What do you think?
Rate this book
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #5
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Stalwart Companions
NO MAN IS ABOVE THE LAW
In this story, written by future President Theodore Roosevelt long before The Great Detective’s first encounter with Dr Watson, Holmes visits America to solve a most violent and despicable crime. A crime that was to prove the most taxing of his brilliant career...
Recently discovered in the basement of the New York Police Department, The Stalwart Companions is one of Holmes’ most exciting and unusual chronicles.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes’ career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the Further Adventures series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the worlds’ greatest detective.
In this story, written by future President Theodore Roosevelt long before The Great Detective’s first encounter with Dr Watson, Holmes visits America to solve a most violent and despicable crime. A crime that was to prove the most taxing of his brilliant career...
Recently discovered in the basement of the New York Police Department, The Stalwart Companions is one of Holmes’ most exciting and unusual chronicles.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes’ career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the Further Adventures series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the worlds’ greatest detective.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1978
10 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
H. Paul Jeffers
88 books19 followersH. Paul Jeffers was an established military historian and author of seventy books. He worked as an editor and producer at ABC, CBS and NBC, and is the only person to have been news director of both of New York City's all-news radio stations. He taught journalism at New York University, Syracuse University, and Boston University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 17, 2018
A quick and an enjoyable read. I truly am a fan of Sherlock Holmes.
January 5, 2018
A fun, fast. easy read for any lover of Holmes. Although the personality of the Holmes rendered in this short story doesn't have the depth I usually hope for in this wonderful pastiches (as there is little time in so few pages), he was still true to form nonetheless.
T.R. is a character massive enough to fit the bill perfectly as Holmes temporary Watson before Watson.
Overall, it was worth the read, as in my mind, almost all Holmes stories are.
T.R. is a character massive enough to fit the bill perfectly as Holmes temporary Watson before Watson.
Overall, it was worth the read, as in my mind, almost all Holmes stories are.
September 29, 2012
Not bad but certainly not remarkable by any account, this story replaces Watson with Teddy Roosevelt and has New York filling for London. A couplr of hours reading and then you are done with it ... forever. Junk, comfortable food for the avid Sherlockian reader.
October 1, 2022
Another one from years ago. I like I quite liked it.
October 10, 2025
What a book!! Now *that’s* a pastiche that hits different. It’s not one of those flashy, action-heavy, modern Holmes reinterpretations; instead, Jeffers goes for something subtler, more rooted in late Victorian sensibility and political intrigue, while still staying true to Conan Doyle’s spirit. What makes it especially interesting is the pairing: Holmes and Theodore Roosevelt. Yep — before he was president, before the Rough Riders, Roosevelt in his earnest, reformist, hyper-energetic youth meets the world’s greatest detective. The result? A story that’s half historical fan fiction, half literary experiment, and somehow manages to keep its footing between reverence and reinvention.
Jeffers starts with the conceit that Watson is recording a previously unknown case from Holmes’s files, one involving the future President of the United States. The set-up is pure Conan Doyle pastiche — fog, suspense, coded letters, strange visitors — and Jeffers absolutely nails the Victorian texture. You can practically feel the gaslight flicker and hear the creak of Baker Street floorboards. Yet, this is no ordinary case; it’s a transatlantic adventure that takes Holmes into the orbit of a young Roosevelt, who is studying at Harvard and trying to make sense of both his country and himself.
The plot revolves around the murder of a woman linked to a web of corruption that crosses the Atlantic — a conspiracy that, in the grand Holmesian tradition, involves politics, moral hypocrisy, and the limits of justice. Jeffers treats the mystery with care, not as an excuse for the crossover, but as the narrative spine holding the whole improbable premise together. The pacing feels classic — clues, deductions, disguises, the slow reveal — but there’s a definite shift in energy whenever Roosevelt steps onto the page. His character bursts with vitality, brashness, and that early American faith in moral action that perfectly counterpoints Holmes’s cool, almost mathematical detachment.
It’s easy for crossovers like this to fall into caricature, but Jeffers handles the meeting of minds deftly. Holmes is cerebral and wry, with a sharper tongue than Doyle’s original but the same underlying compassion. Roosevelt, meanwhile, is impulsive, principled, and a bit naïve — exactly what you’d expect from the young man who’d later shout “Bully!” at life’s absurdities. Their chemistry crackles: Holmes the ascetic rationalist and Roosevelt the idealistic reformer. Each sees in the other something missing — Holmes admires Roosevelt’s moral fervour; Roosevelt admires Holmes’s discipline. Together, they become not just a detective duo but a philosophical contrast between the European age of logic and the American age of action.
Stylistically, Jeffers writes with a restrained pastiche voice that’s more polished than imitative. He doesn’t parody Doyle’s prose; he echoes it, modernising slightly while keeping the Victorian rhythms intact. His dialogue, though occasionally stilted, captures the right flavour of the period — earnest, elaborate, slightly formal. There’s a tactile pleasure in reading it, like slipping into a familiar chair that’s been reupholstered but still creaks the same way. The descriptions are lush without being overwrought; London feels suitably grimy, and when the action shifts to America, the contrast in landscape mirrors the thematic contrast between the old world and the new.
One of the book’s pleasures is how Jeffers uses the mystery as a metaphor. The case itself — a mix of murder, politics, and moral scandal — becomes a commentary on the tension between old European cynicism and emerging American idealism. Holmes’s methodical scepticism faces off with Roosevelt’s reformist optimism. You could almost read it as a parable of the passing of centuries: the 19th giving way to the 20th, deduction giving way to progress, and intellect to energy. The story’s undercurrent of corruption — both in British high society and in the burgeoning American political class — also feels eerily prescient. Jeffers seems to suggest that the moral rot Holmes exposes in London will one day spread across the Atlantic, and it’s men like Roosevelt who will have to face it anew.
What’s surprising is how seamlessly Jeffers integrates Roosevelt into the Holmesian universe. He doesn’t just drop a famous name for novelty’s sake; he builds him as a real, complex character who belongs there. You can sense the author’s affection for Roosevelt’s combination of nerve and nerdiness — his love for books, his obsession with justice, and his moral absolutism. Holmes, by contrast, becomes slightly more human in his company. There’s even a faint trace of mentorship, as if Holmes sees in Roosevelt a successor of sorts — not as a detective, but as a man who will fight the world’s evils on a grander, political stage.
The mystery itself isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s satisfying. The clues are fair, the red herrings clever, and the solution logical without being overly tidy. What matters more is the journey — the interplay of intellects and ideals, the way the story moves from the smoke of London to the promise of America. There are stretches where the pacing dips, especially in the midsection where Jeffers indulges in historical exposition, but the atmosphere and character work keep it alive. The dialogue between Holmes and Roosevelt alone is worth the read; it’s like watching reason and reform argue their way toward mutual respect.
If you’re a Holmes purist, you might sniff at the liberties — the slightly modernised tone, the idea of Holmes crossing paths with Roosevelt — but honestly, that’s the fun. It’s not trying to rewrite the canon; it’s expanding it sideways, asking “what if?” in a way that respects the source. It also avoids the mistake of making Roosevelt a caricature of bluster. Jeffers digs beneath the moustache and myth to show the insecure young man who would grow into his legend. That’s where the novel finds its emotional weight: in the idea that even a future president once needed a detective to remind him that the world is both rational and redeemable.
The ending ties things together with quiet satisfaction. Holmes resolves the case with his usual finesse, Roosevelt departs wiser, and the reader is left with the sense of a handshake across time — between two archetypes of different civilisations. It’s not just a mystery; it’s a meditation on mentorship, on the transmission of moral duty from intellect to action. The final pages, tinged with melancholy, remind us that Holmes’s world is fading, while Roosevelt’s — brash, modern, democratic — is dawning.
Jeffers, to his credit, keeps sentimentality in check. His tone throughout is reverent but not worshipful, imaginative but not absurd. You close the book feeling oddly uplifted, as if you’ve just watched two eras nod respectfully at each other before parting ways. It’s not perfect — the prose can lag, the villain’s motive is a bit undercooked, and the pacing occasionally stumbles — but it’s never dull. What it lacks in sheer suspense, it makes up for in atmosphere and intelligence.
*The Stalwart Companions* stands as one of the better entries in Titan’s *Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes* series because it dares to make the Great Detective share the stage — and it works. It’s a book about contrasts: logic and passion, England and America, old order and new ambition. And it’s proof that Holmes, that eternal seeker of truth, can coexist with a man like Roosevelt, who believed in shaping it. Together, they make an oddly perfect pair: one solving mysteries of crime, the other mysteries of conscience.
It’s not just another fan-service crossover; it’s an intelligent, quietly daring homage to both men and what they stood for. Reading it, you can’t help but imagine Holmes’s lean face illuminated by the firelight as he says, “I believe, Mr. Roosevelt, the game is always afoot — no matter what continent we find ourselves upon.”
And Roosevelt, grinning that wide, future-President grin, replying, “Bully, Mr. Holmes — let’s hunt it down.”
Jeffers starts with the conceit that Watson is recording a previously unknown case from Holmes’s files, one involving the future President of the United States. The set-up is pure Conan Doyle pastiche — fog, suspense, coded letters, strange visitors — and Jeffers absolutely nails the Victorian texture. You can practically feel the gaslight flicker and hear the creak of Baker Street floorboards. Yet, this is no ordinary case; it’s a transatlantic adventure that takes Holmes into the orbit of a young Roosevelt, who is studying at Harvard and trying to make sense of both his country and himself.
The plot revolves around the murder of a woman linked to a web of corruption that crosses the Atlantic — a conspiracy that, in the grand Holmesian tradition, involves politics, moral hypocrisy, and the limits of justice. Jeffers treats the mystery with care, not as an excuse for the crossover, but as the narrative spine holding the whole improbable premise together. The pacing feels classic — clues, deductions, disguises, the slow reveal — but there’s a definite shift in energy whenever Roosevelt steps onto the page. His character bursts with vitality, brashness, and that early American faith in moral action that perfectly counterpoints Holmes’s cool, almost mathematical detachment.
It’s easy for crossovers like this to fall into caricature, but Jeffers handles the meeting of minds deftly. Holmes is cerebral and wry, with a sharper tongue than Doyle’s original but the same underlying compassion. Roosevelt, meanwhile, is impulsive, principled, and a bit naïve — exactly what you’d expect from the young man who’d later shout “Bully!” at life’s absurdities. Their chemistry crackles: Holmes the ascetic rationalist and Roosevelt the idealistic reformer. Each sees in the other something missing — Holmes admires Roosevelt’s moral fervour; Roosevelt admires Holmes’s discipline. Together, they become not just a detective duo but a philosophical contrast between the European age of logic and the American age of action.
Stylistically, Jeffers writes with a restrained pastiche voice that’s more polished than imitative. He doesn’t parody Doyle’s prose; he echoes it, modernising slightly while keeping the Victorian rhythms intact. His dialogue, though occasionally stilted, captures the right flavour of the period — earnest, elaborate, slightly formal. There’s a tactile pleasure in reading it, like slipping into a familiar chair that’s been reupholstered but still creaks the same way. The descriptions are lush without being overwrought; London feels suitably grimy, and when the action shifts to America, the contrast in landscape mirrors the thematic contrast between the old world and the new.
One of the book’s pleasures is how Jeffers uses the mystery as a metaphor. The case itself — a mix of murder, politics, and moral scandal — becomes a commentary on the tension between old European cynicism and emerging American idealism. Holmes’s methodical scepticism faces off with Roosevelt’s reformist optimism. You could almost read it as a parable of the passing of centuries: the 19th giving way to the 20th, deduction giving way to progress, and intellect to energy. The story’s undercurrent of corruption — both in British high society and in the burgeoning American political class — also feels eerily prescient. Jeffers seems to suggest that the moral rot Holmes exposes in London will one day spread across the Atlantic, and it’s men like Roosevelt who will have to face it anew.
