I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: Tac Anderson

Showing posts with label Tac Anderson. Show all posts

Waiting for Mr. Holmes

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"We're well up with the times in Sussex." [VALL] </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/AVvXsEiKttwWVYsue-X5NXM2DYtnTiT1JXyatqwjqcBYpJGt_L6kXtPlyTit4ziMW52N8vqrTxhpEi0MfGmQe2X4izSdBLACXRx-_L0UnbVXEnX_GpJkFCou6u9eHwX74IB3epq4diD7odRyN-8B/s1600/Ian+McKellen+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ian McKellen as an elderly Sherlock Holmes in "Mr. Holmes"" border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKttwWVYsue-X5NXM2DYtnTiT1JXyatqwjqcBYpJGt_L6kXtPlyTit4ziMW52N8vqrTxhpEi0MfGmQe2X4izSdBLACXRx-_L0UnbVXEnX_GpJkFCou6u9eHwX74IB3epq4diD7odRyN-8B/s1600/Ian+McKellen+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" title="Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/07/first-look-at-ian-mckellen-as-sherlock.html" target="_blank">As has been reported here</a> last year year, Ian McKellen has been cast as the elderly Sherlock Holmes in the movie adaptation of Mich Cullen's excellent pastiche, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400078229/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400078229&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20&linkId=NIPL4QDDSYGQPZBH%22" target="_blank">A Slight Trick of the Mind</a> </i>(I promise I'll have a book review done soon.).<br />
<br />
While we've seen <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2706928/Sir-Ian-McKellen-sports-hat-waistcoat-sips-hot-drink-London-set-Mr-Holmes.html" target="_blank">some press photos from the set</a>, but we've treated to a little behind the scenes tweet from Mr McKellen as Mr Holmes.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Meeting the locals while filming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MrHolmes?src=hash">#MrHolmes</a> in East Sussex. <a href="http://t.co/PXRRpgSy9p">pic.twitter.com/PXRRpgSy9p</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanMcKellen/status/509722176954462208">September 10, 2014</a></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And more recently:<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
First photo from my upcoming film MR HOLMES, with brilliant young actor Milo Parker who plays Roger. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MrHolmes?src=hash">#MrHolmes</a> <a href="http://t.co/wI74fO4vA5">pic.twitter.com/wI74fO4vA5</a><br />
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanMcKellen/status/555525759708962817">January 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center>
<br />
Filming has concluded and the film is now in post-production phase. It is expected to be released during the Berlin Film Festival in February 2015.<br />
<br />
What are your expectations for the film and its presentation of a nonagenarian Sherlock Holmes?<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Waiting for Mr. Holmes

"We're well up with the times in Sussex." [VALL] As has been reported here last year year, Ian McKellen has been cast ...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

