With four novels and over fifty short stories there are lots of Sherlock Holmes tales to choose from to make into films. A recent article from Alistair Duncan argues that the obvious choice is Black Peter. You can read Alistairs article here – Which Sherlock Holmes Stories Are Cying Out To Be Made? .
You can vote for your own choice in the Sherlock Holmes Books Facebook Poll – at the time of writing ‘A Study In Scarlet’ has a healthy lead.
Shadowfall
It’s a rare Sherlock Holmes novel that gets 4.5/5 stars from The Bookbag, but we already knew Shadowfall is a rare gem. The reviewer says that the sequel is going to be on his ‘most wanted list’ and he’s not the first to say that;
“You remember Sherlock Holmes, yes? Deerstalker, pipe, leetle grey cells… (Oh, sorry, that was Poirot, but same kind of deductive ability), naked winged-woman on, or at least floating above, the sofa in Baker Street… wait a minute? Seriously?
Well, ‘seriously’ is probably not the word to be used to describe this delightful pastiche, but I can happily tell you that mixing Sherlock and Watson with Titania, Spring-Heeled Jack, Charon, and other lesser known tales works surprisingly well. Chiefly this is because Tracy Revels manages to capture the tone of Arthur Conan Doyle’s originals fairly faithfully, just with the twist that Sherlock is only half-human. And looking at his detective skills, it’s a wonder we hadn’t figured that out before.
The characters come at us fast and furious here, and part of the pleasure is there’s no need to spend any time establishing them. We know what to expect from Holmes and Watson, Revels shows us enough to realise that this is still the recognisable duo, despite Watson’s shock at finding out about his friend’s true origins, and that allows the majority of the book to be spent throwing ever-more bizarre obstacles at the pairing and watching them stretch themselves to their limits trying to overcome them. Full marks, as well, for a Watson who is significantly more of a man of action, as in the original stories, than the bumbling fool found in some of the pastiches……”
To read the full review you can visit The Bookbag site.
Shadowfall is available in paperback from all good bookstores including Amazon, in Amazon Kindle, Kobo and iBook (ipad/phone) format. You can follow Tracy Revels Blog for her latest news.
To get a four star review from The Bookbag is impressive, and all the more so if it is your debut book. Gerry Kelly gets a very solid thumbs up for his collection of new Sherlock Holmes stories;
“I’ll spare people the details of Holmes and Watson as crime-solvers – I’m assuming anyone likely to pick this one up is probably familiar with the Victorian duo. This is generally very faithful to the Arthur Conan Doyle originals and the best stories in this set of thirteen sound authentic enough to take their place alongside some of the canon.
The strong points of the collection are numerous, chiefly being an excellent attempt at capturing Conan Doyle’s style of writing which makes Kelly’s Watson convincingly close to the original for the most part. There’s also some ingenious plotting in some of the stories – my personal favourites being The Mayfair Strangler, The Mysterious Death of the Kensington Verger, The Mystery of the Locked Study, and The Adventure of the Black Arrow. Holmes is also given plenty of opportunities to dazzle both his companion and the reader with observations about people he’s only just met, which were always some of my favourite moments in the original stories and raise just as much of a smile here…”
You can read the whole review at The Bookbag website.
The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes is available through all leading bookstores worldwide including Amazon, via Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, and iBooks (iPad and iPhone) and various other formats. If you’d like to stage one of the stories as a play you can get in touch with Gerry through us here.
We’ve this week uncovered Amazon’s secret weapon in the eBook reader land grab. It explains why the new Kindle reader is selling in its droves and why the other eReader manufacturers need to retaliate very quickly.
Code named ‘Operation Sandwich’ it’s a devilishly clever new tactic in the battle for ereader supremacy – read more.
You have probably heard it said that there are several skills that are important especially for young drivers that they don’t learn as part of passing the physical and theory driving tests. The Bookbag reviews a new NLP based book that addresses these key mental skills that scores an excellent 4/5 stars from them:
“It’s always struck me that the most difficult time for young drivers is that period just after they pass their driving test. Someone has told you that you’re an OK driver, right? But you’re out there, all on your own, without anyone to explain those odd things which you still haven’t come across or to be the extra pair of eyes. You’ve got a sense of freedom, but somehow it’s a little bit daunting. Judy Bartkowiak offers something a little bit different. It’s not another book about road signs, driving etiquette and stopping distances – it’s some ideas for getting into the right mindset to absorb the new experiences and learning some skills which might help you in other areas of your life too.
The book is based in the principles of NLP ( Neuro Linguistic Programming) – but don’t let the words put you off, not least because this isn’t a programme which is going to be pushed at you but rather the thinking which is beneath the words in the book. I found the principles of NLP most useful where they helped me to understand how I learn and even for someone many multiples of the target age group this is a skill which I can apply in other areas of my life. So – think of this book as something which will prompt you as to the ways in which you can become a better driver, but might also have applications in other areas such as exams or sport…..”
To read the full article visit The Bookbag website. The book is available from all good bookstores and formats including Amazon UK, and Amazon Kindle,.
As a publisher, when you get the email from The Bookbag saying that the latest review of one of your books is ready, there is a mix of excitement and trepidation.
Excitement as are one of the biggest and most respected review sites in the UK, trepidation as they are tough and it’s always a defining moment clicking that link.
The good news for Rendezvous At The Populaire is that the book gets an overall thumbs up which is great news for a pastiche as they are difficult to deliver in a way that appeals to everyone.
“All in all, though, this is an interesting take on this pair of iconic characters which will appeal to the vast majority of fans of either of them. Above average Sherlock Holmes novel which has enough to be a definite recommendation to fans of the great detective or the Phantom of the Opera.”
To read the full review – visit The Bookbag site.
From the District Messenger, the newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, comes a review of Dan Andriaccos unusual and fascinating new collecition of “scribblings” about Sherlock Holmes.
“Baker Street Beat by Dan Andriacco is subtitled An Eclectic Collection of Sherlockian Scribblings, which sums up the book rather well. There’s nothing particularly profound or abstruse in its 140 pages. Rather, it gives you the same sort of feeling as when you’re chatting over a drink with a knowledgeable fellow-Holmesian.
After explaining how he came to be an enthusiast – his principal allegiance is to the Tankerville Club of Cincinnati – Mr Andriacco tells of his pilgrimage to Reichenbach. He considers the influence of Sherlock Holmes on the methods of John Thorndyke, and lays out sensible rules for the composition of a Holmes story.
The reader can then judge how well he follows his rules in ‘The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden’. Another neat story and two radio scripts complete this very pleasant book.”
Baker Street Beat is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, and in many formats including Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and iTunes for the iPad.
When it comes to reviews, every Holmes author and historian waits anxiously for the edition of The District Messenger where their book is reviewed by the world’s leading Holmes society. It’s good news for the recent pastiche, and true story, The Case of the Grave Accusation with a resounding thumbs up for the new book.
“Just out from MX Publishing at £7.99 is The Case of the Grave Accusation, a novel by Dicky Neely edited by Paul R Spiring, in which Holmes and Watson investigate certain bizarre allegations made against Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – that he stole the narrative of his most famous book from his friend Fletcher Robinson, that he had an affair with Robinson’s wife, and that he murdered Robinson in order to conceal the scandal.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because those charges have been made! Richard Belzer said,
‘If you tell a lie that’s big enough, and you tell it often enough, people will believe you are telling the truth, even when what you are saying is total crap.’
I hope Mr Neely’s book nails the nonsense for good.”
Strong praise from the Society and rightly so. This book is a an important final milestone in the long saga that started with terrible accusations against our beloved Arthur Conan Doyle. Allegations that were damaging and hurtful to both his, and Bertram Fletcher Robinson’s memories.
Without spoiling the plotline, this book has two halves – the first part is a fun pastiche take on the murder scandal, and the second a collection of supporting real life information that puts the final nails in the coffin of the real-life accusations. A very fascinating collaboration between a surfing cartoonist (Dicky Neely, the pastiche) and learned lecturer (Paul R Spiring, the history part).
The Case of The Grave Accusation is available from all good bookstores like Amazon, via Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, iBooks (iPad/iPhone) and several other formats.
Philip K Jones, aka The Ill Dressed Vagabond, is one of the USA’s leading Sherlock Holmes reviewers. He is the first to review the new The Case of The Grave Accusation book about Holmes.
“Mr. Neely published the main portion of this book in The Coastal Bend Sun, a defunct Texas newspaper, in 2002. For this book, he made adjustments to the story and added illustrations. Mr. Spirling added a section of comments that summarize the contacts between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Bertram Fletcher Robinson between the publication of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and Robinson’s death.
The basis for this pastiche was a series of allegations by Rodger Garrick-Steele issued in 2000. These were essentially that Doyle plagiarized the Baskervilles story from Robinson and then, when Robinson threatened to ‘expose’ him, Doyle seduced Mrs. Robinson and conspired with her to poison her husband. Of course, these charges caused a minor furor but, eventually, died from a lack of any proof and all the evidence of a continuing friendship between Doyle and Robinson. Mr. Neely wrote the novella in 2002 as a response to these allegations. Mr. Spiring, credited as Editor, compiled and listed a series of citations that indicate the continued long-term good relations between Doyle and Robinson up to the time of Robinson’s death in 1907.
