Steve Emecz's Blog: Musings of a Sherlockian Publisher, page 10

Peter E. Blau reviews Watson is not an Idiot by Eddy Webb

"Eddy Webb’s WATSON IS NOT AN IDIOT (2013; 201 pp.) is not a rehabilitation of Watson (who doesn’t really need one any more), but rather (as it’s subtitled) "an opinionated tour of the Sherlock Holmes canon" that offers insights into the stories."

Watson Is Not An Idiot is available from all good bookstores including  Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

Review of Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers

"In January of 2013, I reviewed Dean P. Turnbloom’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire. I was pleasantly surprised by Turnbloom’s book as it was far more complex and deeper than I ever expected it to be. So, when I learned that Turnbloom was writing a follow-up, I anxiously awaited its release. That sequel, Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers is the subject of today’s review.

Picking up right where Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire left off, this novel finds Holmes and Watson disappointed in being unable to stop Baron Antonio Barlucci, the titular vampire, as well as his latest victim, Abigail Drake. However, Miss Drake’s body is recovered in a lifeboat and taken to a mortuary in Canada. Inspector Walter Andrews of Scotland Yard is assigned to travel to Newfoundland and identify the body, but by the time he arrives, Miss Drake’s body has disappeared. It seems as though someone has absconded with her body leaving numerous corpses in their wake. Inspector Andrews follows the clues to New York City where a number of people are beginning to be murdered. Each one has been found their bodies completely drained of blood. This is enough to entice Holmes and Watson to cross the Atlantic. Once in the Big Apple, the great detective is faced with one unnerving question - has the Ripper taken up roots in New York or are the killings the work of a vampire?

Once more, Mr. Turnbloom has managed to surprise me with his plots. Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers is a complex, well-plotted, well written novel. So many plot threads are woven throughout the book’s pages, and each one is nicely wrapped up in the finale. Turnbloom takes his subject matter incredibly seriously, even when he’s writing about vampires in New York City. Along with the fine plot are the excellent characters. Each character is developed in depth and you will emphatise with them as you read. Even the recurring characters from the first novel are reintroeuced once more - which is good since it had been over a year since I read Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire.

But what of Sherlock Holmes? Well, he’s rather sidelined again, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the other characters are so interesting. He comes across similarly as he did in the canon, as does Dr. Watson. Turnbloom utilises Watson’s point-of-view in the scenes which feature the intrepid detectives, which is different from previous novel which was told entirely in the third person. What’s more, Turnbloom nicely emulates the canon’s style of writing, but perhaps writes a bit more naturally than Doyle. What does that mean? It means that the characters pause, breathe heavily and clear their throats mid-sentence, which at first may be something of a stumbling block to the reader, but is easily overcome.

There are a few downsides to this novel though. Holmes does too little detective work for my taste and by the time he has summed up the problem for the principle characters, the reader is already in possession of the truth. There’s also the fact that if the reader has not read Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire he or she is liable to be very lost. Characters are introduced and the reader is expected to know of their importance already, and events which transpired in the first book are referenced and hinted at, and then never fully explained. Therefore, I highly recommend reading Turnbloom’s first novel before moving onto its sequel.

I was once more surprised by Dean P. Turnbloom’s Sherlockian efforts. Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers was a complex, well-written and excellently plotted novel which pit the world’s greatest detective against the forces of evil once more. I therefore do not hesitate in awarding the novel 4 out of 5 stars.”

Reviewed by Nick Cardillo

Sherlock Holmes and The Body Snatchers is available from all good bookstores including  Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).

April 14th – A Scandal in Bohemia, illustrated in Lego.

April 14th - A Scandal in Bohemia, illustrated in Lego. The first in a new series with a new book each month.

Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble USA, Amazon UK, Hive UK (free UK delivery) and free delivery worldwide from Book Depository.

Philip K. Jones reviews Sherlock Holmes: Studies in Legacy by Luke Benjamen Kuhns

"This is a collection of six novellas which mostly follow up on the author’s first collection,The Untold Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  There are several villains spread across the six stories and, frankly, the collection of ‘bad guys’ makes the late Professor Moriarty look like a progressive and imaginative businessman.

