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MX New Sherlock Holmes Stories #1
The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part I: 1881 to 1889
Part one of a record breaking three volume collection bringing together over sixty of the world's leading Sherlock Holmes authors. All the stories are traditional Sherlock Holmes pastiches.
The authors are donating all the royalties from the collection to preservation projects at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former home, Undershaw.
This volume covers the years from 1881 to 1889.
Contents
“Undershaw: An Ongoing Legacy for Sherlock Holmes” ©2015 by Steve Emecz.
“The Case of the Lichfield Murder” ©2015 by Hugh Ashton.
“The Case of the Vanishing Stars” ©2015 by Deanna Baran.
“The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes” ©2015 by Kevin David Barratt.
“The Case of the Vanished Killer” ©2015 by Derrick Belanger.
“The Tale of the Forty Thieves” ©2015 by C.H. Dye.
“The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess” ©2015 by Jayantika Ganguly.
“The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady” ©2015 by John Hall.
“The King of Diamonds” ©2015 by John Heywood.
“The Adventure of the Fateful Malady” ©2015 by Craig Janacek.
“Study and Natural Talent” and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson photo illustrations on back cover and within the book ©2015 by Roger Johnson.
“Foreword” Part I ©2015 by Leslie S. Klinger.
“The Allegro Mystery” ©2015 by Luke Benjamen Kuhns.
“Sherlock Holmes of London - A Verse in Four Fits” ©2014 by Michael Kurland.
“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter” and “Editor’s Introduction: The Whole Art of Detection” ©2015 by David Marcum.
“The Adventure of the Seventh Stain” ©2015 by Daniel McGachey.
“The Kingdom of the Blind” ©2015 by Adrian Middleton.
“The Ululation of Wolves” ©2015 by Steve Mountain.
“The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes” ©2015 by Mark Mower.
“The Deadly Soldier” ©2015 by Summer Perkins.
“The Two Umbrellas” ©2015 by Martin Rosenstock.
“The Song of the Mudlark” ©2015 by Shane Simmons.
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh” ©2015 by Denis O. Smith.
“The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra” ©2015 by Amy Thomas.
“The Adventure of Urquhart Manse” ©2015 by Will Thomas.
“The Adventure of the Aspen Papers” ©2015 by Daniel D. Victor.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn” ©2015 by Stephen Wade
Sherlock Holmes photo illustration on back cover © 1991, 2015 by Mark A. Gagen.
The authors are donating all the royalties from the collection to preservation projects at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former home, Undershaw.
This volume covers the years from 1881 to 1889.
Contents
“Undershaw: An Ongoing Legacy for Sherlock Holmes” ©2015 by Steve Emecz.
“The Case of the Lichfield Murder” ©2015 by Hugh Ashton.
“The Case of the Vanishing Stars” ©2015 by Deanna Baran.
“The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes” ©2015 by Kevin David Barratt.
“The Case of the Vanished Killer” ©2015 by Derrick Belanger.
“The Tale of the Forty Thieves” ©2015 by C.H. Dye.
“The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess” ©2015 by Jayantika Ganguly.
“The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady” ©2015 by John Hall.
“The King of Diamonds” ©2015 by John Heywood.
“The Adventure of the Fateful Malady” ©2015 by Craig Janacek.
“Study and Natural Talent” and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson photo illustrations on back cover and within the book ©2015 by Roger Johnson.
“Foreword” Part I ©2015 by Leslie S. Klinger.
“The Allegro Mystery” ©2015 by Luke Benjamen Kuhns.
“Sherlock Holmes of London - A Verse in Four Fits” ©2014 by Michael Kurland.
“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter” and “Editor’s Introduction: The Whole Art of Detection” ©2015 by David Marcum.
“The Adventure of the Seventh Stain” ©2015 by Daniel McGachey.
“The Kingdom of the Blind” ©2015 by Adrian Middleton.
“The Ululation of Wolves” ©2015 by Steve Mountain.
“The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes” ©2015 by Mark Mower.
“The Deadly Soldier” ©2015 by Summer Perkins.
“The Two Umbrellas” ©2015 by Martin Rosenstock.
“The Song of the Mudlark” ©2015 by Shane Simmons.
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh” ©2015 by Denis O. Smith.
“The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra” ©2015 by Amy Thomas.
“The Adventure of Urquhart Manse” ©2015 by Will Thomas.
“The Adventure of the Aspen Papers” ©2015 by Daniel D. Victor.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn” ©2015 by Stephen Wade
Sherlock Holmes photo illustration on back cover © 1991, 2015 by Mark A. Gagen.
460 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 18, 2015
This book is the first of a series of three Sherlockian anthology volumes from MX Publications and it includes stories set in the period 1881 through 1889. All of the authors have donated their royalties for this publication to the support of Undershaw.
The first volume includes twenty-three short stories and one poem
The poem is “Sherlock Holmes of London,” by Michael Kurland, a set of four quatrains that effectively invoke the place where “…it is always 1895.” Most of the rest of the tales are short stories. “The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady,” by John Hall, is the first effort I know of to tell the Untold Tale of “... a slipshod elderly woman” cited in STUD. “The Case of the Lichfield Murder,” by Hugh Ashton, tells of the grisly case of “…Henry Staunton, whom I helped to hang,” cited in MISS. “The Kingdom of the Blind,” by Adrian Middleton, shows the true reason for the Vatican’s Index Librorem Prohibitorem, the evils that these books stir up in the credulous. “The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter,” by David Marcum, gives us a glimpse of true evil, wrapped in an enticing package. “The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess,” by Jayantika Ganguly, shows us Holmes and Watson coping with the tribulations of a love-sick 16-year-old Princess, grimly determined to fulfil her duty to marry while pursued by five aged suitors grimly determined to secure her considerable dowry and her father’s political influence.
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh,” by Dennis O. Smith takes me back to his “Chronicles” collections in what is, perhaps, his best tale yet. “The Adventure of the Travelling Orchestra,” by Amy Thomas, deserved to be, at least, a novella. Her intense characters and their complications need more space to unfold than was available in this shortened format. “The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes,” by Kevin David Barratt, vividly shows an important but neglected side of the Holmes/Watson relationship. “The Allegro Mystery,” by Luke Benjamen Kuhns, tells the tale of Holmes’ effort to furnish Watson with a wife in the midst of a mystery. “The Deadly Soldier,” by Summer Perkins, gives us a perfect picture of the meeting of The Professor and Colonel Sebastian Moran. “The Case of the Vanishing Stars,” by Deanna Baran, introduces Holmes and Watson into the world of the Music Halls, where a widowed performer/owner is coping with a variety of problems.
“The Song of the Mudlark,” by Shane Simmons, is told by Wiggins, as he introduces us to the newest Irregular who is taking a giant step up from the occupation of mudlark. “The Tale of the Forty Thieves,” by C. H. Dye, tells the Untold Tale of the Paradol Chamber as cited in FIVE and does so most imaginatively. “The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes,” by Mark Mower, recounts Watson’s first introduction to the problem of Professor Moriarty. In “The Case of the Vanished Killer,” by Derrick Belanger, we are introduced to “Buffalo Bill” Cody when Inspector Lestrade suspects some of Cody’s Indians may have committed a double murder. “The Adventure of the Aspen Papers,” by Daniel D. Victor, brings Henry James to ask Sherlock’s help with a problem that ultimately inspires him to write a novel. “The Ululation of Wolves,” by Steve Mountain, poses an insidious locked-room Mystery for Holmes, with a pack of wolves thrown in to cloud the matter further.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn,” by Stephen Wade, tells of a terrifying encounter with the Professor by Watson and Inspector Lestrade. “The King of Diamonds,” by John Sherwood, involves Holmes and Watson in a poisoning case that the police have blamed on the obvious suspects on circumstantial evidence. “The Adventure of the Urquhart Manse,” by Will Thomas, presents an “obvious” mystery then quickly wanders off into a strange byway.
Casual readers of the Sherlockian tales are generally not aware that there is a problem involving “The Adventure of the Second Stain (SECO).” This tale is mentioned in two earlier tales, “The Yellow Face” (YELL) and “The Naval Treaty” (NAVA), but those citations do NOT describe the tale of that name published in December, 1904. In “The Adventure of the Seventh Stain,” the only novella in this volume, Daniel McGachey explains in great detail both that problem and the investigation of “The First Adventure of the Second Stain (SEC1).” “The Two Umbrellas,” by Martin Rosenstock, tells of an enigmatic encounter between Mycroft Holmes and Professor Moriarty over a matter of espionage. “The Adventure of the Fateful Malady,” by Craig Janacek, involves Holmes and Watson with a recurrence of the Black Death and tells the Untold tale of his “professional service … for Sir James Saunders (SIRJ)” as cited in BLAN.
This first volume, on its own, is the finest anthology of Sherlockian fiction I have ever read. All of the stories were interesting and readable and several were outstanding. The last Sherlockian fiction I felt to be outstanding was Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald,” and it won a Hugo. I look forward eagerly to reading Volumes 2 and 3.
Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, October, 2015
The first volume includes twenty-three short stories and one poem
The poem is “Sherlock Holmes of London,” by Michael Kurland, a set of four quatrains that effectively invoke the place where “…it is always 1895.” Most of the rest of the tales are short stories. “The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady,” by John Hall, is the first effort I know of to tell the Untold Tale of “... a slipshod elderly woman” cited in STUD. “The Case of the Lichfield Murder,” by Hugh Ashton, tells of the grisly case of “…Henry Staunton, whom I helped to hang,” cited in MISS. “The Kingdom of the Blind,” by Adrian Middleton, shows the true reason for the Vatican’s Index Librorem Prohibitorem, the evils that these books stir up in the credulous. “The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter,” by David Marcum, gives us a glimpse of true evil, wrapped in an enticing package. “The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess,” by Jayantika Ganguly, shows us Holmes and Watson coping with the tribulations of a love-sick 16-year-old Princess, grimly determined to fulfil her duty to marry while pursued by five aged suitors grimly determined to secure her considerable dowry and her father’s political influence.
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh,” by Dennis O. Smith takes me back to his “Chronicles” collections in what is, perhaps, his best tale yet. “The Adventure of the Travelling Orchestra,” by Amy Thomas, deserved to be, at least, a novella. Her intense characters and their complications need more space to unfold than was available in this shortened format. “The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes,” by Kevin David Barratt, vividly shows an important but neglected side of the Holmes/Watson relationship. “The Allegro Mystery,” by Luke Benjamen Kuhns, tells the tale of Holmes’ effort to furnish Watson with a wife in the midst of a mystery. “The Deadly Soldier,” by Summer Perkins, gives us a perfect picture of the meeting of The Professor and Colonel Sebastian Moran. “The Case of the Vanishing Stars,” by Deanna Baran, introduces Holmes and Watson into the world of the Music Halls, where a widowed performer/owner is coping with a variety of problems.
“The Song of the Mudlark,” by Shane Simmons, is told by Wiggins, as he introduces us to the newest Irregular who is taking a giant step up from the occupation of mudlark. “The Tale of the Forty Thieves,” by C. H. Dye, tells the Untold Tale of the Paradol Chamber as cited in FIVE and does so most imaginatively. “The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes,” by Mark Mower, recounts Watson’s first introduction to the problem of Professor Moriarty. In “The Case of the Vanished Killer,” by Derrick Belanger, we are introduced to “Buffalo Bill” Cody when Inspector Lestrade suspects some of Cody’s Indians may have committed a double murder. “The Adventure of the Aspen Papers,” by Daniel D. Victor, brings Henry James to ask Sherlock’s help with a problem that ultimately inspires him to write a novel. “The Ululation of Wolves,” by Steve Mountain, poses an insidious locked-room Mystery for Holmes, with a pack of wolves thrown in to cloud the matter further.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn,” by Stephen Wade, tells of a terrifying encounter with the Professor by Watson and Inspector Lestrade. “The King of Diamonds,” by John Sherwood, involves Holmes and Watson in a poisoning case that the police have blamed on the obvious suspects on circumstantial evidence. “The Adventure of the Urquhart Manse,” by Will Thomas, presents an “obvious” mystery then quickly wanders off into a strange byway.
Casual readers of the Sherlockian tales are generally not aware that there is a problem involving “The Adventure of the Second Stain (SECO).” This tale is mentioned in two earlier tales, “The Yellow Face” (YELL) and “The Naval Treaty” (NAVA), but those citations do NOT describe the tale of that name published in December, 1904. In “The Adventure of the Seventh Stain,” the only novella in this volume, Daniel McGachey explains in great detail both that problem and the investigation of “The First Adventure of the Second Stain (SEC1).” “The Two Umbrellas,” by Martin Rosenstock, tells of an enigmatic encounter between Mycroft Holmes and Professor Moriarty over a matter of espionage. “The Adventure of the Fateful Malady,” by Craig Janacek, involves Holmes and Watson with a recurrence of the Black Death and tells the Untold tale of his “professional service … for Sir James Saunders (SIRJ)” as cited in BLAN.
This first volume, on its own, is the finest anthology of Sherlockian fiction I have ever read. All of the stories were interesting and readable and several were outstanding. The last Sherlockian fiction I felt to be outstanding was Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald,” and it won a Hugo. I look forward eagerly to reading Volumes 2 and 3.
Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, October, 2015
April 7, 2017
Good Lord this took me forever to finish. In general, the stories were really mediocre. I wanted to give up very early in the book but I felt that it would be unfair to the authors of the remaining stories so I tried, tried and tried to finish this. As a Sherlock Holmes fan, I won't regret reading this whole book. But if you are trying to find something entertaining to read, I would suggest that you skip this and read Holmes pastiches by Hugh Ashton instead, he's really good.
I am going to offer some comments on the stories in this book that I found to be "better" than the rest. If you don't see the name of a story listed down here, I basically think it's bad.
"The case of the Lichfield murder": It was okay, but the deduction was unconvincing.
"The adventure of the prawbrokers' daughter": It was okay, but the characterisation was really weak.
"The adventure of the defenestrated princess": The beginning was sooo promising, then that ridiculous ending came and I couldn't believe my eyes.
"The adventure of the inn on the marsh": The beginning was promising, but the plot development was weak and there could have been more explanations.
"The deadline soldier": The most impactful story since the beginning of the book but the end could have been strengthened.
"The song of the mudlark": Quite creative but it could have been more exciting.
"The tale of the forty thieves": Quite fun, but not impactful.
"The strange missive of Germaine Wilkes": I liked it, but I was expecting something more. It was just lacking something.
"The adventure of the Aspen papers": The beginning was good, but then the end was very anti-climatic.
"The utulation of wolves": It was exciting! But the explanation for the crime was too simple.
I am going to offer some comments on the stories in this book that I found to be "better" than the rest. If you don't see the name of a story listed down here, I basically think it's bad.
"The case of the Lichfield murder": It was okay, but the deduction was unconvincing.
"The adventure of the prawbrokers' daughter": It was okay, but the characterisation was really weak.
"The adventure of the defenestrated princess": The beginning was sooo promising, then that ridiculous ending came and I couldn't believe my eyes.
