Category: Dr Watson’s Library

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Dean Turnbloom, JHWS “Stoker”: Sherlock Holmes and The Return of The Whitechapel Vampire

SH&RTNofWV Front coverBodies washing up along the eastern coast of New England and the mysterious grounding of a “ghost ship” near Manhattan combine to bring Sherlock Holmes out of retirement to resume his pursuit of the villainous Baron Antonio Barlucci-the Whitechapel Vampire. But when he arrives in London to enlist the assistance of Dr. Watson, the good doctor has reservations.

It’s been twenty-five years since Holmes and Watson hunted Barlucci, twenty-five years since they learned the baron was buried beneath a mountain of ice and snow.

Has Holmes’ preoccupation with Barlucci driven him to see connections where none exist? Have his powers of deduction gone stale while in retirement? Has Watson’s worst fear, that Holmes’ obsession with the baron has unbalanced his finely tuned psyche, come true?

Sherlock Holmes and the Return of the Whitechapel Vampire is the exciting finalé to the Whitechapel Vampire Trilogy. In this final chapter, Holmes must face more than evil. He must face his own mortality-the only certainty in an uncertain world.

Reviews:

“Right from the opening paragraphs, I was overjoyed because I felt I was reading a brand new Conan Doyle mystery. Being a die- hard fan of the original, I then became wary: could a modern author be successful in this tremendous undertaking? The answer is a resounding yes! SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE RETURN OF THE WHITECHAPEL VAMPIRE is more than an homage to Conan Doyle: Mr. Turnbloom essentially captures everything that is Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson but makes it his own, without the reader ever having the impression of the author “trying”; never does the author endeavour to copy, but he in fact prolongs the formidable legacy of Conan Doyle.” – Monique Daost

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Dean Turnbloom, JHWS “Stoker”: Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers

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With Baron Barlucci escaping London on his way to New York with Abigail Drake, Dr. Watson is certain they’ve seen the last of the Whitechapel Vampire; Sherlock Holmes isn’t so sure. They soon learn the Animus Lacuna, barque of the now infamous Barlucci, was reported lost at sea and a longboat carrying the body of Abigail Drake was recovered by Newfoundland fishermen. But when Inspector Andrews of Scotland Yard arrives to retrieve her remains, the body suddenly disappears and Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate.

“Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers” takes up the story of the Whitechapel Vampire in New York, where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet, work with, and sometimes work against, New York detectives Mylo Strumm and Michael Murray. Holmes and Watson are on a quest to find the missing body of Miss Abigail Drake, while Strumm and Murray are investigating a string of unusual murders that bear a striking resemblance to the ‘Ripper’ murders in London.

Reviews:

“Sherlock Holmes and the Body Snatchers is a complex, well-plotted, well written novel. So many plot threads are woven throughout the book’s pages, and each one is nicely wrapped up in the finale. Turnbloom takes his subject matter incredibly seriously, even when he’s writing about vampires in New York City. Along with the fine plot are the excellent characters. Each character is developed in depth and you will emphatise with them as you read.” – The Consulting Detective

 

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The Case of the Six Watsons by Robert Ryan “Caesar”

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Today, I’m happy to feature a review from one of the newest members of the John H Watson Society. Please welcome, “Dot,” who has written an early review of The Case of the Six Watsons by Robert Ryan, JHWS “Caesar” which will be available on September 3rd:

Robert Ryan, the John H. Watson Society’s own “Caesar,” has a new collection of short stories forthcoming, which I was fortunate enough to be able to preview. The Case of the Six Watsons presents stories that I am certain will delight members of the JHWS as much as they did me. Dr. John H. Watson is the focus of this collection, and each of the stories showcase his character and qualities in interesting ways.

The short story collection is dedicated in memory of Don Libey, the John H. Watson Society’s founder, known affectionately as “Buttons,” who passed away earlier this year, and is deeply missed. The short stories, themselves, contain a couple of lovely in-text references to Buttons, which I shall leave the reader to discover. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise!

Most of the stories in the collection of six have, as their inspiration, a piece of writing by Arthur Conan Doyle. These are the “apocrypha,” including stories such as “The Man with the Watches” and “The Lost Special.” Ryan builds upon the apocryphal stories, imagining Watson, and sometimes Holmes, within the events. What I found thrilling was the sheer range of the six stories Ryan tells. They are all set at different periods in Watson’s life, giving us an interesting view of the ways in which his character changes over time, and the ways in which he remains constant. It also gives us a view of how his friendship with Holmes changes over this time. In some instances, Watson easily predicts Holmes’ behavior, and is able to react accordingly. In “The Broken Crocodile”, they are estranged. Not only do the stories give us an interesting sampling of different periods in Watson’s life, they also allow Ryan to tell stories that are flavored with a variety of different tones and genres. “The Brazilian Wife” transitions from a more standard mystery setup to become a tense adventure story. “The Wrong Detective” is a locked room mystery that takes place in a train, with a compelling drama at its heart. “The Beetle Lover” and “The Prisoner in B.24” have some intriguing gothic horror elements.

