Review: A Study in Victory Red

<h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>“fond of a particular shade” [COPP]</b></h4><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSYXlgVeIRtk-VSpVjn8bDQR6W_dXcSIdmJSTm8G0I-kIUDtT1cieVhZPOn6IyRGPQD12YSviyH1eKxx4itMY0uWxd7Xi5tWJadzgMqtrhHpgx_ZafKwNELs4NBS-PSAo_30FrT0xexdu/s882/A+Study+in+Victory+Red.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="882" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSYXlgVeIRtk-VSpVjn8bDQR6W_dXcSIdmJSTm8G0I-kIUDtT1cieVhZPOn6IyRGPQD12YSviyH1eKxx4itMY0uWxd7Xi5tWJadzgMqtrhHpgx_ZafKwNELs4NBS-PSAo_30FrT0xexdu/w640-h462/A+Study+in+Victory+Red.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br />Irene Holmes is in need of a flatmate. Through a series of chance encounters, she meets Dr. Joe Watson, recently returned home from the war. When Inspector Edward “Eddy” Lestrade drops by Baker Street with the details of a mysterious murder, it’s as if destiny itself were pulling the strings.<br /><br />Though this is the perfect setup for an “alternate history” version of Canon, the novella <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3oAF5UF" target="_blank">A Study in Victory Red</a></i> by Allison Osborne makes clear from the beginning that Irene is Sherlock Holmes’s daughter, complete with childhood memories of Baker Street to provide tiny glimpses of Holmes as a father. Irene’s mother is never mentioned by name, and in fact only mentioned once in the whole story to explain her absence. This is very much Irene Holmes and Joe Watson’s story, the heritage acknowledged but not restraining. <br /><br />Yet the story is set in 1946, and Irene is thirty years old, which presents a small problem considering Holmes retired to Sussex before the start of World War One. Unless he moved back to Baker Street and abandoned his bees when his daughter was deposited on his doorstep, the dates don’t match up. This might be what happened, but it isn't explained. However, as I said, this is the perfect set up for an alternate history version of Canon, and so we shall stick to it.<br /><br />Though the setting provides a chronological conundrum, the author makes such good use of post-war society that I was willing to overlook it. Women filled in as men left for war in every industry, why not private investigation? Irene is then forced to confront sexist skepticism when the men come home, despite the fact that the year previous her practice was thriving. </p><p>The author comments on the opinions of those who served on those who stayed behind with an embarrassed Eddy admitting to Joe that he didn’t serve because he’d just gained a supervisory position in the force. Joe assures Eddy he doesn’t hold this against him, but many people would have. </p><p>Without giving too much away, the murder itself centers around the terrors of war, not in battle but in civilian life, atrocities committed on those whose only crime was to be living in a particular country at a particular time. Details of a London rebuilding itself after the war breathe life into every scene.</p><p><br />So do Holmes and Watson. Irene is very much her father’s daughter, and we are treated to the requisite introduction to deduction scene, but she is also her own character and not just a Holmes stand-in. She is emotional though she tries to hide it, quietly compassionate, skilled at hand-to-hand combat—if a bit rusty—and infuriated by ignorance and incompetence. She doesn’t care about societal norms, dismissing the fact that living with a man she isn’t married to would be frowned upon. Thank goodness there’s a Miss Hudson to keep things proper.<br /><br />Joe is a delightful counter to this whirlwind. Shy, fond of animals, and suffering “episodes” thanks to his horrific experiences during the war, this Watson is just as supportive of his Holmes as the original, and just as willing to speak up when his friend is about to do something stupid or behaving poorly. The author doesn’t dwell on the details of his trauma, giving just enough information to hint at what happened while still leaving Joe his privacy. This works well as a counter to Irene, who has her own traumatic experiences from the Blitz that she is still working through. They’re fast friends, and believable ones, as two broken people rebuilding their lives in a city rising from the ashes of war.<br /><br />There’s also a murder investigation, and a well-paced and thought-out one at that. The references to <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> are nicely chosen and the climax of the case exciting, bringing everything together with one or two loose ends intentionally left dangling. </p><p><i><a href="https://amzn.to/35IoO7y" target="_blank">A Study in Victory Red</a></i> is just the first in what looks to be at least a trilogy, if not a longer series, and I’ll gladly return to Irene and Joe’s Baker Street again. <br /><br /><br /><i>A Study in Victory Red</i> is available for purchase via <a href="https://amzn.to/35IoO7y" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. You can learn a little more about Allison Osborne’s Holmes & Co. series on the author’s <a href="www.aosborneauthor.com">website</a>.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"> </a></p><p> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B089CVZ6JH"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "c03d63f3c1bec5868bd5d0e9e442159a"; </script> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /></p>

Review: A Study in Victory Red

“fond of a particular shade” [COPP] Irene Holmes is in need of a flatmate. Through a series of chance encounters, she meets Dr. Joe Watson, ...

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by Katie Magnusson

The Adventure of the Incognita Countess — A Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “the vampire was not necessarily a dead man” [SUSS]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivu1_mGTWNf-1j2bkWzSqU5yEV29y2irRedsSt_LYnZT_WofqfSy0l6BYuF5V9EJpFSxUIGZlrEjLnPw6JcA4PWWEHuX9-ECD1B31cpxPVGicq9cjoyJuAAgSjvUYDzPG-1n4JJsJOgbr1/s1600/Incognita+Countess+-+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivu1_mGTWNf-1j2bkWzSqU5yEV29y2irRedsSt_LYnZT_WofqfSy0l6BYuF5V9EJpFSxUIGZlrEjLnPw6JcA4PWWEHuX9-ECD1B31cpxPVGicq9cjoyJuAAgSjvUYDzPG-1n4JJsJOgbr1/s640/Incognita+Countess+-+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b> <br /> On the periphery of Sherlockiana, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3T8DWB" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Incognita Countess</a></i> by Cynthia Ward comes from the world of literary mash-up. If you are not the sort of person who enjoys hypothetical scenarios like “what if Mina Harker’s daughter met Tarzan, and Carmilla of vampiric fame, on the RMS <i>Titanic</i>,” then this delightful short novel will not be your cup of tea. If such a scenario, peppered with figures historical as well as literary, piques your interest, then you won't be disappointed. <br /><br />The Sherlockian connection is slight, but important. The main character is Lucy Harker, daughter of Mina and the product of Dracula’s attentions before he was staked. Mina and Jonathan Harker are now divorced. Mycroft Holmes, of all people, becomes Lucy’s stepfather. Ms. Ward briefly acknowledges the apparent absurdity of this with a recalled comment by Lucy’s unnamed but instantly recognizable step uncle. He disparages Mycroft's falling in love, to a divorced victim of a vampire no less, but later appears to harbor some affection of his own for his new niece. The Holmes men are, after all, still human. And, if you are the less than charitable type, you can always assume Mycroft married Mina Harker just to mold her half-vampire daughter into an ideal secret agent.<br /><br />The story starts in London, 1912. The events described in H.G. Wells’s <i>War of the Worlds</i> are historical fact, and Britain has benefitted greatly from its appropriation of Martian technology. An officer carrying plans for the fabled <i>Nautilus</i> is on his way back to America aboard the new steamer <i>Titanic</i>, and the British government wants to make sure the plans arrive safely. Lucy Harker is chosen for the job, as she is a capable spy and her half-vampiric heritage gives her advantages over mere mortals. Naturally, things go somewhat awry.<div> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jq3cLAY-Mfbu81YpSdZ0Z-e02QpH52YGl1dgIYXhAHXVd_uagXHB7_u_K-TdLWiSylCH5YW9O6VGKEOrXVif7hzzMIsG1nbhHbd_x45U4MJV-4UR1c7ZWY4LV-RZs1TGY6ReoiUdIjhH/s1600/Incognita+Countess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jq3cLAY-Mfbu81YpSdZ0Z-e02QpH52YGl1dgIYXhAHXVd_uagXHB7_u_K-TdLWiSylCH5YW9O6VGKEOrXVif7hzzMIsG1nbhHbd_x45U4MJV-4UR1c7ZWY4LV-RZs1TGY6ReoiUdIjhH/s400/Incognita+Countess.jpg" width="243" /></a></div> <div> <br /><br />Also on board are a thinly veiled version of Lord Greystoke, a.k.a Tarzan, who is more than happy to voice his opinions on the hypocrisies of “civilized” society, and the Countess Karnstein, who is clearly based on Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s vampire, Carmilla. There are also a pair of German soldiers, whose conversations foreshadow the ‘pure race’ sentiments of the future Nazi party. The mystery itself is basic, and the conclusion dramatic. Much of the story centers around Lucy’s inner reflections on herself, her country and society, to a point where the mission is almost just background scenery. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's different from what I expected. When the climax of the case happened, it was almost a surprise reminder that there was a mission involved in the first place. Predictably, history runs its course. As <i>War of the Worlds</i> taught us, Earth doesn’t like aliens. They aren’t a match for our microbes, and their technology won’t stop an iceberg. <br /><br />Ultimately, this is a love story between a female secret agent and a suicidal vampire, and a character study in feminism and being a woman in a patriarchal society. Though she constantly chafes under the condescension she must endure from men she could literally tear apart, Lucy is so convinced of the men who control her life being right that she never questions the evidence before her eyes until an ‘unrefined’ woman (none other than the unsinkable Molly Brown) who isn’t afraid of bucking societal conventions and speaking her mind tells her what’s what. There's a wonderful moment where Lucy remembers her step uncle’s lesson never to theorize before the facts, which ultimately leads to the realization that most of her life has been based on non-factual theories that women are the weaker sex, and that vampires are by necessity evil.<br /><br /><div> The book’s ending is wide open for a sequel, with plenty of potential for more figures of legend to meet. Ms. Ward has done a wonderful job setting up her world, and the future challenges her characters will have to face. Of course, if a concerned step uncle were to make more of an appearance, that'd be excellent, but just knowing he's there along with the whole literary universe in the background is good fun too.<br /><br /><i>The Adventure of the Incognita Countess</i> is available<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3T8DWB" target="_blank"> on Kindle and in print</a>.</div> </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> --</div> <div> <br /></div>

The Adventure of the Incognita Countess — A Review

“the vampire was not necessarily a dead man” [SUSS] On the periphery of Sherlockiana, The Adventure of the Incognita Countess by Cynt...

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by Katie Magnusson

Missing from The Final Problem: Emotional Commitment

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Man ... has lost all enterprise and originality." [COPP]</span></div> <div> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RNdUSlnKR5F4oATuzmlG6Nv0pie5YLDrCkyaIYHnXGGGhXAoQDVWnXV_8WjbQmI3_JbYsRSestT_MeADVIPNmiSPSKN-zT5zMVRgceyw_7sQgs1MbxB9tzMMLU7UQUP5gYlo_CKGwzA_/s1600/Sherlock+-+Miss+Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RNdUSlnKR5F4oATuzmlG6Nv0pie5YLDrCkyaIYHnXGGGhXAoQDVWnXV_8WjbQmI3_JbYsRSestT_MeADVIPNmiSPSKN-zT5zMVRgceyw_7sQgs1MbxB9tzMMLU7UQUP5gYlo_CKGwzA_/s640/Sherlock+-+Miss+Me.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> [<b><i>Editor's Note:</i></b> this is the tenth in our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Series%204#.WH4nefkrLb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">series of reviews</a> of <i>Sherlock</i> Series 4. Spoilers...yada yada yada...spoilers.]<div> <br /><div> When the very first episode of Sherlock aired, I was beside myself with excitement. It was awesome. The whole first season had me hooked. I told my friends well in advance I would not be available for anything when the second season was announced, and I devoured the third, though with perhaps less relish than the others. I have always been ready and willing to forgive the writers of Sherlock for a lot of flaws, primarily because the chemistry between the leads and the acting of everyone involved is superb.<br /><br />And now, at the end of season four, I find myself curiously neutral as to whether or not a season five happens. Though each of the previous episodes had their good moments, I was not what you could describe as a fan of either. Frankly, “The Lying Detective” just made me angry by the end (you can read that review/rant <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2017/01/the-lying-detective-review-and-possibly.html#.WH2zEPkrLcs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.) “The Final Problem,” by contrast, left me apathetic. I’m glad it worked out, in its way. I’m glad the boys are back in Baker Street of course, and it was a lovely little end montage that I wanted really hard to be satisfied with, but I was too numb by then to care much. Not even numb; numb indicates a sensation of not-feeling. This was just nothing.<br /><br />The episode started with such great promise. Mycroft Holmes watches noir films, enough to have memorized the dialogue. Sherlock scares the hell out of him just to make a point, and John has recovered from being shot with a tranquilizer (sure, I’ll buy it). The banter was back, and it was such a refreshing return to the atmosphere of previous seasons.<br /><br />Some people have complained about Sherlock becoming James Bond in the show, and while I think there’s recently been an overemphasis on action, this episode made me realize why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t: It’s the dialogue. The massive CGI explosion of 221B didn't bother me at all, because of the banter before it. There were deductions, all three characters had a chance to make a contribution to the scene, it was funny and a touch tender, and you knew what was coming. It still fit in the atmosphere of the scene.<br /><br /><h3> "the effect of the atmosphere" [DEVI]</h3> Atmosphere is part of the problem with the rest of the episode. Eurus is psychopathic, but her puzzles provide no suspense (except the possibility of Mycroft dying), because it’s obvious that Sherlock and John are going to get out somehow. It’s made clear right away that there is no way to win her game. </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> The episode plays like it was made by someone who once saw a Hitchcock film and thought it wasn’t gritty enough. There's no dramatic pacing, just one room after another, watching characters suffer emotional turmoil. Molly Hooper is once again nothing but bait, a chance to make Sherlock feel really bad about himself. Lestrade shows up for… continuity? He doesn’t actually do anything, there’s no reason for him to be there in that last minute of the episode, he’s just a face we recognize. Mycroft actually has some good moments, becoming more human in this episode than ever, but even he gets shoved away at the end, trapped in a cell off-camera so Sherlock can have the anticlimactic climax to himself.<br /><br />The final problem was, ultimately, boring.<br /><br />Maybe it’s because Eurus seemed just an imitation Moriarty - all the psychosis, none of the charm. We’re supposed to feel sorry for her, the crazy girl left all alone with nobody to love her, her family frightened of her etc., but I just couldn’t. There was no room for me to care about the characters anymore. Sherlock and John went through hell already this season, Eurus was beating a dead horse trying to torture them. <br /><br />The revelations about Mycroft’s character are what kept my interest going. He locks away his sister, taking it upon himself to decide whether or not she is worth saving, because that’s his version of being kind. Kindness through overprotection and cruelty seems to be the only way he can interact with humans. He can order a hit on a subject in another country, but ask him to get his own hands dirty and he can’t do it. For all his talk of being logical, emotionless, and clever, he’s really just a softie willing to grant his psychotic sister the company of an equally psychotic criminal mastermind for five minutes unsupervised, because it will make her happy. The man’s an idiot, but an occasionally useful one, and one who is devoted to his family, in his own warped way. I enjoyed the performance, especially the scene where he prepares to die, and I was sorely disappointed to see him left offscreen for the ending.<br /><br />Sherlock ultimately decides to do what Mycroft couldn’t, and tries to save his sister. What should have been a touching and hopeful ending montage was subdued by the sheer lack of emotional commitment I had for the rest of the episode. I hope more episodes are made, I hope Rosie grows up to be precocious and a delightful terror, I hope Molly and Sherlock come to some sort of reconciliation, and I hope the Holmes family keep visiting Eurus, but most of all, I hope there are more adventures that don’t involve evil geniuses.<br /><br />“Miss me?” <br /><br />No, Jim, not really. After this season, I’d really like to see the boys of Baker Street go find a missing horse.<div> <br /></div> <div> --</div> <div> <br /></div> </div> </div>

Missing from The Final Problem: Emotional Commitment

"Man ... has lost all enterprise and originality." [COPP] [ Editor's Note: this is the tenth in our series of reviews...

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by Katie Magnusson

The Lying Detective — A Review (and Possibly a Rant)

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "It will be cold and bitter" [LAST] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXG4dQsc52AeViYhLTv32bVFw7sVZtbmiXGMLmaUUd_ISLb1-D9ZOAOhKW70ceFBivmtOoCsZb5TK4np6bJ11OacJI43RZAyp5o7Yn0wBR1u6clHnd2Gu3e4nsNHc1PDXDx77RrvOveeRG/s1600/Sherlock+-+Series+4+Smith+landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXG4dQsc52AeViYhLTv32bVFw7sVZtbmiXGMLmaUUd_ISLb1-D9ZOAOhKW70ceFBivmtOoCsZb5TK4np6bJ11OacJI43RZAyp5o7Yn0wBR1u6clHnd2Gu3e4nsNHc1PDXDx77RrvOveeRG/s640/Sherlock+-+Series+4+Smith+landscape.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> [Editor's Note: <span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">this is the fourth in a series of reviews we'll be sharing on Series 4 of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Sherlock</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.]</span><br /> <br /> If you type “Sherrinford” while looking at England in Google Maps, nothing appears (except the <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Museum</a>, but that’s not the point.) I mention this because I’m the sort of person who thinks it would be delightfully maddening if there were an asylum or prison with that name associated with it in real life.<br /> <br /> Yes, consider that your warning that there will be significant <b>spoilers</b> in this review of the Sherlock episode, “The Lying Detective.” I presume you have watched the episode, and that you saw the one before it, “The Six Thatchers.” If you haven’t seen either of them, I recommend you stop reading and do so. I’ll be here when you’re back. <br /> <br /> <h3> <b>MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD</b></h3> So. Miss me?<br /> <br /> The creators warned that this would be a dark season, and this one time it turns out they weren’t lying. “The Lying Detective” begins with John in a self-loathing cycle and hallucinating his dead wife, while Sherlock is high out of his mind on a self-destructive streak the size of Texas. Both performances are excellent, from Martin Freeman’s subtle intense numb anger to Benedict Cumberbatch’s rapid descent into physical and psychological ruin.<br /> <br /> <div> My favorite character of the episode, however, has to be Mrs. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson is the most formidable landlady in London, and a national — nay, global — treasure. Una Stubbs does more for that character in this episode than what the writers gave her to work with for the entire series. I will watch Mrs. Hudson call Mycroft Holmes a reptile any day, any time. I also have to mention Toby Jones’s skin-crawlingly creepy Culverton Smith. Moriarty was an insane genius, but Culverton Smith is evil, and not so shockingly corporate/materialist based. Jones provides a wonderful performance, switching between celebrity hugs and deadly menace with ease.<br /> <br /> With such good performances from the primary cast, it is a bit disheartening to see Louise Brealey wasted. Honestly, if all Molly Hooper is going to do is show up for a scene to weepily scold Sherlock for using drugs, she might as well just not show up. We’ve seen that before. Give the woman, that sweet, complicated, misused, inexplicably loyal, woman, something to do!<br /> <br /> Though the performances are great, the characters are not in a good place, particularly John. Culverton Smith, of all people, voices what should have been the audience’s main concern when he asks John, “What kind of a doctor are you?” It’s an excellent question. John doesn’t seem to actually care that his friend is destroying himself, which is not how John, or anyone for that matter, should react. In his very brief talk with Lestrade later, John blames it all on the fun, on being distracted by the adventure, when really it’s his grief and anger overwhelming him. Sherlock knows it. He hopes that his self-flagellation in the form of nearly killing himself, of letting John beat him, will trigger some sort of desire for reconciliation, or possibly act as simple catharsis. It’s disturbing to watch, and makes Mrs. Hudson’s earlier declaration that Sherlock is the emotional one so much more poignant. He’s always the one doing something impulsive and emotional - he stabs things to the mantle for crying out loud - while John’s anger and frustration is bottled up until it explodes into physical violence.<br /> <br /> As a brief aside, screw you, Mary Watson, for telling Sherlock to go to hell for John. Was there ever any doubt that he would? All she did was exacerbate the situation, making Sherlock feel even worse, going to far greater lengths than he needed to to get John back. I had the impression that up until the moment where Culverton Smith makes him say he doesn’t want to die, that Sherlock might actually have wanted to. Mary’s death was already a blow he didn’t know how to cope with. Seeing her tell him to ‘save John’ when he couldn’t save her was just an additional reason for him to hurt himself, and entirely superfluous. <br /> <br /> John decides to save Sherlock after seeing Mary’s message to Sherlock to save John, and that also rings false. Yes, John’s angry, and hurt, and all sorts of things, but, to echo Culverton Smith, what the hell kind of a doctor is he? More than that, what sort of person sees their friend clearly hurting themselves, and brushes it off as a cry for attention, or worse, as just being a jerk?<br /> <br /> John admits he’s not the person Sherlock, or Mary, or the audience apparently, thought he was. A text from Irene Adler (why not, I guess) spurs John into urging Sherlock to find someone to bring out the best in him, to make him be the person the one he loves wants him to be, and this soon turns into a heartfelt confession to Mary. This is by far the best scene in the season so far. It’s a moment of quiet emotion, necessary in the storm that comprised the rest of the episode, and much of the previous as well. Sherlock’s expression as John begins talking to the woman who isn’t there is a perfect realization of just how broken they both are. He puts aside everything for the moment to do the only thing he can to try to help his friend, and holds him. They aren’t ok, and probably won’t be for a long time, but it is what it is.<br /> <br /> This scene alone is the reason the episode works. Culverton Smith’s plot is deftly woven, the acting is superb all around, and we even get to see Sherlock make deductions instead of being a globe-trotting action hero, but it would all have been for naught if this scene hadn’t worked. If there is a message in the episode, it is that everyone is human. When Sherlock says this, and John parries with a sly, “even you,” Sherlock’s response is perfect, and sums up their relationship in two words — “Even you.” Forget <i>the</i> woman, Sherlock already has someone he cares about to show him who the person he wants to be is, to make him want to be the sort of person he should be, and his name is John Watson. He’s far from perfect, they both are, but they can do the best they can to be what the people they love see in them.<br /> <br /></div> <div> And then Eurus blows in from nowhere, ties up a few loose ends with half a minute of monologue and making you wonder just how many skeletons in the Holmes family closet are there, and then shoots a gun in John’s direction. <br /> <br /> I can’t use the kind of language I want to use to describe my reaction at this development. One more twist, because really, it’s so much more entertaining to shove an episode’s worth of deduction and slow character reveal into a cliffhanger moment. If you weren’t sure, the previous sentence should be read as dripping with sarcasm.<br /> <br /> I knew the ‘affair woman’ was going to be a big figure, because that’s how TV show formulas work. I knew Culverton’s daughter looked different between the beginning of the episode and showing up at 221B, but I put it down to the passage of time. I thought the therapist looked familiar, but put it down to actors being reused in minor parts. And, no, at no point was it explicitly stated the Holmes sibling was male. It still seemed like a whole lot of data was shoved into a very short time frame, and felt a little bit like cheating. I don’t think I’m just being bitter, either. To invent a character out of whole cloth is their prerogative, but to bring the villain of the piece forth out of the blue and pretend she was really there the whole time is something else entirely. It worked once for Doyle. No one else has ever pulled it off well.<br /> <br /> While I’m on the subject: Eurus? Really? I appreciate an oblique Canon reference as much as the next Sherlockian, but the Holmes parents are simply awful people if they named their daughter after the bad-luck bringing east wind of Greek myth.<br /> <br /> At any rate, Eurus has arrived, and I have no doubt that the next, and final, episode of the season will see our heroes and their friends “wither before its blast,” but I hope beyond hope that they will “lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.”<br /> <br /> Otherwise, this whole season might not have been worth it.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> --</div> <div> <br /></div>