"The adventure of the inn on the marsh": The beginning was promising, but the plot development was weak and there could have been more explanations.
"The deadline soldier": The most impactful story since the beginning of the book but the end could have been strengthened.
"The song of the mudlark": Quite creative but it could have been more exciting.
"The tale of the forty thieves": Quite fun, but not impactful.
"The strange missive of Germaine Wilkes": I liked it, but I was expecting something more. It was just lacking something.
"The adventure of the Aspen papers": The beginning was good, but then the end was very anti-climatic.
"The utulation of wolves": It was exciting! But the explanation for the crime was too simple.
December 20, 2015
"I believe that pastiches have contributed immensely to the ever-increasing popularity of Holmes and Watson throughout the years. Additional cases and adventures only serve to feed the Sherlockian Fire, and ideally refocus interest back to the original narratives."--David Marcum, Editor, contributor, and the man who came up with this glorious literary experiment.
Sometimes it feels like Feast or Famine for those who read all of ACD's stories and were left wanting more...only to look longer and harder than they ever dreamed to find a pastiche that honors the Master. And now that MX has accomplished the barely-fathomable, I am still giddy.
The forward by Leslie S. Klinger ought to tip you off to the value of this work. The writers were assembled under a writer who is, himself, a staunch collector. (I wouldn't even attempt to measure my shelves with David Marcum's). His vision was completely out of the box as far as anyone had imagined: A benefit for the Undershaw Preservation Trust in the style of ACD's Watson. As he advised the contributors: "Put them back on the shelf when you're done playing with them so others can do the same." This is an amazing project and a case of Kickstarter at its finest.
Without giving away too much, pause before you jump into the pile of Story. Read David Marcum's editorial introduction; enjoy BSI editor's Roger Johnson (who supplied us with the excellent photographs of Holmes and Watson--thank you!) with "Study and Natural Talent"you that explains in nice, unbogged-down detail that it is not the easiest thing, to write in traditional tribute (It is certainly one of the shakiest roads to fame and fortune!). I enjoyed his own summary of this Anthology: "David Marcum has coaxed stories from the best of today's generation of Holmesian chroniclers." He reminds us that not everyone is famous, but all are adding to the a deep appreciation of the original wellspring of the genre. It is worth adding that Leslie S. Klinger's foreward explains the (in)famous case, Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate Limited, where the public domain of Sherlock Holmes characters exist. Lastly, Steve Emecz (the 'MX' in MX Publishing) discusses the simple value of preserving Undershaw through Stepping Stones. It is not only a worthy project (Stepping stones is a school for children with learning difficulties), it is not his first. MX also supports the Happy Life Children's Rescue Center in Kenya--and his book is a must read for anyone curious about adoptions.
On to Part I: 1881-1889.
Michael Kurland's poem is the snappiest thing I've heard since "If you tell me how old you are / I'll quickly guess your age". Read it and try to pick out the canonical bits! John Hall's 'The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady' gives us a Russian nesting-box of hidden identities and even more hidden agendas. Hugh Ashton's The Case of the Lichfield Murder had me hooked on page 1 and I rarely enjoy the BANG of Justice upon a criminal like the one here (let's face it; we ALL giggle rather cruelly when Holmes cuts down someone who so thoroughly and richly deserves it!). Adrian Middleton's The Kingdom of the Blind alludes to the well-known proverb and as we suspect, give us quite a punch in the gut for the twists. He reminds us that the Victorian Era was not just a time of science and advance: it was also a world packed with the credulous, cults, and a twisted application of intelligence for selfish purposes. Watson's last lines gave me genuine chills! David Marcum's The Adventure of the Pawnbroker's Daughter gives us a very real and very human glimpse into Holmes' psyche. It may be one of our closest visits into the complex workings of that great mind, for he explains a "tell" in recognition of a physiological pattern that is over a century ahead of its time. "Years ago, I happened to notice a curious behavior in myself. Once aware of it, I could not ignore it."
Jayantika Ganguly gives us something many of us are desperate to see: More glimpses into the importance of India. I read this skilled story with a bone-deep sense of satisfaction and I hope you will too. Denis O. Smith gives us a very pleasant couple troubled with a very unpleasant letter that, although they do not know it, brings Holmes' first whisper of a terrible war to come in The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh.Amy Thomas creates within The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra a new twist on the drug trade and an appreciation for fine music that sifts down to some surprising eyes in Scotland Yard. The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes by Kevin David Barratt sounds at first, sensational...but the reader is forced at the end to decide for themselves if they believe that ghosts come to visit Baker Street or not--well done, by the way! The Allegro Mystery by Luke Benjamen Kuhns allows us back into the world of art--this time dance--and reminds us that with high passions are possible the highest betrayals. The Deadly Soldier by Summer Perkins gives us a fateful, profitable...and ultimately doomed partnership between two of the most dangerous men Holmes will ever see. The Case of the Vanishing Stars by Deanna Baran gives us truly enjoyable characters--and a gloriously sensory Holmes who can hum his way through music one moment...and then ask a lady how many marriage proposals she has received by men smitten by her performance. One gets the feeling that Holmes is prophesying a well-deserved ending for a true rascal here.
Shane Simmons' "The Song of the Mudlark" brings us to one of the most destitute of poverty-stricken child groups, the Mudlarks who sift out a miserable living in the muddy edges of the Thames. Wiggens is given the chance to shine and he does, beautifully. This one will bring up the old BP if you are claustrophobic, tend to worry about small children, and are afraid of a sudden and noisy death. One of my favorites. The Tale of the Forty Thieves by C.H. Dye appears to be an 'ordinary enough' problem (and Gregson agrees) but, really, 'ordinary' does appear to be proven arbitrary in this tale--I especially like the twist on how a criminal can redeem one's without ever knowing it. The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes by Mark Tower gives us another treat with Inspector MacDonald and "a conundrum that Scotland Yard cannot solve." Can ever a sentence fail to make us grin evilly while reading (and giving our watching friends a shock)? It ends with a dark note--we know more than Watson what is about to happen. Derrick Belanger's the Case of the Vanished Killer lets us imagine the unexpected sight of Buffalo Bill Cody sitting before Holmes and Watson at Baker Street--like Mrs. Hudson, our eyes are wide. The wideness only grows. We soon face one of the worst forms of criminals in Holmes' extensive book. Daniel D. Victor's Adventure of the Aspen Papers gives us another and complete opposite of Buffalo Bill: Henry James. Mr. James is not only troubled, but he has a puzzle that will lead to an incredibly ugly crime. Steve Mountain's Ululation of Wolves gives us a very clever method of murder...and a sadly naive client who must accept disillusionment of someone they admired. Stephen Wade's case of the vanishing Inn is posted soon after the business with Irene Adler, and while this is one of the shortest of stories available, it had my head spinning all the way through. The ending is a real flincher. John Heywood's King of Diamonds is the reverse of "a simple act of murder" in every conceivable sense of the word. Will Thomas' adventure of Urquhart Manse begins in a heartfelt plea and throws Holmes an Watson into Kent with a truly Gothic tale of death and intrigue.
Daniel McGachey's The Adventure of the Seventh Stain is difficult to review because I don't want to spoil any surprise for an excellent, densely packed tale that ultimately reminds us what a tangled tale is humanity, so long as he chooses to deceive. The Two Umbreallas of Martin Rosenstock give us an inside look at governmental intrigue...and stark staring proof that politics makes the oddest of bedfellows. Craig Janacek's Adventure of the Fateful Malady is a tightly-researched medical mystery that can only be viewed by a detective willing to accept an unthinkable premise.
Hang on to this book. And tell your friends.
