George Mann presents another anthology of Sherlock Holmes pastiches. The gimmick is that each writer has to choose a minor character in the Holmes Canon and have that character narrate a mystery. The biggest (and maybe outlandish) example is “The Noble Burglar” by James Lovegrove where the narrator…is Toby, the dog from The Sign of Four.
While all the stories in The Further Associates of Sherlock Holmes (2017) are fun to read, a couple stand out. I really enjoyed Andrew Lane’s “The Unexpected Death of the Martian Ambassador” by Andrew Lane where the story is narrated by the pompous Lord Holdhurst (who appeared in “The Adventure of the Navel Treaty”). Also excellent is Mark A. Latham’s “The Curious Case of Vanished Youth” where Langdale Pike (from “The Adventure of the Three Gables”) where a character that Watson dislikes is central to the mystery’s solution.
Not a month goes by when a Sherlock Holmes anthology (or a collection of H.P. Lovecraft pastiches) doesn’t show up in my mailbox. The Further Associates of Sherlock Holmes is better than most. If you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan you’ll want to check this out. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The last visitor / Stephen Henry — 7
The docklands murder / Dan Watters — 29
Sherlock Holmes and the beast of Bodmin / Jonathan Green — 53
The case of the blind man’s spectacles / Marcia Wilson — 79
The unfortunate guest / Iain McLaughlin — 103
The unexpected death of the martian ambassador / Andrew Lane — 125
No good deed / David Marcum — 149
The curious case of vanished youth / Mark A. Latham — 179
The curse of the blue diamond / Sam Stone — 219
The pilot fish / Stuart Douglas — 247
The case of the scented lady / Nik Vincent — 277
Harlingdon’s hair / Michelle Ruda — 297
The noble burglar / James Lovegrove — 331
The second mask / Philip Purser-Hallard — 353
Odd you have No responses on this one. Stephen Gallagher is probably my favorite Coniinuer of Holmes stories (at least among those who come to mind in prose), but this does sound like a fun set.
Todd, not everyone is into Sherlock Holmes pastiches like you and I. I have a copy of Stephen Gallagher’s THE BEDLAM DETECTIVE around here somewhere.
Well, and Michael Chabon, with THE FINAL SOLUTION. There are quite a few notable irregular folks whose work I should look into.
Todd, I have at least a dozen anthologies of Sherlock Holmes pastiches sitting on my shelves waiting to be read. And, not a month goes by without a H.P. Lovecraft anthology of pastiches arriving at my mailbox. Or a Sherlock Holmes anthology of pastiches. It’s a cottage industry.