SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

TITLE: SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

AUTHOR: JAMES LOVEGROVE

Pages: 294

Date: 03/09/2013

Grade: 4

Details: A Sherlock Holmes mystery

            Received from Titan Books

            Through Nudge

Own

When Dr. Watson returns to London by train he finds himself caught up in a bombing at Waterloo station. After giving what attention he can to those injured in the attack he wastes no time in getting to 221B Baker Street and his friend Sherlock Holmes.

This is the third in a series of bombings which hold London and its inhabitants in a scary hold, with theories about the bombers and their reasons getting more hysterical by the day.

But the bombings are not the only strange phenomena in London at the time. A strange creature, about eight feet tall, with enormous strength and a scary arsenal of weapons has taken on London’s underworld. He interrupts misdeeds and incapacitates the villains although he never kills his opponents. Only known by the name Baron Cauchemar, many consider this man a myth, yet Sherlock Holmes is convinced that the Baron may be the key that will lead to unlocking the identity of those behind the bombings. And although both his brother, Mycroft and Dr. Watson have their doubts, he is determined to conduct his investigation along those lines.

What follows is an investigation that will bring our two heroes face to face with pure evil. Confronting mortal danger more than once Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have not only men’s evil to contend with, but also technological advances beyond their wildest imaginations. With the future of the British Empire at stake, Holmes and Watson have to embrace an unlikely ally if there are going to prevent disaster.

I have to say that I’m greatly enjoying this series of newly written Sherlock Holmes adventures. While the stories in this series are close enough to the originals to keep fans of Arthur Conan Doyle happy, they also provide us with story lines that go beyond what he might have been able to conceive of in his days.

The Stuff of Nightmares is an intriguing, well plotted and fast paced mystery, just as you would expect from a Sherlock Holmes story. What makes this book that little bit more special is the fact that it also contains elements that strongly remind me of Steam-Punk. It was fun to see Watson immediately think of the supernatural whenever he encounters something he doesn’t understand while Holmes, even when he has no better idea what exactly he is dealing with than his partner does, insists that there has to be a logical explanation.

Apart from the steam-punkish elements, this is exactly what you would expect from a Sherlock Holmes story. We are given a dire threat, no obvious clues, quite a bit of misdirection and Holmes talking in riddles, just as he would in one of the traditional stories. We encounter familiar names from the Sherlock Holmes stories: the Baker Street Irregulars, Professor Moriarty, Mycroft Holmes, Inspector Lestrade, they all make an appearance and live up to their established reputation. While Sherlock Holmes purists may well find one or more things to object to in this book, I found great pleasure in the non-traditional elements of this story.

James Lovegrove is an established and successful author of Science Fiction books and his writing experience shines through in this book. The story is smooth, the plot well developed and the mystery intriguing enough to keep the reader guessing until the author, or Sherlock Holmes, is ready to enlighten them. The author’s background is clear though when you read the technological descriptions in this book; the machines and contraptions are described in such detail that it is easy to visualise them.

Overall I would call this a very welcome addition to the Sherlock Holmes stories that we know and love. Filled with danger, action and mystery, this is a book that is hard to put down once started. If Mr. Lovegrove ever decides to write another Sherlock Holmes story I will definitely read it.

THE ARMY OF DR. MOREAU

TITLE: THE ARMY OF DR. MOREAU

AUTHOR: GUY ADAMS

Pages: 284

Date: 20/08/2012

Grade: 4+

Details: A Sherlock Holmes story

            Received from Titan Books

            Through Book Geeks

Own

Just when Sherlock Holmes is convinced that there are no interesting cases for him to investigate, he and Dr. Watson are visited by Holmes’ brother Mycroft. Bodies have been turning up around London. Bodies which show signs of having been attacked and murdered by ferocious creatures that don’t belong in London.