What’s surprising is how seamlessly Jeffers integrates Roosevelt into the Holmesian universe. He doesn’t just drop a famous name for novelty’s sake; he builds him as a real, complex character who belongs there. You can sense the author’s affection for Roosevelt’s combination of nerve and nerdiness — his love for books, his obsession with justice, and his moral absolutism. Holmes, by contrast, becomes slightly more human in his company. There’s even a faint trace of mentorship, as if Holmes sees in Roosevelt a successor of sorts — not as a detective, but as a man who will fight the world’s evils on a grander, political stage.
The mystery itself isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s satisfying. The clues are fair, the red herrings clever, and the solution logical without being overly tidy. What matters more is the journey — the interplay of intellects and ideals, the way the story moves from the smoke of London to the promise of America. There are stretches where the pacing dips, especially in the midsection where Jeffers indulges in historical exposition, but the atmosphere and character work keep it alive. The dialogue between Holmes and Roosevelt alone is worth the read; it’s like watching reason and reform argue their way toward mutual respect.
If you’re a Holmes purist, you might sniff at the liberties — the slightly modernised tone, the idea of Holmes crossing paths with Roosevelt — but honestly, that’s the fun. It’s not trying to rewrite the canon; it’s expanding it sideways, asking “what if?” in a way that respects the source. It also avoids the mistake of making Roosevelt a caricature of bluster. Jeffers digs beneath the moustache and myth to show the insecure young man who would grow into his legend. That’s where the novel finds its emotional weight: in the idea that even a future president once needed a detective to remind him that the world is both rational and redeemable.
The ending ties things together with quiet satisfaction. Holmes resolves the case with his usual finesse, Roosevelt departs wiser, and the reader is left with the sense of a handshake across time — between two archetypes of different civilisations. It’s not just a mystery; it’s a meditation on mentorship, on the transmission of moral duty from intellect to action. The final pages, tinged with melancholy, remind us that Holmes’s world is fading, while Roosevelt’s — brash, modern, democratic — is dawning.
Jeffers, to his credit, keeps sentimentality in check. His tone throughout is reverent but not worshipful, imaginative but not absurd. You close the book feeling oddly uplifted, as if you’ve just watched two eras nod respectfully at each other before parting ways. It’s not perfect — the prose can lag, the villain’s motive is a bit undercooked, and the pacing occasionally stumbles — but it’s never dull. What it lacks in sheer suspense, it makes up for in atmosphere and intelligence.
*The Stalwart Companions* stands as one of the better entries in Titan’s *Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes* series because it dares to make the Great Detective share the stage — and it works. It’s a book about contrasts: logic and passion, England and America, old order and new ambition. And it’s proof that Holmes, that eternal seeker of truth, can coexist with a man like Roosevelt, who believed in shaping it. Together, they make an oddly perfect pair: one solving mysteries of crime, the other mysteries of conscience.
It’s not just another fan-service crossover; it’s an intelligent, quietly daring homage to both men and what they stood for. Reading it, you can’t help but imagine Holmes’s lean face illuminated by the firelight as he says, “I believe, Mr. Roosevelt, the game is always afoot — no matter what continent we find ourselves upon.”
And Roosevelt, grinning that wide, future-President grin, replying, “Bully, Mr. Holmes — let’s hunt it down.”
December 4, 2017
I have often claimed in reviews that the Sherlock Holmes pastiche is the easiest to do. A little, fog, a companion, a death, some mood, a few clichés (“The game’s afoot!), and you are good to go. This is not to say they are bad but rather like haiku in testing the author’s creativity with a pre-determined format. The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series runs with this idea; producing a number of titles; some thoughtful and some ridiculous. Sherlock Holmes and the Stalwart Companions places Holmes in New York City in 1880 during an acting gig, with his penpal Theodore Roosevelt. This is a pretty good idea and well executed by the author. A historian, he has an excellent grasp of the times and the subjects. He also seems determined to use half the book citing sources that prove that Holmes was a real historical figure. I suspect this latter piece would appeal to a hard core history buff but not everyone. That said, light your pipe and explore the story. Good fun.
