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Sheridan Haynes #1
A Three-Pipe Problem
Small-time actor, Sheridan Haynes, had a rather unhealthy preoccupation with Sherlock Holmes. So when the chance came for him to play the famous detective in a TV series, it seemed his dreams had come true. And when London was plagued by a series of unsolved murders, well it seemed only natural for him to take his role into real life. Was this a case of a laughable and misguided actor, or was Sheridan actually on to something?
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
3 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Julian Symons
256 books65 followersJulian Gustave Symons is primarily remembered as a master of the art of crime writing. However, in his eighty-two years he produced an enormously varied body of work. Social and military history, biography and criticism were all subjects he touched upon with remarkable success, and he held a distinguished reputation in each field.
His novels were consistently highly individual and expertly crafted, raising him above other crime writers of his day. It is for this that he was awarded various prizes, and, in 1982, named as Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America - an honour accorded to only three other English writers before him: Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and Daphne Du Maurier. He succeeded Agatha Christie as the president of Britain's Detection Club, a position he held from 1976 to 1985, and in 1990 he was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writer.
Symons held a number of positions prior to becoming a full-time writer including secretary to an engineering company and advertising copywriter and executive. It was after the end of World War II that he became a free-lance writer and book reviewer and from 1946 to 1956 he wrote a weekly column entitled "Life, People - and Books" for the Manchester Evening News. During the 1950s he was also a regular contributor to Tribune, a left-wing weekly, serving as its literary editor.
He founded and edited 'Twentieth Century Verse', an important little magazine that flourished from 1937 to 1939 and he introduced many young English poets to the public. He has also published two volumes of his own poetry entitled 'Confusions about X', 1939, and 'The Second Man', 1944.
He wrote hie first detective novel, 'The Immaterial Murder Case', long before it was first published in 1945 and this was followed in 1947 by a rare volume entitled 'A Man Called Jones' that features for the first time Inspector Bland, who also appeared in Bland Beginning.
These novles were followed by a whole host of detective novels and he has also written many short stories that were regularly published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. In additin there are two British paperback collections of his short stories, Murder! Murder! and Francis Quarles Investigates, which were published in 1961 and 1965 resepctively.
His novels were consistently highly individual and expertly crafted, raising him above other crime writers of his day. It is for this that he was awarded various prizes, and, in 1982, named as Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America - an honour accorded to only three other English writers before him: Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and Daphne Du Maurier. He succeeded Agatha Christie as the president of Britain's Detection Club, a position he held from 1976 to 1985, and in 1990 he was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writer.
Symons held a number of positions prior to becoming a full-time writer including secretary to an engineering company and advertising copywriter and executive. It was after the end of World War II that he became a free-lance writer and book reviewer and from 1946 to 1956 he wrote a weekly column entitled "Life, People - and Books" for the Manchester Evening News. During the 1950s he was also a regular contributor to Tribune, a left-wing weekly, serving as its literary editor.
He founded and edited 'Twentieth Century Verse', an important little magazine that flourished from 1937 to 1939 and he introduced many young English poets to the public. He has also published two volumes of his own poetry entitled 'Confusions about X', 1939, and 'The Second Man', 1944.
He wrote hie first detective novel, 'The Immaterial Murder Case', long before it was first published in 1945 and this was followed in 1947 by a rare volume entitled 'A Man Called Jones' that features for the first time Inspector Bland, who also appeared in Bland Beginning.
These novles were followed by a whole host of detective novels and he has also written many short stories that were regularly published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. In additin there are two British paperback collections of his short stories, Murder! Murder! and Francis Quarles Investigates, which were published in 1961 and 1965 resepctively.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 23, 2015
It was okay - the first half was too long, the second half was too short. Plus I totally guessed the culprit early in the piece so was almost disappointed when proved right. If you like Sherlock Holmes, A Three-Pipe Problem is a nice, gentle read. It won't captivate you but it's better than watching paint dry. Make your choice.
May 20, 2022
A Three Pipe Problem is a rather different Sherlock Holmes pastiche. While it plays into how Holmes operates, and the actor/detective Sheridan Haynes fancies himself as Holmes himself, it is very much a story of 1970s London. Haynes, known as Sher, wishes he lived in Holmes's time, despising all things modern, most especially the internal combustion engine. There are rival gangs, art forgery, and the infamous London fog. I'm not sure how compelling the mystery itself was, and the detective sort of stumbled onto the killer rather than truly solving the case, but it created a unique atmosphere that I found fascinating.
