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The Murder of Sherlock Holmes
A shocking death revives the past in David Fable’s The Murder of Sherlock Holmes , a refreshing new take on the iconic detective. The year is 1912, and Sherlock Holmes lies dead on the coroner’s table as a shaken Dr. Watson witnesses his autopsy. In the search for Holmes’s murderer, Watson is joined by Christopher Hudson, the 21 year old son of Mrs. Hudson, Holmes’ former landlady at 221B Baker Street. Christopher, recently graduated from Oxford, grew up at Baker Street during the legendary years when Holmes and Watson occupied the flat upstairs. Watson and Christopher explore the grimy East End of London and encounter characters from the original Conan Doyle stories such as PROFESSOR MORIARTY, now locked in a cell beneath Bethlem “Bedlam” Hospital for the Insane, INSPECTOR LESTRADE, who is now head of Scotland Yard, and WIGGINS, former leader of the orphan group known as the “Baker Street Irregulars,” who, these 30 years later, has become a major crime figure in the East End. Alternately narrated by Watson and Christopher, Fable’s authentic language and suspenseful tone successfully capture the appeal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original canon, masterfully taking the tradition of Sherlock Holmes into the twentieth century.
290 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2014
About the author
David Fable
1 book23 followersDavid Fable is the pen name for Randy Feldman, an award winning screenwriter, television producer and playwright whose work has been nominated for the Writers' Guild of America Award, the "Goya" (Spanish Academy Award) and NAACP Image Award. He has written movies such as "Tango & Cash" starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell, "Metro" starring Eddie Murphy, "The Reading Room" starring James Earl Jones and "As Luck Would Have It" starring Salma Hayek. He is an artist in residence and lectures on writing for the stage and screen at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
July 23, 2022
(TW grooming of a minor. Please proceed with caution.)
Breaking News! Holmes Takes Advantage of an Underage Girl!
I consider myself a fan of the canon. As in the original ACD stories. I will admit I'm not against a romantic attachment for Holmes, at least ala the William Gillette play that ACD had a direct hand in. But this is not it, my friends, my Sherlockians. If you are a fan of canon, you won't like this. But most of all, it had TW TW TW a 38-year-old Holmes grooming a 17-year-old female Irregular, and thus, from this unholy union, and I mean unholy because that paragraph we got of their first sexual encounter was the only showing we got in the whole novel, resulted in a son.
I am absolutely disgusted that this is just played off, and apparently so is Wiggins, the once Irregulars leader turned cartoon mafioso style crime boss. But not because of the underage thing, but for other reasons but whatever. It was out of character and antithetical to Holmes as a character. If you try to tell me that "oh, in olde times, adults got with minors all the time!" ah... not... not really. And you could probably argue for different ages of consent during different eras but I'm just... Let's just not go there. She's at a disadvantage and the whole bath thing is weird it's weird make it end.
Listen, I get in pastiches that authors take liberties into the sexual life of Sherlock Holmes... namely giving him one. And it's something that could be explored if done very well. I really don't know what that would look like. Perhaps ala The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? But still, I really don't know what "well done" means concerning the portrayal of that in Holmesian pastiche.
Furthermore, Moriarty is in this, in Bedlam, but he only is as good as... well, you know that really really fat villainous guy from Monk who is played by multiple actors including the amazing Tim Curry? That's the vibe Moriarty gave. But not in a good way.
Content aside, and the content was the worst offender, the writing was only par at best. It was full of telling. A lot of the plot points come to Watson and Hudson (Hudson being the son of Mrs. Hudson and her husband and luckily not Watson or Holmes) by design, or some well-placed fit of delusion of one character, or because of a dialogue dump.
It was a rather short read. I read it all in only a few hours. I believe it only has 290 pages, and most chapters were very short, which was the only way it was able to keep my attention for so long.
In all truth, I only finished it because I needed to get to certain parts so I could make a proper review.