December 13, 2025
It takes some talent to make someone as interesting as Teddy Roosevelt boring, but this author managed it. Set just after the future president graduated college, and with Holmes travelling as an actor in America, Roosevelt is pretty much just a stand in for Watson. I'm not sure that was the point, the author went way out of his way to add historical accuracy to the novel, so why not write Roosevelt decently?
nearly 1/3 of the book is given over to the premise that the author, having 'discovered' this account among Roosevelt's New York Police records, is 'proving' that Holmes really exists, which is fun for a 5 page intro, but the intro is like 20 pages, and there is also and afterward and extensive 'historical notes' that merge Holmes' life with Roosevelt's and other events.
The actual plot, where Holmes helps Roosevelt and a detective friend discover a routine murder in the park was actually part of a plot to assassinate the President, was ok but moved along really quickly and didn't really have a very satisfying ending.
I don't think it was a lack of research, the author actually has also written non fiction about Roosevelt, I think it was simply a fun idea that fell flat.
nearly 1/3 of the book is given over to the premise that the author, having 'discovered' this account among Roosevelt's New York Police records, is 'proving' that Holmes really exists, which is fun for a 5 page intro, but the intro is like 20 pages, and there is also and afterward and extensive 'historical notes' that merge Holmes' life with Roosevelt's and other events.
The actual plot, where Holmes helps Roosevelt and a detective friend discover a routine murder in the park was actually part of a plot to assassinate the President, was ok but moved along really quickly and didn't really have a very satisfying ending.
I don't think it was a lack of research, the author actually has also written non fiction about Roosevelt, I think it was simply a fun idea that fell flat.
May 2, 2018
Surrounded by new and pricey books, I picked this old copy of The Stalwart Companions: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by H. Paul Jeffers. This book came from my library and is a hardback that I bought in 1981 for fifty cents at K-Mart. I read it that same year. It got stored away here and there over the years. At some point, my son Nick read it and loaned it to a friend. The book traveled to Wheaton, Illinois and then to Austin, Texas before it came back home.
Since it had been about 37 years since I read it and since I was looking for a fast, easy read, I re-read it this past week.
There is something to be said for the book that is just fun. Jeffers, who wrote several biographical works on Theodore Roosevelt, created this work where TR joins in with none other than Sherlock Holmes to solve a murder case in New York. Jeffers is not Conan Doyle, but he did a credible job of putting Holmes in a historical context with Roosevelt.
Sheer fun. Okay, it does also teach a bit of history about politics in the 1870s, but mostly just fun.
Since it had been about 37 years since I read it and since I was looking for a fast, easy read, I re-read it this past week.
There is something to be said for the book that is just fun. Jeffers, who wrote several biographical works on Theodore Roosevelt, created this work where TR joins in with none other than Sherlock Holmes to solve a murder case in New York. Jeffers is not Conan Doyle, but he did a credible job of putting Holmes in a historical context with Roosevelt.
Sheer fun. Okay, it does also teach a bit of history about politics in the 1870s, but mostly just fun.
January 29, 2021
This author has clearly done his homework, including historical notes in the back. But I also refer to his correct referencing of many facts from the Canon. Teddy Roosevelt essentially takes the place of Watson in this pre-Watsonian pastiche. Old New York City is well captured (a popular setting I've run into several times in recent years).
The mystery arises from the 1876 election and got me looking into some history that was very timely today in January 2021. The bipartisan commission appointed by Congress to decide that contested election tipped R at the last minute and awarded the electoral votes of the three states in dispute to Hays, the candidate who didn't win popular vote! Turns out they struck a deal with Republicans trading southern Reconstruction for the presidency while Democrats traded the presidency for state control in the south in order to double down on racism--recently freed slaves and free blacks were the big losers. At least one party has moved on.
The mystery arises from the 1876 election and got me looking into some history that was very timely today in January 2021. The bipartisan commission appointed by Congress to decide that contested election tipped R at the last minute and awarded the electoral votes of the three states in dispute to Hays, the candidate who didn't win popular vote! Turns out they struck a deal with Republicans trading southern Reconstruction for the presidency while Democrats traded the presidency for state control in the south in order to double down on racism--recently freed slaves and free blacks were the big losers. At least one party has moved on.
