“Here’s my review of “The Outrage at the Diogenes Club” by Daniel D. Victor

Holmes versus The Assassination Bureau … .

Once again, Victor has brought us a lost Watsonian manuscript that tells us about what was going on behind the scenes of a literary work, solving the mystery when we didn’t even know that there was a mystery.

As usual, Victor knows his Canon. I’m always completely at ease when I begin one of his books or short stories, because I know that there won’t be anything crazy wrong, like Watson calling Holmes “Sherlock”, or Holmes murdering someone while proclaiming he’s a high-functioning sociopath. This is the real stuff.

I wish I knew how Mr. Victor winkles out these lost nuggets. I first heard of Mr. Victor when he brought us “The Seventh Bullet” back in ’92. (1992, that is, not 1892.) It was clearly from Watson’s Tin Dispatch Box. However, Victor didn’t start pulling further tales from there until the last few years, when he began to edit the (hopefully) ongoing series, “Sherlock Holmes and the American Literati”, wherein The Master interacts with a number of American authors, including Stephen Crane, Raymond Chandler, and Samuel Clemens. In addition, he has provided several stories for the ongoing anthology series, “The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories”, and these, also with strong literary connections, have held the level of achievement high as well.

Now, in “The Outrage at the Diogenes Club”, Holmes and Watson meet Jack London, and we learn of the terrible events behind London’s unfinished novel, “The Assassination Bureau, Ltd.” But that’s just the beginning. This tale winds through events stretching across a decade, much in the same manner as Barrie Roberts’ excellent “Sherlock Holmes and the Railway Maniac” (1994). We see that Holmes and Watson’s adventures weren’t self-contained, but rather intertwined with other threads in the Great Holmes Tapestry. And Jack London’s involvement is only the jumping-off place. Events hurtle towards the attempted assassination of a most important figure, and along the way, we learn quite a bit about one of London’s most famous landmarks as well.

I was privileged to read this story in manuscript form, fresh from the Tin Dispatch Box. I’m very happy that it’s now been published for everyone, using that same handsome cover that graces all of the “American Literati” series. Move this one to the top of your to-be-read pile – you won’t regret it!”

The Outrage at the Diogenes Club (Sherlock Holmes and the American Literati Book 4) is available for pre order from all good bookstores including The Strand Magazine, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository.