Thursday, June 28, 2018

Sherlock Holmes and a Quantity of Debt — Book Review


                               
     
I have been "missing in action" for almost a month since we came back from Spain and Portugal. (No this picture is not me; it's the cover of a good book I read and am reviewing below.) On return from our trip, we immediately needed to go vote in the California primary. Then Rajan had cataract surgery (which went well). And ever since then I've been catching up on gardening, cleaning, and politics. (Marching this Saturday on behalf of asylum seekers on the border.)

I also wrote a new post about the Braga Romana festival in Portugal on my Fourth Wish blog HEREif you want to check it out.

But I've also found time to read.  I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, and although the discovery of pastiches came late to me, now I'm hooked. When they are well done, they are as satisfying as the original stories. I just finished a most satisfying mystery by David Marcum: Sherlock Holmes and a Quantity of Debt. 

Here is my review below:

David Marcum’s new mystery once again presents Sherlock Holmes and John Watson with just the right “voice” to make this novel seem as if it is part of “the Canon”. The title pays homage to a line from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations,and its layers of meaning unfold with the story.

The story opens with Dr. Watson in the doldrums over the death of his beloved first wife, Constance. He has moved back in with Holmes for company and for some direction to his now purposeless life. It is a cold, stormy day in April. Enter Inspector Alec McDonald with a troubling case in Bedfordshire: Workmen who were replacing an antiquated pipe drainage system on an estate uncovered a body hidden under the pipe fifty years earlier. The corpse has been well-preserved with physical details that play a large part in the story. McDonald asks for help from Sherlock, and off the three go to Bedfordshire to investigate further.

The cast of characters are wonderfully “Victorian Gothic”: Martin Briley, the estate owner, is an old man in his sixties. He’s highly thought of by all the villagers for his many good works throughout his life, but now he’s chair-bound and on the brink of death. His housekeeper, Mrs. Lynch, is as freezing as the inclement weather outside. On the other hand, his estate agent, George Burton, is a popular villager who has worked his way up to his current position. Burton, soon to inherit the estate, enjoys only antipathy from the forbidding Mrs. Lynch. Minor characters are quirky enough to be memorable without detracting from the main cast. Interiors, landscapes, and weather are so well described it’s easy for a reader to visualize and navigate all sites in the story and feel immersed in Victorian England. The clues scattered along the twists and turns of this puzzle mystery lead to a satisfying conclusion. 

All in all, a pleasurable read, and I certainly hope more from this author are in the works. 




Author, David Marcum


                                                                                                                              


David Marcum is also the author of several Sherlock Holmes adventures as well as the editor of several Sherlock Holmes story collections. You can read more about him and all of his writing ventures on his Author Page HERE.


How about you? Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan? Are you a mystery fan? Do you prefer novels or stories? Have you ever written a pastiche?





You can contact David Marcum at 

14 comments:

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

To be honest, I learned a new word today. I had NO idea what a pastiche was. It took me to the dictionary to learn what it was.

This sounds like an impressive read. Your colorful account of the book make it so enjoyable, I want to buy it. I'm sure it has many twists and turns you haven't touched on, but one thing I learned was Watson's first wife is dead, something I wasn't aware of. Thanks for this review AND for the new word I learned!

Vicki Lane said...

Sounds like fun. I enjoy Laurie King's Russell and Holmes novels and Neil Gaiman wrote a terrific Holmes pastiche (of a sort) called A Study in Emerald. Have never tried my hand at a Holmes-type story -- I think I'd find it daunting.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Elizabeth, I always enjoy your comments. I didn't know what a pastiche was either until I got acquainted online with some of the MX Publishing authors. This book really is a nice read. Very atmospheric all the way through. And I always love a puzzle mystery.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Vicki, thanks for stopping by. I didn't know about Neil Gaiman's book, A Study in Emerald. That has to be interesting. I'll look for it. I haven't tried a Holmes story per se. I did write an MG mystery where Holmes and Watson are characters in the story, but the main character is a ten-year old Victorian girl. I think an adult story, told in the Doyle mode would be daunting for me, too.

Hope you will soon have your camera back and we'll all be treated to new photos.

Sandra Cox said...

Sounds like an excellent read. Great review, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks Sandra. Glad you liked it. Are you a mystery fan? If so, you'd probably enjoy this. Despite the gruesome cover, it's a puzzle mystery, not a blood and gore one. :-)

Rosi said...

That cover gives me the heebie-jeebies! The book sounds fun. I will keep it in mind. Thanks for the review.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Rosi, yes it is pretty creepy. It kept me from reading it for awhile. It's the corpse that was found under the pipe. Glad you liked the review. It's a good book.

Anvilcloud said...

Sounds like it is keeping with the spirit of the genre.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Good way to put it. What I've always enjoyed about the original stories is that they are basically puzzle mysteries that tweak your brain while you try to figure out the mystery. This is definitely in keeping with that tone. It's all about clues here and there.

Sandra Cox said...

Have a pleasant, productive week, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks, Sandra, you do too.

Crystal Collier said...

My son really got into Sherlock Holmes books for a while there. I like the TV shows, but haven't ever attempted the books. SO many good reads out there, where does one begin?

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Crystal, I so know what you mean. I've been going on a reading binge lately (after a writing period of reading deprivation.) I just can't get enough of books! But it's so hard to know which one to read first. Glad your son has been into Sherlock Holmes. They are usually well-written and epitomize all the advice we writers are given regarding what makes a good read.