Book Review - Strongwood: A Crime Dossier

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"The disconsolate journalist had seated himself at a writing-table." [SIXN] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKbu-CYgwQ_LP_OHiYWNhxDHB2ZgA31g0bPBak2mWofLsx1ZozonEIUd7QXcO2RkGdng_UsWA4Jb_HMP_1joLF-_kYhM1UgGXtqQn6JKBn-Hf8b1iNqMhIKI2zVcKxNNs_P1pmYu_DKc2/s1600/14069340876_6cbd5f0ab2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKbu-CYgwQ_LP_OHiYWNhxDHB2ZgA31g0bPBak2mWofLsx1ZozonEIUd7QXcO2RkGdng_UsWA4Jb_HMP_1joLF-_kYhM1UgGXtqQn6JKBn-Hf8b1iNqMhIKI2zVcKxNNs_P1pmYu_DKc2/s1600/14069340876_6cbd5f0ab2_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
When I first heard of<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816690936/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0816690936&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20&linkId=ORF3HACPCL5XMTQK" target="_blank">Strongwood: A Crime Dossier</a></i> by Larry Millett, I didn't even think it was a Sherlock Holmes story. I quickly glanced over the description and just saw that it was about a young woman, Addie Strongwood, in a 1903 Minneapolis (yes really, Minneapolis), who reportedly shot her lover, Michael Masterson. It wasn't until I was assured it was a Holmes pastiche and went back and read below the fold to discover that for some reason Sherlock Holmes in in Minneapolis (no, seriously Minneapolis), and subsequently helps solve the case.<br />
<br />
Not only did I not realize this was a Sherlock Holmes story, I had never heard of the author, Larry Millett, nor did I realize that this was his seventh Sherlock Holmes story. Although this is not a judgment on the author, as even within the genre of Sherlock Holmes pastiches, there are undoubtedly thousands, if not tens of thousands, of authors, and I doubt anyone knows them all.<br />
<br />
The story is told through a reconstruction of trial testimony, newspaper stories, Addie’s defense attorney journal entries, and her own account which is recounted in the <i>Minneapolis Tribune</i>. No really, the real <i>Minneapolis Tribune</i>. You see, as the author explains in the intro, this is a true crime story, that Millett has managed to weave Sherlock Holmes into. Well, that seems interesting.<br />
<br />
Addie Strongwood, a working class girl has shot her upper-class lover and claiming self-defense. Through the story Millett build a mystery where the reader has to decide if Addie, a lower class working girl was the victim of rape or the perpetrator of blackmail against an upper-class member of society?<br />
<br />
Sherlock doesn’t make an appearance until almost 100 pages into the book but, of course, makes a crucial discovery about the case. This part obviously didn't really happen. Well, actually it turns out, none of it happened. I know what I said earlier, but it's not actually based on a true crime, it's just written that way. Very convincingly. So much so, that you'll find many reviews of this book where people think it is real.<br />
<br />
Larry Millett is a journalist in Minneapolis (yes a real journalist), and it is with that journalistic experience that he very convincingly writes the newspaper articles excerpted in the book, and even takes his deception to the level of writing in the introduction that this is a true crime that he stumbled across while researching his next Sherlock Holmes adventure.<br />
<br />
Larry Millett is properly clever and creates a very engaging read with this book. Plus if you like the characters in the story, there are six other books featuring Sherlock Holmes and several of the other characters, most of them taking place in Minneapolis (no, I don't know why I'm giving Minneapolis such a hard time).
<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=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theconblo04-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0816690936&asins=0816690936&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">

Book Review - Strongwood: A Crime Dossier

"The disconsolate journalist had seated himself at a writing-table." [SIXN] When I first heard of Strongwood: A Crime Dossi...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

When a House Is a Holmes

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Here is a gentleman of a medical type." [STUD] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0BN9qBZMKncPOweqUaLdztlZB5HG3SrlNwKemFxcMFb0aSr07FSWlhkR-YqWEQ7VooXG9NdNhLTmP5J4_5BcLN0bciNB1jixd9VE_j0eJWSaU8-6wR02NHsSNs_-WMh43XgkN7zufPzy/s1600/House_MD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0BN9qBZMKncPOweqUaLdztlZB5HG3SrlNwKemFxcMFb0aSr07FSWlhkR-YqWEQ7VooXG9NdNhLTmP5J4_5BcLN0bciNB1jixd9VE_j0eJWSaU8-6wR02NHsSNs_-WMh43XgkN7zufPzy/s1600/House_MD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I write about pastiches here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, and while pastiches normally refer to written works, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastiche" target="_blank">pastiche</a> is actually any work of art that imitates the style or character of another. That makes one of my all time favorite shows, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008P9M614?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=B008P9M614&linkCode=shr&tag=theconblo04-20&creativeASIN=B008P9M614" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">House M.D.</a></i> a pastiche. <br />
<br />
Long before Robert Downey Jr., sporting a respectable British accent, took up the role as Sherlock Holmes in 2009, or Benedict Cumberbatch brought the great detective into the 21st century in 2010, or Johnny Lee Miller brought a modern Sherlock to America in 2012 with <i>Elementary</i>, Hugh Laurie, with a spot on American accent in 2004, starred in probably the most subtly-blatant Sherlock Holmes characters of all times, the award winning and internationally successful TV series, <i>House M.D.</i> <br />
<br />
Something that amazed me about the show and its success was how few people knew it was based on Sherlock Holmes (or how many people didn't know Hugh Laurie was British, with a very proper, almost posh accent). <br />
<br />
Ever since the show ended in 2012 many of it's fans (myself included) have been lamenting the passing of the show. And it took a long time for the shows to be released on DVD (I was told this was because of rights disagreements between Fox and NBC Studios), and it took even longer for the show to be made available for streaming online (legally at least). But as of the first of this month, I was thrilled to learn that both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WCT7M8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000WCT7M8&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/House_M.D./70136117?trkid=13462100">Netflix </a>have picked up the show for streaming online. <br />
<br />
For those who were familiar with Doyle's work, the fact that House was a retelling of Sherlock Holmes was probably obvious, but let's look at the evidence:<br />
<ul>
<li>House is a synonym for the Holmes homophone, "homes." </li>
<li>House's best friend, a doctor, is Wilson and Holmes best friend, a doctor is Watson - only two letters different. </li>
<li>In the TV series House uses a cane, while in the books, it's Watson that has a cane. </li>
<li>Both House and Holmes share the love of a musical instrument. For House it's the piano, not the violin. (Side note, Hugh Laurie is also an excellent pianist, which I'm sure is why they chose it.) </li>
<li>Both use narcotics, although Holmes use is limited to when he's not working as a way to fight off boredom, while House uses his pain killers to enable him to work. </li>
<li>They both have little to no interest in the person involved in their investigation, just in solving the case. </li>
<li>While Holmes loved going to the opera, House loved going to monster truck shows. </li>
<li>The original inspiration for Holmes was a doctor. </li>
<li>And like Holmes, House fakes his own death. </li>
</ul>
There are of course many other references and Easter eggs scattered throughout the series but without giving too much away, here are a few of the more obvious ones: women with the last name Adler appear twice, Moriarty is referenced in the end of season two, and in one scene the address on House's drivers license might seem familiar to readers of this blog.<br />
<br />
Many of the pastiche elements are intentionally contradictory to the source of the inspiration. But, to me, that's part of what makes the show so great. It is inspired by the best of Sherlock Holmes, gives a cheeky wink and a nod to other elements, and sticks to the spirit of the consulting directive, but House is its own show and doesn't rely on the connection to Sherlock Holmes to drive the story, just to inspire it.<br />
<div>
<br />
Related: read about the BSI Distinguished Speaker Lecture by <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/01/technical-character-spec_13.html" target="_blank">Lisa Sanders, the technical/medical adviser for <i>House, M.D.</i></a></div>
<div>
--</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&Operation=GetAdHtml&ID=OneJS&OneJS=1&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thebakerstree-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B000WE3IJE&asins=B000WE3IJE&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&MarketPlace=US" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>

When a House Is a Holmes

"Here is a gentleman of a medical type." [STUD] I write about pastiches here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, and while past...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I guess you are the daughter" [STUD] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd3ioM-7fGkNgllClHxvI6rl5gJdswCkhslgB97kwffUP3-xSHF-O1AU_lb9EsxVlewQaOcADoej9IG9O6ykLdmME1ojiKXJU0xl7K5OJ66UFcHEqTKS7UaX5FI5KZ4bB4nqjFbqfss9f/s1600/11578385654_a2f6595de5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd3ioM-7fGkNgllClHxvI6rl5gJdswCkhslgB97kwffUP3-xSHF-O1AU_lb9EsxVlewQaOcADoej9IG9O6ykLdmME1ojiKXJU0xl7K5OJ66UFcHEqTKS7UaX5FI5KZ4bB4nqjFbqfss9f/s1600/11578385654_a2f6595de5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>Do you ever read a book that makes you want to read more? I
don't mean like the way you can only eat just one potato chip, or the way a
book leaves you with a cliffhanger so you can't wait for the next in the series
to come out. When I finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1780925727/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1780925727&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery ofEinstein's Daughter</i></a>, by Tim Symond, I found that it had sparked a desire to
read more about Einstein and to go back and reread the cannon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/my-sherlockian-holiday-reading-list.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I mentioned before</a> that I have this (questionably) bad habit of buying more books than I can read.
One such book was the biography of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743264746/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0743264746&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank">Albert Einstein by Walter Isaacson</a>.
It has sat on my book self staring at me in accusation for well over five
years. (I don't guilt easily.) I had an increased urge to finally read <i>Einstein
</i>after reading this latest pastiche because, as the title suggests, Einstein's real life (and a rather mysterious part of it) is a key plot point in the story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Einstein and his first wife, who was a brilliant mathematician
in her own right, had a child out of wedlock. Nothing is known about that child
and what ever became of her. It's a mystery that (apparently) still baffles
many modern day historians. But would it baffle the great Sherlock Holmes? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additionally I wanted to go back and reread the Canon because I realized I've read so many pastiches that the Canonical facts were
starting to get blurry from the pastiche versions. Doyle often made references
to previous stories by having Watson mention old cases in his writing.
This is a very popular practice among pastiche writers. It's a way for writers
to contextually place their stories in the Sherlock world, but it's also a way
(and I think it's the real reason most writers do it) to wink knowingly at the
Sherlockian scholars among the readers. Symonds also does this but he also puts
a reference guide in the back for the stories that he references (seven, in
case you were wondering), and I found this very helpful. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tim Symond has written several Sherlock Holmes pastiches,
but I wasn't aware of them until he reached out to us late last year. The
fist thing that struck me about his work was how well researched it is.
The details of both the regions they travel, and the political climate are very vivid. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this story, a much older Holmes and Watson decide to travel back to Reichenbach Falls (why and how Watson gets Holmes to go is pretty entertaining). In order to travel safely, they are
forced to contrive an elaborate scheme to avoid the pursuits and vengeance of
Professor Moriarty's henchman, Colonel Sebastian Moran. Upon their arrival, they are asked to investigate the past of Albert Einstein, by the Dean of a Swiss university, as a kind of background check before they admit the promising
physicist into their school. The investigation takes them all across Eastern
Europe and into some very interesting settings and situations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This pastiche is told from a stronger Watson viewpoint than
most Sherlock Holmes stories are. I liked the strong portrayal of Watson but personally
felt like Holmes was almost a supporting cast member instead of a lead or co-lead.
Also, without giving anything away, there are several character conflicts you
expect to encounter in the book, based on the setup, that don't happen.
They seem to be setup to happen in later books (?) or maybe this is a theme
carried over from Symond's previous books, I'm not sure, but I found this just a little frustrating. (BTW I don't think being frustrated by a book's ending is necessarily a bad thing, the author should finish the story the way he intended to tell it, not the way the reader expects it to happen.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>I enjoyed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1780925727/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1780925727&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter</a>; it </o:p>isn’t long, it was a quick read, and the details are very engrossing. Plus, in my opinion, any book that makes me want to read and learn more is a good
book.<br />
<br />
--</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=theconblo04-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1780925727" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter

"I guess you are the daughter" [STUD] Do you ever read a book that makes you want to read more? I don't mean like th...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

The Italian Secretary: My First Pastiche

<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
<b>"He was a kind of Italian piecework" [SIXN]</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9ffNgm_WY5d5qbYpz1GnBnHrmvwC2b9g7qg3aj1p17nNwhTgQ1zj34BxbUsb1acVQfoCtkq390Lwi-U7ciKoVo7ZJNyqOBrH7TTdijPlBuzyas8w6aS5vArHK9_U83xwIQZjssjcWQcN/s1600/11578276263_5a392a58ec_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9ffNgm_WY5d5qbYpz1GnBnHrmvwC2b9g7qg3aj1p17nNwhTgQ1zj34BxbUsb1acVQfoCtkq390Lwi-U7ciKoVo7ZJNyqOBrH7TTdijPlBuzyas8w6aS5vArHK9_U83xwIQZjssjcWQcN/s1600/11578276263_5a392a58ec_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312352042/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312352042&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Italian Secretary</i></a> was the first taste of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche addiction I happily suffer from today. I was familiar with Caleb Carr's two books <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812976142/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812976142&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank">The Alienist</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345427637/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345427637&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank">The Angel of Darkness</a></i>, and his very Holmes like character, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler. The difference being Kreizler is a psychiatrist (or alienist as they were called) not a consulting detective.<br />
<br />
So it's no wonder that the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. approached Carr to write a Sherlock Holmes story and had apparently asked that Carr's Kreizler, could somehow be in the book and work with Sherlock Holmes. Carr did not oblige and as much as I like the Alienist books, I'm glad he didn't.<br />
<br />
As it is, Carr suffers from the dilemma that many well published authors suffer from when writing a Holmes pastiche; do you write a book for your current fans or do you write a book for Sherlock Holmes fans? Most try and do both and sadly, many fail. Carr also tries to do both but I think because his topics are similar to Doyle and Holmes, he's able to pull off a valiant effort that succeeds better than most, but make no mistake, this isn't a Doyle story, it's not much of a mystery and the suspense is waiting to see how it all comes to a head rather than who the culprit is.<br />
<br />
This story takes Sherlock to one of my favorite cities in the World, (which could be partly why I liked this story as much as I do) Edinburgh Scotland. While writing this review it dawned on me that Doyle never sent Sherlock to Scotland, where Doyle is from. I find that a little odd, but Sherlock loved London and Sherlock stays firmly rooted there for the most part. However, in Sherlock's pastiche afterlife he does much more traveling. But I digress.<br />
<br />
Edinburgh is infamous for it's ghost sightings and Carr takes advantage of that fact. But like all stories where Holmes is faced with ghosts, he isn't having any of it and sets about getting to the heart of the matter.<br />
<br />
Multiple deaths occur while renovating the west tower of the Royal Palace of Holyrood complicating the already tense political climate in Scotland. The west tower is the wing where Mary, Queen of Scots, lived, and where David Rizzio (the Italian Secretary) was brutally murdered. Mycroft fears that this might be part of an attempt on Queen Elizabeth's life and sends his brother to investigate.<br />
<br />
I have to give Carr some credit with his version of Sherlock and Watson. I usually find that British writers do a better job with the voice of Doyle's characters. Generally British authors have a particular flair with the English language that all but the most anglophile American authors just don't have. Especially American mystery writers. With the exception of some of the heavily accented Scottish characters, Carr does an admiral job here.<br />
<br />
Carr, besides being a best selling fiction writer, is also a military historian and definitely did his research. When you read this book you get a feel for the political climate in Scotland and he does an especially good job building out the setting. Even if you've never had the privilege of visiting Edinburgh Carr makes it easy to visualize.<br />
<br />
Pulling from his military knowledge Carr creates a very extravagant ending which ends with a siege on Holyrood with trebuchets and flaming projectiles. Very fun stuff.<br />
<br />
It's easy to see why I got hooked on pastiches after reading <i>The Italian Secretary</i> and for that I owe a debt to Carr. But the last thing I found interesting was that the reception of <i>The Italian Secretary</i> is very mixed. If <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312352042/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312352042&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20">you look at the reviews of the book</a> they're almost equally spread across all 5 stars. Trust me, that almost never happens. So I'm curious, if you read the book, what was your take?<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=theconblo04-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0312352042" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

The Italian Secretary: My First Pastiche

"He was a kind of Italian piecework" [SIXN] The Italian Secretary was the first taste of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche addi...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

My Sherlockian Holiday Reading List

<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"He was very willing to have a holiday" [REDH]</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u1RPHgMXppxyJzV7NaPk6L3C8yhHPhGDLb2oyUOQoBG4QU3OZkkrf4cxr_iMcKocozd1Qcl3dnksvbg2wAw7HVjVxnxJno8M9RKOVU9XYTMQZV1Pq07Q5Q9T2B7V45P3A_TT3ej4OOGF/s1600/11398129553_3bfe6b00b6_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u1RPHgMXppxyJzV7NaPk6L3C8yhHPhGDLb2oyUOQoBG4QU3OZkkrf4cxr_iMcKocozd1Qcl3dnksvbg2wAw7HVjVxnxJno8M9RKOVU9XYTMQZV1Pq07Q5Q9T2B7V45P3A_TT3ej4OOGF/s640/11398129553_3bfe6b00b6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As we start to wind down the year and get ready for the holiday, I for one am looking forward to a week off and some time to catch up on some reading. I have this habit, which drives my wife crazy, of reading more than one book at a time. I do this partly because I always have one physical book and one digital and partly because there are just too many books to read and I'm like a kid in a candy store.<br />
<br />
Digitally I'm currently reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801607/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1597801607&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, which is a great collection of stories by some very well known authors like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, BSI ("The Devil's Foot"), and others. The premise of these stories being much more fantastical and well..."improbable."<br />
<br />
My physical pastiche is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1781165416/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1781165416&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Stuff of Nightmares</i></a> by James Lovegrove, which was published by Titan Books along with <i><b>The Will of the Dead</b></i>, which <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/sherlock-holmes-vs-iron-man.html" target="_blank">you can read my review here</a>.<br />
<br />
This summer my family and I stopped by this wonderful little used bookstore in Seattle and I bought<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0517203383/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0517203383&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, which was co-written by Adrian Conan Doyle, son of Sir Arthur, and mystery writer John Dickson Carr. I've heard mixed reviews but I'm interested to see how the Son of Doyle fills his father's shoes (although you have to wonder how much he actually wrote and how much Carr was the driving force).<br />
<br />
At that same used bookstore I picked up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/051703817X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=051703817X&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street</i></a> by William S. Baring-Gould, BSI ("The <i>Gloria Scott</i>"). I've heard really good things about this one but haven't read it yet myself. While it's not a pastiche in the traditional sense, it's a biography of Sherlock Holmes written as if he were a real person, with details of his life and character extracted from the pages of his stories.<br />
<br />
That alone will more than keep me busy for the holiday week but I still have a stack of pastiches to read after these (I have another terrible habit of buying way more books than I can read). So to give you a peak at what I'll be reviewing next year here's what else is currently sitting unread on my bookshelf.<br />
<br />
As soon as I heard that it had been picked up to be made into a movie staring Ian McKellen as a past-his-prime Holmes, I managed to pick up a used but near perfect first edition of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400078229/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400078229&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>A Slight Trick of the Mind</i></a> by Mitch Cullin.<br />
<br />
I had bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316197017/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316197017&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The House of Silk</i></a> by Anthony Horowitz new before I moved back from London and still haven't cracked the cover. This being the most recent "blessed" works by the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. and a best seller, I'm looking forward to reading it.<br />
<br />
Now that my kids know I'm reviewing Sherlock Holmes books they want me to review the young adult series, The Young Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lane. My teenage daughter really enjoyed them so at some point I may start with the first book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZ8A93A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AZ8A93A&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>Death Cloud</i></a>.<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear what you'll be reading this holiday break. Do you have any pastiche recommendations that you'd like to see me review next year? Let me know in the comments.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>