Sometimes it feels like Feast or Famine for those who read all of ACD's stories and were left wanting more...only to look longer and harder than they ever dreamed to find a pastiche that honors the Master. And now that MX has accomplished the barely-fathomable, I am still giddy.
The forward by Leslie S. Klinger ought to tip you off to the value of this work. The writers were assembled under a writer who is, himself, a staunch collector. (I wouldn't even attempt to measure my shelves with David Marcum's). His vision was completely out of the box as far as anyone had imagined: A benefit for the Undershaw Preservation Trust in the style of ACD's Watson. As he advised the contributors: "Put them back on the shelf when you're done playing with them so others can do the same." This is an amazing project and a case of Kickstarter at its finest.
Without giving away too much, pause before you jump into the pile of Story. Read David Marcum's editorial introduction; enjoy BSI editor's Roger Johnson (who supplied us with the excellent photographs of Holmes and Watson--thank you!) with "Study and Natural Talent"you that explains in nice, unbogged-down detail that it is not the easiest thing, to write in traditional tribute (It is certainly one of the shakiest roads to fame and fortune!). I enjoyed his own summary of this Anthology: "David Marcum has coaxed stories from the best of today's generation of Holmesian chroniclers." He reminds us that not everyone is famous, but all are adding to the a deep appreciation of the original wellspring of the genre. It is worth adding that Leslie S. Klinger's foreward explains the (in)famous case, Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate Limited, where the public domain of Sherlock Holmes characters exist. Lastly, Steve Emecz (the 'MX' in MX Publishing) discusses the simple value of preserving Undershaw through Stepping Stones. It is not only a worthy project (Stepping stones is a school for children with learning difficulties), it is not his first. MX also supports the Happy Life Children's Rescue Center in Kenya--and his book is a must read for anyone curious about adoptions.
On to Part I: 1881-1889.
Michael Kurland's poem is the snappiest thing I've heard since "If you tell me how old you are / I'll quickly guess your age". Read it and try to pick out the canonical bits! John Hall's 'The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady' gives us a Russian nesting-box of hidden identities and even more hidden agendas. Hugh Ashton's The Case of the Lichfield Murder had me hooked on page 1 and I rarely enjoy the BANG of Justice upon a criminal like the one here (let's face it; we ALL giggle rather cruelly when Holmes cuts down someone who so thoroughly and richly deserves it!). Adrian Middleton's The Kingdom of the Blind alludes to the well-known proverb and as we suspect, give us quite a punch in the gut for the twists. He reminds us that the Victorian Era was not just a time of science and advance: it was also a world packed with the credulous, cults, and a twisted application of intelligence for selfish purposes. Watson's last lines gave me genuine chills! David Marcum's The Adventure of the Pawnbroker's Daughter gives us a very real and very human glimpse into Holmes' psyche. It may be one of our closest visits into the complex workings of that great mind, for he explains a "tell" in recognition of a physiological pattern that is over a century ahead of its time. "Years ago, I happened to notice a curious behavior in myself. Once aware of it, I could not ignore it."
Jayantika Ganguly gives us something many of us are desperate to see: More glimpses into the importance of India. I read this skilled story with a bone-deep sense of satisfaction and I hope you will too. Denis O. Smith gives us a very pleasant couple troubled with a very unpleasant letter that, although they do not know it, brings Holmes' first whisper of a terrible war to come in The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh.Amy Thomas creates within The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra a new twist on the drug trade and an appreciation for fine music that sifts down to some surprising eyes in Scotland Yard. The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes by Kevin David Barratt sounds at first, sensational...but the reader is forced at the end to decide for themselves if they believe that ghosts come to visit Baker Street or not--well done, by the way! The Allegro Mystery by Luke Benjamen Kuhns allows us back into the world of art--this time dance--and reminds us that with high passions are possible the highest betrayals. The Deadly Soldier by Summer Perkins gives us a fateful, profitable...and ultimately doomed partnership between two of the most dangerous men Holmes will ever see. The Case of the Vanishing Stars by Deanna Baran gives us truly enjoyable characters--and a gloriously sensory Holmes who can hum his way through music one moment...and then ask a lady how many marriage proposals she has received by men smitten by her performance. One gets the feeling that Holmes is prophesying a well-deserved ending for a true rascal here.
Shane Simmons' "The Song of the Mudlark" brings us to one of the most destitute of poverty-stricken child groups, the Mudlarks who sift out a miserable living in the muddy edges of the Thames. Wiggens is given the chance to shine and he does, beautifully. This one will bring up the old BP if you are claustrophobic, tend to worry about small children, and are afraid of a sudden and noisy death. One of my favorites. The Tale of the Forty Thieves by C.H. Dye appears to be an 'ordinary enough' problem (and Gregson agrees) but, really, 'ordinary' does appear to be proven arbitrary in this tale--I especially like the twist on how a criminal can redeem one's without ever knowing it. The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes by Mark Tower gives us another treat with Inspector MacDonald and "a conundrum that Scotland Yard cannot solve." Can ever a sentence fail to make us grin evilly while reading (and giving our watching friends a shock)? It ends with a dark note--we know more than Watson what is about to happen. Derrick Belanger's the Case of the Vanished Killer lets us imagine the unexpected sight of Buffalo Bill Cody sitting before Holmes and Watson at Baker Street--like Mrs. Hudson, our eyes are wide. The wideness only grows. We soon face one of the worst forms of criminals in Holmes' extensive book. Daniel D. Victor's Adventure of the Aspen Papers gives us another and complete opposite of Buffalo Bill: Henry James. Mr. James is not only troubled, but he has a puzzle that will lead to an incredibly ugly crime. Steve Mountain's Ululation of Wolves gives us a very clever method of murder...and a sadly naive client who must accept disillusionment of someone they admired. Stephen Wade's case of the vanishing Inn is posted soon after the business with Irene Adler, and while this is one of the shortest of stories available, it had my head spinning all the way through. The ending is a real flincher. John Heywood's King of Diamonds is the reverse of "a simple act of murder" in every conceivable sense of the word. Will Thomas' adventure of Urquhart Manse begins in a heartfelt plea and throws Holmes an Watson into Kent with a truly Gothic tale of death and intrigue.
Daniel McGachey's The Adventure of the Seventh Stain is difficult to review because I don't want to spoil any surprise for an excellent, densely packed tale that ultimately reminds us what a tangled tale is humanity, so long as he chooses to deceive. The Two Umbreallas of Martin Rosenstock give us an inside look at governmental intrigue...and stark staring proof that politics makes the oddest of bedfellows. Craig Janacek's Adventure of the Fateful Malady is a tightly-researched medical mystery that can only be viewed by a detective willing to accept an unthinkable premise.
Hang on to this book. And tell your friends.
February 21, 2025
I should be getting sick of these by now, but I am really not.
July 15, 2016
Did not enjoy this one as much as I did Part II. I found the majority of the stories mediocre.
To me, the only one really worth reading was written by Hugh Ashton. So much so that I've noted a number of his other Sherlock Holmes works to read.
To me, the only one really worth reading was written by Hugh Ashton. So much so that I've noted a number of his other Sherlock Holmes works to read.
February 4, 2024
I've never read a lot of Holmes pastiche, on the theory that writers who refuse to come up with their own damn characters are probably mediocre. But maybe I've been hideously unfair? No, I haven't, this sucks.
Since these writers are mostly amateurs, I won’t name and shame, but will credit the ones I liked. In fact, let’s break the book’s ordering and put those first, because I don't suppose many people want to read a story-by-story review, and I'd rather spotlight the good than the bad.
“The Song of the Mudlark,” by Shane Simmons is fun. Narrated by Wiggins, it’s somewhat more cynical than most Holmes stories in tone, without being tedious about it.
