Sherlock Holmes Book Reviews - Watson's Wives
Posted by Steve Emecz on
"This is a collection that should be owned and read by every Sherlockian – well-written, original, and accurately reflective of the times in which Holmes and Watson lived."
Tom Turley is back with another collection of his very-excellent Sherlock Holmes adventures, all completely and accurately taken from Watson’s notes, by way of Tom’s background with a Ph.D. in British History. There is a veracity to his tales that is unmatched.
Through this collection, as well as Tom’s previous book, Sherlock Holmes and The Crowned Heads of Europe, we see those tumultuous years of Victoria’s latter decades, and what follows through to the First World War.
Most of these stories initially appeared in “The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories”, and it’s a true pleasure to have them here in one place – especially for those who don’t have access to the anthologies. Tom is a great pasticheur, but my stand-out favorite of these is “A Ghost of Christmas Past”, which fills in a great deal of Watson’s mid-1880’s background in a definitive way only hinted at before, as well as providing one of those Is it?/Isn’t it? ghost stories that actually work within Canonical Holmes writing.
In truth, I’ve always had a bit of difficulty with the final story in this volume, “The Adventure of the Tainted Cannister”, but that in no way is a poor reflection upon Tom’s writing. I don’t agree with his conclusion – but if anyone could convince me of what he proposes, then it would be Tom.
This is a collection that should be owned and read by every Sherlockian – well-written, original, and accurately reflective of the times in which Holmes and Watson lived.
Watson's Wives is available from this site, and all good bookstores including: