The Seventh Bullet

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #7

by Daniel D. Victor

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed, long out-of-print 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.

Sherlock Holmes’ desire for a peaceful life in the Sussex countryside is dashed when true-life muckraker and author David Graham Phillips is assassinated, leaving behind little clues as to why he was murdered. The pleas of his sister draws Holmes and Watson to the far side of the Atlantic, where a web of deceit, violence and intrigue unravels as they embark on one of their most challenging cases.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime, Historical Fiction, Victorian, 19th Century

223 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

About the author

Daniel D. Victor is a retired high school teacher who lives with his wife and two sons in his native Los Angeles, California. A graduate of Fairfax High School, he earned his BA at UC Berkeley, his MA at California State University, Los Angeles, and his Ph.D. in American Literature at the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, CA. His doctoral dissertation, THE MUCKRAKER AND THE DANDY: THE CONFLICTING PERSONAE OF DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS, led to the creation of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche THE SEVENTH BULLET. Originally published as a Thomas Dunne Book by St. Martin's Press in 1992, it was reprinted in paperback by Titan Books, UK, in 2010 as part of its series, "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," and translated into Russian in 2012. The novel's first two chapters also appeared in Cold Mountain Review, Appalachian State University. In addition to his writing, Victor has won numerous teaching awards including an independent study grant offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as admission to two NEH summer seminars, one at UC Berkeley, the other at Oxford University in Oxford, England. Victor's second novel, A STUDY IN SYNCHRONICITY, is a murder mystery with a two-stranded plot, one of which features a Sherlock Holmes-like private detective. Victor's second Holmes novel, THE FINAL PAGE OF BAKER STREET, in which Holmes finds the young Raymond Chandler working for him as a pageboy, was published in 2014. It is the first volume of his series, "Sherlock Holmes and the American Literati," produced by MX Publishing. The second, THE BARON OF BREDE PLACE (2015), introduces Holmes to novelist Stephen Crane; the third, SEVENTEEN MINUTES TO BAKER STREET (2016), presents Mark Twain; and the fourth, THE OUTRAGE AT THE DIOGENES CLUB (2016), involves Jack London. Victor has also contributed short stories about Holme to the anthologies, THE MX BOOK OF NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES, BEYOND WATSON, and HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME.

Reviews

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This set in 1900s after Holmes has retained to look after his bees,why bees I always thought that was nuts. Here he is interested to go to New York to solve a murder. But big problem with this one is that it a murder of real person who one has ever heard of one David Graham Phillips that is lot like Black & Blue by Ian Rankin.
It is good mystery but Not really good idea really
For first 100ps Holmes is not really in the story & lot dull waffle with Watson on about Homosexualities & unnatural love bond of brother sister 'The family game' this dull & full of boring American political parties that I no sod all about,Never been fan of American history that involves political parties as don't get them at all. I stick to Labour and forget the rest.
Please don't bring political plots into Sherlock Holmes. The main thing you have to remember here is that Holmes is now older & not as fit as he once was so this is written for the older man, not lot of running around or fighting big brutal men but Words that fights. This still has action & murders but Isn't that early Moriarty style fights or bloody Battle on Grimpine mire of the hound. This a arthritis & slower Holmes but I find bit insulting that he has made Holmes old before is time he is only in his mid 50s not 80s.I am coming up to 60 but Don't come across way done Holmes as grumpy old git. Alone with Watson as boring old fart. 56-64 Is not old but He made Holmes more like Grandad from Fools & Horses or old Man Steptoe look for his false teeth. He made him like Rose Hill in 'Allo 'Allo

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes has been retired to the countryside for quite some time--content to spend his time with his bees at his cottage in Sussex. His old friend and companion, Dr. Watson still has a practice in London, but he has been winding it down with a view to retirement himself. Not much excitement--certainly nothing like the days when the two shared lodgings in Baker Street. But then one blustery March afternoon, a woman dressed all in black appears in Watson's waiting room...not because she is ill, but because she wants him to convince Sherlock Holmes to come out of retirement to find the mastermind behind her brother's murder.

