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chitownbookworm's review
adventurous
challenging
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kilayman10's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
georgann's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
mariellais's review
3.0
Originally I was going to give this a lower rating, but then I read the last short story in this collection, “The Human Mystery” by Tanith Lee. I found it to be interesting enough to give this collection 3 stars. The other short stories are mostly forgettable and predictable.
Many of them rely on adding real historical figures - such as “The Adventure of the Naturalist’s Stock Pin” - which has Darwin as Sherlock Holmes’s client. I mention this story in particular because I found it to be the weakest of the bunch. The author seemed more focused on bringing up facts about Darwin’s life over weaving an interesting or believable mystery.
But as I said earlier, “The Human Mystery” was an interesting concept. I almost wish it was a full length novel so that some of the ideas could be explored more. Though I do feel that at times Tanith Lee didn't really get the voices of Holmes and Watson right. But overall I enjoyed it.
The idea of Holmes having to confront fanatic admirers of his is something I have seen brought up in one other pastiche, but I’ve never seen the culprit end up being the fanatic. I also liked how the author used Holmes’s views on women to cloud his judgment on the case.
So in the end I can’t really recommend this collection. “The Human Mystery” is the only short story that I will remember, and it is the only reason this collection recieved more than 2 stars from me. If you are looking for some Christmas inspired Holmes I'd recommend the original Holmes for the Holidays over this collection.
Many of them rely on adding real historical figures - such as “The Adventure of the Naturalist’s Stock Pin” - which has Darwin as Sherlock Holmes’s client. I mention this story in particular because I found it to be the weakest of the bunch. The author seemed more focused on bringing up facts about Darwin’s life over weaving an interesting or believable mystery.
But as I said earlier, “The Human Mystery” was an interesting concept. I almost wish it was a full length novel so that some of the ideas could be explored more. Though I do feel that at times Tanith Lee didn't really get the voices of Holmes and Watson right. But overall I enjoyed it.
So in the end I can’t really recommend this collection. “The Human Mystery” is the only short story that I will remember, and it is the only reason this collection recieved more than 2 stars from me. If you are looking for some Christmas inspired Holmes I'd recommend the original Holmes for the Holidays over this collection.
astrangerhere's review
3.0
Quite as good as the first collection, and entertaining as always. Its been a number of years since this has been done, I'd like to see another collection of Sherlockania soon.
bev_reads_mysteries's review
3.0
This is a decent collection of Sherlock Holmes pastiches written with a Christmas holiday theme. There are eleven stories in all--written by well-known mystery writers like Anne Perry, Edward D. Hoch, Peter Lovesy and Jon Breen as well as tales from science fiction and western writers like Bill Crider and Tanith Lee. And a few of the authors have dipped their toes in Holmes tributes in the past (Loren D Estleman and Daniel Stashower, for example). There are a wide range of themes from a stolen Stradivarius to a second adventure with a previous client to a puzzle involving a beautiful woman and a family curse. We also find Holmes solving mysteries for the likes of Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Charles Darwin and Timothy Cratchit (Tiny Tim).
Just as there is a wide range of themes, there is a fairly wide range of expertise in this collection. The stories are obviously meant as homage to the Master, but few of the authors get the voice of Watson down correctly and there are occasional missteps in the relationship between Holmes and the good doctor. But regardless of the flaws, the stories are on the whole interesting and well worth the read--especially at this time of year. Three stars.
Just as there is a wide range of themes, there is a fairly wide range of expertise in this collection. The stories are obviously meant as homage to the Master, but few of the authors get the voice of Watson down correctly and there are occasional missteps in the relationship between Holmes and the good doctor. But regardless of the flaws, the stories are on the whole interesting and well worth the read--especially at this time of year. Three stars.
moto1480's review
4.0
Loved this! Fun Holmes pistaches with a holiday flavor. Gets you in the mood for Christmas and mysteries (but does not get you in the mood for murder, if you were curious.)
ssejig's review
4.0
A compilation of Sherlock Holmes stories written by some of today's best mystery writers. All of the stories are set at Christmas. The ones that were best (including Anne Perry's) tried to write more like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while others that tried to tie in Darwin, Scrooge, O. Henry and other notables fell a little flat. Overall, a very good book.
caidyn's review
3.0
"Evil takes no holidays, Watson.
