze, also inspired by old' movies starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes.
I'll be reading his first novel, for sure.
The story is set in 1943 London and involves the evil genius of Professor Moriarty who is trying to outwit Holmes in a deadly game. Holmes is shocked when Moriarty suddenly seeks him out to intimidate him and show who's the boss.
It doesn't go as Moriarty planned. Not once. Holmes is one step ahead of the world dictator-wannabe and Moriarty eats crow in the end.
Does that mean the villain died? Hmm. Things don't always look the way they seem. After Holmes pretends that Moriarty drowned him, the gig is almost up for the professor and it's a devilishly fun ride from beginning to end. At first I thought the ending in Switzerland would be returning to old literary history, but it wasn't. It was thrilling!
I can hardly wait for the next book by Harris.
November 4, 2024
Picket up this book after reading a review in Book Page. Had never read this author before.
I felt this was a screenplay for a movie, so far fetched. Also, I felt the writing was very 'light', grade schooler style.
Do not recommend.
I felt this was a screenplay for a movie, so far fetched. Also, I felt the writing was very 'light', grade schooler style.
Do not recommend.
February 7, 2023
Memorable Read
Great story , most enjoyable brought back memories of the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce movies I watched in my teenage years in the 1970's . Well written and fast paced will look out for the next instalment .
Great story , most enjoyable brought back memories of the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce movies I watched in my teenage years in the 1970's . Well written and fast paced will look out for the next instalment .
June 2, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed the secret code-breakers of World War II that I had just read about in The Rose Code, and this book appeared at the library like I had conjured it. Code-breakers, plus a Holmes mystery? Yes please.
January 28, 2023
Boy howdy, that was dumb.
June 9, 2023
#49 - A Study In Crimson by Robert J. Harris. This is Harris' first book in a series about Sherlock Holmes in World War II. Specifically, this one is set in London in 1942. Harris, a prolific author, has written a fascinating story which should interest all Sherlock
Holmes fans as well as those fascinated by the unsolved Jack the Ripper movies. I decided to read the first and the second book in the series,Th e Devil's Blaze, to get a sense of the series quality and strengths.
A preface explains how this particular setting of World War II for Holmes came bout. Namely, after the success of the 1939 20th Century Fox release The Hound of the Baskerville, the studio then put out The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. While Fox did not con inue the series, the two lead actors - Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Brice as Dr. Watson - did a radio series together. When Universal Pictures stepped in to negotiate a new movie
deal with the Doyle Estate the decision was made to refresh the characters by transplanting them to the then modern era, the wartime London of 1942. This led to a 12-film series set during the war. "Inspired by that classic series, this novel further explores the world and adventures of its particular version of the great detective, confronting him with a deadly and cunning adversary. It is September 1942 and, in the blacked-out streets of London, the
game is once more afoot."
In the first book there is a killer who refers to himself as Crimson Jack who is stalking London, murdering women, mostly prostitutes, on the exact dates of the infamous Jack the Ripper killings of 1888. Police are stumped on the man's identity so Scotland Yard asks Sherlock Holmes to try to find and stop him. This leads investigators into various direction. But do they lead to Crimson Jack? This has many great twists and a satisfying conclusion.
In the second book, The Devil's Blaze, it is now 1943 and prominent figures in government and science are bursting into flames and being incinerated. The government, worried this is a new terror weapon devised and deployed by the German government, asks Sherlock to find who is behind this and stop that person.
Sherlock is forced into an alliance with Professor James Moriarty. While the nation knows Moriarty as a brilliant scientific genius, only Holmes know that he is also a criminal mastermind. Will they be able to work together to solve this mystery or is Moriarty setting up a duel to the death?
I always enjoy the company of Holmes and Watson and this is no exception in both of
these thrillers with some good new main characters joining the ones well established, and plenty of plot twists. I give both books an 8.
June 6, 2025
The author’s second book of Sherlock Holmes now has the detective living during World War II, and in the preface explains that the character is modeled after the definitive role of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Basil Rathbone. As in the previous book, Sherlock has a brother of at least equal intellectual abilities by the name of Mycroft, who works in government.
-Holmes has now been summoned by the government because of the most peculiar occurrences. Several people had suddenly erupted in flames while in full view of others. No accelerant was present and the people seemed to have suddenly caught fire for no apparent reason. A certain religious woman was claiming it was a sign that judgement day was coming and the events were causing hysteria.
-Holmes was brought into a special government council and was being asked to investigate. To the shock of all present, one of the government members suddenly expressed that he was feeling warm and in front of the other council members as well as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the man suddenly burst into flame. It happened so quickly that there was nothing any of them could do to save the man. Just as with the reports of the other deaths, it was a spontaneous combustion with no apparent cause.
-In order to assist Holmes in the investigation, Holmes and Watson were taken to a secret research facility where scientists were already starting to look into this. To Holmes’ shock, when he was introduced to the head of the facility it was none other than his nemesis, the brilliant Professor Moriarty.
-Thus began one of the most difficult cases of Holmes’ career as he now had to deal with a foe who was not only his equal, but that person was foolishly given vast authority overseeing a crucial research area vital to the war. Holmes knew that this would lead to horrible consequences but there was no one that would listen to his objections and his brother was out of the country and could not be reached.
-The author does a good job of presenting us with a series of impossible situations and mysteries which Holmes deals with due to his great ability but sometimes with a little bit of added luck.
-Holmes has now been summoned by the government because of the most peculiar occurrences. Several people had suddenly erupted in flames while in full view of others. No accelerant was present and the people seemed to have suddenly caught fire for no apparent reason. A certain religious woman was claiming it was a sign that judgement day was coming and the events were causing hysteria.
-Holmes was brought into a special government council and was being asked to investigate. To the shock of all present, one of the government members suddenly expressed that he was feeling warm and in front of the other council members as well as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the man suddenly burst into flame. It happened so quickly that there was nothing any of them could do to save the man. Just as with the reports of the other deaths, it was a spontaneous combustion with no apparent cause.
-In order to assist Holmes in the investigation, Holmes and Watson were taken to a secret research facility where scientists were already starting to look into this. To Holmes’ shock, when he was introduced to the head of the facility it was none other than his nemesis, the brilliant Professor Moriarty.
-Thus began one of the most difficult cases of Holmes’ career as he now had to deal with a foe who was not only his equal, but that person was foolishly given vast authority overseeing a crucial research area vital to the war. Holmes knew that this would lead to horrible consequences but there was no one that would listen to his objections and his brother was out of the country and could not be reached.
-The author does a good job of presenting us with a series of impossible situations and mysteries which Holmes deals with due to his great ability but sometimes with a little bit of added luck.
June 17, 2025
The Devil's Blaze by Robert Harris intrigued me because it placed Sherlock and Watson in 1943, during WWII. And their case involves spontaneous human combustion. How could I resist?
The preface intrigued me yet more. Harris was inspired by the films with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce set in the same time period. The films Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror and Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon had the intrepid duo facing off with Nazis. I'd like to think Arthur Conan Doyle would nod in approval with this book.
Harris didn't stray far from Doyle's canon, but the novel worked best because of the unique and accurate characterizations. Sherlock was typical Sherlock, but I felt Watson was the key character here--he asked all the right questions, understood Sherlock's conclusions, and overall displayed a greater intelligence than most pastiches grant him these days.
I thought it was interesting that Moriarty, as sinister as ever, had been recruited by the British government to oversee the code-cracking efforts during WWII. Made sense, considering Moriarty was a mathematical genius. But he was far from a hero and proved a formidable, dangerous foe to not only Sherlock and Watson, but to the world at large.
The plot was complex, filled with action, and a true page-turner. Highly recommended!
The preface intrigued me yet more. Harris was inspired by the films with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce set in the same time period. The films Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror and Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon had the intrepid duo facing off with Nazis. I'd like to think Arthur Conan Doyle would nod in approval with this book.
Harris didn't stray far from Doyle's canon, but the novel worked best because of the unique and accurate characterizations. Sherlock was typical Sherlock, but I felt Watson was the key character here--he asked all the right questions, understood Sherlock's conclusions, and overall displayed a greater intelligence than most pastiches grant him these days.
I thought it was interesting that Moriarty, as sinister as ever, had been recruited by the British government to oversee the code-cracking efforts during WWII. Made sense, considering Moriarty was a mathematical genius. But he was far from a hero and proved a formidable, dangerous foe to not only Sherlock and Watson, but to the world at large.
The plot was complex, filled with action, and a true page-turner. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2023
The Devil’s Blaze by: Robert J. Harris
What could be better than a story of the intrepid detective Sherlock Holmes and, of course, Dr. Watson pitted against the archenemy, Professor Moriarty? Well let’s put those beloved characters in 1945 and now you have a fiercer setting with the Nazi regime breathing down their necks.
Robert Harris does a wonderful job of staying true to the original characters that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invented. There is both action and adventure aplenty in this compact book (there are 271 pages), with never a dull moment.
England is in peril yet again and only Holmes and Watson can take care of this predicament. Leading people in science and the military are bursting into flames. A new gas agent has been developed but no one can figure out how the people are subjected to it, much less who is responsible. This is when Holmes and Watson are brought in. Their reasoning (whether it is deductive or inductive is a matter for debate) is called on during this troublesome time.
So if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan this novel is worth your while to read.
What could be better than a story of the intrepid detective Sherlock Holmes and, of course, Dr. Watson pitted against the archenemy, Professor Moriarty? Well let’s put those beloved characters in 1945 and now you have a fiercer setting with the Nazi regime breathing down their necks.
Robert Harris does a wonderful job of staying true to the original characters that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invented. There is both action and adventure aplenty in this compact book (there are 271 pages), with never a dull moment.
England is in peril yet again and only Holmes and Watson can take care of this predicament. Leading people in science and the military are bursting into flames. A new gas agent has been developed but no one can figure out how the people are subjected to it, much less who is responsible. This is when Holmes and Watson are brought in. Their reasoning (whether it is deductive or inductive is a matter for debate) is called on during this troublesome time.
So if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan this novel is worth your while to read.
August 15, 2023
This book had been calling me for the last couple library trips, so I finally gave in... I've read a few things from Harris before, and most have been pretty good.
His Holmes is based off the Basil Rathbone version and set in that time period, with Holmes at the height of his experience and powers. The plot is a pretty basic one, but leads him to Moriarty.. with the remainder of the story a battle of wits between the two, as Moriarty uses a war-necessitated government position to attempt to turn Holmes and Watson into Nazi sympathizers.
I'm not super familiar with all the old serials, but Harris give Holmes a past as a World War I spy and a mysterious year long gap in his public career that seem his own.
Moriarty, meanwhile, plays his role as an evil version of Hari Seldon, which is quite intriguing, but doesn't really make sense with 1943 technology.
My favorite of his creations is Dr Macready a Scottish chemist that serves as a possible future love interest for Holmes... she's awesome. Her continuation as a supporting character would definitely make another book worth reading an otherwise decent but unremarkable version of the great detective.
His Holmes is based off the Basil Rathbone version and set in that time period, with Holmes at the height of his experience and powers. The plot is a pretty basic one, but leads him to Moriarty.. with the remainder of the story a battle of wits between the two, as Moriarty uses a war-necessitated government position to attempt to turn Holmes and Watson into Nazi sympathizers.
I'm not super familiar with all the old serials, but Harris give Holmes a past as a World War I spy and a mysterious year long gap in his public career that seem his own.
Moriarty, meanwhile, plays his role as an evil version of Hari Seldon, which is quite intriguing, but doesn't really make sense with 1943 technology.
My favorite of his creations is Dr Macready a Scottish chemist that serves as a possible future love interest for Holmes... she's awesome. Her continuation as a supporting character would definitely make another book worth reading an otherwise decent but unremarkable version of the great detective.
January 5, 2023
Easy fast read …Holmes and Watson during WWII…..really enjoyed this book.
Set in London during World War II, a thrilling murder mystery where the world’s greatest detective must uncover the truth behind a seemingly impossible series of high-profile assassinations.
London, 1943.
Across the city, prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Convinced that the Germans have deployed a new terror weapon, a desperate government turns to the one man who can track down the source of this dreadful menace—Sherlock Holmes.
The quest for a solution drives Holmes into an uneasy alliance with the country’s most brilliant scientific genius, Professor James Moriarty. Only Sherlock Holmes knows the truth that behind his façade of respectability, Moriarty is the mastermind behind a vast criminal empire.
As they together pursue the trail of incendiary murders, Holmes is quite sure that Moriarty is playing a double-game—and that there lies ahead a duel to the death from which they will not both survive.
Set in London during World War II, a thrilling murder mystery where the world’s greatest detective must uncover the truth behind a seemingly impossible series of high-profile assassinations.
London, 1943.
Across the city, prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Convinced that the Germans have deployed a new terror weapon, a desperate government turns to the one man who can track down the source of this dreadful menace—Sherlock Holmes.
The quest for a solution drives Holmes into an uneasy alliance with the country’s most brilliant scientific genius, Professor James Moriarty. Only Sherlock Holmes knows the truth that behind his façade of respectability, Moriarty is the mastermind behind a vast criminal empire.
As they together pursue the trail of incendiary murders, Holmes is quite sure that Moriarty is playing a double-game—and that there lies ahead a duel to the death from which they will not both survive.
January 30, 2023
This was a fun and fast read. It's the second of a series, but I don't think you'd miss much by not having read that one first. If you can accept Holmes and Watson in 1943 rather than Victorian London, it feels very authentic.
Sherlock is brought in on the case of several mysterious "spontaneous combustion" deaths. It's rare enough that 3 in a couple of weeks seems suspect. Further, the victims do not seem random. But is it a political plot by German sympathisers, or something more prosaic. And when Holmes learns that Moriarty -- who he knows to be a criminal mastermind, albeit very much under the radar -- is in charge of a top secret cryptography site, he feels there must be much more going on.
Watson is, happily, not nearly the foolish bumbler portrayed in many films and more astute even than Conan Doyle depicted him. But, for me, that's all to the good. In short, an enjoyable book in an enjoyable series.
Sherlock is brought in on the case of several mysterious "spontaneous combustion" deaths. It's rare enough that 3 in a couple of weeks seems suspect. Further, the victims do not seem random. But is it a political plot by German sympathisers, or something more prosaic. And when Holmes learns that Moriarty -- who he knows to be a criminal mastermind, albeit very much under the radar -- is in charge of a top secret cryptography site, he feels there must be much more going on.
Watson is, happily, not nearly the foolish bumbler portrayed in many films and more astute even than Conan Doyle depicted him. But, for me, that's all to the good. In short, an enjoyable book in an enjoyable series.
January 6, 2023
The second Sherlock Holmes mysteries during World War 2 brings Holmes and Watson into the mysterious deaths of elite government people who sudden burst into flames, apparently with no reason at all.
Well, of course who this mastermind be? Who else but Professor James Moriarty, criminal overload and his cohort Colonel Sebastian Moran. Ring any bells? Even though Moriarty is a criminal, he seems to be working with the British against Hitler, or is he?
Sherlock becomes deeply invovled in this case, not only because of Moriarty, but his secret work during World War 1. So secret that not even Watson knows what happened.
Once again this in 1943, so there are no references to the Victorian Holmes and Watson or Inspector Lestrade. Dr. McReady shows up from the first book and has a large part in this mystery.
I'm guessing there will more os these WWII Sherlock adventures to come.
Well, of course who this mastermind be? Who else but Professor James Moriarty, criminal overload and his cohort Colonel Sebastian Moran. Ring any bells? Even though Moriarty is a criminal, he seems to be working with the British against Hitler, or is he?
Sherlock becomes deeply invovled in this case, not only because of Moriarty, but his secret work during World War 1. So secret that not even Watson knows what happened.
Once again this in 1943, so there are no references to the Victorian Holmes and Watson or Inspector Lestrade. Dr. McReady shows up from the first book and has a large part in this mystery.
I'm guessing there will more os these WWII Sherlock adventures to come.
February 20, 2023
I liked The Devil's Blaze by Robert J. Harris. Set in World War II, it is very much a traditional Holmes-Watson adventure with the traditional adversaries. I’ll go with what I liked and then didn’t like as much format.
What I liked. The setting, London during height of World War II, was great for a classic Holmes story and a lot of fun. We also had appearances from some Sherlock Holmes’ most memorable adversaries (this is not a spoiler, it is on the jacket, I won’t name them but any fan can narrow it down to one particular villain, and then among two or three others who rank up there). Holmes relies on Watson and gives him a few things to do, and Watson is much more the literary Watson here, not the bumbling second banana to Holmes. The pace is fast. All in all, a classic traditional Holmes story (written version, not movie version).
What I didn’t like. The portrayal of Holmes. It is not that it is bad, it was just very - there. Mr. Harris did not add or do anything new with Holmes, it is the same Holmes we have seen before. That is not a huge criticism, the fans like the traditional Holmes. With Harris, Mr. Holmes is on the “nicer” side within a traditional portrayal (not overtly condescending as in some versions, very athletic here, and open, just a bit, to new ideas). Indeed, I would add this criticism to all the characters. Many of us like to see someone write the traditional characters but with a shade of difference from the past (I will go here with a two word reference which some people hate but some love it - Henry Cavill). There. The villains appear much as they always do, I would like to see a little difference. Also I thought London during the height of the Battle of Britain could be done more with. Most importantly, the main mystery, the “Devi’s Blaze,” (MINOR SPOILER ALERT) had a lot of potential and would be a worthy subject of an entire book, but Holmes and company resolve this, more or less, too early in the story.
Bottom Line - This story is supposed to be the middle part of a trilogy and I want to read the third one when it comes out, so to me that makes this a good read!
