Showing posts with label Pastiche. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pastiche. Show all posts

Monday, November 17, 2014

Anthony Horowitz Sherlock Holmes Short Story "The Three Monarchs" - Book Review

 Sherlock Holmes pastiche short story poster image screensaver wallpaper pic review recap blog

Having enjoyed Anthony Horowitz's previous Sherlock Holmes pastiche “The House of Silk, I had high expectations for his next effort. The book under review is not a full length novel, but a short story that makes a quick and a very enjoyable read.

Readers familiar with the Sherlock Holmes Canon will be familiar with the line spoken by Sherlock Holmes to Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade in The Adventure of the Six Napoleans: “You will remember, Watson, how the dreadful business of the Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter upon a hot day..

This short story by Horowitz deals with this aforementioned incident.

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Dr Watson has moved out of 221 B Baker Street with his recently married wife, Mary Morstan. Memories of his adventures with the Bohemian detective still haunt him. On Mary's advice, he pays a visit to the old rooms and most importantly, his former roommate and friend, Mr Sherlock Holmes.

He finds Holmes listening to a case from another Scotland Yard detective Athelney Jones. As readers might be aware, Athelney Jones has appeared in the novel The Sign of the Four.

Jones needs the Consulting Detective's help to solve the mystery behind the break in at the Abernetty's house. The intruder is shot dead by the elderly Abernetty.

The thief has stolen three china figures from the Abernettys and others. I will leave it to the readers to discover the solution for themselves.

Sherlock Holmes Sidney Paget illustration Arthur Conan Doyle story

The author is good at imitating Arthur Conan Doyle's tone and style of writing. Like most of the original stories, this one begins with Dr John Watson's voice.

Canonical References
1. Sherlock Holmes refers to the Trepoff murder - In A Scandal in Bohemia, Dr Watson states: “From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: of his summons to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder, of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission which he had accomplished so delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland.”

2. Holmes mentions the strange behavior of Dr Moore Agar - In The Adventure of the Devil's Foot, Dr Watson writes about Dr Agar: “In March of that year Dr. Moore Agar, of Harley Street, whose dramatic introduction to Holmes I may some day recount, gave positive injunctions that the famous private agent lay aside all his cases and surrender himself to complete rest if he wished to avert an absolute breakdown.”



3. The Abernettys have inherited their house from one Mrs Matilda Briggs - In The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, Sherlock Holmes explains: “Matilda Briggs was not the name of a young woman, Watson,...It was a ship which is associated with the giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world is not yet prepared.”

Despite the brief length of the story, Sherlock Holmes' powers of observation and deduction are on full display. Credit to Horowitz for making this an enjoyable experience.

Recommended read for fans of Sherlock Holmes. 



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Image Sources: Anthony Horowitz, HarperCollins Publishers

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Book Review: Bait & Switch: A sci-fi Sherlock Holmes by Ashley Marie Bergner


Bait & Switch: A sci-fi Sherlock Holmes by Ashley Marie Bergner

This is a review of the Kindle version.

The author, Ashley Marie Bergner is a fan of the science fiction genre and Sherlock Holmes. This book successfully combines both these components and the end product is a delightful Sherlock Holmes pastiche with a sci fi flavor.

There are a total of 6 cases in this pastiche. The first one begins with Sherlock Holmes and Jaymie Watson meeting at building 221 in Quadrant B. A woman disappears shortly and our duo is off on their first case together. The second and third cases have Holmes solving the murder of an actress and the theft of a precious diamond respectively.

The final 3 cases have Holmes piecing together the pieces that would help him stop a criminal mastermind with unlimited resources and power at his command.

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Here are the things I liked the most:
  1. Good representation of the Canonical Holmes – Calm with a dry/sarcastic sense of humor. Some of his exchanges with other characters are similar to those of Cumberbatch’s version.
  2. Nods to classic Holmesian traits – Conducting experiments, operating outside the law, thorough knowledge of London, lack of respect for social titles and designations, breaking into buildings as part of investigations, using his memory to store facts only when needed, knowledge on poisons, Holmes’s penchant for adopting disguises and accents.
  3. Lestrade is featured heavily in this pastiche. As can be expected, there are familiar jabs by Sherlock at the efficiency of the Official Police force and the “little sallow, rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow” in particular.
  4. Good sci-fi flavor to the Legendary Detective – All the familiar settings and characters but cast in a different universe. Couple of examples: London is Loudron and Scotland Yard is Civic Security Station.
  5. My favorite character is Miles Zawker. To reveal more will be spoiling the fun and I will leave it at that!

Ashley Marie Bergner
Ashley Marie Bergner
Canonical References
  1. When Watson first meets Holmes, the latter is conducting a chemical experiment.  A very similar scenario happens in A Study in Scarlet.
  2. This line from the pastiche - “… his eyes quickly darting about the room like a praxit cat’s, taking in every detail.” is a nice variation on following observation made by Dr Watson in The Sign of the Four: “So swift, silent, and furtive were his movements, like those of a trained bloodhound picking out a scent..”.
  3. There is a reference to this line in The Adventure of the Three Garridebs – “The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain.”
  4. One of the characters refers to Holmes as a meddlesome, far-too-nosy busybody. Readers familiar with the Canon will recognize the “Holmes, the busybody!” line spoken by Dr. Grimesby Roylott in The Adventure of the Speckled Band.
  5. Sherlock Holmes cautions Watson against judging her date based on his (seemingly) nice behavior. Reference to The Sign of Four - "It is of the first importance not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities… The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning."
  6.  I especially loved "room No. 1893". Very subtle and yet very satisfying!

I found some nods to the current Sherlock Holmes adaptations:

Guy Ritchie directed movies
  • Holmes pastes pictures, words and thoughts on his bedroom wall. He calls the wall his "association map". This is similar to the diorama maintained by Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes in Watson’s office.

Sherlock Holmes Diorama from the movie 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'
Diorama from the movie 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' 
  • Holmes enacts his plans as a digi-drama in his mind before things happen. This reminded me of the Holmavision of Robert Downey Jr.'s version.

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) performing his Holmesavision
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) performing his Holmesavision 
  • The plot of Case # 4 has some similarities to the first movie.
BBC series Sherlock
  • The sci-fi version of Holmes is verbose and wears a trench coat and scarf.
BBC Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) in his signature trench coat
BBC Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) in his signature trench coat
  • Anderson, Sherlock's nemesis in the Scotland Yard is referred to indirectly.

Anderson in 'A Study in Pink' BBC Sherlock
Anderson in 'A Study in Pink'
Some things that did not work out:

  1. In Case # 1, Holmes guesses some things about Watson. This is a significant departure from the Canon. In The Sign of the Four, Holmes makes the following observation - "No, no; I never guess. It is a shocking habit - destructive to the logical faculty." But to the author’s credit, this is a rare misstep.
  2. Case # 5 - I personally found it to be considerably less involving than the rest. There is not much mystery or suspense in this section and the main focus is on Watson’s date with another character.
  3. The final case contained some melodramatic elements and the resolution was a bit clichéd.
  4. Too many times, the words “meddling” and “meddler” are used with reference to Holmes. I can only guess that the author likes Scooby Doo a lot!
In conclusion, this pastiche is a good example of how to give a futuristic update to the Victorian settings of the Canon. It is an excellent homage to the legend of Sherlock Holmes.

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Image Sources: Amazon, Fanpop, GQ Magazine

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Book Review: A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman


Neil Gaiman Sherlock Holmes pastiche A Study in Emerald

Neil Gaiman (The Sandman series) has delivered a Sherlock Holmes pastiche that scores big on Canonical references and is just about adequate on the mystery element.

In the classic tradition, Inspector Lestrade comes knocking at 221 B, seeking Holmes’s assistance. A German royal has been murdered and the word “RACHE” has been inscribed nearby. Holmes applies his powers of observation and deduction and brings the case to a successful conclusion. The story is very brief (about a 9 page PDF to be exact) and revealing any further details will be going into spoiler territory. 

As readers of the canon would have realized, the story is influenced by both A Study in Scarlet and A Scandal in Bohemia. The first encounter between Holmes and Watson at St Bart’s Hospital has been expanded on and Gaiman nails this one perfectly.


Another nice touch is related to Holmes’s advice to Watson in The Final Problem about picking not the 1st or the 2nd hansom. I loved this part and I am sure other Sherlockians will do as well. 

Overall, a decent effort from Gaiman. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz is still my favorite Sherlock Holmes pastiche. 

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Image Sources: Neil Gaiman 


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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Book Review: The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz



The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz


This is a review of the Kindle version.

I have read the complete Sherlock Holmes Canon (56 short stories and 4 novels) and have watched different adaptations.

Coming to the book in question, this is an excellent effort by Anthony Horowitz. Not having read any of the author's previous works, I was not sure if the author would do justice to Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved creation. Having read the book, I whole-heartedly recommend the book to any Holmes fan/fan of the thriller genre.


Anthony Horowitz, the author of 'The House of Silk'
Anthony Horowitz, the author of 'The House of Silk'

Horowitz captures the essence of Doyle's books, which are the foggy streets of London and the classic relationship between Holmes and Watson. Horowitz nails both of these to near perfection and delivers (what to this reviewer is) one of the best Sherlock Holmes pastiches.

The story starts with an arts store owner paying a visit to 221 B Baker Street. As Holmes investigates the case, he finds himself (and Watson) involved in a dangerous game with a bunch of antagonists, hell-bent on keeping their criminal enterprise alive and kicking. The novel has 2 plots that come together for a stunner of a climax that is truly Vintage Sherlock Holmes.

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Besides Mycroft, couple more characters make their cameos. I will leave it to the reader to discover these, but rest assured, one of these cameos will knock any Holmesian's socks off.

What I liked best about the book: The settings, the atmosphere, the Holmes-Watson dynamics and the climax!


What could have been done better: The book lags little bit in the middle, despite a good start. But the killer climax offsets the lagging middle though.

I am eagerly looking to the (hopefully inevitable) sequel/next Holmes pastiche from Horowitz. 

Click here to read all my posts about Sherlock Holmes. 

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Image Source: The Telegraph 

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