Giant Rat of Sumatra

by Richard L. Boyer

Book Overview

Everyone's favorite detective finds himself embroiled in two related investigations--one with a connection to a giant rat--in this clever Sherlock Holmes pastiche In deference to Sherlock Holmes'... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446881074
• ISBN13: 9780446881074
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Warner
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Superb Pastiche

A writer that actually has Holmes deducing! Many of the more modern attempts at copying the style of the originals go for shallow action tales, with very little detective work by Holmes. Boyer brings the quality of Doyle himself to this excellent work. A fast moving story, an intelligent Holmes, and a true, good ol' faithful Watson - Boyer gets it all spot on. Well done, Sir!

Please Reprint this Book!

Rick Boyer, author the Doc Adams mystery series, assembles a light and extremely fun Sherlock Holmes adventure, one that will delight any coinsurer of the very best of mystery fiction like The Crime Doctor, Sherlock Holmes : The Complete Novels and Stories (Bantam Classic) Volume I, or The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (Oxford Bookworms Library). I am certain that this thrilling novel will provided you with quite a few lively nights of suspenseful reading.

#82 by John Bennett Shaw

For what it is worth, Boyer's Giant Rat is #82 on John Bennett Shaw's Basic 100 Books on Sherlock Holmes. Just thought this might be helpful if you are wondering whether to read it or not. I have been told by others who should know that it is the best of the Giant Rat pastiches.

The single most successful Holmes pastiche I have read.

I agree with the previous review. This is an exceptionally well put together and just plain fun Holmes adventure. I've read most of the others out there on the market today, and sad to say none of the others really measure up to this one. It has finally been reprinted with three short stories as "A Sherlockian Quartet". If you can find it, buy it! You won't regret it. Just out of curiosity, does any one know if this is the same Rick Boyer who wrote Billingsgate Shoal?

Review of 'The Giant Rat of Sumatra' by Richard L. Boyer.

What a shame this book is out of print. The author is faithful to the original Arthur Conan Doyle style, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The 'giant rat' would be great in a Stephen Speilberg movie, and I'm surprised no one has caught on to this idea yet. I almost never read a fiction book more than once, but this one is so good that I've read it at least five times over the years. Any Sherlock Holmes fan will love this book, and any one who likes a good mystery adventure will greatly enjoy it. I don't know if Boyer ever won any awards for this, but he should have!