The first story, “A Study in Hysteria,” presents a peculiar suicide attempt by a patient under treatment by Dr. Sigmund Freud, an old acquaintance of Holmes.  It quickly becomes apparent that much more than a patient’s delusions are occurring and Holmes, Watson and Freud are soon chasing a terrifying murderer.  In “A Study in Yellow” well-to-do young women are disappearing and the return of “Saucy Jack” is feared.  After three of the women are found murdered and dismembered, “Ripper Mania” returns in full force.  In the third case, “A Study in Stone,” reminders of earlier cases and villains are highlighted through a series of murders in Wales.  In addition, events in this case point to some single source for all the evil in the first three cases.

The fourth tale, “A Study in Clockwork,” resolves the source of villainy that permeates this series of cases as well as referring back to events in the earlier collection.  Madness certainly plays a part, but this madness seems to arise from the series of choices made by the villain, not from genetic or societal pressures.  It is hard to imagine a self-made villain, but this one is about as close to such as I would ever like to encounter.  Frankly, madness is more forgivable and easier to understand.

The final two tales seem to share no connection with the others in this collection. “Sherlock Holmes and the Belgravia Mourner” presents a rationalist who is half-convinced that his wife is being haunted by a demon.  Holmes is his last resort for a rational explanation for events that reek of the supernatural.  The final tale, “Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein,” connects recent grave robberies in London to the voyage of the Polestar and an old folk tale from Central Europe.  Holmes and Watson face a horror from the past resurrected by a madman from the present.

The stories are entertaining and well-written, but they are dark.  There are few happy endings and most situations are grim.  No frolicking children appear and no joyful reunions are recounted.  This world is not a happy place, although, through the efforts of Holmes and Watson, a lot of evil manages to be disposed of.”

Sherlock Holmes Studies in Legacy  is available from all good bookstores including in the USA Amazon, in the UK Amazon, Waterstones,  and for everywhere else Book Depository who offer free worldwide delivery. In ebook format there is Kindle,  iPad and Kobo.

Peter E. Blau reviews Is That My Holmes? and Is That My Watson? by Andrew Murray

"IS THAT MY HOLMES? and IS THAT MY WATSON? are amusing rhymed picture books written by Andrew Murray, with artwork by Deakin Brook (2013; 24 pp.), that are inspired by recent film and television versions of Holmes and Watson."

Is That My Holmes? is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

Is That My Watson? is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo and Nook.

Peter E. Blau reviews Sherlock Holmes and The Lufton Lady

"Marlene Aig’s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE LUFTON LADY (London: MX Publishing, 2013; 95 pp.) is a welcome reminder of a fine writer who died far too young; set in 1878, it’s a tale of a younger and more romantic Holmes, nicely told, and with an appreciative forward by written by Susan Dahlinger.”

Sherlock Holmes and The Lufton Lady is available from all good bookstores including  Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).

Review of Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter

„The name Albert Einstein is known the world over, much like Sherlock Holmes. It is therefore unusual that a pastiche featuring the world’s greatest detective and the world’s foremost scientist has never come to light - that is until now. Tim Symonds’ latest Sherlock Holmes novel, The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter at last features these two legendary figures together.

Dr. Watson is given an offer he cannot refuse - to photograph Sherlock Holmes standing on the precipice of the Reichenbach Falls, the site of his struggle with Professor Moriarty. As Watson cajoles Holmes into the trip, they must face the wrath of a vengeful Colonel Sebastian Moran, Moriarty’s former right-hand man. Though the two manage to elude Moran and his gun-toting henchmen, the plot is about to thicken. Holmes and Watson are approached by the Dean of a prestigious Swiss university to investigate a promising young scientist named Albert Einstein. Two letters have been intercepted which Einstein wrote, one referring to a mysterious person named Lieserl. Who could this person be and what connection do they have to Einstein’s life. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson shall journey throughout Europe in their quest for the truth, and will plunge into a world far darker and far more complex than either could ever contemplate.

I must heartily congratulate author Tim Symonds on his writing. The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter is his third Sherlock Holmes pastiche, the other two I have yet to read, but if they are like this one, they should make for some interesting reading. Symonds’ research into his subjects was terrific, weaving in Sherlockian and historical knowledge into the plot. Reading The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter was not only presenting a fine mystery, but a learning experience,and a fine showcase into the situation of turn-of-the-century Europe. Symonds’ prose must also be mentioned as he managed to capture the tone of Doyle’s writing very well, though perhaps incorporated a few too many (for the lack of better words) big words.

In terms of canon, the book fared quite well - the presentation of Dr. Watson should be specially noted. Sherlock Holmes was presented as the intellectual great of Doyle’s originals, but in my mind he did not do enough actual detective work to truly astound me. Other canon figures turned up as well, most notably Colonel Moran, who even after his only canonical appearance is still out to claim the life of the great detective. Another canon villain, whose name I shall not divulge, makes a far too brief cameo and his inclusion, though a nice nod the short stories, did not serve much of a purpose.

The plot of Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter was complex enough and surprisingly dark, but lacked in the dramatic department. With a title like The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter any revelations about a mysterious, unidentified person, aren’t truly revelations. The fact that some historical details are presented in the author’s forward also dispel some of that all-importantmystery, so in essence the solution was presented even before Holmes and Watson embarked on their case!

That is not to say Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter was a disappointing read. With its complex plot and excellent research, the novel made for an interesting historical mystery. The presentation of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson was well-done, some of the best in recent memory. I therefore give The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter 3.5 out of 5 possible stars.”

Reviewed by Nick Cardillo

Sherlock Holmes and The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

Philip K. Jones reviews The Detective The Woman and The Silent Hive by Amy Thomas

"This is the third novel by this author about Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler.  As these novels come out, readers find themselves travelling a strange pathway.  Both Sherlock and Irene have developed defenses against caring about others.  Their reasons are different, but their actions are similar.  Both are self-reliant loners who suppress their feelings of care and concern for others lest they be trapped into allowing others to distract them from their own immediate concerns.

This novel opens with Irene arriving at 221B Baker Street to inform Sherlock that her bee hives have all died.  At this time, Irene is the Apiarist and Sherlock is an occasional visitor and interested observer of the process of tending hives.  Dr. Watson is again in residence at Baker Street following the death of his wife (1903 edition, #2 or #3?) and Mrs. Hudson is keeping house for both of them.  Mrs. Turner is housekeeper for Irene at her house on the Downs.  The good Doctor has been a regular visitor to her there and seems to be courting Mrs. Turner while Mrs. Hudson is thinking of selling her town properties and retiring to the country.

The death of Irene’s bees is accepted by Sherlock as a case, since they were killed by a disease with no likely source near her farm.  Initial investigations lead Sherlock to recognize a malevolent influence seemingly centered on himself, but affecting those around him.  The mystery proceeds in fine fashion, but it actually plays out as the beginning of a true friendship between Sherlock and Irene.  The steps in this friendship are careful and slow, but they begin with finding that both of them care for the wellbeing of others.  As these revelations come, they begin to care for each other’s welfare and realize that they are giving up some of their own freedom of action to do so.

The mystery gives way a piece at a time as the source of the dark influence reveals itself.  Innocent parties are killed or harmed and the detective pair find that they are not free to treat all as merely a problem to be solved, but rather that they feel guilt and remorse for exposing friends and colleagues to this evil.  A dark period in Sherlock’s past has generated the hatred that pursues all he cares about and its source must be identified and prevented from doing further harm.  In the meantime, both Irene and Sherlock must learn to open their hearts to others who suffer from association with them.  This process is the theme of the novel and it is well-presented and convincingly handled.

There is no need to say that the explanations and outcomes are all unexpected.  As in her earlier novels, the author has written alternate chapters from the viewpoints of Irene and then of Sherlock.  This practice presents the reader with a more sympathetic view of the two protagonists and it reveals their inner fears and concerns in an indirect fashion.  It is perhaps, the best novel yet in this series.  As ever, the author underplays the emotional content and concentrates lovingly on the facts.”

The Detective The Woman and The Silent Hive is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

Philip K. Jones reviews Charlie Milverton and other Sherlock Holmes Stories by Charlotte Anne Walters

"This book is a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories set in the 21st Century.  They include agents and Rock Stars, cell phones and E-Books and take place in a thoroughly modern world.  They are not written in the style used by Doyle, so this Dr. Watson is not the Watson of the 19th Century.  Instead, Watson is married and is working for a law firm that specializes in “no win, no fee” cases of insurance fraud (Watson’s words).

The short story, “Charlie Milverton,” is the only one that was published earlier as it appeared in Sherlock’s Home (Steve Emecz, ed.)  Just as “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,”this story is about a blackmailer who gets his comeuppance through the efforts of Sherlock and Dr. Watson.  It also features a retired Inspector Lestrade who is now working as a private security consultant.  Todd Carter, a “Manager to the Stars,” hires Lestrade to guard his girlfriend, Della Breton,an up and coming rock singer.  Milverton has a security tape of Della kissing another man in a hotel elevator and demands money from her to keep it from her manager/boy-friend.  Watson and Holmes muddle through and get Milverton arrested and deported on a technicality.

In the novella, “The Premier Bachelor,” as in “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor,” a popular, attractive female (author) is engaged to marry a (soccer) superstar, but then disappears immediately after the wedding.  Watson’s (and her) agent demands he get Holmes to help and they manage to solve the case, but the agent dumps him anyway,so that he will not have a second book of Holmes’ adventures published.  Watson worries that his wife will dump him when he loses his royalties.

In the short story, “The Leaping man,” as in “The Adventure of the Creeping Man,” Holmes and Watson encounter a man acting very strangely.  Some outlandish fan attacks Della Bretton when her Security Manager, former Inspector Lestrade, has left her with no explanation.  The fan is averted by a strange man jumping and twitching between Della and the fan, but her security detail is in a shambles.  Again, Holmes and Watson prevail, but Watson is tormented by his lawyer masters for not pushing paper effectively enough.

In the novella, “A Question of Identity,” as in “A Case of Identity,” a young lady of some substance is disappointed in love.  In this tale, circumstances are thoroughly updated to a 21st Century standard with cell phones and social media, but this young lady is bright and ingenious and fourteen years old.  Watson manages to sabotage a case of “injury for money” sponsored by his “no win, no fee” lawyer employers and ends up fired and on the way to marital rocks.

In the novella “Abbey Strange,” as in “The Adventure of Abbey Grange,” Holmes and Watson find themselves facing a murder that has been “pre-staged.”  Finding the true nature of the events and fitting the punishment to the offense is a complicated task for Holmes and Watson.  Further, Watson needs to find some way to support himself after getting fired in the previous tale and deserted by his wife in this one.  This becomes quite an epic in 21stCentury technology in itself.

Each of these tales is carefully crafted and all are satisfying as well as amusing.  The author tweaks the beaks of 21st Century social media freaks and brings the problems of the 19th Century right up to date, proving that people remain people as Sherlock remains Sherlock across the Centuries.”

Charlie Milverton and other Sherlock Holmes Stories is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).

Philip K. Jones reviews The Holmes Sutra

"This is a hard book to classify.  It has been my custom to review only books of Sherlockian fiction, since that is my own area of concentration in matters Sherlockian.  This book is neither quite fact nor quite fiction.  “Sutra” is a familiar word to Indians, but to most Western readers, it is only associated with “The Kama Sutra,” a book familiar to them as a ‘sex manual.’  Juxtaposition of this term with Holmes is difficult to reconcile for most Sherlockians outside of Asia.

Several definitions of the term are offered in the book, but none really spoke to me, so, after reading it and thinking about it, I came to the following understanding.  Suppose that you are speaking with a knowledgeable and thoughtful disciple of a deceased Master of some subject area.  You ask this disciple “What would the Master have done/said in Situation “XYZ?”  The disciple’s reply is what would be called a Sutra.  It may be a quote from the master or it may be the disciple’s judgement of the Master’s response to the posited situation.  In celebration of the Master’s one hundred and sixtieth birthday, the author has collected one hundred and sixty sutras from a variety of sources.

Once you have contemplated the Sutras, you get to take the “Holmes Mania Test.”  The results of this test will tell you how serious your addiction to Holmes has become.  Five degrees of addiction have been described:  Condition “Holmesfree” means that you probably recognize things related to The Master, if he is specifically identified as “Sherlock Holmes.”  Condition “Sherlocked” signifies the onset of a case of addiction, interest in The Canon and other Sherlockian writings.  Condition “Holmesaddicted” signifies that you are in denial, but are firmly infected.

Condition “Holmesick” defines those who are the majority of addicts, hopeful that they can quit any time and sure they are merely hobbyists.  The final condition, the “StockHolmes Syndrome applies to the unfortunate few, who, like myself, are so far gone into their addictions that they actively ‘push’ Holmes upon others and feel no shame at the manifestations of their addiction.  For me, the fact that I have the largest collection of Sherlockian fiction in the world is a matter of pride not a mark of my depravity.

Once you have taken the test and determined the degree of your addiction, there are a number of additional items that will allow you to cater to your condition with books and organizations to help you shed or indulge your own addiction, whichever you wish (Hah!).  Please realize, however, that the author is a lawyer, so beware of bestowing your trust in her advice unless she is on retainer.”

The Holmes Sutra is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).