February 18, 2024
I have read many Holmes pastiches over the last 50 years or so. Many have been quite good, many have been less than satisfactory. This one is among the worst. The plot, such as it is, is full of more holes than Backburn Lancashire. The characters are not even close to realistic, even the ones drawn from real life. This supposedly takes place quite some time before Holmes and Watson meet, so Theodore Roosevelt is brought in as the narrator and sidekick. This idea has a lot of potential, but is done so poorly that you could substitute 'Watson' for 'Roosevelt' in almost any place it appears without changing the meaning of a single sentence. And the ending is completely unsatisfactory.
In short, this could have been a really interesting story, but poor writing prevented that from happening.
In short, this could have been a really interesting story, but poor writing prevented that from happening.
September 4, 2017
Before the days of the internet, fanfiction was published in magazines and books (if the source works were now public domain). I discovered these published Holmes fanfics on the bargain table at Barnes and Noble and this one at least has proved to be enjoyable. Mainly because I imagined Benedict Cumberbatch and the late Robin Williams teaming up.
There's nothing really exceptional about the story or characters--though perhaps a history fan from that age would appreciate some nuances. Still, it was a pleasant work to sit on the porch and unwind with. An easy (and short) book to pick up and put down at leisure (while juggling other books) without feeling like you missed something important in the plot.
There's nothing really exceptional about the story or characters--though perhaps a history fan from that age would appreciate some nuances. Still, it was a pleasant work to sit on the porch and unwind with. An easy (and short) book to pick up and put down at leisure (while juggling other books) without feeling like you missed something important in the plot.
February 15, 2018
I loved the premise that one of my favorite presidents teamed up with one of my favorite literary sleuths to solve a murder mystery in 1880's New York. It is seen through the eyes of a couple of amateur historians who come across a diary of Teddy Roosevelt's describing his adventure with Sherlock Holmes. Of course, I always enjoy the vintage Holmes deductive reasoning and powers of observation, but what I found more fascinating was the political perspective that Roosevelt interjects throughout the novel. It's a fun old fashion mystery!
October 23, 2017
Really a very well-written Holmes pastiche. I do think that Roosevelt mirrored Watson in some ways as far as being Holmes' companion in crime solving, but it only made sense for him to be narrating the story and since this was before the famous duo worked together at Baker Street, I believe it was perfectly sensible. Excellent storyline, it kept me moving through the pages just like an original work.
October 28, 2025
The Stalwart Companions puts together two unlikely protagonists. Teddy Roosevelt and Sherlock Holmes team up to unravel a conspiracy behind a murder in Gramercy Park in New York. Taking place before the Watson stories, this discovered story told from Teddy’s point of view takes place at the end of the nineteenth century. It was an interesting and quick read that was enjoyable throughout. Overall a unique twist on the Sherlock Holmes formula that was interesting for its involvement of the intriguing character of Teddy Roosevelt. 3 stars.
September 13, 2018
A fun modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes teaming up with Teddy Roosevelt in NYC to solve a petty crime that is actually a deep, dark conspiracy. The author did a good job constructing the scenarios that would allow these two to connect. Overall as a fan of Holmes and TR this was a quick, witty and well constructed short novel. Recommended for fans of the Holmes canon.
February 24, 2020
Theodore Roosevelt is invited to attend a performance of 'Twelfth Night' starring his old friend Sherlock Holmes. At dinner after the performance, Roosevelt and Holmes attend the scene of a brutal murder in Gramercy Park which heralds a threat to the President of the United States.
Jeffers has written a well researched novel, with some nice beats in it and some very Sherlockian moments.
Jeffers has written a well researched novel, with some nice beats in it and some very Sherlockian moments.
December 13, 2017
A fun read. I'm going to look for others in the series.
September 28, 2020
The author is very much into "the game," but it does not get in the way of telling a good Sherlock Holmes tale.
July 6, 2021
Too short
August 10, 2022
T. Roosevelt is one of them as Holmes is in the states and they(along with a detective) try to stave off an assassination.
