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The Shadows of Sherlock Holmes
Shadows of Sherlock Holmes by D. S. Davies. Edited by David Stuart Davies, The Shadows of Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating collection of stories featuring detectives, criminal agents and debonair crooks from the golden age of crime a time when Sherlock Holmes was esconsced in his rooms at 221B Baker Street and London was permanently wreathed in a sinister fog. These gripping tales of mystery, suspense and clever puzzles are wonderfully entertaining and in them you will meet The Crime Doctor, Professor Augustus S.F.X.Van Dusen - The Thinking Machine, Max Carrados - the incredible blind detective, the repulsive but brilliant Skin o' My Teeth, and the natty, ingenious French sleuth Eugene Valmont. On the other side of the law, there are gentleman crooks Raffles and Simon Carn - the Prince of Swindlers. The stories The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe, The Stolen Cigar Case by Bret Harte, The Swedish Match by Anton Chekhov, Nine Points of the Law by E.W. Hornung, The Ghost at Massingham Mansions by Ernest Bramah and The Great Pearl Mystery by Baroness Orczy.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
David Stuart Davies
183books135followersDavid Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 1, 2022
An anthology of crime stories from authors that are roughly contemporary with Sir Arthur Doyle. Writers of the calibre of Edgar Allan Poe, Baroness Orczy and Doyle's brother-in-law, E. W. Hornung.
With any anthology there are good stories and bad stories, and in the case of older stories, some that have not withstood the passage of time. On the whole, however, the book was a good read. For me, the best stories were:
The Absent-Minded Coterie - by Robert Barr
The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds - by Guy Boothby
The Great Pearl Mystery - by Baroness Orczy
If you come across a copy, it is worth a read.
With any anthology there are good stories and bad stories, and in the case of older stories, some that have not withstood the passage of time. On the whole, however, the book was a good read. For me, the best stories were:
The Absent-Minded Coterie - by Robert Barr
The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds - by Guy Boothby
The Great Pearl Mystery - by Baroness Orczy
If you come across a copy, it is worth a read.
February 16, 2016
This book is a collection of short stories by different authors featuring characters involved in the world of mysteries and crime - inspired by Sherlock Holmes' adventures.
Well, shadows... However, the stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins, Brett Harte and Anton Chekhov shine on their own there.
I have to add that a piece by Brett Harte is not a crime story actually, but a parody, and Chekhov's story radiates humour and satire. It was fun to read both, they are diamonds.
Well, shadows... However, the stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins, Brett Harte and Anton Chekhov shine on their own there.
I have to add that a piece by Brett Harte is not a crime story actually, but a parody, and Chekhov's story radiates humour and satire. It was fun to read both, they are diamonds.
September 10, 2020
The title of this collection may mislead the reader into imagining that there will be at least a few Sherlock Holmes tales in this selection of detective stories. In fact there are none. Indeed some of the works were written before Arthur Conan Doyle created the famous detective.
Of course a shadow can go behind as well as in front. Early works can be overshadowed by better books that were written later. In any case, would the reader’s eye be instantly caught by a book called The Shadows of C. Auguste Dupin?
The earlier stories benefit from being earlier in some ways. Many of the short stories here feel like pale imitations (shadows, if you will) of the great detective. They mimic the personality traits and background details of Sherlock Holmes.
Across this selection we will see detectives experiment with chemistry, close their eyes and put their fingers together while listening to clients, and a number of familiar Sherlock Holmes habits. There will be a less gifted friend, unimaginative official police, and even a devoted housekeeper (in the mode of Holmes� landlady Mrs Hudson) in one case.
On the whole the weaker stories are those which try to ape Sherlock Holmes. Notably most of these come from books that are now out of print. There are gimmicks � a woman detective (still a rarity then), a doctor detective and a blind detective.
However what the stories make clear is that it is a good deal more difficult than it looks to reproduce the formula that Arthur Conan Doyle made to work so well. Sometimes the solutions do not play fair with the reader, and involve the random inclusion of elements such as mesmerism and drugs.
Sometimes as with the Sexton Blake story here, written by an anonymous author, there are far too many outlandish ideas that can only end in disappointment. The more unusual the mystery, the harder it is to conclude it in a manner that satisfies. We do not have to be utterly convinced by the resolution, but it needs to perfectly answer the expectations built up in us by the mystery.
The best stories in the selection are those that are written by famous writers, or those which seek to sneakily subvert and undermine the detective persona. I imagine most people reading a Sherlock Holmes story are struck by the fact that his supposedly logical interpretations of the facts involve a number of sweeping assumptions that may not be true.
Of course they are always perfectly true within the parameters of the story set out by Arthur Conan Doyle, but in real life some of these deductions might prove mistaken. This allows some writers to have fun with the idea of the great detective.
In ‘The Stolen Cigar-Case�, Brett Harte’s detective is Hemlock Jones (geddit). His friend is a loyal doctor who is never too busy, and who narrates. The doctor is not named, so I shall mischievously call him Dr Notson.
Jones has a number of important cases, but he becomes preoccupied with one in particular. He has been the victim of a theft, namely his cigar case. By means of lucid and brilliant analysis, Jones identifies the criminal as being Dr Notson. It is a virtuoso piece of detective work with only one flaw � it is wrong in every respect, and the poor doctor is innocent.
This satirical story shows us the limits of the Holmes-ian method of deduction, one that relies more on intuition and faith than logic, despite what the detective says. In Robert Barr’s contribution to this volume ‘The Absent-Minded Coterie�, Eugene Valmont also comes a cropper due to lack of clear evidence and a doltish mistake at the end which allows the smooth con-man to burn the evidence.
My two favourite stories in this selection however are by Wilkie Collins and, improbably, Anton Chekhov. The Wilkie Collins work is ‘The Biter Bit�, and it concerns the theft of a man’s money from the room where he and his wife sleep.
In typical Collins style the story is epistolary, allowing for more than one voice. We begin with two police officers discussing how the case is being handed over to a new investigatory, and their exchange of letters would be considered distinctly unprofessional by today’s standards. Chief Inspector Theakstone informs Sergeant Bulmer that this new man has too good an opinion of himself, and probably got the post through underhand means.
Most of the remaining story are letters from this new detective Matthew Sharpin, which he sends to Theakstone to update him on the case. Now having a high self-conceit is not necessarily a bad thing in a detective, and Sherlock Holmes can be said to be guilty of the same vice.
However Holmes� genial contempt for those around him is at least grounded in fact. His mind is superior to the others, and he can be forgiven for feeling some irritation. Sharpin is another case. His high opinion is soon shown to be unjustified. For one thing, he attributes the irritation shown by Theakstone to be jealousy. Holmes would never make that mistake.
Sharpin also tends to be utterly confident of his correctness at every step along the way, in contrast to the self-critical Sherlock Holmes. His biggest mistake though is closed-mindedness. Holmes would not have ruled out any option.
In the case of Sharpin, he looks at the three suspects from the earlier investigation (the reader may be able to think of one or two additional suspects), rules two out and pursues the remaining suspect only. Helped by the attractive wife of the victim, Sharpin spies on his suspect and allows confirmation bias to cloud his judgement, ending in comical disgrace.
The investigators in Chekhov’s story The Swedish Match are more competent, but still end up with egg on their faces because their interpretation of the clues proves to be ingenious but mistaken. They comprise a younger and more eager detective, and a shrewd older man who constantly disparages his colleague’s enthusiasm.
They are investigating a murder, but the body is missing. After arresting several suspects, they finally trace the body down, but there is a shock in store for them that brings the story to an amusing finish.
Curiously murders feature very little in this volume. Most of the crimes are theft, or at least there is dishonest practice that stays within the law.
Overall this is a readable enough collection, but the quality of the stories is strictly variable. Some deserve to be better-known. Some of them are deservedly forgotten.
Of course a shadow can go behind as well as in front. Early works can be overshadowed by better books that were written later. In any case, would the reader’s eye be instantly caught by a book called The Shadows of C. Auguste Dupin?
The earlier stories benefit from being earlier in some ways. Many of the short stories here feel like pale imitations (shadows, if you will) of the great detective. They mimic the personality traits and background details of Sherlock Holmes.
Across this selection we will see detectives experiment with chemistry, close their eyes and put their fingers together while listening to clients, and a number of familiar Sherlock Holmes habits. There will be a less gifted friend, unimaginative official police, and even a devoted housekeeper (in the mode of Holmes� landlady Mrs Hudson) in one case.
On the whole the weaker stories are those which try to ape Sherlock Holmes. Notably most of these come from books that are now out of print. There are gimmicks � a woman detective (still a rarity then), a doctor detective and a blind detective.
However what the stories make clear is that it is a good deal more difficult than it looks to reproduce the formula that Arthur Conan Doyle made to work so well. Sometimes the solutions do not play fair with the reader, and involve the random inclusion of elements such as mesmerism and drugs.
Sometimes as with the Sexton Blake story here, written by an anonymous author, there are far too many outlandish ideas that can only end in disappointment. The more unusual the mystery, the harder it is to conclude it in a manner that satisfies. We do not have to be utterly convinced by the resolution, but it needs to perfectly answer the expectations built up in us by the mystery.
The best stories in the selection are those that are written by famous writers, or those which seek to sneakily subvert and undermine the detective persona. I imagine most people reading a Sherlock Holmes story are struck by the fact that his supposedly logical interpretations of the facts involve a number of sweeping assumptions that may not be true.
Of course they are always perfectly true within the parameters of the story set out by Arthur Conan Doyle, but in real life some of these deductions might prove mistaken. This allows some writers to have fun with the idea of the great detective.
In ‘The Stolen Cigar-Case�, Brett Harte’s detective is Hemlock Jones (geddit). His friend is a loyal doctor who is never too busy, and who narrates. The doctor is not named, so I shall mischievously call him Dr Notson.
Jones has a number of important cases, but he becomes preoccupied with one in particular. He has been the victim of a theft, namely his cigar case. By means of lucid and brilliant analysis, Jones identifies the criminal as being Dr Notson. It is a virtuoso piece of detective work with only one flaw � it is wrong in every respect, and the poor doctor is innocent.
This satirical story shows us the limits of the Holmes-ian method of deduction, one that relies more on intuition and faith than logic, despite what the detective says. In Robert Barr’s contribution to this volume ‘The Absent-Minded Coterie�, Eugene Valmont also comes a cropper due to lack of clear evidence and a doltish mistake at the end which allows the smooth con-man to burn the evidence.
My two favourite stories in this selection however are by Wilkie Collins and, improbably, Anton Chekhov. The Wilkie Collins work is ‘The Biter Bit�, and it concerns the theft of a man’s money from the room where he and his wife sleep.
In typical Collins style the story is epistolary, allowing for more than one voice. We begin with two police officers discussing how the case is being handed over to a new investigatory, and their exchange of letters would be considered distinctly unprofessional by today’s standards. Chief Inspector Theakstone informs Sergeant Bulmer that this new man has too good an opinion of himself, and probably got the post through underhand means.
Most of the remaining story are letters from this new detective Matthew Sharpin, which he sends to Theakstone to update him on the case. Now having a high self-conceit is not necessarily a bad thing in a detective, and Sherlock Holmes can be said to be guilty of the same vice.
However Holmes� genial contempt for those around him is at least grounded in fact. His mind is superior to the others, and he can be forgiven for feeling some irritation. Sharpin is another case. His high opinion is soon shown to be unjustified. For one thing, he attributes the irritation shown by Theakstone to be jealousy. Holmes would never make that mistake.
Sharpin also tends to be utterly confident of his correctness at every step along the way, in contrast to the self-critical Sherlock Holmes. His biggest mistake though is closed-mindedness. Holmes would not have ruled out any option.
In the case of Sharpin, he looks at the three suspects from the earlier investigation (the reader may be able to think of one or two additional suspects), rules two out and pursues the remaining suspect only. Helped by the attractive wife of the victim, Sharpin spies on his suspect and allows confirmation bias to cloud his judgement, ending in comical disgrace.
The investigators in Chekhov’s story The Swedish Match are more competent, but still end up with egg on their faces because their interpretation of the clues proves to be ingenious but mistaken. They comprise a younger and more eager detective, and a shrewd older man who constantly disparages his colleague’s enthusiasm.
They are investigating a murder, but the body is missing. After arresting several suspects, they finally trace the body down, but there is a shock in store for them that brings the story to an amusing finish.
Curiously murders feature very little in this volume. Most of the crimes are theft, or at least there is dishonest practice that stays within the law.
Overall this is a readable enough collection, but the quality of the stories is strictly variable. Some deserve to be better-known. Some of them are deservedly forgotten.
December 4, 2011
This collection contains no Sherlock Holmes stories. Anyone hoping to find any will be disappointed. None of the stories feature the original Great Detective and few other fictional characters cast quite such a long shadow, are quite as memorable or as engaging. It should not be a surprise then that few of the stories have central characters that are as vivid or attention grabbing. The collection is not without merit, however, and, given its price, is a decent value collection of vintage crime and detective stories.
The stories featured are of variable quality. Some are frankly rather weak: Chekhov's 'The Swedish Match' is a confused and confusing tale and possibly best skipped over entirely; 'The Episode of the Diamond Links' is more of historical interest (as an early example of a story about a con-man) but is unlikely to work for the modern reader. Others are rather better, some are genuine classics of the genre: Poe's 'The Purloined Letter', Collins' 'The Biter Bit' and one of Hornburg's Raffles stories get outings.
The collection is perhaps at its best when the stories clearly show the connection to or influence of Holmes. 'The Purloined Letter', for instance, shows one of his antecedents at his most Holmesian - Dupin's rationations clearly show the way toward's Holmes's deductions. 'A Clever Capture' shows us a forgotten detective (very much cast after Holmes) in good form. 'The Stolen Cigar Case' is a straight satire on the Sherlock Holmes stories. 'Sexton Blake and the Time Killer' gives us the other Baker Street detective dealing with various elements which appear to have come from Holmes stories (a spectral hound, a foreign monarch in London with problems and the mysterious disappearance of peer and a politician) none of which are quite as they appear.
And there are engaging and interesting detectives and criminal protagonists here, even they are not Holmes. Early female detectives appear in 'A Princess's Vengeance' and 'The Stir Outside the Cafe Royal', Robert Barr's Valmont (who prefigures Christie's Poirot) appears in the delightful 'Absent Minded Coterie', Simon Carne, prince of swindlers, threatens to outdo Raffles and the blind Max Carrados is a detective as intriguing as any.
One has to accept that some stories have solutions and elements that appear a little hard to swallow these days - hypnotists given away by their eyes and a type of compulsion based on long buried ancestral memories, for example - but certain of Conan Doyle's had the same issue.
All-in-all, a mixed bag, but with some strong entries. A very solid three stars.
The stories featured are of variable quality. Some are frankly rather weak: Chekhov's 'The Swedish Match' is a confused and confusing tale and possibly best skipped over entirely; 'The Episode of the Diamond Links' is more of historical interest (as an early example of a story about a con-man) but is unlikely to work for the modern reader. Others are rather better, some are genuine classics of the genre: Poe's 'The Purloined Letter', Collins' 'The Biter Bit' and one of Hornburg's Raffles stories get outings.
The collection is perhaps at its best when the stories clearly show the connection to or influence of Holmes. 'The Purloined Letter', for instance, shows one of his antecedents at his most Holmesian - Dupin's rationations clearly show the way toward's Holmes's deductions. 'A Clever Capture' shows us a forgotten detective (very much cast after Holmes) in good form. 'The Stolen Cigar Case' is a straight satire on the Sherlock Holmes stories. 'Sexton Blake and the Time Killer' gives us the other Baker Street detective dealing with various elements which appear to have come from Holmes stories (a spectral hound, a foreign monarch in London with problems and the mysterious disappearance of peer and a politician) none of which are quite as they appear.
And there are engaging and interesting detectives and criminal protagonists here, even they are not Holmes. Early female detectives appear in 'A Princess's Vengeance' and 'The Stir Outside the Cafe Royal', Robert Barr's Valmont (who prefigures Christie's Poirot) appears in the delightful 'Absent Minded Coterie', Simon Carne, prince of swindlers, threatens to outdo Raffles and the blind Max Carrados is a detective as intriguing as any.
One has to accept that some stories have solutions and elements that appear a little hard to swallow these days - hypnotists given away by their eyes and a type of compulsion based on long buried ancestral memories, for example - but certain of Conan Doyle's had the same issue.
All-in-all, a mixed bag, but with some strong entries. A very solid three stars.
January 29, 2015
An excellent volume, which introduces some of the best fictional detectives from the crime genre that thrilled readers around the same time when Sherlock Holmes was ensconced in his rooms at 221B Baker Street. This book introduces such fictional detectives like Max Carrados, Skin o' My Teeth, Sexton Blake and Eugene Valmont to the reader. The volume compiles a fine selection of short ad thrilling crime stories written by masters like Edgar Allan Poe, Anton Chekhov, Ernest Bramah and Bret Harte.
December 24, 2015
I wanted to like this book so badly I reread it for a second time, but nope, I would still give it 1 star. These stories really are just 'shadows of sherlock holmes', and the introduction is even better than the rest of the book good Lord. Urgh.
Btw, anybody explains to me why Craig David is so underrated please?
Btw, anybody explains to me why Craig David is so underrated please?
September 23, 2024
Being a lifelong reader of Arthur Conan Doyle, I usually seize on any book with Sherlock Holmes in the title. I have been interested for many years in the literary scene in which the Sherlock Holmes stories appeared. It was fifty years ago that the series The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, compiled by Graham Greene and his brother Hugh appeared. They are now sadly out of print, which is a shame as they showed that the popularity of the detective story had spawned many imitators of Conan Doyle and they were not all the spawn of Satan which is more than can be said for the contemporary fan fiction offerings to the Sherlock Holmes canon.
However, while Stuart Davies gives very useful potted biographies of the eighteen writers in this anthology he does not give us the dates of original publication. An astute reader, knows however that, rather than being in the shadows of Sherlock Holmes, Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins preceded him. It also soon become obvious that many of these writers more correctly belong to the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden age of detective fiction, making the title a misnomer.
While Stuart Davies perpetuates the view that Edgar Alan Poe wrote the first detective story in Murders on the Rue Morgue, then gives us The Purloined Letter, we can be grateful for another story by Wilkie Collins which I have not seen anthologised before, The Biter Bit. It is interesting to see that The Moonstone was not Collins only attempt at a detective story.
Both The Biter Bit and The Stolen Cigar Case by Brett Harte show us that the form was used for humour right from the start.
I recall that the stories, anthologised by the Greene Brothers in The Rivals of Sherlock
Holmes, were of superior quality to most of those in this anthology. Stuart Davies, however, does have one of those stories in his collection. Robert Barr's The Absent-Minded Coterie, I recall thinking fifty years ago that was a most ingenious plot device. When I re-read it, I am puzzled that I thought it was that good. Still ingenious but needing a better writer to do it credit.
It was pleasing to see some of the stories were about criminals, E.W Hornung's Raffles, Grant Allen's Colonel Clay and Guy Boothby's Simon Carne. I thought Agatha Christie stole the plot of The Episode of the Diamond Links for one of The Labours of Hercule.
Although I said that Stuart Davies gave potted biographies, he was not able to tell us who Guy Clifford was and he explains how the Sexton Blake stories were written by at least a hundred different writers.
I thought the Sexton Blake story, The Time Killer, was the most useful story in the collection, not because it was a good story but because few other anthologists would consider publishing a Sexton Blake story, That is a pity because the Sexton Blake stories are a publishing phenomenon which we need to be aware of. This story gave a good impression of the nature of these stories with colourful characters such as Mrs Bardell and her malapropisms. (Even office boys seem to have appreciated this style of humour). The Macguffin (or should that be the Schmilbick?) around which the mystery revolves is however, rather fanciful and probably only acceptable to undemanding office boy readers.
This is a Wordsworth Classic edition and has all the failings of a Wordsworth Edition, poor book design, a small font size and narrow margins. Not an attractive design.
An interesting collection of old stories with only a few deserving of being resurrected.
However, while Stuart Davies gives very useful potted biographies of the eighteen writers in this anthology he does not give us the dates of original publication. An astute reader, knows however that, rather than being in the shadows of Sherlock Holmes, Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins preceded him. It also soon become obvious that many of these writers more correctly belong to the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden age of detective fiction, making the title a misnomer.
While Stuart Davies perpetuates the view that Edgar Alan Poe wrote the first detective story in Murders on the Rue Morgue, then gives us The Purloined Letter, we can be grateful for another story by Wilkie Collins which I have not seen anthologised before, The Biter Bit. It is interesting to see that The Moonstone was not Collins only attempt at a detective story.
Both The Biter Bit and The Stolen Cigar Case by Brett Harte show us that the form was used for humour right from the start.
I recall that the stories, anthologised by the Greene Brothers in The Rivals of Sherlock
Holmes, were of superior quality to most of those in this anthology. Stuart Davies, however, does have one of those stories in his collection. Robert Barr's The Absent-Minded Coterie, I recall thinking fifty years ago that was a most ingenious plot device. When I re-read it, I am puzzled that I thought it was that good. Still ingenious but needing a better writer to do it credit.
It was pleasing to see some of the stories were about criminals, E.W Hornung's Raffles, Grant Allen's Colonel Clay and Guy Boothby's Simon Carne. I thought Agatha Christie stole the plot of The Episode of the Diamond Links for one of The Labours of Hercule.
Although I said that Stuart Davies gave potted biographies, he was not able to tell us who Guy Clifford was and he explains how the Sexton Blake stories were written by at least a hundred different writers.
I thought the Sexton Blake story, The Time Killer, was the most useful story in the collection, not because it was a good story but because few other anthologists would consider publishing a Sexton Blake story, That is a pity because the Sexton Blake stories are a publishing phenomenon which we need to be aware of. This story gave a good impression of the nature of these stories with colourful characters such as Mrs Bardell and her malapropisms. (Even office boys seem to have appreciated this style of humour). The Macguffin (or should that be the Schmilbick?) around which the mystery revolves is however, rather fanciful and probably only acceptable to undemanding office boy readers.
This is a Wordsworth Classic edition and has all the failings of a Wordsworth Edition, poor book design, a small font size and narrow margins. Not an attractive design.
An interesting collection of old stories with only a few deserving of being resurrected.
April 21, 2025
average: 4.3 stars
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘗𝘜𝘙𝘓𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘌𝘋 𝘓𝘌𝘛𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘣𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘦 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘐𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘉𝘐𝘛 𝘣𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘓𝘌𝘕 𝘊𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘙-𝘊𝘈𝘚𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘈 𝘗𝘙𝘐𝘕𝘊𝘌𝘚𝘚’� 𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘎𝘌𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘊. 𝘓. 𝘗𝘪𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘈𝘉𝘚𝘌𝘕𝘛-𝘔𝘐𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘋 𝘊𝘖𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘐𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘞𝘌𝘋𝘐𝘚𝘏 𝘔𝘈𝘛𝘊𝘏 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘬𝘩𝘰𝘷 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘌𝘊𝘙𝘌𝘛𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘊𝘒 𝘉𝘙𝘖𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘋 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘌𝘗𝘐𝘚𝘖𝘋𝘌 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘋 𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘒𝘚 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘈 𝘊𝘓𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙 𝘊𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘜𝘙𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘕𝘐𝘕𝘌 𝘗𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘛𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘓𝘈𝘞 𝘣𝘺 𝘌.𝘞. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘶𝘯𝘨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘙 𝘖𝘜𝘛𝘚𝘐𝘋𝘌 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘊𝘈𝘍É 𝘙𝘖𝘠𝘈𝘓 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘬 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘋𝘜𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘚𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘞𝘐𝘓𝘛𝘚𝘏𝘐𝘙𝘌’� 𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘣𝘺 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘉𝘓𝘌𝘔 𝘖𝘍 𝘋𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘙𝘖𝘖𝘔 𝘈 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘏𝘜𝘕𝘋𝘙𝘌𝘋-𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘚𝘈𝘕𝘋-𝘋𝘖𝘓𝘓𝘈𝘙 𝘙𝘖𝘉𝘉𝘌𝘙𝘠 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘜𝘙𝘙𝘌𝘠 𝘊𝘈𝘛𝘛𝘓𝘌-𝘔𝘈𝘐𝘔𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘔𝘠𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘠 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘎𝘏𝘖𝘚𝘛 𝘈𝘛 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘚𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘏𝘈𝘔 𝘔𝘈𝘕𝘚𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚 𝘣𝘺 𝘌𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘩 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘚𝘌𝘟𝘛𝘖𝘕 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘛𝘐𝘔𝘌-𝘒𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘌𝘙 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘗𝘖𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘋 𝘣𝘺 𝘌. 𝘞. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘶𝘯𝘨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘛 𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘙𝘓 𝘔𝘠𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘠 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘖𝘳𝘤𝘻𝘺 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘗𝘜𝘙𝘓𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘌𝘋 𝘓𝘌𝘛𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘣𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘦 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘐𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘉𝘐𝘛 𝘣𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘓𝘌𝘕 𝘊𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘙-𝘊𝘈𝘚𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘈 𝘗𝘙𝘐𝘕𝘊𝘌𝘚𝘚’� 𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘎𝘌𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘊. 𝘓. 𝘗𝘪𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘈𝘉𝘚𝘌𝘕𝘛-𝘔𝘐𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘋 𝘊𝘖𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘐𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘞𝘌𝘋𝘐𝘚𝘏 𝘔𝘈𝘛𝘊𝘏 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘬𝘩𝘰𝘷 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘌𝘊𝘙𝘌𝘛𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘊𝘒 𝘉𝘙𝘖𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘋 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘌𝘗𝘐𝘚𝘖𝘋𝘌 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘋 𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘒𝘚 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘈 𝘊𝘓𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙 𝘊𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘜𝘙𝘌 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘕𝘐𝘕𝘌 𝘗𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘛𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘓𝘈𝘞 𝘣𝘺 𝘌.𝘞. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘶𝘯𝘨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘙 𝘖𝘜𝘛𝘚𝘐𝘋𝘌 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘊𝘈𝘍É 𝘙𝘖𝘠𝘈𝘓 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘬 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘋𝘜𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘚𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘞𝘐𝘓𝘛𝘚𝘏𝘐𝘙𝘌’� 𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘣𝘺 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘉𝘓𝘌𝘔 𝘖𝘍 𝘋𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘙𝘖𝘖𝘔 𝘈 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘏𝘜𝘕𝘋𝘙𝘌𝘋-𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘚𝘈𝘕𝘋-𝘋𝘖𝘓𝘓𝘈𝘙 𝘙𝘖𝘉𝘉𝘌𝘙𝘠 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘜𝘙𝘙𝘌𝘠 𝘊𝘈𝘛𝘛𝘓𝘌-𝘔𝘈𝘐𝘔𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘔𝘠𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘠 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘎𝘏𝘖𝘚𝘛 𝘈𝘛 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘚𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘏𝘈𝘔 𝘔𝘈𝘕𝘚𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚 𝘣𝘺 𝘌𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘩 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘚𝘌𝘟𝘛𝘖𝘕 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘛𝘐𝘔𝘌-𝘒𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘌𝘙 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘗𝘖𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘋 𝘣𝘺 𝘌. 𝘞. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘶𝘯𝘨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
📍𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘛 𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘙𝘓 𝘔𝘠𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘠 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘖𝘳𝘤𝘻𝘺 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
April 28, 2019
A book of parodies to the cycle of novels and short stories about the celebrated private detective Mr Sherlock Holmes, and his devout friend and chronicler Dr Watson. A parody, of course, never reaches the appeal of the original. In all the stories the authors tried to create a charismatic figure but, unfortunately, fell short of the genius they tried to copy. Many of the stories are more or less decent but the rest is really below the mark. One positive thing about this is, maybe, that they want you to go back to Sherlock and enjoy once more both his persona and his adventures.
August 13, 2020
Interesting to see what was considered acceptable as a solution back then (race memory anyone) but a few too many show why their characters fall into the category of justifiably forgotten and even if you did want to read more where would you find them, always a problem with these types of books, while Dupin or Sexy in Blake have some reprints over the years even the most expert in crime fiction might not have any Skin o` My Tooth or Colonel Clay stories in their collection, do this is merely an interesting curio
June 6, 2017
Different authors, different Sherlocks. Apart from a few original stories (I especially like the parody of Sherlock which was hilarious), I did not enjoy many of them. Too much like the original while lacking the little something that makes Sherlock Sherlock, I guess I am only fond of the man, not of the genre itself! Ok to keep on your bedside to read once in a while in between other books!
February 16, 2024
A selection of 19 short stories of 19th and early 20th century detective tales that do not feature Sherlock Holmes. The seven which were noteworthy were the Raffles tale and those written by Robert Barr, Dick Donovan, Grant Allen, Guy Clifford, Clarence Rook and Guy Boothby - but the rest were run of the mill.
January 25, 2023
Yeah I liked that! This wouldn’t be something I’d like actively pick out, but I enjoyed it! Each story had something about it that was enjoyable, and even though there were weaker books, it was a fun collection
- average of the books i reviewed = 3.5
- average of the books i reviewed = 3.5
March 11, 2018
Some great yarns in here but many of them really do feel like Holmes and Watson with a gimmick added and the serial numbers filed off. No real duds but some quite samey tales.
February 9, 2021
A fairly uneven collection - there's a reason none of these authors or their creations have the lasting fame of Doyle and Holmes.
March 27, 2022
There was no Sherlock Homes I rest my case
April 6, 2025
Fun, although a bit dated in writing style.
October 7, 2013
Once Conan Doyle had tasted success with the first Sherlock
Holmes story "A Study in Scarlet" published in "Beeton's
Christmas Annual" for 1887 it seemed inevitable that other
writers were inspired to created their own idiosyncratic
detectives. I agree with another reviewer, I could have read
this forever - a big plus is a very interesting introduction
as to why Sherlock Holmes was so charismatic and instantly
spawned so many imitators and a paragraph is provided on each
of the authors represented.
I liked all the stories but it took an American writer, Bret
Harte, to come up with a hilarious parody "The Stolen Cigar
Case" - I just laughed myself silly!! His creation is Hemlock
Jones, an egotistical bore, who solves crimes before they happen
and he, in turn, is followed around by a down at heel doctor
who is first introduced caressing the doctor's feet!! He is a
beggar because he spends all his time following Jones around
and hanging off his every word so he has lost the few patients
he managed to keep!! Of course Hemlock is almost a psychotic
who treats him like dirt!! Really hilarious, although probably
not for Sherlock Holmes devotees!!
Another truly funny one is "The Biter Bit" by Wilkie Collins -
about an incompetent assistant who thinks he has more brains
than all of Scotland Yard put together and exasperated Inspector
Theakston who fortunately has the last laugh!! Others that I
like were "The Problem of Dressing Room A" featuring "The
Thinking Machine" (I'm not joking!!) and "A Princess's Vengeance"
featuring Loveday Brooke, one of the earliest female
investigators, appearing in print only a few years after Sherlock
Holmes.
Holmes story "A Study in Scarlet" published in "Beeton's
Christmas Annual" for 1887 it seemed inevitable that other
writers were inspired to created their own idiosyncratic
detectives. I agree with another reviewer, I could have read
this forever - a big plus is a very interesting introduction
as to why Sherlock Holmes was so charismatic and instantly
spawned so many imitators and a paragraph is provided on each
of the authors represented.
I liked all the stories but it took an American writer, Bret
Harte, to come up with a hilarious parody "The Stolen Cigar
Case" - I just laughed myself silly!! His creation is Hemlock
Jones, an egotistical bore, who solves crimes before they happen
and he, in turn, is followed around by a down at heel doctor
who is first introduced caressing the doctor's feet!! He is a
beggar because he spends all his time following Jones around
and hanging off his every word so he has lost the few patients
he managed to keep!! Of course Hemlock is almost a psychotic
who treats him like dirt!! Really hilarious, although probably
not for Sherlock Holmes devotees!!
Another truly funny one is "The Biter Bit" by Wilkie Collins -
about an incompetent assistant who thinks he has more brains
than all of Scotland Yard put together and exasperated Inspector
Theakston who fortunately has the last laugh!! Others that I
like were "The Problem of Dressing Room A" featuring "The
Thinking Machine" (I'm not joking!!) and "A Princess's Vengeance"
featuring Loveday Brooke, one of the earliest female
investigators, appearing in print only a few years after Sherlock
Holmes.
August 22, 2014
I used to buy books from this publisher at the late lamented indie book store Best Bargain Books in Patchougue, NY. Now hopefully I can still get their books as well as their Mystery book series from the Strand in NYC. With these publications, there's usually a 50/50 chance of getting a good one. You really can't tell until you start reading.
Full disclosure: I tend to prefer my mysteries and crime novels a bit more realistic-Sue Grafton, Ian Rankin, for example. (I think Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie series is about as off beat as I get.)
But I was attracted-as is usually the case with Wordsworth books, by the opportunity to find some of the more obscure and forgotten works from the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
This had potential but sorry to say that it would have been better titled "The Pale Comparisons to Sherlock Holmes". These stories were so tedious, so pedestrian, and some times so far fetched, that out of the 19 collected in this book, I liked about 4. The editor's introduction was more interesting than most of these stories. I could say "reader beware" but keep in mind my aforementioned preference in this genre.
Full disclosure: I tend to prefer my mysteries and crime novels a bit more realistic-Sue Grafton, Ian Rankin, for example. (I think Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie series is about as off beat as I get.)
But I was attracted-as is usually the case with Wordsworth books, by the opportunity to find some of the more obscure and forgotten works from the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
This had potential but sorry to say that it would have been better titled "The Pale Comparisons to Sherlock Holmes". These stories were so tedious, so pedestrian, and some times so far fetched, that out of the 19 collected in this book, I liked about 4. The editor's introduction was more interesting than most of these stories. I could say "reader beware" but keep in mind my aforementioned preference in this genre.
July 1, 2008
I love this book. I wish it wasn't over! The writing is wonderfully classic in nature, the mysteries creative... One of my favorite parts is the genesis of every mystery which begins with a person or two showing up to Baker Street, and charging into a detailed, one to two page synopsis of the crimes or situations. It seems they've all been briefed beforehand on the intricate details they should include, or is it just coincidence that they all know the protocol?
FYI: The title and publication are matches to the book I am reading, but the description seems a little off... The one I'm currently reading includes 20 of his best stories, including:
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Red-Headed League
The Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
The Blue Carbuncle
The Speckled Band
The Copper Beeches
Silver Blaze
The Musgrave Ritual
The Reigate Squires
The Greek Interpreter
The Final Problem
The Empty House
The Dancing Men
The Solitary Cyclist
The Priory School
Charles Augustus Milverton
The Second Stain
The Devil's Foot
The Illustrious Client
FYI: The title and publication are matches to the book I am reading, but the description seems a little off... The one I'm currently reading includes 20 of his best stories, including:
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Red-Headed League
The Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
The Blue Carbuncle
The Speckled Band
The Copper Beeches
Silver Blaze
The Musgrave Ritual
The Reigate Squires
The Greek Interpreter
The Final Problem
The Empty House
The Dancing Men
The Solitary Cyclist
The Priory School
Charles Augustus Milverton
The Second Stain
The Devil's Foot
The Illustrious Client
September 20, 2024
I can’t for the life of me understand why an anthology of mysteries claiming to be in line with Sherlock Holmes would be so terrible. I’ve read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and this trash doesn’t even come close to comparing. Most attempted at wittiness to fail miserably. It is brilliant to be able to figure out someone’s exact profession and lifestyle based on the way their sleeves are creased. It is not brilliant to be able to figure out it’s raining because of the sound of raindrops at the windows. I ended up skimming the majority of these poorly written stories, as the idiocy was just too much for me.
June 5, 2010
I have enjoyed several FBY novels before - all of which have been set This is an excellent collection of stories, and although some of them may now appear unbelievable and dated to our modern eyes they are nontheless compelling and become quite unputdownable. My favourite stories - where "Nine points of the law" by E W Hornung, "The Biter Bit" by Wilkie Collins, and "Sexton Blake and the Time Killer" (Annon). Anyone who enjoys the great stories of Arthur Conan Doyle or those old fashioned suspense stories will love this collection.
September 12, 2012
Excellent compilation. It includes wonderful examples of detective literature around the Holmes era: we have lady detectives (Loveday Brooke and Miss van Snoop)thieves that baffle the police in their face (Klimo, Raffles and Colonel Clay) Sexton Blake , a comic book detective avant la lettre (and so popular, he even gave name to a cocktail!!!)hunorous parodies by Wilkie Collins and Bret Harte (the latter a Sherlockian parody)and so much more.The choice is excellent, varied and exciting, and the skill of Davies in choosing is proved again in other anthologies of his. Very very good.
January 4, 2012
A fine and thoroughly enjoyable collection of nineteen short detective stories contemporaneous to the hugely popular adventures of the famous Baker Street sleuth.
Davies assembles a very good collection. Only a few of the stories dragged and lacked a degree of originality or zip. I suspect the Sexton Blake story was included for completion's sake. Most of the stories have aged well due to the energy with which they are written.
Grant Allen and Hesketh Pritchard were the two lesser known writers who stood out for me.
Davies assembles a very good collection. Only a few of the stories dragged and lacked a degree of originality or zip. I suspect the Sexton Blake story was included for completion's sake. Most of the stories have aged well due to the energy with which they are written.
Grant Allen and Hesketh Pritchard were the two lesser known writers who stood out for me.
May 3, 2010
A good collection of mostly Victorian and Edwardian detective stories, rescued from old magazines and long out-of-print books. I can't praise efforts to save such things enough. There is some really good stuff here. One favourite was a story by Victorian writer Grant Allen about a gentleman thief who returns in disguise time and again to rob the same clueless millionaire which impressed me enough to go out an buy a whole collection of his tales.
August 23, 2007
as usual watson always descripts all cases with exciting and tremendous point of view....while Sherlock Holmes find all the akward with simple answer.
good to read especially for those who want to know Sherlock Holmes in a glance
good to read especially for those who want to know Sherlock Holmes in a glance
January 25, 2014
It's a book of 19 short stories written by different authors and plots that are have been inspired and established on Sherlock Holmes books. Yet each story has its own protagonist, antagonist and characters with tantalizing mystery, humor and some unexpected endings.
January 23, 2015
I really debated this rating. some of the stories warranted 3 stars and some warranted 4. So I will be generous and say that overall these were very enjoyable little tales of decent variety. A nice collection for any mystery buff of the Sherlock era.
August 2, 2011
Excellent selection, some timeless efforts there.
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