The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Man From Hell

by Barrie Roberts

In 1886, wealthy philathropist Lord Backwater is found beaten to death on the grounds of his estate. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must unravel the mystery by pitting their wits against a ruthless new enemy, taking them across the globe in search of the killer.

By turns both thrilling and daring, The Man From Hell braves dark new territories in the Holmes mythology and is an invaluable addition to the library of any Holmes fan.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes’ career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the Further Adventures series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the worlds’ greatest detective.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, Detective, British Literature, Historical Mystery

180 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Gram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent Holmes pastiche but not one of the best ones. Wealthy philanthropist Lord Backwater is found beaten to death on the grounds of his estate. The police believe the murder was committed by local poachers, but when Sherlock Holmes is consulted by Lord Blackwater's son, he believes the answer lies in the late Lord Blackwater's past.
It turns out that, as a boy, along with his foster brother, he was transported to a penal colony in Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) but he escaped believing his foster brother was killed during their attempt at freedom.
Holmes must use all his deductive powers as he deals with a group of criminals known as "The Ring"who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. If I didn't see the author's name I would swear that ACD wrote it. He really did a great job. The story was interesting and the characters well rounded. The only small drawback was that I found a few parts a little boring. But aside from that I recommend this book to any Sherlock fans.

[Fred Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book in the ever expanding Holmes genre.

As usual something that happens in the past comes back to bite someone who has evolved out of the situation.

Holmes to the rescue

Good read

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of the Titan line of Sherlock Holmes novels feature some fantastic stuff, such as run-ins with other fictional characters like Tarzan or Dracula. If done well such stories can provide a lot of entertainment. However it is always nice to read a “straightforward” Holmes tale such as Conan Doyle might have written. The Man From Hell fills the bill- it was not perfect but the characterization of SH and JW worked and so, for the most part, did the mystery. Four stars as the ending seemed a little hasty and the Big Bad’s identity was telegraphed.

[4cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Holmes pastiche, reads well and good afternoon read. My only complaint I worked out very quickly who was at the heart of the crime, my deductive talents must be improving!

[Paul Pensom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being hamstrung by a dreadful comic-book style cover design this was an enjoyable read. The Watsonian voice rings true, as does a lengthy testimony by way of exposition. The story relies a touch too heavily on coincidence for my taste — the more so since the author has Holmes condemning coincidence twice, but that's only a minor cavil on a well researched and lovingly-crafted tale.

[John Yelverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for many years, I can honestly say that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would never have written drivel like this.

[Arlomisty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Great sherlock holmes mystery books! I really enjoy this further adventures series written by various authors. This one was well done!

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the ‘Further Adventures of Sherlock Homes’ series goes, this is one of the best! “The Man from Hell” is an excellent Holmes pastiche – it starts strong and finishes strong without being too predictable. Barrie Roberts has done a good job at capturing the essence of Doyle's iconic characters of Holmes and Watson. Dr. Watson's narrative is enjoyable and brings the reader into the story. The plot is well crafted, reads easily, and it keeps one guessing.

In 1886, wealthy philanthropist Lord Backwater is found beaten to death on the grounds of his estate. “The Man from Hell” now has our beloved pair called into the mystery of Lord Backwater’s death by his son and heir. As often happens, the local Chief Constable believes it was the work of poachers, has no use for what he calls "Cockney agents." However, Holmes persists and gradually a complicated tale of injustice, blackmail, murder and a sinister criminal society unfolds.

Roberts' captured Doyle's voice well. The backstory (told by lengthy flash-back) was brilliant - the story of two young boys who were falsely accused and sunk into the sad, slimy depths of the British transportation prison system. Several chapters reveal the historical elements of the penal system which are very interesting and important to the plot. Many won't realize the horrors of the British penal system unless you are very familiar with the Devil's Island transportation-prisons. To the avid reader of Holmes, one may sense that he plot also borrows a bit from “The Sign of the Four”. Regardless, “The Man from Hell” is a well-crafted story that a fan of Holmes will appreciate.

[Gilbert G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sherlock and Dr. Watson and am so happy that there are new authors who were authorised to continue the name and mysteries of Sherlock as long as they follow the way they were originally written. Believe me I have read many of the new authors and happily many of the original books and am a big fan of the new authors because the have followed the same structure and writing style that produced such wonderful originals mysteries for many years.
This particular book takes us from a British penal colony and the adventure of a young man and his half brother in their attempt to escape the terrors they endured.
I gave this book a 5 star rating because it is full of intrigue, horrible treatment of two young man and their initiation into a very evil secret society while in the colony. Really enjoyable and a very fast read. Enjoy your reading!

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started this while at library so was a quick finish.
Like most of these new tales the authors can mimic Doyle's style with ease. Here we have another complicated back story to set the scene for the detective to solve the why involved in the story present.. It starts with the bad history of English law and deportation that was the 'so called' nice solution to crime and social unrest. The norm had been execution but by the 1800's children and young people of both sexes where transported to places like Australia as an alternative to hanging.
This story has a few twists and turns which keep the action moving. The basic clues are there but the solution is as usual not all that obvious to the reader. This keeps the stories by Barrie interesting.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Blackwater has been murdered and his heir calls on Holmes to help investigate. He soon finds the case draws him to horrific events in the Australian penal colony and atrocities committed there.

A very Holmesian adventure, well written and with a clever bit of deductive reasoning to solve the crime.

[Phil Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the Further Adventures of Sherlock Homes series goes, this is a good one. Liked the story of two boys grown into men while in the British transportation prison system.

[Richard Pett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a Conan-Doyle original, great!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying additional story of Sherlock and Watson. Writing style and characters felt true to the source.

[Lari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amount of backstory to mystery was a bit out of proportion, but it was interesting.

[Mike Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Sherlock Holmes novel and I really appreciate the facts that I picked up about the transportation system and Norfolk Island.

[Iami Menotu · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as 'a study in scarlet'.

[Steve H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of Sherlock Holmes novels by various authors and generally i lap them up. I really struggled with this one, the writing and setting were all fine but I just found it ..🤔 dull.

[Scott E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cracking addition to the canon. Extremely solid plot and tight writing. Doyle would be proud

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were times as I read this book when I honestly thought, "have I read this book before?" It matches Doyle's style so well, I could have mistaken it for an original Sherlock adventure. Would definitely recommend.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a massive Sherlock Holmes fan I always enter into reading a parody with a certain amount of trepidation. It seems when it comes to Sherlock parodies few are written well. This novel, more of a short story considering how many pages there are, is a bit of a mixed bag with regards the quality of writing. Dr. Watson’s narrative mimics Doyle’s very well, but the mystery itself is too simple and barely stretches the worlds most famous consulting detective. There are too many occasions when it is necessary for the reader to just go with it. The imagination needs to be greatly stretched and the conclusion is quite dull. The depiction of the conditions for those who were transported to Australia is very accurate and well researched, being one of the redeeming elements of the story. I was left feeling distinctly under whelmed after reading this book. It isn’t awful, but it just felt as though there was something lacking.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very solid Holmes addition. The historical elements of the penal system are very interesting and tie into the mystery very well. Many won't realize the horrors of the British penal system which are highlighted here. Overall, the style and tone is fairly similar to Doyle's and it is a quick read. It also heavily borrows from A Study in Scarlet in that it has a story within a story involving a backstory of some of the characters. The plot also borrows a decent bit from Sign of the Four.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now, I love Sherlock Holmes and even some of the'New Holmes' novels, but this seemed a lack-luster effort at best. The Watsonian voice was pretty much in tack, but Holmes seemed a little bumbling and like he missed obvious facts. We all want Holmes to be three steps ahead of the criminals, but that really wasn't the case here. Also, way too much of this story was told by lengthy flash-back, something effectively used in 'A Study in Scarlet', but a cheap imitation here.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this take on Sherlock Holmes, though not as much as the Anthony Horowitz novel that I recently read. It was a good mystery though and Roberts' echoed Conan Doyle's voice reasonably well. I attempted to read a couple of others with the "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" moniker and was disappointed (these are by different authors). Not everyone can do the detective justice - this novel manages to.

[Jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middling S.H. pastiche. The book is mostly worth a read due to its description of the U.K. version of the Devil's Island transportation-prisons. The "System" first transported convicts to the Americas, and later to Australia and other islands in the South Pacific. So -- some good history intertwined with a decent, well-paced Holmes mystery.

[Fraser Merricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book said it all. A man from Hell. On first instinct I thought it could be a supernatural mystery but I was wrong and pleased that I was at the same time. Like Doyle you only find out the true extent of what is going on or how this event came to play right at the end. One of my favourites.

[Forcryinoutloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, interesting read - though for those that are triggered by the subject matter there is discussion and mentions of children being used for sex several times in this book. A more satisfying ending than previously read "The Further Adventures of..." books.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an alright read. Interesting enough case and much more in the style of Conan Doyle than some other pastiches I've read, but it just wasn't good or quite engaging enough for me. No real reason other than that. Just shows that writing style isn't everything.

[Maxime Ouellet-payeur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read (actually a very interesting book), but clearly not one of the books of the Canon. Holmes lacks the cleverness of his other inquiries. Still, the bits about Australia are very interesting.