Secret Documents of Sherlock Holmes. by
June Thomson
pbk out December 06
(Allison Busby)
at £5.99
Once again Ms Thomson weaves her magic pen and takes readers back to Baker Street, picking up
where Sir Arthur left off nearly eighty years ago. This is Holmes and Watson as their creator intended,
which is the ultimate achievement for a pastiche writer. The fourth in her series, this is also the most
readily available, being stocked by most large bookshops and internet booksellers.
Ms Thomson presents another seven cases from Watson's tantalising references in the Canon.
Five will be immediately familiar: The Ainsworth Abduction, The Boulevard Assassin, The Wimbledon
Tragedy, The Ferrers Documents, and The Vatican Cameos. The Case of the Camberwell Deception is
based on the reference to 'Mrs Cecil Forrester's little domestic complication', and The Case of the
Barton Wood Murder combines 'the terrible death of Crosby the banker' with 'the repulsive story of
the red leech'. The latter was particularly enjoyable. Not only was it an excellent idea to combine two
of Watson's numerous references (making sense of what would otherwise be an extremely large
dispatch-box), but an especially clever choice in selecting these two in particular.
The only criticism, which applies to all five volumes, is that the portrayal of the relationship
between Holmes and Watson is a little more sentimental than presented in the Canon. Each reader has
his or her own interpretation, however, and many will no doubt find the dynamic between Holmes and
Watson just as authentic as the atmosphere and plotting.
Even those who don't normally read pastiche will enjoy Ms Thomson's tales: she sticks
religiously to the Canon and avoids all the gimmicks introduced by other imitators over the years.
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Secret Documents of Sherlock Holmes. by
June Thomson