“The Tale of the Forty Thieves” by C. H. Dye is also good, and a real contrast to “Song of the Mudlark”; it’s charming and funny, and shows Holmes’s more compassionate side. It makes me think of “Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.”
“The King of Diamonds” by John Heywood is the story in this book that comes closest to imitating Doyle in plotting and language.
There, wasn’t that nice? Three stories I have positive things to say about! And this anthology is only … ah … twenty-three stories long. Jesus Christ.
“The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady.” Gibberish. Try to read this story and tell me why the villains did what they did.
“The Case of the Lichfield Murders.” Very Beryl Coronet-y in that there are two characters, and the one the police arrested won’t be the murderer, so … ? Still more competent than a lot of the others.
“The Kingdom of the Blind” is goofy faux-Gothic nonsense in terms of plotting but has no atmosphere.
“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter” has no real deductions. Instead, we get pseudoscience about how Holmes can tell when people are lying. Come on.
“The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess” is disastrously bad. Wants to use Mycroft, but is set before Watson’s heard of Mycroft, so everyone calls him “M.” A pair of super assassins murder twelve people single-handedly. Why is this a Holmes story?
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh” is a more competent take on the same theme, but rife with melodrama and gaping plot holes.
“The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra” is incredibly overstuffed for a fifteen-page story, and the key deduction is nonsensical.
“The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes” would be perfectly fine as AO3 fanfiction, but I prefer for published Sherlock Holmes pastiche to at least gesture at having a mystery or adventure.
“The Allegro Mystery” is generically bad. The scenes don’t hold together, the characters are badly written (‘“He’s bloody brilliant, but he boils my blood sometimes,” scoffed Lestrade.’) even the grammar is poor.
“The Deadly Solider” is more fanfiction, this time starring Moriarty. He’s basically a pulp villain, very silly, but in fairness, Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t know how to write good Moriarty stories, either.
“The Case of the Vanishing Stars” is very overstuffed, and the solution is incredibly obvious.
“The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes” doesn’t have characters to make it interesting, just a short, not terribly inspired puzzle. Another Moriarty one. The kiss of death, I tell you.
“The Case of the Vanished Killer” was on the border. Clumsy writing ultimately keeps it down. Impossible-crime adjacent, but doesn’t really play up the vanishing as much as you’d think, given that it’s named after it.
“The Adventure of the Aspen Papers” is dull, there’s no real mystery, and none of the human interactions in it seem very believable.
“The Ululation of Wolves” is in one of my less favored class of mystery stories, where the writer learned a science fact and then wrote an entire story based on it. I also don’t enjoy the modern trend of having Holmes and Watson constantly sniping at each other.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn” is character assassination. Lestrade may not have shone in the canon, but good lord. More Moriarty. Does the author of this story think Holmes doesn’t know what Moriarty looks like? He’s a professor, Holmes could see his face any time he cared to drop by the campus.
“The Adventure of Urquahard Manse” sucks, man. I’m not going to give away its dumb plot twist, but the way people act in this story is deranged. You have a dark family secret, sure, but why would it cause you to do … that?
“The Adventure of the Seventh Stain” is long and kind of dull, and is really, really concerned with letting us know that its 21st century author didn’t approve of England’s 19th century class system. It is bad, you’re right! I almost put it in the “good” list, but that was Stockholm syndrome, I’d never suggest that anyone actively seek this out, which is the (very low) standard I’m using here.
“The Two Umbrellas” is an espionage story. I’m going to spend more time on this story, not because I especially hate it, but on the contrary, because it’s much better-written than the rest, and deserves more than a two-sentence slap. My issue with this story (and a lot of Moriarty stories, actually) is that it takes it for granted that we’ll import assumptions from the canon, even if they don’t really make sense in the context of the story. By the end of this story, Moriarty has admitted in Holmes’s hearing to being a criminal involved in international espionage. Again, everyone knows where Moriarty lives. Couldn’t they just, like … arrest him? Or search his house for evidence or something? The story doesn’t even think to ask that question, because … it's Moriarty. You can't arrest him, otherwise the Final Problem couldn't happen. In “The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes” earlier in this collection Moriarty sends a coded message ordering someone to be murdered. Can you not arrest someone for that? Of course not! How could you? It’s Moriarty!
“The Adventure of the Fateful Malady” is preposterous and baroque, and it’s absurd to think that the doctors of the hospital wouldn’t come to the same conclusion Holmes did, but mainly, I want to say how annoying I found the footnotes. Nobody cares what canon story you’re referencing, and nobody’s impressed that you know “wears his heart on his sleeve” comes from Othello. Get over yourself.
And now I’m free. There are forty-two books in this series. Forty-two! It’s irritating to think of the little gems like “Mudlark,” and “Forty Thieves” that must be scattered throughout those volumes, but Sherlock Holmes pastiche, on the whole, is trash. Bad writing, bad plotting, and bad characterization. I do understand the comfort of familiarity. I'm not claiming to be "above" this. What I absolutely refuse to do, however, is give a pass to stories that would never have been published on their own merits just because they have Holmes in them, and that's most of this book.
Since these writers are mostly amateurs, I won’t name and shame, but will credit the ones I liked. In fact, let’s break the book’s ordering and put those first, because I don't suppose many people want to read a story-by-story review, and I'd rather spotlight the good than the bad.
“The Song of the Mudlark,” by Shane Simmons is fun. Narrated by Wiggins, it’s somewhat more cynical than most Holmes stories in tone, without being tedious about it.
“The Tale of the Forty Thieves” by C. H. Dye is also good, and a real contrast to “Song of the Mudlark”; it’s charming and funny, and shows Holmes’s more compassionate side. It makes me think of “Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.”
“The King of Diamonds” by John Heywood is the story in this book that comes closest to imitating Doyle in plotting and language.
There, wasn’t that nice? Three stories I have positive things to say about! And this anthology is only … ah … twenty-three stories long. Jesus Christ.
“The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady.” Gibberish. Try to read this story and tell me why the villains did what they did.
“The Case of the Lichfield Murders.” Very Beryl Coronet-y in that there are two characters, and the one the police arrested won’t be the murderer, so … ? Still more competent than a lot of the others.
“The Kingdom of the Blind” is goofy faux-Gothic nonsense in terms of plotting but has no atmosphere.
“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter” has no real deductions. Instead, we get pseudoscience about how Holmes can tell when people are lying. Come on.
“The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess” is disastrously bad. Wants to use Mycroft, but is set before Watson’s heard of Mycroft, so everyone calls him “M.” A pair of super assassins murder twelve people single-handedly. Why is this a Holmes story?
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh” is a more competent take on the same theme, but rife with melodrama and gaping plot holes.
“The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra” is incredibly overstuffed for a fifteen-page story, and the key deduction is nonsensical.
“The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes” would be perfectly fine as AO3 fanfiction, but I prefer for published Sherlock Holmes pastiche to at least gesture at having a mystery or adventure.
“The Allegro Mystery” is generically bad. The scenes don’t hold together, the characters are badly written (‘“He’s bloody brilliant, but he boils my blood sometimes,” scoffed Lestrade.’) even the grammar is poor.
“The Deadly Solider” is more fanfiction, this time starring Moriarty. He’s basically a pulp villain, very silly, but in fairness, Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t know how to write good Moriarty stories, either.
“The Case of the Vanishing Stars” is very overstuffed, and the solution is incredibly obvious.
“The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes” doesn’t have characters to make it interesting, just a short, not terribly inspired puzzle. Another Moriarty one. The kiss of death, I tell you.
