“a trick for the other side” [NORW]
Last year, I told you about Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas, a selection of seasonal Sherlock Holmes stories by Derrick Belanger. This year, there's a follow-up, Sherlock Holmes: Holiday Whodunnits (Amazon | Bookshop.org), in the same format.
That means thirteen stories, split into two parts each, which covers December 1st through Boxing Day (in honor of the character's British origins). One day, the reader gets the case setup; the next, the solution, so the reader can play along in trying to solve the mystery.
Cases cover murders, ciphers, missing persons, thefts, con artists, and forged documents, all set during the holiday season. All feature a traditional Holmes and his good friend and story narrator Dr. Watson. Other familiar characters make appearances, especially Mrs. Hudson and the Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson.
In the introduction, Belanger explains that he was inspired by Donald J. Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown, and these do read similarly. To solve the case, one has to figure out the twist or trick. These stories are lightweight, but that's good for a festive read, I find.
There are two more traditional pastiches included as well, set during the early days of Holmes and Watson's partnership. Overall, it's a nice little bundle of cases for Christmas.
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| Available on Amazon and Bookshop.org |
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