My Sherlockian Holiday Reading List

"He was very willing to have a holiday" [REDH] As we start to wind down the year and get ready for the holiday, I for one a...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

Sherlock Holmes vs. Iron Man

<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"My man knew he was comin', for he had steam up in the launch." [SIGN]</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuDXkusFWZ-giL7AfkxnY6X7BNTDMz430QwYmgMRLkjuFK-zEBT8rfIm1SlQMBySR99FlRxB_jp7-QmnYectmNlQT1nb3hs4XU0dixclMYm271Fpf_5skqAEBcJDUta1qQtirNyXOKKns/s1600/10702003423_0bde20b2ec_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuDXkusFWZ-giL7AfkxnY6X7BNTDMz430QwYmgMRLkjuFK-zEBT8rfIm1SlQMBySR99FlRxB_jp7-QmnYectmNlQT1nb3hs4XU0dixclMYm271Fpf_5skqAEBcJDUta1qQtirNyXOKKns/s1600/10702003423_0bde20b2ec_b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
You might think that this is a post comparing the two hit movie franchises staring Robert Downey Jr. But it's not. Maybe another time.<br />
<br />
This post is about the new Sherlock Holmes book by <a href="http://georgemann.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">George Mann</a> called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AP2UVVG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AP2UVVG&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Will of the Dead</i></a>.  Mann is more well known (in certain niche literary circles) for his Newbury and Hobbes steampunk series, is a wonderfully talented writer who has a way with words that only British authors seem to be able to pull off.<br />
<br />
In my mind there are two ways to write a Sherlock Holmes pastiche; you either do your best Doyle impersonation and try to write something that would be difficult to discern from something Doyle himself would have written, or you throw caution to the wind and do something completely different. I love both approaches but in the latter case I prefer it when the the characters stay true to form and it's the stories or the setting that take the brunt of the creative divergence. This is what Mann has done with <i>The Will of the Dead</i>.<br />
<br />
While the true grandfather of steampunk may be Jules Verne, Doyle and Sherlock Holmes have undoubtedly been a huge influence on the genre. In fact, Mann's Newbury and Hobbes series borrows heavily from Sherlock Holmes. It contains a brilliant detective who has a tendency to use narcotics and is heavily educated in the occult. Okay, maybe that last part doesn't fit very well, but trust me, the homage to Holmes is clear.<br />
<br />
In <i>The Will of the Dead</i>, Mann has undertaken a Sherlock Holmes story and while the use of steampunk is minimal, it's still present. Doyle purists will likely have already stopped reading, but I for one enjoy it when authors take poetic license with the Great Detective and bring some of their own creative flair to the story. If you're afraid the story is filled with steam powered cars, clockwork automatons, cyborgs, and zeppelins don't worry the only steampunk element are men in iron suits powered by steam.<br />
<br />
In fact if you took the iron men out of the book it would be a fairly traditional Sherlock Holmes story. The main story is of a missing will of a wealthy uncle, the suspect circumstances of his death, his bickering niece and nephews, and a mysterious heir to the family fortune who know one knows. And then of course there are several high profile robberies carried out in broad daylight by men in iron suits.<br />
<br />
But Mann can't resist tying in his popular steampunk series with this book by placing a younger version of the police detective from his Newbury and Hobbes stories as the police detective assigned to the case that Holmes is working on. It's a nice touch if your a fan of his other books but not distracting or obvious if you're not.<br />
<br />
So if you're a fan of steampunk and Sherlock Holmes, this is an easy recommendation. If you enjoy creative Sherlock pastiches with a hint of sci-fi, then this I think you'll also be pleased with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AP2UVVG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AP2UVVG&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Will of the Dead</i></a>.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=theconblo04-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00AP2UVVG" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

Sherlock Holmes vs. Iron Man

"My man knew he was comin', for he had steam up in the launch." [SIGN] You might think that this is a post comparing th...

+ Read more »

by Tac Anderson

Benedict Cumberbatch's Early Voice Work as Sherlock Holmes

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">"Give me your details, and from an armchair I will return you an excellent expert opinion." [BRUC]  </span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAfuV3qmIPgr_N6sZkofjLEmDMI2G5Y5PWtkrIE1PSSUvvZY5DpIPi9nHrWA_hqfqH9R1OCV4ZdcTuZzfxqrTzgKJYwSYap0EpDiDiCf2jaltqbMdNODeVmVxTAl-CAJAEjaJ03BmcA6e/s1600/Railway+Mysteries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAfuV3qmIPgr_N6sZkofjLEmDMI2G5Y5PWtkrIE1PSSUvvZY5DpIPi9nHrWA_hqfqH9R1OCV4ZdcTuZzfxqrTzgKJYwSYap0EpDiDiCf2jaltqbMdNODeVmVxTAl-CAJAEjaJ03BmcA6e/s640/Railway+Mysteries.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The year 2010 was an eventful one for both the Sherlock Holmes franchise and Benedict Cumberbatch's role in it. Benedict had just unleashed his brilliant, modern version of the great detective and still found sometime during that year to record a reading for a series of non-Doyle Sherlock short stories: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609982665/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609982665&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20">Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway and Other Stories</a>.<br />
<br />
Some might think it odd for a mega-popular star like Benedict to do voice work (excluding the work he's doing as Smaug, for the Hobbit obviously). But you might be surprised (or not if you're as obsessive a Benedict fan as my teenage daughter is) to know that Benedict is not only an accomplished voice actor but still enjoys doing radio shows on the BBC.The whole time Benedict has been doing the Sherlock series and all of his other, increasing, acting gigs, he's been continuing to do the BBC radio show, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-author=Benedict%20Cumberbatch&linkCode=ur2&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank&tag=theconblo04-20&text=Benedict%20Cumberbatch">Cabin Pressure</a>. It's a family favorite.<br />
<br />
I'm very curious about the timing of the events around these stories, because BBC's Sherlock may or not have been released when he did the recordings, but they definitely wouldn't have reached the level of popularity that they have today. So asking Benedict to read these stories was a stroke of incredible luck.<br />
<br />
When you read the reviews on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609982665/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609982665&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9688584-sherlock-holmes">Goodreads</a>, it's obvious that this series owes all of it's success to Benedict's popularity.<br />
<br />
I'm not usually into audio books. But I do enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes pastiche and I really enjoy Benedict Cumberbatch's voice work so this was a win-win for me. I know some people don't like pastiches, but I always find it fascinating to read other people's take on Doyle's work.<br />
<br />
But back to the point of this review. The family and I enjoyed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609982665/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609982665&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20">The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries and other stories</a> (there's four in all). As far as Sherlock Holmes pastiches, they're okay. They don't capture the spirit of Doyle as well as some but as far as stories they're better than most. But what puts these stories over the top, and makes these worthy of a family road trip, is the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.<br />
<br />
But if you'd like to see for yourself, they've <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5g8EVFiCzI">put a short sample on YouTube</a>.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J5g8EVFiCzI" width="420"></iframe></center>
<br />
[Editor's note: I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere is running a special with <b>Audible</b>, where you can <a href="http://www.audible.com/t1/30trial_at?source_code=NETOR0002WS022912" target="_blank">get a free book download with a free 30-day trial</a>. The Cumberbatch recordings are available via Audible as well.]<br />
--<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=theconblo04-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1609982665" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>