“The Case of the Vanished Killer” was on the border. Clumsy writing ultimately keeps it down. Impossible-crime adjacent, but doesn’t really play up the vanishing as much as you’d think, given that it’s named after it.
“The Adventure of the Aspen Papers” is dull, there’s no real mystery, and none of the human interactions in it seem very believable.
“The Ululation of Wolves” is in one of my less favored class of mystery stories, where the writer learned a science fact and then wrote an entire story based on it. I also don’t enjoy the modern trend of having Holmes and Watson constantly sniping at each other.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn” is character assassination. Lestrade may not have shone in the canon, but good lord. More Moriarty. Does the author of this story think Holmes doesn’t know what Moriarty looks like? He’s a professor, Holmes could see his face any time he cared to drop by the campus.
“The Adventure of Urquahard Manse” sucks, man. I’m not going to give away its dumb plot twist, but the way people act in this story is deranged. You have a dark family secret, sure, but why would it cause you to do … that?
“The Adventure of the Seventh Stain” is long and kind of dull, and is really, really concerned with letting us know that its 21st century author didn’t approve of England’s 19th century class system. It is bad, you’re right! I almost put it in the “good” list, but that was Stockholm syndrome, I’d never suggest that anyone actively seek this out, which is the (very low) standard I’m using here.
“The Two Umbrellas” is an espionage story. I’m going to spend more time on this story, not because I especially hate it, but on the contrary, because it’s much better-written than the rest, and deserves more than a two-sentence slap. My issue with this story (and a lot of Moriarty stories, actually) is that it takes it for granted that we’ll import assumptions from the canon, even if they don’t really make sense in the context of the story. By the end of this story, Moriarty has admitted in Holmes’s hearing to being a criminal involved in international espionage. Again, everyone knows where Moriarty lives. Couldn’t they just, like … arrest him? Or search his house for evidence or something? The story doesn’t even think to ask that question, because … it's Moriarty. You can't arrest him, otherwise the Final Problem couldn't happen. In “The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes” earlier in this collection Moriarty sends a coded message ordering someone to be murdered. Can you not arrest someone for that? Of course not! How could you? It’s Moriarty!
“The Adventure of the Fateful Malady” is preposterous and baroque, and it’s absurd to think that the doctors of the hospital wouldn’t come to the same conclusion Holmes did, but mainly, I want to say how annoying I found the footnotes. Nobody cares what canon story you’re referencing, and nobody’s impressed that you know “wears his heart on his sleeve” comes from Othello. Get over yourself.
And now I’m free. There are forty-two books in this series. Forty-two! It’s irritating to think of the little gems like “Mudlark,” and “Forty Thieves” that must be scattered throughout those volumes, but Sherlock Holmes pastiche, on the whole, is trash. Bad writing, bad plotting, and bad characterization. I do understand the comfort of familiarity. I'm not claiming to be "above" this. What I absolutely refuse to do, however, is give a pass to stories that would never have been published on their own merits just because they have Holmes in them, and that's most of this book.
February 19, 2016
While definitely the best collection of short stories by multiple authors that I have ever read, it still had just enough stories that were of lesser quality to drop this to a four star rating overall. I applaud the effort that went into this, and it is definitely the best of its kind; I would recommend that any Holmesian read this collection. Particular standouts, for me, included "Case of the Lichfield Murder"; "Adventure of the Pawnbroker's Daughter"; "Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess"; and "Adventure of the Seventh Stain." I will be seeking out the authors of those stories to see if they have anything other pastiches available!
Read
February 22, 2016Pretty good, and varied storytelling.
I do enjoy these modern additions to the Sherlock Holmes Canon, and with the exception of one or two stories, I enjoyed the book. Some authors took a few liberties that I would not have allowed, but then again, I'm not the publisher.
I do enjoy these modern additions to the Sherlock Holmes Canon, and with the exception of one or two stories, I enjoyed the book. Some authors took a few liberties that I would not have allowed, but then again, I'm not the publisher.
July 7, 2019
Good Solid Stories
These stories were as promised solid Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Nothing silly, no hot romances, no supernatural, nothing silly. A few fell a little short in tone but generally were good and worth reading for the traditional Holmes fan.
These stories were as promised solid Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Nothing silly, no hot romances, no supernatural, nothing silly. A few fell a little short in tone but generally were good and worth reading for the traditional Holmes fan.
October 5, 2020
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes Lives On
I feel these wonderful authors and their factual inventive stories have fully captured Sherlock Holmes and John Watson perfectly. I await with great excitement the many more new adventures of our beloved heros!!!
I feel these wonderful authors and their factual inventive stories have fully captured Sherlock Holmes and John Watson perfectly. I await with great excitement the many more new adventures of our beloved heros!!!
April 28, 2021
With anthologies, I expect a few clunkers along with the rest. With this, every story was enjoyable, with some feeling very close to Doyle's style. A few more typos and formatting errors than I would expect, but for an indie publisher it's understandable. I look forward to the next!
January 1, 2017
Another great Holmes compilation, well written by numerous contributors and well entrenched in the Holmes lore.
March 6, 2019
Impressive collection of pastiches. A must-read for fellow Sherlockian nerds. Gave me the same cozy feeling that curling up with the canon gives me.
June 1, 2019
6.0 g,=h
November 1, 2020
Very nice. Great reads through out.
Read
June 17, 2021Brilliant, Loved it
January 2, 2016
The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories: Volume I edited by David Marcum
This is the first volume of a set of three short story Holmes anthologies compiled for the benefit of the restoration of Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s home. The beauty of the three volumes is so beautiful it is an OMG moment just picking up the books. The stories are all different and new, from various viewpoints. This first five star volume covers 1881 – 1889. Here is my story by story rundown. I have gone to great lengths to try to avoid spoilers. Any spoilers are totally unintentional.
“Sherlock Holmes of London—a Verse in Four Fits” The volume opens with a masterful poem by Michael Kurkland. 5 stars
“The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady” by John Hall. The cleaning lady for a Colonel Fanshawe suspects the good Colonel’s manservant Maylor is up to no good in the cellar of the home. Nice little twist ending! 4 stars.
“The Case of the Lichfield Murder” by Hugh Aston. This is another story from Watson’s Dispatch Box. One man’s wife has been brutally murdered and his own son is the prime suspect. Overall, a neat little story. 4 stars.
“The Kingdom of the Blind” by Adrian Middleton. A Brother Pius Augustus of The Brotherhood of Preachers approaches Holmes about a stolen book. He claims it stolen by the Freemasons to use in arcane rituals. This has a lot of good turns and twists and references some cases mentioned in passing in the canon. 5 stars.
“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter” by David Marcum. Miss Letita Porter, who father runs a pawnbroker shop in Limehouse, fears her father and her fiancé are in danger of killing each other. Neat little twist ending. 4 stars.
“The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess” by Jayantika Ganguly.
The title of this one sent me to dictionary.com in a hurry! Note: the word means to throw out of a window!
AA young Princess dressed as a guy is shot down in Baker Street. Fortunately, it is a flesh wound. Holmes and Watson are caring for the girl when her old friend and two of her four suitors turn up.
This has an excellent double twist ending! 5 stars.
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh” by Dennis O Smith. A young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Whittle, want to know why the inn where they honeymooned now claims they were never there. Interesting. 3 stars.
“The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra” by Amy Thomas. Some thief has stolen the instruments of an entire traveling orchestra, some of value, but left behind every single instrument’s case. This is a good example of “the crime behind the crime.” 4 stars.
“The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes” by Kevin David Barratt. Watson returns from a family trip to find Holmes convinced he is being haunted by the ghost of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, notorious for “The Adventure of the Speckled Band.” Good, but a tad predictable. 3 stars.
“The Allegro Mystery” by Luke Benjamen Kuhns. This was the only story in the volume that I had read elsewhere! Mademoiselle Dipin, a ballet dancer from France, is receiving letters from a former stalker, one Jean Jans. She is in fear for her life. 5 stars.
“The Deadly Soldier” by Summer Perkins. Professor Moriarty is being stalked by a mustached veteran of foreign war in London. The man’s army-issue Webly revolver and rifle come close to ending the Professor’s career. An excellent use of misdirection! 5 stars.
“The Vanishing Stars” by Deanna Banan. A Mrs. Hughes, a former stage performer, now runs a successful song-and-supper house at Mile End. Recently, there has been a fire, then a death, and now a rash of booked acts turning no show.
Business has fallen off, but visits by tradesmen who have not been sent for happen several times. This has an excellent double reveal! 5 stars.
“Song of the Mudlark” by Shane Simmons. This tale is recounted by Baker Street Irregular Wiggins. A young girl who works as a mudlark, scavenging the Thames at low tide, has found her father dead, and “bleeding money.” She has an old gold sovereign that came out of his skull. Upon finding the body, Holmes and Wiggins find there is more old coinage sticking out of a vicious head wound.
The story takes Holmes deep into the sewers and almost to his death. 5 stars.
“The Tale of the Forty Thieves” by CH Dye. This is a version of “The Adventure of the Paradol Chamber,” mentioned by Watson during “The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips.” A theft has been committed, a suspect named; but what do the words “Paradol Chamber” mean? 5 stars.
“The Strange Missives of Germaine Wilks” by Mark Mower. This story is the first time Watson admits to hearing of Professor Moriarty. It has a very neat little cipher message in it. 4 stars.
“The Case of the Missing Killer” by Derrick Balanger. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show is in town. The man himself visits Baker Street after his entire troupe of Native Americans are arrested.
A brother and sister have been murdered on the fourth floor of an apartment building. Tracks from the murder trail to the roof and disappear. They were slain by knife and tomahawk, and arrowheads are found in the place.
A very neat variation on a locked room mystery! 5 stars.
“The Adventure of the Aspen Papers” by Daniel D Victor. Writer Henry James comes to 221B out of concern for a friend. Thomas Warren is in London seeking an old woman who may have the private papers Jeremy Aspen. Now Warren has disappeared.
This is a rather neat murder mystery. At the end of the book, Henry James says he will write his own version of the events, changing the location and the poet. His story was “The Aspern Papers.” 4 stars.
“The Ululation of Wolves” by Shane Mountain. This is another title that sent me to dictionary.com. Note: The word means “howling.”
Sir Cedric Wolfe is a prominent banker with a large manor house. He also keeps wolves that run freely between the outer and inner walls of the estate. His room can only be accessed through the room of his valet, Reynolds. Yet he turns up murdered in his room. Nice take on a locked room mystery. The clue that can’t be faked is another touch. 5 stars.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn” by Stephen Wade. This case does not feature Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson helps Lestrade with a problem. The tale has its moments. 3 stars.
“The King of Diamonds” by John Heyward. A woman named Miss Maria Oblonsky entreats Holmes on behalf of her brother Peter, valet to Sir William Voigt, the diamond king. The story is a good whodunit mystery. 4 stars.
“The Adventure of Urquhart Manse” by Will Thomas. Mrs. Mary Urquhart is married to Alec Urquhart who lives with his twin brother Andrew and their housekeeper at Urquhart Manse. Now one of the twins has died, and Mrs. Urquhart fears it is her husband and his brother has taken his place.
I did not see this plot twist coming! 5 stars
“The Adventure of the Seventh Stain” by Daniel McGachey. I believe this to be the best story in a book filled with great stories.
The tale references the fact that Watson mentioned the story a couple of times, but none of the hints appear in his published story. Watson says there are at least seven stories involving a second stain.
A man has been found murdered in his bed at Marleigh Towers, the ancestral home of Lord Sternfleet. A servant girl is fired and arrested for theft when she has valuable items from the house in her possession. Her sister visits Holmes to hire him on her sister’s behalf, although she is a poor house servant as well. She is rudely interrupted by Lord Sternfleet himself, who attempts to tell Holmes his case is more important because of his status.
Holmes’ ignoring of class separation, his vagueness about his fees, and his feelings on justice versus law come to play in this tale. 5 plus stars.
“The Two Umbrellas” by Martin Rosenstock. The story is not narrated by Watson, and it stars Mycroft, not Sherlock Holmes. The tangled tale is about intrigue, and in the end, there is a question as to who has conned whom. 4 stars.
“The Adventure of the Fatal Malady” by Craig Janacek.” There is an outbreak of the Plague in Charring Cross Hospital. Even one of the doctors has been taken. Holmes is asked to try to find the source of the disease.
This is a well-written, well-researched story and finished the book on a high note. 5 stars
Quoth the Raven…
This is the first volume of a set of three short story Holmes anthologies compiled for the benefit of the restoration of Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s home. The beauty of the three volumes is so beautiful it is an OMG moment just picking up the books. The stories are all different and new, from various viewpoints. This first five star volume covers 1881 – 1889. Here is my story by story rundown. I have gone to great lengths to try to avoid spoilers. Any spoilers are totally unintentional.
“Sherlock Holmes of London—a Verse in Four Fits” The volume opens with a masterful poem by Michael Kurkland. 5 stars
“The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady” by John Hall. The cleaning lady for a Colonel Fanshawe suspects the good Colonel’s manservant Maylor is up to no good in the cellar of the home. Nice little twist ending! 4 stars.
“The Case of the Lichfield Murder” by Hugh Aston. This is another story from Watson’s Dispatch Box. One man’s wife has been brutally murdered and his own son is the prime suspect. Overall, a neat little story. 4 stars.
“The Kingdom of the Blind” by Adrian Middleton. A Brother Pius Augustus of The Brotherhood of Preachers approaches Holmes about a stolen book. He claims it stolen by the Freemasons to use in arcane rituals. This has a lot of good turns and twists and references some cases mentioned in passing in the canon. 5 stars.
“The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter” by David Marcum. Miss Letita Porter, who father runs a pawnbroker shop in Limehouse, fears her father and her fiancé are in danger of killing each other. Neat little twist ending. 4 stars.
“The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess” by Jayantika Ganguly.
The title of this one sent me to dictionary.com in a hurry! Note: the word means to throw out of a window!
AA young Princess dressed as a guy is shot down in Baker Street. Fortunately, it is a flesh wound. Holmes and Watson are caring for the girl when her old friend and two of her four suitors turn up.
This has an excellent double twist ending! 5 stars.
“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh” by Dennis O Smith. A young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Whittle, want to know why the inn where they honeymooned now claims they were never there. Interesting. 3 stars.
“The Adventure of the Traveling Orchestra” by Amy Thomas. Some thief has stolen the instruments of an entire traveling orchestra, some of value, but left behind every single instrument’s case. This is a good example of “the crime behind the crime.” 4 stars.
“The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes” by Kevin David Barratt. Watson returns from a family trip to find Holmes convinced he is being haunted by the ghost of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, notorious for “The Adventure of the Speckled Band.” Good, but a tad predictable. 3 stars.
“The Allegro Mystery” by Luke Benjamen Kuhns. This was the only story in the volume that I had read elsewhere! Mademoiselle Dipin, a ballet dancer from France, is receiving letters from a former stalker, one Jean Jans. She is in fear for her life. 5 stars.
“The Deadly Soldier” by Summer Perkins. Professor Moriarty is being stalked by a mustached veteran of foreign war in London. The man’s army-issue Webly revolver and rifle come close to ending the Professor’s career. An excellent use of misdirection! 5 stars.
