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Rick Boyer
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A Sherlockian Quartet Paperback – January 1, 1999

by Rick Boyer (Author)
Edgar Allen Poe Award winner Rick Boyer has been described as the only writer of Sherlock Holmes stories today worth reading! This book contains four exhilarating detection tales featuring the master of all detectives, Mr. Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street, London with his erstwhile sidekick, Dr. Watson. Guaranteed to please any Holmes fan.

The adventure of Zolnay the Aerialist
The adventure of Bell Rock light
The adventure of the Eyrie cliff
The giant rat of Sumatra
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alexander Books; Reprint edition (January 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 364 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1570900841
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1570900846
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.75 x 9 inches

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Rick Boyer
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3.6 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • R. Eckweiler
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Sherlock Holmes Adaptations
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    There have been many pastiches of Sherlock Holmes written since Conan Doyle wrote the original four novels and 56 short stories. One is deemed to standout alone by most Sherlockians; that one is "The Giant Rat of Sumatra"; a case referred to in the original canon but never put to ink by Doyle. The story, written in 1976 by Rick Boyer (mystery writer of the Doc Adams series), was out of print for a long time and I was not able to find it. It has been subsequently republished, along with three other never before published pastiches by Boyer, as "A Sherlockian Quartet".

    I found "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" to be all it was raved about. The other three novelettes, while not quite as good, were still enjoyable and worth the read. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, this book is worth the one story alone. the other stories only add to the value.

    This book got me started on Boyer's Doc Adams mysetry series, which I enjoyed; especially his first two in the series: "Billingsgate Shoal" and "The Penny Ferry".
    2 people found this helpful
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  • MCG
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well crafted, authentic Conan Doyle-style stories
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    My son and I had just finished reading every single Conan Doyle-authored Sherlock Holmes short story and novel (and even a few he wrote that aren’t official Holmes stories, but related) and wanted to start reading some pastiches. We had read that this volume was the best of the pastiches and so far we have not been disappointed (about halfway through the final, and longest, story).

    They definitely have a very authentic feel, as if they might have been written contemporaneously with the canon stories. There are only a few small ways in which they feel different: they involve famous events/locations/people more than Conan Doyle’s stories would, Watson has a bit more personality and Holmes is a bit warmer and more open about his thinking process, and there are more fun little “character moments”. All-in-all, I would say that these are improvements to the formula that do not make the stories feel any less authentic.

    My only gripe about this book is that it is riddled with misspellings, typos and grammatical errors that can be coNfusing or even change the whole meaning of certain passages. The publisher completely shirked his duty in running these stories through a proper editor before publishing this book (apparently self-publishing?). It definitely detrimentally effects the enjoyment of these otherwise well-written, well-crafted stories. In the future, I would love to see a proper edition of this book that was published with more care.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • John S. Ryan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining even if not authentic
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2001
    Richard Boyer has been writing mysteries for some years now, but Sherlockians/Holmesians will probably know him best as the author of _The Giant Rat of Sumatra_, a pastiche published in 1976 and long out of print. (I have a very well-worn paperback copy.)

    Well, _Rat_ is back in print as of the present volume; it's one of the four stories that make up the "quartet" of the title. The others were added when a publisher approached Boyer about republishing _Rat_ and learned that he'd written three more Holmes stories.

    The volume doesn't even pretend to be written by Watson; in fact a rather silly preface allegedly written by Watson's great-grandson ascribes the tales to Boyer, taking the line that Holmes was fictional although Watson was not. (The preface also casts Sir Arthur in an unkind light; I believe it was written by the book's publisher.) So when I write, as I do here, of Boyer as the author, I won't be undermining any of the usual illusions.

    I don't think Boyer quite has the style down; he omits too many commas, he overuses italics and the ellipsis, and in his attempt to capture Watson's Victorian/Edwardian style he occasionally takes some quaint grammatical directions. (For example, at one point Watson says he "was smote," rather than "smitten," by a strong wind. Again, Holmes refers at one point to two earlier cases, "the latter from which we scarcely escaped with our lives and reason." Of course it should be "from the latter of which.") I say these things not merely because I am picayune -- although I am -- but because these little grammatical nuances are important in recreating the atmosphere and tone of the canonical tales.

    But Boyer can plot. And for _that_, we can forgive him a great many minor lapses.

    The highlight of the collection, undoubtedly, is _Rat_ itself. I won't summarize it here, since anyone who hasn't read it won't want me to spoil it and anyone who _has_ read it will simply want to know that it's included in this book.

    But the other three cases are pretty good too. Oh, the first two telegraph their solutions so completely that it would be impossible to miss them. The first -- the case of Zolnay the Aerialist -- gives itself away (in principle) fairly early on to pretty much any reader; as for the second -- the case of Bell Rock Light -- all Sherlockians/Holmesians, the moment they learn that it's set in a lighthouse, will recognize (although Boyer never mentions it) the unrecorded case on which the story is based and start watching for the (oops, can't say it) and his (oops, can't say that either). (Especially when they read the note left by the dead man.) But the details of the narrative more than make up for it; the stories are enjoyable all the same. "Bell Rock Light," in particular, is notable for its fine (and surprisingly fascinating) description of lighthouse operation.

    The third piece -- the case of the Eyrie Cliff -- brings Holmes out of retirement during the First World War and reunites the sterling pair with Holmes's brother Mycroft. Among other things, we get to see a leather-clad Holmes whizzing along on a motorcycle with Watson in the sidecar.

    What will probably be of most interest to most readers, though, will be _Rat_ itself. So, if you're wondering whether it will ever be reprinted, wonder no more; here it is.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • R. Goodfellow
    5.0 out of 5 stars Probably one of the best
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2002
    Most of us who have purchased this book have probably read the origional stories many times over. Enjoying the origionals, I have purchased later "Sherlockian" releases that now number over twenty books - each filled with authors attempting to mimic the writing style of the origionals - some with more success than others.
    I think these four stories were some of the best I have read. The author has the "voice" of Watson perfected well, and the plots were very interesting. Unlike a number of recent attempts, I found this book extremely hard to put down! Each story is a little better than the one that proceeds it. All are very good!
    I would love to see the author release Quartet book number two. I would gladly pay for an advance copy !
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Pennsylvania Cajun
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Pastiches!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2000
    Most Sherlockian pastiches fall far short of the stores written by Conan Doyle, but Rick Boyer has produced some wonderfully entertaining stories in this compilation. We find the Sherlock Holmes and James H. Watson of the Canon, not some pale shadows of those characters. Boyer's style is rich and keeps the reader's interest from first to last. I highly recommend this book to all fans of The Great Detective!
    21 people found this helpful
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  • Cindi
    5.0 out of 5 stars It was a gift and
    Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The book was just as described and arrival time was reasonable. It was a gift and the recipient was very pleased!
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  • Geneviève Vialex
    5.0 out of 5 stars The game's afoot !
    Reviewed in France on October 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Très bonnes nouvelles de R.Boyer, digne émule de Conan Doyle. Livre en excellent état. Je suis très satisfait de mon achat.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A real gem!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    As good a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes as you can get!!! This author has really captured the tone of the original, in particular as it pertains to the relationship between Holmes and Watson. Delightful!
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