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WELCOME BACK MR. HOLMES
Readers of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries know that Conan Doyle tried to end the series by having Holmes plunge to his death over Reichenbach Falls at the end of "The Final Problem." Holmes' popularity was so great however, that reader demand forced Conan Doyle to resurrect Holmes in two more novels and three collections of stories. Since Conan Doyle's death, many more Sherlock Holmes books have been published. These range from traditional stories written in the Conan Doyle style to parodies of that style, and the stories take place in time from the Victorian period to the present day, and even into the future.
Most of these recreations have Holmes and Watson as the main characters, but some authors have chosen minor characters from the original tales to be their protagonists. Irene Adler, the only woman to have ever bested Holmes, Edward Porter Jones, a former Baker Street Irregular, and even Holmes' housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, all have stories written about them.
This list is arranged by author, and contains novels and collections of stories that bring Sherlock Holmes back to life once more. If you need help finding any of these books, ask the reference librarians. The game is still afoot!
Carol Nelson Douglas — Good Night Mister Holmes, Good Morning Irene, Irene at Large, Irene's Last Waltz, Chapel Noir, Castle Rouge
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson appear as supporting characters in Douglas' books. The main character is Irene Adler, singer, actress, and adventurer, and the only woman to outwit Holmes (see Conan Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia"). In between performances, Adler takes on cases, using much the same techniques of observation and deduction as Holmes. Penelope Huxleigh, an orphan who has come to London to make her way, serves as Adler's Watson. Douglas succeeds in replicating the atmosphere of Victorian England, as well as introducing several well-known historical characters to the stories.John E. Gardner — The Return of Moriarty
Gardner, who has written a wide array of thrillers, including numerous James Bond stories, turns his hand here to Sherlock Holmes. The book is based in part on the purported diaries of Professor Moriarty, who, like Holmes, somehow survived his plunge over the falls in Switzerland. Moriarty has returned to London to find his criminal empire in tatters, and he sets about rebuilding. Although Holmes features quite prominently in the story, Moriarty's real foe is Inspector Angus Crow, of Scotland Yard.L. B. Greenwood — Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Raleigh Legacy, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall
Narrated by Dr. Watson, Greenwood's books stay very close to the original Holmes stories. The mysteries are intriguing, the characters well-drawn, and the late-Victorian period accurately portrayed. Fans of the Conan Doyle stories will enjoy these books.Edward B. Hanna — The Whitechapel Horrors
Hanna successfully recreates the atmosphere and characters of the original Holmes stories, while managing to add new twists to the characters of Holmes and Watson. Holmes and Watson are drawn into the mysteries surrounding the Jack the Ripper murders, and Hanna incorporates both actual figures from the investigation and contemporary accounts of the crimes in his story. Holmes finds himself caught between his desire to solve the crimes and his desire to protect the English crown from a shattering revelation.Michael Hardwick — Sherlock Holmes: My Life and Crimes, Revenge of the Hound
Hardwick's first book, Sherlock Holmes: My Life and Crimes, professes to be Holmes' own version of his early days as a detective, including an apprenticeship under American detective Allan Pinkerton in Chicago. Holmes then chronicles the "true" account of the affair with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, and his subsequent three years undercover as a British espionage agent. The story is well-written, and draws both on the Holmes canon and contemporary history for background. The introductory sections have numerous photos of late 19th c. London, supposedly taken by Holmes.Holmes for the Holidays, More Holmes for the Holidays
In this collection fourteen current mystery writers, including Anne Perry, create new stories featuring Holmes and Watson. All of the stories are set during the Christmas season, and Holmes and Watson find themselves ranging from Baker Street to country estates to Italy. The authors have all tried to remain faithful to the Conan Doyle characters, and their efforts will be appreciated by Holmes fans.Sidney Hosier — Elementary, Mrs. Hudson
Having been landlady and housekeeper to Sherlock Holmes has allowed Mrs. Emma Hudson to observe the master's technique, and to acquire some detecting skills of her own. These skills prove useful when Mrs. Hudson receives a telegraph from an old friend asking her to send Sherlock Holmes to investigate a suspicious death. As Holmes is unavailable, Mrs. Hudson goes herself. With the help of her friend, Violet Warner, Mrs. Hudson investigates and solves the mystery of Hadley Hall.Laurie R. King — The Beekeeper's Apprentice, A Monstrous Regiment of Women, A Letter of Mary, The Moor, O Jerusalem, Justice Hall
Retired to a life of beekeeping in Sussex, Sherlock Holmes is drawn back into detecting by his encounter with an orphan, Mary Russell, who is as keen an observer as he is. Their friendship blossoms, and, despite a significant age difference, Russell and Holmes fall in love and marry. King does an excellent job of presenting an older Holmes, and Mary Russell is an engaging character. Mrs. Hudson and Dr. Watson put in appearances, and King clearly knows the original Holmes stories, as well as other detective fiction set in the early 20th century. She draws on this body of literature, but in an understated fashion, never bringing in a reference that is not needed. These books are among the best of the Holmes recreations.Nicholas Meyer — The West End Horror, The Canary Trainer
Meyer skillfully recreates the world of Holmes and Watson, telling for the first time the "true" story of Holmes' duel with Moriarty in The Seven-per-cent Solution. A particular pleasure of these books is Meyer's mixing historical characters into the stories — Holmes and Watson encounter Sigmund Freud, who cures Holmes of his cocaine addiction, Bram Stoker, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and others. In his stories, Meyer also explores some of the connections between psychology and detection.Sena Naslund — Sherlock in Love
As in the original stories, Sherlock in Love is told in the voice of Dr. John Watson, in this case, as he reflects on times long past. Watson decides to write a biography of his late friend, Sherlock Holmes, and advertises for information about him. These advertisements lead to threats on Watson's life, and to the plundering of his rooms. To solve the mystery, Watson goes back to Holmes' journals and his own diaries, to shed new light on an old case that took Holmes and Watson from London to Bavaria.The Resurrected Holmes
This collection of Holmes stories, edited by Marvin Kaye, begins with the premise that a rich collector has acquired Dr. Watson's trunk of notes, and commissioned some of the world's most famous authors to compile and edit the stories from these notes. These supposed authors include H.G. Wells, Ernest Hemingway, P.G. Wodehouse, Jack Kerouac, and others. The actual authors are all fantasy and science fiction writers. The stories vary in quality and reverence to the Holmes canon, but some are interesting, and the world finally gets to hear the tale of "The Giant Rat of Sumatra."Fred Saberhagen — Seance for a Vampire
Saberhagen, a noted fantasy writer, makes his first foray into the Holmes field, having Holmes and Watson investigate two suspect psychics. A seance goes awry, and Holmes disappears, leaving Watson alone to solve the mystery. Watson turns for assistance to Holmes' distant cousin, Count Dracula. The solution of the mystery requires a trip to Russia and an encounter with Rasputin. This novel effectively mixes elements of fantasy, horror, and mystery into a fascinating story.Sam Siciliano — The Angel of the Opera
Siciliano's book takes Holmes to Paris to solve the mystery of the Phantom of the Opera. The novel is set in the period following Holmes' resurrection from his supposed death at the hands of Professor Moriarty, and is narrated not by Dr. Watson, but by Holmes' cousin, Dr. Henry Vernier. Throughout the book, Vernier is very critical of Watson's versions of Holmes' adventures, however, Vernier shares some of the characteristics that he criticizes in Watson, particularly his obtuseness. Siciliano manages to capture the feel of Paris at the end of the nineteenth century, particularly its opera world. The ending of the story is rather obvious, and some of the characters could have been developed further, but this book is an interesting look at a Watson-less Holmes.Jo Soares — A Samba for Sherlock
Soares' contribution to the Holmes canon will not please the purists. Holmes and Watson head off to Rio de Janeiro to find a stolen Stradivarius. There, they find themselves caught up in the investigation of a series of grisly slayings. Rather than appearing as a consummate detective, Holmes is portrayed as a bumbler who occasionally chances on the truth. Watson is depicted as a typical xenophobic Englishman. The book attempts to capture the breadth of 19th-century Brazilian society, but Soares' ironic tone and caustic wit detract from the setting. There are some funny passages, but while the plot is intriguing, the book will be unsatisfying for some Holmes fans.June Thomson — The Secret Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes, The Secret Files of Sherlock Holmes
As with many of the Holmes recreations, Thomson begins her books with an explanation that these stories represent heretofore undiscovered memoirs of Dr. Watson: in this case, the very stories contained in "a travel-worn and battered tin dispatch box" that Watson mentions in the Conan Doyle story "The Problem of Thor Bridge." Thomson does a good job of reproducing the atmosphere and dialogue of the original stories, and she includes numerous references to the Conan Doyle books. Although these tales break no new ground, they ably carry on the tradition.Daniel Victor — The Seventh Bullet
In Victor's book, Holmes is called out of his Sussex retirement to investigate the assassination of an American journalist. Based on the actual murder in 1911 of the muckraker David Graham Phillips, this case brings Holmes and Watson to America and takes them into the halls of Congress, as they try to discover which of Phillips' many political enemies may have had him killed. Victor also introduces numerous historical characters from American politics, among them Teddy Roosevelt.(BT 10/98)
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