Sherlock Book Review - Sherlock Holmes A Question of Time
Posted by Steve Emecz on
Dr. Watson is most perplexed. He has found his good friend Sherlock Holmes in a deep state of shock. He backtracks Holmes' past few days and the duo find themselves in a burned down warehouse with nothing but an open cesspit and an unburned circle, of all things. While Holmes is convalescing Watson is determined to discover exactly what went down. Holmes claims to have come face to face with, get this, a time traveler. Surely, this is all a jest. But, "when logical examination eliminates the possible whatever remains, however illogical or impossible must be the truth." Right, or after all his many adventures has Sherlock gone off the deep end in Sherlock Holmes- A Question of Time by MX Publishing.
The scene is set, the die is cast. On a dark and stormy night Dr. Watson troubled by his on ruminations of the past, is called to the aid of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Holmes' is in an emaciated state, his clothes are disheveled, he reeks of urine, and his ever alert eyes are deeply sunken. It seems that on the evening that a great bolt of lightning sets a row of warehouses ablaze, along the river's edge Holmes was also there in the vicinity. Now, he won't eat or even bathe; he just sits and stares out the window. What has happened over the last three days?
MX Publishing has once again provided readers with a book so chocked full of imagery, sights, and sounds it's as if we the readers have time traveled back to merry old London. And we are transported to right there in the room with Watson as Holmes spins his story about a time traveling kindred spirit who calls himself Murtaugh. Poor Watson isn't doing very well these days. He's getting on in years. He sees optical illusions and experiences auditory hallucinations at every turn. Can his interpretation of events be trusted? Can a man who suffers from blackened dreams, disorientation, a mere shell of the man that he was in his war days follow the clues to unravel this latest conundrum presented by Holmes?
A lavender flash of lightening, jittery horses, and glowing stones light the way. With soaked shoes and raindrops dripping from the tip of his nose Watson is led to a doorway. A doorway steeped in murky shadows. A doorway of a warehouse with shadows that creep ever closer to a big round cage. A cage with a man slumped over inside of it....
Listen to Holmes' tale. Follow the clues with Watson to uncover this new mystery. After all, it's just A Question of Time.
The Wishing Shelf
"A cleverly plotted mix of H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Mr. Searfoss did the two authors proud.”
I must say this is a very enjoyable Sherlockmystery with elements of HG Wells’ The Time Machine. Written by an author who knows how to pull the reader into olden day London, the story is written from the POV of Watson, who must determine if Sherlock did indeed meet with a time traveller, or he is simply a figment of the great detective’s fevered mind. I know there are number of Sherlock books out there, many of them terrible, a few of them very good indeed. Thankfully, this novel falls into the latter group. The author works hard from the first page to write in such a way as to pay homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He's
also excellent at character development, particularly of Watson who I felt I really got to know in this cleverly plotted mystery. In fact, it is Watson's demons from the past that catapults this novel from good to excellent.
All in all, I'm very happy to recommend this suspense-filled, historical novel to anybody who enjoys a solidly plotted mystery. Or, indeed, anybody who's a fan of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They’ll love getting into the mind of Watson, and the clever way Mr. Searfoss has blended the works of two wonderful authors.
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A shocking mystery or outrageous hoax?
Responding to an urgent summons, Dr. Watson arrives at 221B to find Sherlock Holmes swathed in filth and in a state of deep shock. To ensure Holmes’ safety, he must retrace the detective’s last movements and discover the source of his debility. The investigation leads to a fire-gutted warehouse where nothing remains except an open cesspit and the enigma of an unburned circle.
A convalescing Holmes unravels the mystery by relating his encounter in the riverside warehouse with a time traveler. But with a lack of physical evidence and only Holmes’ account of what transpired, Watson must determine if the related events actually happened or are a grand jest perpetrated by his friend.