The Lying Detective — A Review (and Possibly a Rant)

"It will be cold and bitter" [LAST]  [Editor's Note:  this is the fourth in a series of reviews we'll be sharing on S...

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by Katie Magnusson

Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Primal Man — A Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “I was left in doubt as to whether it was animal or human.” [WIST]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqrAMHUeLssznuMpfnUDlwpJ14-RgfqP-B_EXr-vXO0Xc8g05MKuHBOQruqaKutLwCIGWhT60ZUI01ntsfdaAuVgSVnWBVvsgUGKrP-OKhMzBRCKIY7B-yq5-CtHnw6VlZYFgviV9eHmv/s1600/Sherlock-Holmes-and-the-Adventure-of-the-Primal-Man+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqrAMHUeLssznuMpfnUDlwpJ14-RgfqP-B_EXr-vXO0Xc8g05MKuHBOQruqaKutLwCIGWhT60ZUI01ntsfdaAuVgSVnWBVvsgUGKrP-OKhMzBRCKIY7B-yq5-CtHnw6VlZYFgviV9eHmv/s640/Sherlock-Holmes-and-the-Adventure-of-the-Primal-Man+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> It’s summer of 1901, and a prehistoric man, frozen in ice, is up for auction in London. The British Museum is considering placing a bid, despite many opinions that the so-called Primal Man is a hoax. What’s a desperate academic to do to save the reputation of such an august institution?<br /> <br /> Hire Sherlock Holmes, of course.<br /> <br /> <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="153271257X" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a0fb7801e229e6c58c5e54304f42df40" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Primal Man" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Primal-Man/dp/153271257X/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a0fb7801e229e6c58c5e54304f42df40&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1835158" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Primal Man</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1835158" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a0fb7801e229e6c58c5e54304f42df40&_cb=1467118729372" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> by Derrick Belanger is a lot of fun, with a lovely hint of pulp to flavor the mystery. For when there’s a potentially prehistoric creature involved, even the Great Detective would desire assistance from none other than Professor Challenger— er, I mean, Professor Ellington Dynamo, explorer, inventor, and Sherlock Holmes’s cousin.<br /> <br /> The scenes with Dynamo, whom the introduction would have you believe is the ‘real’ figure behind the Challenger stories, are entertaining, though the inventions he demonstrates initially came across as a little steampunk. I was delighted to read in the notes afterward that they were based on actual devices that existed at the time. Dynamo himself is splendidly antagonistic toward everyone whose last name isn't Holmes; a brilliant mind in a brawler’s body, as he should be. His contribution to the mystery is small, and at first may seem colorful but superfluous. However, to paraphrase Chekhov, if there’s a rifle hanging on the wall, then by the end it must be used, and Mr. Belanger uses it perfectly at the climax.<br /> <br /> The story takes place after The Great Hiatus, and there is one aspect of Holmes character that is oddly absent. No, it’s not just the cocaine. During his time in Tibet, Holmes apparently rid himself of all his vices, including alcohol and tobacco, though he’ll occasionally indulge on the rare celebratory occasion. If it hadn’t been mentioned, I probably wouldn’t have noticed Holmes wasn’t smoking. The story is paced well, and it’s hardly a three-pipe-problem. Since it is pointed out, though, I’m not sure I like it. This new philosophy on health makes sense, the author lays it out well, but Holmes and his pipe are so intrinsically tied together in my mind that it was really odd trying to imagine him intentionally staying away from it.<br /> <br /> My only other very small point of contention is that at one point Watson uses the word ‘okay.’ While this isn’t anachronistic -- the word was in use at least in the States and likely across the pond —  it isn’t ever used in Canon and it’s jarring to hear it in Watson’s voice.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib143AKmwKkKxBycnLi8iwWC_3Zae_BWkM6ScDY-xEH5AmBEGzkFqvYTkNHi4l5gJCC5OoJuDetH5DEnp0v8Z2Yjszv5rhm9pKeP-HI-4Tdxh8CL3A92bnOB3j6BVfh1rlJIfpZ8b1Bgvt/s1600/Sherlock-Holmes-and-the-Adventure-of-the-Primal-Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib143AKmwKkKxBycnLi8iwWC_3Zae_BWkM6ScDY-xEH5AmBEGzkFqvYTkNHi4l5gJCC5OoJuDetH5DEnp0v8Z2Yjszv5rhm9pKeP-HI-4Tdxh8CL3A92bnOB3j6BVfh1rlJIfpZ8b1Bgvt/s320/Sherlock-Holmes-and-the-Adventure-of-the-Primal-Man.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> Apart from those two admittedly minor points, Holmes and Watson are at their Canonical best. Holmes gets to genuinely enjoy himself investigating and exposing a fraud, and it is so much fun watching Sherlock Holmes have fun. As the case takes a deadly turn, he leaps into action to track down a murderer, with Watson forever at his side. Watson tries to navigate the plot as best he can, reacting very much as the reader does with each new development (though he found his confrontation with Dynamo much less humorous than I did.)<br /> <br /> Another character I must mention is Chief Inspector Lestrade. I loved his interactions with Holmes. His voice is spot on, whether in admirably contained righteous fury at seeing one of his men killed, or the genuine respect he holds for Holmes, a respect which Holmes also holds for him at this point in their careers. It’s great, and reminded me of their interactions in “The Six Napoleons.” This is what the author does particularly well, making good use of established characters, tapping into what made them so enjoyable in the first place.<br /> <br /> <i>Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Primal Man</i> is available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Primal-Man/dp/153271257X?ie=UTF8&qid=&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=">on Amazon.</a><br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> --</div>

Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Primal Man — A Review

“I was left in doubt as to whether it was animal or human.” [WIST] It’s summer of 1901, and a prehistoric man, frozen in ice, is up fo...

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by Katie Magnusson

The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes — A Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "in the funny mood" [MAZA]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUFvJ1_py_-OQ3ZFFVN86zjdqS33CPFzo9VKqisVeZm2QCEnbIlNJ7cDLwDPBq0JvDZVaCL6pizjoYvzWzdi-Vic_k8w_FlZc3ZNzkHoC2A1GKq2L6PZHPbFSeaViJS6LdQ0oeeqjIzgk/s1600/secret+notebook+of+SH.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUFvJ1_py_-OQ3ZFFVN86zjdqS33CPFzo9VKqisVeZm2QCEnbIlNJ7cDLwDPBq0JvDZVaCL6pizjoYvzWzdi-Vic_k8w_FlZc3ZNzkHoC2A1GKq2L6PZHPbFSeaViJS6LdQ0oeeqjIzgk/s640/secret+notebook+of+SH.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <i>The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes</i> by Liz Hedgecock, like many pastiches, starts with an introduction “verifying” the authenticity of the document. It goes on for a little longer than necessary, but it does set the tone — you know you’re in for lighthearted fare. This is a collection of short, humorous tales, more along the lines of <i>Without a Clue</i> or <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother</i> than it is reminiscent of the Canon.<br /> <br /> That’s not to say that the Canon is ignored. The author makes good use of it, and the comedy is never derisive. The plots are just as often simple domestic troubles at 221B Baker Street as they are cases from clients, but those scenes are just as entertaining as the mysteries.<br /> <br /> Whether witnessing Watson’s imagination run wild and suspecting Mrs. Hudson of poisoning Holmes, or watching Holmes track down Oscar Wilde’s notebook with anticlimactic results, these short tidbits from the lives of Holmes and Watson are a fun read. My personal favorite was “The Mystery of Mornington Crescent,” a post-retirement story that brings Holmes back to London to investigate an Underground station where no trains stop. The characters were well done, Holmes gets some great lines, and the solution was fitting.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrpEsw-wrY6NU9f_lo74lyALDwD9bI6nyD24xFdXs3E0Ltduw6IJ024b6HMxtc2d1uEnP9TMA7f3fVMAGnOnTh-5eCnuvfiRY_9fPq4RWb18JKO2iVYEeF25y3m_0T7ejimG7SO9wMXnY/s1600/secret+notebook+of+SH+-+full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrpEsw-wrY6NU9f_lo74lyALDwD9bI6nyD24xFdXs3E0Ltduw6IJ024b6HMxtc2d1uEnP9TMA7f3fVMAGnOnTh-5eCnuvfiRY_9fPq4RWb18JKO2iVYEeF25y3m_0T7ejimG7SO9wMXnY/s640/secret+notebook+of+SH+-+full.png" width="398" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> If you’re looking for a quick lunch-break trip to Baker Street, with a laugh rather than a complex mystery, then this collection will serve you well. <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B01D1VTKWS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="fe9587ae39dbc55beea4b19f0bddd6e8" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Notebook-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B01D1VTKWS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=fe9587ae39dbc55beea4b19f0bddd6e8&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_644124" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_644124" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=fe9587ae39dbc55beea4b19f0bddd6e8&_cb=1465816659348" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is available for Kindle on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Notebook-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B01D1VTKWS?ie=UTF8&keywords=secret%20notebook%20of%20sherlock%20holmes&qid=1463170527&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> --</div> <div> <br /></div>

The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes — A Review

"in the funny mood" [MAZA] The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes by Liz Hedgecock, like many pastiches, starts with an intr...