“The Vanishing Stars” by Deanna Banan. A Mrs. Hughes, a former stage performer, now runs a successful song-and-supper house at Mile End. Recently, there has been a fire, then a death, and now a rash of booked acts turning no show.
Business has fallen off, but visits by tradesmen who have not been sent for happen several times. This has an excellent double reveal! 5 stars.
“Song of the Mudlark” by Shane Simmons. This tale is recounted by Baker Street Irregular Wiggins. A young girl who works as a mudlark, scavenging the Thames at low tide, has found her father dead, and “bleeding money.” She has an old gold sovereign that came out of his skull. Upon finding the body, Holmes and Wiggins find there is more old coinage sticking out of a vicious head wound.
The story takes Holmes deep into the sewers and almost to his death. 5 stars.
“The Tale of the Forty Thieves” by CH Dye. This is a version of “The Adventure of the Paradol Chamber,” mentioned by Watson during “The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips.” A theft has been committed, a suspect named; but what do the words “Paradol Chamber” mean? 5 stars.
“The Strange Missives of Germaine Wilks” by Mark Mower. This story is the first time Watson admits to hearing of Professor Moriarty. It has a very neat little cipher message in it. 4 stars.
“The Case of the Missing Killer” by Derrick Balanger. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show is in town. The man himself visits Baker Street after his entire troupe of Native Americans are arrested.
A brother and sister have been murdered on the fourth floor of an apartment building. Tracks from the murder trail to the roof and disappear. They were slain by knife and tomahawk, and arrowheads are found in the place.
A very neat variation on a locked room mystery! 5 stars.
“The Adventure of the Aspen Papers” by Daniel D Victor. Writer Henry James comes to 221B out of concern for a friend. Thomas Warren is in London seeking an old woman who may have the private papers Jeremy Aspen. Now Warren has disappeared.
This is a rather neat murder mystery. At the end of the book, Henry James says he will write his own version of the events, changing the location and the poet. His story was “The Aspern Papers.” 4 stars.
“The Ululation of Wolves” by Shane Mountain. This is another title that sent me to dictionary.com. Note: The word means “howling.”
Sir Cedric Wolfe is a prominent banker with a large manor house. He also keeps wolves that run freely between the outer and inner walls of the estate. His room can only be accessed through the room of his valet, Reynolds. Yet he turns up murdered in his room. Nice take on a locked room mystery. The clue that can’t be faked is another touch. 5 stars.
“The Case of the Vanishing Inn” by Stephen Wade. This case does not feature Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson helps Lestrade with a problem. The tale has its moments. 3 stars.
“The King of Diamonds” by John Heyward. A woman named Miss Maria Oblonsky entreats Holmes on behalf of her brother Peter, valet to Sir William Voigt, the diamond king. The story is a good whodunit mystery. 4 stars.
“The Adventure of Urquhart Manse” by Will Thomas. Mrs. Mary Urquhart is married to Alec Urquhart who lives with his twin brother Andrew and their housekeeper at Urquhart Manse. Now one of the twins has died, and Mrs. Urquhart fears it is her husband and his brother has taken his place.
I did not see this plot twist coming! 5 stars
“The Adventure of the Seventh Stain” by Daniel McGachey. I believe this to be the best story in a book filled with great stories.
The tale references the fact that Watson mentioned the story a couple of times, but none of the hints appear in his published story. Watson says there are at least seven stories involving a second stain.
A man has been found murdered in his bed at Marleigh Towers, the ancestral home of Lord Sternfleet. A servant girl is fired and arrested for theft when she has valuable items from the house in her possession. Her sister visits Holmes to hire him on her sister’s behalf, although she is a poor house servant as well. She is rudely interrupted by Lord Sternfleet himself, who attempts to tell Holmes his case is more important because of his status.
Holmes’ ignoring of class separation, his vagueness about his fees, and his feelings on justice versus law come to play in this tale. 5 plus stars.
“The Two Umbrellas” by Martin Rosenstock. The story is not narrated by Watson, and it stars Mycroft, not Sherlock Holmes. The tangled tale is about intrigue, and in the end, there is a question as to who has conned whom. 4 stars.
“The Adventure of the Fatal Malady” by Craig Janacek.” There is an outbreak of the Plague in Charring Cross Hospital. Even one of the doctors has been taken. Holmes is asked to try to find the source of the disease.
This is a well-written, well-researched story and finished the book on a high note. 5 stars
Quoth the Raven…
April 22, 2022
This series of Sherlock Holmes pastiches is quite good for the fan. It is not quite up to the standards of Conan Doyle, but then, what is? It is still an enjoyable return visit to 221b Baker Street, and deserves a place on the bookshelf of Sherlockians. I have purchased all of the volumes so far released in electronic form (pdf), since I am getting away from physical stuff as much as possible. Calibre does a reasonable job of taking the pdf and putting it on Kindle in the correct format. MX does these books as Kickstarters, which I am seeing more of for niche books.
July 15, 2023
A collection of Shelock Holmes and Watson stories by modern authors. Some stories were great, and some were not my cup of tea. But I did enjoy most of them. My favorite story actually starred Holmes's nemesis--Dr. Moriarty, "The Deadly Soldier" by Summer Perkins.
November 6, 2021
A great beginning for a great great series of books. I know I can not run out of cannon like books about Sherlock Holmes.
May 26, 2024
A great anthology of Holmes stories. Varied authors and varied cases all in bite size pieces. Recommended series
May 20, 2016
It is rare to find a collection of stories that is at once so consistent and so varied as this new anthology of pastiches from MX Publishing. Credit the consistency to editor David Marcum, one of the best traditionalist Sherlockians, who decreed that the stories included should faithfully honor the period, style, characterizations, and format of Conan Doyle’s originals. Nearly all the authors have met these criteria with commendable success. With his usual deductive brilliance, our Great Detective solves ingeniously plotted, traditionally structured mysteries, generally written in proper Victorian English with a minimum of modernisms. Holmes, Watson, Mrs. Hudson, and the Scotland Yarders are the characters we know. Such uniformity is all the more remarkable because Marcum has assembled a truly varied group of authors from all corners of Great Britain and her former empire: students, teachers, librarians, artists, playwrights, physicians, engineers, and even a few professional writers. While consistent in approach, each brings to what Marcum calls “The Great Holmes Tapestry” an individual expertise and insight, besides the obvious love for the Canon they all share. As a result, the tales are populated by a fascinating cast of newly minted clients, victims, minor characters, and villains. There is a daughter with a heart as cold as Lizzie Borden’s, a princess who almost steals the heart of Sherlock Holmes, a marquess who barely allows the solution of a murder to interrupt his morning ride, a priest with a bevy of blind acolytes, and a doctor who must save London from the Plague. We also learn new things about old friends we thought we knew. Watson mentions a wife who isn’t Mary Morstan; Wiggins introduces a mudlark (which is not a bird) to the Baker Street Irregulars. We get several fresh takes on Professor Moriarty, including one by a young author who gets chillingly inside his head. If all this is not enough to tempt a Sherlock Holmes fan, there are three good reasons left to buy this book. Two additional volumes, covering the years 1890 through 1929, are already available. Nearly all the authors represented have published other Holmes pastiches, many of which are also offered by MX. Finally, all profits from the project support the restoration of Undershaw, the house where Conan Doyle wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles and many other stories. David Marcum and publisher Steve Emecz must be commended for their generosity, but the anthology itself may comprise an even finer tribute to Sir Arthur’s memory.
March 20, 2016
a few really good stories, a couple of bad ones, and a lot of average ones . . .
July 4, 2016
Very nice stories...
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