Christian Klaver's Sherlock Holmes & Count Dracula - Review

The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula by Christian Klaver

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Two titans of Victorian literature collide in a series of supernatural adventures.

Holmes' attention has been drawn to multiple unexplained events, discerning connections between them that only serve to be more perplexing and lead to one inescapable conclusion - the existence of vampires.

Count Dracula enlists Holmes' help to find his missing wife, Mina, kidnapped by an enemy who Holmes fears may present a greater threat than Dracula himself.

So begins a series of perplexing new cases for Holmes and Watson, descending into new realms of terror unlike any they've faced before.

'Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula' is the first in 'The Classified Dossier' series; Dr Watson chronicling Holmes' investigations into the supernatural that were previously locked away, never to be published. This volume contains four stories - each a novella with its own defined narrative, with an ongoing story arc throughout that culminates in the final novella. The original versions of the first three were first published as 'The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes'; indeed, the new title is a little misleading, with Dracula only featuring in two of the stories and in more of a supporting role as opposed to co-lead protagonist or chief antagonist.

I must admit I was dubious about this book, having loved both distinctly separate characters and original stories from a young age. Of course, there have been many adaptations and interpretations of both characters in the last century, and it isn't the first time they've been combined either, so I decided to give it a try. Personally, I found changes to the literary canon of both unnecessary and struggled to embrace one major twist in particular, which didn't seem to contribute much to the overarching narrative. Purists of either or both should proceed with caution.

Despite my misgivings over certain plot elements, this was nevertheless an enjoyable read, with the original stories' shared elements of mystery, action and adventure threaded throughout, and the intrigue of detective fiction moulded well with the atmosphere of gothic horror and graphic imagery of vampire fiction. Holmes' scientific approach to the phenomenon of vampirism is detailed well, with some interesting exploration of the concept. Klaver has crafted a well-written collection, demonstrating a detailed knowledge of Conan-Doyle's tales and believably capturing Watson’s narrative voice. The third and fourth stories were my favourites, bringing the emotional turmoil to the forefront and delivering a thrilling climax and satisfying overall conclusion to the story arc of the enemy lurking in the shadows.

A second volume, 'Sherlock Holmes and Mr Hyde', continues the series, exploring another icon of Victorian gothic horror literature and furthering Holmes’ supernatural cases.



View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram