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dipt_in_folly's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
evia_booklover's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
elzmri's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
beledit's review
5.0
This is a more than worthy entrant to the cannon of homages to Conan Doyle. Holmes enthusiasts will not be disappointed.
I always love to get my hands on a new Sherlock Holmes story. What I find interesting is how they can be so true to the originals and yet have a modern appeal. I loved the original Sherlock Holmes stories when I was young, but like classic black-and-white movies, when reread or reseen today, they do drag on a bit. Thanks to the modern TV series, we have learned to appreciate (or been trained to expect, depending on your point of view) stories that are not just complex but also intense and fast-paced.
The Back-to-Front Murder is satisfyingly complex and well paced. So it is a good read in its own right as well as a good Holmes story. The characters of Holmes and Watson are true to type. Abigail is an interesting character too and the story is intriguing. It's well written and gripping.
What's not to like? Nothing. It's an all-round 5-star read.
I always love to get my hands on a new Sherlock Holmes story. What I find interesting is how they can be so true to the originals and yet have a modern appeal. I loved the original Sherlock Holmes stories when I was young, but like classic black-and-white movies, when reread or reseen today, they do drag on a bit. Thanks to the modern TV series, we have learned to appreciate (or been trained to expect, depending on your point of view) stories that are not just complex but also intense and fast-paced.
The Back-to-Front Murder is satisfyingly complex and well paced. So it is a good read in its own right as well as a good Holmes story. The characters of Holmes and Watson are true to type. Abigail is an interesting character too and the story is intriguing. It's well written and gripping.
What's not to like? Nothing. It's an all-round 5-star read.
elzmri's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Firstly, Major’s writing style is very much like Doyle’s original canon, which I thoroughly enjoyed as there are not many pastiche authors who can nail the original author’s techniques, but Major achieves just that in Back to Front Murder. At first I found Watson was presented as being very emotional and Holmes regularly makes him look a fool for his lack of deduction skills; while these are typical traits of Watson’s personality, I worried at first that this novel would exaggerate them to the point where Watson appears the bumbling buffoon that some previous Holmes adaptations have presented him as. However, especially by the end of the boom, I realise that this certainly wasn’t the case and I am glad to have stuck with it. I struggled a little with some of the scenes described in France, but that is more a reflection of my own lack of familiarity with the place names/ French lexis etc rather than a con on Major’s storytelling. I found that Holmes wasn’t as present in this narration as he is in other stories, and while I acknowledge that Watson is indeed the narrator who helps us as the readers piece together the musste dies to solve them alongside them, I found that Watson seemed to be at the forefront of trying to figure out the facts himself rather than Holmes guiding him regularly. I would like to point out that the final pages of the closing chapter made me smile; Major brilliantly describes Holmes’ behaviour at being proved wrong about ‘coincidences’ fit his character and ego excellently, and made me chuckle, and the subtle references to his gentle behaviour with the other characters adds a layer of humanity to his character, which I find many Holmes pastiches often get wrong by simply presenting him as a Spock-like cold, calculating machine.
Overall, the characters were believable, the mystery itself interesting but a bit bland at some points (I enjoy fast paced thriller-plots, so this is simply a personal preference) and the writing style was excellent. I would absolutely recommend this book to Holmes fans, and I hope Tim Major writes more in the future :)
Overall, the characters were believable, the mystery itself interesting but a bit bland at some points (I enjoy fast paced thriller-plots, so this is simply a personal preference) and the writing style was excellent. I would absolutely recommend this book to Holmes fans, and I hope Tim Major writes more in the future :)
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Alcoholism, Murder, and Alcohol
m_art_'s review
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
annarella's review
4.0
This is a very good addition to the corpus of stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes and Watson are well written and reflects the characters of the Canon. Abigail is a fascinating addition and I would have like to learn more about her.
The story is full of red herring and twists and very exciting till 80%: the last part part dragged and the solution required a bit of suspension of belief.
It was an entertaining read that I liked.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Holmes and Watson are well written and reflects the characters of the Canon. Abigail is a fascinating addition and I would have like to learn more about her.
The story is full of red herring and twists and very exciting till 80%: the last part part dragged and the solution required a bit of suspension of belief.
It was an entertaining read that I liked.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
monologgen's review
4.0
Since my early teens, Sherlock Holmes has been my favorite detective and over the years I have come across some new attempts to portray the great detective. It always makes me curious if he is the same or the author is doing something new. So when the opportunity comes to read a book before it comes out, I do not say no. Thank you NetGalley and Titan for giving me the confidence to read the book early.
Here I find the Sherlock I got to know in the original stories. The author seems to have chosen to keep a style that is very similar to Conan Doyle's books about Sherlock Holmes. The language feels typical of the time. It's a little harder to absorb for someone who doesn´t have English as a first language, but I soon got used to it. The pace in the book is good and a lot happens.
I like the mystery about Abigail. Abigail is an unusual woman for her time. She is a writer, smokes and puts her feet on the table. She lives alone and without servants. Sometimes she dresses in menswear as well. Not a typical female character found in Conan Doyle's stories. I find it very refreshing and it was interesting to see how Watson reacted to the unconventional Abigail.
The Back to Front Murder delivered what I expected from a new version of Sherlock Holmes, plus some unexpected twists in the plot. I would happily recommend it to other Sherlock fans out there.
Here I find the Sherlock I got to know in the original stories. The author seems to have chosen to keep a style that is very similar to Conan Doyle's books about Sherlock Holmes. The language feels typical of the time. It's a little harder to absorb for someone who doesn´t have English as a first language, but I soon got used to it. The pace in the book is good and a lot happens.
I like the mystery about Abigail. Abigail is an unusual woman for her time. She is a writer, smokes and puts her feet on the table. She lives alone and without servants. Sometimes she dresses in menswear as well. Not a typical female character found in Conan Doyle's stories. I find it very refreshing and it was interesting to see how Watson reacted to the unconventional Abigail.
The Back to Front Murder delivered what I expected from a new version of Sherlock Holmes, plus some unexpected twists in the plot. I would happily recommend it to other Sherlock fans out there.