Reviews

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

maureenr's review against another edition

3.0

Ok story about Arthur Conan Doyle with a dual timeline in the present. Was pretty silly but mildly entertaining.

cpt_tusktooth's review against another edition

4.0

Two simultaneous stories here -- the modern search by a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast for Conan Doyle's missing diary and the adventures of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle during the time period covered by the missing book. This was an enjoyable read, I particularly liked the portrayal of the relationship between Doyle and his "frustrated" author friend Bram Stoker, who joins Doyle in his adventure. A very good read from a first-time author.

ablotial's review against another edition

3.0

This was a pretty entertaining book of historical fiction, based on real events that happened in the life of Sir Conan Doyle. It takes place during a period of time that is "missing" from the journals that Doyle kept, and is a fantastical guess at what may have happened during that time and why the journal vanished. It alternates between 1901, where we follow the adventures of Doyle himself, and the present day where we follow the perspective of Harold White, a Sherlock Holmes fanatic who gets sucked into investigating the murder of one of the most prevalent "Sherlockians" in the world. I very much enjoyed both time periods, but I liked the present-day story line better. I liked the author's note at the end to explain which parts were real and which parts were fiction -- some of the real pieces surprised me. It was a good mystery... but nothing compared to a good Holmes story.

molly_benevides's review against another edition

3.0

I haven't read much Sherlock Holmes, but after this I want to!

jcpdiesel21's review against another edition

3.0

Given my limited exposure to Sherlock Holmes that includes only the Robert Downey Jr. movie from a few years ago and House, I wasn't sure whether this book would stand well on its own or my lack of knowledge would hinder my enjoyment. For me, the book is fine and has many clever elements, but didn't completely come together like I wanted it to. At the beginning I was immediately intrigued by the events of the present-day storyline and liked how Harold used his vast knowledge of the Holmes oeuvre to decipher the complex clues along the way. However, I was dissatisfied with how this storyline played out in the end and found a twist involving a character to be rather obvious. On the flip side, I was a bit bored with what was happening with Holmes and his case in 1901 at first and the language that Moore used to emulate this time period was tedious at times. However, this part of the book gathered my interest up to a satisfying conclusion. Learning about the intricacies of the devoted Sherlockians was fun, but I would have liked to know more about main character Harold, who sadly remained two-dimensional throughout. I did appreciate the informative note from the author at the end about what in the book was fact and fiction as well as the research that went into the novel.

awilderm23's review against another edition

2.0

Not the most well written novel. Trudged through the modern mystery sections, but the Conan Doyle mystery was enjoyable.

'The things which we do wrong - although they may seem little at the time, and though from the hardness of our hearts we pass then lightly by - come back to us with bitterness, when danger makes us think how little we have done to deserve help, and how much to deserve punishment. Bram Stoker from Under the Sunset'

'What saddens me is not the passing of time but the curious sensation of being aware of it as it happens.'

nicosta_music's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Did The Sherlockian require a bit of suspension of disbelief for both of the book's ongoing plotlines? Absolutely. Was it also a very fun romp through both Victorian- and modern-era detective stories? Absolutely! As an avid consumer of Sherlock Holmes spinoffs and adaptations, I have to say that this one is much better than some others that I've read. It's not perfect by any means but it has a very engaging plot and is just plain fun to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, and Misogyny

Minor: Physical abuse and Cursing

jconfess's review against another edition

3.0

I started this a year ago and hated it. Now that I have read the stories, I went back and found it far more enjoyable now that I know the references. It's not perfect not bad. My favorite parts are still the chapters with Conan Doyle and Stoker.

lakecake's review against another edition

4.0

Not just for Sherlock fans, but I'm sure they'd appreciate it the most. This is a two-fold story--a fictionalized account of the activities of Arthur Conan Doyle (pre-Sir) during a three-month period in 1900, and the present-day telling of those trying to find out what he did. Both are pretty rollicking mysteries, and they tie together as nicely as a fictionalized account of anything can. The cool thing is, both are based (however loosely) on real life events, and the author gives explanation and further reading in the end note for those interested. Definitely something I'll be checking out.

drrawsonreads's review against another edition

4.0

Really fun historical fiction mystery! The book alternates chapters between a present-day mystery being investigated by a Sherlock Holmes expert (the titular Sherlockian) and a mystery set in 1900 that is being investigated by Arthur Conan Doyle (with help from his friend Bram Stoker). I tend to really enjoy novels set in Victorian London, and this was no exception. I found the historical mystery to be a bit more compelling than the modern day story simply because Doyle was such an excellently-written character, but both were entertaining and offered several twists along the way. I'm looking forward to more from this author!