If you are a fan of Holmesian canon, or Holmes in general, don't read it. As far as fiction goes in general, I really... also still wouldn't recommend it. The bees die. That's enough now.
Breaking News! Holmes Takes Advantage of an Underage Girl!
I consider myself a fan of the canon. As in the original ACD stories. I will admit I'm not against a romantic attachment for Holmes, at least ala the William Gillette play that ACD had a direct hand in. But this is not it, my friends, my Sherlockians. If you are a fan of canon, you won't like this. But most of all, it had TW TW TW a 38-year-old Holmes grooming a 17-year-old female Irregular, and thus, from this unholy union, and I mean unholy because that paragraph we got of their first sexual encounter was the only showing we got in the whole novel, resulted in a son.
I am absolutely disgusted that this is just played off, and apparently so is Wiggins, the once Irregulars leader turned cartoon mafioso style crime boss. But not because of the underage thing, but for other reasons but whatever. It was out of character and antithetical to Holmes as a character. If you try to tell me that "oh, in olde times, adults got with minors all the time!" ah... not... not really. And you could probably argue for different ages of consent during different eras but I'm just... Let's just not go there. She's at a disadvantage and the whole bath thing is weird it's weird make it end.
Listen, I get in pastiches that authors take liberties into the sexual life of Sherlock Holmes... namely giving him one. And it's something that could be explored if done very well. I really don't know what that would look like. Perhaps ala The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? But still, I really don't know what "well done" means concerning the portrayal of that in Holmesian pastiche.
Furthermore, Moriarty is in this, in Bedlam, but he only is as good as... well, you know that really really fat villainous guy from Monk who is played by multiple actors including the amazing Tim Curry? That's the vibe Moriarty gave. But not in a good way.
Content aside, and the content was the worst offender, the writing was only par at best. It was full of telling. A lot of the plot points come to Watson and Hudson (Hudson being the son of Mrs. Hudson and her husband and luckily not Watson or Holmes) by design, or some well-placed fit of delusion of one character, or because of a dialogue dump.
It was a rather short read. I read it all in only a few hours. I believe it only has 290 pages, and most chapters were very short, which was the only way it was able to keep my attention for so long.
In all truth, I only finished it because I needed to get to certain parts so I could make a proper review.
If you are a fan of Holmesian canon, or Holmes in general, don't read it. As far as fiction goes in general, I really... also still wouldn't recommend it. The bees die. That's enough now.
October 16, 2015
Not a real big fan of this story but I did finish it. The portrayal of Watson was way off for me. I can't hear him in my mind, using the language the writer wrote for him. This story didn't feel like it came out of 1912, it had a more modern feel to it. There was a few mentions of historical moments during that time, but it felt the author just added those moments to remind me it was 1912 and not now. The actual murder of Holmes was way out of the field. I don't see what happen to Holmes in this story actually happening to him in the canon. So I can't believe this story at all. I wouldn't really recommend it to a hard boiled fan of Holmes and Watson, if you are more open about the characters, you might enjoy the story more.
July 23, 2022
Did not finish.
The formatting was weird. There are both indentations and complete blank spaces between the paragraphs, which are a bit long and hard to read.
Although the concept of Watson solving Holmes' murder may be interesting, it was poorly executed in this book.
In addition to info dumping description, not varying sentence beginnings, and recounting a lot of information previous ACD readers are already familiar with, the author tells everything instead of showing it. Watson essentially states, "Wow, I feel sad!" in relation to Holmes' death. Immediately after the autopsy, he spends quite a bit of time describing Mrs. Hudson's dress. While it was nice, Watson would probably not be thinking about his former landlady's attire (among other things) in that mental state. Despite the crying, everything pertaining to Holmes' death seems calous and unemotional. Holmes has only been dead for a day, but the characters weep for only moments before going, "Well, let's carry on, then!"
The fact that Moriarty is alive is also jarring and nonsensical, and he is written out of character. For example, Watson recalls Moriarty acting like a madman at his trial but calls it "calculated." Alienating both the jury and the judge is not the behavior of a mastermind such as Moriarty. The whole conversation between him and Watson is awkward.
