Sherlock Holmes: The American Years

by Michael Kurland

A compelling volume of original tales concerning Sherlock Holmes' legendary time in America

With an introduction by Leslie S. Klinger, editor and compiler of all three volumes of the Annotated Sherlock Holmes, this collection of ten original stories brings light to one of the least examined periods in the life of the great detective--his time in the former colonies, the United States.

This Holmes is a youthful one--a young man not yet set upon his course in life and in his famous lodgings at 221B Baker Street. In Richard Lupoff 's Inga Sigerson Weds, he's come to America to represent the family at his sister's wedding. In Darryl Brock's My Silk Umbrella, Mark Twain narrates his fateful encounter with Holmes at a baseball game in Hartford, Connecticut; Steve Hockensmith narrates the meeting of the young William Gillette and the object of his later, most famous turn upon the stage; and Peter Tremayne reveals the intersection of Holmes and the Irish in the 19th century American midwestern landscape.

With further stories by Marta Randall, Rhys Bowen, Peter Beagle, and others, the legend, the mythology and even the history of the world's greatest detective is further enhanced by these charming, clever and mystifying tales.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

aka Jennifer Plum

Michael Kurland has written many non-fiction books on a vast array of topics, including How to Solve a Murder, as well as many novels. Twice a finalist for the Edgar Award (once for The Infernal Device) given by the Mystery Writers of America, Kurland is perhaps best known for his novels about Professor Moriarty. He lives in Petaluma, California.

Reviews

[Ｆｒａｎｋｈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"There must be a never-ending supply of Holmes stories just as there must be air and water. And they must be the finest Holmes stories we can create. Not the true quill of the Master perhaps, but still nourishing to a parched and hungry soul."

This is the final anthology I'm reviewing for the Sherlock Holmes birthday month last January which managed to bleed into this month as well because I was preoccupied with other readings so I had to take breaks for the last two books in my SH roster. But I eventually did finish reading all of them and now I'm officially ending with yet another collection edited by Michael Kurland, Sherlock Holmes: The American Years. It's worth mentioning that this is a re-read from six years ago which meant that the material is once again fresh in my eyes and I can honestly say that I barely remember a lot of these stories at all. Only one really struck me as a standout.

The ten stories included in this volume have operated with a premise based on the idea that the Great Detective has travelled to America; and what adventures he may have had during the course of his stay there. It was briefly mentioned in the canon that Holmes did find his way in the colonies before, and that inference should definitely breed a new set of possible scenarios as to why and how. Naturally, it could be because of a murder mystery or an ongoing investigation of any crime that is intriguing enough to draw in Holmes which was more or less what these stories offered. Another element common in all these tales is the inclusion of real-life historical figures for Holmes to interact with. In a sense, The American Years can be readily considered a collection of pastiche.

Almost all of them too are origin stories pertaining to how Holmes found his vocation and calling as a detective. I only considered four of them my favorites and these are My Silk Umbrella by Darryl Brock where Holmes meets Mark Twain, author of Tom Saywer's and Huckleberry Finn's Adventures during a baseball game and hilarity ensues; The Old Senator by Steve Hockensmith where Holmes is a stage actor who encounters William Gilette, the most memorable actor himself who played him a decade or so later on stage; The American Adventure by Gary Lovisi where Joseph Bell, the doctor Conan Doyle based Holmes on originally, was actually his mentor and friend after all; and The Curse of Edwin Booth by Carole Bugge where the titular actor is haunted by his brother's Lincoln assassination but struggles to eventually overcome that notoriety through the help of a certain aspiring English detective.