Mrs. Carolyn Frevert is the sister to David Graham Philips, a novelist and a man who wrote articles entitled "The Treason of the Senate" (1906). Graham was gunned down outside the Princeton Club at Gramercy Park in New York City in front of witnesses. No one denies that the man who held the gun was Fitzhugh Coyle Goldsborough, a Harvard-educated musician, who turned the gun on himself after Philips collapsed. But Mrs. Frevert is convinced that someone was behind Philips--at best egging him on so he would commit murder and at worst hiring him to do so. She insists that her brother made powerful enemies who would have done anything to silence his accusations.

Holmes and Philips had met previously over a deadly incident involving the British Navy. An incident where Holmes's information helped Philips not only report accurately, but to make his reputation. Knowing the detective's regard for her brother, Mrs. Frevert convinces Holmes (on very little evidence) to travel to America and take up the case which will cast suspicion on several members of the Senate, their households, and even former President Teddy Roosevelt. Holmes, of course, is able to get to the heart of the matter and brings justice without creating too much havoc in American politics.

In The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Seventh Bullet (1992), Daniel D. Victor uses the details of the real murder of Philips to provide the basis of the mystery Holmes and Watson must unravel. He blends fact, rumor, supposition, and down-right fiction to create an interesting mystery with a twist in the tail. He even provides a bit more in the way of clueing than Doyle ever did. An entertaining story and Victor manages to get the Holmes and Watson relationship right which is so very important to a successful pastiche. My primary complaint with the book is the trip to America--I just don't find the stories which transplant our heroes to the United States to be quite as compelling as those set in Britain. I want my London fog and hansom cabs, darn it! Overall, a good entry in Holmes and Watson lore and well worth the read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Arthur Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting attempt to weave the true story of the murder of American author David Graham Phillips into a Sherlock Holmes novel. It's likely the time period that the crime took place (1911) inspired the author to bring Holmes into the case. The result is a book that structurally is not completely off-the-mark in its imitation of an actual Holmes novel by A. Conan Doyle, but that misses in a variety of other ways. Holmes himself is a flat and uninteresting character here, and his handling of the case is not especially impressive. The author's attempts to capture Dr. Watson's narrative style seem self conscious and caused me to long for the real thing. One thing I found particularly annoying is that the Phillips novel that was in actuality responsible for his murder, THE FASHIONABLE ADVENTURES OF JOSHUA CRAIG, is barely mentioned.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very well written, it's clear from the outset that the author is a fan of the original (far superior) Sherlock Holmes stories. The plot is far to simple and there is a little sense that the author is expanding a short story to fill a novel. It's a strange mix of mystery, politics and even similarities with Scooby Doo (bet you can't guess who is the culprit in the end!). The ending is absolutely ridiculous and borrows heavily from other works. All in all I found it readable, hardly un-put-downable and dissapointing.

[Forcryinoutloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, though I am more partial to Holmes and Watson being in London. Not really interested in authors trying to transplant them to the United States, no matter how briefly. Would have liked a little more satisfying conclusion though. How convenient the murderer goes down with the ship. Also, all the hearsay that we're told once Watson arrives in the US is never satisfyingly explained.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very unsatisfying Sherlock Holmes pastiche, loaded with cliches like damsels in distress, "You know my methods, Watson" and Watson's wife conveniently visiting a relative for six weeks. The mystery is thin and easily solvable. Victor spends more time proving that he researched the history than he does writing an actual story.

[Fred Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this adventure Sherlock is investigating a year old murder in New York. The victim was shot 6 times and then the killer shot himself once in the head. When the police attended they found a six shot pistol. Where did the 7th bullet come from ?

The victims sister implores Sherlock to investigate the murder which he does. The murder may have been politically motivated as the victim had written a scathing book on the US Senate.

A good quick read with a huge twist at the end

Recommended

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but I do prefer my Sherlock Holmes books to be set in London. I found the American setting boring.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine.

I'm a big fan of Holmes and it's always pleasant to spend some time with he and Dr. Watson. For the most part the author has the characters down. Like many pastiches it slightly exaggerates Watson's eye for the ladies, but mercifully it stays away from Holmes' cocaine and heroin problems. But the author captures the rhythms of the main characters relationship well, and it feels like a proper Holmes story.
The problem is that the mystery isn't very good. There is a bit of the famed deductive reasoning, but the main mystery itself is barely a mystery at all. Holmes and Watson consider the person who has the most obvious motive, and it turns out it was him. They don't even really tie him to the murder very well - just a bunch of conjecture that they concede would never stand up in a court of law. They just kind of expect him to confess. Even the titular seventh bullet is a let down - it turns out the mastermind sent a second assassin along to make sure the job was done (and why that person thought firing a sixth bullet into the already dying victim is never explained, nor how he did this without anyone noticing).

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Seventh Bullet features one of my favorite fictional tropes: the aging hero called out of retirement for one more Herculean task only they can accomplish. At the time of this novel, Sherlock Holmes has long since retired to his home on the Sussex Downs. Holmes writes the occasional monograph, keeps his bees, and essentially lives a life of quiet seclusion. When Holmes (and his chronicler and friend Dr. Watson) are called upon to investigate the assassination of David Graham Phillips, they are sent haring to America. Both men are now in their sixties-but it is just like old times. Phillips, like a lot of others featured in this novel, was a real person-the original muckraker, if you've ever wondered to whom that description was first applied. It is really interesting to see the interaction portrayed between Watson and such august personages as William Randolph Hearst and Teddy Roosevelt. About twenty pages from the end you will know exactly where author Daniel Victor is headed, but it is still fun to see him get there.

[Adelais · Rating 2 out of 5]

Пастіш про Холмса, в якому він розслідує вбивство американського журналіста, що забагато критикував політиків і докритикувався. Вбив його якийсь божевільний з поважної родини, але сестра журналіста в це не вірить, підозрює змову, що щупальцями веде аж у Капітолій, а тому прохає Холмса з Ватсоном втрутитися. Спакувавшись, вони гасають Вашингтоном і ще кількома великими містами, знайомляться з Рузвельтом, ховаються від куль, нишпорять у приватних будинках і взагалі досить некорисно проводять час, бо дедукції тут мало, як часто в пастішах, а вбивця за лаштунками хоч і понесе відповідальність, але зробить це за наших героїв "Титанік".
Досить сумбурно і нуднувато, хоча про політику і Холмса я тільки за. Читала в російському перекладі, причому надлишково стилізованому, тому від "промолвили" і пів сторінки не можна було перепочити.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not often that I will try a book about Sherlock Holmes written by anyone other than Conan Doyle or Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. That's because so many times I have found the books don't even come close to the originals. I took a chance this time and was really pleased with the story and the writing. Daniel D. Victor did a really good job of portraying Sherlock and Dr. Watson true to their characters. Mycroft shows up as well. I honestly don't like anyone saying that Mycroft is smarter than Sherlock, though Sherlock believes that himself, or so the book says. The plot line was good. The duo had to take on corrupt US senators to solve the crime. (Can you imagine any US Senator being corrupt? Hmmm.)
My only sadness: Holmes and Watson are aging. I want them to always stay as they were in the Basil Rathbone television version of Conan Doyle's stories.
A good read.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes is called on to investigate the assassination of American writer and political muck raker, David Graham Phillips.

As his investigation commences, he soon realises that the death of Phillips may lie at the feet of some of the most powerful men in the world.

Victor's novel is well written and clearly well researched. The characterisation is on point and the only downside is the rather obvious deus ex machina which wraps up the adventure.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

An American writer attacks a part of its judicial system and some of its constituents and is gunned down. How many bullets was he gunned down with? Holmes and Watson are brought in years later to try and solve the mystery which the American police force has put to rest as the work of a lone (known) assassin using a ten shooter. Another problem is he had made many political enemies, any of which could have had a hand in the murder, which had several witnesses outside his house.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.75)

I love pastiches and will defend them to my dying day, but this one is making it very difficult. It’s just a basic, run-of-the-mill story and there’s not much that helps me to remember it or differentiate it from other pastiches, so I've added it to both pastiche shelves as I have no clue which it would fall under.

Recommended 12+ for safety, but don’t remember anything super crazy beside murder and time period discussions of mental health/treatments

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Holmes pastiche did a decent job of maintaining a tone that felt "sherlockian" but what I liked most was how much American political history the story presented without seeming dry or didactic. It was also amazing how similar the political state of affairs in the 19-teens was to today. Sad.

