More Holmes for the Holidays
Martin H. Greenberg (ed) & Carol-Lynn Rossel Waugh (ed) & Jon L. Lellenberg (ed)
Just in time for the holidays, a second volume of all-new mysteries featuring the most popular detective of all from the pens of today's greatest mystery authors: Anne Perry, Peter Lovesey, Loren D. Estleman, Bill Crider, Carolyn Wheat, Daniel Stashower, Edward Hoch, Tanith Lee, Jon Breen, L.B. Greenwood, and Barbara Paul.
contents:
Introduction copyright 1999 by Jon L. Lellenberg.
The Christmas Gift copyright 1999 by Anne Perry.
The Four Wise Men copyright 1999 by Peter Lovesey.
Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson copyright 1999 by Barbara Paul.
The Adventure of the Greatest Gift copyright 1999 by Loren D. Estleman.
The Case of the Rajahs Emerald copyright 1999 by Carolyn Wheat.
The Christmas Conspiracy copyright 1999 by Edward D. Hoch.
The Music of Christmas copyright 1999 by L. B. Greenwood.
The Adventure of the Christmas Bear copyright 1999 by Bill Crider.
The Adventure of the Naturalists Stock Pin copyright 1999 by Jon L. Breen.
The Adventure of the Second Violet copyright 1999 by Daniel Stashower.
The Human Mystery copyright 1999 by Tanith Lee.
"Clever plotting and superior imitations of Watson's narrative voice makes this an above average anthology of new Sherlockian adventures." (Boston Herald)
"Each tale glows with Victorian warmth in this new round of adventures...a fitting sequel to the first such collection." (Chicago Sun-Times)
From Library Journal
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuthing pair continues to inspire other mystery writers, as witnessed by these three titles. In Millett's novel, Sherlock Holmes, languishing between cases in London, seizes the opportunity to authenticateAfor the Swedish kingAa rune stone found in Minnesota. He and Watson (the narrator, of course) encounter a wide variety of locals, from a wealthy empire builder and a lusty saloon-keeper to a beautiful ex-brothel owner. Before they can examine the stone, however, someone steals it and kills its owner. Secretive, surprising, inventive, and ill-acquainted with modesty, Sherlock and his latest American adventure (e.g., Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders) merit wide readership. Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock's older brother) and confidential secretary Peter Guthrie take the place of Holmes and Watson in Fawcett's series (Against the Brotherhood) "authorized" by Dame Jean Conan Doyle. Oddly enough, this pair's mission also involves the Swedish king, whom they must smuggle out of the country aboard a fast train to Scotland. Assassination attempts, murder, conspiracy, and secrecy all lend to the intrigue and tension. Literate prose and an overabundance of detail may dry this out for some, but purchase for fans. More Holmes for the Holidays, a follow-up to the 1996 Holmes for the Holidays, features 11 new tributes to Conan Doyle. Authors include not only well-known mystery writers such as Anne Perry, Jon Breen, and Peter Lovesey but also "cross-over" Western and sf writers, such as Bill Crider, Loren Estleman, and Tanith Lee. In Perry's story, which leads off, Holmes and Watson determine how a priceless Stradivarius was stolen from a locked room during a ten-minute time frame. In Lee's story, the pair confront an apparent puzzle dealing with a beautiful woman and a family curse. All in all, a likely purchase for most short story collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Whatever the reasonmaybe something off in the mince pie or the plum puddingthese 11 Sherlockian Yuletides tap the same vein as Holmes for the Holidays (1996), but to less effect. Most of the stories rely on clever concepts unsuccessfully carried out. It's nice to see Holmes reeling in celebrity clients like Oscar Wilde (Bill Crider), Charles Darwin (Jon L. Breen), O.Henry (Daniel Stashower), and Tiny Tim (Carolyn Wheat), but the mysteries they offer are anemic or trivial, as are other routine cases by Peter Lovesey, Barbara Paul, and Loren D. Estleman. No one gets Watson's voice quite right, though Anne Perry and L.B. Greenwood offer acceptably Victorian substitutes. Edward D. Hoch's Erskine Childers fantasy is the most ingenious of the bunch, and Tanith Lee's family curse, though overlong and uneven, throws a challenging new light on the great man. On the evidence, however, the editors might consider giving Holmes next Christmas off. -- Copyright 1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Anthology of Christmas Themed Sherlock Holmes Pastiches by modern mystery masters.