News — Book Reviews

"A Review of a New Novel by John Paulits The Mystery of Charles Dickens: a Tale of Mesmerism and Murder This is, from the opening chapter to the last, a story filled with a highly satisfying mixture of tension and intrigue. The author deftly portrays the individuality of his characters and their various social backgrounds in language which gives a sense of authenticity to his tale. From the magnificence of a Genoese palace to the ghastly sordidness of an opium den, Paulits takes his readers across a social gulf separating the ultimate in privilege to the depths of wretchedness. While...

“Brian W. Pugh’s A CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE OF SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (May 09 #5) was a valuable resource for those interested in Conan Doyle’s life and work, and a new revised and expanded edition (London: MX Publishing, 2012; 267 pp., £14.99) is even more valuable, with a detailed index, citations of sources, excellent illustrations, and an impressive list of the many statues and plaques honoring Conan Doyle, his daughter Jean, Holmes, and Watson to be found in Britain, the United States, Australia, Japan, France, Italy, Russia, and Switzerland <www.mxpublishing.co.uk>.” A Chronology of Arthur Conan Doyle - Revised and Expanded Edition is available from all...

For those lucky fans with iPads, every week MX Publishing gives away 10 review copies of a different Holmes book to fans on their iPad list. This week’s give-away is Holmes Sweet Holmes by Dan Andriacco, the second in the Sebastian McCabe and Jeff Cody series. To get on the reviewers list you can subscribe here http://eepurl.com/rHS_9 Lots of Sherlock Holmes books for the iPad on Pinterest.

“Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus by P C Martin. I suppose the combination of Sherlock Holmes and Steampunk was inevitable. Guy Ritchie’s first Holmes film had elements of Victorian super science, but the true hybrid flowering is in Steampunk Holmes. Full details are at www.steampunkholmes.com, but for the less elaborately electronically enabled, such as me, the first adventure is now available in its most accessible form: i.e. a book. Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus places Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in a world where electricity has yet to be developed, the internal combustion engine is irrelevant, and steam power...

“The Hound of Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Play by Simon Corble. The Hound of Baskervilles doesn’t easily lend itself to the theatre, but dramatists seem unable to resist the challenge. I’ve not had the chance to see it performed, but Simon Corble’s play is pretty close to the top of my list of favourites. It was written to be performed out of doors, with the audience following the actors from place to place. Mr Corble boldly adapts the story rather than simply dramatising, and the result is clever, witty, exciting – and refreshingly intelligent. David Stuart Davies contributes an appreciative...