Steve Emecz's Blog: Musings of a Sherlockian Publisher, page 12

Luke Benjamen Kuhns reviews Sherlock Holmes & Young Winston: The Jubilee Plot

"It’s Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee but festive celebrations are not the only thing afoot in this riveting and exciting read by Mike Hogan.

I couldn’t help by find myself thoroughly engaged throughout this novel. I enjoyed that Mike didn’t just make use of the classic canonical characters such as Mycroft and Lestrade, he also makes use of characters from the Greek Interpreter along with his insertion of historical figures.

Mike keeps true to Doyle’s style and the characteristics of Doyle’s characters. I enjoyed the relationship between Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, and young Winston Churchill. The three play off each other very well. Mike’s grasp on historical events as well as Victorian London is something to be admired.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes won’t be disappointed with this instalment in the Sherlock Holmes and Young Winston series. New comers to Holmes, or for those simply looking for a thrilling Victorian crime will greatly enjoy this book.”

Sherlock Holmes and Young Winston: The Jubilee Plot is available from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon and Barnes and Noble, in the UK Amazon, Waterstones . Fans outside the US and UK can get free delivery from Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).

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Published on January 12, 2014 04:44 • Tags: book-review, mystery, sherlock-holmes

Review published in the winter edition of the Canadian Holmes of the East Wind Coming – A Sherlockian Study Book

"This book looks at a wide range of Sherlockian topics from dentistry (Hirayama is a dentist in Tokyo) to the tracking of Heidegger’s bicycle. Hirayama is best known as the driving force behind The Shoso-in Bulletin, an international Sherlockian journal published from 1991 to 2004. This work consists of 28 articles/essays written by Hirayama for his publication and also others. Four of the articles are coauthored with John Hall, a English Holmesian. For the Sherlockian purist, the articles on the first nine cases in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes may be the strongest in the book. But all are interesting, and this book will find an audience in a wide swath of the Sherlockian world.”

Canadian Holmes, The Journal of the Bootmakers of Toronto, Volume 36 Number 2, Winter 2013/2014

East Wind Coming is available from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon and Barnes and Noble, in the UK Amazon, Waterstones . Fans outside the US and UK can get free delivery from Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).

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Published on January 11, 2014 12:22 • Tags: book-review, mystery, sherlock-holmes

Book Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Bulgarian Codex by Tim Symonds

"A new ‘Sherlock Holmes’ novel has a lot to live up to. And frankly, I was not hopeful for this offering. As an avid Arthur Conan Doyle – and Holmes – fan, I was sceptical that anyone could match Conan Doyle’s intellect whilst matching his fast-paced and gripping style. I was wrong. Symonds story could be described as a gripping yarn, which captured the essence of both Holmes and Watson very well.

The story in short; Holmes and his faithful sidekick were contacted by the mysterious and duplicitous Prince Regnant of Bulgaria, following the theft of an ancient and sacred manuscript. Holmes is tasked with finding the manuscript, and by extension preventing war. The lives of millions are in his hands.

So, plot set, the trusty duo set off for Bulgaria, travelling through beautifully described landscapes. As one would expect, the story is not as simple as it at first appears, and what follows is a tale of murder, greed, and vampires.

There are the requisite unexpected twists and turns: A tale worthy of Holmes any day.

So, although I expected to be disappointed, I was not. The language Symonds employs is reminiscent of Conan Doyle, and really transports the reader on the journey. If I were to offer some small criticism, it would be that it feels as if the author is trying too hard to link the story to the earlier texts. But that would be all. And by halfway through this feeling is forgotten, as is the fact that this is not one of Conan Doyle’s original offerings – so good is the dialogue and story telling.

A good test for me is, when you turn the last page, how do you feel? Glad or disappointed. I was definitely disappointed, as I was enjoying it so much I didn’t want it to end.

I haven’t read Symonds first novel Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer at Scotney Castle. I will now, and very much hope Symonds keeps writing in this tradition, as this book is a worthy addition to the Holmes repertoire of tales.

I recommend it whole-heartedly to any Holmes fans.”

Reviewed by THE JOURNAL JURISPRUDENCE, Xanthe Mallett, University of New England, Armidale, Australia

Sherlock Holmes and The Case of The Bulgarian Codex is available from all good bookstores including in the USA Amazon, Barnes and Noble, in the UK Amazon,Waterstones, and for everywhere else Book Depository who offer free worldwide delivery. In ebook format there is Kindle, Nook, iPad and Kobo.

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Published on January 04, 2014 11:21 • Tags: book-review, mystery, sherlock-holmes

I'm Missing BBC Sherlock Series 3

There must be some irony in the largest Sherlock Holmes publisher in the world not being able to see the latest instalments of BBC Sherlock. I've watched the first two series several times and was as eager as the next Sherlockian/Holmesian/Doylean (delete as appropriate) to see the next ones.

Then I saw the scheduling and knew straight away that I would have to wait until I am back in the UK to get my Sherlock fix - probably all three in a row in one sitting.

So why am I missing them? Well, my wife (Sharon) and I are still on our xmas and new year project in Kasarani, Nairobi - helping out at the Happy Life orphanage and gathering the research for a book.
[read more here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/s...]

The Sherlockian links are tenuous at best - though we are ensuring that the new school that Happy Life are building outside Nairobi in the community of Juja Farm will have plenty of Sherlock Holmes books for the older kids.

So there we have it. There's one working small TV in the orphanage and has about thirty shouting screaming toddlers bouncing around it whenever it's on and it certainly doesn't tune in to BBC1 - and despite paying my license fee [small dig at the BBC for travellers] I can't use iplayer here in Kenya - I'll have to settle for all three episodes in one hit.

And from the early reviews of Episode 1 that might not be a bad thing as it sounds like Stephen and Mark played it softly, softly with the fans for the first one.

Just don't tell me how he survived the fall - that's one spoiler I'm desperate to avoid.....

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Published on January 02, 2014 09:10 • Tags: bbc-sherlock, sherlock-series-3

The Sherlock Holmes Society of London reviews The Immortals: An Unauthorised Guide to Sherlock and Elementary

"I first encountered Matthew Elliott as a fellow-contributor to Sherlock magazine, whose last issue appeared in 2006, the year in which Mark Gatiss told the Society of the mad idea he and Steven Moffat had for an updated Sherlock Holmes. Matthew has since established himself as a scriptwriter and occasional actor, and as the deviser and presenter of our annual Film Evening. There’s no one better qualified to provide a survey of Sherlock – which he does in The Immortals: An Unauthorised Guide to Sherlock and Elementary. Cumberbatch or Miller? They’re both fine actors, equally superb in Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein, and Matthew Elliott’s guide is throughout perceptive, witty, affectionate and deeply knowledgeable.”

The Immortals: An Unauthorized guide to Sherlock and Elementary 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).

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Published on December 31, 2013 11:29 • Tags: bbc-sherlock, cbs-elementary, sherlock-holmes

Review of ‘Benedict Cumberbatch – In Transition: An Unauthorised Performance Biography’ from Benedict-Cumberbatch.de

"Written by Lynnette Porter and published by MX Publishing, Benedict Cumberbatch – In Transition: An Unauthorised Performance Biography is no ordinary biography as we know it from most other celebrity biographies. The author focuses almost entirely on the career of Benedict and gives an overview of his projects, backed by numerous quotations and anecdotes.

The book begins, after a long introduction, with Benedict’s childhood and his education at Harrow, Manchester and LAMDA, and includes some very nice quotes from his mother, Wanda Ventham. We, as theater fans, are delighted that the chapter on his career in the theatre is especially extensive. Porter refers to Benedict’s first roles at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and gives a comprehensive analysis (including excerpts from interviews and reviews) on Hedda Gabler, Rhinoceros, The Arsonists and After the Dance. Frankenstein even gets a more in depth chapter. It becomes clear very easily that a lot of time and research has gone into the book….”

Read the full review here.

Benedict Cumberbatch, In Transition is available from all good bookstores including in the USA Amazon, Barnes and Noble, in the UK Amazon, Waterstones, and for everywhere else Book Depository who offer free worldwide delivery. In ebook format there is Kindle, iPad, Kobo and Nook.

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Published on December 30, 2013 12:50 • Tags: bbc-sherlock, benedict-cumberbatch, biography, sherlock-holmes

Harry Hole an alcoholic, Norwegian Sherlock Holmes?

As a self-confessed murder mystery addict (as a Sherlock Holmes publisher I ought to be), it wasn't too much of a surprise to me that I got deeply into the Harry Hole series of books from Jo Nesbo. What is a surprise is how many I have read in a row. I am now on the 8th book without a break and will happily continue on until I exhaust the series.

Hole is a fascinating character with many parallels with Sherlock Holmes. He is deeply flawed and socially inept - though his alcoholism at times in the series is chronic and has much more serious social problems than Holmes ever had. It's his deductive powers where the similarities are the greatest. To avoid any spoilers in the series I won't give specifics but suffice to say there are lots and as the series builds, they become more prolific. Harry becomes established as a serial killer hunter which, as Norway has never really had any before, makes him invaluable. It's also the perfect backdrop to the deductions as he has to find links between the victims.

Those of a sensitive disposition be warned. The series is dark and with each book you feel Nesbo can't get any darker but just read some of the reviews to see even hardened murder mystery fans struggle a bit.

Where there is the least similarity is the absence of a partner - Harry has no Watson - mainly because most of the colleagues he gets close to end up dying. He grows into the eternal loner in the series - with personal and work relationships failing even with those that are super tolerant of his alcholism.

A Norwegian alcoholic Sherlock Holmes? Not quite, but Nesbo owes a lot to Conan Doyle and I am sure if asked would tip a wink to Holmes' creator. I am halfway through book eight - The Leopard and already looking forward to the next one.

The Leopard

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Published on December 30, 2013 01:50 • Tags: harry-hole, jo-nesbo, sherlock-holmes

Sherlock Holmes Society of London reviews Watson is Not an Idiot by Eddy Webb

"The essays collected in Watson Is Not an Idiot: An Opinionated Tour of the Sherlock Holmes Canon by Eddy Webb (MX Publishing; www.mxpublishing.co.uk) were originally posted on Mr Webb’s blog at http://eddyfate.com. They are necessarily opinionated, as they must be; they’re also intelligent, incisive and well-written. The nearest equivalent to Watson Is Not an Idiot is probably Martin Dakin’s Sherlock Holmes Commentary, but Mr Webb takes the line throughout that the chronicles of Sherlock Holmes are fiction, written by Arthur Conan Doyle. His book can help us appreciate just what is good in the stories, what isn’t, and why they still appeal when so much contemporary work is forgotten. It would make an ideal present for the Holmesian neophyte or for the long-time scholar.”

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).