July 18, 2015
Nothing special. It’s a fairly short read, so I suppose it’s fine for a rainy day – that’s assuming you can get through all the racism, sexism, and anti-modernism without bursting a blood vessel. Someone really needs to inform Mr. Sheridan Haynes (the main character) that the Victorian era was only wholesome and lovely if you were rich and male.
As far as the plot itself goes, there’s not much to it. About 95% of the novel is an introduction to the character of Sheridan Haynes, a jerk who completely ignores his wife (she leaves him, but by the end she’s realized that she loves him and comes back, finally learning to accept all the “quirks” that had made her leave), bullies and ridicules his colleagues, and thinks altogether too highly of himself. He’s a bore to read about, especially since most of his lines consist either of “I hate cars! I wish the combustion engine had never been invented!” or “Sherlock Holmes is god. Anyone who doesn’t worship The Master is a moron!”
There’s no character development. Sher (as he is called) learns absolutely nothing. He loses his job because of the way he acts, but is immediately offered another. He loses his wife, but she comes back with no compromises. Everything is just handed to him and he learns nothing.
The mystery itself is almost in the background. There’s an overview of the murders in the first few pages and then a description of how they had happened at the end. Everything in the middle is just repetitive character exposition. Quite frankly, the resolution wasn’t entirely satisfying either. “I kill people because my dog got run over, then I will help an actor solve my own crimes for no reason whatsoever” just doesn’t do it for me. Cassidy could have at least made an attempt to throw Sher in the wrong direction or, if he really felt all that guilty about what he’d done, he might have tried hinting at it. But no, he plays out like a perfectly ordinary innocent character right up until his confession.
The writing style is really the only redeeming quality of the book. It’s simplistic, but it gets the job done and at no point was it confusing. It makes A Three Pipe Problem a very easy and quick read.
Overall, I’d say the whole novel was just a 192-page excuse to use the term “nig-nog.”
As far as the plot itself goes, there’s not much to it. About 95% of the novel is an introduction to the character of Sheridan Haynes, a jerk who completely ignores his wife (she leaves him, but by the end she’s realized that she loves him and comes back, finally learning to accept all the “quirks” that had made her leave), bullies and ridicules his colleagues, and thinks altogether too highly of himself. He’s a bore to read about, especially since most of his lines consist either of “I hate cars! I wish the combustion engine had never been invented!” or “Sherlock Holmes is god. Anyone who doesn’t worship The Master is a moron!”
There’s no character development. Sher (as he is called) learns absolutely nothing. He loses his job because of the way he acts, but is immediately offered another. He loses his wife, but she comes back with no compromises. Everything is just handed to him and he learns nothing.
The mystery itself is almost in the background. There’s an overview of the murders in the first few pages and then a description of how they had happened at the end. Everything in the middle is just repetitive character exposition. Quite frankly, the resolution wasn’t entirely satisfying either. “I kill people because my dog got run over, then I will help an actor solve my own crimes for no reason whatsoever” just doesn’t do it for me. Cassidy could have at least made an attempt to throw Sher in the wrong direction or, if he really felt all that guilty about what he’d done, he might have tried hinting at it. But no, he plays out like a perfectly ordinary innocent character right up until his confession.
The writing style is really the only redeeming quality of the book. It’s simplistic, but it gets the job done and at no point was it confusing. It makes A Three Pipe Problem a very easy and quick read.
Overall, I’d say the whole novel was just a 192-page excuse to use the term “nig-nog.”
July 16, 2011
From the Back of the Book: Sher's Last Case! Sheridan Haynes, that is. You've no doubt seen him on television, portraying the immortal Sherlock Holmes in the famous TV series. But now Sheridan Haynes--actor and dedicated Holmes buff--has a new mission: to beat Scotland Yard at solving the baffling Karate Killings, in which three men have been murdered, each with a single chop to the neck.
Against the elaborate modern technology of the Yard, Sheridan Haynes has his own wits, his intimate knowledge of Holmseian deduction, and the assistance of the Baker Street Irregulars--three bemused traffic wardens along for the fun of it. The result is one of Julian Symons' finest novels: a suspenseful, brilliantly inventive mystery novel starring a modern--and slightly dotty--version of the greatest detective of them all!
MY take: This is a marvelous send-up Sherlock Holmes. An absolutely brilliant pastiche that I read quite some time ago and still remember fondly.
