The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part I: 1881 to 1889

This book is the first of a series of three Sherlockian anthology volumes from MX Publications and it includes stories set in the period 1881 through 1889. All of the authors have donated their royalties for this publication to the support of Undershaw.

The first volume includes twenty-three short stories and one poem

The poem is “Sherlock Holmes of London,” by Michael Kurland, a set of four quatrains that effectively invoke the place where “…it is always 1895.” Most of the rest of the tales are short stories. “The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady,” by John Hall, is the first effort I know of to tell the Untold Tale of “... a slipshod elderly woman” cited in STUD. “The Case of the Lichfield Murder,” by Hugh Ashton, tells of the grisly case of “…Henry Staunton, whom I helped to hang,” cited in MISS. “The Kingdom of the Blind,” by Adrian Middleton, shows the true reason for the Vatican’s Index Librorem Prohibitorem, the evils that these books stir up in the credulous. “The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter,” by David Marcum, gives us a glimpse of true evil, wrapped in an enticing package. “The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess,” by Jayantika Ganguly, shows us Holmes and Watson coping with the tribulations of a love-sick 16-year-old Princess, grimly determined to fulfil her duty to marry while pursued by five aged suitors grimly determined to secure her considerable dowry and her father’s political influence.

“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh,” by Dennis O. Smith takes me back to his “Chronicles” collections in what is, perhaps, his best tale yet. “The Adventure of the Travelling Orchestra,” by Amy Thomas, deserved to be, at least, a novella. Her intense characters and their complications need more space to unfold than was available in this shortened format. “The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes,” by Kevin David Barratt, vividly shows an important but neglected side of the Holmes/Watson relationship. “The Allegro Mystery,” by Luke Benjamen Kuhns, tells the tale of Holmes’ effort to furnish Watson with a wife in the midst of a mystery. “The Deadly Soldier,” by Summer Perkins, gives us a perfect picture of the meeting of The Professor and Colonel Sebastian Moran. “The Case of the Vanishing Stars,” by Deanna Baran, introduces Holmes and Watson into the world of the Music Halls, where a widowed performer/owner is coping with a variety of problems.

“The Song of the Mudlark,” by Shane Simmons, is told by Wiggins, as he introduces us to the newest Irregular who is taking a giant step up from the occupation of mudlark. “The Tale of the Forty Thieves,” by C. H. Dye, tells the Untold Tale of the Paradol Chamber as cited in FIVE and does so most imaginatively. “The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes,” by Mark Mower, recounts Watson’s first introduction to the problem of Professor Moriarty. In “The Case of the Vanished Killer,” by Derrick Belanger, we are introduced to “Buffalo Bill” Cody when Inspector Lestrade suspects some of Cody’s Indians may have committed a double murder. “The Adventure of the Aspen Papers,” by Daniel D. Victor, brings Henry James to ask Sherlock’s help with a problem that ultimately inspires him to write a novel. “The Ululation of Wolves,” by Steve Mountain, poses an insidious locked-room Mystery for Holmes, with a pack of wolves thrown in to cloud the matter further.

“The Case of the Vanishing Inn,” by Stephen Wade, tells of a terrifying encounter with the Professor by Watson and Inspector Lestrade. “The King of Diamonds,” by John Sherwood, involves Holmes and Watson in a poisoning case that the police have blamed on the obvious suspects on circumstantial evidence. “The Adventure of the Urquhart Manse,” by Will Thomas, presents an “obvious” mystery then quickly wanders off into a strange byway.

Casual readers of the Sherlockian tales are generally not aware that there is a problem involving “The Adventure of the Second Stain (SECO).” This tale is mentioned in two earlier tales, “The Yellow Face” (YELL) and “The Naval Treaty” (NAVA), but those citations do NOT describe the tale of that name published in December, 1904. In “The Adventure of the Seventh Stain,” the only novella in this volume, Daniel McGachey explains in great detail both that problem and the investigation of “The First Adventure of the Second Stain (SEC1).” “The Two Umbrellas,” by Martin Rosenstock, tells of an enigmatic encounter between Mycroft Holmes and Professor Moriarty over a matter of espionage. “The Adventure of the Fateful Malady,” by Craig Janacek, involves Holmes and Watson with a recurrence of the Black Death and tells the Untold tale of his “professional service … for Sir James Saunders (SIRJ)” as cited in BLAN.

This first volume, on its own, is the finest anthology of Sherlockian fiction I have ever read. All of the stories were interesting and readable and several were outstanding. The last Sherlockian fiction I felt to be outstanding was Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald,” and it won a Hugo. I look forward eagerly to reading Volumes 2 and 3.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, October, 2015

This book is the first of a series of three Sherlockian anthology volumes from MX Publications and it includes stories set in the period 1881 through 1889. All of the authors have donated their royalties for this publication to the support of Undershaw.

