The Mangle Street Murders

The Mangle Street Murders: A Penny Dreadful Review

            Sidney Grice is a detective even more insufferable and idiosyncratic than Sherlock Holmes. March Middleton is his ward, a strong-minded and compassionate young lady. Sarah Ashby is a woman seemingly murdered by her husband William.

            The Mangle Street Murders, by M. R. C. Kasasian, is an interesting Victorian mystery (I do love Victorian mysteries). The guilty are not exactly punished and the good do not exactly escape unscathed. There is a fascinating and labyrinthine solution to the murder, but all the ends are not as tidily tied of as in a Sherlock Holmes story. It is much messier here, and I find that quite satisfying and very modern.

            I can hardly give further review without spoiling the plot, which is the entire joy of a mystery story. I will say that the reader should be on the lookout for the story-within-a-story of allusions to March Middleton’s past. It is almost as intriguing a mystery as the murder.

            I give The Mangle Street Murders four gears out of five. If you like anti-social genius detectives, you simply cannot miss this book.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

The Secret Notebooks of Sherlock Holmes

The Secret Notebooks of Sherlock Holmes: A Penny Dreadful Review

            I am certain that we can all agree that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not write enough Sherlock Holmes stories. My personal favorite is “The Adventure of the Dying Detective.” Imagine my delight at discovering that someone has discovered (written, rather) several new stories and collected them in a series of paperbacks. The Secret Notebooks of Sherlock Holmes came into my hands recently, and I’m glad to say that I enjoyed it very much.

            Presented as a series of cases that Dr. Watson could not publish while the subjects lived, The Secret Notebooks contains all the clever deductions and mystifying problems of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. June Thomson, of course the author, captures the feel of the characters so artfully that one really does believe that these are the lost works of Dr. Watson.

             I particularly enjoyed the clever method of hiding stolen jewelry employed in “The Case of the Aluminum Crutch,” a story in which Sherlock foils a trio of jewel thieves.

            One aspect of this book is quite educational. Included in each story are a series of footnotes, clarifying the identities of certain characters or relating some fact about the accepted Sherlock canon. I learned quite a bit about the original works by reading this book, and I must say that June Thomson must be quite a scholar. One of the adventures, “The Case of the Gustaffson Stone,” is taken from an allusion in a commonly read Sherlock Holmes mystery. It is the imagining of an adventure based on a line Sir Arthur wrote!

             I award this collection of short stories four gears out of five. It is one of several works, and I hope to track down the others!

Your Correspondent from the Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Young Sherlock Holmes: Knife Edge

Young Sherlock Holmes: Knife Edge: A Penny Dreadful Review

            At a recent convention, a well-known author handed me a free book. Normally, I do not begin reading a series in the middle, but I am never one to turn down free literature. As it turns out, it did not particularly matter that I had not read the previous novels, because the Young Sherlock Holmes books are almost as episodic as the original stories. My freebie was a self-contained adventure, and quite captivating.

            The young Mr. Holmes returns from adventures abroad to find his brother Mycroft waiting for him in Galway. They are there to investigate a medium who claims to be able to communicate with dead spies. The young Sherlock Holmes displays a germ of the deduction and intelligence we adore in his adult form, but tempered with the adorable optimism of youth. The story features a mysterious castle for him to explore, a little hint of romance, and, of course, a murder to solve. I shan’t spoil it by elaborating further.

            I give Knife Edge four gears out of five. I would definitely seek out the rest of this series. I love a satisfying adventure and mystery, and this fits the bill neatly.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Sherlock Ninja

Sherlock Ninja: A Penny Dreadful Review

Recently, I came into possession of a peculiar comic book by the talented and prolific artist Fred Perry.  It is the first issue of something called Sherlock Ninja. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Sherlock Holmes is a ninja.
        There is a damsel in distress, threatened by an ancient eastern artifact.  There is Sherlock Holmes’s characteristic mysteriousness. There is even Watson – a young lady called Watsu-san, whom I would love to learn more about. Altogether a satisfactory story employing Fred Perry’s characteristic comedic touch of misdirection and lovely art.
I give this delightful little story four gears out of five. I enjoyed it a great deal.  I would definitely love to see more. Grab a copy the next time you run across Mr. Perry – it is well worth the three-fifty.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,
Penny J. Merriweather