October 28, 2022
It was okay.
May 19, 2025
Luring readers in American politics with Sherlock Holmes is some dirty play
July 8, 2015
Truly Sherlockian. In parts. I commend the author for their ability to successfully mimic Conan Doyle's description of Holmes' unique faculties, but my main issue with this novel comes from the premise and flow.
This Sherlock novel involves a story within a story. We join A journalist & his Sherlockian fanatic friend upon discovery of proof of the existence of Sherlock Holmes via his involvement with Theodore Roosevelt when they were both young and pre-fame.
Although the idea does sound promising, I personally found that it took too long for the account of the Sherlock investigation to take part. It is my opinion that most people would have read this book another Sherlock case, not a report, the case followed by unnecessary notes. These notes explained how Teddy Roosevelt's account was indicative of Watson's writings and how, with the use of quotations from the canon, the writings matches and this was proof of Sherlock's character and therefore his existence.
It was these sections of the book that really ruined the pacing for me, the beginning felt forced and too coincidental, the notes ending was too long and inessential. Readers of Sherlock works have learnt to pull thoughts together themselves, they will easily notice the similarities in the texts without it being utterly spelled out to them.
I found the jump from the end of the case story to the beginning of the notes to be much too sudden, their appeared to be no actually end to Sherlock's case which makes the reader feel a little.. Well. Put out.
All in all, not a great novel, too much framing, not enough story. I intend to read another of this series to see if it is just this installment that falls down flat.
This Sherlock novel involves a story within a story. We join A journalist & his Sherlockian fanatic friend upon discovery of proof of the existence of Sherlock Holmes via his involvement with Theodore Roosevelt when they were both young and pre-fame.
Although the idea does sound promising, I personally found that it took too long for the account of the Sherlock investigation to take part. It is my opinion that most people would have read this book another Sherlock case, not a report, the case followed by unnecessary notes. These notes explained how Teddy Roosevelt's account was indicative of Watson's writings and how, with the use of quotations from the canon, the writings matches and this was proof of Sherlock's character and therefore his existence.
It was these sections of the book that really ruined the pacing for me, the beginning felt forced and too coincidental, the notes ending was too long and inessential. Readers of Sherlock works have learnt to pull thoughts together themselves, they will easily notice the similarities in the texts without it being utterly spelled out to them.
I found the jump from the end of the case story to the beginning of the notes to be much too sudden, their appeared to be no actually end to Sherlock's case which makes the reader feel a little.. Well. Put out.
All in all, not a great novel, too much framing, not enough story. I intend to read another of this series to see if it is just this installment that falls down flat.
December 27, 2016
Having Teddy Roosevelt as narrator was fresh and makes this a Holmesian winner.
March 18, 2019
My favorite character in literature is Sherlock Holmes. Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favorite historical figures. It was only natural then that when I discovered a book that purported a meeting--no an adventure!-- between the two that I had to read it.
Jeffers does a very creditable job of bringing the pair together, in their 20's, Roosevelt just graduated from Harvard, and Holmes touring the U.S. As an actor in the Sasanoff company. Expostulating a previous correspondence, the two arrange to meet in New York City after one of Holmes's performances. It is not long after a post play dinner that Holmes, Roosevelt and the latter's friend, Detective Hargreave of the New York Police Force become embroiled in what seems a simple robbery murder.
But Holmes deduces a bigger game afoot and soon the trio are off on the chase, the simple murder evolving into a case of national importance.
Well written and meticulously researched, it is an absorbing read. Jeffers has done well by both of my heroes and I am proud to have the volume in my Holmes library.
Jeffers does a very creditable job of bringing the pair together, in their 20's, Roosevelt just graduated from Harvard, and Holmes touring the U.S. As an actor in the Sasanoff company. Expostulating a previous correspondence, the two arrange to meet in New York City after one of Holmes's performances. It is not long after a post play dinner that Holmes, Roosevelt and the latter's friend, Detective Hargreave of the New York Police Force become embroiled in what seems a simple robbery murder.