The rest of the stories are fairly decent although a few can be grating because of its alienating quality, most especially if certain historical facts go way over your head while reading. We have Inga Sigerson Weds by Richard A. Lupoff in which Sherlock Holmes has a older sister; The Sacred White Elephant of Mandalay by Michael Mallory; The Reluctant Assassin by Peter Tremayne that makes use of the Irish civil wars as a backdrop; Cutting for Sign by Rhys Bowen which is a proper Western tale where Holmes learns deductive reasoning from a Native American named Shadow Wolf; The Stagecoach Detective which is another Western but this time it deals with a female cast; and The English Senor by Martha Randall set in Mexico where an elderly woman is the POV character and imparts a young Holmes with a lesson never to underestimate the ways of the human heart.

It's weird for me to rate this the lowest of all the four anthologies I've read, considering I remember enjoying this a lot six years ago when I read it for the first time. I suppose it just didn't age well for me. Nevertheless, the aforementioned four favorite stories are worth checking out so this is still a commendable collection. I agree with the introduction I quoted for this review that there must be an endless supply of new Holmesian stories for generations to come!

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

DO READ MY REVIEWS AT

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time spent with Sherlock Holmes, as I am fond of saying, is never wasted. There are some real gems in the anthology Sherlock Holmes: The American Years. Most of these stories feature a younger Holmes, just starting or thinking of starting his career as a detective. He is less seasoned and learning his trade. In these tales Holmes pays various visits to the Americas and rubs shoulders with such luminaries as Robert Louis Stevenson, PT Barnum, and Mark Twain. The Twain story is especially enjoyable-a middle aged Samuel Clemens is the perfect foil for a young Sherlock Holmes, and their interactions are priceless. However the fine efforts of such authors as Carol Bugge, Peter Tremayne and Steve Hockensmith are almost negated by the first short story in this collection, by Richard A Lupoff. I have no idea why the editor selected this story or decided to lead with it as it is truly awful. I would speculate that to non-Sherlockians Lupoff's name is the most well known of the authors here? In any even I have a hard time pictured young Mycroft and Sherlock joyously hard at work in their parent's bakery, and I cannot buy the idea of Sherlock and his sister successfully seizing on a series of notes playable on the violin and flute that together can create a sonic resonance capable of melting metal. Again, awful. Rarely do I advise this but listen Constant Reader: if you stumble across this volume somewhere do not hesitate to pick it up-just skip the Lupoff story.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed bag of stories outlining the early adventures of Sherlock Holmes in America.

Worth reading, but not the best addition to the canon.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 3rd collection of Sherlockian pastiches edited by Michael Kurland is a refreshing one in the cluttered world of pastiches, with its stories covering a fairly large area, geographically as well as emotionally, in the great landmass generally known as America. The contents are:

(*) Foreword by Leslie S. Klinger

(*) Introduction by Michael Kurland

1) 'Inga Sigerson Weds' by Richard A. Lupoff: The Holmnes brothers travel across the Atlantic to attend their cousin's marriage, and in the process saves the world, er... royal personages & English honour, etc. etc.

2) 'MY SILK UMBRELLA' by Darryl Brock: a brilliant piece, purportedly written by Mark Twain, and is a superb piece that brings Holmes & Twain together.

3) 'THE OLD SENATOR' by Steve Hockensmith: representing the voice of William Gillette, this was an wonderful story of detection & poise.

4) 'The American Adventure' by Gary Lovisi: a grim story of love, loss & betrayal, bringing Holmes, Dr. Bell and Professor Moriarty together.

5) 'THE SACRED WHITE ELEPHANT OF MANDALAY' by Michael Mallory: an entertaining story bringing Holmes, Stamford and P.T. Barnum together.

6) 'The Curse of Edwin Booth' by Carole Bugge: not very entertaining, and tediously long piece.

7) 'The Case of The Reluctant Assassin' by Peter Tremayne: I am, frankly speaking, getting rather tired after getting to read about Holmes and his Irish connection again & again in his stories, irrespective of the background.

8) 'CUTTING FOR SIGN' by Rhys Bowen: a Wild-West story, totally improbable-great fun to read and re-read.

9) 'THE ENGLISH SENOR' by Marta Randall: another immensely enjoyable adventure taking place amidst intrigues in Mexico!

10) 'The Stagecoach Detective: A Tale of The Golden West' by Linda Robertson: a boring story that went on & one & on.

Despite a few weak pieces, this anthology fares a whole lot better than most other similar anthologies, and is recommended.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it was not the strongest of the non-Doyle anthologies I've read. For example Shadows Over Baker Street was finer. Some of the stories held up better than others, such as My Silk Umbrella (which was more properly a Sherlock Holmes story, despite pretending to having Mark Twain writing it). Others such as Inga Sigerson Weds were much less successful.

Nearly all of them were presented as a mashup of other characters famous in history with Sherlock Holmes. Some of that is interesting, but it can be overplayed. Not a disappointing mix of stories, but not a particularly stand out one either.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oy.

Skip it.

[Alba Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology is a collection of various stories about Sherlock - almost entirely a younger, pre-Watson version of the man before he became a great detective - in America. As an American who left the US as early as possible and haven't looked back, I didn't enjoy these nearly as much as similar anthologies set in Europe. The "wild west" era is probably one of the least interesting subjects/time periods to write about. But anyway, here are my thoughts:

1) 'Inga Sigerson Weds' by Richard A. Lupoff: Not great. The characters weren't convincing, I didn't find any hint of the real Sherlock in this story, the plot was boring, and going to the US for the sister to attend a wedding of a person she'd never met seemed tenuous.

2) 'MY SILK UMBRELLA' by Darryl Brock: Really boring. Baseball is one of the least exciting sports in the world and an even less interesting subject. Mark Twain is one of America's least interesting authors. Combine the two and... bleeh. Oh and I couldn't care less about the fate of a stupid umbrella fallen off a bleacher and stolen by a child!

3) 'THE OLD SENATOR' by Steve Hockensmith: Slightly more interesting. All about the actors and a son looking for approval from his father. It was better than the first two, but not my favourite. (There were a lot of stories about actors, strangely?)

4) 'The American Adventure' by Gary Lovisi: Another actress. More gripping, but I didn't find the Sherlock of the story in line with the "real" Sherlock. Real Sherlock wouldn't have fallen for a women - let alone a lusty, whiny, coniving one. Diana is no Irene Adler!

5) 'THE SACRED WHITE ELEPHANT OF MANDALAY' by Michael Mallory: Hands down my favourite. I mean, there's a fantastical mansion, a beautiful white elephant, talk of faraway lands, and PT Barnum!

6) 'The Curse of Edwin Booth' by Carole Bugge: The longest one, and another one about an actor. This time, one who is getting death threats. But I enjoyed it, its length gave me more time to connect with the characters. Though the plot was simple by the end, I enjoyed all the snares and red herrings.

7) 'The Case of The Reluctant Assassin' by Peter Tremayne: Irish Sherlock? Nope. I live in Ireland and can say with 100% certainty... NOPE.

8) 'CUTTING FOR SIGN' by Rhys Bowen: Ok, I don't actually like Wild-West stories, but this one wasn't too bad. At least it did feel like a young Sherlock, esp during the trial.

9) 'THE ENGLISH SENOR' by Marta Randall: Really, really liked this one. Sherlock barely features in this one, but I really connected with the main character and the setting in Mexico and the labyrinthine monastery was amazing! My other favourite story.

10) 'The Stagecoach Detective: A Tale of The Golden West' by Linda Robertson: It was... eh. Not too memorable after the English Senor. It wasn't great, and was pretty obvious what was happening.

It was a fun holiday read esp for a spur of the moment library pick, but nothing special. I'd prefer my Sherlock to stay in the UK where Sherlock is meant to be! At the very least in Europe.I can even see him in Asia. But Sherlock in America? Nope.