This is a nice little collection of stories that are focused around the holiday season. Basically, I saw this sitting on the shelf at my local library and thought to myself, "Why not?" Now that it's November, it's basically Christmas. I mean, I'm currently on the count-down to last day of classes for this term; I have less than ten. So, it's upon us.
Overall, I liked the collection. There were a few that stood out to me as very good, and only one that I thought was just a big dud. This collection gets 3.6 stars, from tallying up all my ratings for the short stories. Below are my individual reviews for the stories.
The Watch Night Bell - 3.5/5: I totally guessed where this was going early on in the story, but it was completely enjoyable. I love it when Holmes underestimates women, and what more can you expect from a girl named Millicent? (Too much like Maleficent for me.)
The Sleuth of Christmas Past - 3.5/5: Another good one, although for half of it I thought that Piaget referred to the famous developmental psychologist. However, I was wrong. Despite that, it was a good story, and fun. None of them have really been Christmas-y yet, though.
A Scandal in Winter - 4/5: IRENE! I had a feeling this one would involve my dear Irene Adler, and I was correct. On her third husband.And sadly that third husband isn't Holmes. The case was very succinct and I really enjoyed how this wasn't told by Watson. It was unique, and very fun. Favorite line: "[Holmes] must have loved [Irene] very much."
The Adventure in Border Country - 4/5: The subject matter of this one actually shocked me. I mean, these are set back in Victorian times. Things like that aren't talked about, after all. It's a hush hush thing. And, no, I'm not talking about homosexuality. Although, that was another hush hush thing, kept well behind closed doors.
The Adventure of the Three Ghosts - 3.5/5: Dickens meets Holmes. Or, more accurately, [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440] meets Holmes. A short story and pretty fun. I was actually wondering when Scrooge would come into the stories in some way, and it didn't take too long.
The Adventure of the Canine Ventriloquist - 3/5: The first really just average story. It was interesting, but not one that I'd think was amazing. Still a fun story, but nothing for me to write home about.
The Adventure of the Man Who Never Laughed - 3.5/5: I wish that this one was a bit more explicit with what our dear Sydney had that made him not smile or laugh. It was said at the end in parenthesis for thanking someone for bringing it to his attention, but I wanted to know more about it than a quick name. Also, SYDNEY DO NOT DO THE FREUDIAN THERAPY.
The Yuletide Affair - 2.5/5: While the story itself was good and the pacing was very ACD -- aka a bit too fast for my tastes, it felt off. For me, it was the characters. Watson didn't ring as Watson. Holmes, when he was in the story, didn't ring as Holmes. None of them felt written right. However, I loved the premise of it.
The Adventure of the Christmas Tree - 3.5/5: A good one. Fun and interesting. There's nothing really more that I can say about this one, really. I liked it, good pacing, and Holmes and Watson felt spot on with how they were written.
The Adventure of the Christmas Ghosts - 3.5/5: Another take on Dicken's [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440], at least with explaining the ghosts. Scrooge's great-nephew is the main character in this, with Tiny Tim there as well, plus Holmes and Watson, of course.
The Thief of Twelfth Night - 4/5: I KNEW THIS WAS WRITTEN BY THE SAME PERSON WHO DID [b:Good Night, Mr. Holmes|552534|Good Night, Mr. Holmes (Irene Adler, #1)|Carole Nelson Douglas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437091135s/552534.jpg|2903822]! I just had that feeling in my gut that I knew the writing the whole time. And, then the ending, with Penelope Huxleigh. It reminds me that I need to go read the second book, because obviously Ms Douglas has some plans for her if she becomes a part of the Pinkertons. In America. When does she go to America? But, this story reminded me why my favorite ACD Holmes collection thus far is [b:The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes|194373|The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #4)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410716044s/194373.jpg|6328892]. I love how it was told from Holmes himself, like with the story that involved his first case and Victor Trevor.