I dropped the book in the middle of that dialogue. I just can't finish it. True Watson and Holmes fans probably aren't going to like it.
As a note, I don't think Mrs. Hudson would dye her hair, either.
But on the bright side, there aren't any apparent grammatical errors.
The formatting was weird. There are both indentations and complete blank spaces between the paragraphs, which are a bit long and hard to read.
Although the concept of Watson solving Holmes' murder may be interesting, it was poorly executed in this book.
In addition to info dumping description, not varying sentence beginnings, and recounting a lot of information previous ACD readers are already familiar with, the author tells everything instead of showing it. Watson essentially states, "Wow, I feel sad!" in relation to Holmes' death. Immediately after the autopsy, he spends quite a bit of time describing Mrs. Hudson's dress. While it was nice, Watson would probably not be thinking about his former landlady's attire (among other things) in that mental state. Despite the crying, everything pertaining to Holmes' death seems calous and unemotional. Holmes has only been dead for a day, but the characters weep for only moments before going, "Well, let's carry on, then!"
The fact that Moriarty is alive is also jarring and nonsensical, and he is written out of character. For example, Watson recalls Moriarty acting like a madman at his trial but calls it "calculated." Alienating both the jury and the judge is not the behavior of a mastermind such as Moriarty. The whole conversation between him and Watson is awkward.
I dropped the book in the middle of that dialogue. I just can't finish it. True Watson and Holmes fans probably aren't going to like it.
As a note, I don't think Mrs. Hudson would dye her hair, either.
But on the bright side, there aren't any apparent grammatical errors.
January 29, 2016
***This book was reviewed for Readers' Favourite.***
I am a big Sherlock fan (no, not because of the BBC Sherlock, though I do love that incarnation as well. Sherlock Holmes is one of the few characters I can think of who have become archetypal figures in their own right, and in doing so, pulled all of their friends and foes along with them. From his original Victorian London, to modern day New York and New Jersey, we have seen Sherlock at a variety of ages, and with varying occupations and varying minor (sometimes major) personality glitches, yet there is something always quintessentially and undeniably Sherlock.
With Sherlock stories being written today by various and sundry people, it can be a gamble if you are going to get a good one or not. Fable's The Murder of Sherlock Holmes lived up to, and surpassed, my expectations. In this story we follow not Sherlock, but a protégé in the form of Christopher Hudson, the son of Mrs Hudson, who grew up around Sherlock and picked up a great deal of his methodology.
Christopher, now in college, is not to be denied when it comes to finding who has murdered the Great Detective. Grudgingly Watson, and Scotland Yard both, realise young Hudson really is a worthy successor to Holmes. He doggedly follows clue after clue along a convoluted path to the truth. While Hudson has the benefit of Sherlock’s knowledge, he's young enough to realise times are changing, technology is advancing, and the criminals along with it, and he's able to adapt quicker, and think differently than his older companions.
All said, The Murder of Sherlock Holmes was a very engaging read. For any who are a fan of Sherlock stories, Fable’s book is a must read. Expect surprises around every corner.
I am a big Sherlock fan (no, not because of the BBC Sherlock, though I do love that incarnation as well. Sherlock Holmes is one of the few characters I can think of who have become archetypal figures in their own right, and in doing so, pulled all of their friends and foes along with them. From his original Victorian London, to modern day New York and New Jersey, we have seen Sherlock at a variety of ages, and with varying occupations and varying minor (sometimes major) personality glitches, yet there is something always quintessentially and undeniably Sherlock.
With Sherlock stories being written today by various and sundry people, it can be a gamble if you are going to get a good one or not. Fable's The Murder of Sherlock Holmes lived up to, and surpassed, my expectations. In this story we follow not Sherlock, but a protégé in the form of Christopher Hudson, the son of Mrs Hudson, who grew up around Sherlock and picked up a great deal of his methodology.
Christopher, now in college, is not to be denied when it comes to finding who has murdered the Great Detective. Grudgingly Watson, and Scotland Yard both, realise young Hudson really is a worthy successor to Holmes. He doggedly follows clue after clue along a convoluted path to the truth. While Hudson has the benefit of Sherlock’s knowledge, he's young enough to realise times are changing, technology is advancing, and the criminals along with it, and he's able to adapt quicker, and think differently than his older companions.
All said, The Murder of Sherlock Holmes was a very engaging read. For any who are a fan of Sherlock stories, Fable’s book is a must read. Expect surprises around every corner.
February 14, 2017
I enjoyed this story overall, featuring Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson's son Christopher teaming up to find out who killed the Matchless Detective. (It's been some time since I read the Holmes canon -- does anybody remember Christopher being mentioned?)
I reduced the rating to four stars because of two rather jarring points. First, I cannot imagine the oh-so-proper Victorian gentleman Dr. John Watson calling anybody a "dishonorable sack of shit," regardless of the provocation, not even Professor Moriarty.
Second, Sherlock Holmes is possibly one of the most asexual characters in literature. Even his admiration of "the woman," Irene Adler, was on an intellectual level, not a physical one. So the idea of Holmes having an illegitimate son, especially by a 17-year old member of his Baker Street Irregulars, is just wrong on so many levels, even though it is a key element of the plot.
That being said, I would not mind seeing more Watson/Hudson collaborations, although where do you go after solving the murder of Sherlock Holmes?
One unrelated question: why is there a knife depicted on the cover, when Holmes was not the victim of a stabbing?
I reduced the rating to four stars because of two rather jarring points. First, I cannot imagine the oh-so-proper Victorian gentleman Dr. John Watson calling anybody a "dishonorable sack of shit," regardless of the provocation, not even Professor Moriarty.
Second, Sherlock Holmes is possibly one of the most asexual characters in literature. Even his admiration of "the woman," Irene Adler, was on an intellectual level, not a physical one. So the idea of Holmes having an illegitimate son, especially by a 17-year old member of his Baker Street Irregulars, is just wrong on so many levels, even though it is a key element of the plot.
That being said, I would not mind seeing more Watson/Hudson collaborations, although where do you go after solving the murder of Sherlock Holmes?
One unrelated question: why is there a knife depicted on the cover, when Holmes was not the victim of a stabbing?
December 30, 2015
Got it for Christmas. Have already thanked my brother for giving it to me. Meticulously structured and beautifully written, it fits right into the post-Doyle Holmes canon. Extremely well plotted and researched -- but, happily, the research doesn't shout at you, saying "look at me."
The story unfurls with wonderful reveals and surprises, exactly what I'd hoped for in a Sherlock Holmes tale. Along with a spot-on rendering of the period, Holmes is perfectly drawn, as are Dr. Watson and Professor Moriarty. The dialogue is a pleasure to read and sounds precisely like each familiar character should.
The inventive core idea and clockwork story execution are clever, compelling, and ingenious. The Murder of Sherlock Holmes only gets more and more interesting as it hurtles toward the climax.
Fable has done his homework and I'm happy to have been the beneficiary.
The story unfurls with wonderful reveals and surprises, exactly what I'd hoped for in a Sherlock Holmes tale. Along with a spot-on rendering of the period, Holmes is perfectly drawn, as are Dr. Watson and Professor Moriarty. The dialogue is a pleasure to read and sounds precisely like each familiar character should.
The inventive core idea and clockwork story execution are clever, compelling, and ingenious. The Murder of Sherlock Holmes only gets more and more interesting as it hurtles toward the climax.
Fable has done his homework and I'm happy to have been the beneficiary.
April 6, 2017
Not bad readable
To easy to find Holmes killer
Alexander was hardly mentioned, and as Holmes always said when you eliminate the impossible
To easy to find Holmes killer
Alexander was hardly mentioned, and as Holmes always said when you eliminate the impossible
Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews