Where Sherlock Chases Sherlock

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Counterfeit Detective by Stuart Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sherlock and Watson cross the ocean to track down a NYC detective going by the name of Sherlock Holmes. But when he gets there, no one will talk to him, and the case leads to murder. Like it so often does.

A good mystery--inventive and entertaining, if not wholly even. (I found my attention wandering in the middle just a bit, but it pulled it together toward the end. Or I did, maybe.) Good enough that I was glad to pick it up in its turn, which is usually how I judge whether a book is successful. Part of that, I'm sure, is that it can be easier and more satisfying to read stories about familiar characters in familiar settings, like Sherlock or Star Trek or probably any long-running series, as long as the authors do a pretty good job of recreating those characters, and IMO that is the case here.

If you read several books at a time, a little from each book each day--that's the way I approach reading--I believe that the order you pick them up will tell you how you're enjoying them even more than deep reflection will. This one was in the middle of my stack, but always nearer the top. (It sparked pretty good joy, is what I'm trying to explain.)

:)

Anyway, I'm digging this Sherlock series written by multiple authors, and they continue to be good enough to lead me on to the next. So I'd recommend the book as well as the series ("The further adventures of...") to other Sherlock fans.

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Where Watson Goes to Prison

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Improbable Prisoner by Stuart Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well-plotted, well-written Sherlock Holmes story. It had some flaws, IMO, but I enjoyed it.

The characters are true to form, which I think is important, and though the story is slightly outside the tradition in terms of scale (over months) and location (mostly in prison), I think it works. The ending was somewhat awkward and anticlimactic--really, it had two endings--but it was pretty satisfying, so I'll allow it. :)

Watson gets framed for murder and spends most of the story in prison. Holmes performs his usual miracles to keep him alive (surely no spoiler), though much of his work is only revealed after the fact. It's not quite as fun this way; I want to see Watson out with Holmes, finding clues, making discoveries, but it has its own charm.

Overall, I found it entertaining and well worth reading. It kept climbing to the top of my "now reading" pile ahead of a few others. If you like Sherlock Holmes pastiche, I'm pretty confident this would work for you.

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