Ghosts in Baker Street (New Tales of Sherlock Holmes) by
Martin Harry Greenberg
pbk out December 06
(Carroll Graf)
at £8.59
The New Tales of Sherlock Holmes series has been a disappointment thus far, but this third instalment
comes as a pleasant surprise. The collections comprise pastiche by different authors, and the previous
two have suffered from a lack of central focus. The theme chosen was an unlikely one, in that the
cases presented should offer both a rational and supernatural explanation, but worked rather well.
Unfortunately the format of including three essays with each volume has been retained, despite
repeated criticism. The offerings here are on psychology and its relation to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's
stories, on the psychic detective in literature, and a personal reflection by Loren D. Estleman on the
success of his particular brand of pastiche.
There are only two of the ten New Tales that don't really fit in with the rest. Selden's Tale by
Daniel Stashower (one of the editors) is an autobiographical account by Selden, the Notting-Hill
murderer in The Hound of the Baskervilles. It paints a rather pathetic picture of a wounded war hero
turned drug addict, features a cameo from Sir Arthur, and has no supernatural elements whatsoever.
The Coole Park Problem by Michéal and Clare Breathnach removes Holmes and Watson to Galway,
and introduces them to Lady Gregory, William Butler Yates, and George Bernard Shaw. It appears to
be a romantic fantasy, or perhaps an updated faery tale, but there is no possible rational explanation for
the events depicted.
The other eight adventures are all true to the theme, and of a high standard. As a general
criticism, too many authors portray Watson as either credulous or only too eager to accept explanations
that rely on the supernatural. This is in complete contrast to the man of whom, in The Adventure of the
Creeping Man, Holmes says, 'You always keep us flat-footed on the ground'. Watson was an intensely
practical man, frequently praised for his commonsense, and as unlikely as Holmes to have reached for
a supernatural explanation – even if he had greater difficulty grasping the rational one. The Adventure of the Late Orang Outang by Gillian Linscott has already received much
praise, and deservedly so. Equally good is Jon L. Breen's The Adventure of the Librarian's Ghost, but
the two most entertaining are Death in the East End by Colin Bruce, and The Devil and Sherlock
Holmes by Loren D. Estleman. They are both atmospheric, eerie, and original ghost stories, perhaps
closer to M.R. James than Sir Arthur. While the introduction of Holmes and Watson into the ghost
stories facilitates their rational solutions, that is their only function. Both adventures are excellent
reads, but the depictions of Holmes and Watson don't quite portray the characters with whom readers
are familiar.
This is the first of the New Tales where the majority of readers are likely to enjoy the majority
of the stories, and will appeal to purists as well as those who prefer a new twist on Sir Arthur's magical
formula. One can only hope that the next in the series meets the raised standard.
(
Rafe McGregor
)
New Books by Martin Harry Greenberg at Amazon.co.uk
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Ghosts in Baker Street (New Tales of Sherlock Holmes) by
Martin Harry Greenberg