What I liked. The setting, London during height of World War II, was great for a classic Holmes story and a lot of fun. We also had appearances from some Sherlock Holmes’ most memorable adversaries (this is not a spoiler, it is on the jacket, I won’t name them but any fan can narrow it down to one particular villain, and then among two or three others who rank up there). Holmes relies on Watson and gives him a few things to do, and Watson is much more the literary Watson here, not the bumbling second banana to Holmes. The pace is fast. All in all, a classic traditional Holmes story (written version, not movie version).
What I didn’t like. The portrayal of Holmes. It is not that it is bad, it was just very - there. Mr. Harris did not add or do anything new with Holmes, it is the same Holmes we have seen before. That is not a huge criticism, the fans like the traditional Holmes. With Harris, Mr. Holmes is on the “nicer” side within a traditional portrayal (not overtly condescending as in some versions, very athletic here, and open, just a bit, to new ideas). Indeed, I would add this criticism to all the characters. Many of us like to see someone write the traditional characters but with a shade of difference from the past (I will go here with a two word reference which some people hate but some love it - Henry Cavill). There. The villains appear much as they always do, I would like to see a little difference. Also I thought London during the height of the Battle of Britain could be done more with. Most importantly, the main mystery, the “Devi’s Blaze,” (MINOR SPOILER ALERT) had a lot of potential and would be a worthy subject of an entire book, but Holmes and company resolve this, more or less, too early in the story.
Bottom Line - This story is supposed to be the middle part of a trilogy and I want to read the third one when it comes out, so to me that makes this a good read!
December 17, 2022
I liked this gripping and highly entertaining story set during WWII and featuring Holmes and Watson.
It's always a pleasure to read about this characters and how he could have adapted to a different age.
This is a well plotted and compelling short novel that I read in one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
It's always a pleasure to read about this characters and how he could have adapted to a different age.
This is a well plotted and compelling short novel that I read in one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
April 6, 2023
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are back.....it's the middle of World War II...and this book is like watching a Saturday matinee. I really enjoyed this story based on the Basil Rathbone movies of the 1940's. Adventure, a mysterious weapon, unsolvable deaths and Holmes's archenemy, Dr. Moriarity. Sherlock's deductive talents save the day. What could be better?
January 9, 2025
Rating 4
Very entertaining Sherlock Holmes novel based around the 1940’s movies starring basil rathbone.
Works well I thought and found it to be a page turner.
Pity that there are no more in this series as I would have immediately bought and read them.
Definite recommendation for anyone looking for a Holmes novel not set in Victorian England.
Very entertaining Sherlock Holmes novel based around the 1940’s movies starring basil rathbone.
Works well I thought and found it to be a page turner.
Pity that there are no more in this series as I would have immediately bought and read them.
Definite recommendation for anyone looking for a Holmes novel not set in Victorian England.
December 31, 2022
A Sherlock Holmes mystery taking place in London, 1943. Sherlock with the assistance of Dr. Watson seek the cause of men bursting into flames and dying. Is it the work of the devil or the work of Moriarty?
January 13, 2023
Transporting the Sherlock Holmes stories to World War II works (as it did in A Study in Crimson), though it is very far outside the canon. London fog, German agents, murderers lend themselves to the Holmesian world.
January 17, 2023
Very fun and easy read. I like the variety of elements included that allude to classic Sherlock stories, with the atmosphere of WWII. The last book did feel more era accurate, but overall, I felt this book owned the aura more comfortably.
February 26, 2023
3.5 stars! A sequel to A Study in Crimson, this book is set in 1943 London. Holmes and Watson must confront Professor James Moriarity who is the mastermind behind a vast criminal empire.
Recommended!
Recommended!
June 12, 2023
This Sherlock Holmes story is set in WWII. Holmes meets Moriarity. They of course face off at the Richenbach Falls. But, the ending not excatly the same as the one that is in the the classic AC Doyle short story the Final Problem. But there are plenty of homagges to the source material.
December 19, 2024
This is second book in the series written in tribute to the classic 1940 Sherlock Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
A very enjoyable read as Holmes faces off against his greatest enemies.
A very enjoyable read as Holmes faces off against his greatest enemies.
September 25, 2025
Good not great, but it is Sherlock Holmes, so 4 it is. I have not read the first book in the RJH series, A Study in Crimson, so I look forward to finding it. I assume he is done, since this book was written in 2022 and there have been no other books published - a shame.
December 2, 2022
An enjoyable read! I loved the character Dr MacReady and hope she makes a return in the next book in the series.
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