The first volume includes twenty-three short stories and one poem

The poem is “Sherlock Holmes of London,” by Michael Kurland, a set of four quatrains that effectively invoke the place where “…it is always 1895.” Most of the rest of the tales are short stories. “The Adventure of the Slipshod Charlady,” by John Hall, is the first effort I know of to tell the Untold Tale of “... a slipshod elderly woman” cited in STUD. “The Case of the Lichfield Murder,” by Hugh Ashton, tells of the grisly case of “…Henry Staunton, whom I helped to hang,” cited in MISS. “The Kingdom of the Blind,” by Adrian Middleton, shows the true reason for the Vatican’s Index Librorem Prohibitorem, the evils that these books stir up in the credulous. “The Adventure of the Pawnbroker’s Daughter,” by David Marcum, gives us a glimpse of true evil, wrapped in an enticing package. “The Adventure of the Defenestrated Princess,” by Jayantika Ganguly, shows us Holmes and Watson coping with the tribulations of a love-sick 16-year-old Princess, grimly determined to fulfil her duty to marry while pursued by five aged suitors grimly determined to secure her considerable dowry and her father’s political influence.

“The Adventure of the Inn on the Marsh,” by Dennis O. Smith takes me back to his “Chronicles” collections in what is, perhaps, his best tale yet. “The Adventure of the Travelling Orchestra,” by Amy Thomas, deserved to be, at least, a novella. Her intense characters and their complications need more space to unfold than was available in this shortened format. “The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes,” by Kevin David Barratt, vividly shows an important but neglected side of the Holmes/Watson relationship. “The Allegro Mystery,” by Luke Benjamen Kuhns, tells the tale of Holmes’ effort to furnish Watson with a wife in the midst of a mystery. “The Deadly Soldier,” by Summer Perkins, gives us a perfect picture of the meeting of The Professor and Colonel Sebastian Moran. “The Case of the Vanishing Stars,” by Deanna Baran, introduces Holmes and Watson into the world of the Music Halls, where a widowed performer/owner is coping with a variety of problems.

“The Song of the Mudlark,” by Shane Simmons, is told by Wiggins, as he introduces us to the newest Irregular who is taking a giant step up from the occupation of mudlark. “The Tale of the Forty Thieves,” by C. H. Dye, tells the Untold Tale of the Paradol Chamber as cited in FIVE and does so most imaginatively. “The Strange Missive of Germaine Wilkes,” by Mark Mower, recounts Watson’s first introduction to the problem of Professor Moriarty. In “The Case of the Vanished Killer,” by Derrick Belanger, we are introduced to “Buffalo Bill” Cody when Inspector Lestrade suspects some of Cody’s Indians may have committed a double murder. “The Adventure of the Aspen Papers,” by Daniel D. Victor, brings Henry James to ask Sherlock’s help with a problem that ultimately inspires him to write a novel. “The Ululation of Wolves,” by Steve Mountain, poses an insidious locked-room Mystery for Holmes, with a pack of wolves thrown in to cloud the matter further.

“The Case of the Vanishing Inn,” by Stephen Wade, tells of a terrifying encounter with the Professor by Watson and Inspector Lestrade. “The King of Diamonds,” by John Sherwood, involves Holmes and Watson in a poisoning case that the police have blamed on the obvious suspects on circumstantial evidence. “The Adventure of the Urquhart Manse,” by Will Thomas, presents an “obvious” mystery then quickly wanders off into a strange byway.

Casual readers of the Sherlockian tales are generally not aware that there is a problem involving “The Adventure of the Second Stain (SECO).” This tale is mentioned in two earlier tales, “The Yellow Face” (YELL) and “The Naval Treaty” (NAVA), but those citations do NOT describe the tale of that name published in December, 1904. In “The Adventure of the Seventh Stain,” the only novella in this volume, Daniel McGachey explains in great detail both that problem and the investigation of “The First Adventure of the Second Stain (SEC1).” “The Two Umbrellas,” by Martin Rosenstock, tells of an enigmatic encounter between Mycroft Holmes and Professor Moriarty over a matter of espionage. “The Adventure of the Fateful Malady,” by Craig Janacek, involves Holmes and Watson with a recurrence of the Black Death and tells the Untold tale of his “professional service … for Sir James Saunders (SIRJ)” as cited in BLAN.

This first volume, on its own, is the finest anthology of Sherlockian fiction I have ever read. All of the stories were interesting and readable and several were outstanding. The last Sherlockian fiction I felt to be outstanding was Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald,” and it won an Edgar. I look forward eagerly to reading Volumes 2 and 3.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, October, 2015