Sherlock Holmes: A Duel With the Devil

Rating:
Summary: With a close eye upon the original Doyle stories
Review: Deftly written by Roger Jaynes, Sherlock Holmes: A Duel With The Devil is a truly fascinating novel about the life-and-death struggles between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective hero and his eternal arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, a mathematical genius gone homicidally mad. Told from Dr. Watson's point of view, this thoroughly engaging and quite faithful pastiche presents a terrible duel between Holmes and Moriarty for "the very heart and moral soul of London." An engagingly read which written with a love for and a close eye upon the original Doyle stories, Sherlock Holmes: A Duel With The Devil is also available in a hardcover edition (0947533850, ...).

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I always look for the good in a Holmes pastiche, since the author selected such an excellent protagonist. I had a hard time finding the positive in this collection of three short stories.
The first story was simply dull and dragged on. It took me three tries to complete it.

The second story was pretty much a variation on Doyle's classic, The Red Headed League. It's already been done: and quite well!

The final tale had as silly an ending as any Holmes story I have read.

The unifying theme of these three stories is that Holmes is battling against his nemesis, Professor James Moriarty. Thus, the title. There are extremely well done Moriarty pastiches out there by John Gardner and Michael Kurland. A Duel With the Devil was a poor collection in comparison. Buy something else.

Rating:
Summary: Moriarty Lives!
Review: This book is exactly what the Holmes cannon needed: more about Holmes VS Moriarty prior to the latter's supposed death. In other words what drove Moriarty? What crimes did he supervise that caused Holmes to first sense a master hand in crime? What were the times which he enumerates to Holmes at their famous standoff in Holmes' Baker Street flat? To Mr. Roger Jaynes, I say, like Oliver Twist, "Please, sir, I want more!" Five Sherlock Stars from the Blade!