The fictional element of this book has Holmes and Watson recalled from honorable retirement as fictional icons to investigate a matter that is vitally important to their existence. This is the charge of plagiarism against Doyle, which cast the entire literature of Sherlock Holmes into doubt. The investigation is carried on in the 21st Century, so Holmes and Watson need to orient themselves and to adapt to the information sources and other technologies available to them in this time and place.
Surprisingly, the investigation is carried out in a typical Sherlockian fashion, with Dr. Watson manfully but confusedly helping Holmes and a Scotland Yard Inspector providing the necessary back up. The adjustment problems Holmes and Watson face are taken in stride and the ‘Standard Doyle cast’ make guest appearances. The villain of the piece is a fictional character who is nursing several problems along with a need for recognition. He is induced to recant and to channel his energies into more acceptable efforts.
Mr. Spirling’s efforts have produced a careful list of public appearances, comments and citations that illustrate the friendly and extended relations that existed between Doyle and Robinson. There are also personal communications, shared events and joint appearances of various sorts that occur all through the period between the publication of The Hound of the Baskervilles and the death of Mr. Robinson. So the thesis that Robinson had become upset with Doyle is contradicted time and again, right up to his last writings before his death.
The book is short, but well done. It will effectively nail the lid onto the coffin of any plagiarism charges against Doyle for using Robinson’s local tale as an inspiration for his story. Robinson was fully and completely credited as the source of the ‘Baskervilles Legend’ and used that credit, from time to time, to promote his own career, rather than holding it against Doyle.”
The Case of The Grave Accusation is available from all good bookstores like Amazon, via Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, iBooks (iPad/iPhone) and several other formats.
Shadowfall
A history professor at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Tracy Revels has been a Sherlock Holmes fan since 5th grade. She teaches a class on Sherlock Holmes called “The Game’s Afoot!” along with more conventional courses in Civil War and women’s history. Shadowfall is her first novel and already a bestseller amongst Holmes fans since its launch last month.
“This book is a first Novel by Ms. Revels. She has previously confined her Sherlockian efforts to a series of parodies, many in the form of radio scripts, which were recently published as “Sherlock Holmes: Mostly Parodies.” She has a patently wicked sense of humor and is a great favorite among the readers of “The Gaslight Gazette.”
This novel begins with Dr. Watson unexpectedly walking in on Holmes while he is being solicited for help by Titania, the queen of The Sidhe. The fact that Titania is beautiful, nude and fully winged adds to Watson’s surprise. From that point on, the book varies sharply for the commonplace world of Victorian London. It is full of lively, entertaining, fearsome and frantic characters. In fact, the ‘feeling’ of the book is very much that of “The Sign of Four.” Odd persons wander in and out of the tale, mysteries abound but Holmes always seems to know what he is doing.
There are at least four characters drawn directly from traditional accounts who dominate the action of the book. Each has individuality and oddities of nature and each was pivotal in their own time and place. Further, the fantastic nature of the events and subject matter do not really penetrate the reader’s sense of time and place for some while. These odd events are happening in the familiar London of the Canon; foggy streets, seedy theatres, steel rimmed carriage wheels and all. Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson are preempted by The Government and Holmes and Watson are summoned to Windsor castle by a faithful retainer to receive their orders.
It is only in the late chapters that the oddities at last become overwhelming. Until the final scenes begin to unfold, we could be in the midst of any Canonical adventure except for the occasional oddity along the way. The ending is both technically satisfying and emotionally unsettling. The magical inconsistencies now become wildly apparent and Holmes has become an object of some wonder and fear. Watson, however, remains Watson, British to the core, as he quietly completes his obligations and his narrative.
This is a comforting and disquieting book all at the same time. The sense of ‘1895’ is so strong that it overwhelms the strangeness introduced by the preternatural elements for most of the narrative. Holmes and Watson work together with the familiar combination of trust and knowledge that fill the Canon but are finally separated by their own natures and circumstances. It is odd and familiar, comfortable and unsettling. It is just, as I suppose, as the author planned it to be.”
Shadowfall is available in paperback from all good bookstores including Amazon, in Amazon Kindle, Kobo and iBook (ipad/phone) format. You can follow Tracy Revels Blog for her latest news.
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