“The Prisoner of B.24” is also notable because it allows Watson to act in the role of judging a man’s innocence, and then acting upon that judgement in order to prevent a miscarriage of justice by the law. This is a role similar to those we have often seen Holmes play in the canon, so it is exciting to see Watson have his turn, and then to be able to relay what occurred to Holmes, when his friend returns to Baker Street.

I especially enjoyed two of the stories, “The Brazilian Wife,” and “The Broken Crocodile.” “The Brazilian Wife,” which I mentioned earlier, takes place during the Great Hiatus. Watson takes up the case of a client who appears at Baker Street during the time when Holmes is believed dead, despite receiving a mysterious message warning him to stay out of the matter. He finds himself embroiled in a situation that is not what it initially seems. The story has the feel of an excellent, suspenseful adventure story, and it is wonderful to see Watson show his qualities of adaptability, resourcefulness, and courage in a dire situation.

“The Broken Crocodile” is set within the “Watson at War” series, though it stands very well as an independent story. It is set in the Cairo of World War I, where Watson is working in his capacity as a military doctor, overseeing the implementation of a new blood transfusion technique. When a bowl purchased by Mrs. Emily Marchand at the market is accidentally shattered, Watson is introduced to T. E. Lawrence, who helps him find a local craftsman who is able to repair the bowl. From there, Watson is drawn into detective work and espionage, working to try to catch a spy copying maps produced in the map room where Lawrence works. This story is rich with intriguing details that evoke a strong sense of the setting, the period, and the characters. Also, I admit, I’m a mark for historical archaeologists (my undergraduate degree is in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology), so it was a thrill to read about Watson meeting, and having an adventure with, T. E. Lawrence. The references to the events within the “Watson at War” series were enough to give me a fuller sense of Watson’s character, and the context of his life at the time. They provided me with enough information to make me curious about the rest of the series, which I hope to be able to read in the future. On the whole, the story acts as a nice finale to “The Case of the Six Watsons,” providing a fun conclusion, as well as the possibility of being a jumping on point for future reading!

Happy Reading,

Lauren Messenger, JHWS “Dot”

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Out of the Abyss

(The Society presents reviews and recommendations on books by its members on these pages. We hope you will enjoy hearing of new books furthering our Sherlockian, Holmesian and Watsonian interests. On this occasion, Harrison Hunt, JHWS “Dash,” would like to share his thoughts on a recent publication by the Baker Street Irregulars:)

239_out-abyss-coverOut of the Abyss
Edited by Andrew Solberg, BSI, Steven Rothman, BSI and Robert Katz, BSI.
Baker Street Irregulars Press, 2014.

Out of the Abyss, the latest entry in the Baker Street Irregulars Manuscript Series, gives a multi-faceted look at one of the most significant stories in the Canon, “The Empty House.” As with the previous volumes in the series, Abyss features a facsimile of Arthur Conan Doyle’s manuscript of the story presented with a page-by-page transcription. It also offers extensive notes about textual variations in the early printings of the tale, annotations based on up-to-the-minute scholarship and a bibliography for further study. The manuscript itself is a telling insight into ACD’s abilities as a writer: there are almost no corrections to his neatly written text. It reminded me of an exhibit I saw at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1970 that contrasted two of Charles Dickens’s manuscripts; that for one of his early books had extensive crossings-out and re-writes, while the one for a later book had almost none. Both Dickens and Doyle had become masters of their craft.

In addition to the manuscript, Abyss includes a fascinating series of essays examining “The Empty House” that reflect the full spectrum of the writings about the writings. These chapters range from an overview of the history of the manuscript and its conservation to a short biography of the book collector and dealer Dr. ASW Rosenbach to a short pastiche by Lyndsay Faye. Other essays examine the location of the empty house, period methods of cheating at cards, the roles of Mycroft and Colonel Moran, SH as international spy and the story’s religious symbolism. Of particular significance to members of The John H. Watson Society is Ray Betzner’s contribution, which muses about Watson and the Great Hiatus. It offers an interesting contrast to Betzner’s highly regarded talk on the subject at the 2015 BSI Annual Dinner; both items are well worth reading, and among other things uphold Emerson’s views about hobgoblins.

This is an excellent volume that should be in every serious Sherlockian’s library. The John H. Watson Society can be proud that all three editors – “Herbie”, “Duke” and “Willow” – are Charter Members.

— Harrison Hunt “Dash”

Note from Carla: You can find out more about Out of the Abyss on it’s web page HERE.

