Sherlock Book Review - The Case of the Man Who Died Twice – Ken Courtenay
Publié par Steve Emecz le
One of the best aspects of MX Publishing is that part of the company’s mission is to provide an opportunity for enthusiastic new Sherlockian authors to share their work and reach an enthusiastic audience. Ken Courtenay’s new novel is an excellent first effort. Holmes and Watson are recruited by the British Government to work secretly to determine how a man could be hanged for murdering Paul Watts – and then when Paul Watts turns up over a year later, he is murdered again. Our Heroes must work quickly and quietly to determine who was behind the crime, and why, and also figure out a way to prevent these events from causing a massive crisis of confidence in the British Judicial System.
While I had a few quibbles – Courtenay incorrectly mentions that Holmes has died before Watson, for instance, and that Watson had many grandchildren, both facts that are in contrast with the vast overwhelming weight of The Great Holmes Tapestry – one thing that I really liked about this story is that the action took place within just a few days. Far too often, Holmes pasticheurs have their stories stretch over weeks or months, with Holmes supposedly completely consumed by one single case, but nothing happens for days and days, except for some random breakfast conversation where Watson asks a question and Holmes puts him off with a non-answer. Mr. Courtenay is aware that Holmes can and does get a lot done in a single day, and both Courtenay and Holmes manage their time well during this investigation. I wonder what Courtenay will find the next time he extracts documents from Watson’s Tin Dispatch Box.
The Man Who Died Twice: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure grabs your attention immediately. The great plot moves along at a steady, quick pace.
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Dr. Watson is called upon to attend the execution of a man convicted of murder. Eighteen months after the ordeal, the murder victim is found on a London dock, actually murdered. If this becomes known, the public's faith in the police, the justice system, and the government itself could be in peril.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must join forces with Scotland Yard to secretly uncover the deadly scheme that led to a miscarriage of justice, even as they themselves become targets of murder. As they are led through a series of seemingly unrelated events and murders, they must discover the minds behind this complex plot and somehow bring them to justice.
Can Holmes and Watson, along with Inspector Gregson, unravel the clues as they are discovered? Will they survive long enough to close the case? Join Holmes and Watson as they follow a confounded trail that leads to the door of desperate men hiding in plain sight.