[Gilbert G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foreign Intrigue, Holmes and Watson find themselves going the United States to determine if the brother of an American woman was murdered in a political conspiracy.
Again my fellow readers, if you enjoy reading about the tales of Holmes and Watson then this is an enjoyable book to read!!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

the usual

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like mysteries but not usually in line with Sherlock style

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite adore Holmes pastiches that are set in the 1910s, around the time that one of my all-time favorite ACD stories, "His Last Bow," takes place. I also love "road trip" pastiches, wherein Holmes and Watson get out of Baker Street (or London entirely) and have their adventures in "strange new worlds." Such pastiches are rare and far between, however, and so finding one is always exciting. Finding one where the author actually does a decent job of capturing the characters is an especially rare treat. I'm pleased to say author Daniel Victor falls into the latter category.

The author clearly has a passion for early-twentieth-century American history and the life and times of journalist/author David Graham Phillips. This is good, in that the details are rich and you learn a lot of neat stuff (I had no idea it took us until the 20th century for the people to get to vote for their own Senators) -- but it also means the middle of the book gets a bit bogged down in Holmes & Watson interviewing suspect after suspect: here's a historical figure, here's another historical figure; the plot is not exactly zipping in these pages.

But I still liked the read, because Holmes and Watson were pretty spot-on, and I'm enough of a sucker for 1910s-Holmes and Watson -- and Holmes and Watson road trips -- that if the middle was a bit slow, the rest of the book made up for it. The ending chase was quite crackerjack, and the "cameo" of a famous historical event was delightful even if I knew enough history to see it coming. The final pages were suitably tinged with a kind of political melancholy to set the stage for the events of "His Last Bow." I'd try another pastiche by this author.

[Andy Fanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-canonical adventure for Baker Street's finest sees our hero retired and keeping bees in the Sussex countryside, but it's not long before Holmes finds himself called out of retirement to investigate the death of a muck-raking writer. Which is just as well or the book might have been called 'Sherlock Holmes and the Hive of Delight' or something.

This mystery is based upon real events, and it's clearly a well-researched story, but almost TOO well-researched, if that makes any sense. It seems at times like the author is overly eager to share with you all the things he found out, and big info-dumps pepper the book, with extensive background on the protagonists and institutions in the story. Obviously there is nothing wrong with doing your fact-finding, but when it's all tell and no show, it affects the pace of the book and slows it up from time to time.

However, it's still an engaging and entertaining romp, even if things tie up a little too neatly at the end.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read of Holmes and Watson's trip to New York to investigate the death of a muckraking journalist. Along the way there's visits with notables of the time, but there's also an absolutely boring section dealing with the Senate, which, saddly, reinforces what seems to be going on with our current government. Still, it's a neat little mystery with lots of twists of turns, and a tidy solution, that I saw a mile off, once our protagonists were off and running to stop the antagonist. Losts to enjoy and quick to read. A worthy book to feature Holmes!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes is a great addition to the Holmes' library. It blends historical fiction with a classic Holmes-like mystery. The majority of the book has Holmes and Watson working in New York to solve the mystery, or conspiracy of the killing of real-life journalist/muckraker David Graham Phillips. Teddy Roosevelt has a small role in the book as do other early 20th Century American politicians. Victor paces the story well and it is always entertaining.

[Read1000books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking place partly in America when Holmes and Watson are older, this is one of the best books I have ever read, Sherlockian, mystery, or otherwise, with a stunner ending I absolutely did not see coming. I have only written to one author in my entire life to compliment him on his book. This was the one (and he wrote me back!). I don't give many books 5 stars. This one deserves it.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes comes to America, and becomes little but a character in a Lincoln Steffens novel, as he investigates the assassination of a muck raking journalist.

More interested in indoctrinating people about how great the progressive movement was than anything else.

[Tony Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good read but did drag a bit. Liked the scene where Holmes & Watson meet Teddy Rosevelt.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book to read on a Kindle. So far so good.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

kept my interest and stayed true to Doyles standards

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25, Just too slow paced to be more.