Where Watson Wishes Sherlock Was a Little More Forthcoming

The Scroll of the Dead by David Stuart Davies
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a pretty straight-forward Sherlock Holmes novel (in the "Further Adventures of..." series), and if you're like me, that's just about what you want. Not a classic, I suppose, but plenty of fun to read for a Sherlock Holmes fan.

Plot: various people are looking for an ancient Egyptian document that supposedly has the key to eternal life, and they are willing to kill to obtain it. Also, a famous archaeologist (the type who knows about ancient Egypt and its documents) has gone missing, and he is assumed to be kidnapped.

It works. Sherlock, doing his thing. Watson working with him. Guns. Secret ceremonies. Train travel. Strange people living in isolated homes full of secrets. It's all the good stuff.

Another key: in addition to crafting a good mystery, David Stuart Davies is excellent at writing in the tone and style of the original stories. If Sherlock Holmes is a comfort read for you the way he is for me, this should be just the thing. Recommended.

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Where Sherlock Faces Threats from the Past

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ripper Legacy by David Stuart Davies
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An entertaining, brisk read. I enjoyed it. I didn't love it, but it's all good.

One of the great pleasures in reading pastiche/continuations/fan fiction like this (or Star Trek or Buffy or whatever) is already being familiar with settings and characters and the general context. The story, which is the center of genre fiction like this, can take off immediately. There is no unnecessary throat-clearing or exposition, and skipping past that makes the story gallop from the start. And if the author does a good job of recreating the characters, as David Stuart Davies does here, you have the pleasure of joining your long-time literary friends on another adventure. This feels like the genuine Sherlock with the real Watson.

All of that makes this and many similar books in this series a real pleasure for Sherlock fans.

This story involves a kidnapping and a dangerous connection with the royal family that extends back to the infamous Jack the Ripper murders. An old villain makes an appearance. And Mycroft needs Sherlock's help. Good stuff. The elements work well, and the action is everything you want in such a book.

The ending is logical, and admittedly similar to others found in the original canon, butt doesn't entirely satisfy me, which is why I didn't love it. Sure, it's okay. It's not cheating. But it reminds me a little of the end of Raiders of the Lost Arc. I wanted to see what happened after the end. Maybe there'll be a sequel and we'll circle back a bit.

I hope so.

Anyway, I still liked it, quite a bit actually, and I definitely recommend it. Particularly, of course, for Sherlock fans.

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