The Italian Sherlock Holmes - 3.5/5: Pretty fun since this case already was basically solved, and it was just recounting of it. Not even one of Holmes cases, though. An Italian Sherlock Holmes tried to solve a case. However, is he really that good of pupil?
The Christmas Client - 4/5: Ugh. This one was one of those I was iffy about. This involved Moriarty, Holmes and Watson -- of course, and Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. I'm the first to say that [b:Alice in Wonderland|13023|Alice in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #1)|Lewis Carroll|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391458382s/13023.jpg|2933712] is not my favorite children's story ever. It just didn't interest me when I read it. Plus, it interests me even less since Dodgson basically was a pedophile. (Sorry to ruin it for those who didn't know that.) And, this story addressed his pedophilia, and I wish the conclusion had been different. I liked it, but I didn't like it.
The Adventure of the Angel's Trumpet - 4/5: A fine and solid end to this collection. I always like it when authors work into their Holmes pastiches their own characters from books. It adds another life to it, and this certainly had it with Kevin O'Bannion.
This is a nice little collection of stories that are focused around the holiday season. Basically, I saw this sitting on the shelf at my local library and thought to myself, "Why not?" Now that it's November, it's basically Christmas. I mean, I'm currently on the count-down to last day of classes for this term; I have less than ten. So, it's upon us.
Overall, I liked the collection. There were a few that stood out to me as very good, and only one that I thought was just a big dud. This collection gets 3.6 stars, from tallying up all my ratings for the short stories. Below are my individual reviews for the stories.
The Watch Night Bell - 3.5/5: I totally guessed where this was going early on in the story, but it was completely enjoyable. I love it when Holmes underestimates women, and what more can you expect from a girl named Millicent? (Too much like Maleficent for me.)
The Sleuth of Christmas Past - 3.5/5: Another good one, although for half of it I thought that Piaget referred to the famous developmental psychologist. However, I was wrong. Despite that, it was a good story, and fun. None of them have really been Christmas-y yet, though.
A Scandal in Winter - 4/5: IRENE! I had a feeling this one would involve my dear Irene Adler, and I was correct. On her third husband.
The Adventure in Border Country - 4/5: The subject matter of this one actually shocked me. I mean, these are set back in Victorian times. Things like that aren't talked about, after all. It's a hush hush thing. And, no, I'm not talking about homosexuality. Although, that was another hush hush thing, kept well behind closed doors.
The Adventure of the Three Ghosts - 3.5/5: Dickens meets Holmes. Or, more accurately, [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440] meets Holmes. A short story and pretty fun. I was actually wondering when Scrooge would come into the stories in some way, and it didn't take too long.
The Adventure of the Canine Ventriloquist - 3/5: The first really just average story. It was interesting, but not one that I'd think was amazing. Still a fun story, but nothing for me to write home about.
The Adventure of the Man Who Never Laughed - 3.5/5: I wish that this one was a bit more explicit with what our dear Sydney had that made him not smile or laugh. It was said at the end in parenthesis for thanking someone for bringing it to his attention, but I wanted to know more about it than a quick name. Also, SYDNEY DO NOT DO THE FREUDIAN THERAPY.
The Yuletide Affair - 2.5/5: While the story itself was good and the pacing was very ACD -- aka a bit too fast for my tastes, it felt off. For me, it was the characters. Watson didn't ring as Watson. Holmes, when he was in the story, didn't ring as Holmes. None of them felt written right. However, I loved the premise of it.
The Adventure of the Christmas Tree - 3.5/5: A good one. Fun and interesting. There's nothing really more that I can say about this one, really. I liked it, good pacing, and Holmes and Watson felt spot on with how they were written.
The Adventure of the Christmas Ghosts - 3.5/5: Another take on Dicken's [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440], at least with explaining the ghosts. Scrooge's great-nephew is the main character in this, with Tiny Tim there as well, plus Holmes and Watson, of course.
