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Read this book for: canon-Holmes style, short stories, Victorian English mysteries, Sherlock Holmes
Quick Review: A lovely collection of short stories that feels completely at home within the Holmes canon, while including some very interesting perspectives.
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Once again, famous associates of the Great Detective – clients, colleagues and, of course, villains – tell their own stories in this collection of brand-new adventures. Meet Lucy Hebron years after Holmes’s only ever failed deduction; follow your nose down the streets of London with Toby the Dog; join Mrs Hudson on her first ever case; greet an ambassador from Mars alongside Lord Holdhurst; and confess your sins to your cellmate, Professor James Moriarty…
FURTHER ASSOCIATES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is a collection of short stories by various authors edited by George Mann, a wonderful addition to the several Sherlock Holmes story anthologies published by Titan Books.
FURTHER ASSOCIATES adds to existing Sherlock Holmes canon by using the style of Watson’s stories to tell tales of new adventures that were not captured by the good doctor. The interesting twist to this set of stories is that each of the stories is told from the perspective of someone who is not Dr. Watson!
The perspectives are perhaps the most interesting part of this collection. Authors chose to write from the points of view of those mentioned in canon, from stories told by Moriarty and Mrs. Hudson, to minor canon favourites such as Gregson and Wiggins, to characters mentioned once in a specific story, such as Sir Henry Baskerville, Peterson, and Lord Holhurst, right down to a story told by Toby the dog! Despite all these differing perspectives, they all manage to do an excellent job of capturing the real spirit and character of Sherlock Holmes.
This sense of being perfectly in tune with the original Conan Doyle writings is furthered by the writing style. Although each story has been written by a different author, each of the stories seems to speak with the same style as the originals, and you would be easily forgiven for assuming many of them appeared in The Strand alongside the Watson stories! Mann has done an excellent job of editing this collection, not only into a cohesive whole, but also into something that feels right at home alongside Conan Doyle’s writing.
Overall, this collection is filled with fun, engaging little puzzles, with enough authentic Holmes to satisfy even the most ardent fan, while the different perspectives keep the stories feeling fresh but familiar. Each piece presents a new case for Sherlock and his associates to solve, with the kinds of impossible situations and interesting solutions that fans of Sherlock Holmes love.
Whether you are a casual Holmes fan wanting more stories, or a Holmes scholar interested into a deeper dive into some of the interesting, briefly-mentioned characters of Conan Doyle’s canon, FURTHER ASSOCIATES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is a book you have to pick up.