Book Review - The Sign of Fear - The Sherlock Holmes Society of London
Posted by Steve Emecz on
"Never mind what you’ve been told: the former Mary Morstan is a woman with a past — so perhaps it’s natural that she should come within the orbit of the Napoleon of Crime. At least we can understand that she should occupy the time during Dr Watson’s long absences by doing detective work herself. More surprising is the identity of her partner, a dangerous young woman to whom male costume is nothing new: “Emily Fanshaw” is actually Mrs Neville St Clair, and she still resents the fact that Sherlock Holmes cut short her husband’s profitable scam by exposing him as the beggar with the twisted lip… There are more surprises in Mary Watson’s memoirs, not least the revelation that John H Watson, who never qualified as a doctor, was born Ormond Sacker and changed his name by deed poll! Other dubious characters encountered by the intrepid duo include A J Raffles, Bunny Manders, John Clay, Mrs Marple (mother of Jane), and M. Poirot (father of Hercule). Rather like M J Trow’s stories of Inspector Lestrade, the book takes a distinctly revisionist approach to the Canon. The Sign of Fear is something of a guilty pleasure, perhaps, but a pleasure it certainly is!"
Sherlock Holmes Society of London
Also available from:
Amazon USA The Strand Magazine (special offer)
Amazon UK Book Depository (free worldwide delivery)
Back Cover...
Sherlock Holmes said that Mary Morstan might have been most useful in detective work if she had only remained single. She - had a decided genius - that way. So, bored with being at home while her husband is away helping Holmes catch criminals, Doctor Watson's wife decides to have a go at the game herself. In this she is ably assisted by her friend Emily Fanshaw who likes to play a transvestite role occasionally.
The sequel is called A Study In Crimson