Further Encounters of Sherlock Holmes

This is a collection of a dozen Sherlockian tales by a number of authors. The editor’s view is that Holmes remains Holmes, no matter who writes the tale and where or when it takes place. He agrees with me that Doyle brought life to an Archetype, to a character that is real to all people of all times and places, The Great Detective. Here we see that character through many eyes.

In “The Adventure of the Professor’s Bequest,” a novella by Philip Purser-Hallard, we meet Professor Moriarty’s daughter and son-in-law trying to deal with the theft of manuscript left by the Professor. The question is who was it supposed to go to and why. In “The Case of the Compromised Card-Index,” a short story by Andrew Lane, someone has burgled 221B while Holmes and Watson were away and copied his card-index files, a wonderful source for blackmail data. Holmes deduces the thief, but cannot prosecute a non-crime of copying information. Holmes finds a unique solution to the situation. In “Sherlock Holmes and the Popish Relic,” a novella by Mark A. Latham, Holmes and Watson attend a séance where Watson receives a ‘warning.’ Later, Holmes acquires a client who is heir presumptive to an Estate whose owner has vanished. The heir wishes Holmes to investigate and to establish the death or to find the owner. The ‘warning’ becomes of use, although no one knows why it is so. In “The Adventure of the Decadent Headmaster,” a novella by Nick Campbell, Holmes and Watson are lured into an investigation at a Public School by an anonymous letter actually written by a schoolboy. Their findings are echoed by the source of the account in the present day.

In “The Devil’s Door,” a short story by James Goss, Holmes and Watson are drawn back into the world of San Pedro, first encountered in “The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge.” Holmes must deduce how a house can swallow and kill a man and then disappear. In “The Adventure of the Coin of the Realm,” a novella by William Patrick Maynard and Alexandra Martukovich, Holmes and Watson, returning from the United States, are faced with multiple murders on shipboard. The solution presents an unacceptable conclusion of evil amongst us. In “The Strange Case of the Displaced Detective,” a short Story by Roy Gill, Holmes is brought face-to-face with an operating time machine. In “The Girl Who Paid for Silence,” a short story by Scott Hancock, Watson introduces Holmes to a client who witnessed a gruesome child murder.

In “An Adventure in Three Courses,” a short story by Guy Adams, Dr. Watson and Holmes are invited to dinner on the anniversary of Mary Watson’s death by a group of old acquaintances. Holmes manages to derail plans for a double wake. In “The sleep of Reason,” a novella by Lou Anders, a Holmes surrogate in New York goes through a ‘John Carter-like’ experience on Barsoom, the Mars of Edgar Rice Burroughs. At the end of this experience, Sherlock Holmes wakes from a drug dream. In “The Snowtorn Terror,” a short story by Justin Richards, Holmes and Watson investigate a murder by a snow beast in the midst of an unmarked snowfield. In “A Betrayal of Doubt,” a novella by Philip Marsh, The son of Dr. Watson supports Holmes in a request for help from Scotland Yard to investigate an apparent ‘ritual murder.’ Soon, another such murder occurs and Holmes’ participation in the investigation leaks to the tabloids.

This is a dark collection of tales. There is little amusing or heartwarming in the lot. Some supernatural events occur and no rational explanations are given. Many are fascinating and well plotted, but none are happy or uplifting. Prepare to be shown the dark side.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, March, 2014