Derrick Belanger's Blog: Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Ramblings of a Sherlockian - Posts Tagged "dracula"

October is a perfect month for reading horror stories. Some people forget that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a rich voice in tales of terror, and I have my own collection of them in A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural: Volume 1 and A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural Volume 2. The great detective did have horror elements in some of his adventures, but Doyle, with the exception of "The Creeping Man," always grounded Holmes in reality. Of course, some authors have ignored Holmes rule of "spooks need not apply," and have created Sherlock Holmes - horror crossover stories. These are great reads for the month of October, and if you are looking for a fun, new crossover tale of Holmes terror, I highly recommend the new book from author Stephen Seitz.

Mr. Seitz is probably best known for his wonderful horror novel Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula. That book is a must read for anyone who loves Victorian literature as Seitz masterfully blends Holmes into Stoker's Dracula. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Seitz latest book Sherlock Holmes and The House of Pain is the author's best work to date. This is a marvelous tale that blends Sherlock Holmes in with H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. Seitz also has fun by including Doyle's Professor Challenger character who this time works as a bit of a foil to Holmes.

The story begins in 1887 when an acquaintance of Dr. Watson's hires Holmes to find his missing missionary sister. Holmes reluctantly agrees to take the case (sounds boring) because of the insistence of Watson. This seemingly routine case leads Holmes and Watson into a Gothic Horror underworld where giant rat men reside in London. These creatures are some of the survivors of the work of a Dr. Moreau, a former professor who Holmes worked with as an assistance when he was in college.

Much of the Holmes portions of the story are told in flashback. The parts where Holmes works with the professor are particularly disturbing. Seitz does a great job of reminding the reader of the horrors of animal experimentation, and even Holmes is revulsed by the true evil of Dr. Moreau. The other portion told in flashback is the full story of "The Matilda Briggs" and "The Giant Rat of Sumatra." This portion ties much closer to Wells' original novel and Seitz adds a level of excitement worthy of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Much of the story told in the present comes from the perspective of Professor Challenger, and in my opinion these are the best parts of the book. Seitz does a brilliant job of capturing both the pompous blowhard side of Challenger as well as the beastly man's tender side. There is a romance subplot which works quite well, particularly since most people forget this aspect of the professor. Challenger sees potential in the work of Dr. Moreau and how the man's work could aide mankind. The medical advances would justify the means Moreau used to achieve them. This belief leads Challenger on a mission with several twists and an ending this reader did not see coming.

This is an excellent book, one that would make both Doyle and Wells proud. As a fan of Professor Challenger in particular, I cannot recommend this book enough. It makes an excellent companion to the astounding book of new Challenger stories released this summer entitled Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places. For those who don't mind a bit of an alternate universe to their Sherlock Holmes, I highly recommend Sherlock Holmes and The House of Pain. You won't be disappointed.

Derrick Belanger is an author and educator most noted for his books and lectures on Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural: Volume 1 and A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural Volume 2 were #1 best sellers on the Amazon.com UK Sherlock Holmes book list, and his MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes chapter book, Attack of the Violet Vampire! - The MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes Book #2 was also a #1 best selling new release in the UK. Mr. Belanger’s academic work has been published in The Colorado Reading Journal and Gifted Child Today.
https://www.amazon.com/author/derrick...

Hello everyone, while the Christmas shopping season is upon us, I wanted to take a moment to recommend some fine presents for the Sherlockian or the sherlockian in your life. If you know someone who says "Ho-ho-Holmes" then below are some great gift ideas. I am focusing this entry specifically on books aimed for the older reader as my last entry focused on YA and Children's Sherlock Holmes books. This entry is on specific traditional Holmes books as well as books that meld horror into the world of the first consulting detective.

There is no better gift this year for a mystery lover or Sherlock Holmes fan than the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories. Although technically one book, the collection was released in three volumes. This has been called the finest collection of Sherlock Holmes stories ever published. The three volumes are The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part I: 1881 to 1889, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part II: 1890 to 1895, and The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part III: 1896 to 1929. While a little on the pricey side, these books are well worth the cost (and yours truly has a story in volume 1). Also, even the most staunch Scrooge in your life, can shout out a Merry Christmas knowing that the proceeds for all three volumes go to Stepping Stones, a special needs school which is using the funds to restore Undershaw, the former estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Luke B. Kuhns is an impressive young Holmesian author. His book Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Thread of Murder was one of my favorites for 2015. The book has three stories. The first involves three seemingly separate crimes investigated by three different detectives, one real, two fictional). One of the detectives is Holmes. Another is Martin Hewitt, a different Victorian era detective. I found the way Mr. Kuhns weaved the three threads together particularly compelling. His second story in the book involves Holmes assisting Irene Adler in solving the case of the murder of her husband. This is such a refreshing story. Irene Adler acts like Irene Adler. She is a force to be reckoned with and an equal of Holmes, not the sexist versions of Adler currently portrayed on television, but the real, true Irene Adler. I won't say much about the third story, just that it is a very good shorter piece with a mystery involving a seedy man in the shadows stalking a ballerina. Write more books like this one, Luke Benjamen Kuhns!

If there was a Sherlockian Man of the Year award, it would have to go to David Marcum David not only assembled and edited all three volumes of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, he also released Sherlock Holmes – Tangled Skeins - Stories from the Notebooks of Dr. John H. Watson, the best traditional Sherlock Holmes story collection released in 2015. The book involves cases of Holmes and Watson which occur during or between other cases from the canon. Every fan of the original canon should read this one. And if you haven't read Marcum's other books, I recommend the handsome hardback edition of The Papers of Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 and 2. You get both volumes of Marcum's book in one collection, so you save money and get a hardcover book. Even the Grinch couldn't complain!

For those who are dreaming of a white Christmas, may I recommend my own book Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance. This story takes place in the winter of 1890 and is a tale of art theft and espionage. But don't take my word for it, here is the latest five star review on Amazon: "This is one of those rare pastiches that is well plotted and truly written in the style of A.C. Doyle. I found the story both exciting and "page turning" and any devoted Holmes fan will enjoy it."

For those who prefer to have a nightmare before Christmas, let me recommend Sherlock Holmes and The House of Pain by Stephen Seitz. This book blends the world of HG Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau with the world of Sherlock Holmes. An excellent Holmesian mash-up. For those who want a Holmes-Ripper tale, I'd recommend The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes by Kieran Lyne. Though the changes in the canon will not please everyone, the boy is a talented writer, and I found the book to be riveting.

I will keep periodically sending out book recommendations throughout this Christmas season. Next up will be historical Holmes books by Daniel D. Victor, Tim Symonds, and David Ruffle. I will follow up with Romantic Holmes books by Amy Thomas and Geri Schear.

Take care and for those who don't like lists and prefer to do their own shopping unadvised, may I recommend searching the entire MX catalogue at http://www.mxpublishing.com/ and the entire Belanger Books catalogue at http://www.belangerbooks.com/books.html.

Thank you and a Merry Christmas to all, even though it is still November!!