Mycroft is sure that the creatures involved in the attacks are somehow related to the top-secret and very controversial experiments with animals that had been conducted by Dr. Moreau. And although the doctor is supposed to have died at the hands of the creatures he created, it seems clear that either he is still alive or someone else is continuing his work, with deadly consequences. It will be up to Holmes and Watson to end the mad scientist’s work before he succeeds in his plan to overthrow government with the aid of his bestial army. A plan that is far more advanced than anyone could have guessed.

Holmes and Watson dive into the investigation only to find themselves up against nightmare-like opponents and collaborating with a motley crew of characters.

This is probably not a book for Sherlock Holmes purists. If the attraction to these stories lies in the great detective solving seemingly impossible or even supernatural mysteries in a completely logical way Guy Adams’ books may be a bit too fantastical.

I like what the author has done though. He remains very true to the originals when it comes to the characters of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes, the latter being his usual irritating, arrogant, vague, but also brilliant and charming self. Adams has just added an extra twist to the mysteries Holmes is asked to solve. While in Adams' previous book "The Breath of God" the story had a supernatural feel, this story gives the reader a mad scientist scenario. Both are twists I happen to enjoy.

Another thing I really liked in this book is that when, at some point in the story, Watson is no longer in a position to give the details of the investigation, the perspective shifts. Starting with Sherlock Holmes we suddenly have several different narrators, all with their own distinctive voice and perspective, filling in the details the chief narrator missed out on. A development that allows Holmes to make fun of Watson and his editors and made me smile.

This is a very clever book. While being a Victorian mystery, Holmes’ musings on ethical questions, such as men experimenting to enhance human qualities, brings some aspects of the story nicely into our present time.

It is very clear that Guy Adams is having great fun while writing these books. He freely and openly borrows characters from other books – H. G. Wells’ Dr. Moreau being the obvious example here - and either pits them against Holmes or has them assisting him. I enjoy these visitors in Adams’ stories although I’m sure I would have enjoyed them more if I had actually read any, if not all, of the works he borrowed from. Readers better versed in the classical works then I am, are sure to have fun re-acquainting themselves with these characters and placing them in their original stories.

These books are very well written and smooth to read. The pages almost turn themselves as the story shifts between investigation, deduction and action. It is easy for the reader to get drawn into this story, get immersed in Victorian London and the sewers underneath it. And, as always, the readers will find themselves, like Watson, trailing behind the great detective when it comes to solving the mystery.

This is a fun reading experience all round.

THE HOUSE OF SILK

TITLE: THE HOUSE OF SILK

AUTHOR: ANTHONY HOROWITZ

Pages: 294

Date: 14/05/2012

Grade: 4.5

Details: A Sherlock Holmes Story

Library

Dr. Watson is staying with Sherlock Holmes for a while when a visitor is admitted to their rooms. The obviously distraught gentleman tells them a tale of dramatic events in Boston that have followed him home to threaten his life in Wimbledon. Intrigued Holmes agrees to investigate only to have his apparent solving of the case lead to the disappearance and subsequent murder of a teenage boy who was a recent new recruit to Holmes' team of street-urchin assistants. The only clue the two men have is an obscure reference to The House of Silk.

Neither Holmes nor Watson is able to make sense of the reference, and inquiries with Holmes’ brother Mycroft only lead to the pair being warned of the case in the strongest terms.

Not one to be scared of, the warning achieves little other than to make Holmes more determined to discover what is being kept so secret; a decision which will see him in prison as well as in mortal danger.

Holmes and Watson find themselves up against an evil with the power to prevent any inquiries, an evil worse than anything they have come up against before and an evil that will do anything to stop those standing in its way.

This new Sherlock Holmes mystery is very much written in the style of Conan Doyle’s originals. Holmes is his infuriating and uninformative self, with Watson as his loyal but not too bright friend and assistant.

The descriptions of London in 1890, and especially those of the poorer parts of the city, are clear and fascinating and firmly put the story in its context.

The mystery is well plotted although the story is not one I could imagine the original author coming up with.

There was one part of the mystery that I had figured out fairly early on. I was definitely ahead of our Dr. Watson in that case, although it is of course impossible to know when exactly Holmes came to his conclusion.

On the other hand I had completely missed the clues relating to the second part of the mystery. I would love to say more about this, and explain exactly what I mean but I’m afraid I can’t do that without including possible spoilers. Part of the pleasure in reading this book was the fact that the final twist managed to take me more or less completely by surprise, and I wouldn’t want to deprive others of that treat.

I’d say that anyone who enjoys the original Sherlock Holmes stories will also enjoy this book, as would most other mystery lovers.

This is a well paced story that keeps you guessing even when you think you have the answers, and therefore a good read.

THE TITANIC TRAGEDY

TITLE: THE TITANIC TRAGEDY

AUTHOR: WILLIAM SEIL

Pages: 261

Date: 01/04/2012

Grade: 4

Details: The Further Adventures of

            Sherlock Holmes Series

            Received from BookGeeks

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The year is 1912 and Dr. Watson is living alone in rooms in Piccadilly, writing historical novels, while Sherlock Holmes has retired to the South Downs where he keeps bees and conducts scientific experiments. For both men, the time of mysteries and adventures seems very firmly a thing of the past.

On the 9^th of April though, Dr. Watson admits an unexpected visitor who turns out to be government official with a message from Holmes.

The retired investigator has been convinced to travel to America on a secret government mission, and asks Watson to join him for the journey. They will be travelling on the maiden voyage of The Titanic, accompanied by Miss Christine Norton, a young spy who will be transporting top secret documents to America. Miss Norton is also the daughter of Irene Adler, the only woman who ever managed to better Sherlock Holmes.

On board the Titanic, Holmes is incognito, pretending to be Giles Winter, a Royal Navy Commodore but Watson, travelling under his own name attracts a lot of attention as the author of the books about the famous detective.

It isn’t long before trouble starts for the trio travelling to New York. Miss Norton’s room gets broken into and the secret plans stolen. There is no shortage of suspects on board, one of whom is Colonel James Moriarty, brother of Holmes infamous nemesis the Professor.

With national security at stake Holmes and his associates know they only have a few days to unravel the mystery of who stole the plans since once the Titanic arrives in America both the thief and the plans will just disappear. Little do they know that they have even less time than they feared.

While the Titanic sails towards her date with destiny, a frantic search for the plans is conducted while other and apparently unrelated mysteries also ask for investigations.

This was, once again, an enjoyable addition to the original Sherlock Holmes series of books and stories. The Further Adventures that I have read so far have all been of a high quality; close enough to the originals to make both the stories and the characters easily recognisable yet original enough to make them separate entities rather than poor carbon copies of Conan Doyle’s creations.

William Seil has, in this book, offered the reader another fascinating mystery. He makes good use of the original back stories and characters by introducing relatives of former opponents of Holmes as both friend and foe, while also adding a number of fresh characters that could easily have been coming from those originals.

Setting the story on board of The Titanic is of course very timely now that we’re only days away from the sinking of that great ship and I like the way the author dealt with their trip as well as the aftermath of the sinking.

I also like the way Seil dealt with the sinking tragedy. It would have been so easy to centre the story around that event, but the author didn’t fall into that particular trap. Instead he has given the reader an honest mystery in which the sinking plays only a relatively small part.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, find myself very grateful to have discovered these Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and hope that the series will continue for a long time yet.

On a more personal note, this is the second book centred on the sinking of The Titanic that I’ve read in the past few weeks (see The Company of the Dead) and I have to say that some of the crew and passengers on that ship are starting to turn into friends. I enjoyed recognising certain names, like those of J. Bruce Ismay, Captain Smith and Mr. Lightoller. If I’m not careful I might find myself turning into a bit of a Titanic expert one of these days.