The Thief of Twelfth Night - 4/5: I KNEW THIS WAS WRITTEN BY THE SAME PERSON WHO DID [b:Good Night, Mr. Holmes|552534|Good Night, Mr. Holmes (Irene Adler, #1)|Carole Nelson Douglas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437091135s/552534.jpg|2903822]! I just had that feeling in my gut that I knew the writing the whole time. And, then the ending, with Penelope Huxleigh. It reminds me that I need to go read the second book, because obviously Ms Douglas has some plans for her if she becomes a part of the Pinkertons. In America. When does she go to America? But, this story reminded me why my favorite ACD Holmes collection thus far is [b:The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes|194373|The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #4)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410716044s/194373.jpg|6328892]. I love how it was told from Holmes himself, like with the story that involved his first case and Victor Trevor.
The Italian Sherlock Holmes - 3.5/5: Pretty fun since this case already was basically solved, and it was just recounting of it. Not even one of Holmes cases, though. An Italian Sherlock Holmes tried to solve a case. However, is he really that good of pupil?
The Christmas Client - 4/5: Ugh. This one was one of those I was iffy about. This involved Moriarty, Holmes and Watson -- of course, and Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. I'm the first to say that [b:Alice in Wonderland|13023|Alice in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #1)|Lewis Carroll|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391458382s/13023.jpg|2933712] is not my favorite children's story ever. It just didn't interest me when I read it. Plus, it interests me even less since Dodgson basically was a pedophile. (Sorry to ruin it for those who didn't know that.) And, this story addressed his pedophilia, and I wish the conclusion had been different. I liked it, but I didn't like it.
The Adventure of the Angel's Trumpet - 4/5: A fine and solid end to this collection. I always like it when authors work into their Holmes pastiches their own characters from books. It adds another life to it, and this certainly had it with Kevin O'Bannion.
trin's review
2.0
Allow me to use an analogy here. Imagine that in 20 years or so people start publishing collections of Buffy the Vampire Slayer pastiches. (In this version of the future [a: Joss Whedon|18015|Joss Whedon|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1302721520p2/18015.jpg] is either incredibly generous or has very bad lawyers.) In each story, Buffy does some research with the Scoobies (all of whom are currently getting along great!), patrols a cemetery, and stakes a vampire...and that’s it. No character development, not even any character insight! In every. Single. Story.
That’s this collection, pretty much. If some of the tales had been particularly humorous or blessed with [a: Arthur Conan Doyle|2448|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495008883p2/2448.jpg]’s gift with atmosphere, that might have redeemed things somewhat. Instead, we get not one, but TWO stories that offer a rational, Sherlockian explanation for the events of [b: A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440]. I know it’s a holiday collection, but did it really have to be produced via cookie cutter?
I also have to say, this is one of the worst-edited books I’ve read in a long time—purely from a copyediting standpoint, I mean. Words are used incorrectly, there are bizarre misspellings, and the book is littered with sloppiness: strangers being referred to by name, then introduced three paragraphs later—that kind of stuff. And there are THREE editors credited. Yikes.
Needless to say, this did not fill me with holiday cheer.
That’s this collection, pretty much. If some of the tales had been particularly humorous or blessed with [a: Arthur Conan Doyle|2448|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495008883p2/2448.jpg]’s gift with atmosphere, that might have redeemed things somewhat. Instead, we get not one, but TWO stories that offer a rational, Sherlockian explanation for the events of [b: A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440]. I know it’s a holiday collection, but did it really have to be produced via cookie cutter?
I also have to say, this is one of the worst-edited books I’ve read in a long time—purely from a copyediting standpoint, I mean. Words are used incorrectly, there are bizarre misspellings, and the book is littered with sloppiness: strangers being referred to by name, then introduced three paragraphs later—that kind of stuff. And there are THREE editors credited. Yikes.
Needless to say, this did not fill me with holiday cheer.