Tangled Web UK Review October 2007
Sherlock Holmes and the American Angels by
Barrie Roberts
pbk out December 07
(Severn House)
at £9.99
The late Mr Roberts has long been acknowledged as one of the most faithful of Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle's imitators, and The American Angels is no exception. The
premises are twofold, both sound: Mr Roberts has chosen to explore the
circumstances of the knighthood which Holmes is reported to have refused in The
Adventure of the Three Garridebs; and he uses the form of a novella, in true imitation
of Sir Arthur's own longer adventures. The choice of Holmes's mysterious
knighthood is inspired, for it not only intrigues Sherlockians, but also provides scope
for a plot with international ramifications, which will appeal to those who have little
knowledge of the Great Detective. One of the strengths of the novella is that it must
of necessity move quickly, and Mr Roberts brings his own flair and finesse to the fast
pace. His style does not match that of Watson exactly, but is not too dissimilar for
enthusiasts, and flows smoothly.
The adventure fits perfectly with Sir Arthur's Canon, and is set in the spring of
1902, when Holmes discovers a cryptic exchange in the newspapers that suggests a
Jacobite conspiracy. Intrigued by the complexity of the code, he decides to
investigate for himself, and steps out with Watson to Regent's Park – which is where
they find the first body. The second appears shortly thereafter, following which
Holmes is recruited by a member of the forerunner of the US Secret Service to find
lost Jacobite treasure. The 'American Angels' of the title are coins in a shipment of
gold from France, sent to America during the War of Independence via Jacobite
supporters in Scotland. Mr Roberts's expert knowledge of Edwardian England is
paralleled by his general familiarity with British and American history, and the
volume begins and ends with useful 'Editor's Notes'. Included is a particularly
interesting reminder of how the term 'Jacobite' came to be used by the Scottish
nationalists.
Holmes and Watson travel to the fictional Strathcullar in the Scottish
Highlands, where the laird of the manor – the employer of one of the dead men – is a
descendant of Bonnie Prince Charlie. At this point it seems the plot hinges on another
– and most unlikely – attempt to free Scotland from English rule. Mr Roberts is far
too rigorous a historian to allow this, however, and the suspension of disbelief never
wavers. There is really only one criticism to make, and that only minor: the author
employs two devices from the best-known Sherlock Holmes adventure, The Hound of
the Baskervilles, in fairly rapid succession. Using either one or the other would have
been perfectly acceptable, but the two together make that part of the denouement
predictable for aficionados. It is a great shame that there will be no more Sherlock
Holmes pastiches from Mr Roberts's pen, and little consolation that his last novella
was one of his best.
Like the rest of his work, it lives on as testimony to his talent.
(
Rafe McGregor
)
Thousands of New and used Books at your Fingertips...
Support Tangled Web - Buy Your Books Online
