Credit first to the book’s editor (author of the Newbury & Hobbes series) George Mann, who has once again curated what Holmes would call ‘a most singular’ collection of stories: twelve new tales of Holmes & Watson that plunge the characters and their clichés into uncharted territory but never lose sight of what makes Conan Doyle’s creations to the reading public.
They’re entertaining little snippets of never-weres and might-have-beens that vary from the logical simplicity that readers of the original canon adventures will be used to, to exotic narratives which propel Holmes into the relams of science-fantasy and even onto other planets. Purists will no doubt shake their heads and tut, but for the casual reader, or the ardent Holmes fan with an open mind, these are fun stories designed not to be taken too seriously.
Highlights include Justin Richard’s chilly ‘The Snowtorn Terror’, which feels like an unfilmed Basil Rathbone feature not only in the name, but also the setting and the manner of the crime; and Guy Adam’s thoroughly enjoyable, albeit transparent, ‘An Adventure in Three Courses’, which seems to be channelling the mercurial theatricality and repartee of Downey Jr.’s Holmes and Law’s Watson as the pair deduce their way through a most unusual meal.
Primarily set on Mars, ‘The Sleep of Reason’ by Lou Anders is the most curious of the collection. It owes more to Edgar Rice Burrows than it does to Conan Doyle, and reading it is a dislocating experience. But then, without spoiling the story, you get the feeling that is the point of it. Others don’t fare so well by being so enigmatic. The mystery at the heart of Nick Campbell’s ‘The Adventure of the Decadent Headmaster’ is muddied by being so deeply steeped in the occult, and isn’t helped by the author bookending the tale by including himself as part of the story.
You do have to feel sorry for one contributor, James Goss, and his work ‘The Case of The Devil’s Door’, the entire mystery of which will not be a mystery if you’ve seen the most recent series of Sherlock. You’ll unravel it the minute you read two particular words, which is a shame as it starts out with an intriguing premise.
This is a great book to dip into and pull a story from; just the kind of thing a Holmes fan needs to sustain them in the less cerebrally-challenging months. So pull up a chair, take some shag from the Persian slipper and, like Sherlock himself, savour the thrill of a dozen new puzzles. The games are afoot!
Published on Friday 28 February 2014 by Titan Books.