Sherlock Holmes Archives

Yzabel / August 9, 2017

Review: From Holmes to Sherlock

From Holmes to Sherlock: The Story of the Men and Women Who Created an Icon by Mattias Boström

My rating: [rating=5]

Blurb:

Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a unique literary character who has remained popular for over a century and is appreciated more than ever today. But what made this fictional character, dreamed up by a small-town English doctor in the 1880s, into such a lasting success, despite the author’s own attempt to escape his invention?

In From Holmes to Sherlock, Swedish author and Sherlock Holmes expert Mattias Boström recreates the full story behind the legend for the first time. From a young Arthur Conan Doyle sitting in a Scottish lecture hall taking notes on his medical professor’s powers of observation to the pair of modern-day fans who brainstormed the idea behind the TV sensation Sherlock, from the publishing world’s first literary agent to the Georgian princess who showed up at the Conan Doyle estate and altered a legacy, the narrative follows the men and women who have created and perpetuated the myth. It includes tales of unexpected fortune, accidental romance, and inheritances gone awry, and tells of the actors, writers, readers, and other players who have transformed Sherlock Holmes from the gentleman amateur of the Victorian era to the odd genius of today. Told in fast-paced, novelistic prose, From Holmes to Sherlock is a singular celebration of the most famous detective in the world—a must-read for newcomers and experts alike.

Review:

[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, more than I thought it would be—the matter of course I was definitely interested in, but the way the author gathered and presented his material gave the whole book a ‘storytelling’ side that kept me wanting to read, and read, and read. Much like Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. A biography-slash-history book that is in itself a big story.

I won’t deny that some chapters towards the middle (the period between Conan Doyle’s death and the modern adaptations after the 1970s-80s) weren’t the most interesting for me, but even those didn’t detract from the book as a whole. It takes us through the genesis of the original Holmes & Watson stories, how they came to be, how their author perceived them, the conundrum of seeing them more successful than his ‘most serious’ works and of wanting to kill Holmes… How they gradually escaped his and his family’s grasp, in spite of efforts to keep a hand on them, because what Doyle gave birth to was bigger than him, bigger than just a handful of people, and wanted out, plain and simple.

I’ve read all the original stories (will read them again), yet I admit I’m lagging behind when it comes to movies. Well, now I know exactly what to catch up on, what to look for, and what kind of tone these adaptations’ would be—the movies with Basil Rathbone won’t be the same than the BBC Sherlock series, nor is their Holmes the one from the 1980s series with Jeremy Brett. I’d need half a lifetime to catch up on all this (and I’d want to catch up several times, for sure), but now at least I have a clearer view of ‘the bigger picture’.

Arthur Conan Doyle gave life to Holmes and took it away, but the Great Detective just won’t stay dead, will he? It’s all the readers and actors and directors and other authors that gave him a much, much longer life than expected.

Conclusion: Highly recommended!

Yzabel / May 16, 2016

Review: The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories

The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories by Otto Penzler

My rating: [rating=3]

Blurb:

Presenting Edgar Award-winning editor Otto Penzler’s latest anthology, The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories, the largest collection of Sherlockian tales ever assembled—now in a deluxe hardcover edition, perfect for the collector and gift markets.

Arguably no other character in history has been so enduringly popular as Sherlock Holmes. From his first appearance, in Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1887 novella A Study in Scarlet,readers have loved reading about him—and writers have loved writing about him. Here, Otto Penzler collects 83 wonderful stories about Holmes and Dr. John Watson, the majority of which will be new to readers. Among these pages are tales by acclaimed Sherlockians Leslie S. Klinger, Laurie R. King, Lyndsay Faye and Daniel Stashower; pastiches by literary luminaries both classic (Kenneth Millar, P. G. Wodehouse, Dorothy B. Hughes) and current (Anne Perry, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman); and parodies by Conan Doyle’s contemporaries James M. Barrie, O. Henry, and August Derleth.

Review:

[I received a copy of this book through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.]

A huge collection of Sherlock Holmes-related short stories—as is made obvious from the title—written by various authors: some who were Doyle’s contemporaries, some from the late 1990s or even 2000s, and some from the 20th century. Mostly two kinds of stories are represented: “serious” Holmes adventures, and humorous ones (the latter ranging from light pastiches to ridiculous ones).

Breaking down this collection into separate commentary for each story (there are 83!) would be too long and time-consuming, so I won’t do this here, and keep to a more general commentary. As in every anthology, there are good things and less than interesting ones; as the editor himself wrote in the introduction, some of those are worth a shot because they were never reprinted, and were only published in obscure magazines in their time. In my case, I realised that I didn’t really care about the comical Holmes stories: I guess I like my Sherlock somewhat “serious”, although I’m also known for liking heroic sociopath versions of him (see Thomas Day).

Among the most memorable ones for me:
* “The Case of the Unseen Hand”, which goes back on the Dreyfus affair. (And that was *quite* a big deal in late 19th France).
*“The Martian Crown Jewels” — one the rare really different takes on Sherlock Holmes here (considering it’s science fiction).
* “A Case of Mis-Identity”, both quite amusing and clever, in presenting different points of view about the same situation.
* “The Startling Events in the Electrified City” — a plot against President McKinley’s life.

While I still think a lot of these stories had an interest only as quirky little examples of what was once done regarding the Holmes & Watson corpus, this is a collection still worth borrowing, for want of actually buying the book.

Yzabel / January 19, 2016

Review: Art in the Blood

Art in the Blood: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure by Bonnie MacBird

My rating: [rating=2]

Blurb:

London. A snowy December, 1888. Sherlock Holmes, 34, is languishing and back on cocaine after a disastrous Ripper investigation. Watson can neither comfort nor rouse his friend – until a strangely encoded letter arrives from Paris.

Mlle La Victoire, a beautiful French cabaret star writes that her illegitimate son by an English lord has disappeared, and she has been attacked in the streets of Montmartre.

Racing to Paris with Watson at his side, Holmes discovers the missing child is only the tip of the iceberg of a much larger problem. The most valuable statue since the Winged Victory has been violently stolen in Marseilles, and several children from a silk mill in Lancashire have been found murdered. The clues in all three cases point to a single, untouchable man.

Will Holmes recover in time to find the missing boy and stop a rising tide of murders? To do so he must stay one step ahead of a dangerous French rival and the threatening interference of his own brother, Mycroft.

This latest adventure, in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, sends the iconic duo from London to Paris and the icy wilds of Lancashire in a case which tests Watson’s friendship and the fragility and gifts of Sherlock Holmes’ own artistic nature to the limits.

Review:

[I received a copy of this novel through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.]

Decent but nothing to write home about. While I found myself excited at first, because it was reminiscent of actual Sherlock Holmes adventures, I also ended up losing touch fairly easily, and not being really interested in what was happening. Perhaps because of the hints at a potential attraction toward the French artist (I don’t know… for me, Irene Adler still remains the only woman for Sherlock). Or because the mystery itself seemed to drag, and to lack the usual “punch” I expect in a Holmes & Watson adventure.

I thought Sherlock overlooked quite a few things, and made a few too many mistakes here, mistakes that didn’t ring “true” to his character. Granted, I haven’t read any of the original stories in a few years; however, I don’t remember him as endangering himself so because he miscalculated an enemy’s move, for instance. He felt and acted as less acute than his usual self here, and all in all, he wasn’t the Holmes I’m used to: making him more approachable didn’t work here, and seeing his judgment sometimes impaired by tepid emotions was… strange. He was too remote from Doyle’s Sherlock, yet didn’t bring anything original or particularly interesting to the character.

(On the other hand, Watson wasn’t introduced, nor acted, as the bumbling idiot he too often is in too many stories, which is always good in my opinion!)

The mystery itself was so-so. Not particularly interesting, a bit all over the place (France, London, art, potential love interests, kids disappearing, shifty French detective, Vidocq, a suspicious gaoler, silk trade…), beating around the bush, Mycroft’s way of getting involved and making things easier for the characters—resulting in not much investigating on their part where there should’ve been… I suppose the themes it raised, like children treated as slaves or worse, should’ve been treated more seriously, only some of this was just thrown in, especially at the end, and its impact thus lowered.

The writing itself: not terrific either. Not emulating a “Victorian” style of writing, not close to Doyle’s, too modern in parts… It didn’t do much for me. Same with the “art” part, and the way it could’ve ran parallel with investigation methods: it didn’t deliver.

1.5/2 stars. I can’t say I hated it, but I just didn’t care.

Yzabel / September 14, 2014

Review: Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets

Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets: An Anthology of Holmesian Tales Across Time and Space by David Thomas Moore

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

The world’s most famous detective, as you’ve never seen him before! This is a collection of orginal short stories finding Holmes and Watson in times and places you would never have expected!

A dozen established and up-and-coming authors invite you to view Doyle’s greatest creation through a decidedly cracked lens.

Read about Holmes and Watson through time and space, as they tackle a witch-trial in seventeenth century Scotland, bandy words with Andy Warhol in 1970s New York, travel the Wild Frontier in the Old West, solve future crimes in a world of robots and even cross paths with a young Elvis Presley…

Set to include stories by Kasey Lansdale, Guy Adams, Jamie Wyman, J E Cohen, Gini Koch, Glen Mehn, Kelly Hale, Kaaron Warren, Emma Newman and more.

Review:

(I received an ARC courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

3.5 stars.

Like most anthologies, this one included interesting stories, and others that didn’t impress me much.

It focuses not on the Sherlock Holmes we know, but on other approaches, such as Holmes and Watson in the 70s, or as teenage girls, or in a China-like land of magic. This definitely stretches the canon pretty far, but also allows for something different. I’m quite an avid reader of Doyle’s original stories, and I’m always of a mixed opinion regarding that kind of approach: part of me wants to see what else can be done, in alternative universes, while another part always remains wary of what is going to be done to “my” Holmes, because past some point, it’s not really Holmes & Watson anymore. I’d deem myself as straddling the fence here.

Mostly I found this collection ranging from average to good, nothing abysmal or excellent. One thing I appreciated here, though, is the way Watson was handled: like a valuable partner to Holmes. I’ve always disliked when he was shown as a bumbling idiot (which he is really far from being); I didn’t get that feeling here. Whether as a drug-dealer in the 60s’ New york City or as a magician at the court of a powerful lord, Watson (or Jane, or Wu Tsan…) wasn’t some of comic relief, but a character in his/her own right.

On the other hand, for an anthology that wanted itself different, sometimes I thought it could’ve carried things just a tad bit further, for instance by playing more on the female!Holmes or female!Watson variation, or by exploring other venues than London or the United States, which were often used. Another gripe would be that the mysteries in some of the stories weren’t so interesting; a couple of them didn’t even have Sherlock solve something.

The ones I liked:

The Final Conjuration, in which “Wu Tsan” the magician summons a demon called “The Sherlock” to help him investigate the mysterious death of one of the Seven Wizards of his country. The twist at the end definitely made me grin. Clever, clever Holmes.
Parallels, in which “Jane” writes AU Sherlock/Holmes fanfiction she doesn’t want her best friend “Charlotte” to see. Nothing really unexpected here, but I have a weak spot for stories that play on tropes, web communities, fanfiction, and/or hint to other books or series. Charlotte also mirrored well enough Holmes’s sometimes devious ways of causing clues to pop up.
A Woman’s Place also caught my attention for the way it plays on Mrs. Hudson’s role as someone who’s always here to listen to conversations if she so decides, and why she does it.
Half There/All There if you have at least some knowledge of the 60s’ scene and like reading about it, and for its exploration of Watson and Holmes’s potential relationshop.
The Innocent Icarus is interesting as well for its worldbuilding: a Victorian setting in which everybody has some kind of special power, and that allows for another type of questioning (i.e. the different reactions of people who’re born without powers).

It’s not the best anthology I’ve ever read, and it might deter a reader who’s not at ease with stories sometimes veering towards the bizarre and nonsensical, but overall, it was still a pleasant enough read.

Yzabel / April 7, 2014

Review: The Astounding Adventure of the Ancient Dragon

The Astounding Adventure of the Ancient Dragon by Jose Prendes

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

When 12-year-old John Watson is sent to Candlewood boarding school, he makes quick friends with a boy named Sherlock Holmes, a universally disliked know-it-all and amateur sleuth. Before long, Sherlock embroils his new friend in a covert investigation of the mysterious disappearances blamed on a vengeful ghost. Dodging the meaty fists of the bully Moriarty, and aided by bumbling patrolman Lestrade, they uncover a deadly secret hidden deep underneath Candlewood. But does the duo have the brains–and the brawn–to crack this dangerous case?

Review:

[I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.]

Strong points:

The Astounding Adventure of the Ancient Dragon caught my eyes because of its premise: an alternate retelling of Holmes’s and Watson’s adventures, in a “what if those two had been children at a boarding school, instead of adults in London?” As a long-time avid reader of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, I couldn’t pass up on that, although any potential reader has to be aware that these new adventures are, of course, not canon. (The original Holmes and Watson didn’t meet before they were adults.)

This novel will likely provide an amusing and refreshing read to middle-grade children: boys going on exploring an old school, hidden corridors, mysterious kidnappings, peppered with a dose of humour and “old chap” banter. Some quips made me chuckle more than once:

“I ask you to come up with a distraction and you decide to set the boat on fire? Is that best you could come up with?”

And were even reminiscent of a Princess Bride kind of humour:

“I must warn you, I am a fencing champion,” Holmes replied, taking a defensive posture.
“And I must warn you,” Royston said, yanking out another sword. “I have two swords.”

Honestly, I laughed out loud at those ones.

I like boarding schools for a setting, and the latter had the makings for an interesting place, complete with a gang of local bullies and a head mistress who expresses her dislike for the heroes. Those are typical tropes, but I thought they worked well enough here, because they, too, were presented in a humorous way. The investigation and action are nicely balanced, the latter taking the main characters into fights that were easy to picture in my mind (though the former was a bit simple… but then, they’re twelve). Sherlock was true enough to his original self to my liking: oblivious to girls, possessed of a lot of knowledge, able to notice small details (and with a bonus way of talking his way out of the teachers’ wrath in an elegant and funny manner).

Last but not least, I found it easy enough to get into the concept of Holmes and Watson as children—which I wasn’t sure would happen at first. As with every retelling or alternate setting, this is, in my opinion, a matter of either love or hate. A reader who wants to see Holmes act exactly as he does in Doyle’s novels may not be completely satisfied; what worked for me here won’t work for everyone.

Problematic aspects:

I thought at times that the characters were able to do too many things (taking on opponents with a spear, firing a gun…): I can imagine how it fits an adventure-focused story, but the fact is, they’re only twelve. Sometimes I also found them a little callous, dismissing the death of a goon as if it was nothing, or Watson not seeming to care that much about the sick mother her had left behind him. Again, adventure is a distraction for the mind… but they’re still twelve.

I’m torn about the writing style. As an adult reader, I enjoyed it; the novel is well-written, and I could sense the same kind of vibes I’d get from the original stories, with the narrator (Watson) seeming to hit close enough a mark. It has a “gentlemen’s banter” quality that is exquisite to me. However, I’m not sure a 12-year-old narrator, even a precocious one, would master language to such an extent. In other words: I liked it, but I’m torn about how to judge it in an unbiased way. One thing’s for sure, though: the language wasn’t dumbed down “just because it’s for kids”, and this in itself has to be commended.

You may also want to enact suspension of disbelief regarding the school itself: the action is set in 1865, and I highly doubt there were any mixed-sex schools in Great Britain at the time, lest boarding schools. If you’re willing to overlook that in favour of focusing on the adventure, it’ll probably be all right, otherwise it might keep nagging you.

(NB. I wasn’t too keen on the illustrations, which weren’t necessary in my opinion, and seemed to hesitate between looking like a child’s drawing and “real” illustrations. This is a very minor quibble, though, that has nothing to do with the writing itself.)

I realise this review seems to contain a lot of criticism, and more flaws than merits. I’ve tried to write what I enjoyed, and what I found as being or not problems, in terms of intended audience especially. All in all, I enjoyed this novel, and think younger readers would also like it; but it definitely retains some aspects that could make it or break it for others.

Yzabel / September 26, 2013

Review: A Study in Darkness

A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

When a bomb goes off at 221B Baker Street, Evelina Cooper is thrown into her Uncle Sherlock’s world of mystery and murder. But just when she thought it was safe to return to the ballroom, old, new, and even dead enemies are clamoring for a place on her dance card.

Before Evelina’s even unpacked her gowns for a country house party, an indiscretion puts her in the power of the ruthless Gold King, who recruits her as his spy. He knows her disreputable past and exiles her to the rank alleyways of Whitechapel with orders to unmask his foe.

As danger mounts, Evelina struggles between hiding her illegal magic and succumbing to the darker aspects of her power. One path keeps her secure; the other keeps her alive. For rebellion is brewing, a sorcerer wants her soul, and no one can protect her in the hunting ground of Jack the Ripper.

Review:

(I received an ARC e-copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

This second installment in the “Baskerville Affair” series takes a darker turn for its protagonists, in a good way. The author keeps on developing an interesting society, dominated by manipulative steam barons who all seek to move their pawns and take new ones in the process. She also weaves unsolved elements from the first book into this one, allowing to make more sense of what happened then, and introduces a few more questions that pave the way for volume three… not to mention two cliffhangers at the end, regarding the fate of two characters.

Evelina is now faced with harsher choices, partly due to her own mistakes, the latter being as many opportunities to make her fall. However, she does her best to keep her head high, and do what she must do while trying to find a solution to her predicament. Some of her decisions may seem rash or stupid, but much less so when remembering she’s only 19, and pitched again people twice her age (at least), who have had much more experience in the great game of manipulation. There’s potential here for some huge comeback on her part, as well as for temptation of the darkest kind, and I sure want to know what she’s going to do in the last part of the series.

The romance aspect remains present, in a more interesting way than the somewhat feeble triangle from book one. Evelina seems to make a decision in that regard that suits her personality much more, although it’s a source of problems in and of itself. Here, too, lie more opportunities for the author to exploit later, and I hope this will be the case. I like what Nick has become: he’s going about his new life and decisions with gusto, and although he’s on the wrong side of the law, he’s probably one of the more decent people in all that, along with Imogen and, surprisingly, Alice Keating (who was given the short end of the straw, yet seems to be able to fall back on her feet in the future).

No ties with canon Sherlock Holmes cases this time; on the other hand, it’s the fall of 1888, and a lot of scenes are set in Whitechapel… This period, setting and characters imply another cameo, of course, and this time the murderer is in my opinion quite unexpected, although logical when considering the big picture.

I wasn’t too thrilled with the characterization of Holmes in this book, but he doesn’t appear that much, and he’s not the main focus of the story, so it didn’t bother me as much as if everything had revolved about him.

Yzabel / September 9, 2013

Review: A Study in Silks

A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London’s high society. But there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.

In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?

But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.

Review:

(I got an ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

For once, I’ll say I liked this story better than I expected to. I can be a terribly grouchy fan of good old Sherlock Holmes, and among the few other books I read in which he makes an appearance, only two really managed to grip me (one because the author managed to emulate Doyle’s style and narrative as much as possible, and the other for totally different reasons, with a very different Holmes, too). The reasons behind this reluctance of mine are usually of three kinds: character betrayal, easy Deux Ex Machina and badly disguised fanfiction, complete with self-inserts. I don’t think “A Study in Silks” fell into those pitfalls, or so little that it didn’t impede my reading pleasure.

Evelina is definitely the main character here, and stands her ground as a strong young woman, even though she commits mistakes and is clearly not on par (yet?) with her uncle in terms of investigating. But then, could anyone be, especially someone as young and yet to learn much more from life, especially in a society such as hers, and torn as she is between two worlds? Considering her circumstances, I thought she actually did quite a good job with the hands she was dealt. Besides, while I’m not always a big proponent of the romance aspect, I find it to be quite à propos in Victorian-like settings, women being expected to either marry or earn a living through a limited range of jobs only (governess, school teacher, maid…). In that regard, Evelina’s problems and on-the-side “errings” make sense.

Add magic (banished and rejected!) and lobbying, powerful steam barons who can disconnect people, both directly (cutting gas supplies) and indirectly (being without lighting means Society understanding you’re a reject), and you’ve got a complex world in which to navigate. Clearly it wasn’t described entirely here, far from it, but I got enough to form a proper vision of my own, and to wish to read the next installment in order to learn more about it.

The book shifts through several points of view, not only Evelina’s, which is a little unusual at first for a mystery novel: it cuts on potential culprits fairly quickly, since when we switch to their POV, we know they’re not guilty (and conversely). However, in the long run, the technique worked; the plot is complicated enough as it is, and using only Evie’s POV may have forced the author to resort to other tricks to have everything solved, which in turn may have seemed too convenient. As for Sherlock Holmes himself, although he wasn’t on the same level as the original character (can any be?), he was far from being the worst, too. I liked how he was tied to canon happenings (Bohemia, Irene Adler…), which allowed for him to have an influence on the story as a whole, without intervening too directly, yet without being shoved aside “just because” either. Though he helps to solve the mystery, he doesn’t do all the work—and there are things himself doesn’t know, and that his niece won’t tell him about, thus leaving her with the ace of magic under her sleeve.

While the main story gets wrapped up, the ending is an open one: not a “how frustrating!” cliffhanger, but with enough things left unsolved, and enough new elements, to allow, I think, for a second book with more than just a couple of leads to chase. As for the love triangle, at first I wasn’t convinced (they’re so common nowadays!). Nevertheless, both love interests have a darker side. Both end up in shady deeds. Neither is totally black or white, and Evelina isn’t blind to that, keeping her wits about her and not melting as soon as she sees them, although part of her sure wishes to. Things didn’t pan out as I expected them to, and this was a nice surprise, leaving open roads here as well.

If one thing, I think the book might have been a trifle too long, or perhaps dwellt a little too much on some aspects (marriage prospects, romance for more than one character…) to my liking. But, again, this fits within the Victorian-like setting—much more than it fits in many contemporary ones, to be honest.

Yzabel / December 14, 2012

Review: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice: or, On the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King

My rating: [rating=1]

Summary:

In 1915, long since retired from his observations of criminal humanity, Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a reclusive study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. Never did he think to meet an intellect to match his own—until his acquaintance with Miss Mary Russell, a very modern fifteen-year-old whose mental acuity is equaled only by her audacity, tenacity, and penchant for trousers and cloth caps, unthinkable in any young lady of Holmes’s own generation.

Under Holmes’s sardonic tutelage, Russell hones her talent for deduction, disguises, and danger: in the chilling case of a landowner’s mysterious fever, and in the kidnapping of an American senator’s daughter in the wilds of Wales. But her ultimate challenge is yet to come. A near-fatal bomb on her doorstep—and another on Holmes’s—sends the two sleuths on the trail of a murderer whose machinations scatter meaningless clues and seem utterly without motive. The villain’s objective, however, is quite unequivocal: to end Russell and Holmes’s partnership—and their lives.

Review:

I’m going to add those books to the list of “novels I wish I had enjoyed more”. My opinion about it is very, very mixed.

The biggest peeve I have with it are what I’ll deem “weak characterization”. I read all the Sherlock Holmes canon—the novels as well as the short stories—and while I can enjoy a Sherlock that is a little different from Doyle’s (after all, I did enjoy Thomas Day’s over-the-top Holmes in L’Instinct de l’Equarrisseur), here it kept on feeling… wrong. Actually, the impression the whole novel left me with was that of fanfiction. Nicely written fanfic, alright (the style of the writing itself was really pleasant to read), but fanfic all the same, and not in the good meaning of the word. Mary Russell’s middle name must be “Sue”, and she suspiciously smelt of author self-insert; she’s pretty, witty, intelligent, has read a lot more than any girl her age, has got heaps of money waiting for her… and her ‘defects’ don’t really ring true (she had an awful lot of freedom, for someone supposed to be under her nasty, resenting aunt’s tutelage). From the start, I couldn’t push myself to like her, nor to like reading about her. She was just too perfect in many regards, and knowledgeable in too many areas, considering her age and past, especially at the beginning of the novel.

Next thing: stop bashing Watson, thank you. I’ve never enjoyed those versions of SH where Watson was just a bumbling idiot. He’s far from being it in Doyle’s stories, and even if he may seem clueless at times, let it also be said that anyone would look clueless, next to Sherlock Holmes (he’s a genius, after all—albeit a misogynistic one, with sociopath tendencies). I was deeply annoyed every time Mary felt compelled to make some remark about her “foolish Uncle John”, and, worse, when Holmes himself talked about him in similar terms. Or completely forgot about him when it was clear that he may be targeted too, and had to be reminded by Mary. No. Just no.

The story itself could have been more interesting, were it not for a certain amount of inconsistencies. First, why that foreword about how the author received a manuscript evidently written by Mary herself, yet had to correct its (I quote) “atrocious spelling”? That just doesn’t add up with Mary’s repeated intelligence, Oxford studies, and overall large bundle of knowledge (yes, I know “knowledge” doesn’t equal “excellent spelling”, but please, this was just too weird). Some of the events boggled the mind (the Palestine trip, for instance, didn’t bring anything to the story, and made me wonder what the heck was the point). Also, the novel felt more to me like a collection of short stories put together—as if they had been written that way first, and then only strung together with an overall plot added as an afterthought; this contributed to reinforcing my impression of all of this being originally fanfiction, with the author putting herself in a place of choice to live through adventures with her favourite character (from the signature at the bottom of the ‘introduction’ as well as from the characters’ behaviour, I’m going to take a guess and predict that in some later book, Mary will marry Holmes).

To be honest, I wouldn’t exactly say it’s a totally bad book. It’d have scored one more star from me if it had been a completely original story, without Sherlock Holmes, or maybe with just Mary working on her own cases, without him at her side, and only being a remote mentor. But as it is, Holmes would’ve better be left alone.

If you thoroughly enjoyed Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, don’t bother with this book. And if you haven’t read them yet, well, do that instead, too. It’ll be a much more interesting and fulfilling experience.