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by Katie Magnusson

Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years: Timbuktu — A Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “a pathway traced out across the desert” [STUD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ypKHh4hUizawZfpooWPFJqheTIFV_hEgkB4hrxRLo1SbUfm_iOyCFd1DE9GEX5Ee0dlE3JO6mH4EH21RqWN5bqAILKvLnXi9Pjv0qrRAuH_HNUQfbFpN2iQLUidMmYrP6cqEFPKg2SKi/s1600/SH+Missing+Years+Timbuktu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ypKHh4hUizawZfpooWPFJqheTIFV_hEgkB4hrxRLo1SbUfm_iOyCFd1DE9GEX5Ee0dlE3JO6mH4EH21RqWN5bqAILKvLnXi9Pjv0qrRAuH_HNUQfbFpN2iQLUidMmYrP6cqEFPKg2SKi/s640/SH+Missing+Years+Timbuktu.jpg" width="416" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> The three years Sherlock Holmes spent “dead” have been a favorite topic of speculation among Sherlockians for ages. His Great Hiatus has been the subject of a variety of pastiches over the years, imagining the Great Detective in locations such as Tibet, India, the United States, suffering amnesia, or even travelling through time.<br /> <div> <br /> <i>Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Timbuktu</i> is the second Great Hiatus book written by Vasudev Murthy, the first being <i>Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Japan</i>. Despite the similarity in title, this is neither a sequel, nor a prequel. As the foreword explains, this is intended as an alternative version of events, and stands completely on its own.<br /> <br /> The plot of the novel revolves around the recovery of an ancient map, which may lead to a fountain of youth. Whether or not it actually does is not really the point, as the sociopolitical and theological ramifications for such a discovery could be immense. More importantly, the people who know of the map’s existence are willing to kill for it, and one of those people searching is Professor Moriarty.<br /> <br /> The search takes Holmes and Dr. Watson through Morocco, across the Sahara, and down the Nile. The author often switches perspectives between Watson, Holmes, their associates, and the people pursuing them, permitting the reader to see all sides of the argument, as it were. There are also footnotes, though many add nothing by way of plot or flavor. The historical clarifications were welcome and helpful. The jokes tended to fall flat as mere distraction.<br /> <br /> Mr. Murthy makes good use of the time period, vibrantly painting the setting with details of the state of Morocco at the end of the nineteenth century, and giving historical context for every region the characters travel through. By far the most interesting descriptions are of the Tuareg tribe Holmes and Watson travel with through the Sahara. Songs and stories are woven into the narrative, along with simple scenes of domestic life for a nomadic people that add color and atmosphere to the story.<br /> <br /> The author does border on being too ‘meta’ with some of Watson’s commentary. He repeatedly references a public interested only in sensationalism and violence, excessively justifying the lack of such in this work. While timely the first few occasions, it quickly became overdone. Apart from that, Watson fulfills his stereotypical role here; he’s the narrator for most of the book, as per usual, and documents his experience faithfully and with literary flair. <br /> <br /> While Watson remains as steadfastly British as he can without offending anyone, Holmes goes native. Holmes is delightful, throwing himself into a variety of roles through the story, from Polish priest to nomadic Tuareg, with energetic fervor. He doesn’t have many occasions to show off his deductive prowess, but when he does, he doesn’t disappoint.<br /> <br /> Even though Holmes and Watson individually are fine, my greatest criticism of the book lies in their interactions with each other. I felt there was such a missed opportunity here, in that I never had a sense of exactly why Holmes summoned Watson in the first place. Holmes has a line about Watson’s ability to put him back on track with casual observations, a take on the ‘great conductor of light’ business from the Canon, but I still found myself wondering on multiple occasions why Watson was there. I don’t mean from a practical standpoint; Watson’s medical skills are put to good use, and indeed he does serve his function as unwitting muse to Holmes, but a sense of camaraderie and even friendship is either missing, or it feels like a one way street. They come across as coworkers, rather than one of literature’s most enduring friendships.<br /> <br /> Even if something is lost in translation regarding Holmes and Watson, the adventure itself makes for a fun story. Since the premise of the book supposes that Reichenbach, and the events leading up to it, were entirely fabricated, it means that Holmes and Moriarty have never met. Moriarty is still a presence, but entirely behind the scenes up until the climax. Without giving anything away, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue between Holmes and Moriarty, especially with Watson watching two great intelligences at opposite ends of the moral spectrum have a perfectly pleasant conversation. There is no waterfall at the end of this meeting, but the end holds just as much significance for all parties involved. It’s a well-crafted ending, with a charming denouement.<br /> <br /> This is an entertaining novel loaded with historical details and social commentaries that takes a slightly different angle than many other Great Hiatus pastiches. It is not the sort of book that I wanted to devour in one sitting, but I did keep coming back to it. <i>Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Timbuktu</i> is available from <a href="http://www.poisonedpenpress.com/sherlock-holmes-timbuktu/">Poisoned Pen Press</a>, and you can find it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-The-Missing-Years-ebook/dp/B018UZPEQG/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51WAjrbSX9L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=0D6CQ39MP8DZ2KYBH9AQ">Amazon</a>. <br /> <br /> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">--</span><br /> <div style="line-height: 1.38;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div> </div> </div>

Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years: Timbuktu — A Review

“a pathway traced out across the desert” [STUD] The three years Sherlock Holmes spent “dead” have been a favorite topic of speculati...

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by Katie Magnusson

The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance — A Review

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "forgery cases, robberies, murders" [FINA]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZPa3EJMV4V4GoHXGolMMrIPqFv7ST6WsmKj8a0Q9uSQ3TllAlJk9BjOfk-P0w2hqYfKwgCT-V64UjsMbJANQ8JHNvudXoXnO0ZZ0iCgDD6SjZWIxUzvV_zW8ub3LXgM9wYzjPtfAgIMJ/s1600/Peculiar+Provenance.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZPa3EJMV4V4GoHXGolMMrIPqFv7ST6WsmKj8a0Q9uSQ3TllAlJk9BjOfk-P0w2hqYfKwgCT-V64UjsMbJANQ8JHNvudXoXnO0ZZ0iCgDD6SjZWIxUzvV_zW8ub3LXgM9wYzjPtfAgIMJ/s640/Peculiar+Provenance.PNG" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1jxOYj7" rel="nofollow">Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a></i> by Derrick Belanger is a traditional Victorian pastiche that brings Holmes to the fringes of the art collecting world in a case of forgery, robbery, and murder. [<i><b>Editor's note:</b> <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Derrick%20Belanger" rel="nofollow">Derrick</a> is a frequent contributor on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.</i>]<br /> <br /> It is winter in 1890, and Holmes and Watson are portrayed much like themselves. Watson has been absent from Baker Street, enjoying married life, but he is still the stalwart companion and admiring friend he always should be. Holmes has his feats of deduction, and moments of vanity, but most importantly gets to enjoy himself both in pursuit of the case and in everyday life. There are the occasional linguistic anachronisms, (for example, at one point Watson refers to a “cookie tin,” rather than a “biscuit tin,”) but they are few and minor.<br /> <br /> Mr. Belanger does a wonderful job not only of reconciling Holmes’ friendship with Watson and Watson’s marriage to Mary, but of interweaving scenes of domestic life with the mystery plot. Mary even invites Mrs. Hudson and Holmes to supper, and Holmes not only accepts, but actually goes with full intention to enjoy himself with none of the uncomfortable awkwardness that would accompany so many modern incarnations of the Detective. It’s refreshing.<br /> <br /> <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="63c95211a28387a951b157de40fbe4aa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=63c95211a28387a951b157de40fbe4aa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_4132463" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_4132463" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=63c95211a28387a951b157de40fbe4aa&_cb=1449034675540" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is well-paced, with just enough action to balance the domesticity and deduction, and the plot is cleverly executed. I should have realized what was going on from the moment I read the words “criminal organization,” but I was having too much fun watching Holmes work.<br /> <br /> The little forward at the beginning of the book explaining the ‘discovery’ of the story at first struck me as unnecessary (this story stands on its own just fine, I neither require nor desire justification for its existence as yet another ‘lost tale’ of Watson,) but the comments in the author’s afterword suggest it’ll come into play in future stories. Mr. Belanger has set himself up for a series, and he has started with a strong first installment.<br /> <br /> To quote one of the more self-referential moments of the book,<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <i>“Why Holmes … this is beginning to sound like a vast conspiracy of crime one reads about in those penny dreadfuls.”</i></blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <i>“Indeed, Watson,” Holmes agreed. “It does have the air of a well-crafted tale about it.”</i></blockquote> <div> A well-crafted tale is exactly what it is, and I look forward to more to come.</div> <div> <br /></div> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance-ebook/dp/B017HHNGTK/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?tag=geolinker-20&ie=UTF8" rel="nofollow">Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a></i> is available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance-ebook/dp/B017HHNGTK/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?tag=geolinker-20&ie=UTF8" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> in paperback and Kindle formats.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1519511957/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1519511957&linkCode=as2&tag=katiemagnusson-20&linkId=2KOFH7FRBPRY57JR" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1519511957&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=katiemagnusson-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katiemagnusson-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1519511957" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /> <br />

The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance — A Review

"forgery cases, robberies, murders" [FINA] Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance by Derrick Belang...

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by Katie Magnusson

New Sherlock Holmes Game — The Devil's Daughter

<div style="text-align: center;"> <h4> "Some devilry is intended" [VALL]</h4> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPcJ3XtqwfsxZEz391hjIlgfhGGExWXRRpQvYtOikj5RqeOQwEh3BHxvEBaj67kG3PBTRqPwsfLh-_GAJFAj8T-qM_8GQ-1HI-YeWeskG-C6zDtXbhVxTjbrg5RLV3unkiBW0kDkeZD6g/s1600/Sherlock+Devil%2527s+Daughter+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter for Xbox, PS3 and Windows gaming" border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPcJ3XtqwfsxZEz391hjIlgfhGGExWXRRpQvYtOikj5RqeOQwEh3BHxvEBaj67kG3PBTRqPwsfLh-_GAJFAj8T-qM_8GQ-1HI-YeWeskG-C6zDtXbhVxTjbrg5RLV3unkiBW0kDkeZD6g/s640/Sherlock+Devil%2527s+Daughter+header.jpg" title="Frogwares Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div> Sherlockian gamers, delight! <a href="http://www.frogwares.com/">Frogwares</a> have announced the eighth installment of its <a href="http://amzn.to/1LVkF19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes series</a>, <i>Sherlock Holmes:The Devil’s Daughter</i>, published through <a href="http://www.bigben-interactive.co.uk/">Bigben Interactive</a>.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> From the <a href="http://www.bigben-interactive.co.uk/bigben-interactive-and-frogwares-reveal-the-new-sherlock-holmes-game/" target="_blank">press release</a>:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "Featuring taut action and investigative work, <i>Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter</i>, the eighth and latest entry in the franchise, will push your abilities to the limit in a one-of-a-kind interactive experience."</blockquote> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXjd530GRYrUyJQ4Oar2Lcy6wlPuaeVtjbmjGPJsI5Gi0SpqeQx1gDb2uI3QtlrYEnAnBUiTwvlInbWHQyaoS4xQt0BnPMpocRHcaN71pcOBJ4zFRf9gw7ttiwfGdjWu7PSf3Ts5VCwSQ/s1600/Devil%2527s+Daughter+-+Baker+Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXjd530GRYrUyJQ4Oar2Lcy6wlPuaeVtjbmjGPJsI5Gi0SpqeQx1gDb2uI3QtlrYEnAnBUiTwvlInbWHQyaoS4xQt0BnPMpocRHcaN71pcOBJ4zFRf9gw7ttiwfGdjWu7PSf3Ts5VCwSQ/s640/Devil%2527s+Daughter+-+Baker+Street.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> The game will feature five new cases, fast-paced action sequences, and an expansive landscape for players to roam around. The current installment, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1MddIUV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments</a></i>, featured four unique cases (plus two from Canon) and moments where the speed of the player’s action was vital to success. The idea of playing Holmes or Watson through a whole action sequence is exciting, especially when combined with the series’ unique game mechanics.<br /> <br /> In <i>Crimes and Punishments</i>, Frogwares managed to create a logic game that permitted the player to rely on their own deductions and make their own choices, instead of railroading them onto the single correct path (though the game is good enough to let players know when their logic is contradictory.) Combining this with more action and more freedom of movement gives this installment great potential to be the most immersive of the series. </div> <div> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4IvmQ34mutX0FF62BzEVkc42GTOG6kvjQNWC4s2kZw2acVZ3-iHohZFTLrKhH6QBOv93YGt42iVY16JKS7R186ZUiXNEIIFpq7MmlI6EKxtwVj9m0lzF1QTLzDz2ZZUOppztD5_yRqb_/s1600/Devil%2527s+Daughter+-+Forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4IvmQ34mutX0FF62BzEVkc42GTOG6kvjQNWC4s2kZw2acVZ3-iHohZFTLrKhH6QBOv93YGt42iVY16JKS7R186ZUiXNEIIFpq7MmlI6EKxtwVj9m0lzF1QTLzDz2ZZUOppztD5_yRqb_/s640/Devil%2527s+Daughter+-+Forest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <i>Crimes and Punishments</i> also let players get inside the character of Sherlock Holmes, choosing at the end of each case whether to condemn or absolve the criminals. Was he simply a logic machine, or was there really a great heart to go along with that great mind? It looks like players can expect to explore and/or influence even more of Holmes’ psyche in <i>The Devil’s Daughter</i>:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "For the first time in his storied career, Sherlock Holmes’ ruthless logic is overwhelmed by family stories, irresistible emotions and an occult revenge."</blockquote> </div> <div> Frogwares has pitted Sherlock Holmes against a variety of opponents from <a href="http://amzn.to/1GAFRc8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arsène Lupin</a> to <a href="http://amzn.to/1N0XqUg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack the Ripper</a>, even a <a href="http://amzn.to/1GAGfaG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lovecraftian cult</a>, but "irresistible emotions" is bound to be his greatest challenge yet.<br /> <br /> <i>Sherlock Holmes:The Devil’s Daughter</i> will be released in Spring, 2016 for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows PC. It will be shown exclusively to the press October 28 - November 1, 2015 at Paris Games Week.<br /> <br /> Stay tuned for more updates!</div> <div> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div>

New Sherlock Holmes Game — The Devil's Daughter

"Some devilry is intended" [VALL] Sherlockian gamers, delight! Frogwares have announced the eighth installment of its ...

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by Katie Magnusson

The Egyptian Curse: A Review

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "deeply impressed with the curse" [HOUN] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqq2-gmburdiqo9KSDQ8k2eRIqMNnp_IP9AyO0B8lDMc4vAdI9ZEU9pjIy6G4OCRoypLw5Nmo2RvrLBjG2V3Jowuq9sa2SM-ATJSqDxWeNtOutA0RwMU7g0437yb9ywgkjF_mEusDfrt3/s1600/mummy-241965_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqq2-gmburdiqo9KSDQ8k2eRIqMNnp_IP9AyO0B8lDMc4vAdI9ZEU9pjIy6G4OCRoypLw5Nmo2RvrLBjG2V3Jowuq9sa2SM-ATJSqDxWeNtOutA0RwMU7g0437yb9ywgkjF_mEusDfrt3/s640/mummy-241965_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780927762" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="423a05fc3164db431c2a72d84c8bf8e4" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Egyptian Curse" href="http://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Curse-Sherlock-Holmes-Enoch/dp/1780927762/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=423a05fc3164db431c2a72d84c8bf8e4&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1927843" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Egyptian Curse</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1927843" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=423a05fc3164db431c2a72d84c8bf8e4&_cb=1443725600760" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is the third novel in the Enoch Hale-Sherlock Holmes trilogy co-authored by <a href="http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dan Andriacco</a> and Kieran McMullen. Though it is the third in a trilogy, enough background is provided for it to function as a stand-alone story. It’s a historical novel full of references to famous figures, both real and literary, and a curse of the sort anyone who’s ever heard of King Tut is familiar with.</div> </div> <br /> Hale is an American journalist working in London for the Central Press Syndicate. When his ex-sweetheart’s husband is murdered, and his alibi disappears, he launches his own investigation through Egyptology, literary circles, and golf courses, meeting some of the most famous figures of 1920s London, including archaeologists, authors and a priest with particular significance to the Sherlockian reader.<br /> <br /> The novel’s not "action-packed," but the case itself is intriguing and the plot is well-paced. Much of the enjoyment of the book comes from the way it references the mystery genre, making a bit of light fun at itself while at the same time providing an engaging mystery. Agatha Christie herself even discusses at length what exactly makes a good mystery, the very same question Ronald Knox would answer with his “<a href="http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/triv186.html" target="_blank">Decalogue of Detective Fiction</a>” in 1929 (and thoughtfully supplied in the back of the book.)<br /> <br /> For the record, <i>The Egyptian Curse</i> follows Knox’s guidelines, except perhaps for “no accident must ever help the detective.” Hale is the detective throughout. This is his investigation, and his friend Sherlock Holmes is only mentioned in passing for almost the entire case. It isn’t until we near the end that Holmes’ involvement is made clear, and the ultimate impression borders just a touch on <i>deus ex machina</i>. If Holmes had not earlier refused to get involved, or if there had been just a small scene of him making the decision to investigate on his own, it wouldn’t have bothered me so much.<br /> <br /> That being said, Hale is excellent at assembling facts and piecing together a logical story from them, a task in which any good journalist would have to be skilled. Where he ultimately fails, and where a great detective excels, is the ability to select the essential facts from the onslaught of information. Holmes has all the same information Hale does, but he is able to distinguish the important facts from the rest, leading him to an entirely different (and entirely correct) conclusion.<br /> <br /> The book ends with plenty of potential for further adventures to follow, and I hope to read more of Hale’s adventures, whether they be with or without Mr. Holmes.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div> <div> The Enoch Hale-Sherlock Holmes trilogy, <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="SEARCH" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="2d120960cda8df5f56f4f202e37aeee4" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="enoch hale " href="http://amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=enoch%20hale%20&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=2d120960cda8df5f56f4f202e37aeee4&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2218343" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available on Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2218343" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=2d120960cda8df5f56f4f202e37aeee4&_cb=1443725849277" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />:</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780924011" class="amzn_ps_bm_il" data-amzn-link-id="271706d62fb2dc067edd9221232349b4" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="amateur executioner" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Amateur-Executioner-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1780924011/ref=as_li_bk_ia/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=271706d62fb2dc067edd9221232349b4&linkCode=kia" id="amznPsBmLink_45166" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81Wy2fVu2xL.jpg" width="129" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_45166" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=kia&linkId=271706d62fb2dc067edd9221232349b4&_cb=1443725719763" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />    <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780926332" class="amzn_ps_bm_il" data-amzn-link-id="55079e775e743b4226e2f229ba2528df" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="poisoned penman" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Poisoned-Penman-Dan-Andriacco/dp/1780926332/ref=as_li_bk_ia/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=55079e775e743b4226e2f229ba2528df&linkCode=kia" id="amznPsBmLink_554327" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61LrF3qGq3L.jpg" width="130" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_554327" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=kia&linkId=55079e775e743b4226e2f229ba2528df&_cb=1443725809868" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />    <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780927762" class="amzn_ps_bm_il" data-amzn-link-id="dfef50ce833c04697177e4c295fd1cbe" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="the egyptian curse" href="http://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Curse-Sherlock-Holmes-Enoch/dp/1780927762/ref=as_li_bk_ia/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=dfef50ce833c04697177e4c295fd1cbe&linkCode=kia" id="amznPsBmLink_8643384" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61nbfPIhCaL.jpg" width="129" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8643384" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=kia&linkId=dfef50ce833c04697177e4c295fd1cbe&_cb=1443725783895" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></div> <br /> --<br /> <br />

The Egyptian Curse: A Review

"deeply impressed with the curse" [HOUN]  The Egyptian Curse is the third novel in the Enoch Hale-Sherlock Holmes trilo...

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by Katie Magnusson

Review: Barry Baskerville Traps a Thief

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="line-height: 1.38;">"The youth pondered for a moment." [SIGN]</span></h4> </div> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju32X_btegboY2w1jQqph0_T2t03hMV9pDuW6bUDcsVMopwKK2wpkcShVdcoFI3uhVdtgexb-kNSqS7AByhNPLi8AGuYsIubuCw3fnXZUDYms8XUgIJfUVsh6xndA8vWVCGV_LkZu1Jw_9/s1600/Barry+Baskerville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju32X_btegboY2w1jQqph0_T2t03hMV9pDuW6bUDcsVMopwKK2wpkcShVdcoFI3uhVdtgexb-kNSqS7AByhNPLi8AGuYsIubuCw3fnXZUDYms8XUgIJfUVsh6xndA8vWVCGV_LkZu1Jw_9/s640/Barry+Baskerville.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> “Barry got dressed for school quickly and opened the bedroom door. He admired the large sign attached to the door. The sign, in very large letters, read Office of Barry Baskerville - Boy Detective.”</blockquote> <br /> <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1NSSHVh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barry Baskerville Traps a Thief</a></i> is the third book in the Barry Baskerville children’s series by Richard Kellogg and illustrated by Gary Kato. Barry idolizes Sherlock Holmes, and in a town called Watsonville, who can blame him? He is precocious, to an almost annoying degree as he delights in showing off his talents for verbal trickery and logic puzzles to his friends John, Mary and Irene. Once he gets a crime to solve, however, the aspiring detective gets a chance to shine. Someone has been stealing all the wooden items in Watsonville, and the police are stumped. With a little help from local policeman Officer Lestrade, Barry’s on the case. <br /> <br /> Our primary criticism of this book is that the mystery doesn’t start until two-thirds of the way through. It would have been nice to see a little more of the boy detective detecting, but at least Barry’s enthusiastic, and cute Sherlockian references abound. The brightly illustrated series could be a neat introduction for young kids to logical problem solving, as well as Sherlock Holmes. <br /> <br /> The series, which also includes <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1EG6g7H" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barry Baskerville Solves a Case</a></i> and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1Fo9W90" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barry Baskerville Returns</a></i>, is aimed at children ages 7 to 10, and is available on <a href="http://amzn.to/1NSSHVh">Amazon.</a><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=katiemagnusson-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=069251807X&asins=069251807X&linkId=MA2VNRU25IX637FJ&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br /> </iframe><br />

Review: Barry Baskerville Traps a Thief

"The youth pondered for a moment." [SIGN] “Barry got dressed for school quickly and opened the bedroom door. He admired...

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by Katie Magnusson

Baker Street Roleplaying Game Expands

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "curious to learn what this new quest might be" [TWIS]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8csU6u4FZZDpMckgpB6oAPr_co9COE_ZvHbg8sIgnaSU6mcDR8l5wo8w4dvBZbywinH2TJX71n9L5DXVQOcahbFS2aw7u3uH3tR47oIEnPGWCp7lLv1GmypZyBBeKkTFgo3MLPwHegf3N/s1600/Baker+Street+RPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8csU6u4FZZDpMckgpB6oAPr_co9COE_ZvHbg8sIgnaSU6mcDR8l5wo8w4dvBZbywinH2TJX71n9L5DXVQOcahbFS2aw7u3uH3tR47oIEnPGWCp7lLv1GmypZyBBeKkTFgo3MLPwHegf3N/s1600/Baker+Street+RPG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> Fans of the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/a-quick-look-at-baker-street-rpg-on.html#.VQzLao7F-Sp">Baker Street RPG Kickstarter</a> project of last year will be pleased to hear that there are now eight new cases for players to solve.<br /> <br /> <i><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/7735/Fearlight-Games" target="_blank">Baker Street: Roleplaying in the World of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> takes players back to Victorian-era Baker Street to aid Watson in keeping up with crime in Holmes’ absence after Reichenbach. The game provides a unique “Clue Card” system with investigation scenes acting as the driving force of the game. Now, the <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/146408/Baker-Street-Casebook-1-Roleplaying-in-the-World-of-Sherlock-Holmes?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank">Baker Street Casebook #1</a> (below, center) features brand new mysteries for intrepid investigators.<br /> <div> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/142228/Baker-Street-Roleplaying-in-the-world-of-Sherlock-Holmes?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgT4KEYWSzIk1OINe8e01xhkq4XBMvttRhJBXm1uB-rD4sH25xkgJEBCyhaXfmY0hcwIA9SHqS2eAWKC5Zs2o2_GfNaSC5fKQYhNuYFqtPfKhHN4BBK_yG2zyxdR3RFTca0NYIbZELOqIpP3sEqCGtxiiLVwQ=" width="140" />  </a>   <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/146408/Baker-Street-Casebook-1-Roleplaying-in-the-World-of-Sherlock-Holmes?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhJzA-pFqe31rGHnKuQgbOZgH02iSDVz86ebuaAbnQSsuYkWIzKds1jmMBS5-fhtgPilQOOynhz_vnnW6GQniwdOtYTFEQJ1l3Hkfh-xLZ1rD_yfRvBMtALjhaPBCjcA2-lg3q-I9e2ocnkzF0=" width="139" />  </a>   <span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/146238/The-Case-of-the-Missing-Artifact?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkP3rRO5Tqjpz3JeIonfI58W_eNvg6PPaNQfgx3t_Pmh_GSYw-Mwe1fev6H6k0nam81fr1W5J5vykrKQQw1gUxS4RBrZYvmioYP35yXwsDkbRRW6oDFgGdQ-VW7_xqYOK_yIhhPRHhh_p/s1600/Baker+Street+RPG+2.jpg" width="154" /></a></span></div> <br /> <br /> This is an expansion; the original game is needed in order to play. If you have the core set, then you can now add such cases as “The Case of the Mantis Murderer”, “The Adventure of the Mummy’s Curse” or “The Case of the Angry Goddess” to your campaign. And if you'd like to connect with other like-minded RPGers, there's <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/113134645050347484316" target="_blank">a Google+ community of Baker Street players</a>.<br /> <br /> Baker Street and its expansion are published by Fearlight Games and are available to purchase on <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/7735/Fearlight-Games">RPGNow</a>. The game design is by Bryce Whitacre. The new Casebook adventures are written by Matt DeForrest, Jeff Grubb, Steven S. Long, Matt Lopshire, Mark Plemmons, Jeff Siadek, Bryce Whitacre, and Skip Williams.<br /> <br /> Enter the world of Sherlock Holmes in this imaginative and authentic set of adventures!</div> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DAnmdO1eA3o?rel=0" width="600"></iframe> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> --</div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> </div> <!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rpgnow.com%2Fimages%2F7735%2F146408.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhJzA-pFqe31rGHnKuQgbOZgH02iSDVz86ebuaAbnQSsuYkWIzKds1jmMBS5-fhtgPilQOOynhz_vnnW6GQniwdOtYTFEQJ1l3Hkfh-xLZ1rD_yfRvBMtALjhaPBCjcA2-lg3q-I9e2ocnkzF0=" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcf.geekdo-images.com%2Fimages%2Fpic1560581_md.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgT4KEYWSzIk1OINe8e01xhkq4XBMvttRhJBXm1uB-rD4sH25xkgJEBCyhaXfmY0hcwIA9SHqS2eAWKC5Zs2o2_GfNaSC5fKQYhNuYFqtPfKhHN4BBK_yG2zyxdR3RFTca0NYIbZELOqIpP3sEqCGtxiiLVwQ=" -->

Baker Street Roleplaying Game Expands

"curious to learn what this new quest might be" [TWIS] Fans of the  Baker Street RPG Kickstarter  project of last year will ...

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by Katie Magnusson

Arthur and George Come to TV

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “I think that this case is very much in your line.” [CARD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZy6wZ6vYhx7v9XDS3xkwI4qlo1CSQJU9jBESIDOuIBRvtVYVQ0i2WBXrRJhIwP5E9LHlZOxn_AU0Ox2a9OwDrhnAXjLcAm7kzStuN9PTFu8QZG9-tT03bO4hGzy5LPKLbd73a2cP9Lll/s1600/Arthur+&+George.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ITV's Arthur & George" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZy6wZ6vYhx7v9XDS3xkwI4qlo1CSQJU9jBESIDOuIBRvtVYVQ0i2WBXrRJhIwP5E9LHlZOxn_AU0Ox2a9OwDrhnAXjLcAm7kzStuN9PTFu8QZG9-tT03bO4hGzy5LPKLbd73a2cP9Lll/s1600/Arthur+&+George.png" title="Arthur & George" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Martin Clunes (<i>Doc Martin</i>) will be starring as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a new three-part ITV drama called <i>Arthur & George</i>. The series is based on the inspired-by-true-events <a href="http://amzn.to/1CbM1MT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">novel of the same name</a>, which chronicled Arthur Conan Doyle’s foray into solving a real mystery himself: <a href="http://britishheritage.com/sir-arthur-conan-doyle-the-case-of-george-edalji/" target="_blank">the case of George Edalji</a>, wrongfully convicted for animal maiming.<br /> <br /> From the synopsis on ITV.com: <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Following the death of his wife, Louisa, Conan Doyle has become a “bore and a sulk” by his own admission. All around him do their best to bolster Arthur from his grief and mourning including his beloved ‘Mam’ who implores him to “sink his teeth into something. If not a book then some new pursuit.”</blockquote> <br /> The "new pursuit" comes in the form of a letter from George Edalji, a Parsee solicitor who was sent to prison for three years for a crime he didn't commit. Historically, Conan Doyle was convinced of Edalji's innocence and became an active investigator, going to the crime scenes, interviewing participants and critiquing the reliability of the witnesses. Eventually, Edalji was pardoned, and the case and its associated campaign were factors in the creation of the Court of Criminal Appeal in 1907.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvy19fudifVlCyD_p2ikwCZy7DsAVN5dmZolFjKLF0gsJklpJPxnNrjXFbdTZxPsj-STP4e8kch-W5oQs6DZQi2kFHBU_N_EMMd7_4H5VEKtqHEnONERTF8zhLUjN4X-T0Cr-KorW51YW/s1600/Arthur+&+George+-+Arthur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Martin Clunes starring as Arthur Conan Doyle in Arthur & George" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvy19fudifVlCyD_p2ikwCZy7DsAVN5dmZolFjKLF0gsJklpJPxnNrjXFbdTZxPsj-STP4e8kch-W5oQs6DZQi2kFHBU_N_EMMd7_4H5VEKtqHEnONERTF8zhLUjN4X-T0Cr-KorW51YW/s1600/Arthur+&+George+-+Arthur.jpg" title="Martin Clunes as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> According to <a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-02-16/conan-doyle-investigates-martin-clunes-wants-a-full-series-as-the-sleuthing-sherlock-holmes-creator">Radio Times</a>, Clunes would love to turn the three-part show into a full series in which Doyle investigates other crimes. A long-running series could combine more real life events with fictional elements. <i>Arthur & George</i> writer Ed Whitmore (<i>Silent Witnes</i>s, <i>Waking the Dead</i>) revealed that ITV is waiting to see how the three-parter performs before committing to more.<br /> <br /> Clunes is joined by cast members Arsher Ali (<i>The Missing</i>) as George Edalji, Charles Edwards (<i>Downton Abbey</i>) as Doyle’s secretary, Alfred "Woodie" Wood, Art Malik (<i>Holby City</i>) as the Reverend Shapurji Edalji, Emma Fielding (<i>Silk</i>) as his mother Charlotte Edalji, Hattie Morahan (<i>The Bletchley Circle</i>) as Jean Leckie and Sandra Voe (<i>Vera Drake</i>) as Mam.<br /> <br /> <i>Arthur & George</i> airs Monday, March 2 at 9:00 pm GMT on ITV. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/features/news/masterpiece-adds-more-new-titles-2015/">PBS has also announced</a> that <i>Arthur & George</i> will be joining its <i>Masterpiece</i> line-up later in the year, with no specific air date set.<br /> <br /> You can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfAWe6PvCk8">view the trailer here</a>:<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NfAWe6PvCk8?rel=0" width="600"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <br /> Interesting timing too: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/m5y2h25" target="_blank">a series of thirty Conan Doyle letters pertaining to the Edalji Case will be coming to auction</a> at Bonhams in London on March 18.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Arthur and George Come to TV

“I think that this case is very much in your line.” [CARD] Martin Clunes ( Doc Martin ) will be starring as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a...

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by Katie Magnusson

Ebook Review - 221b: The Curious Case of the Drugged Dog and the Jammed Window

<div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "You come to a London house-agent!" [SOLI]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5qzsFc1fZh2XJzw6BPK8ZDGMJrednvR47oI0i6dwDs3ENH6w9fQ17NTHt0sJTOIbdScUR55VQF6NcKvKb6BV-r3s1FgoJ5_rrxCMYNSwcFozJkGpueIXAE8Ml4iJhszRl9avgZJPIxYH/s1600/221B+Curious.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5qzsFc1fZh2XJzw6BPK8ZDGMJrednvR47oI0i6dwDs3ENH6w9fQ17NTHt0sJTOIbdScUR55VQF6NcKvKb6BV-r3s1FgoJ5_rrxCMYNSwcFozJkGpueIXAE8Ml4iJhszRl9avgZJPIxYH/s640/221B+Curious.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div> A young woman working as a temp at a housing agency may not sound like a candidate for a Sherlock Holmes stand-in, but in Brendon Connelly's novella <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1sBYoZ3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">221b: The Curious Case of the Drugged Dog and the Jammed Window</a></i>, that’s exactly the case.<br /> <br /> Emily and her fellow temp Jenny work at Homes Brothers Estate Agents, a real estate company located at 219-223 Baker Street. The company, of course, receives mail addressed to Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and they use it for a bit of good-natured publicity. Emily and Jenny are tasked with answering Mr. Holmes's mail and stumble upon a genuine mystery when Emily takes it upon herself to look into the details of a particularly odd letter. <br /> <br /> This novella is the first of a series; according to the author, each novella is a self-contained case, with an overarching plot connecting all six. The author describes the first as the "pilot episode" of his series and, much like pilot episodes of television shows, the series’ potential still has a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-EYaxWJkbCqShNFivYtNXIZDqBUFlyjRSsPTYi4mQmCGv1bC5rypp8JKDthmWvmqHb3ryD4PNLRTmCxlqi_prXpkrPedOog82LmeclBCz4-MTUVdDRC6NhQNz832eUEUdR7Za7fglCmO/s1600/221B+Curious.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The first in a series of six Sherlock Holmes novellas by Brendan Connelly" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-EYaxWJkbCqShNFivYtNXIZDqBUFlyjRSsPTYi4mQmCGv1bC5rypp8JKDthmWvmqHb3ryD4PNLRTmCxlqi_prXpkrPedOog82LmeclBCz4-MTUVdDRC6NhQNz832eUEUdR7Za7fglCmO/s640/221B+Curious.jpg" title="221b: The Curious Case of the Drugged Dog and the Jammed Window" width="452" /></a></div> <br /> The transitions between scenes are often clumsily sudden, like a quick cut in a film but without the visual cues to ground the viewer. Emily, the story's Holmes equivalent, is so puzzled by people's skepticism of her deductive prowess that it comes across as naive. Believing a Holmes enthusiast could work out a case on her own is one thing - asking the reader to believe such a person would honestly expect the police to listen to her pushes her credibility.<br /> <br /> The case itself is a unique twist on "The Empty House," but the end is too easy. Connelly presents a classic 'drawing room explanation,' where all the details are spelled out, the deductive leaps are illuminated and loose ends are tied up, but without the case having any of the suspense or tension that makes such a scene enjoyable. Too much of the case has been kept in the dark, not only from other characters, but from the reader as well. The clues are mentioned, but Emily lacks Holmes's flair for the dramatic to keep the reader's attention. The reader isn't even sure what crime it is exactly that the ladies have been investigating until the last few pages. What was likely intended as a major reveal at the end instead falls flat and feels a little like cheating.<br /> <br /> While the end is dissatisfying, getting there is enjoyable. The story is light, fun, and loaded with references to Sherlockiana. The character Jenny, the Watson to Emily’s Holmes, is very believable as the excitable friend who gets pulled along and discovers she’s actually enjoying herself. She’s got a head on her shoulders, and the two of them hit it off well. Emily is well meaning if a bit awkward, and very singlemindedly driven to find the solution to the puzzle out of the sheer fun of it. Connelly is very good at describing locations, and his enthusiasm for his characters and the story is engaging and keeps the momentum moving. <br /> <br /> It needs work, but it’s a fun read with enough potential to warrant taking a look at the rest of the series once it’s released. <i>221b: The Curious Case of the Drugged Dog and the Jammed Window</i> is available on Amazon as an e-book.<br /> <div> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=katiemagnusson-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00OPEE878&asins=B00OPEE878&linkId=HE5PKX6FTAYZ5L4H&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe> </div> <div> <br /></div>

Ebook Review - 221b: The Curious Case of the Drugged Dog and the Jammed Window

"You come to a London house-agent!" [SOLI] A young woman working as a temp at a housing agency may not sound like a candid...

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by Katie Magnusson

A Quick Look at Baker Street the RPG on Kickstarter

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Imaginary robbers should play a part" [ABBE]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuqD6J55XrDzIabUYXymYxOvjuNi_ZlS7iPwA4Lh09Md3osBbIL6CkSWQk-9LlJgbqAD3-5aGP0_-F98tfkYg04eODbkHayZvS4Ryc50PZE5Qr5qmAhwk3JSkt4LjkxArgxLbxXoNsayG/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+RPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuqD6J55XrDzIabUYXymYxOvjuNi_ZlS7iPwA4Lh09Md3osBbIL6CkSWQk-9LlJgbqAD3-5aGP0_-F98tfkYg04eODbkHayZvS4Ryc50PZE5Qr5qmAhwk3JSkt4LjkxArgxLbxXoNsayG/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+RPG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Whether it be <a href="http://amzn.to/1lQCTlz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">television,</a> <a href="http://amzn.to/1lQD1By" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">movies,</a> <a href="http://amzn.to/1mhSGNH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">board games,</a> or <a href="http://amzn.to/1c87WpM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">computer games,</a> there's no denying the abundance of Sherlock Holmes themed entertainment available. Now <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fearlightgames/baker-street-roleplaying-in-the-world-of-sherlock" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a new Kickstarter project</a> adds role-playing games to the list.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">   <iframe frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fearlightgames/baker-street-roleplaying-in-the-world-of-sherlock/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe> </div> <br /> As the description of <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fearlightgames/baker-street-roleplaying-in-the-world-of-sherlock" target="_blank">Baker Street: Role Playing in the World of Sherlock Holmes</a> says, “In this Victorian-era RPG, you become an investigator working out of 221B Baker Street solving cases for Dr. Watson.” Sherlock Holmes is missing and presumed dead, but crime doesn't stop and the police are as out of their depth as ever. This is where you, oh fortunately placed and conveniently trustworthy investigator, come in.<br /> <br /> If you are completely unfamiliar with role-playing games (RPGs), the basic idea is that each player creates a character that they then 'role-play,' typically by amassing a set of statistics (scores) that they then use to perform actions in the game. For example, if I want to play a character who is particularly charming, I could give that character a high Charisma score. When the character tries to charm his/her way past the palace guards, that Charisma score would determine if I succeed or not. A roll of a die or dice adds an extra element of chance; occasionally, characters pull off actions that would otherwise be impossible. Other times, they fail when it should have been easy.<br /> <br /> "Baker Street" seems to work on the same basic level as any other RPG. In order to create a dynamic gameplay that reflects the investigative process, they've added a few unique features; a special Sherlock die, investigation scenes, threat meters and social status. The Sherlock die adds an extra layer of randomness to completing tasks. Roll a Moriarty, and you’re in big trouble. Roll a Sherlock, and you’re bound to succeed. Keep up your social status, or you may lose your connections. The longer you take to solve a case, the higher the threat. <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/576/400/3e9089d1c88da8930e32e8e9e7b3bb94_large.jpg?1391019278" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/576/400/3e9089d1c88da8930e32e8e9e7b3bb94_large.jpg?1391019278" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sherlock Die</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/548/610/41d8856bb9af7226124df2ef966da066_large.jpg?1390327218" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/548/610/41d8856bb9af7226124df2ef966da066_large.jpg?1390327218" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sample character</td></tr> </tbody></table> The heart of the game is in the investigation scenes, which the Kickstarter page describes this way: <br /> <blockquote> "Investigating a scene is the driving engine of this game. The trick is to get enough clues fast enough so that the criminals don't have enough time to get away or further their plans. Played in a series of rounds, Investigation Scenes have investigators making Observation, Reason, and Deduction Skill Rolls to uncover clues, weed out false clues, and uncover possible leads to help them in their investigation."</blockquote> The reason I find RPGs entertaining is the role-playing part. It's like a strange sort of improvisational theater within the guidelines of your character's scores. With the right group of people playing, these Investigation Scenes could be great opportunities to get into character and delve into the case. Of course, it’s impossible to tell how well “Baker Street” is going to work without actually playing the game, but it's at least intriguing enough to be worth trying out. If this is the sort of project you'd be interested in supporting, you have until March 16th to back the project.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

A Quick Look at Baker Street the RPG on Kickstarter

"Imaginary robbers should play a part" [ABBE] Whether it be television, movies, board games, or computer games, there...

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by Katie Magnusson

Review: Sherlock Holmes and the BTK Killer, Son of Sam and Unabomber

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "A very workmanlike bit of analysis" [VALL]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/content/site300/productimages/sku-000560409.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/content/site300/productimages/sku-000560409.gif" width="426" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> The somewhat unwieldy-titled book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147593226X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=147593226X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Clues” On The BTK Killer, The Son of Sam, Unabomber and Anthrax Cases - With Analysis on The Mad Bomber and the Unsolved L.I. Gilgo Beach Murders</i></a> (disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5">cmp.ly/5</a>) is an examination of the cases mentioned in the title, made up of actual reports made to the FBI or other agency involved in the case. The author, Tom Walker, is a retired police captain of the NYPD and a Sherlockian. As he says in his Introduction:<br /> <br /> “What follows is true, it is not fiction. However, I readily acknowledge that none of these deductive successes would have been possible without Sherlock Holmes walking behind me and occasionally whispering in my ear.”<br /> <br /> It is interesting to see the inner workings of a mind that directly applies lessons from Sherlock Holmes to detective work. Mr. Walker provides just enough detail of each crime to express the horror of the scenes, but does not delve into unnecessary gore. The “break the case clues” he arrives at unfortunately never do break a case, but they very well might have if his conclusions had been heeded by the agency in charge.<br /> <br /> The book, for the most part, maintains an academic atmosphere fitting for a ‘course of lectures,’ as Holmes himself would have liked. The exception comes in moments of Sherlock Holmes quite literally whispering in Mr. Walker’s ear, moments which are either supposed to add a touch of levity, or are a very serious Sherlockian taking the influence of Sherlock Holmes very seriously. Either way, Playing The Game is an unexpected quirk within a nonfiction setting.<br /> <br /> Of course, this is a book written by a long-time Sherlockian, for Sherlockians, but there are moments where The Game is just too pronounced for a relative newcomer like me. For example, during what is otherwise a convincing defense of Bruce Ivins, the top suspect for the Anthrax Killer case, Walker details a clandestine consultation with the BSI that anyone unfamiliar with the organization would find unintentionally campy at best. His appeal to whomever knows the identity of the Gilgo Beach murderer(s) at the end of the book to step forward at Holmes’s insistence is off-putting.<br /> <br /> Apart from that, the author is confident in his ability and clearly guides the reader through his methods in each case. He does have a little trouble narratively, the best example of which is the first half of his description of the Son of Sam case. He attempts to frame the case within what was going on in his life at the time, with the result that we get an interesting account of the power structure of NYC law enforcement and a fun game-show story, but this is ultimately a diversion that doesn't seem to contribute anything to the overall theme of the book or the analysis of the case itself. Another occasion of a case not quite fitting within the Sherlockian theme is his examination of the police response to the Mad Bomber. It is a fascinating analysis of effective (and ineffective) procedure, but it lacks the direct references to Canon and Holmes’s methodology that ties the other cases to the Great Detective.<br /> <br /> Overall, anyone interested in seeing Sherlock Holmes’s methods applied to real-life detective work would find this an enjoyable and interesting light read. It should also appeal to anyone who wants to see a new perspective on high profile cases and the inner workings of law enforcement. Mr. Walker’s language is clear and his process easy to follow. He knows what he is doing, and it would be nice to see him get some recognition for it.<br /> <br /> <b><i>How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Clues” On The BTK Killer, The Son of Sam, Unabomber and Anthrax Cases - With Analysis on the Mad Bomber and The Unsolved L.I. Gilgo Beach Murders</i></b> is available in paperback and ebook formats directly from the publisher,<a href="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000560409/How-Sherlock-Holmes-Deduced-Break-The-Case-Clues-On-The-BTK-Killer-The-Son-of-Sam-Unabomber-and-Anthrax-Cases.aspx"> iUniverse</a>, or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-sherlock-holmes-deduced-break-the-case-clues-on-the-btk-killer-the-son-of-sam-unabomber-and-anthrax-cases-tom-walker/1111725659?ean=9781475932263">Barnes and Noble</a>. It is also available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147593226X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=147593226X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">Amazon</a>, but if I understood the iUniverse royalty policy correctly, you’ll do better by the author if you purchase it from iUniverse or Barnes and Noble.<br /> <br /> <i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a> </i><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;">--</span>

Review: Sherlock Holmes and the BTK Killer, Son of Sam and Unabomber

"A very workmanlike bit of analysis" [VALL] The somewhat unwieldy-titled book How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Cl...

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by Katie Magnusson

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Striking illustration" [ILLU]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytirRyI2SXqWfKCqdf3Fl9L3Vfd8w4s9Bp62rScHP7BqID-D7ROcADXh0azWOGeoEXg23pmbP8HI6AoxrwgH0pIlU4bjgZXY1UmLAoWjGFgnqZbVxzljw-xTsThJQB0ggeBYodY6SLEw/s1600/holmescomic005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytirRyI2SXqWfKCqdf3Fl9L3Vfd8w4s9Bp62rScHP7BqID-D7ROcADXh0azWOGeoEXg23pmbP8HI6AoxrwgH0pIlU4bjgZXY1UmLAoWjGFgnqZbVxzljw-xTsThJQB0ggeBYodY6SLEw/s640/holmescomic005.jpg" width="414" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HXLURQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001HXLURQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>Cases of Sherlock Holmes</i></a></b>” series by Dan Day. It was run by Renegade Press from 1986 til ‘88 and then by Northstar Publishing from ‘89 til 1990. I expected these to be a set of original tales featuring the Great Detective, based solely on the cover images. Open up the first issue, and the first page looks like the image seen on the right.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The illustrations were rich in detail and very evocative of a Victorian setting. Particularly pleasing is the amount of detail given to the characters - more than even the best Sidney Paget drawings could hope to give us, as we view them in reprints. The only drawback to the early issues of the Cases of Sherlock Holmes series is that the text was in ALL CAPS. No need to shout at me while I'm reading a graphic novel.</span><br /> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <br /></div> Some of you probably know about these already - for those of you who don’t, they’re worth looking for. They are, simply, the stories from the Canon put to illustration. The illustrations themselves are wonderfully detailed, and the layout is generally easy to follow. Most of the time the illustrations simply decorate the columns of text, but every now and then the reader comes across a dynamic spread - <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvPiLOKI78-XCN6AeDcRufb7mDhjmRV7S7CW7PZWVxhHLJsGf9GnKQtQdBpVyI72LNjsPp7V2i3OraKxTwKvD9nieLtncLJCoxMHZ71UxH0p1KpC3C3PAq39hNTMHYEsgFVt8U5EC_8q/s1600/holmescomic001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvPiLOKI78-XCN6AeDcRufb7mDhjmRV7S7CW7PZWVxhHLJsGf9GnKQtQdBpVyI72LNjsPp7V2i3OraKxTwKvD9nieLtncLJCoxMHZ71UxH0p1KpC3C3PAq39hNTMHYEsgFVt8U5EC_8q/s640/holmescomic001.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> This is also from the first issue, “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet”, and shows the confrontation between Holmes and the thief. Granted, there is some artistic license taken with the scene, such as Holmes wrestling over a knife, but it is stunning nonetheless. <br /> <br /> While I’m on the subject of ‘artistic license,’ I should mention an aspect of these comics I find particularly entertaining: the covers. My initial supposition that these comics would be original stories was wrong, but I think I can be forgiven. The title of the story is not printed on the cover, and the illustrations tend towards pulp.<br /> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"></b><br /> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMmJElCvP7wBCrZpXjUJxok3ofpHqK06UY1h3mxbR4XHQvmrRZuRVD75I-nuf0swsJBuMirRW05j35JGG2QtDkAZCVbK1HofBmJOT_INgz1RZJavzlS5VBZSAQ0USQja0gdbILbhU_Cad/s1600/holmescomic002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMmJElCvP7wBCrZpXjUJxok3ofpHqK06UY1h3mxbR4XHQvmrRZuRVD75I-nuf0swsJBuMirRW05j35JGG2QtDkAZCVbK1HofBmJOT_INgz1RZJavzlS5VBZSAQ0USQja0gdbILbhU_Cad/s640/holmescomic002.jpg" width="427" /></a></b></div> <br /> This one isn’t too bad, as “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons” does feature small statues of Napoleon, who is dead, hence the skeletal figure on the horse with the funny hat. <br /> <br /> But what story could possibly have this cover image?</div> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9KTpJ5XOhNF0Cr22YEvi9P9Vz583ct7tfxPSyk_LX6oG5RVA1vLecNZtSpZIA6VVbkBbbyhp9hpgGKJOcWrVOheMkUOhbQBqWrQOgzvMHXdeJy6ejoA2qU1t0T-HiX55Sfg1ygeuNxQh/s1600/holmescomic004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9KTpJ5XOhNF0Cr22YEvi9P9Vz583ct7tfxPSyk_LX6oG5RVA1vLecNZtSpZIA6VVbkBbbyhp9hpgGKJOcWrVOheMkUOhbQBqWrQOgzvMHXdeJy6ejoA2qU1t0T-HiX55Sfg1ygeuNxQh/s640/holmescomic004.jpg" width="419" /></a></b></div> <div style="font-weight: normal;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div> </div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> </div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> </b> <br /> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Silver Blaze.” The story about a horse.</span></span></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> </b> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oddly, of the 20 issues, one is an original pastiche. “The Strange Adventure of the Vourdalak” was written by Gordon Derry and is an interesting, thought-out tale that keeps the feel of the Canon while adding a little more action (and cocaine) in a neat setting - a traveling fair of gypsies, Turks and Cossacks in France. It is the only pastiche in the series.</span></span></div> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are a fun, quirky addition to my collection, and could be enjoyed by any Sherlockian who is a fan of comics or illustrated editions of the stories. They’re certainly worth keeping an eye out for at your local used books or comics store, or online.</span></span></b><br /> <i><br /></i><i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://www.kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a></i><br /> <i><br /></i><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br /> --<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HXLURQ&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HXZVQM&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001EMV2PK&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

"Striking illustration" [ILLU] One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “...

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by Katie Magnusson