[Michael Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am not a fan of the Sherlock Holmes anthologies of new stories or modified stories or what if stories. Most are less than good tales even when done by authors who I enjoy.
This volume had 10 tales with Holmes in America as a young man right before we start the Conan Doyle stories or in some cases years earlier as a very young man with Mycroft or working for him. I liked nine of them very much and the tenth was not all that bad.

[Iami Menotu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of well written stories

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Kurland’s purpose of writing this book is to let us know about the storied about the great detective Sherlock Holmes before live in Bake street, he want us to know how brilliant that man is and how he solve every problem in the new colony America. This book offers various knowledge and fun stories to its author. From all the stories in this book, we can know that Sherlock Holmes is a charming, smart, intelligence, and mystery detective. After reading this book, it changed my opinions of Sherlock. Although he is good at solving problems, he is not good at dealing with his social life, until he meets his roommate John Watson.
Sherlock Holmes: The American year is well written. The stories took place in America is accordance with the historical background. And every exciting moment in the book was vividly written. For example, when the daughter receives the letter from her cousin in America, she invited her to go to her wedding in the new colony. But her dad doesn’t want her to go alone because it is an extremely long journey. We can see her tears in her eyes and hear she is crying in her room when the author wrote this part (Kurland 48). Readers can easily visualize the themes in this book, that’s why this book is well written.
This book is captivating. The author described every theme by focusing on most of the details in the theme. For example, “Holmes gave a rueful smile as he took something out of the pocket of his dressing gown (Kurland 124)”. The adjective rueful means feeling pain or sorrow for sins of offenses, it described that Sherlock’s emotion after he receive the letter and know the truth. The greatest strength of this book is every case is realistic. I would recommend this book to my friend if he or she is interested in whodunit.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really expect all of the authors to collaborate and make this anthology a co-authored novel. But did every author really have to write THE Holmes Origin story about how he learned the trick and became a detective.

I would also like to point out to all of the authors of the world that is possible to write a Holmes pastiche without involving a real historical person into the plot. Not very many of these authors seemed to have recived the memo. With guest stars including: P. T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Willian Gillette, Joseph Bell, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

This Anthology is really only for the super fans who can't get enough Holmes. I doubt that this would hold the interest of anyone just looking a good collection of Mysteries.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of these stories. I am a sucker 9 times out of 10 for Holmes adaptations. Doyle created a fantastic character, but I think he got a bit stale in the latter stories. These authors do a good job of breathing some new life into him. I fully admit that some might find some of the premises too kitschy (Holmes out west learning to 'read the signs' from an Indian out west, he meets Mark Twain, P.T. Barnum, etc.), but like I said, I am easily won over.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine collection of tales of the young Sherlock Holmes, before he became the Great Detective, a time frame not often explored (to the best of my knowledge) in other pastiches. It's a refreshing look at the character and the possible adventures he had in America, with many of the stories containing theories of how and from whom he honed his keen sense of observation and possibly where his perceived coldness to women formed.

Recommended for Holmes fans old and new.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a mixed bag. It's good to read about Sherlock again and to see our friend in action. But the quality of the stories range from entertaining to just okay. As there is not a common narrative how the young detective came to America, this need to be told or indicated in every story anew, which is a bit tiring.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read.

[Julie Maioriello Horner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this groupings of authors and their ideas of Sherlock in America. Only one story seemed quite out of place, but all the rest were very enjoyable. Typical Sherlock.

[Ray Charbonneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors do a good job of evoking the Holmesian aura, but don't do as well with the actual mysteries. Most of them are too easily solved.

[Lindsay]

I skipped more than a few of the stories, but the ones I did read were great!

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories are quite clever.

[Erniepineault · Rating 3 out of 5]

l enjoyed the diversity

[Cyn McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories are like potato chips. Mostly good ones in this collection, featuring a very young Sherlock and his adventures across America around 1875.

[Amy Paget · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very light reading. Better 'American' Holmes' tales than in some anthologies.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mix of stories.