But Holmes deduces a bigger game afoot and soon the trio are off on the chase, the simple murder evolving into a case of national importance.
Well written and meticulously researched, it is an absorbing read. Jeffers has done well by both of my heroes and I am proud to have the volume in my Holmes library.
August 8, 2015
The further adventures of Sherlock Holmes paperbacks have often entertained, however, the quality does vary considerably, from the clever to the mundane and pedestrian. Unfortunately The Stalwart Companions does not quite fit into the clever category, nor is it poor quality, but it does have certain failings. It is not a badly written book, in terms of mimicking Arthur Conan Doyle’s style of writing it certainly delivers. It is also very much more grounded in the real world than most Sherlock Holmes parodies, which usually involve the famous detective battling supernatural creatures, or more often than not solving the Jack the Ripper murders.
The premise of the former U. S. President Theodore Roosevelt effectively taking the mantle of Dr. Watson in this story is an intriguing idea. However, it does feel like a missed opportunity. The central mystery is solved far too easily, Holmes just seems to run around different places talking to people and everything falls into place, there is no real problem solving needed. The fact that the narrative repeatedly refers to the case as one of the most extraordinary Holmes has ever undertaken, only serve to highlight its deficiencies. It is not extraordinary and is in fact a good idea that was never fully explored.
The premise of the former U. S. President Theodore Roosevelt effectively taking the mantle of Dr. Watson in this story is an intriguing idea. However, it does feel like a missed opportunity. The central mystery is solved far too easily, Holmes just seems to run around different places talking to people and everything falls into place, there is no real problem solving needed. The fact that the narrative repeatedly refers to the case as one of the most extraordinary Holmes has ever undertaken, only serve to highlight its deficiencies. It is not extraordinary and is in fact a good idea that was never fully explored.
October 16, 2011
An excellent student donated numerous copies of novels from the "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" series, a collection of books by different writers which pay homage to Arthur Conan Doyle and recast Holmes and Watson in different unlikely fin-de-siecle adventures: Sherlock Holmes meets Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes and the War of the Worlds, etc.
This adventure imagines a team up between a young twenty-something Sherlock Holmes and a young Teddy Roosevelt. Meeting in NYC during an acting junket, Holmes and Roosevelt collaborate to unravel an assassination plot of President Hayes.
The work, obviously written with both great affection to TR and Arthur Conan Doyle, pays worthy tribute to the legacy of both men and is entirely worth reading.
This adventure imagines a team up between a young twenty-something Sherlock Holmes and a young Teddy Roosevelt. Meeting in NYC during an acting junket, Holmes and Roosevelt collaborate to unravel an assassination plot of President Hayes.
The work, obviously written with both great affection to TR and Arthur Conan Doyle, pays worthy tribute to the legacy of both men and is entirely worth reading.
September 18, 2014
An interesting take on the pastiche and a clever and much-appreciated way to circumvent the usual "it doesn't read like Watson/Doyle" complaint. Can't complain here since this isn't Watson writing!
Beyond that, The Stalwart Companions is a nice yarn with an interesting development, a fascinating alternate view of Sherlock Holmes and a genuine care for the Sherlockian world. While it certainly leaves a bit to be desired in terms of the frame narrative, the story it wants to tell is solid and well-presented, with a kind of 'air' and mystery that keeps you reading till the end. It makes no attempt to pretend to be bombastic or ostentatious, something much appreciated.
Beyond that, The Stalwart Companions is a nice yarn with an interesting development, a fascinating alternate view of Sherlock Holmes and a genuine care for the Sherlockian world. While it certainly leaves a bit to be desired in terms of the frame narrative, the story it wants to tell is solid and well-presented, with a kind of 'air' and mystery that keeps you reading till the end. It makes no attempt to pretend to be bombastic or ostentatious, something much appreciated.
January 22, 2016
Another in the series of New Adventures. Here Holmes is in the united States with a theatrical troupe perfecting his skills at makeup and impersonation. His pen pal of several years is young Teddy Roosevelt. They become involved in a plot to kill Pres. Hayes. More a novella with lots of story related notes and details to give the impression that this is a scholarly dissertation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews