Authors put own twists on Sherlock Holmes
With the release of the next “Sherlock Holmes” movie nearing, a fantastic new book, “A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon,” gives a bit of new life to the famed master detective’s impeccable reputation.
Holmes, the fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is considered one of the greatest detectives in literature and has inspired legions of writers over the years. Now, 18 best-selling authors put their inquisitive minds together to come up with their own twists on some of Sherlock Holmes’ most noted cases.
Among the authors featured are Neil Gaiman, Lee Child, Alan Bradley, Jacqueline Winspear, Laura Lippman and Charles Todd — all highly regarded mystery and speculative writers in their own rights.
Bradley, known for his Flavia de Luce novels, kicks off the book with a delightful tribute to Holmes’ gift for disguise in “You’d Better Go In Disguise.” Gaiman’s contribution, “The Case of Death and Honey,” finds Holmes traveling to China to investigate the craft of beekeeping, a skill he is fond of, and the mysterious properties that a certain blend of honey might yield.
Lippman’s charming tale, “The Last of Sheila-Locke Holmes,” follows an 11-year-old girl who is determined to solve a mystery, a la Sherlock Holmes, that involves her parents and a mysterious photograph, while Margaret Maron’s well-crafted “The Adventures of the Concert Pianist” features Holmes’ steadfast sidekick Watson and their unflappable landlady Mrs. Hudson on their own adventure.
My favorite contribution to the collection was, hands down, graphic artist Colin Cotterill’s hilarious take on a big misunderstanding and a looming deadline in his cartoon-based “The Mysterious Case of the Unwritten Short Story.” It was just perfect.
There is a little something for every reading taste in this collection of short stories. Kudos to editors and authors Laurie King and Leslie Klinger for a job well done putting this book together. Read a few, read them all — you’ll be glad you did.
