the big book of sherlock holmes stories by otto penzler

Recounting past experiences works well in a tale involving Wiggins's mother, but makes some of the others seem a bit passive. Unlike the Canon, these stories often involve multiple cases, with some in flashback.

Marcum's five Holmes short stories have Watson as narrator, Holmes as the main character, settings in 1878 to 1905 England, and plots that don't rely on the supernatural, science fiction, or famous historical or literary personas. Sherlock Holmes - Tangled Skeins by David Marcum Three of the best are Jeffrey Deaver's modern tale of a brilliant man who finds his hero in the Holmes stories, Michael Dirda's delightful sendup of the 'grand game,' and Nancy Holder's spin on the aftermath of 'The Beryl Coronet.' ($24.95 SRP Amazon US listing $19.05 hardcover, paperback available Dec. They include a retelling of 'Silver Blaze' from the horse's perspective, and a recap of The Hound as Facebook-style posts. But be warned: like A Study in Sherlock, the Holmes connections are sometimes very loose, and these are not traditional Holmes mysteries. Klinger (eds.)Ĭlever twists abound in this eclectic anthology of all-new stories by top writers. In the Company of Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. Like Conan Doyle, some of his plot points don't withstand close scrutiny, but his style is reasonably Victorian and his story carries you briskly along for an enjoyable Sherlockian adventure. Douglas, who wrote a strong short story in Encounters of Sherlock Holmes (2013), sets the tale in a realistic version of 1896 London, and fills it with characters that are neither wholly good nor entirely bad. Their quest takes them to a fiendish Chinese villain and a master criminal known as The Albino. ($14.95 SRP Amazon US listing $10.91)Īn anarchist plot and a forged painting lead Holmes and Watson into a treasure hunt with elements reminiscent of The Sign of Four. Overall the book is a good value, although many stories are not conventional Holmes tales and I suspect readers will skim over a few that are simply not to their taste. William Meikle offers a solid adventure in the catacombs of Malta, Alison Littlewood provides an atmospheric tale with supernatural questions, and Nev Fountain adroitly twists the worlds of Holmes, Conan Doyle and Houdini. Smith excels at the Watson style and provides a fine traditional Holmes mystery. The Mammoth Book of Sherlock Holmes Abroad by Simon Clark (ed.)ĭespite a dubious concept of stories that take place outside of England, this anthology of 15 new Holmes tales manages to deliver a number that most readers will enjoy. Prices as of November 2015 subject to change.

Listed in order by author, see also About the Choices and E-books. The year's best fictional Holmes books published in 2015. Best 2015 Sherlock Holmes Books – Fiction

The big book of sherlock holmes stories by otto penzler