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Sherlock Holmes: Repeat Business

(The Society presents reviews and recommendations on books by its members on these pages. We hope you will enjoy hearing of new books furthering our Sherlockian, Holmesian and Watsonian interests.

Members who wish to have their books featured are asked to email cover photos, book descriptions and reviews to me. You may also contact me if you wish to share your thoughts on a book to inspire dialogue. On this occasion JHWS member “Chips” invited his friend Larry Feldman, “Staff Surgeon of Doctor Watson’s Neglected Patients,” to share his thoughts on a book he recently read: )

Today I concluded reading “Sherlock Holmes: Repeat Business” by Lyn McConchie. The idea here is that it is a collection of new Sherlock Holmes cases, each initiated by someone Holmes served in the Canon.

I was a little exasperated with the first story. Ms. McConchie had a story related to, and having everything to do, with Jabez Wilson, but Wilson himself doesn’t appear in the story! Holmes is hired here by Jabez Wilson’s new wife, who is concerned when her husband is accused of murdering her first husband. How can this author write a story concerning one of the most humorous and memorable Canonical characters, and yet not actually depict him? Where’s the fun in that?

The author somewhat redeems herself in later stories, depicting the likes of James Windibank, who is again trying to take financial advantage of his step-daughter, Mary Sutherland, the banker Alexander Holder of the Beryl Coronet adventure, Grant Munroe, where we get to check in on Effie and her mixed race daughter of “The Yellow Face”, Watson’s old school friend Tadpole Phelps, who has again ran afoul of his brother-in-law, etc. She does use the unique info about these characters as plot points in the stories, which is much to the better. Two obvious examples are a vanished student from the school where Violet Hunter is now Headmistress, and the use of acting ability of Neville St Clair, whose depiction of a London beggar was the central piece in his original Canonical appearance.

While the author’s depictions of these characters are not particularly memorable, Ms. McConchie does demonstrate two important strengths. First, she is obviously an accomplished mystery writer, and her puzzles and problems constructed for these stories are professional and satisfying.. Even more surprising and pleasing is that she is very good at depicting the friendship and interaction between Holmes and Watson, who clearly know each other’s habits and idiosyncrasies as well as we Sherlockians like to think we do. So, despite the use of all these memorable and familiar Canonical characters, it is the Holmes/Watson depiction that is the outstanding feature of this work, and, in itself makes these stories worth reading.

At a time when much of what is called “pastiche” work has the quality of self-published fan fiction, finding yourself in the hands of a professional quality mystery writer and Sherlock Holmes fan is certainly worth noting.

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Chris Music’s New Book

FROM THE LOWER VAULT Edited by Chris Music

Now Available @ $25.00 Postage Paid
FROM THE LOWER VAULT: Treasures from the Archives of The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit; Edited by Christopher Music, JHWS “Russell,” BSI.

FROM THE LOWER VAULT is an archival history of one of the Baker Street Irregular’s oldest scion societies—The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit. With the encouragement of Vincent Starrett, the AMS was founded in 1946 by fellow newspaperman Russell McLauchlin of the Detroit News—and is still active and thriving today—nearly 70 years later.

The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit is very fortunate to have in its possession a rich archive of documents dating back to the 1940s—letters, scholarly papers, magazine and newspaper articles, dinner programs, photographs, and much more, and FROM THE LOWER VAULT highlights many of the most important items found in that archive.

FROM THE LOWER VAULT brings to light for the first time in decades the earliest documents from the club’s founding and early history. Contained are writings from Sherlockian giants like Russell McLauchlin, Bill Rabe, Robert G. Harris, Vincent Starrett, Edgar W. Smith & many others. It is also a look back to bygone era—a Golden Age in Detroit history—when fellow Sherlockians used typewriters, sent telegrams, handwrote letters, and met in long forgotten clubs in order to
discuss the most important issues of the day—Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson.

For more information email: amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com · or visit www.amateurmendicantsociety.org

T: (248) 494-3473 · 6717 Snow Apple Drive, Clarkston, MI 48346

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The Dead Can Wait by Robert Ryan “Caesar”

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This from Marcel Berlins’ crime round-up:

The Dead Can Wait by Robert Ryan

Dr John Watson was not, it seems, quite as dim as he’s portrayed in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Robert Ryan (with the consent of the Conan Doyle estate) reveals his true mettle. The Dead Can Wait is in no sense a pastiche, but a seriously good, very readable, well-researched novel incorporating the First World War, detection and espionage. It is 1916. Watson has become an expert on the injuries and mental traumas suffered by soldiers in battle. The British are secretly developing a new kind of weapon. But, in its first test, seven men involved become insane, then die spectacularly. The sole survivor is rendered mute. Watson is commanded to discover the causes of the tragedy, but there are foreign spies around and enemies within.

The Dead Can Wait by Robert Ryan, Simon and Schuster, 463 pp, £18.99. To buy this book for £14.99, visit thetimes.co.uk/bookshop. Also available from Amazon.

 

This from Scott’s Miscellany:

There was a single line in one of the last Holmes books which said that Watson had gone back to his ‘old unit’  – that being the RAMC, and given that we were on the brink of WWI, that means he went back to war.

Thus arises one of the best post-Conan Doyle Sherlockian series, and a fantastic historical crime series.  The Major John Watson we come to know in the trenches in DEAD MAN’S LAND and again here in the UK in The Dead Can Wait is a humane, compassionate, competent individual, who nevertheless appreciates the help of his steadily deteriorating friend, Holmes.  The horrors of war are not stinted, but nor are they gratuitous.  In DML, we (well, I) learned a huge amount about nurses and the various auxilliaries and how they worked, while in TDCW, we (I) learn a lot we (I) didn’t know about ‘shell shock’ and then, later, about the early development of tanks. It’s fascinating, and yet none of it is presented as ‘here is the research I did, now suck it up and learn it’ which is so often the case in historical novels of this sort.  It’s all integral to the plot, and carries the dynamic tension even as we’re given a virtual tour of the tank testing grounds. There’s a truly scary German woman-spy, part of a network called the She Wolves, of whom I’m sure (I hope) we’ll learn more, and the very welcome return of Mrs Gregson, the red-headed, motor-bike riding, thoroughly competent nursing auxiliary.

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New Book by Charles Press, JHWS “Rofer”

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Prof Charles Press, JHWS “Rofer,” has a new book by MX Publishing: A Bedside Book of Early Sherlockian Parodies and Pastiches

More parodies have been written targeting Sherlock Holmes than anyone else dead or alive, fictional or real. James M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, started it all back in the early 1890’s and Sherlockian parody has been coming out regularly ever since, right into the age of the internet. While Sherlock’s creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived, close to 400 appeared in Britain and America. In these early parodies, Sherlock is off on the wrong track in the great Coleslaw mystery, struggling with the disappearance of the President’s Whisker, rescuing that damsel in distress, Elsa Lohengrin, and even delving into the spirit world—and much more. Mark Twain, the Mr. Dooley of Finley Peter Dunne, Kenneth Grahame’s Ratty of The Wind in the Willows, John Kendrick Bangs, Bret Harte, Ring Lardner, C. K. Chesterton, and O. Henry all contributed to this early Bedside collection. Sherlock turns up at Wellseley College and Yale, Hades and The Garden of Eden, Peoria and the Oklahoma Territory, in the trenches of War I and often in his familiar Baker Street hangout. Sherlockian Charles Press began collecting these early lampoons as a hobby after retiring from Michigan State University. He is the author of two Sherlockian monographs, Parodies and Pastiches, Buzzing Round Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Looking Over Sir Arthur’s Shoulder, and “When Did Arthur Conan Doyle Meet Jean Leckie?” in The Baker Street Journal.  He is also published in the Spring 2014 issue of The Watsonian.

Available from Amazon; 356 pages; April 2014. $17.96

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The Poisoned Penman by Dan Andriacco and Kieran McMullen

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The Poisoned Penman by Dan Andriacco and Kieran McMullen; published by MX Publishing.

Available from Amazon $10.76

London, 1922: Two years after helping Sherlock Holmes solve the Hangman Murders, American journalist Enoch Hale becomes even more intimately involved in another puzzling mystery. Langdale Pike, veteran purveyor of gossip to the trash newspapers, is poisoned while sipping tea with Hale – and apparently just as he is about to spill a secret more important than social gossip. With the unrequested aid of advertising copywriter Dorothy Sayers, Hale pursues a number of leads based on notes in Pike’s pocket diary – including an interview with the formidable G.K. Chesterton. His attempts to uncover the identity of one of Pike’s fellow club members bring Hale the unwanted attention of Mycroft Holmes, head of His Majesty’s Secret Service, and of his younger brother. Once again Enoch Hale and the theoretically retired but far from retiring Sherlock Holmes join forces to solve a crime that may have international complications. And this time Hale himself almost becomes a victim when he gets too close to the solution. This fast-moving tale is sure to please the many fans of the first Enoch Hale – Sherlock Holmes adventure, The Amateur Executioner.

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Pursuing Sherlock Holmes by Bill E. Mason, JHWS “Billy”

Pursuing Sherlock Holmes

Written by Bill E. Mason, JHWS “Billy,” The Nashville Scholars of the Three Pipe Problem. Published by Xlibris 2010. Available from Amazon.

From the back dust jacket:

In Pursuing Sherlock Holmes, Bill Mason uncovers seething sex in The Hound of the Baskervilles, observes Professor Moriarty through the eyes of Generation X, reveals a hidden “formula of death”, explains the mystic effects of colors on the mind of Sherlock Holmes, exposes Conan Doyle’s “theft” of the plot of Dracula, resurrects ten compelling characters from their graves, and visits the mind of Sherlock Holmes to find his true thoughts about romantic love. This collection of innovative essay, stories and even poetry approaches Sherlock Holmes from a thoroughly unique perspective that combines humor with literature and classic tales with familiar aspects of modern culture.

Reviews:

“In these essays, some appearing in print for the first time, others from The Holmes & Watson Report or delivered at symposia or scion meetings, Bill Mason explores the Canon Doylean (“A Tale from the Crypt: Unearthing Dracula in Sherlock Holmes”) and Sherlockian (“Deeper Shades: The Dressing-Gowns of Sherlock Holmes and the Psychology of Color”), in pastiche (“My Arrangement with Mr. Holmes by Mrs. Neville St. Clair”) and poetry (“Horror of the Hound”, “A Musical Toast to Nathan Garrideb”) and with tongue implanted firmly in cheek (“Doctor Sterndale, the African Explorer”). While I’m unable to judge the poetry, the essays are uniformly excellent. “A Chill on the Moor”, “The Rule of Three”, and “A Tale from the Crypt” are important contributions to the study of the Canon, while “Deeper Shades” is bound to be the “last word” on Holmes’ dressing-gowns for years to come. A line like’ “The possibility that Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Roundhay and Dr. Sterndale—even Dr. Moore Agar—were part of an undercover operation of international intrigue involving the race for empire in Africa is not at all farfetched” (“Doctor Sterndale, the African Explorer”) is the very definition of “farfetched” that it claims not to be; a laugh-out-loud line in an essay that claims Sterndale as one of England’s first “license to kill” secret agents under M (Mycroft, that is). This is a worthy addition to any Watsonian’s library.”

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Irregular Stain:  BSI Manuscript Series

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Irregular Stain

A Facsimile of the Original Manuscript of
“The Second Stain” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
with Annotations and Commentary on the Story

Edited & introduced by Andrew Solberg, BSI, JHWS “Herbie” and Robert Katz, MD, BSI, JHWS “Willow”

“The Adventure of the Second Stain” is one of the three Sherlockian adventures dealing with international espionage, and since its publication over a century ago, has engendered considerable speculation concerning the actual parties and nations involved. Irregular Stain, the ninth in the Baker Street Irregulars Manuscript Series, presents the story in a larger format than earlier Series offerings.  It’s the first color reproduction of a Holmes manuscript, and also features color facsimiles of proofs and of an original drawing by Sidney Paget.

Published by the BSI in cooperation with Haverford College, the volume reproduces the original manuscript of the story as well as the galley proofs of the original publication. Also included are an annotated typescript of the manuscript, along with commentary, a history of the manuscript, analyses by noted Sherlockians, and articles on topics related to the tale and its historical and political background.

200 pages, 10″ x 7″ hardcover, December 2013
With the manuscript reproduction plus 1 color and 7 b&w illustrations

Purchase from the Baker Street Journal by using this link:

http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/stain.html

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Watson’s Biography by Molly Carr “Brenda”

1624930.jpgIn Search of Doctor Watson

Molly Carr, JHWS

Available from Amazon and MX Publishing   $13Fully revised and updated 2nd edition of this detailed biography of Doctor Watson. In her third book author Molly Carr has, for the moment, abandoned the Watson-Fanshaw Detective Agency in favour of discovering as much as possible about Doctor Watson. Radically different in style from her first two books, the investigation will nevertheless be of interest to students of military history, railways both Indian and British and of course all fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes is a household name. But where would he be without his Biographer? Beavering away in Baker Street, unknown to everyone except Scotland Yard and a few luckless criminals. It is time to put the loyal and much put upon man, Dr. John H. Watson M.D., centre stage.

 

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Molly Carr’s New Book

6045459.jpgA Sherlock Holmes Who’s Who

Molly Carr, JHWS

Available from Amazon and MX publishing $18

Ever since A. C. Black & Co. brought out their first Whos Who? of the great and good in 1849 (followed in 1897 by Who Was Who after death intervened and removed their entries to a separate volume) people have been fascinated by the rich and famous. So there is, for example, a Whos Who in cricket, a Whos Who in Agatha Christie. And even a Whos Who in a famous cemetery. So if you have ever wanted to know where Watson bought his boots, or where (and when) Inspectors Lestrade, Bradstreet, Athelney Jones, Hopkins and MacDonald appear in the stories then this is the book for you. How many times is Moriarty mentioned, and what was his henchman, Colonel Moran, up to in an empty house? Who on earth was Acton and, more to the point, who could possibly have been called (by the Great Detective himself) a rival to Sherlock Holmes?

Reviews

This book gives pretty much any listing you might want from the stories. It is divided into 3 sections: 1) People (characters in the stories & even some only mentioned in passing), 2) Places (countries, regions, landmarks, addresses,  etc.), & 3) Props (companies, businesses, societies, objects, animals, etc.)  I have read the entire Canon & didn’t recall quite a number of these  listings. For the Holmes fanatic who wants to know everything.
-Karen Haynes

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New From JHWS Members Dan Andriacco and Kieran McMullen

2070410.jpgREVIEWERS LOVE IT

Our members, Dan Andriacco “Dutch” and Kieran McMullen “Raleigh,” have written another great book.

Available from Amazon and from MX Publishing   $12
 

 

It’s a fast-paced and immersive read, barely allowing the reader to take a breath from page to page. But it’s also a remarkable and masterful undertaking – suggestive of something new and fresh, while remaining true to the source that shaped it.
–Better Holmes and Gardens

Above all, the novel is enjoyable. It’s a quick read that can be digested in a few sittings, and the ending leaves the reader hoping for more. Andriacco and McMullen have done a masterful job of blending history, fiction, and Sherlock Holmes in a way that entices and delights.
–Girl Meets Sherlock

In contrast to most tales involving Holmes, The Amateur Executioner takes us into an ambiguous and murky world where right and wrong aren’t always distinguishable. I look forward to reading more about Enoch Hale.
-The Sherlock Holmes Society of London

In telling the story, the authors have done a masterful job in melding actual historic figures with famous fictional characters.
–Kings River Life Magazine

The blending of real characters, real history with fictional characters and fictional history is very well accomplished and at no time does the insertion of these ‘guest stars’ overshadow the very well thought out and exciting plot. There may not be  a major part for Holmes to play, but his ‘fingerprints’ are all over the plot and you do gain the impression that this novel could only have been written by a Holmesian, or in this case, two Holmesians. It is a very enjoyable read, fast paced and undoubtedly fun. You see, collaborations can work. And work well.
–David Ruffle

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Dean Turnbloom, JHWS “Stoker”: The Whitechapel Vampire

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Victorian England’s most famous consulting detective is hot on the trail of London’s most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. But in Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire, Jack is a vampire and Holmes refusal to believe it could be his undoing as the two match wits in this delightfully original first novel.

Available from Amazon and MX Publishing. $17

Reviews:

Sherlock Holmes. Vampires. Watson. Jack the Ripper. Vincent van Gogh? All come together in this excellent pastiche- Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire. Throw in some Italian immigrants, murders in Paris and London and lovely music- enchanting music that will soothe and mesmerize the soul. I really enjoyed Whitechapel the TV series with Rupert Penry-Jones and Phil Smith-  so I was set to dig into another Ripper tale, this time with Holmes for added body.

I found this to be a suspense story with just the right amount of clues  and bloody gore. Will the vampire be able to be cured? Will he marry his love  before she finds out about his dubious past? Will Holmes and Watson find the  Ripper before he strikes again? Or leaves for the Big Apple? If you like  vampires or are a fan of the ripper, don’t miss this one.
-Maurice

Having a title like “Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire,” it sounds hard to pass up the opportunity to read this book. The idea of having the world’s greatest detective face the forces of the un-dead is hardly a new one, as is Sherlock Holmes vs, Jack the Ripper. Author Dean P. Turnbloom does an expert job of weaving a story with a number of diverse plot points. The novel reads more like a thriller than an actual mystery and features Baron Barlucci, a centuries-old vampire who comes to London in order to cure his vampirism. However, the Baron’s thirst for blood drives him to committing the notorious murders attributed to Jack the Ripper, and soon the world’s greatest sleuth is on his trail.
-Sand

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Labyrinths by Luis Borges, edited by Donald A. Yates, JHWS “Pal,” and James E. Irby

6497852_origLabyrinths

By Jorge Luis Borges and Translated and Edited by Donald A. Yates, JHWS Chair and “Pal” and James E. Irby

Published by New Directions.

Available at Amazon    $12.00

Donald A. Yates, JHWS, BSI is a life-long devotee of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson, and the detective fiction and mystery genres. During his years as Professor of Romance Languages at Michigan State and the University of Michigan, Dr Yates emerged as a foremost translator and scholar of the writing of Jorge Luis Borges and, unlike Borges’s subsequent biographers, came to know the writer personally during frequent stays in Argentina. Dr Yates is currently at work on his definitive biography of the great Argentine writer written from this uniquely personal relationship and first-hand observation of the writer and his family.

Borges embodied the cultural and intellectual sophistication of Argentina in the pre- and post-WWII years, a sophistication reflecting its heavily European influence and its focus of the arts, science, and intellectual pursuits. Borges wrote in both a fantastical genre and a detective/mystery genre. His early years, spent living throughout Europe, gave him a great appreciation for the English language and he was a devoted fan of Poe and other writers of mystery/detective stories.

Labyrinths, among his greatest works, contains stories that can only be described as “Sherlockian Intellectual” as well as “Watsonian Descriptive Action Narrative.” Here, Sherlockians and Watsonians will find the qualities of Holmes that we so admire: his intense intellectual concentration and the ability to perceive realities in different ways and with outcomes other than the norm. Borges, like Holmes, thought deeply, intensely, and long about reality and, as a result of his profound insights into the nature of reality, produced a fantastical and wholly unique vision of reality, meta-reality, and unreality that has never been equalled. We can learn much about Holmes through a study of the writing of Luis Borges, especially with the advantage of the superb translations by our Society’s Chair, Donald A. Yates.

Review

This is a book that will change forever your entire perception of reality. One of the two or three most significant reading and intellectual experiences of my lifetime.

-Don Libey, Author and former Publisher

The classic by Latin America’s finest writer of the twentieth century—a true literary sensation—with an introduction by cyber-author William Gibson.

The groundbreaking trans-genre work of Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) has been insinuating itself into the structure, stance, and very breath of world literature for well over half a century. Multi-layered, self-referential, elusive, and allusive writing is now frequently labeled Borgesian. Umberto Eco’s international bestseller, The Name of the Rose, is, on one level, an elaborate improvisation on Borges’ fiction “The Library,” which American readers first encountered in the original 1962 New Directions publication of Labyrinths.

This new edition of Labyrinths, the classic representative selection of Borges’ writing edited by Donald A. Yates and James E. Irby (in translations by themselves and others), includes the text of the original edition (as augmented in 1964) as well as Irby’s biographical and critical essay, a poignant tribute by André Maurois, and a chronology of the author’s life. Borges enthusiast William Gibson has contributed a new introduction bringing Borges’ influence and importance into the twenty-first century.

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The Biography and Autobiography of Sherlock Holmes by Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock Holmes

7003364.jpgThe Biography and Autobiography of Sherlock Holmes

By Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock Holmes.

Published by Campbell & Lewis
Publishers Since 1855

Available from Amazon and all Bookstores. Released 12 September 2013 $17.00

A one volume, two book edition of My Brother, Sherlock, the biography of Sherlock Holmes written by his brother, Mycroft Holmes, and Montague Notations, the autobiography by Sherlock Holmes written by the Master himself, edited by Don Libey, JHWS “Buttons.”

Discovered in England in 2008 and  2012 by a rare book scout and subsequently purchased by an American antiquarian book dealer, these two manuscripts are among the most astounding literary finds of all time.  Now, edited and published for the first time in print together, here are the incredible revelations of the timeless questions surrounding the life of Sherlock Holmes and his brother, Mycroft, in their own words. Revealed also are the essential missing insights into the life of Dr John H. Watson. Within these pages are the answers to so many questions of the past one hundred years and more.

This new book, released 12 September 2013, is the First Edition, First State of My Brother, Mycroft and the Second (re-edited) Edition, First State of Montague Notations, previously published in a single volume as The Autobiography of Sherlock Holmes.  The publisher believes having these two seminal works by the Master and his brother together in one volume will prove them essential over the years as reference works for all Sherlockians, Holmesians and Watsonians interested in research, scholarship and The Historical Game.

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On Conan Doyle by Michael Dirda, JHWS “Alex”

8655875.jpgOn Conan Doyle

by Michael Dirda, JHWS “Alex”

Published by Princeton University Press

Available from Amazon $12.50

A passionate lifelong fan of the Sherlock Holmes adventures, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Michael Dirda is a member of The Baker Street Irregulars. Combining  memoir and appreciation, On Conan Doyle is a highly engaging personal introduction to Holmes’s creator, as well as a rare insider’s account of the curiously delightful activities and playful scholarship of The Baker Street Irregulars.

Because Arthur Conan Doyle wrote far more than the mysteries involving Holmes, this book  also introduces readers to the author’s lesser-known but fascinating writings in an astounding range of other genres. A prolific professional writer, Conan Doyle was among the most important Victorian masters of the supernatural short story, an early practitioner of science fiction, a major exponent of historical fiction, a charming essayist and memoirist, and an outspoken public figure who attacked racial injustice in the Congo, campaigned for more liberal divorce laws, and defended wrongly convicted prisoners. He also wrote novels about both domestic life and contemporary events (including one set in the Middle East during an Islamic uprising), as well as a history of World War I, and, in his final years, controversial tracts in defense of spiritualism.

On Conan Doyle describes all of these achievements and activities, uniquely combining skillful criticism with the story of Dirda’s deep and enduring affection for Conan Doyle and his work. This is a book for everyone who already loves Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and the world of 221B Baker Street, or for anyone who would like to know more about them, but it is also a much-needed celebration of Arthur Conan Doyle’s genius for every kind of storytelling.

Reviews

Michael Dirda is a bookman in the tradition of Christopher Morley and Vincent Starrett: highly intelligent, well educated, widely read, and entirely unpretentious. All this is gratifyingly evident in his latest book “On Conan Doyle, or, The Whole Art of Storytelling”, which concentrates largely on Sherlock Holmes but finds space in its 220-odd pages for perceptive discussion of Brigadier Gerard, Professor Challenger, Nigel Loring and pretty much all of Conan Doyle’s important fiction – which is to say, most of it. As the subtitle indicates, Mr Dirda doesn’t disagree with Greenhough Smith’s claim in “The Strand Magazine” that Arthur Conan Doyle was `the greatest natural storyteller of his age’, but he knows that there was far more to it than natural talent. He knows too, that the telling of tales is not to be despised, and that Conan Doyle was actually one of the most important observers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Mr Dirda is, enviably, able to tell you just why he loves Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, so that you realise, yes, that’s why you love them too.
-Roger Johnson, JHWS “Count” and Editor the Sherlock Holmes Journal

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Dead Man’s Land by Robert Ryan, JHWS “Caesar”

3748244.jpgDead Man’s Land

by Robert Ryan, JHWS “Caesar”

Published by Simon & Schuster

Available from Amazon UK     12 pounds

Deep in the trenches of Flanders Fields, men are dying in their thousands every day. So one more death shouldn’t be a surprise. But then a body turns up with bizarre injuries, and Sherlock Holmes’ former sidekick Dr John Watson – unable to fight for his country due to injury but able to serve it through his medical expertise – finds his suspicions raised. The face has a blue-ish tinge, the jaw is clamped shut in a terrible rictus and the eyes are almost popping out of his head, as if the man had seen unimaginable horror. Something is terribly wrong. But this is just the beginning. Soon more bodies appear, and Watson must discover who is the killer in the trenches. Who can he trust? Who is the enemy? And can he find the perpetrator before he kills again? Surrounded by unimaginable carnage, amidst a conflict that’s ripping the world apart, Watson must for once step out of the shadows and into the limelight if he’s to solve the mystery behind the inexplicable deaths.

Reviews

As author Robert Ryan explained in a short essay for Crime Time, “Dead Man’s Land” was not originally his idea. His publisher was shopping around for “a work of fiction featuring a ‘detective in the trenches of World War I,’” and Ryan came up with a splendid solution: Why not send Dr. John H. Watson, of Sherlock Holmes fame, to the front lines in France, where he’d find himself involved in a homicide investigation? Of course, Watson would’ve been fairly old in 1918, when the action here takes place (in his mid-60s, by most reckonings).

That, however, proved to be a surmountable problem. In “Dead Man’s Land,” we find Watson – who, after all, was a battlefield surgeon before becoming the chronicler of a crime-solver’s escapades–in Flanders Fields as a major with the Royal Army Medical Corps, and “an expert in the new techniques of blood transfusion.”

He becomes grudgingly accustomed to the quotidian deaths of thousands of soldiers, the persistent bomb barrages, the pressures that weigh heavily upon physicians and nurses under such circumstances, and the appalling atmosphere of the trenches (“black tar from lamp wicks, the constant cigarettes, not to mention the tang of rat piss and the sour smell of unwashed clothes”).

Yet, when a sergeant suddenly perishes of an elusive ailment that turns his skin blue and his hands into claws, the horrific routines of war are upset. Blame is cast initially upon Watson’s blood transfusions; but when other, similar deaths are discovered, the old man’s sublimated sleuthing sensitivities are aroused, and his pursuit of a murderer with old grudges to exercise draws him into a deadly confrontation that must finally be settled in the worst possible place: the bleak no-man’s-land between the opposing armies.

Ryan’s portrayal of battlefield conditions is thorough and captivating, his cast of suspects sufficiently well drawn to have fooled me, and his capturing of Holmes’ associate faithful enough to have won the backing of Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate. The author has left himself room to write a sequel. I hope he will do just that.
-J. Kingston Pierce

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Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: ABout Type by Bruce Harris, JHWS “Scottie”

1967347.jpgSherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: ABout Type

By Bruce Harris, JHWS “Scottie”

Published by and available from The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: ABout Type is a psychological study of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John H. Watson. The book examines typical Type A and Type B personalities. It compares and contrasts the behaviors of Holmes and Watson in an attempt to classify the two along the Type A continuum. Numerous examples from the Canon and Sherlockian scholarship are cited. The monograph contains 115 footnotes.