Against the elaborate modern technology of the Yard, Sheridan Haynes has his own wits, his intimate knowledge of Holmseian deduction, and the assistance of the Baker Street Irregulars--three bemused traffic wardens along for the fun of it. The result is one of Julian Symons' finest novels: a suspenseful, brilliantly inventive mystery novel starring a modern--and slightly dotty--version of the greatest detective of them all!
MY take: This is a marvelous send-up Sherlock Holmes. An absolutely brilliant pastiche that I read quite some time ago and still remember fondly.
October 27, 2014
Actor Sheridan Haynes is really Sherlock Holmes. Well, not really. But he does play him in a British television program. He has a bit of an obsession about the detective. They share the same initials. He even has a flat on Baker Street. If only life were as simple as it is in the books.
In real life, his Watson is an open homosexual, which bothers the intensely private Haynes. His wife is sleeping with the producer. They've rewritten his scripts to include a hint of romance. Traffic is horrible. And everyone seems to be laughing at him.
So when a new series of murders has all of London talking, Holmes - I mean Haynes - is determined to solve the case. Using the great detective's own methods, surely he can identify the murderer before Scotland Yard!
He starts by finding his own set of Baker Street Irregulars. The suspects - none other than his fellow cast members. Haynes seems to be getting close enough in his investigation to get himself into danger. Things escalate until no one - not Haynes, not the police, and not the reader - can tell who to trust.
I really enjoyed this book. The ending and the identity of the murderer was in question almost until the very end of the book. So many people looked guilty. This is more of a psychological mystery than a straight murder. Symons is brilliant at creating this sort of book, where you don't know what to expect at all. If you like cozy mysteries, this is very different, but if you prefer a book where there are more shades of gray than black and white, you will like this one. A well done twist on the classic Holmes story.
In real life, his Watson is an open homosexual, which bothers the intensely private Haynes. His wife is sleeping with the producer. They've rewritten his scripts to include a hint of romance. Traffic is horrible. And everyone seems to be laughing at him.
So when a new series of murders has all of London talking, Holmes - I mean Haynes - is determined to solve the case. Using the great detective's own methods, surely he can identify the murderer before Scotland Yard!
He starts by finding his own set of Baker Street Irregulars. The suspects - none other than his fellow cast members. Haynes seems to be getting close enough in his investigation to get himself into danger. Things escalate until no one - not Haynes, not the police, and not the reader - can tell who to trust.
I really enjoyed this book. The ending and the identity of the murderer was in question almost until the very end of the book. So many people looked guilty. This is more of a psychological mystery than a straight murder. Symons is brilliant at creating this sort of book, where you don't know what to expect at all. If you like cozy mysteries, this is very different, but if you prefer a book where there are more shades of gray than black and white, you will like this one. A well done twist on the classic Holmes story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2010
Sheridan Haynes, a televison series Sherlock Holmes, develops into the real person as he investigates a murder.
Blundering at times, comical too, and with lots of professional jealousy from other members of the cast and a wife who thinks about leaving him, he eventually tracks down the killer and in a tense climax reveals all, much to his own delight and the delight of many newspaper reporters.
Blundering at times, comical too, and with lots of professional jealousy from other members of the cast and a wife who thinks about leaving him, he eventually tracks down the killer and in a tense climax reveals all, much to his own delight and the delight of many newspaper reporters.
Read
August 2, 2014*read: the last chapter, I feel like that is cheating, especially where it's a crime/detective novel but I was reading it aloud over the phone because the owner left it at my house and needed to find out the answer. I loved it because of this.
October 5, 2011
I had this highly original detective story on my shelf for thirty years before finally getting around to reading it. An actor who plays Sherlock Holmes solves a real-life mystery.
August 8, 2013
Holmes lovers, you've found yourself a new man.
September 17, 2013
not a bad read . The main character annoyed me a bit and that put me off somewhat but good narrative pace and complex characters made it interesting
January 13, 2024
Luckily for me, I'm finding more and more older novels reprinted by various companies. I'm sure I must have read something by Julian Symons a long time ago. Published in 1975, this is the first in a series about Sheridan Haynes, an actor who plays Sherlock Holmes in a TV series, and who also has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with the great sleuth. "Sher" is arrogant and self-centred, and oblivious to the feelings of others. As such he attracts some negative feelings from others, and gets a sort of come-uppance when a fellow actor plays a mean trick on him. It's his own fault for becoming obsessed with emulating Sherlock Holmes in the investigation of a real life crime. His wife leaves him (she's having an affair with his agent) and he doesn't seem to care much. When she eventually returns with her tail between her legs, he seems moderately pleased, though. He's very forgiving of the affair, not showing any anger against wife or agent. An actor thing?
All in all, Sher is a bit of a paragon as a character. He runs into a little trouble with crooks during his enquiries, but luckily he was a hand to hand combat instructor in the army.
The book is fairly tightly written, at 211 paperback pages, just the right length. There's quite a bit of eye-rolling material, and the ending is very rushed. The overall pace is slow, though, it's far from being a thriller. Equally, despite the regular presence of Chief Supt. Devenish, it's not a police procedural.
The TV series was cancelled at the end of the novel, but lucky Sher is immediately offered another opportunity to carry on as Sherlock. I may therefore look for #2 in the series to see whether it is worth continuing despite the unlikeable main character.
Rating 3.3.
All in all, Sher is a bit of a paragon as a character. He runs into a little trouble with crooks during his enquiries, but luckily he was a hand to hand combat instructor in the army.
The book is fairly tightly written, at 211 paperback pages, just the right length. There's quite a bit of eye-rolling material, and the ending is very rushed. The overall pace is slow, though, it's far from being a thriller. Equally, despite the regular presence of Chief Supt. Devenish, it's not a police procedural.
The TV series was cancelled at the end of the novel, but lucky Sher is immediately offered another opportunity to carry on as Sherlock. I may therefore look for #2 in the series to see whether it is worth continuing despite the unlikeable main character.
Rating 3.3.
December 16, 2018
Sheridan Haynes is currentlyplaying Sherlock Holmes on a TV series. The series has been a success and Sheridan is thrilled to be playing the part of his idol. It is a dream come true. But now it is looking like the series may be cancelled.
A series of murders occur, that seem to be unrelated. The Press had dubbed them the Karate Killings, as the method of murder is a blow to the back of the head. Sheridan announces that he can solve the crimes using methods that Sherlock Holmes used. Is it a publicity stunt or does he really think he can solve it.
Chief Superintendent Roger Devenish is in charge of the case. When Haynes makes his statement, Devenish states that he does not need the assistance of a Holmes want-to-be, but if Haynes feels he can find the murderer then he is welcome to try. Just don't get in Devenish's path. Devenish is a blustery type similar to Lestrade.
Meanwhile Val, Haynes' wife, thinks Haynes has tossed his marbles. She is also busy having a bit of an affair with Haynes' agent.
It is a fun read. There are no bones that Haynes isn't Sherlock Holmes. It seems that he is just trying to channel the great detective. Haynes also has a Watson to work with his Holmes!
A series of murders occur, that seem to be unrelated. The Press had dubbed them the Karate Killings, as the method of murder is a blow to the back of the head. Sheridan announces that he can solve the crimes using methods that Sherlock Holmes used. Is it a publicity stunt or does he really think he can solve it.
Chief Superintendent Roger Devenish is in charge of the case. When Haynes makes his statement, Devenish states that he does not need the assistance of a Holmes want-to-be, but if Haynes feels he can find the murderer then he is welcome to try. Just don't get in Devenish's path. Devenish is a blustery type similar to Lestrade.
Meanwhile Val, Haynes' wife, thinks Haynes has tossed his marbles. She is also busy having a bit of an affair with Haynes' agent.
It is a fun read. There are no bones that Haynes isn't Sherlock Holmes. It seems that he is just trying to channel the great detective. Haynes also has a Watson to work with his Holmes!
March 14, 2018
I really hadn't expected to like this book. In fact, my plan was to read it solely in an effort to purge books from my overloaded shelves. I figured if I didn't like this title, I could eliminate the rest of Symons' books that I had collected unread. Well, those other books aren't going anywhere now! The story was intriguing—an actor playing Sherlock Holmes on TV decides he's the ideal detective to solve a series of murders dubbed The Karate Killings, that has stumped Scotland Yard. The actor, Sheridan Haynes, seems to over-identify with the character he plays and the reader begins to question the character's mental stability. He even finds his personal Dr. Watson and rounds up his own group of Baker Street Irregulars to help him. It was an amusing and completely fun read. For almost the entire book I suspected an entirely different character as the murderer and totally missed the genuine clues Symons laid down while he dangled a big fat red herring to distract me. If you like British old-school mysteries, or have a love of Sherlock Holmes, I recommend this book.
January 15, 2024
An amusing approach to the "how do we make Sherlock Holmes modern?" question. In this case, you give us an aging actor who loves Sherlock Holmes and is lucky enough to play him on a TV show. However, the show is failing, his co-stars (a Watson very much in the Bruce mode and a modern girl as Irene Adler) don't like or respect him, and his wife leaves him over his obsession.
I found the portrait of a down-at-heels mid-70s London, with idiot gangsters who think they're tougher than they are and unfortunate amounts of racism and homophobia, a fascinating contrast to the Holmesian world the actor misses. No one comes off well here, but an entertaining read, particularly now that its setting is similarly far removed from our modern day.
I found the portrait of a down-at-heels mid-70s London, with idiot gangsters who think they're tougher than they are and unfortunate amounts of racism and homophobia, a fascinating contrast to the Holmesian world the actor misses. No one comes off well here, but an entertaining read, particularly now that its setting is similarly far removed from our modern day.
October 11, 2024
Oh, I do hate Julian Symons and his anti-Golden Age nonfiction. His mis-characterizations have poisoned the critical well for an accurate assessment of mystery/crime genre fiction circa 1900-1950. But you don't need me to educate you.
Cf.: https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/...
The Three-Pipe Problem, however, is a delight. An actor>who loathes the noise of modern life tries to save his "Sherlock" tv drama by solving a series of apparently unrelated karate-chop murders. Much to the disgust of cops and colleagues.
Symons may have had a nonfiction agenda in trying to bury his predecessors, but his instincts as a contemporary fiction writer are healthy and strong.
Cf.: https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/...
The Three-Pipe Problem, however, is a delight. An actor>who loathes the noise of modern life tries to save his "Sherlock" tv drama by solving a series of apparently unrelated karate-chop murders. Much to the disgust of cops and colleagues.
Symons may have had a nonfiction agenda in trying to bury his predecessors, but his instincts as a contemporary fiction writer are healthy and strong.
January 21, 2025
A disappointment. This was my first book by Julian Symons and I expected more from someone of his reputation.
A not very good actor plays Sherlock Holmes in a TV adaptation. He then begins to think that he almost is the great detective. When a series of murders takes place in London, same form of death but no connection between the victims, he thinks that he can solve the case using Holmesian methods. It is all rather dull and slow.
It does pick up towards the end, so I am generously upgrading my 2.5 stars. It would seem that there are others in this series but I don’t understand why and don’t intend on reading them.
A not very good actor plays Sherlock Holmes in a TV adaptation. He then begins to think that he almost is the great detective. When a series of murders takes place in London, same form of death but no connection between the victims, he thinks that he can solve the case using Holmesian methods. It is all rather dull and slow.
It does pick up towards the end, so I am generously upgrading my 2.5 stars. It would seem that there are others in this series but I don’t understand why and don’t intend on reading them.
July 27, 2019
Sherlock Holmes off the (imaginary) telly finds himself investigating a real life murder mystery, featuring three random deaths with no obvious connection. The result is a gentle light read, with an unsurprising solution, an unlikeable protagonist, unnecessary love interests, and uncomfortable racism and sexism. But enough of a narrative and good writing to make it worth keeping going.
March 23, 2020
Eh. It was okay. I almost gave up on it half way through.I agree with the reviewer who said the second half was better, but I don't think it made this worth picking up. I absolutely loved Symons' Colour of Murder and was looking forward to reading another one of his mysteries. This wasn't the right choice for me.
March 8, 2025
Most of the reviews knocked this book, so I was expecting to quit it, yet I ended up really enjoying it. I like the various plot ideas going on with the Sherlock angle, the art forgery, the gangs, and the marital relationships. The book ended up being propulsive for me as I needed to know how it all ended up.
August 4, 2017
This parody is almost an insult to Sherlock Holmes. But you want so badly to figure out who done-it you keep reading. The back story of the truly insufferable actor seeking to emulate Holmes is finally explained almost at the end making him an acceptable shadow to Sherlock Holmes.
May 28, 2020
This book is fun. It's about an actor playing Sherlock Holmes and there is a killer on the loose in London. Its fun since the actor tries to see if he's as good as Sherlock. I enjoyed this book immensely.
June 19, 2021
A “quaint” mystery novel with more than a few nods to the Conan Doyle canon and a reasonably likeable protagonist in Sheridan “Sher” Haynes.
Less of a mystery (as “whodunnit” is signalled fairly obviously early on) but still a pretty engaging read.
Less of a mystery (as “whodunnit” is signalled fairly obviously early on) but still a pretty engaging read.
January 8, 2024
The writing is a bit bland and boring. Not terrible but nothing memorable. Mostly I can’t get past the insufferably bigoted author. He relishes every opportunity to denounce everything different or modern.
December 7, 2017
An interesting idea is turned into a less then satisfying book.
An actor, famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes has a bit of a mid-life crisis and gets caught up with the idea of applying Holmes methods to solving a current crime.
Symons seems so intent on being clever that almost no character seems like more than a type. Any personality they get just seems to be to make them hard to like or root for.
What feels like it should be a cozy romp ends up feeling very cynical, sharp and almost borders on mean spirited satire.
There's a decent mystery buried under all this, but Symons won't let his hero be fully the detective hero, so he comes across as bad at it until the 3/4 mark where he seems to just pull the solution out of his butt.
After pages of 'realistic cynicism', the author's attempt to pull off a happy ending feels really hollow and contrived.
Basically, an author that won't get out of his own way ends up creating a very thin book that is a slog to get through.
An actor, famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes has a bit of a mid-life crisis and gets caught up with the idea of applying Holmes methods to solving a current crime.
Symons seems so intent on being clever that almost no character seems like more than a type. Any personality they get just seems to be to make them hard to like or root for.
What feels like it should be a cozy romp ends up feeling very cynical, sharp and almost borders on mean spirited satire.
There's a decent mystery buried under all this, but Symons won't let his hero be fully the detective hero, so he comes across as bad at it until the 3/4 mark where he seems to just pull the solution out of his butt.
After pages of 'realistic cynicism', the author's attempt to pull off a happy ending feels really hollow and contrived.
Basically, an author that won't get out of his own way ends up creating a very thin book that is a slog to get through.
Read
January 6, 2021This was aggressively mediocre, at best.
(It was really quite bad! Had this person not met an editor at some point in their lives?)
(It was really quite bad! Had this person not met an editor at some point in their lives?)
February 6, 2025
That was Symons last chance
March 9, 2015
Sherlock Holmes solves the "Karate Killings" case in Julian Symons' "A Three-Pipe Problem". Well, not exactly. Mr. Symons does not bring to life the famous character from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novels. The Sherlock Holmes who is the protagonist of the story is really Sheridan Haynes, an actor who plays the legendary detective in a popular series on British TV. The "recursive" concept is quite neat - not only do we have a fictional character playing another fictional character, but we also have two levels of fictitiousness, the direct fiction of Mr. Haynes emulating Mr. Holmes in real life as well as the "second-degree" fiction of the former imitating the latter in a TV show.
Three men are murdered - a nondescript marketing statistician, a well-known Member of Parliament, and a minor criminal - all killed by karate chops. The police, whose investigation is headed by Chief Superintendent Roger Devenish, are trying to find some commonality between the victims, while Mr. Sheridan, that is Sherlock Holmes in the eyes of most viewers, undertakes a private investigation, helped by London traffic wardens.
Contrary to what the blurb on the cover says, this is not Mr. Symons' best work. Still, this has been an extremely fast - two hours or so - and not unpleasant read, and I do not regret spending the time. It made me ponder, for the hundredth or thousandth time, one of the most puzzling facets of human behavior: why do people tend to identify actors with the characters they play?
Two and a half stars.
Three men are murdered - a nondescript marketing statistician, a well-known Member of Parliament, and a minor criminal - all killed by karate chops. The police, whose investigation is headed by Chief Superintendent Roger Devenish, are trying to find some commonality between the victims, while Mr. Sheridan, that is Sherlock Holmes in the eyes of most viewers, undertakes a private investigation, helped by London traffic wardens.
Contrary to what the blurb on the cover says, this is not Mr. Symons' best work. Still, this has been an extremely fast - two hours or so - and not unpleasant read, and I do not regret spending the time. It made me ponder, for the hundredth or thousandth time, one of the most puzzling facets of human behavior: why do people tend to identify actors with the characters they play?
Two and a half stars.
August 23, 2015
Nice cosy mystery, at first it took a bit to get into, I haven't read a mystery in a long time, but it was a comforting read with a surprising ending, even if you know who the murderer is from about one third in. Intrigue, interesting characters, good pace.
September 19, 2013
Good (if creaky and at times slow) fun.
November 18, 2013
Was interesting enough. Could definitely feel from the beginning of the novel that the karate angle was a bit flimsy and even silly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews