I read this Sherlock Holmes story shortly after (re)reading three of Doyle’s original novels - A Study in Scarlet, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Sign of the Four. This piece is skillfully written and plotted, with dialogue and actions quite true to character. The mystery is strong and surprised me at the end.
Holmes and Watson arrive at an almost-empty old hall in the dead of winter, owned by a miser hated by the whole village. His housekeeper, Miss Garth, is as stingy as he, with coal, food, and the staff, and there is no surprise and little sorrow when murder ensues - but how, why, and who are elusive.
This fits nicely into what I like to call Canon fodder - it could easily have been written by Doyle. One inconsistency (which detracts nothing from the story) is the dating - it is said at the beginning that it took place shortly after Watson and Holmes met and pursued the Study in Scarlet (1881), but Watson repeatedly mentions his engagement to Mary (Morstan, later Watson) and the Agra Treasure - both from the Sign of the Four (1889). Don’t let that bother you; it’s minor. This is a good one!
a nice pastiche
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
As far as Sherlock Holmes pastiches go, I quite enjoyed this one. Yes, it is long - it is definitely not a short story - but it easily held my interest even at 2am.
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