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Summary
Summary
Here are five stunning novellas featuring the great detective, by the acknowledged master of Sherlockian pastiche.
In these five tales of intellectual derring-do, Sherlock Holmes is shown at the height of his powers. He cooperates with a young Winston Churchill in the famed Siege of Sydney Street, helps defeat a plan for a German invasion outlined in the Zimmermann Telegram, establishes a link between two missing lighthouse keepers and the royal treasures of King John, and more.
Included are: The Case of the Tell-Tale Hands, The Case of the King's Evil, The Case of the Portuguese Sonnets, The Case of Peter the Painter, and The Case of the Zimmermann Telegram.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
While not up to the high standard of Sherlock Holmes and the Voice from the Crypt (2002), Thomas's fourth pastiche collection conveys the tone and spirit of Conan Doyle's original tales with nary a false note.ÅIn the clever "The Case of the Tell-Tale Hands," an aristocrat hires Holmes to look into his cousin's eccentric behavior, which includes wearing gloves at odd times. A school teacher who fears her brothers, both lighthouse keepers, have met with foul play retains Dr. Watson as the investigator in the richly atmospheric title story. Less successful are two tales rooted in history: "The Case of Peter the Painter," in which Holmes battles anarchists in London alongside Winston Churchill in 1911, and "The Case of the Zimmermann Telegram," in which the sleuth serves as director of Admiralty Signals Intelligence during WWI. This volume reinforces Thomas's place in the front rank of Doyle imitators. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Prolific Thomas, who's made a cottage industry of "newly discovered" Holmes cases (The Execution of Sherlock Holmes, 2007, etc.), presents five tales starring the iconic sleuth. In the title story, prim, middle-aged Alice Chastelnau appeals to Holmes for help when her two loutish half-brothers Roland and Abraham, virtual outcasts in their village, disappear. After an apparent fight on the dangerous sandbars of their small coastal home, Sutton Cross, the two pariahs have vanished with scarcely a trace. The lone piece of physical evidence is a tiny pebble Miss Chastelnau brings to Holmes. After she leaves, he assiduously rubs it to reveal a valuable jewel. A visit to forbidding Sutton's Cross yields danger and more surprises, like the body washed up onshore. Is it one of the brothersand if so, which? Of the four other adventures, "The Case of the Tell-Tale Hands" concerns a prodigal heir whose erratic behavior causes his titled cousin to worry; "The Case of the Portuguese Sonnets" is a tale of blackmail involving Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poems; "The Case of Peter the Painter" features an anarchists' riot right in front of Holmes' residence on Baker Street; and "The Case of the Zimmermann Telegram" discloses Holmes's heretofore unknown work as a cryptographer during World War I. Thomas stretches the frames for Holmes's cases to historical niches previously unexplored. Though not a great stylist, he's a meticulous plotter, and the enticing puzzles seem just as long as they need to be. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Writing in the style of the Sherlock Holmes canon is somewhat akin to painting in the style of Rembrandt, or composing in the style of Beethoven. There's a hint of grave robbing in the exercise of redoing something that can't be surpassed. For those who hunger after Holmes, however, this new collection may fit the bill. Thomas has put together five novellas starring Holmes and Watson. An earl consults Holmes about a dissipated relative who burgles family members' homes. Holmes discovers a lost poem by Byron. He solves the mystery of two lighthouse keepers who disappear. Thomas effectively incorporates the history of the time, the plots twist nicely, and respect is paid to telling minutiae. Unfortunately, Holmes' own statements sound ponderous, lacking the original's biting wit. Still, served as an appetizer during Conan Doyle's 100th birthday celebration, these stories will prompt readers to return to the originals.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2009 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The cottage publishing market for books extending Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes and Watson characters continues with Thomas's King's Evil. This series of five novellas offers a concentrated mixture of mystery, history, detailed descriptions, and atmosphere reminiscent of Doyle's original tales. Narrated by John Telfer, the audio production is basic, with little distinction among characters-the narrator is more of a reader of the text than a performer here. Though it probably won't satisfy Holmesian purists, Thomas's work, along with those from other post-Doyle Holmes authors such as Daniel D. Victor and Edward B. Hanna, may interest people who love the characters. Readers fond of Laurie King and other such writers also might like Thomas's take on these iconic figures.-Nicole A. Cooke, Montclair State Univ. Lib., NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
