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“This is the second volume in a series that began with The Musical Murders. As I said in that review, the secret of how these stories were found is a solid one. They were written by Doctor Watson, submitted to the Strand and rejected. Because of their content, they were hidden away in Baker Street, discovered only when it was remodeled.

In these stories, Holmes and Watson are in their early seventies and have moved back to 221B. Mrs. Hudson’s niece Lily, (soon to be newly married to Jasper Lestrade, son of Holmes’ old sparring partner and also a policeman) is their housekeeper and landlord. Holmes has again fallen into the grip of cocaine and sometimes titters on the edge.

I give the book five stars!”

Reviewed by Raven’s Reviews

The Final Tales of Sherlock Holmes – Volume 2 – The Hampstead Ponies is available from all good bookstores including The Strand Magazine,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble,Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

“This novel satisfies on all levels; written in eloquent, refined, and precise prose, it calls forth the ethos of the time and the nature of Sherlock’s mind, even as it is also able to portray Poppy’s more emotional nature and to successfully carry the rising tension of the chase to find the killer before the wrong man is condemned. In unraveling the convoluted case, Croyle introduces the methods of crime detection of the era; the rough lives of workers and the poor; the sorry state of British medical practice; the history of hospitals whose work dates back to the twelfth century; the place of women in society; the Buddha’s teachings on suffering; attitudes toward euthanasia, and more. The story is further enhanced by the inclusion of famous persons of the time, including the flamboyant Oscar Wilde and the sensitive, exotic Rabindranath Tagore.

Croyle’s plot is well-developed, and her powerful imagery is authentic to the era. The mystery unfolds with effective and appropriate pacing, and her sensitive character development illuminates the difficulties that arise when two well-matched intellects try to reconcile the feelings they have for each other with their very different world views. The result is a rich and satisfying reading experience that never ceases to be entertaining.”

Reviewed by Kristine Morris, Foreword Reviews

The Bird and The Buddha – A Before Watson Novel – Book Two is available from all good bookstores including The Strand Magazine, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Kindle.

“Normally, the part I like least about a Sherlock Holmes pastiche is the inevitable “how I found the manuscript” story. Many of them are so farfetched as to be ludicrous. That is not the case here. The story is believable once the nature of the tale is discovered. It is indeed one that might have been totally inappropriate for the day and age. Having them hidden in 221B is a plus as well as being marked “REJECT” from the Strand magazine! Brilliant!…

I give the book five stars plus, and look forward to more by this author!”

Reviewed by Raven’s Reviews

Sherlock Holmes and The Musical Murders is available from all good bookstores includingThe Strand Magazine,  Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository. In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

“This book contains two two-part stories and an additional eight short stories. The stories vary in length, pacing and plot, yet I feel they all have been well written in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

They introduce a new Scotland Yard contact in the person of Superintendant Shershay. Unlike Lestrade who has to be pushed into accepting Holmes’ solutions, Superintendant Shershay makes Holmes’ ideas the working hypothesis. Holmes must be proven wrong for Shershay, while with Lestrade Holmes is the last resort for a detective who feels superior.

The stories also include a new antagonist, Moriarty’s protégée Tresscot-Jones, a man who appears multiple times in these stories…

I give the book five stars!”

Reviewed by Raven’s Reviews

Sherlock Holmes Plays the Game is available from all good bookstores including   Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository .In ebook format it is in Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 

“The story builds nicely and is well plotted and written. The final reveal was a bit of a shock, but that means the author has succeeded in his effort to conceal the mystery until just the right moment! I will give this excellent work five stars!”

Reviewed by Raven’s Reviews

Golem’s Shadow is available from all good bookstores including The Strand Magazine,  Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository .In ebook format it is in Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

“A book worth waiting for!

This solid volume, subtitled “A Biographical Companion of Sherlock Holmes’s Contemporaries”, contains over 800 one-paragraph descriptions of individuals who were well known in the times of Holmes and Dr. Watson. This will be an invaluable tool for readers seeing an unknown name while reading the Canon, as well as those who wish to add something extra while “editing” some more of Watson’s notes for modern publication.

I wish that I’d had this book decades ago. I discovered the Holmes Canon in 1975 when I acquired an abridged copy of “The Adventures” from a friend in a trade. Not long after, I borrowed ahead on my allowance to buy a complete Doubleday edition. I devoured it, but there were many references in the original stories that could have been made much clearer to that ten-year-old me if I’d had this book.

There have been numerous other books that list characters from the Canon, including Michael Hardwick’s “The Sherlock Holmes Companion” and his “The Complete Guide to Sherlock Holmes”, along with Molly Carr’s “A Sherlock Holmes Who’s Who”. This book excellently elaborates on individuals that weren’t directly involved in Holmes’s cases, but were still easily identified in Our Heroes’ times. My only regret is that this book, which lists so many important people of that era, leaves out two of the most important, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, men who are arguably more real – at least to me – than any of the other 800 listed.”

Reviewed by David Marcum

Lives Beyond Baker Street is available from all good bookstores including The Strand Magazine, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK and for free shipping worldwideBook Depository.

”With eloquent, refined, and precise prose, this novel calls forth the ethos of the time and the nature of Sherlock’s mind.

In A.S. Croyle’s The Bird and The Buddha, a young Sherlock Holmes stalks a serial killer with the aid of a lovely young doctor whose need to solve the mystery is almost as great as her passion for the romance-averse detective. In this, the second book in Croyle’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-inspired Before Watson series, questions arise that threaten to lead the sleuthing pair to some unsettling conclusions: is the killer someone whose goal is to end suffering, or are the murders just cleverly disguised to look that way? And why are a small Buddha and a dead bird always left at the scene? As Sherlock and the doctor investigate the case, and their feelings for each other, the trail leads them frighteningly close to home.

Croyle’s graphic evocations of gritty, rough, late-1800s London and her portrayal of the quirky, indomitabledetective as he may have been at the beginning of his career, well before he met up with Dr. Watson, are sure toplease fans of Sir Arthur’s tales. Told in the voice of Dr. Priscilla “Poppy” Stamford, whose intellect, desire, andcourage led her to break with convention and follow her dream to become a medical doctor, the tale reveals how hermeasured, deliberate, and purposeful life became chaotic when she met Sherlock Holmes. Poppy’s attraction toyoung Sherlock was immediate, deep, and confusing. The young man possessed an astounding intellect and waslogical to a fault; disdainful of love, he could be warm, but rarely intimate. Despite the fact that he admitted to thefeelings she aroused in him, she came to see that he was unable to commit to another human being.

This novel satisfies on all levels; written in eloquent, refined, and precise prose, it calls forth the ethos of thetime and the nature of Sherlock’s mind, even as it is also able to portray Poppy’s more emotional nature and tosuccessfully carry the rising tension of the chase to find the killer before the wrong man is condemned. In unraveling the convoluted case, Croyle introduces the methods of crime detection of the era; the rough lives of workers and thepoor; the sorry state of British medical practice; the history of hospitals whose work dates back to the twelfth century;the place of women in society; the Buddha’s teachings on suffering; attitudes toward euthanasia, and more. The storyis further enhanced by the inclusion of famous persons of the time, including the flamboyant Oscar Wilde and thesensitive, exotic Rabindranath Tagore.

Croyle’s plot is well-developed, and her powerful imagery is authentic to the era. The mystery unfolds with effective and appropriate pacing, and her sensitive character development illuminates the difficulties that arise when two well-matched intellects try to reconcile the feelings they have for each other with their very different world views.The result is a rich and satisfying reading experience that never ceases to be entertaining.”

Reviewed by KRISTINE MORRIS,  Foreword Reviews 

The Bird and The Buddha – A Before Watson Novel – Book Two is available from all good bookstores including  Amazon USA, Amazon UK and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository.

“This book is the fourth in a series of Sherlockian anthology volumes from MX Publications and the new title addition indicated that the publisher plan to continue this remarkable series.  All of the authors have donated their royalties for this publication to the support of Undershaw.  It includes twenty-two short stories and novellas as well as a poem.

The poem is a “Toast to Mrs. Watson,” by Arlene Mantin Levy, written as a series of rhymed couplets.  “The Tale of the First Adventure” is a short story by Derrick Belanger that tells how Sherlock learned to restrict the details he passes on to clients in his first real case.  In “The adventure of the Turkish Cypher,” a short story by Deanna Baran, Holmes uncovers a poisoning, but avoids telling his client the details behind it.  “The Adventure of the Missing Necklace,” a short story by Daniel D. Victor, recounts how Holmes acquired his distaste for fictionalized versions of his cases.  “The Case of the Rondel Dagger” is a novella by Mark Mower that tells of Holmes’ investigation of murder by minions of an ancient secret society, or so it would seem. In “The Adventure of the Double-edged Hoard,” a novella by Craig Janacek, Holmes is introduced to an ancient and horrible relic of the Viking raiders.  “The Adventure of the Impossible Murders” is a short story by Jayantika Ganguly that tells of suspiciously related natural deaths caused by unlikely murderers.

“The Watcher in the Woods” is a novella by Dennis O. Smith that tells of a strange case Holmes accepted involving alchemy and a disappearing watcher of a house of madness.  “Relating to One of My Old Cases,” a short story by J. R. Campbell, links two recent murders to one Holmes investigated years before with unanswered questions.  “The Adventure at Beau Soleil,” a short story by Bonnie MacBird, relates an incident in Nice when Holmes aids a house detective in return for lodgings for him and Watson.  “The Adventure of the Phantom Coachman” is a short story by Arthur Hall that mixes spies, thieves and phantoms all in a single muddle for Holmes to untangle.  “The Adventure of the Arsenic Dumplings,” a short story by Bob Byrne, tells of a cook arrested for attempted murder and convicted in public opinion by non-existent evidence.  “The Disappearing Anarchist Trick,” a novella by Andrew Lane, pits Holmes and Watson against a magician in a case investigated for Mycroft.

“The Adventure of the Grace Chalice” is a radio script by Roger Johnson that was first aired in 2011.  It was developed from his short story published in “The Sherlock Holmes Journal” (WI/1987) and tells of Henry Staunton, as cited in “The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter”.  “The Adventure of John Vincent Harden,” a short story by Hugh Ashton, most effectively tells of a case cited in “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist”.  “Murder at Tragere House,” a short story by David Stuart Davies, tells a chilling tale of murder and madness in Scotland.  In “The Adventure of the Green Lady,” a short story by Vincent W. Wright, Holmes is hired by an American to confirm the theft/replacement of a newly acquired painting. In “The Adventure of the Fellow Traveller,” a novella by Daniel McGachey, Holmes is drawn into an inspiring mystery of horror, love and hope. In “A Game of Illusion,” a novella by Jeremy Branton Holstein, Holmes is defeated by an unknown adversary in a game he does not know he is playing.  “The London Wheel” is a novella by David Marcum that tells of an early Ferris wheel in London and the murder that it inspired.  “The Adventure of the Half-Melted Wolf,” a complex novella by Marcia Wilson, tells of relics of Roman Britain that give guides for twentieth Century war technology stolen by a traitor.

This fourth volume continues the tradition set by the first three books in the series.  The twenty-three items in this book include twice as many that I rate as excellent as the few I rate only as good.  All the rest I rate as very good and that gives the entire volume a rating of “excellent” as compared to any other Anthology.”

The MX Books of New Sherlock Holmes Stories are available from all good bookstores including The Strand Magazine, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks (iPad/iPhone).